Sony's 400-disc BD Mega Changer was just a small part of what it had going on at CEDIA, and we couldn't pass up the chance to photograph its two newest SXRD BRAVIA beamers. The VPL-VW70 and VPL-HW10 projectors didn't look all that different than previous units in the family, with smooth lines, a rather large body and all of the ports conveniently tucked on one side. At $8,000 and $3,500 (respectively), they ain't cheap, but even those tags are minuscule compared to similar units just a few years back. Have a closer look in the gallery below.

We already knew that Sony's VPL-HW10 was well on its way to retail shelves, but now you can mark it down -- it, along with the VPL-VW70, are officially official here in Denver. This 1080p SXRD two-fer offers up 24p True Cinema technology and the BRAVIA Engine video signal processing engine. As for the VPL-VW70, it checks in with a 60,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and 800 ANSI lumens; the VPL-HW10 offers up half the contrast ratio and 1,000 ANSI lumens for use in brighter areas. Full specifications are just after the cut, but if you're anxious for pricing: the VW70 will hit this November for a staggering $8,000, while the HW10 can be had later this month for around $3,500.

Sony's family of projectors just grew by one, with the 1080p VPL-HW10 combining triple-panel SXRD technology, the new BRAVIA Engine 2 eight step image processing, 1000 ANSI lumens, 30,000:1 contrast ratio and x.v.Color support. Dual HDMI inputs, HDMI-CEC control tech, 24p True Cinema, Real Color Processing and quiet 22dB operation ensure a top of the line home theater experience -- for something (no MSRP or shipping details here) less than the reigning king of the hill VPL-VW200 and another as-yet-unrevealed higher-end model. So Sony, guess we'll be seeing you at CEDIA next week?

[Via Akihabara News]

We've got to say, we really, really like where this is going. As 4K slowly but surely begins to slide into cinemas, Sony is getting all proactive on us by creating a specialized business group "that will provide movie theater owners with a variety of tools to support the sales and marketing of 4K CineAlta digital projection systems in the United States." According to the crew's senior VP Michael Fidler, his team's goal is to "accelerate" the 4K adoption process by "promoting greater awareness of the many benefits of 4K versus 2K projection." Now, get to work -- we want our 4K theaters, and we want them now.

[Via AboutProjectors]

Among the outpouring of new projectors at CES comes a stately one from LG. The AF115 SXRD projector offers up a native 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, DSP HQV Realta, 1,300 ANSI lumens, a 30,000:1 contrast ratio, twin HDMI 1.3 connectors, ISF calibration and ultra-quiet operation. Unfortunately, that's all the details we've received, but prospective buyers should take note of this thing's girth before choosing to wait diligently for information on a price / release date.

[Via AboutProjectors]

That's right, babies. We've seen Sony play this hand in other parts of our great big world, and now the S-gang is bringing this sweet bacon on home... er, to the States. According to a promotion we've caught wind of, if you get yourself approved for the Sony Visa, then promptly purchase a Sony HDTV at the Sony Rewards store (out of a pool of models from the BRAVIA and SXRD lines), the good folks at Sony will throw a free PlayStation 3 your way. Of course, there's a few hoops you have to jump through, the deal ends on December 31st, and obviously you'll need a half-decent credit score, but if the suits approve your transaction, this is a pretty solid deal. Hit the read link for all the info -- just make sure you read the fine print.

[Thanks, Stephen]

Feeling a bit bummed that Santa didn't deliver that swank new front projector you'd been asking pleading for? Trust us, it's for the best. Apparently, Sony is looking to release its VPL-VW40 to the masses at the end of January, and judging by the specs, it looks an awful lot like the discontinued VPL-VW50 -- save for the price. The BRAVIA SXRD PJ sports a 1080p native resolution, 15,000:1 contrast ratio, a 12-bit Panel Drive Full Digital Chassis and an ARC-F lens. Additionally, you'll find a couple of HDMI ports, VGA, RS-232 and composite / S-Video / component jacks. Granted, there's no little birdie giving us the inside scoop, but we'd bet that Sony gives this thing its fair share of floor space at CES -- particularly the oh-so-tempting $2,999.99 price tag.

[Thanks, Jordan]

It's unconfirmed at the moment, but we're hearing that Sony is planning to discontinue sales of all rear-projection HDTVs, including its 3LCD and SXRD lines, after current inventories are exhausted to focus on the hot-selling Bravia LCD line. We've been tipped on it twice today and now This Week In Consumer Electronics is reporting that a Sony spokesperson has told them that "We are moving our resources more toward LCD TV, because that's what people really want." It looks like all backorders for the KDSZ70XBR5 are being canceled, as the unit will never be manufactured, and Sony's making a "no promises" effort to fill backorders for the KDF46E3000 and KDS60A3000. The move isn't exactly unprecedented or even all that surprising -- Toshiba, Philips and Hitachi have all stopped producing rear-projection sets, but Sony's SXRDs were still extremely popular and it's strange to see them get dropped just like that. Check the full leaked email we got after the break.

