This morning Sony Australia introduced a new range of Blu-ray technology and is confident that the company’s strong involvement in the medium is paying off.
At a launch event in Sydney this morning, Sony Australia unveiled a new range of Blu-ray players, home theatre systems and movie titles that are soon to hit retailers around the country.
Speaking at the event was Paul Colley, technology communications manager, strategy and brand development, Sony Australia. One of the key messages he presented was how Blu-ray has been adopted in homes much faster than DVD.
According to Colley, when comparing DVD to Blu-ray in the three years after their launch, Blu-ray has demonstrated significantly more growth over its successor.
In fact DVD only beat Blu-ray in four of the possible 36 months in each respective launch period.
“Blu-ray penetration is now at 9 per cent, but there is still a huge opportunity for growth. We have only just scratched the surface.”
In terms of the new products, Sony revealed three new players at the event: the BDPS360 (RRP $449), BDPS560 (RRP $549) and BDPS760 (RRP $729).
All models feature BD Live, Sony’s own Xross Media Bar, HD audio decoding and DVD upscaling. In addition to this the 560 and 760 models also feature USB input at the front of the unit.
Two new Blu-ray home theatre systems were also introduced including the BDVE300 (RRP $1,199) and the BDVE800W (RRP $1,699).
These home theatre units are being strongly supported by Sony and emphasise the drastic improvements Blu-ray has on audio performance.
Both models feature 1000W output, but the BDVE800W is the only model with wireless rear speakers.
Finally Sony also emphasised its strong involvement in the movie side of the business, with Sony Pictures showing off a number of upcoming titles from the company.
Some of the titles coming up for release from Sony Pictures this year include Angels and Demons, Terminator Salvation, The International, Year One and The Ugly Truth.