Top Sony executives led by Sony Corp. chairman, president and CEO Sir Howard Stringer gathered at Sony Studios in Culver City Wednesday (June 9) to make official the launch of an array of 3D products from TVs to Blu-ray players, and to name Discovery Channel executive vp and COO Tom Cosgrove as president and CEO of their joint venture 3D channel with Discovery Communications and IMAX Corp.
The company’s 3D-capable Bravia HiDef TVs are finally available for pre-sale at Sony Style stores; new integrated Blu-ray 3D devices will be in stores next month; a free firmware update that activates Blu-ray 3D capability for player models BDP-S470 and BDP-S570 players and home theater systems BDV-E570 and BDV-E770W, and the studio’s first Blu-ray 3D title, “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,” will be released on June 22 for $39.95. “Cloudy,” along with the IMAX 3D title “Deep Sea” will be bundled with Sony Bravia TVs. “Cloudy” is also the first Blu-ray 3D title available in retail stores, to be followed “Monster House” and “Open Season.”
(Story continues below the following 4 1/2-minute video highlights from the Sony 3D event.)
.
New Sony 3D commercials will begin running right away that once again feature NFL quarterback Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts and Grammy and Emmy award-winning Jive/Sony Music artist Justin Timberlake.
“3D is revolutionizing the entertainment industry and only Sony is involved in every stage of the ecosystem,” said Chris Fawcett, vice president of Sony’s television business.
Sony’s 3D Bravia TVs range in size from 40-inches to 60-inches and in price from around $2,100 to about $5,000, and each includes a copy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment’s Blu-ray 3D titles “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” and “Deep Sea,” and a voucher to download stereoscopic 3D games for the Sony PlayStation3 videogame system, including “WipEout HD” and “Super StarDust HD.”
Sony active shutter glasses, required for 3D viewing, cost $150 per pair.
The company’s new BDP-S770 Blu-ray 3D player coming in July for about $300 offers built-in Wi-Fi (802.11n). Sony’s BDP-S470 and BDP-S570 Blu-ray Disc players and Blu-ray theater systems BDV-E570 and BDV-E770W can be upgraded to play Blu-ray 3D with a free online firmware update that is now available.
Also coming next month is Sony’s new full HD 1080p 5.1 channel Blu-ray 3D-capable home theater system (model BDV-HZ970W) for about $800 that features wireless capabilities via the included USB wireless LAN adapter (802.11n) and two HDMI inputs with 3D pass-through, HDMI repeater function, and a universal remote.
The Blu-ray 3D version of “Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs,” mastered at Colorworks and authored at Sony Digital Authoring Center (DAC), will include a 2D HiDef version of the film and sneak peeks in 3D of “Open Season” and “Monster House.”
The new Sony/IMAX/Discovery Channel will feature 3D programming from all three companies and third-party providers. Cosgrove will oversee all business and creative areas, reporting to the board of directors of the joint venture which was finalized only last week.
Sony Pictures Entertainment will lead Sony’s involvement with the network. SPE chairman and CEO Michael Lynton said, “We’re at a turning point in entertainment history, not unlike the transition from silent movies to ‘talkies’ or black-and-white to color. This is the start of something really big, and we’re excited about delivering high-quality 3D entertainment to people every day, all day.”
Rebecca Glashow, senior vice president of digital distribution for Discovery Communications, will oversee distribution for the channel, with Sony Pictures Television providing ad sales-related services under SPT ad sales president Amy Carney, president.
— By Scott Hettrick