Just when you thought you knew all the HDTV types to look for when shopping for a new set, Sony today added another option. Now on top of deciding between LED (LCD) and plasma and 720p or 1080p, you’ll be asked by the salesperson if you would prefer your screen flat or bent.
The curved screen era is officially upon us. It kicked off in late July when LG introduced the first 55-inch OLED HDTV, at a cost of $15,000. In August, Samsung counterpunched with its own 55-inch curved OLED TV
The new TV’s design is apparently inspired by the company’s experience in making digital movie theater projectors. Mike Lucus, senior vice president of Sony Electronics’ Home Entertainment & Sound division, stated, “The gentle curve of this television borrows for the screen technology found in movie theaters, and provides an immersive experience that makes viewers feel as they are truly part of the action and in the moment of the scene they are watching.”
Sitting at the top of Sony’s HDTV product line, the KDL-65S990A uses the company’s Triluminos technology to create an expanded color palette with deeper reds, greens and blues. It also includes Sony’s most sophisticated signal processing, 3D capability, Smart TV Internet functions and a total of eight angled, front-facing speakers for a “surround sound” experience.
The KDL-65S990A will be sold at national retailers and at Sony’s online and retail stores. For more information click here.
(Our take: While curved screens offer a unique form factor, they also create visual distortion, with the top of the screen displaying an upward bend. We call this the “smiley face.” The curve also limits the degree of off-axis viewing — not a good thing for a football-watching party.)
Sony also announced the KDL-65W850A, a 65-inch edge-lit LED LCD HDTV with a conventional flat screen. Features include Triluminous color technology, 3D capability and Internet movie streaming. It will be available in October for $2999. Read our review of the 55-inch version.
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