The best of the bunch is the Sony TX100V, which not only takes 3D pics using only a single lens, it also takes automatic panoramic shots and can shoot full HD 1080p video at 60 fames per second for ultra smooth video.

There’s also a 3.5″ OLED touchscreen on the back, GPS and a compass, and should sell for around $380 when it’s released in March 2011.

For 2011, the emphasis has shifted towards making the HDTV an integral part of a connected home entertainment setup, and Sony’s latest line-up fully reflects this.

Still, with no less than 27 different new models being announced, there’s bound to be something for everyone!

Sony’s new BRAVIA features at a glance

Sony has added 16 new 3D HDTVs and 22 new 2D models, with screen sizes ranging from 22″ to an unbelievable 65″. All except the lowest two ranges either come with Wi-Fi built-in or are Wi-Fi ready with the addition of an extra Wi-Fi dongle (sold by Sony and which plugs into the TV’s USB socket).

To make the most of the Internet connectivity, Sony has expanded on the Internet TV services it’s offered with some of its 2010 models, and now offers the following Web apps on its BRAVIA TVs:

• Sony’s Qriocity Music and Video on Demand services
• Amazon Video on Demand
• YouTube
• Slacker Interent Radio
• Netflix
• Pandora
• HuluPlus
• Crackle
• Blip.tv

Some of the higher-end models even have Skype built-in, which, with the addition of a camera and microphone (both sold separately, naturally!), means you can make Skype calls from your HDTV (yes, even the giant 65″ one!) to any other Skype client in the world.

That’s a pretty neat feature.

Other new features include a new Track ID feature powered by GraceNote, which lets you identify any music you hear while watching TV. A nifty feature this, and it’s only a matter of time before Sony link the discovered artist through to a store where tyou can instantly purchase it!

In a sign of the increasing pervasiveness of mobile phones, Sony has also announced a new series of iPhone and Android apps that will let you use your smartphone as a remote control (presuambly via DLNA). This will be a life-saver, as using YouTube on a Sony remote without a QWERTY keyboard is an exercise in futility!

The final feature on offer comes from the 3D models, which will be capable of displaying 3D images taken from Sony’s 3D CyberShot cameras.

New enhanced picture technology

Of course, a 2011 Sony TV has to look better than a 2010 model, and so its engineers have come up with a variety of new ways of making your humble TV picture look as perfect as possible.

To this end, the critically acclaimed BRAVIA processing engine, which already does an excellent job of upscaling standard def pictures, has now been enhanced and comes with the new X-Reality PRO and X-Reality Engine video processors. These use algorithms that take video processing to new levels, which helps to make the resultant image look almost as good as it does on BluRay.

There’s also the new Intelligent Peak ELD Backlight, which gives deeper blacks by using full local dimming and so increases picture contrast considerably, making pictures look incredibly detailed.

Finally, there’s Sony’s MotionFlow XR, which helps to reduce the motion blur that’s typically found in LCD and LED TVs.

Sony’s 2011 range of HDTVs

OK, with that out the way, here’s the full range of Sony’s new HDTVs for 2011.

BRAVIA XBR-HX929 Series 3D Capable HDTV
Available in April, Sony’s new 3D capable (with the addition of Sony active shutter glasses, sold separately), XBR-HX929 series features brilliant full HD (1080p) picture quality with Sony’s Intelligent Peak LED backlight for outstanding contrast.
The model also features Sony’s MotionFlow XR 960 featuring a precise backlight control that is synchronized with the liquid crystal movement from frame to frame creating clearer, sharper moving images.

The beautifully designed model features Sony’s improved Monolithic Design Concept that draws viewers into the picture when the TV is turned on, and blends into the room décor when turned off. The 2011 Monolithic Design BRAVIA models incorporate Corning®’s Gorilla® Glass allowing for thinner, lighter, and stronger screen material.
With integrated with Wi-Fi (802.11n), the XBR-HX929 models offer instant access to thousands of Internet movies, videos and music from BRAVIA Internet Video and Qriocity. Sony’s Media Remote app provides simple operation and search for internet content.

