Sony has just announced two new Ultra HD TV models will go on sale here next month for under $10,000.

The 55-inch model will retail for just under $8,000 and the 65-inch model for $2,000 more.

That makes the 65-inch model a third of the price of Sony’s 84-inch UHD flagship and, with LG soon to enter the market with models of the same size, bodes well for more affordable access to this breathtaking technology.

Here’s Sony’s press release in full:

Sony New Zealand today became the first TV manufacturer to bring 55” and 65” 4K ultra HD TVs to New Zealand. This continues Sony’s leadership in the category, established in 2012 when it pioneered the evolution from HD to ultra HD with the launch of the first 84” 4K ultra HD TV.

Known as the X9004A Series, the new range will be available from July and offers consumers four times the resolution of Full HD – bringing the best home cinema experience from the director’s lens straight to your living room.

Sony’s X9004A Series 4K ultra HD TVs are the most premium quality TVs currently available thanks to Sony’s unique technologies that deliver superior picture, sound and connectivity. These include:

 More details with 4K X-Reality Pro – At four times the resolution of Full HD 1080p, the difference of 4K resolution is undeniable. The 8,294,400 individual pixels of superb brightness and precise detail give you the highest resolution Sony has ever produced on a TV.

 More colours with TRILUMINOS – Unique to Sony, TRILUMINOS Display technology creates incredibly true to nature colours. Brilliant emerald greens, hard-to-produce reds and breath-taking blues make landscapes and seascapes more vivid. Now you can upscale even the lowest resolution internet content – everything looks better.

 Remarkably clear, powerful audio with Magnetic Fluid Speakers – Magnetic Fluid Speaker technology offers built-in home theatre quality sound with front facing speakers for a faithful reproduction and crystal clear performance. Experience the simulation of 5.1 surround sound with 65w of power.

Everything looks better 

By combining 4K resolution with Sony’s powerful 4K X-Reality PRO processing engine, you can enjoy all your favourite content upscaled to 4x the resolution of Full HD. BRAVIA 4K TVs are a future-proofed TV investment ensuring the best quality of today and tomorrow’s content.

Superior to standard LED TVs, Sony’s TRILUMINOS Display technology will enrich your viewing experience as it delivers a significantly-wider colour palette. Images are more vibrant with colours such as hard-to-reproduce reds and greens providing a heightened sense of depth for the viewer.

Everything sounds better 

Both new X9004A Series TVs incorporate front facing home theatre-quality speakers thanks to Sony’s unique Magnetic Fluid Speaker technology that delivers smooth midrange, lower vibration and deep bass. Every moment feels more real, from the roar of a packed stadium to the soft whistling of a breeze in an empty canyon.

Everything is connected 

Sony’s 4K BRAVIA Smart TVs feature integrated Wi-Fi, meaning users have even greater access to the widest range of music and movies via the Sony Entertainment Network. Sony’s leading Smart TV content includes:

 A wide range of movies on demand – Quickflix, Mubi, and Garage Entertainment

 The widest range of music on demand – Music Unlimited, Pandora, Moshcam, vTuner and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

New Services 

 Pandora – leading internet radio service that lets you create personalised radio stations based on a song, artist or genre

 Yupp TV – one of the world’s leading portals for Indian programs with distribution rights to more than 60+ Indian TV channels

Local availability 

Sony’s new X9004A Series 4K ultra HD TVs will be available in 2 screen sizes, they will be available from Sony Stores (Newmarket, Sylvia Park, Willis St, Riccarton Mall) and selected Sony retailers from July, 2013.

