New VAIO Desktop/TV likely to become
first choice PC for home
Berlin, 28 August 2003 – Sony leads the European consumer electronics market yet
again with the continental launch of its new PC-TV – the most eagerly anticipated
product in years. Already a success in Japan and in the US, this new VAIO W1 Desktop
continues the Sony custom for innovation by disregarding the traditional division between
the AV and IT worlds and creating a beautiful-looking PC that transforms easily into a
fully functional TV. The W1 can be used in its PC position (with the keyboard showing), or
in TV position with the keyboard folded away. A third option – the audio position
– lets consumers use the device as an audio player instead.
The elegant design of the W1 incorporates
an acrylic/aluminium finish, ensuring that it can be the focus of attention in the living
room, just as a normal television might be. Less than 19 cm deep, the W1 takes up very
little space and yet still provides an impressive viewing experience thanks to its
ultra-bright 17.5" high resolution wide screen. When operating as a TV, the W1 adopts
a number of features to enrich the end-user experience. For example, the brightness of the
LCD is maximised for extra clarity, the colour of the images becomes more vivid thanks to
a Natural Colour Control (NCC) feature, and Sony’s SRS WOW (TM)Surround Sound system
is activated for extra audio enjoyment.
In addition, VAIO’s Giga Pocket
(TM)software is launched full-screen once the W1 is in TV-position. This ensures that
users can easily watch or record TV programmes as they are being broadcast, playback
recorded shows, or else view the other image files (e.g. home-movies and digital stills)
stored on the hard drive. And thanks to new hardware encoding/decoding chip, Giga Pocket
works more smoothly and more quickly than ever before. And because the W1 is a PC, users
can also take advantage of the DVD-RW that’s built into the chassis – as well as
the pre-installed Click to DVD application – to easily create DVDs containing their
favourite digital videos and photographs. When the W1 is in Audio-position with the
keyboard flipped up, users can enjoy their music with the supplied Sonic Stage software.
Jean-Christophe Alibert, General Manager,
VAIO comments: "The W1 builds upon Sony’s audio visual experience and computer
expertise to create a PC-TV that delivers what consumers have wanted for years. Combining
great design with both PC and TV functionality, the W1 is destined for the number one slot
in both markets."
Sony Connectivity
Sony products are the essence of simple connectivity. They are designed to connect quickly
to each other and to the world beyond so that every owner, from the novice to the
enthusiast, can easily enjoy the benefits of digital networking. For example, you can
create, edit and share your own movies on DVD using a digital camcorder, a DVD
player/recorder or a VAIO; you can create your music compilations on NetMD or CD with a
VAIO and a Sony network music device; and you can shoot, store and print your own digital
photos with a digital camera, a VAIO and a video printer or display the photos on your
television, cable free, using a Memory Stick. With the Network Media Receiver sharing of
digital content in your home becomes easy. Once you have stored all your photos, music and
videos on your VAIO, the Network Media Receiver can stream your content to your TV and
HiFi system. The Network Media Receiver is the bridge between your home office PC and your
living room - you will gain control over your digital environment as never before.
Notes to Editors:
How it works
Harnessing the power of a PC without sacrificing TV performance, the PCV-W1 certainly
breaks new ground. Here are just a few of the technological innovations in more detail:
Natural Colour Control Circuit
The NCC circuit of the W1 compensates for the differences in colour adjustment for PC and
TV monitors, to deliver the best possible viewing experience to users. The circuit
recreates the softer and more natural hues normally seen with a computer display on the
television, but without losing the brightness and vividness associated with TV viewing.
Automatic Maximum Brightness/FFD
The W1 is a pleasure to use for viewing, even under sunlight, thanks to the automatic
control that maximises on-screen brightness. Additionally, the Feed Forward Drive (FFD)
circuit
reduces the "ghosting effect" sometimes experienced with LCDs.
SRS WOW Surround Sound (TM) system
This virtual sound circuit with bass and treble control forms an enhanced sound field to
create the impression that the crystal-clear audio is coming from a wide angle.
The TV as PC
With the keyboard open (and adjusted to the user’s chosen angle thanks to a
multi-gear hinge), the W1 can be used like a normal VAIO PC. Powered by an Intel Pentium 4
processor, 2.8 GHz, the unit runs the Microsoft® Windows® XP Home operating system and
boasts a 160 GB hard disk and 512 MB RAM. The 17.5" XWGA (1280 x 768) screen is ideal
for TV viewing or the review of DVDs recorded using the DVD-RW drive that’s built in.
The W1 has an i.LINK port for to facilitate the real-time transfer of files from
camcorders and other devices, as well as a USB 2.0 port for peripherals and a Memory Stick
slot for data exchange. To help users make the most of this impressive hardware, the W1
has a rich selection of supplied audio/video software from Sony. This includes Giga
Pocket(TM), the unique TV viewing and recording application, the SonicStage audio
management and playback tools and the Click to DVD authoring application.
More about Sony Software
All of Sony’s VAIO PCs are supplied with a suite of Sony software, including:
Giga Pocket
The Giga Pocket tools allow users to watch TV from cable or satellite* and take advantage
of "live time-shifting" while recording, so that important moments are never
missed. Users are able to record TV programs and manage the files in ‘video
cabinets’ ordered by name, time, date or channel. Shows can be exported to external
devices via Memory Stick(TM), such as CLIÉ handhelds for viewing on the move, or else
video-streamed to other devices by connecting a VAIO Notebook installed with VAIO Media
software. On the W1, the software is supported by the model’s advanced processing
hardware, ensuring that the TV’s signals are quickly converted to digital format to
optimise the viewing experience.
Sonic Stage
This application lets users import music files from the Internet or CD’s and keep it
all centralised on the PC, ready for playback. Users are able to create personalised play
lists and get more information about the tracks by connecting to the CDDB on the Web. They
can also manage their music, search for songs and playback tracks on the VAIO, or share
them across different music devices.
Click to DVD
Click to DVD makes it easy for users to burn their creations to DVD. The software can be
used to transfer the movie clips or stills to the VAIO, or to edit and adjust them before
making the transfer. Either way, burning a DVD can be done with just one click.
Picture Gear Studio
This allows users to import photos from various sources (e.g. digital still cameras,
memory cards and the internet). Users can then store and manage the pictures in folders,
create photo albums and binders, edit and print, or compress and send via email.
VAIO Media
Allows users to watch and listen to the audio and video files they have stored on PC, from
any remote AV device that’s on their home network.
