Sony's 4K Ultra HD Video Player Revealed With Wild $25K Price Tag
Ultra HD? It's shaping up to be a major story at CES 2013, with 4K HDTVs finally to a point where affluent consumers start to buy these sets. But then, of course, there's the chicken-and-egg issue: will anyone buy a 4K HDTV without 4K content to enjoy, and on the other hand, will anyone produce 4K content without major 4K HDTV adoption? Turns out, this one's a little easier to solve than most. 4K cameras have been used to shoot events, motion pictures and TV shows for years now, with RED's line of EPIC cameras amongst the most popular. So already, there's plenty of 4K content -- it just needs to be put on a medium where consumers can ingest it.
Sony, a huge player in 4K and a major proponent of 3D, has just unveiled the first major step in making the 4K HDTV a "must-have" item in the home. The new 4K Ultra HD Video Player is a hard-disc server that connects easily to Sony's 84-inch 4K LED TV (XBR-84X900) allowing consumers to view 4K resolution movies and short form 4K videos. Available as a bonus loaned exclusively to U.S. customers purchasing the Sony 4K LED TV, the video player comes loaded with content, including both full length Hollywood features and a gallery of videos, creating the first true home 4K experience. As a standalone unit, the Sony XBR-84X900 TV already upscales all video inputs, including the more than 7,000 Blu-ray Disc titles currently in distribution, to a near-4K resolution through the use of Sony's proprietary 4K X-Reality PRO three-chip picture engine. Now, with the new video player, consumers can for the first time enjoy true 4K Ultra HD video in the home.
That last part is vital, as it takes tons of already-available Blu-ray content, and transforms it. It's the bridge between the present and the future. In addition to the full length features, the Video Player will come pre-loaded with a gallery of 4K video shorts, including Red Bull Media House's exclusive 4K videos The Athlete Machine: Red Bull Kluge and four acoustic performances of songs from Red Bull Records' Heaven's Basement's new record, "Filthy Empire." Additionally, Sony's 4K Ultra HD delivery solution is designed to be updated with additional 4K titles and video clips. More delivery solutions will continue to evolve rapidly, with further product and content announcements coming shortly.
The only problem here? The $25,000 asking price for the video player. No one said early adoption was affordable.
Sony, a huge player in 4K and a major proponent of 3D, has just unveiled the first major step in making the 4K HDTV a "must-have" item in the home. The new 4K Ultra HD Video Player is a hard-disc server that connects easily to Sony's 84-inch 4K LED TV (XBR-84X900) allowing consumers to view 4K resolution movies and short form 4K videos. Available as a bonus loaned exclusively to U.S. customers purchasing the Sony 4K LED TV, the video player comes loaded with content, including both full length Hollywood features and a gallery of videos, creating the first true home 4K experience. As a standalone unit, the Sony XBR-84X900 TV already upscales all video inputs, including the more than 7,000 Blu-ray Disc titles currently in distribution, to a near-4K resolution through the use of Sony's proprietary 4K X-Reality PRO three-chip picture engine. Now, with the new video player, consumers can for the first time enjoy true 4K Ultra HD video in the home.
That last part is vital, as it takes tons of already-available Blu-ray content, and transforms it. It's the bridge between the present and the future. In addition to the full length features, the Video Player will come pre-loaded with a gallery of 4K video shorts, including Red Bull Media House's exclusive 4K videos The Athlete Machine: Red Bull Kluge and four acoustic performances of songs from Red Bull Records' Heaven's Basement's new record, "Filthy Empire." Additionally, Sony's 4K Ultra HD delivery solution is designed to be updated with additional 4K titles and video clips. More delivery solutions will continue to evolve rapidly, with further product and content announcements coming shortly.
The only problem here? The $25,000 asking price for the video player. No one said early adoption was affordable.
Sony, as a total entertainment company encompassing movies and TV production, music, games and electronics, is uniquely positioned to be first to market in delivering 4K Ultra HD solutions. The 4K Ultra HD Home Experience includes the 84" 4K LED TV, the Video Player, and an Xperia™ Tablet S that serves as a remote control through an easy-to-use app. Pre-loaded onto the Video Player will be the following first ever collection of 10 full-length feature films presented in native 4K for the home:
- The Amazing Spiderman
- Total Recall (2012)
- The Karate Kid (2010)
- Salt
- Battle Los Angeles
- The Other Guys
- Bad Teacher
- That's My Boy
- Taxi Driver
- The Bridge on the River Kwai