 55-inch Retail from $7,999.95

 65-inch Retail from $9,999.95

New Sony 4K ultra HD TV models key features: 

 Images become lifelike with a resolution of four-times that of Full HD TV (3840 x 2160)

 All content is viewed at the highest resolution possible with enhanced images reaching near-4K with Sony’s proprietary two-chip 4K X-Reality PRO picture engine

 All colours, including hard-to-reproduce reds and greens are delivered naturally and accurately through TRILUMINOS Display

 An immersive picture draws in viewers with blacker blacks and excellent contrast produced with dynamic edge-lit, LED backlighting

 Amazing sound from the integrated 65 Watt, front-facing, magnetic fluid speaker system complements the stunning picture

 A cinematic experience is brought to life through Full HD 3D and 4x glasses included

 One-touch mirroring using NFC. Easily share photos, music, videos and more by connecting NFC capable devices to each other; without a complicated set-up. Simply touch two NFC products together and within moments, they’re connected wirelessly.

 TV SideView – Control the TV with your smartphone or tablet, find real-time details about shows you’re watching, browse tweets about the show, share what you’re watching and find related videos and more with Sony Entertainment Network and YouTube™, all on your big screen.

 Entertainment choices are endless with Wi-Fi connectivity, including access to the full Sony Entertainment Network suite of services

LG  will launch 55- and 65-inch versions of its 84-inch Ultra HD TV here in the second half of the year, with its first OLED consumer model soon to follow.

It has yet to disclose pricing but expect the OLED to be north of $20,000 given its first curved 55-inch display (55EA9800) is selling for about $US13,500 in South Korea.

LG is putting rivals Samsung and Panasonic on notice that it intends to become as big a player in this market as it is in Australia, where it’s #2.

National marketing manager for NZ, Glen Chean, says LG is committed to delivering “first-to-market products with next-generation technologies”,  including the newly launched LG Cloud and upgraded Magic Remote.

“LG continues to deliver on its ability to drive innovation in the TV industry.

“With the innovative display technology and content for premium viewing experiences, combined with cutting-edge designs and the latest in Ultra High Definition, and Smart TV technology, LG will continue to transform the home entertainment experience and its place in the family home.”

LG claims that being the first and only company to commercialise both the flat screen OLED TV and the Curved OLED TV will give it a significant lead in a premium market segment that researcher Display Search predicts will reach seven million units by 2016.

The new EA9800 model features the industry’s very first curved screen ergonomic design, providing an “IMAX-like” viewing experience in the home.

LG spent more than five years developing the optimum curvature. By making the entire screen surface equidistant from the viewer’s eyes, it claims to have eliminated screen-edge visual distortion and loss of detail.

Says the press release: “Only 4.3 millimeters at its thinnest point and weighing just 17 kilograms, LG’s Curved OLED TV produces astoundingly vivid and realistic images thanks to its proprietary WRGB technology.

“The unique Four-Colour Pixel system features a white sub-pixel, which works in conjunction with the conventional red, blue, green setup to perfect the colour output.

“What’s more, LG’s exclusive Colour Refiner maintains the colour accuracy of the image, resulting in images that are extremely vibrant, natural and enjoyable to view.

“As in the original flat screen OLED TV, the Curved OLED TV also offers an infinite contrast ratio for optimal contrast levels.

“LG’s Curved OLED TV features thin transparent film speakers in the crystal clear stand, providing high-quality sound without compromising the TV’s beautiful design.” (Earlier this year the TV took the top Red Dot: Best of the Best honour at the prestigious design competition.)

In the meantime, LG is poised to make Ultra HD TV “accessible to the masses” with variable sizes and price points that compare more favourably to the $25,000, 84-inch behemoth that went on sale last year.

While native Ultra HD content remains scarce, LG’s Resolution Upscaler Plus will help to improve the detail of lower resolution content.

The annual “new season” is under way for smart TV buyers, with all the major manufacturers rolling out most of their 2013 models between now and the end of next month.

Among the most technology-packed are those from LG, which is focusing on making hi-tech TVs easier to use with its intuitive Magic Remote and innovations like multi-platform streaming, and voice and hand gesture control of everything from changing channels to searching for content.

