San Francisco - It's been a while since a new TV raised
any eyebrows, but Sony has just unveiled a new product
that's creating a bit of buzz at the annual CES industry gathering in Las
Vegas.
Sony's XBR-A1E Bravia 4K is the electronics maker's first
commercial foray into the niche market for televisions that use OLED, or
organic light-emitting diode, technology. While the vivid, power-sipping
screens have found their way onto smartphones, the cost of making them has so
far limited their appeal for TVs. Only LG Electronics has made a serious
effort to sell OLED TVs. Panasonic also unveiled an OLED TV at this year's CES.
What's different about Sony's new A1E TV, however, is
that the screen doubles as a speaker. By vibrating the display itself, Sony
said it will be able to offer the "perfect unification of picture and
sound unattainable by conventional TVs”.
Read also: VIDEO: Sony brings virtual reality to the masses
This is possible because OLED screens don't require a
backlight, according to the Tokyo-based company.
While Sony didn't announce pricing or a sale date for its
new flagship TV, it's a rare glimmer of innovation for a company that once
embodied cutting-edge audio-visual design and technology. The new OLED could
help the company get some of that shine back.
BLOOMBERG