Sony Starts 4K Marketing Campaign – Sony will launch an integrated marketing campaign behind its release of two 4K UHD XBR LED LCD TVs. The co-director of Jane Campion’s new miniseries Top of the Lake, Garth Davis, was stimulated to participate by the picture quality of a Sony 4K UHD TV demonstrated at the Sundance Film Festival. Davis said it is “a really new way of looking at things, a new visual language. There is so much detail, it’s almost like you can walk into the picture…we are working at the highest end of technology and creativity…Working with Sony 4K truly opens up the possibilities.” Sony will soon begin national broadcast spots, accompanied by digital, print and radio ads, mobile media, experiential events and retail point-of-purchase and interactive displays. A Sony VP said: it has “…a picture that is four times clearer than full HD…and in order to experience it, you must see it in person to believe it.” (Some feedback from demos of the process claim that you require at least a 70-inch screen to observe any major improvement in the image, there are so far few UHD sources, and the sets are extremely expensive.)
Sony’s current UHD LED LCR TV lineup includes their 84-inch XBR-84X900 which launched in November, the just-launched 55-inch XBR-55X900A and the 65-inch XBR-65X900A. All feature four times the resolution of 1080p TVs, with native 3840 by 2160 pixels. Sources below UHD resolution are up-scaled to near-4K quality using sony’s proprietary 4K X-Reality PRO picture engine. All colors are delivered naturally and accurately thru Triluminos display quantum dot technology. Sound is enhanced with an integrated 65-watt front-facing magnetic fluid speaker system. The sets also have passive glasses 3D technology, a Sony smart-TV system with built-in Wi-Fi, and include the full Sony Entertainment Network suite of services. Best Buy has joined the Sony UHD rollout with demos of all three displays in nearly 750 locations nationwide.
CEA Backs Bill Ending Anonymous Patents – The Consumer Electronics Association supports new legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives to end anonymous patents. They said patent trolls – who produce nothing of value – penalize innovators and give up consumer pricing by exploiting loopholes in the law. It is often difficult to determine who actually owns a patent, and these patent trolls engage in shell games, hid resources and assets and obscure who actually benefits from settlements and judgments. The idea is to help free innovators from the grip of those who profit from abuse of the current patent system.
Anthony Gallo Ships New Satellite Speakers – Gallo Acoustics has begun shipping the latest addition to their Ti Series of Micro’s and A’Diva spherical satellite speakers . The SE (Special Edition) models are either 4 or 5-inch diameter all-metal spheres with an ability to present a 3D soundstage regardless of listening position. Founder Anthony Gallo said that after almost 15 years of experiments and prototypes they finally nailed it, and he claims their performance exceeds in several ways that of many stereo and home theater speakers. Suggested pricing of the full-range speakers is $279 each in stainless for the Micro SE and $359 each in stainless for the D’Diva SE.
Apple Lightning Connectors – are the new proprietary computer bus and power connector created by Apple to replace their previous 30-pin connector, and intended to connect iPods, iPads and iPhones to host computers. It is more compact but incompatible with the predecessor cables. iLuv Creative Technology is shipping its first product designed for Lightning devices, the Aud 5 Lightning speaker dock. It allows users to enjoy their music from their iPhone 5 or iPod while simultaneously charging the device. Its SRP is $150.