Sony Invades! 9 New Bravia HDTV LCDs to Hit the Market

Sony's quite well-known for many things, one of them being their habit of launching products in grand style. And I'm not necessarily referring to the launch event, but rather to the number of devices announced at once. And in this case Sony has followed its tradition, as it launched yesterday no less than 9 (nine) new models from the Bravia Flat-Panel HDTV LCD line, thus completing its lineup of products and offering its customers a comprehensive range of HDTV solutions.

First of all, let's see what models we are talking about. The new additions to the Bravia lineup are part of the XBR5, XBR4 and W series of products, so they come in screen sizes of 52, 46 and 40 inches. Thus, Sony launched the 52-inch KDL-52W3000, 46-inch KDL-46W3000 and 40-inch KDL-40W3000 in the W-series, the 52-inch KDL-52XBR4, 46-inch KDL-46XBR4 and 40-inch KDL-40XBR4 in the XBR4 series and the 52- inch KDL-52XBR5, 46-inch KDL-46XBR5 and 40-inch KDL-40XBR5 in the XBR5 series.

All the new models incorporate the latest HDTV and imaging processing developed by the Japanese company. Thus, all the Bravias feature 1920 x 1080 full high-definition resolution, 10-bit panels and, in certain models, Motionflow 120Hz high frame rate technology, as well as x.v.Color capability. Moreover, all the new models in the line feature Sony's Digital Media Extender (DMeX), thus providing a digital connection for the Bravia Internet Video Link module that allows users to view Internet video directly on their HDTV-capable sets.

All models feature Sony's Xross Media Bar (XMB) interface, capable of providing seamless access to various Internet video channels, as well as traditional broadcast, cable and satellite offerings, in addition to any user-generated content. The XMB sports a built-in HD graphic user interface, which allows the viewer to navigate the menus very easy and rapidly. Moreover, the new models sport the Theatre Sync feature with its one-button command, which integrates the operation of the television with supporting external components connected via an HDMI input.

The people from Sony seem to be quite confident about their devices. Thus, according to Randy Waynick, senior vice president of Sony's Home Products Division, "Our BRAVIA flat-panel LCD HDTVs have the leading market share because they deliver an outstanding level of picture quality and style that people appreciate. The new line elevates our commitment to full HD1080p televisions displays, while offering many more choices."

And if you happen to be curious as to how much these things will cost, here's a the list of their suggested price tags and estimated launch times, according to Sony: the KDL-52XBR4, KDL-46XBR4 and KDL40-XBR4 models will be available in August for about $4,800, $3,800 and $3,000, respectively; the KDL-46XBR5 and KDL-40XBR5 will also be available in August, for around $4,100 and $3,300; the KDL-52XBR5 model will hit the shelves in September for about $5,100; the KDL-46W3000 and KDL-40W300 models will debut in July for about $3,500 and $2,700, respectively, while customers will be able to purchase the KDL-52W3000 in August for $4,300.

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