Sony Debuts Networked Televisions

Accessing Internet videos on the TV just got even simpler. According to a company press release, Sony is announcing its network-connected BRAVIA LCD HDTVs, capable of streaming Internet video and displaying Yahoo! Widgets. The sets are Sony’s first to feature integrated BRAVIA Internet Video Link capability (in the past, select Sony models allowed users to add separate BRAVIA Internet Link modules, but in the new models the link is already built in).

The release continues by saying that the company’s XBR9 and Z-Series models feature Ethernet connections that allow direct access to Sony BRAVIA Internet Video content from Amazon Video on Demand, YouTube, Yahoo!, Slacker and others.

The sets also feature BRAVIA Internet Widgets powered by the Yahoo! Widget Engine that provide on-screen applications such as weather reports, financial news, stock ticker updates, Flickr images, and Yahoo! Video content.

Randy Waynick, senior vice president of Sony Electronics’s Home Products Division, says in the release that “Internet-based content is driving the evolution of home entertainment. Our new networked BRAVIA models deliver streaming videos, access to digital files, and real-time information that transforms the television into a true multimedia hub.”

The release adds that the XBR9 and Z-series models are available in 52-inch, 46-inch, and 40-inch screen sizes and feature 240 Hz frame rates and exceed Energy Star 3.0 requirements.

The release notes that internet-enabled XBR9 and Z-Series HDTVs will be available this spring.

For more information about Sony’s new TV models, visit www.sonystyle.com/TV09.