Sony Grand WEGAs Go Large

Sony's Grand WEGA line of rear-projection HDTVs just filled out with 60- and 70-inch units, sporting native 1080p resolution, HDMI, and CableCARD slots.

Sony has completed its SXRD line of high-defition televisions with the KDS-R60XBR2 and KDS-R70XBR2, new 60- and 70-inch rear-projection televisions which sport full 1080p native resolution, HDMI inputs, and integrated CableCARD slots.

“Consumers and critics alike understand the performance and value of Sony’s Grand WEGA HDTVs,” said Philip Abram, vice president of marketing for Sony’s television group in the United States, in a statement. “The media buzz around flat-panel often drowns out the benefits of micro-display, but, taking screen size and performance into account, it’s difficult to match Sony’s Grand WEGA SXRD and 3LCD models.”

The new high-definition sets are built on Sony’s X-tal (Crystal) Reflective Display technology (thus, the SXRD acronym), and offer video processing using both Sony’s WEGA Engine HD and Digital Reality Creation Multi Function Version Two Point Five to offer high quality images and upscales conventional NTSC and 1080i sources to 1080p resolution for display.

The new Grand WEGA specs aren’t anything to sneeze at either: response times are a snappy 2.5 ms, and with Sony’s Advanced Iris function the units deliver contrast ratios of up to 10,000 to 1. The systems offer an integrated CableCARD slot, two HDMI inputs, a front HDMI HDV camcorder connector, and a PC input. The models also feature side speakers, which can be removed on the 70-inch model. Four rear audio inputs are complemented by one in front; the units also over two component inputs, three composite inputs (one in front, two in back), an S-Video input, and numerous convenience features like onscreen TV Guide programing guide and sleep timer.

Prices? About $7,000 for the 70-inch model, $4,300 for the 60-inch unit, and they’re available today.