Sony to Bring Video Options to TVs and PCs.

Sony Corp. announced TV and PCs at the 2007 International CES that are designed to let owners access video from sources such as the Internet with availability of some as early as March.

While the planned offerings extend Sony’s presence in networked home entertainment, the consumer electronics giant did not goes as far as Microsoft Corp., which earlier this week announced plans the merge its IPTV software with its Xbox 360 gaming console. 

Sony’s press materials made no mention at all of the company’s popular PlayStation gaming console which is frequently connected to high-resolution big screen TVs for maximum entertainment for gamers.

So while Microsoft is clearly targeting telco TV providers looking to address the gaming masses by enabling one merged system to support TV viewing, gaming, communications and community features, industry watchers wonder if Sony will follow.

“The opportunity is there as Microsoft showed with its smart strategy,” noted Tom Nolle, president of CIMI Corp. “I fully expect other gaming system vendors to follow suit and enable a lucrative demographic that doesn’t watch much traditional TV to tap integrated media as part of their gaming.”

Industry experts agree that growth is attributed, in part, to telcos such as AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc., looking for ways to reach a larger audience with their triple-play services and view gaming consoles as another means to achieve that goal.

Initially these companies planned to deliver TV, Internet and voice packages to big screens, PCs and cell phones, with gaming consoles such as Xbox 360 and PlayStation presenting an alluring opportunity to add devices with large installed bases to their strategy.

Time is not of the absolute essence for gaming console vendors considering courting carriers as the combined Microsoft IPTV/Xbox360 system is not planned to be generally available until almost yearend, according to the vendor.

At CES, Sony announced the Bravia Internet Video System, which is essentially an optional module that attaches to the rear of a TV allowing it to stream broadband Internet video content, including high-definition TV.

Sony has partnered in this effort with AOL, Yahoo and Grouper to deliver compelling content to these home devices, which connect the TV directly to the Internet via Ethernet without an intermediary PC device.

The company says the majority of its TVs will be Internet video ready this year. Sony adds that the service and content is free of charge.

The Bravia Internet Video System is schedule to become available this summer at an unspecified price.

On the PC side, Sony used CES to detail the VAIO TP1 Living Room PC Digital Living System, which it describes as having PC intelligence for TV browsing of the Web and the ability check e-mail on using a wireless keyboard and/or remote.

Sony said built-in TV tuners combined with the Windows Media Center let you record, pause and rewind both analog and digital TV. The system, which will be available in early March for about $1,600, will include an HDMI interface for connection to cable and wireless LAN technology that the vendor says will enable it to be placed throughout the home.

AT&T Inc. www.att.com  

Microsoft Corp. www.microsoft.com  

Sony Corp. www.sony.com

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