Most people agree that for the latest wave of 3D TV to succeed, we need more content, and lots of it. There's only so many times one can watch Monsters vs. Aliens, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, or 3D demo clips on Blu-ray 3D. And to this end, Sony used their presence at the CEA Line Shows in New York last week by packing a room with their upcoming Full HD 3D-ready BRAVIA HDTV models, treating the audience with live soccer games from the FIFA World Cup, broadcast in 3D.
Making good on their own promises, ESPN has begun broadcasting select World Cup games in 3D, and DIRECTV is passing this live 3D content onto select DIRECTV customers via their existing satellite set-top boxes. Because broadcasts are being done in "frame-compatible" modes, this means that the effective HD resolution is being split in half between each eye. But in reality, the broadcast looked crisp and detailed with nice depth of field from many of the camera angles.
Also on hand were Sony's Blu-ray 3D players, looping the brand new "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" disc - the first Blu-ray 3D title from Sony Pictures, and the first title to be generally available at retail, not part of a manufacturer promotion. Specific products highlighted in the Sony booth included the BRAVIA XBR-LX900 series 3D HDTVs, HBR-HX909 and KDL-HX800 3-D Ready HDTVs, as well as the BDP-S770 Blu-ray 3D Player.
Sony's 3D integrated BRAVIA XBR-LX900 series HDTVs feature a built-in 3D sync transmitter and two pair of active shutter glasses in the box. Sony's 3D ready BRAVIA XBR-HX909 and KDL-HX800 series 3D ready models offer the option of adding the 3D sync transmitter and glasses at an additional cost. These Monolithic Design, Edge-lit LED backlight LCD models also feature integrated Wi-Fi (802.11n) for an easy connection to broadband home networks and to the internet to access Sony's BRAVIA Internet Video Platform and BRAVIA Internet Widgets, as well as Sony's new premium video service, Qriocity. The line features screen sizes including 40, 46, 52, 55, and 60-inches and ranges in price from around $2,100 (KDL-40HX800) to about $5,000 (XBR-60LX900).
The BDP-S770 Blu-ray 3D player ($299.99, July) also offers built in Wi-Fi (802.11n) for easy access to Sony's BRAVIA Internet Video platform and Qriocity. Additionally, Sony's BDP-S470 ($199.99) and BDP-S570 ($249.99) Blu-ray Disc players can be upgraded to play Blu-ray 3D with a free online firmware update (available now). The update also adds DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) compatibility to the models so that they can access media files such as images, music and video files from compatible devices in your home network.
More Information:
