It’s been obvious for some time that Sony sees 4K as part of their path towards recovery and growth. The new video format, which is here to replace HD (which in turn replaced SD), is already being offered in a variety of form factors from Sony. In fact, Sony is one of the few companies, if not the only one, that gives you options to not only record in 4K, be it with their Handycam FDR-AX100 which is priced at just $1,000, but consume it as well via their 4K televisions. Heck, even Sony’s smartphones now can capture in 4K. Ultimately, in order for Sony’s 4K vision to be successful, they need to offer a range of products that are compelling to professionals and consumers.

All the products I mentioned above are primarily targeted at consumers with price tags that are fairly affordable. Just two years ago at CES 2014, Sony announced the first consumer 4K camcorder which they dubbed “4K for 2K,” referencing the price which at the time seemed extremely low and now this year, we already have a model for half the price. The other part of this equation is for professionals. Sony Pictures is already using the format in a variety of their movies and shows like The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Breaking Bad, and Powers. But in order for 4K to become ubitiquous, Sony is looking to other markets as well to expand their 4K vision.

In their roadmap, Sony wants consumers to be able to record and consume 4K on their own in an easy and affordable fashion. But in order for 4K to thrive, consumers must also be wowed by it when in the hands of professionals. Hence the embrace of 4K by studios like Sony Pictures and Netflix, which are filming a lot of their original programming, like House of Cards and Marco Polo, in 4K. Sony is even working with sporting leagues like FIFA where they provided parts of World Cup 2014 in 4K. This still leaves a lot of untapped markets for Sony and ones they hope to convert.

Sony hopes to bring 4K to

• Motion pictures productions
• Broadcasters
• Weddings
• Sports broadcasts
• Televisions dramas
• Documentaries

While at first it all seems a no brainer, the methodology is deeper and more substantial than that. As it stands, you can’t imagine watching the NFL or NBA or even the news in SD. Everything we consume, from our wedding videos to documentaries are all shot in 1080p HD and anything less than that is unacceptable. This wasn’t the case though 10-15 years ago where we were still in the transition from SD to HD. This time around, Sony hopes to make the passing between formats faster and smoother – and even lead it. Many argue that Sony’s decline in consumer markets began during the transition from SD to HD where they failed to have adequate products, most notably in TVs that matched consumers’ interest in the new format.

This time around, Sony seems poised to capitalize on the transition to 4K by offering products for consumers and professionals with a targeted plan that will see different markets embrace the format and, hopefully along the way, Sony products. The sooner 4K is offered in all aspects of our lives, the sooner consumers will be ready to embrace as it moves from a novelty and eventually thing to a format that exists and can be used and consumed in all different manners.

Discuss:

Do you think Sony is doing everything it can to push 4K?