Movie-goers in Dallas, Indianapolis, Riverside, California, and San Diego, you can go ahead and color us officially envious. Your lucky cities will soon host a total of 54 CineAlta SXRD 4K digital cinema systems from Sony, with an unspecified mix of 10,000 lumen SRX-R210 and 18,000 lumen SRX-R220 models planned to shock and wow customers at four AMC locales. The units were unsurprisingly crafted specifically for use in (home?) theaters, and will be paired up with Sony's LMT-100 Media Block servers. Barring any unforeseen disasters, installation should begin next month in the aforementioned areas, and holiday crowds should be enjoying a delightful visual experience before the year's end.

[Via TGDaily]

Sony's been some busy busy bees in the last 24-hours -- must be the CEDIA juice in the Denver water. Official today come their 1080p/24 Bravia SXRD projector pair: the VPL-VW60 we've seen and new VPL-VW200 pictured above. The latter boasts the same specs -- 22dB, 35,000:1 dynamic contrast, 1,000 lumens -- only with a 120fps SXRD panel with three motion compensation modes and high-output Xenon lamp. Available Stateside, the VW200 hits in October for $15k while the VW60 will cost just $5,000. Full gallery over at Engadget.

September 20th: know it home cinema buffs. That's the date Sony releases their SXRD followup to the VPL-VW50 "Pearl" projector in Japan. The new Bravia VPL-VW60 projects a 1,920 x 1,080 image with a 35,000:1 contrast ratio and 1,000 lumens courtesy of its (¥42,000 / $367) 200W high pressure mercury lamp and trio of 0.61-inch SXRD chips. It's also quieter than its predecessor at 22dB while packing a pair of HDMI-CEC class HDMI jacks supporting 1080/60p, 50p, and 24p. Best of all though, Sony managed to seriously up the specs while cutting the introductory list price nearly in half to "just" ¥441,000 (about $3,858).

[Via Impress]

Sony has announced that based on the NPD Group's retail sales numbers -- the same ones that appear to disagree with Sony's 1 million PS3s shipped in 2006 claim -- it is the number one seller of TVs in the U.S. for 2006. Lead by its microdisplays and Bravia LCDs, Sony continues its streak since 2003 of being number in TV dollar sales. After an up and down week, showing an impressive LED backlit Bravia, (not) receiving an Emmy for the SIXAXIS then today finding out the Wii outsold the PlayStation 3, hopefully this has raised Sony's spirits and we won't have to hear any more whining about dropping prices.

While the battlefield known as "the retail floor" is a tough place for an HDTV to be, it looks like rear-projection televisions -- of all types -- took the gold medal for sales according to the latest research from Pacific Media Associates. Although plasma sets certainly had their own walk in the park, RPTVs recovered from a weak performance this summer and surged "30 percent" in terms of units moved and revenue produced this past August. It was noted that buyers chose newer, more expensive 1080p-capable sets (particularly new units from Samsung and Sony) over the cheaper, more antiquated flavors, even though the average street price rose 0.5 percent. Samsung shareholders look mighty smart here as well, as the firm retained the top position in shares for both units and revenues, while Sony's mighty new 60-inch SXRD (the KDS-60A2000) became the best selling individual set (as confidently predicted). It should be stated, however, that all this could change when hoards of crazed buyers bombard retailers in search of rock-bottom LCD prices in just a few weeks, but we'll let the big-backed units have their 15 minutes for now.

What's this, can it be, why yes... a bit of good news from Sony! Seems their 18,000 lumen SXRD projector is outta prototyping and going manufacture gold sometime "in early 2007." The new SRX-R220 model uses the same lens with same 4096 x 2160 resolution as Sony's existing SRX-R110 and SRX-R105 projectors but manages 18 freakin' thousand lumens off a single 4KW lamp. Look for 'em to join Sony's 24p cams and XDCAM HD optical disc system under the CineAlta branding in the new year. Oh wait, there is a bit of bad news: these are destined for your neighborhood theater, not the home. Assuming of course, that someone (distributors, you listening?) can convince theater owners to drop the couple hundie grand required to alta-their-cinema for digital, eh?

[Via Impress]

Read -- SRX-R220
Read -- CineAlta

Sony has more footage and imagery of their upcoming Bravia paint ad, with a short teaser video and some information about the launch of the advertisement on both their minisite and on television. Sony took over an apartment building in Scotland for their latest Bravia ad, which touts the "color like no other" on Sony's Bravia line of LCDs. The ad will launch online at 8:35pm GMT on Tuesday (1:35pm PDT, 3:35pm CDT, 4:35pm EDT) and on television at 8:45pm. No word on what channel(s) the ad will premiere on, although we can only hope it's in high definition. Amateur video of the event can also be seen in a previous article.

[Link contains Qucktime video]