The XBR-HX929 models are also custom installation friendly with key features such as rear IR-input and a two-way RS232c connection for easier integration with third-party control systems.

Other XBR-HX929 Series features include:

• Brilliant Full HD (1080p) picture quality with full-array local dimming LED backlight
• Sleek Monolithic Design with OptiContrast Panel Technology
• Integrated Wi-Fi (802.11n)
• Skype™ ready in 720p high definition
• BRAVIA Internet Video and Qriocity
• X-Reality™ PRO Engine
• MotionFlow™ XR 960
• Rear two-way IR inputs and two-way RS232C control
• Screen sizes include 65-inch (XBR-65HX292, which is available in August 2011), 55-inch (XBR-55HX929), and 46-inch (XBR-46HX929)

BRAVIA® HX820-Series LED LCD 3D Capable HDTV

• Available in May
• Brilliant Full HD (1080p) picture quality with Dynamic Edge LED backlight
• Sleek Monolithic Design with OptiContrast Panel Technology
• Integrated Wi-Fi™ (802.11n)
• Skype™ ready in 720p high definition
• BRAVIA Internet Video and Qriocity™
• X-Reality™ PRO Engine
• MotionFlow™ XR 480
• Screen sizes include 55-inch (KDL-55HX820), and 46-inch (KDL-46HX820)

BRAVIA® NX720-Series LED LCD 3D Capable HDTV

• Available in May
• Brilliant Full HD (1080p) picture quality with Dynamic Edge LED backlight
• Sleek Monolithic Design with OptiContrast Panel Technology
• Integrated Wi-Fi™ (802.11n)
• Skype™ ready in 720p high definition
• BRAVIA Internet Video and Qriocity™
• MotionFlow™ XR 240
• X-Reality™ Engine
• Screen sizes include 60-inch (KDL-60NX720), 55-inch (KDL-55NX720), and 46-inch (KDL-46NX720)

BRAVIA® HX729-Series LED LCD 3D Capable HDTV

• Available in May
• Brilliant Full HD (1080p) picture quality with Dynamic Edge LED backlight
• X-Reality™ PRO Engine
• MotionFlow™ XR 480
• Integrated Wi-Fi™ (802.11n)
• Skype™ ready in 720p high definition
• BRAVIA Internet Video and Qriocity™
• Rear two-way IR inputs and two-way RS232C control
• Screen sizes include 65-inch (KDL-65HX729), 55-inch (KDL-55HX729), and 46-inch (KDL-46HX729)

BRAVIA® EX720-Series LED LCD 3D Capable HDTV

• Available in February
• Brilliant Full HD (1080p) picture quality with Edge LED backlight
• X-Reality™ Engine
• MotionFlow™ XR 240
• Wi-Fi™ ready (USB wireless LAN adapter sold separately)
• Skype™ ready in 720p high definition
• BRAVIA Internet Video and Qriocity™
• Screen sizes include 60-inch (KDL-60EX720, which is available in April), 55-inch (KDL-55EX720), 46-inch (KDL-46EX720), 40-Inch (KDL-40EX720), and 32-inch (KDL-32EX720)

BRAVIA® EX620-Series LED LCD HDTV

• Available in February
• Brilliant Full High Definition (1080p) picture quality with Edge LED backlight
• X-Reality™ Engine
• MotionFlow™ 120
• Wi-Fi™ ready (USB wireless LAN adapter sold separately)
• Skype™ ready in 720p high definition
• BRAVIA Internet Video and Qriocity™
• Screen sizes include 55-inch (KDL-55EX620), 46-inch (KDL-46EX620), and 40-Inch (KDL-40EX620)

