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Sony’s Video Link Enables TVs to Watch Videos from the Internet.

Category: Multimedia

by Anton Shilov

[ 02/28/2007 | 02:12 PM ]

Sony Electronics, a leading producer of TV-sets, announced on Wednesday that it would ship a special module which will allow Bravia TV owners to access a variety of free videos from the Internet. It remains to be seen whether going forward Sony will decide to offer Bravia TV owners pay-per-view services or something like that, but the move emphasizes convergence between consumer electronics (CE) and computers.

When attached to a compatible Sony television using conventional USB and HDMI interfaces, the Bravia Internet link module will enable access to Internet video programming, such as music videos, movie trailers, user generated videos, including high-definition content, from providers like AOL, Yahoo! and Grouper, as well as Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony BMG Music. The module links the television set directly to existing broadband Internet service provider via an Ethernet connection. The navigation for content will be enabled by Xross Media Bar (XMB) user interface that is used in Sony’s PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable game consoles.

“Internet video popularity has reached an all-time high, but until now there was no easy way to bring it into the living room,” said Randy Waynick, senior vice president of the home products division at Sony Electronics. “The Bravia Internet video link seamlessly streams Internet video content to your TV the way it’s intended – free of any additional charge.”

Sony will start to ship its Bravia Internet video link in July and will charge its customers $300 for it. Currently the company talks only about ability to watch free videos from the Internet using the device, but it would be logical to assume that someday the Bravia Internet link module, or its successors, will enable end-users to acquire movies from the Internet or watch them paying for a view.

The Bravia Internet video link module will be supported by Sony’s recently announced Bravia HDTV line including the S-series flat-panel LCD line (KDL-46S3000, KDL-40S3000, KDL-32S3000 and KDL-26S3000) and the new KDF-37E3000 micro-display, which ship this spring. Other new Bravia models supporting the module include the new V-series and XBR flat-panel LCD line (KDL-46V3000, KDL-40V3000 and KDL-32XBR4) and the E-series micro-display line (KDF-50E3000 and KDF-46E3000), shipping this summer.