Sony is enhancing its flagship ES (Elevated Standard) range of home cinema products with two new receivers featuring its latest technology for the most cinematic experience at home. And to store and play rapidly-growing Blu-ray Disc collections, the ES range also will soon have its own mega-changer, holding up to 400 Blu-ray, DVD or CD titles.
Both new receiver models, the STR-DA3500ES and STR-DA-5500ES, gain Sony’s latest HD Digital Cinema Sound capability, and support all the current high-definition video and audio formats on Blu-ray Disc, as well as allowing multizone operation for whole-house entertainment. In addition, the STR-DA5500ES has full DLNA compatibility, to stream music, photos or video, built-in internet radio and a number of features to improve both performance and ease of use, including Automatic Phase Matching for perfect speaker integration, and an on-screen Quick Click virtual remote control.
STR-DA5500ES: The heart of a complete home entertainment system
The STR-DA550ES is designed to form the heart of a total entertainment system. As well as compatibility with all the high-definition audio and video of Blu-ray-Disc, including 1080/24p, x.v. Colour, Deep Colour and Dolby True HD/DTS-HD, this new 7.1-channel AV receiver has both internet radio capability and DLNA Client functionality, allowing it to stream audio, photos and video from a home network, or typically receive hundreds of radio stations streamed from around the world.
Surround sound is handled by Sony’s new HD Digital Cinema Sound processing, developed by Sony in consultation with Sony Pictures Entertainment to bring all the emotion and dynamic sound effects of a movie theatre into your home. Set-up is simplified by the most advanced version of Sony’s Digital Cinema Auto-Calibration, and there are unique technologies designed to make the most of any home cinema system.
Automatic Phase Matching (APM) is designed to take account of typical home cinema speaker configurations, where large speakers may be used for the front left and right channels, but smaller models for the centre and surround channels. Using APM, the STR-DA5500ES can remove any phase anomalies between the speakers, thus greatly enhancing the integration of the surround sound field.
Six HDMI inputs are provided on the STR-DA5500ES, one being on the front panel for rapid temporary connection of camcorders, games consoles and other devices. And there are two HDMI outputs: these make the switchover from TV to projector simple, but can also output simultaneously. Picture-in-picture operation is also available from two separate sources connected to the receiver, so you can enjoy a movie while also keeping an eye on the sports scores or the news.
Video upconversion and upscaling is provided, allowing legacy video sources to be optimised for high-definition displays, and the STR-DA5500ES can deliver sound into three zones and video into two.
Control of a complete system is simplified by the provision of two remote handsets – one full-function, the second simplified for day-to-day use – and the receiver also has Sony’s onscreen Quick Click virtual remote control as part of its high-resolution Graphical User Interface, for easier operation of connected components.
Finally, the STR-DA5500ES has two Digital Media Ports, to which optional modular port devices can be connected. The range of Digital Media Port adapters includes models for Sony Walkman® players and Sony Ericsson phones, iPods® and Bluetooth stereo devices.
STR-DA3500ES: High-quality receiver with HD Digital Cinema Sound
The STR-DA3500ES is a 7×100W receiver with four HDMI inputs for the latest HD audio and video formats. It’s compatible with 1080/24p, x.v. Colour, Deep Colour and can decode all the latest HD audio formats using Sony’s new HD Digital Cinema Sound processing.
Like the STR-DA5500ES, it has 1080p upscaling and video upconversion for legacy video formats, and can deliver sound and vision into a second zone, plus audio into a third.
Digital Cinema Auto-Calibration makes it simple to set the receiver up to suit the user’s loudspeakers, room and listening position. The high-quality Graphical User interface ensures system adjustments can be made quickly and easily, and there’s a Digital Media Port for the connection of portable devices.
The STR-DA5500ES and STR-DA3500ES will be available in October.
BDP-CX7000ES: an entire Blu-ray, DVD and CD collection at your fingertips
Due on sale at the beginning of 2010, the BDP-CX7000ES is a 400-disc Blu-ray/DVD/CD ‘mega-changer’, designed to make an entire movie and music collection available at the touch of a button. It even has a ‘Quick-load’ slot, enabling a single disc to be played without loading it into the main changer carousel – perfect for those rental movies.
New HD audio codecs and Sony’s Precision Cinema HD Upscale, HD Reality Enhancer and Super BitMapping will ensure top-quality results from BD, DVD and CD titles. x.v. Colour and Deep Colour compatibility delivers breathtaking pictures, and the player features Sony’s Xross Media Bar user-interface for simple and intuitive operation.