BRAVIA® EX520-Series LED LCD HDTV

• Available in February
• Brilliant Full HD (1080p) picture quality with Edge LED backlight
• X-Reality™ Engine
• Wi-Fi™ ready (USB wireless LAN adapter sold separately)
• Skype™ ready in 720p high definition
• BRAVIA Internet Video and Qriocity™
• Energy saving Presence Sensor minimize power consumption
• Screen sizes include 46-inch (KDL-46EX520), 40-inch (KDL-40EX520), 32-inch (KDL-32EX520)

BRAVIA® BX420-Series HDTV

• Available in February
• Brilliant Full HD (1080p) picture quality with CCFL backlight
• Five HD Inputs to connect multiple HD devices
• USB input for photo, music and video playback
• Scene select customized picture and sound settings
• Ambient Light Sensor
• Screen sizes include 46-inch (KDL-46BX420), 40-inch (KDL-40BX420), and 32-inch (KDL-32BX420)

BRAVIA® BX320-Series HDTV

• Available in February
• Amazing High Definition (720p) picture quality with CCFL backlight
• Five HD Inputs to connect multiple HD devices
• USB input for photo, music and video playback
• Scene select customized picture and sound settings
• Ambient Light Sensor
• Screen sizes include 32-inch (KDL-32BX320), and 22-inch (KDL-22BX320)

This one, for example, shows off a new 3D Sony Bloggie camcorder with two lenses, which hints that 3D is going to be just as big at this year’s CES as it was as last year’s. The only thing we know about this new Bloggie is that its cameras use f2.8 lenses with auto focus, and that it’ll be called the Sony Bloggie 3D MHS-FS3.

More Bloggies on the way

The Bloggie 3D isn’t the only new Bloggie in town, though. Other Bloggies include a dual screen version, the Sony Bloggie Duo, which features a screen on the front and back of the device so you can record yourself talking to the camera and still see what you look like (particularly useful for all you narcissists out there!)

Finally, there’s also a budget Bloggie (a Budgie, perhaps?!) with a 5.1 megapixel still cam and 4GB memory.

This is just a teaser of what’s to come at CES though. It all starts in less than 20 hours time, and we’ll cover as much of it as is humanly possible, so stay tuned!

[Source: Pocket-Lint]

Actually, I keep on calling it the Sony Google TV, but its official title is the Sony Internet TV with Google, but that’s as awkward as the new TV’s controller!

Anyway, the Sony Google TV is a brand new Sony HDTV that features the new Android-based Google TV built in to the unit itself. This has the advantage of negating the need for yet another set top box, and keeps things lovely and tidy within the Sony TV’s super-sexy proportions. Unfortunately, it also has the disadvantage of forcing you to use Sony’s own remote control.

So what did I make of Sony’s take on Google TV?

Google TV: First impressions

My first impressions of Google TV are extremely positive. It really does everything it promises, and it’s super-slick as well. You can call up TV, Web sites, YouTube videos or apps with the deft flick of a button, and the picture changes instantly. Google’s omnipresent search bar is just a click away, and lets you search through TV channels, YouTube videos and the Web seamlessly.

More impressive still was the fact that the user experience was so natural, as it’s basically just Google Chrome on your TV. Web sites, Web apps like Twitter and Facebook, even Flash games, all run as smoothly on the TV as they do on your PC. Google really have brought the Web to the TV and made the whole process so seamless, it’s hard to believe it’s never been done like this before.

Smart TVs

One of the advantages of putting Android on your TV is that it turns into a smart TV, and so its functionality and features will actually grow over time. Already, web apps like Picasa add a new dimension to the TV. You can view any pics you’ve uploaded onto Picasa directly on the TV, and even share them from your telly via Twitter, just with a simple point and click of the remote.

It’s this interaction between apps, all based around the media you consume and share that makes Google TV add genuine value to your humble TV set.

And with Android underneath and a whole new Google TV app store about to launch, your smart TV will expand in ways we never thought possible.

