Internet connectivity, wireless a focus for new Sony TVs, Blu-ray players

At Sony's annual line show this week, Internet connectivity—both wired and wireless—was a major theme, with the introduction of a new W-series line of Bravia LCD TVs with Ethernet ports, plus the company's first Wi-Fi enabled Blu-ray DVD player.

The W-series Bravia LCDs—the 52-inch KDL-52W5100, the 46-inch KDL-46W5100, and the 40-inch KDL-40W5100—offer some of the interactive TV features found in higher-priced lines such as the Z5100 and XBR9 sets at a lower price, Sony says, although it won't release pricing until closer to the TVs' spring release. W-series sets (Click on image above for a closer look), which have Sony's MotionFlow 120Hz anti-blurring technology, include a built-in Ethernet port. When connected to a home network, you can access Bravia Internet Video content, such as Amazon Video on Demand and YouTube, directly from the TV.

Like other new Sony TVs we saw at CES, the new models include Bravia Internet Widgets, the company's take on the Yahoo Widget Engine technology that's also being used by manufacturers such as Samsung, LG, and Vizio. The widgets allow you to receive Internet content, such as news, financial info, and Flickr photos, at the same time you're watching a TV show.

A new 3.1-channel sound bar speaker system, the HT-CT500 is designed to match the cosmetics of the W5100 series models. It will be available in June for about $500.

Also due out in June is Sony's first Wi-Fi Blu-ray player, the BDP-S560, which is priced at $350. (Click on image at right for a closer look.) The player's built-in 802.11/n/g/b/a wireless technology can access a home wireless network for BD-Live capability, eliminating the need for a nearby wired connection. Sony also announced a lower-priced ($300) wired BD-Live model, the S360. Both models support 7.1-channel Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master lossless surround-sound decoding in the players and USB ports for adding more memory. The S560 also has a front USB port for viewing photos.

Sony also showed two new 5.1-channel Blu-ray home theater systems, the BDV-E300 ($600) and BDV-E500W ($800). Both are BD-Live models that support 7.1-channel Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding. The main difference is that the higher-priced model uses Sony's S-AIR wireless technology to send signals to rear speakers or other S-AIR audio components around the home. An optional S-AIR technology module can be added to the E300 system if desired.

—James K. Willcox