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Sony stresses connectivity,
portability with new products
Laptops, DVD recorders
and more debut at a show
at the Hilton in Waikiki
Imagine cruising in a boat or any locale where Internet access isn't possible, yet being able to get an online connection.
Enter Sony's new Vaio T series of laptops, which break the boundaries of wired connections and hot spots. This machine is the first widely accepted notebook PC with integrated high-speed wireless access wide-area network technology, providing Internet access just about anywhere there is cellular coverage. A combination of hardware and software links the notebook to Cingular Wireless' nationwide EDGE Network, although this convenience doesn't come cheap. Cingular's Unlimited Data Connect plan is $80 a month for a one-year plan.
The Vaio T-Series notebooks, available next month starting at $2,200, are among the products that debuted at "The Sony Edge" new products show yesterday at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
Sony introduced its new DVD recorder line including a dual-deck DVD recorder and VCR, and a slim DVD recorder. But the highlight is the RDR-HX715 DVD recorder ($700) with a hard-disc drive that delivers high-quality uncompressed digital signals to other HDMI-equipped (high-definition multi-media interface) components.
The new RDR-VX515 DVD/VCR recorder ($400) has one-touch dubbing capability that makes it easy to convert old VHS footage to DVD format.
Sony's DCR-DVD92 is one of six new mini DV handicams.
When it comes to music listening, the Network Walkman Digital Music Player HD-5 features a 20 GB hard drive for storing 13,000 songs. Its battery life offers up to 40 hours of continuous play. The unit supports MP3s and WMA/WAV files via transcoding to ATRAC3 or ATRAC3plus.
A limited edition 30 GB version holding up to 20,000 tracks also will be available, with price to be announced.
On the photo front, the ultra-slim Cyber-shot DSC-T7 ($500) is just 0.6 inch thin, achieved by placing the LCD monitor to the side of the three-times optical zoom folded lens assembly. A 2.5-inch LCD screen covers about two-thirds of the camera's back. It features 5.1 effective megapixel resolution and allows for extended shooting time.
One of the camera's most distinctive features is its anti-reflection LCD, which prevents reflected light from interfering with the displayed image. Ten-scene selection modes mean you don't have to worry about capturing the perfect shot. Simply select a mode, such as "twilight," "fireworks," "beach" or "snow," and the camera adjusts. A "magnifying glass" mode allows macro shooting up to a centimeter from the subject.
As for video needs, the company's new line of six Mini DV Handycams are big on performance and functionality. Camcorders, starting at $600, have features like Dolby Digital 5.1 channel surround-sound recording.
The DCR-PC1000 ($1,300) features 10X optical zoom lens with 120X digital zoom, a 2.7-inch wide-touch panel SwivelScreen LCD display, and a cinematic mode that gives a 24-frame, film-like effect to recordings thanks to three CMOS imaging sensors. In addition to video, the unit's 2.7-megapixel still-memory mode captures high-resolution photos onto Memory Stick Duol and Memory Stick PRO Duol media.
The DCR-DVD403 ($1,000) features a Super NightShot system that allows recording of natural color in low-light conditions, a 1.0 megapixel, 1.5-inch CCD imager for video, Dolby Digital stereo sound, a 3.5-inch rotating LCD, and records in DVD-Video and DVD-VR formats. Recording capacity, however, is still shot on one disc holding just 20 minutes at its highest quality setting and 60 minutes at the lowest.
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