Sony’s Google TV

So what of Sony’s implementation of Google TV? Well, the good news is the TV itself is impressive both as a TV, with superb picture quality (as you’d expect from Sony), and as a Google TV device. Google TV itself runs flawlessly, and it’s nice and responsive so there are no issues regarding using it day to day.

The TV is distinct from other models in that it’s white in colour, but other than that it looks like any other state of the art HDTV.

It’s got four USB ports on the side, into which you can plug a USB stick or MP3 player for viewing photos, videos or listening to music.

And this, I’m afraid, is the Sony TV’s achilles heel. With all the media we have on our PCs, the fact that you can’t wirelessly stream your content onto the TV is a missed opportunity. If you have thousands of pics buried on your PC’s hard drive, the only way you can view them on your shiny new Sony Google TV is to upload them all to Picasa (there’s a Flickr app as well, if that’s your chosen Web photo sharing app), or copy them to a USB stick and plug that into your TV.

Of course, you could purchase a Network Attached Storage device with a USB connector and plug that into the TV, but this rather defeats the point of having an Internet TV – certainly one with built-in wireless!

Sony’s Google TV vs Logitech Revue

In contrast, the Logitech Revue Set Top Box, which is currently the only other way of getting Google TV onto your TV, will let you wirelessly stream all of your content onto from your PC, and so in that respect, is a much better option.

Its keyboard is better, too. OK, not necessarily the giant keyboard that comes with the Revue, but the separate Mini keyboard you can buy is much more elegant thant Sony’s, which seems to pack in more buttons than Jenson’s family tree!

The Sony Controller works OK. It’s got a QWERTY keyboard and two controller pads (one a mousepad, the other a four-button d-pad), plus a variety of other buttons for one-click access to regularly-used features such as search. But it looks cumbersome and is bound to put some people off. Its very definitnely a controller for geeks, which is not the image Sony needs to be conveying if it wants mainstream adoption of Google TV.

Video Preview of the Sony Google TV

OK, enough waffling, here’s the video of the Sony Google TV in action, as ably demonstrated by Dinesh:

Conclusion

Overall, despite its nerdy looks (or maybe because of them), I love the Sony Google TV. True, if faced with the choice, I’d go for the Logitech Revue, as its supoprts wireless streaming from your PC and I prefer its keyboard. But having the latest Sony HDTV with Google TV built-in certainly has its own cachet, and with Sony pushing this hard, it’s very difficult not to be tempted by uit.

If you’re looking for a Google TV experience without an extra Set Top Box, you currently have no choice other than going for Sony’s Google TV, but you certainly won’t be buying a pup. It’s well executed, looks gorgeous (if you don’t look at the remote!), and Google TV is all you ever wanted it to be.

If you’re looking for the best overall Google TV experience, though, I’d go for the Logitech Revue. It’s more flexible, as it’ll plug into any TV, and with its media streaming support, it’s just a better option than the Sony.

But whichever you choose, I genuinely think you won’t regret it. The whole Web on your TV opens up whole new worlds of entertainment.

If you’ve bought a Sony Google TV, or a Logitech Revue, let us know what you think of it in the comments.

With Apple TV not really selling well and now facing new competition from Google TV (which, incidentally, Sony is one of the loudest supported of, and has released the first HDTV with Google TV built-in), buying Sony would give the company an instant leg-up in the home entertainment market.

It would also mean Apple could integrate the iPhone with the PSP (something that Sony Ericsson are rumoured to be doing with their next Android phone) and turn Sony’s entire Hi-Fi line directly towards the iPod and iTunes.

Although Apple have obviously denied any of this, the rumours have sent Sony’s shares up by 3%. Apple are sitting on a $51 billion pile of cash, and Steve Jobs has been quoted as saying “…we do feel that there are one or more strategic opportunities in the future,” with Sony, Adobe and Disney all being identified as potential targets.

