Sony Ships ""Supersized"" High Definition Televisions

Sonyís first widescreen, rear-projection, high-definition television s began shipping to consumer electronics stores last week.The huge 65-inch rear projection HDTV marks Sony Electronicsí second HDTV product introduction. According to Vic Pacor, Vice President of Television and Digital Media Marketing for Sony Electronicsí Consumer Products Marketing Group, the current launch is timed to sync up with the growing availability of DTV broadcasting and the momentum that digital home entertainment is gaining in the marketplace.Shipping of Sonyís newest HDTV set, model KWP-65HD1, will coordinate with the U.S. market-by-market rollout of broadcast digital TV programming. About 66 stations in 30 markets now offer limited digital transmissions across the country.""We are shipping HDTVs to regions where broadcasters are transmitting or in the process of transmitting DTV signals,"" Pacor explained. ""As each market ëturns on,í consumers can see a clean, digital broadcast terrestrial signal on Sony HDTV sets at select dealers. To date, the reaction from consumers is that theyíve never seen television like this before!""The new HDTV set features a high contrast screen with an anti-reflective coating, and Auto Focus, an all-digital convergence system for quick, accurate image focus. Sonyís HDTV set receivers all 18 ATSC DTV formats, as well as conventional NTSC analog TV. A 12-speaker system with DolbyÆ ProLogicÆ surround sound also is featured. Other features include two proprietary digital technologies: Digital Reality Creationô (DRC) and Multi Image Driver (MID)ô circuitry.DRC circuitry upconverts standard definition video signals form multiple sources, including broadcast TV, cable, VHS, digital satellite systems, DVD and WebTVô Internet terminals to four times their original image resolution, delivering a picture approaching HDTV quality.MID circuitry enhances the viewersí operability of Picture-In-Picture (PIP) functions. The flexible Twin-Viewô feature allows the viewer to see two programs simultaneously side-by-side. And, viewers can zoom in on one program (making it continuously larger) and the other smaller. Free Layout PIP lets the viewer move the PIP window anywhere on the screen.The new 65-inch HDTV set can be seen throughout the spring and summer at various locations as part of the American Film Instituteís national traveling mall exhibit, which features high-tech consumer electronics displays along with movie memorabilia to celebrate 100 years of American film. For a complete schedule of future exhibit locations and dates, check the AFT Website at www.afionline.org.The KWP-65HD1 carries a manufacturerís suggested retail price of $11,999.