More than 70% of LG’s 2013 TV line-up will be smart TVs, with such features as:

  SmartShare, for seamlessly sharing content between devices (for example, from a compatible smartphone or tablet to a TV)

 LG Cloud, which can be accessed by downloading the app from Google Play or the LG Smart World Store

LG says it is compatible with LG Cinema 3D Smart TVs, PCs and Android smartphones 4.0 or higher, and can stream up to 5GB of content for free without the need to download files to a smart storage device.

It also provides cloud storage solutions to record entertainment content that automatically synchronises between PCs, compatible Android smartphones and smart TVs.

 The updated version of Time Machine (Time Machine II) enables viewers to record and save Freeview|HD TV content onto the TV’s inbuilt memory, with the option of using a dedicated USB hard drive — minimum 40GB — for longer recordings (the LA86 series, pictured above, has twin tuners for recording one TV channel while watching a different channel).

 LG says its Magic Remote works with simple gestures — point, draw, speak, scroll — and will recognise natural language voice for easier detection of spoken search terms.

You can also download an app onto your smartphone to use it as a remote control or to watch TV in another room.

And by connecting a Miracast-enabled tablet or smartphone to a 2013 LG Smart TV, you can view the content on the TV.

Watch for more coverage of LG’s line-up, and those of its competitors, on this site but in the meantime, here’s the company’s smart TV press release:

LG ANNOUNCES 2013 LG SMART TV WITH MAGIC REMOTE 

So magically simple, the kids will be showing you how to use it!

The 2013 LG Smart TVs are easier than ever to use, with a new smart and expansive entertainment platform that keeps you connected, offering access to a wide selection of premium content.

“LG are the experts in ‘easy’ and they have it covered when it comes to making technology easier to use,” says Glen Chean, National Marketing Manager for LG in New Zealand.

Using an optional motion camera (built-in on the premium LA86 model), LG Smart TVs can be controlled using hand gestures, allowing you to change your TV channels, inputs or volume with the wave of your hand.

LG Smart TVs also feature their unique and incredibly kid-friendly Magic Remote. Everything works with simple gestures – Point, Draw, Speak and Scroll. Draw the channel number in the air or scroll the wheel to change channels. Kids can even use the Magic Remote to play interactive games.

The powerful Voice Search function on the Magic remote lets users search for content on the internet by speaking through the magic remote, naturally.

“Just push the voice button on the remote, speak naturally and let the TV do the searching for you,” Chean says.

You can also download the LG TV Remote App onto your compatible smartphone to use your phone as a remote control. The Dual Screen function on the LG TV Remote App lets you enjoy TV programming playing on TV on to the smartphone.

Further PC keyboard and mouse devices can be connected to the TV, allowing for easier web surfing.

LG Smart TVs also feature powerful content sharing technologies that provide seamless content sharing with compatible smart phones, PCs and tablets.

LG Time Machine technology with TV built-in memory for instant Freeview TV Recordings

The newly updated version of LG’s popular Time Machine (Time Machine II) feature lets you record your favourite Freeview|HD TV program onto the TV’s in-built memory.

For longer recordings, there’s also the option of using a dedicated USB hard drive (minimum 40GB) enabling you to rewind, pause or watch recorded shows conveniently. LG Time Machine technology with built-in memory is available on all 2013 model LG Smart TVs.

LG Cloud makes content sharing easy

LG Cloud has now been launched globally. Once the LG Cloud app is installed from Google Play or the LG Smart World Store, you can begin streaming directly to your LG Smart TV without the need to download files to a smart storage device.

It also provides cloud storage solutions, so you can store your photos and videos and the content list automatically Sharing between PCs, compatible Android smartphones and LG Smart TVs. Get started with 5GB of free storage.

LG is aggressively undercutting Sony for its first ultra-definition TV, which goes on sale across the Tasman from November 19.

Although its availability and price have still to be confirmed here, chances are the first displays will be in a handful of shops before Christmas.

