LAS VEGAS–One of the trends of this year's CES appears to be 4K TVs, and Sony kept that train rolling tonight with the introduction of two 4K TVs that the company said might be a tad more practical than the massive 84-inch set it unveiled last year.
Sony will expand its Bravia 4K UHD XBR LED TV lineup with a 65-inch and 55-inch version. Both will be Wi-Fi-enabled and can tap into various Sony smart solutions, like linking up with mobile devices and sharing content via NFC.
This X series of 4K LED TVs will be available in spring 2013 at Sony Stores and select electronics retailers nationwide, Sony said. Pricing was not released, but it probably won't be cheap. That 84-inch 4K TV from Sony retails for $25,000, so get out that checkbook.
4K, or Ultra HD (UHD), sets are four times the resolution of a standard HDTV. Current HDTVs display content at 1080p (1,920 by 1,080 pixels), or slightly lower 1080i or 720p resolution. Ultra HD video is the next step in high definition, with a resolution of approximately 4,000-by-2,000 to 4,000-by-3,000, quadrupling or sextupling the number of pixels in the picture.
Just like 3D TVs, however, having content to view on these super pricey sets is somewhat of a problem at this point. But Sony said today that it will release several movies on Blu-ray this spring that have been optimized for 4K sets. That includes The Amazing Spider-Man, The Karate Kid, and Taxi Driver.
"Sourced from pristine 4K masters and presented at high-bitrate, full HD resolution, these discs showcase more of the wide range of rich color contained in the original source content," Sony said.
Also on the content front, Sony said it will launch the first 4K video distribution service this summer.
"Consumers will be able to enjoy native 4K content such as feature length movies from Sony Pictures as well as other productions with stunning picture and sound," the company said. "At that time Sony will also introduce a dedicated 4K Media Player to bring this service to the home."
For those who aren't quite ready for 4K, Sony will also release two new series of LED TVs this spring. The three W Series sets incorporate Wi-Fi, NFC, and 3D and have a 1.2m speaker duct folded into a unit that's hidden behind the TV screen, but Sony said that won't diminish sound quality. The R Series also features 3D and Internet connectivity, and will be available in 70-, 60-, and 50-inch flavors.
Other TV makers who are embracing 4K at this year's CES, meanwhile, include Samsung, Vizio, Hisense, Sharp, LG and Westinghouse.
For more, check out What Is Ultra HD (4K)?
Also tonight, meanwhile, Sony took the wraps off new Xperia smartphones, a Vaio touch-screen ultrabook, and new Cyber-Shot cameras.