Of the three, Sony makes the most sense. There can be no love lost between Apple and Adobe, with Jobs laying into Adobe’s Flash and refusing to support it on either the iPhone or the iPad, and no real need for the company to buy it. Disney would move Apple into a distinctly different market, although with Pixar under the Disney banner, there’s an obvious affinity and history there. But it’s with Sony that any deal makes the most sense, simply because its brand, its range of home entertainment gadgets, and the brains of its staff, would all perfectly align with Apple.

[Source: Reuters]

We know a fair bit about Google TV – enough to know that’s a seriously sexy bit of kit thaty genuinely could revolutionise TV (and how often have we heard that?!). But until now, we haven’t known that much about the TV itself.

This has been largely due to most of the attention bein gon Logitech’s Revue, which is Google TV in a Set Top Box, and thus able to bring Google TV to any telly.

Having Google TV built-in to the TV itself, though, offers both pros and cons – one of which could be the picture quality! Fortunately, it’s a Sony Bravia, so the picture shouldn’t be a problem.

And although we haven’t seen the picture quality first hand, now we know a little more about the GT1, we cna start to get a feel for what’ll be on offer when it’s announced officially on October 12th.

Sony Bravia NSX-46GT1 Google TV details

First up, it’s a 46″ LED TV that uses LED edge lighting. Black front, white back, chrome stand and rather sexy looking, as you’d expect from a Sony HDTV.

There’s a USB slot in the back, which the TV can use to pull pictures, videos and other content from a USB stick. There’s also an Ethernet connection, at least 2 HDMI ports, WiFi and a plethora of other ports.

You can use Google TV to search for programmes to watch, either via the usual cable or satellite, or from the Web, via YouTube, NetFlix or even videos stored on your PC.

You can control the GT1 either through Sony’s remote control, or through an Android or iPhone app, which has “seriously cool” written all over it (not literally, but let’s face it, it does!)

There’s also the Google Chrome browser built-in, so you can surf the Web and your TV at the same time.

Google TV release date – imminently!

But we know all this already! What we to see is the actual service and the actual TV, live and up and running!

Fortunately, we won’t have too long to wait. Logitech are expected to launch the Logitech Revue Google TV sTB tomorrow (6th october), with Sony following next week on the 12th October with the GT1. Then we’ll get a real feel for whether or not TV really is about ot be revolutionised.

And then we in the UK just have to hope that Google TV is launched in the UK before Christmas, because I really really want one!

[Source: HDGuru]

The iPlayer joins streaming video from Channel 5′s Demand 5 service, YouTube, LoveFilm and more, plus widgets that give access to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and even more to come.

Users from the UK’s AVForums have reported the update showing up for download on their TVs, but if you are the impatient (and brave) type, you can check out the update here.

Here’s a list of the lucky Sony TVs that are compatible with the new update:

• KDL-32EX403 / EX503 / EX603 / EX703 / EX713 / NX503
• KDL-37EX403 / EX503
• KDL-40EX403 / EX503 / EX603 / EX703 / EX713 / HX703 / NX503
• KDL-46EX403 / EX503 / EX703 / EX713 / HX703
• KDL-52EX703
• KDL-55EX503 / EX713
• KDL-60EX703

If there’s one thing better than a shiny Sony HDTV, it’s one that keeps on updating itself – it really is the gift that keeps on giving!

It’s not touch that’s Google TV’s revolutionary feature, though – it’s Google itself.

Allow me to explain!

Internet-equipped TVs and Set Top Boxes have been around years, but they’ve largely been rubbish, offering only a browser and a crude QWERTY-equipped remote control to type in your URL.

Unsurprisingly, they never caught on. They nearly did last year, with a raft of Internet-equipped TVs being launched that featured Yahoo! widgets (a series of simple apps such YouTube), but there was one problem with these TVs – you were largely stuck with the widgets that came with the set.

it was also very much a case of an Internet experience and a TV experience – there was no connection between the two, meaning that you were essentially paying for a browser on your TV.

