Bravia New World: LCD Beats Plasma

Sony has announced the name for its next generation of TV products: Bravia. LCD is to be the dominant technology in the next few years, Sony says, and its new range reflects this.

The Bravia LCD series, unveiled in Sydney today, incorporates several new technologies which increase picture responsiveness and boost colour and contrast.

Bravia stands for Best Resolution Audio Visual Integrated Architecture, and includes features such as full HD compatibility, digital sound amplification, HDMI interfaces for improved pictures. They also feature a new technology called WCG-CCFL, which is an improved backlighting system, resulting in better contrast and more lifelike reds.

The new range also has a pixel response time of 8ms, which is one of the fastest for large flat panels, and means fast moving scenes are displayed with minimal blurring. They also come with PC (RGB) and component inputs as standard. 

Sony demonstrated two models in the Bravia series: the 32-inch S32, which retail for $3199, and the 40 inch V40 which will come bundled with a HD set-top box and sell for $5999.

Ian Lowe, group marketing manager for Sony Australia says customers are behind LCD, but the challenge for Sony was to change the mindset of people shopping for flat-panel displays from ‘I want a plasma’ to ‘I want an LCD’. He says the new range of displays is very competitive against equivalently priced plasma, with the added advantage that they are High Definition displays.

Also on display was a demonstration of another Sony back-light technology called Triluminous, which further boosts red levels and contrast and is perhaps the best TV technology ever seen. Expect further details about models featuring this technology in the coming months.

Another impressive addition to Sony’s range is its new 60 inch rear projection display, with SXRD technology also featured in the Qualia projector, and which will supplant the existing Grand Wega as the company’s flagship. It’s due sometime next year.

The new range corresponds with the opening of Sony’s own dedicated LCD plant in Japan. Makato Kogure, president of  Sony’s Television Group, says the new facility will result in better quality control, and will increase the efficiency of LCD manufacture by over 30 percent on previous generations.