Until more recently, the home theater/consumer side of 4K has been a bit beyond the reach of the average consumer. The $25,000 pricing of Sony's 84-inch Bravia 4K TV, for instance, is simply prohibitive to all but the most enthusiastic home viewers -- but Sony's newly price-pointed 55 and 65-inch screens are poised to address that point, set to go for $5,000 and $7,000, respectively. And just in case you were wondering what (and how) Sony expects you to actually watch on such a thing, the company's also unveiled its $699 FMP-X1 4K media player, plus an eventual distribution service, to go along with them cheap(er) UHD TV screens. Check out some more details below.
Straight from Sony, via Engadget and The Verge, hot off the tirelessly overworked NAB press (images courtesy Sony and its 4KTV homepage):
4K Ultra High Definition Experience Extends into More Living Rooms
The new XBR-55X900A (55-inch) and XBR-65X900A (65-inch) 4K Ultra HD LED TVs will cost $4,999 and $6,999 respectively and are available for order online and at retail beginning April 21, 2013. Images become lifelike with a resolution of four-times that of Full HD TV (3840 x 2160) delivers lifelike images... with Sony's proprietary two-chip 4K X-Reality PRO picture engine. All colors, including difficult blues, greens and reds, are delivered naturally and accurately through TRILUMINOS Display.
Sony is also announcing its 4K Media Player, the FMP-X1, and video distribution service – both industry firsts... This summer, consumers of Sony's 4K UHD TVs can purchase the FMP-X1 4K Media Player bundled with 10 feature films and video shorts in true 4K resolution for $699. In the fall of 2013, users of the same 4K Media Player will be given access to a fee-based video distribution service offering a library of 4K titles from Sony Pictures Entertainment and other notable production houses. The feature films included with purchase of the 4K Media Player are Bad Teacher, Battle: Los Angeles, The Bridge on the River Kwai, The Karate Kid (2010), Salt, Taxi Driver, That's My Boy, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Other Guys and Total Recall (2012).
More information will surely follow, especially regarding the catchy-titled FMP-X1 and this 4K distribution service -- in the meantime, more complete spec sheets are available regarding the UHD TVs through Sony's online store. It may also be a good time to note that regardless of pixel-peeping dot-to-dot counts, UHD specs like those seen here (3840 x 2160, vs. 4K digital cinema's 4096 × 2160) won't be stopping anyone from referring to these as 4K televisions. The very organizations deciding on standards like UHD use 4K as a fair descriptor of 2160p images and screens.
What do you think? Is this someone that will find its way into your home?
Links:
- Sony Announces Price and Availability of its New XBR Ultra HD LED TVs -- Official Sony Blog
- XBR 4K Ultra TV Series -- Sony Online Store
