Sony said Tuesday it will begin selling 3D televisions in Japan starting in June, as it pins hopes on the latest new technology to help regain its lead in a market now dominated by LG and Samsung.
The Japanese electronics giant also said it will aim to sell about 25 million units of liquid crystal display televisions for the next financial year through March 2011, of which about 10% would be 3-D TVs.
On June 10, Sony will launch a 46-inch 3-D TV model (KDL-46LX900) for a suggested retail price of 350,000 yen and a 40-inch model (KDL-40LX900) for 290,000 yen, both part of the company's new LX900 series of BRAVIA 3D TVs. Both models of the Bravia series will come with special glasses that will enable viewers to watch 3D content.
The company will eventually offer a total of eight models of 3-D TVs by July 16 including a 52-inch model (KDL-52LX900) and a 60-inch model (KDL-60LX900) with suggested retail prices of 430,000 and 580,000 yen, respectively.
All the 240Hz LED-backlit models of the LX900 series will inlcude two pairs of 3D glasses, a special sensor, which automatically detects the number of persons that are watching the TV and accordingly adjusts the brighness, alerts of any person is watching from a distance closer than 1m from the screen and adjusts the direction of the audio coming out of the speakers. In addition, they offer wireless network connectivity and feature Sony's monolithic design. Viewers can also switch from a two-dimensional image to a 3-D image just by pressing a button on the remote control, Sony said.
Sony will also release the high-end 3D BRAVIA HX900 Series this summer, in sizes of 52 and 46 inches.
The 3D HX800 series (46 inches and 40 inches) will also be available in the middle of July.
Last but not least, Sony will release in its Bravia HX700 Series (46" and 40" models) in Japan in July. The new models fearure Sony's 'Motion Flow 240Hz' technology but they are not compatible with 3D content.
A number of competitors including Panasonic, Toshiba and Samsung also announced their entry into the 3-D market. Sony believes that
the new 3-D products will be a key factor in regaining the company?s share in the TV market. Global shipments of liquid-crystal-display TVs will rise 22 percent to 171 million units in 2010, research firm DisplaySearch said Dec. 29. Samsung, the world?s largest TV maker, said Jan. 7 it expects to sell 35 million LCD sets this year, while LG Electronics, the second-ranked, plans to ship 25 million in 2010.
Panasonic, which has announced a tie-up with U.S. electronics retailer Best Buy Co, will launch a 3-D TV in the United States on Wednesday and in Japan on April 23. It aims to sell about 1 million 3-D TV units globally in the 2010 business year.