The Verge - Sony at CES 2013: 4K OLED, Xperia Z, and the return of the Walkman

4K at CES 2013: the dream gets real

2013-01-09T22:59:58Z

Almost exactly a year ago, upon these parched steppes of Nevada we know as Las Vegas, Vizio told us it was keen to get into the 4K TV market, but the timing wasn't right quite yet. Vizio asked for a year's worth of patience and, atypically for an electronics company, it's back at CES with the delivery of its 4K promise.

Sony CEO Kaz Hirai: 'We need to be a more focused company'

2013-01-08T21:06:21Z

I just had a chance to sit down with Sony president and CEO Kaz Hirai for an enlightening chat about the electronics-maker's past, present, and future. Topics up for discussion include the company's new line of 4K televisions (including that new prototype OLED model), the Xperia line of Android phones and potential expansion to other platforms, and what the road ahead looks like for Sony. Kaz offers a glimpse into the mind of the Japanese monolith, with a surprisingly candid take on the rough times its experienced over the past few years. Check out the video below for the full chat, and stay tuned for more from Sony at CES 2013.

A closer look at Sony's ultra high-definition 56-inch 4K OLED TV

2013-01-08T18:10:30Z

Since first seeing it yesterday, we've gotten to spend a little more time with Sony's 4K OLED TV prototype, possibly the best-looking screen you're going to find at CES. The 56-inch TV merges this year's two high-end TV formats with a super high-definition screen and the gorgeous colors of OLED, though while both 4K and OLED TVs are now coming to consumers, this combination is still in an experimental stage. Interestingly, Sony isn't the only one to announce a prototype this year — Panasonic has just unveiled its own 56-inch 4K OLED competitor, which we haven't yet had a chance to examine in detail. Either OLED or 4K can push a TV over $10,000, so if this does come to market, expect it to be out of the price range of just about...

Sony to release 'Mastered in 4K' Blu-rays, but it's not quite what you think

2013-01-08T01:49:24Z

Along with its new 4K TVs and 4K distribution plan, Sony has also announced that it will be releasing a new range of 'Mastered in 4K' Blu-rays despite the fact that the video will still be encoded at 1080p. The company has five movies planned so far — The Amazing Spider-Man, Total Recall (2012), The Karate Kid (2010), Battle: Los Angeles, and The Other Guys — all of which will be sourced from 4K masters. Anyone hoping for actual 4K versions of the films will be sure to be disappointed: it looks like Sony will be simply applying a 'Mastered in 4K' label to the new discs in order to capitalize on the buzz surrounding the ultra high resolution. The company even goes as far to suggest that viewers should upscale the 1080p video to 4K TVs...

Sony launching world's first 4K video distribution service for consumers

2013-01-08T01:38:55Z

Sony has announced that it will be launching the first 4K video distribution service for consumers, giving 4K TV buyers their first real source of content. We don't have much information about the service, but it will be launching in the US this summer, both potentially creating a 4K market and giving Sony an edge. It's something Sony originally tried with 3D, trying to handle all facets of the feature from content creation to distribution and playback. "We intend to expand the world of 4K content from beyond the cinema to TV dramas and commercials," Sony's Kaz Hirai said during the conference at CES.

Sony has already announced a series of remastered 4K Blu-rays, and as with 3D, the company is trying to sell studios on the benefits of...

Sony adding Miracast to all high-end TVs, introduces NFC remote control for Xperia screen sharing

2013-01-08T01:27:39Z

Sony's new high-end televisions have a neat trick, enabled by Miracast and NFC, that allows users to simply tap their Xperia device with the TV's remote control to mirror the smartphone display on the big screen. Sony says all of its new high-end televisions (W800 or better) will have Miracast and an NFC-enabled remote control. We got a chance to check out the technology in action on the show floor, and to put it simply, it's really cool; it takes a few seconds of holding the remote to the back of the Xperia Z to connect the smartphone to the television, at which point the TV displays whatever you've got open on the phone. It's one of the best television screen-sharing implementations we've seen, as it makes screen sharing nearly...

Sony's $299 Personal Content Station acts as a storage hub for your photos and videos

2013-01-08T01:27:14Z

Sony today unveiled the Personal Content Station, and in this case the product's name should clue you in on exactly what it does. The device is a networked hub where Sony hopes you'll feel comfortable storing all of your pictures and videos. After you've loaded that content onto the $299 hardware you'll be able to view and share files to social networks and unspecified cloud services. Files can be transferred to the Content Station from smartphones and tablets, a process made easier (on supported devices) with one-touch transfer through NFC. Data can also be moved over USB, memory cards, and Wi-Fi.

Sony's also highlighting the deep management capabilities of the Personal Content Station. It says the unit provides "centralized control"...

Sony's quick charging, waterproof Walkman is for those with active lifestyles and no time to waste

2013-01-08T01:15:09Z

For people who love music as much as they enjoy working out, Sony's new Walkman Sports MP3 Player may be just the thing to keep up with their active lifestyles. The device features 4GB of storage and a one-piece, compact build that shouldn't cause too much of a hassle for runners and swimmers alike, especially since Sony claims that this particular Walkman has a waterproof design. Best of all, the MP3 player features Sony's quick charge function, which will replenish the battery in just 3 minutes for at least an hour of playback. The Walkman Sports MP3 Player will be available in black, blue, white, and pink when it is released this March for $99.99.