Enter Google TV!

Google TV changes all that. Rather than tacking a browser onto a TV, they’ve integrated TV into a browser, and made the whole thing seamless.

For example, suppose you want to Tweet with your mates. Call up Twitter.com, read and send Tweets, and all the while, you can watch TV, as it appears as a little window in the corner.

More impressively, searching for content lets you search across TV channels and YouTube in the same listing. That’s what I mean by tightly coupling the Web and TV experiences – there is no differrence between the two. It’s the same interface, the same way of viewing the content – everything.

Extending Google TV

Now here’s the really cool part. Google TV will have an app store. So no longer are you stuck with the widgets and apps that come with the TV – you can download as many as you like.

Quite what these apps will be is anyone’s guess, but it’s going to be fascinating to see what will be prodcued.

A seamless sea of Google

Now here’s where it gets really interesting. Ten year ago, we got used to seeing Google when we were searching for things on the Web. Fast forward to 2007, and we were used to seeing Google when we searched, looked for places to go, watched videos and checked our email.

Two years ago, Google moved onto the desktop (with the Chrome browser) and into your hands (with Android).

So when I say a seamless sea of Google, that’s exactly what I mean – we see the company everywhere, and use it for many different things.

So now when see Google on our TV, we know what to expect, and the whole things feels so natural, it’s almost a wonder that all TVs don’t have Google TV.

Video of Sony’s Internet TV

If you don’t believe me, check out the video below of Sony’s new HDTV, which incorporates Google TV. See what I mean? Utterly natural!

Google TV will be hitting the shops before Christmas, but won’t really get started until next year. Which, coincidentally, is around the same time that the new Google tablets will start getting seriously popular!

The future of entertainment, it seems, is Google. Not bad for a search engine!

[Source: Engadget]

However, the plans for world domination don’t stop there. Sony will go on to release the service onto “networked Sony devices”, so this may include the PSP, Sony Ericsson handsets and even Vaio laptops (or possibly tablets, take the hint Sony – take the hint).

It’ll be a streamed service as items such as Bravia TVs have no writeable memory, although it may also be the case the downloading may be offered for phones and consoles. Films will come from such movie houses as MGM, Lionsgate, Universal, 20th Century Fox, Paramount and Sony (obviously).

No prices but it appears to be initially rental based. Let’s hope they get it together properly and offer trailers for all films, not just the few we see randomly added on the Playstation Network.

[Source: Engadget ]

That’s not the only trick it’s got up its sleeve though, as Sony go all out to provide bloggers with the video cam of their dreams.

The Bloggie Touch is capable of full 1080p MP4 HD video and can also take still images at up to 12.8 megapixels. It comes with either 4GB or 8GB of memory on board, HDMI out and a built in USB ‘arm’.

It also boasts a plethora of aids and features to help you get that video or shot right first time including Steady Shot (yes, it steadies your wobbly hands) and Auto Macro, cleverly switching to a macro focus for objects closer than 4 inches.

A very social Sony Bloggie Touch

Being named Bloggie Touch also means it’s not wanting for social interaction, interfacing with smoothly with Flickr, YouTube, Picasa and Facebook, as well as Sony’s own Personal Space (a sort of free upload profile page from Sony).

Is it the blogger’s perfect video cam? We’ll hold our opinion until we’ve given it a thorough review. It’s got some stiff competition, but it certainly looks to offer all the features a video blogger would need.

The Bloggie Touch release date is scheduled for October 2010 in fetching silver or black, and will be $180 for the 4GB version, $200 for the 8GB (UK prices will be similar, inevitably!).

If you like the look of the Bloggie Touch but you can’t wait that long, check out the original Sony Bloggie with full HD recording a cool swivel lens for self portrait filming. Alternatively there’s also Flip’s cool little Mino camcorder with HD video and Facebook and YouTube uploading.