Skip to main content

Sony Pushes Eco- and Net-Friendly HDTVs

Sony Pushes Eco- and Net-Friendly HDTVs
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Electronics giant Sony has taken the wraps off its 2009 television lineup at this year’s CES show, unveiling a line of new environmentally-friendly Bravia televisions, a new Bravia line with Ethernet and Yahoo’s Widget Engine built right in, and a slew of new models that migrate formerly high-end features all the way down to entry levels sets.

Recommended Videos

First up, the new Bravia VE5 series are being billed as “Eco” televisions, offering substantial power savings over traditional sets at similar sizes. Slated to be available in 40-, 46-, and 52-inch models, the sets sport Sony’s micro-tubular hot cathode fluorescent lamp (HCFL) technology to lower power consumption by almost 40 percent, and also feature a “presence sensor” that can detect when a television has been left unattended for a period of time and automatically shut it off—handy for folks who tend to leave a TV on all the time and forget to turn it off when they leave the house or settle down in another room. And when people come back into the room? The TV turns itself back on. The sets also feature an ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts brightness to match current lighting, and a standby mode that consumes nearly zero Watts of power. The sets also feature fgour HDMI inputs (along with PC, component, composite, and S-video inputs), Sony’s 120 Hz refresh technology and can be used with Sony’s Bravia Internet Link and a USB connection.

Next, Sony’s new XBR and Z-series models will feature an Ethernet connection for hooking into users’ home broadband networks…and under the hood they’ll feature Yahoo’s Widget Engine for accessing interactive content over the Internet directly from the television. The sets will als be DLNA compatible—so they can tap into DLNA-compatible media libraries on a networked PC, for example. The XBR sets will be available in sizes ranging from 32 to 52 inches, feature full HD resolution and 240 Hz fresh technology, and also pack 4 HDMI inputs, a UDB port, and PC, component, composite, and S-Video inputs. The Z-series will range from 40 to 52 inches.

Sony is also migrating some formerly high-end features down to its everyday and entry-level HDTVs. The new V-series will range from 40 to 52 inches and feature Sony’s Bravia Engine 2, 120 Hz fresh rated, four HDMI inputs, and Bravia Sync technology, along with a light sensor and dynamic backlight control. The S-series will range from 32 to 52 inches and sport full HD resolution with the Bravia Engine 2, while the L-series will sport 26- and 32-inch models with 1,366 by 768 resolution, three HDMI inputs, along with component, composite, and S-Video inputs.

Sony hasn’t announced pricing on any of the new Bravia sets, but says they’ll start reaching consumers this spring.

Geoff Duncan
Former Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
The Sony Bravia 8 Mark II QD-OLED is coming, and we couldn’t be more excited
Sony Bravia 8 Mark II

You may have heard — or you may not have heard — some rumors circulating about what Sony's newest OLED TV might look like. Some speculated that it was going to step away from QD-OLED into a new four-stack panel produced by a different display manufacturer, and a lot of folks were understandably a little unnerved by this.

I went out there and said, "I don't think that's what's happening," and I kind of put my name on the line with that. In fact, I made a little bet with Vincent Teoh, too, over this — we'll see if he holds up his end of the deal. I am very pleased to announce the new Bravia 8 Mark II, available in both a 65- and 55-inch version, is indeed a Quantum Dot OLED panel.

Read more
Get Sony’s best TV of 2024, the Bravia 9 OLED, while it’s $500 off
Sony Bravia 9 Review

Sony’s best TV in 2024 was actually a QLED TV that we had the opportunity to test. We’re referring to the Bravia 9, a premium LED-LCD that delivers terrific picture quality and some of the most arresting peak brightness performance we’ve ever seen from a Sony set. And right now when you purchase the Sony 65-inch Bravia 9 Series 4K QLED at Amazon, Best Buy, B&H Photo-Video, and a few other retailers, you’ll only pay $2,500.

The full MSRP on this model is $3,000, which means you’ll be saving yourself $500 when you buy it ASAP.

Read more
The “best Sony for the price” just got even more affordable
Sony Bravia 8 OLED

If you’ve been waiting to invest in a premium TV, you may not want to hold out any longer after we tell you about this Sony deal: For a limited time, the Sony 55-inch Bravia 8 Series 4K OLED is marked down to $1,400. Retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Crutchfield stock this model, along with a few other sites and shops.

This is one of the best OLED TV deals of the week thus far, and we loved our hands-on experience with the Sony Bravia 8. Editor at large Caleb Denison praised the TV, saying, “The Bravia 8 is the Sony OLED TV most folks should buy.”

Read more