Sony Bravia
New LCD Panels and a New Direction in Advertising
A colorful ad campaign kicked off the release of Sony’s new line of LCD panels: the release of a quarter million bouncing super-balls on the streets of San Francisco. The streets exposed to the onslaught of colorful bouncing balls would be familiar to anyone who has watched movies that use the streets of San Francisco for car chase scenes.
Sony’s new line of LCD flat panel has a distinctive elegant look. It’s hard not to be seduced by the slender, sexy appeal of a flat panel LCD monitor only 102 millimeters deep. However, do not let the depth of the monitor fool you. The elegance of the LCD monitor houses a powerful and robust system of advanced technological performance. Sony XBR technologies form the insides of the Bravia 40” model.
The benefits of an expanded color palette and brightness are immediately apparent on larger LCD sets using XBR’s Live Color feature. The XBR has a unique black-faced look, which includes other proprietary image performance boosts. The XBR is also outfitted with other features like CableCARD 2 and an ATSC tuner for HD over the air reception. The standard silver faced Bravia panels are only available in 26” and 32” models. All Bravia LCD Panels have 16:9 aspect ratios, and can accept the gamut of ATSC video signals and convert them to its native resolution of 720P at 1366x768.
Sony 40” Bravia XBR Features:
- Native Res 720P at 1366 X 768
- ATSC and NTSC Tuners
- 1 CableCARD slot
- 1 PC Video/Audio Input
- 1 USB 2.0
- 1 HDMI Input
- 3 Component Video Inputs
- 1 S-Video Input
- 3 Composite Video Input
- 6 Audio Inputs (Analog Stereo)
- 1 Optical Digital Audio Output
- 2 RF Inputs
- 4 2-Way 26W Cone Speakers
- SRS TruSurround XT Audio
- Sony Wega Engine Technology
- CineMotion Reverse 3:2 Pulldown
- DRC MultiFunction Circuitry
- Image Slide Show Transitions
The difference between standard Bravia and XBR models is the amount of work that went into the video circuitry. Sony’s proprietary processes like CineMotion 3:2 Pulldown and DRC MultiFunction circuitry are great for enhancing moving images and providing rich shades of black (the Achilles heal of LCD technology is presenting deeper shades of black). Most manufacturers have their own names for equivalent processes that perform largely the same functions. It’s important to seek these advantages in video quality, especially when you’re looking at bigger TVs. Video enhancement processes are a little less important with smaller screens only because you might not notice them. Consider how far back you’ll be seated from the display. Its unlikely most people will notice jagged edges on a rocket launched across the screen while seated 12’ back from a 26” screen. 3:2 Pulldown is a feature included in most DVD players, but a high-end TV will usually do a better job.
The most groundbreaking features included in Sony’s Bravia line aren’t found inside the TV. Sure, they’re fine panels but nothing we haven’t seen before. What’s unique to the Bravia line is the advertising campaign Sony used to promote the product. There seems to be a distinctive aesthetic flair, one that might seem curiously feminine.
