Sony Unveils 4K Home Projector, ES AV Receivers

Products designed to differentiate CEDIA channel

Sony unveiled its first 4K home projector at CEDIA Expo, along with two new AV receivers from its high-end ES line, a Personal 3D Viewer and a wireless network speaker.

Mike Fasulo, Sony Electronics executive vice president of sales, said the overriding theme of the new products was "quality and innovation," as well as a solid commitment to specialty dealers and custom installers. The products unveiled at Expo will all have limited distribution. "Only the CEDIA channel can represent products of such high quality," he said.

One product that received extra attention from Sony execs was the VPL-VW1000ES 4K home theater projector. A firm price has not been established, although some insiders said the unit, scheduled for a December release, would be under $25,000.

The VPL-VW1000ES features 2,000 lumens of brightness, nearly twice the output of Sony's previous Sony home theater projectors, making it suitable for screen sizes up to 200 inches, said Mike Abary, senior vice president of Sony's Home Division. The unit uses a new SXRD 4K panel, which is designed to produce deep black levels, and can achieve an 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast. The VW1000ES also features a 4K upscaler that's designed to enhance SD or HD, 2D or 3D content,  allowing viewers to see 4K playback from their existing media libraries. It can also display Full HD 3D movies, as well as 2D and 3D anamorphic films.

Another theme represented in some of the products was networking. The two ES AV receivers feature a new activity-based user interface that includes a set-up wizard. The STR-DA5700ES ($1,999) and STR-DA3700ES ($1,099) use Faroujda 1080p upscaling and include a variety of networking options, including built-in apps for iOS and Android devices. The receivers, due in November, are also Sony's first to offer a full range of BRAVIA Internet video and audio streaming services, including options from Sony Entertainment Network, Netflix, YouTube and Pandora.

On the speaker front, the cone-shaped SA-NS500 Wi-Fi Network Speaker (available in November for $399) can wirelessly stream music from a PC, Blu-ray Disc player or mobile device. The speaker is battery powered and can play for up to six hours with each charge. It is also compatible with Apple's AirPlay.

Also directed at the specialty channel is the Personal 3D Viewer head-mounted display (available in November for $799), a wearable OLED HD/3D TV. The HMZ-T1 viewer, using miniature 720p OLED screens, is designed to deliver an image that appears to be on a theater-size wide screen (750-inch virtual screen from 65 feet away). It also displays HD video with high contrast and fast refresh rates, is capable of enhanced 3D display, and delivers virtual surround sound.