By Patrick Avenell in Las Vegas
Unlike its fierce rivals LG, Samsung and Panasonic, Sony is holding its pre-CES press conference on its booth at the Las Vegas Convention Centre. Not so much a sleeping giant as a comatose one, Sony has endured some hard times over the last few years, not least because of the devastating effect natural disasters have had on the company, but also with the odd security breach thrown in as well.
While Sony has failed to match the hype of Apple or the fast-paced development of LG and Samsung, it is showing signs of life, especially in the Ultra High Definition space, which Sony likes to call '4K'.
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Sony was the second supplier to launch an Ultra HD TV in Australia, after LG Electronics, and its $25,000 84-inch unit is spectacular. What can we expect from Sony when it takes the stage in Vegas Monday afternoon (around 11am Tuesday morning on Australia's east coast)? Paul Colley, head of Sony Australia's technology division, gave us these 10 tips:
1. More and more Ultra HD TVs.
2. More connected TVs and the end of the TV guide.
3. "One touch simplicity" through Near Field Communication (NFC).
4. Development of casual photographers into hobbyists using DSLR and compact system cameras.
5. Increased use of video filming functions in gadgets.
6. An increase in cameras supporting smartphone-like apps.
7. Even bigger TV screens.
8. Sales of smartphones and tablets to eclipse the other electronics categories combined.
9. Ever fewer wires between devices.
10. The penetration into the home of augmented reality.
It's good such an icon of the industry talking up a big game ahead of such an important announcement – join us live from 11am Tuesday morning on Australia's east coast to find out if the new products match the build-up.