With Apple about to enter the TV market with their innovative designs and techniques, Sony seems to be all set to bring a new type of television to the market as well. In the words of Sony’s Chief Executive Howard Stringer during his breakfast with The Wall Street Journal, “There’s a tremendous amount of R&D going into a different kind of TV set.” and he also acknowledged that he is aware of Apple’s possible venture into the world of television manufacturing. Mr. Stringer further stated, “”We can’t continue selling TV sets. Every TV set we all make loses money.” Although this confirmed Sony’s intentions in the near future, he did not reveal anything as to the nature of the innovations that Sony wishes to bring in with their new breed of televisions. After losing billions in the TV business over the years and since it became official last week when they declared this year’s losses themselves (largely owing to the Tsunami and earthquakes in Japan in March), it really seems to be a mandatory step for Sony Televisions Inc.
As Black Friday approaches, it is estimated that there is probably going to be a price cut on big screen TVs for US customers by as much as 40 percent from last year. Add the free home deliveries, affordable EMI options and bonus gifts to this and the Holiday Season of 2011 looks better than ever. In the words of Dennis May (Chief Executive Officer of Hhgregg Inc), “We are going to be very promotional. We are going to be aggressive.”
The main reason as to why huge discounts are on the cards this holiday season is actually economical. Two of the top manufacturers, namely Sony and Panasonic have suffered enormous losses in their TV business due to a number of reasons; one of them of course, being the current recession in US. With some of the top manufacturers suffering losses and the others just managing enough sales to avoid the losses, it is only logical that the companies will offer lucrative discounts on their products. Besides, massive discounts would also encourage the currently shelled American customers to think about buying a big screen TV in the spirit of the holiday season. In a situation like this where the sales are going down, even the discounts and offers will be a way for the manufacturers to compete in order to make the best of the diminished market. Colin McGranahan, a Bernstein analyst put it best when he said ” It is going to be a dogfight. Everyone’s going to be fighting because demand is not great.” Although it’s bad news for the companies, this undoubtedly presents an opportunity for the US consumers to make the most and cash in on the situation.
We have seen a lot of LED TVs this year but according to the tech experts, there are two models from Sony and LG that take the cake. They are not necessarily the latest models released by these manufacturers, but they certainly have had the mettle to hold their own in the world of the LED televisions till now.
LG Infinia 47LW5600- Even with slightly weaker Smart TV features and narrower viewing angles, the 47-inch Infinia will manage to blow you away with its excellent color reproduction, deep blacks and bright display. It has surprising screen uniformity for an edge-lit LED TV as well.
Sony Bravia XBR55HX929- What is most amazing about the XBR55HX929 is that it provides an amazing level of black, better than any other LED TV can at the moment. Black levels that put plasma TVs to shame can only mean excellent picture quality, shadow details and the Bravia is no exception. If you can ignore the slightly unsteady 3D performance, occasional blooming artifacts and have the money to buy it, then there is little else that can deliver as this LED TV.
The Playstation TV is coming on the 13th next month to America as confirmed by Sony at this time. The Playstation branded 3D TV has been cited by many as one of the most budget friendly way to get into three dimensional gaming and media viewing at the same time. Another principle attraction of the 24″ 3D TV is a feature termed as “SimulView” that allows two players to see two separate full screen 3D images of the game that they are playing simultaneously with the help of 3D glasses. The second glass will however be not included in the package and you will need to buy it separately. In spite of that, the $500 package is quite a lucrative deal. Apart from the Playstation TV itself, there is an HDMI cable, a single pair of compatible 3D glasses as well as the game Motorstorm Apocalypse 3D included in the package.
Although the 24-inch flat screen does not have a built-in TV tuner, it really is not a big deal actually as who watches television with the help of an antenna now anyways? It is expected that even when the TV is not used for gaming, it will provide a rich viewing experience, especially when viewing three dimensional content. If you are really looking forward to the “SimulView” feature, but would prefer a larger display and of course if you have the cash to afford it, then check out the LG LW980T with “Dual Play”.