In Australia the 84-inch monster will sell for $A16,000, which will be about $A10,000 below Sony’s asking price. (In NZ, Sony’s UD TV will sell for $35,000 from December.)

The resolution of the UD TV is 3840 x 2160 pixels — or  four times that of 1080p HD and Blu-ray, and comparable to the resolution of movies screened in digital cinemas.

LG’s 84LM9600 model will also have a 50-watt, 2.2 speaker system, 3D technology and the Smart TV functions the company launched earlier this year in its top-of-the-line HD range.

According to The Australian, LG general manager of marketing Lambros Skropidis said at the UD 3D TVs launch that it could “upscale” HD media to provide much finer resolution — so users would enjoy the benefits of a near UD experience even without 4K media to screen on it.

He said 81% of Australians surveyed were concerned about picture quality, in contrast to ease of use (64%), smart TV features (35%) and design (38%).

“The UD TV market is still in its infancy but it is important for LG to show leadership in this space.”

PC World says LG won’t be targeting the mass market with its UD TV, “instead aiming for a ‘sniper’ approach targeting individuals with ‘very high disposable incomes, almost like an exclusive club.’

“The television will be stocked in 30 key stores hand-picked by LG around Australia, and LG will host experiential events and create buzz over social media.”

Channel News dubbed the image “jaw dropping” and the TV “a beauty”.

“The first thing you notice apart from the size of the screen is the depth and richness of the 4K content; it really is a big improvement on high-end 1080p HD content.

“Images are sharper and with a resolution of 3840 x 2160, you suddenly realise that you can watch this TV closer than a Full HD 1080P TV.”

At last the wait is over for fans of True Blood who resisted tuning into its SD season on Prime. On Saturday and Sunday, from midday-6pm, SoHo will screen all 12 episodes of season five back-to-back, in HD, as a box set weekend. This is the first time SoHo has run out a first-run, premium HBO drama off-peak. But clearly it believes the vampire hit’s appeal to subscribers has been tainted by Prime having first bite. True Blood’s fifth season was creator Alan Ball’s final as showrunner –  but at least fans of his work can look forward to seeing his next series, Banshee, first in HD: it’s among SoHo’s 2013 acquisitions. Meanwhile, Sookie and Jason’s quest to learn who killed their parents in season five could provide a clue as to who cast newcomer Rutger Hauer will play in season six.

PC World has just published its latest — and incredibly thorough — guide to picking the HD TV that best suits your needs. And according to  Home Theatre Equipment, 4K resolution shouldn’t be on your must-have list given there isn’t 4K content to buy: “In a nutshell, 4K upscaling is useless. Sorry, it is. It is interpolated 4K meaning at its heart it’s nothing more, nor any better, than HD. You cannot turn HD into 4K for the pixels simply do not exist to do it -so they have to be interpolated or made up. This is NOT 4K, it’s HD. Also, all the 4K upscaling in the world does little when said devices are plugged into an HD display.” However, IDG reports that argument isn’t stopping Sony from expanding its 4K range from beyond its first, flagship model.

Rating a mention: Deadline reports tensions on the set of Sons of Anarchy on the eve of TV3′s HD hit preparing to film its fifth-season finale … TV2 is pre-empting October 19′s Shortland Street for a double-episode repeat of The Big Bang Theory … Sky subscribers can preview the season-seven premiere of SoHo’s Dexter for free on iSky and MySky’s on-demand service from October 10-17 … TV3 is inviting viewers to choose which HD movie they wish to see on October 14: My Life in Ruins or Date Night  (vote at tv3.co.nz/YouChoose before midnight, October 12) … The Hollywood Reporter reports X Files creator Chris Carter will pitch a new supernatural drama, The After, at Mipcom.

Smash ended its primetime run on Thursday with ratings that justify its late-night Sunday rescheduling as of this week. It averaged only 2.3% – 2.4% of the key demos, opposite 20/20′s 7.4% – 9.4% and Mrs Brown’s Boys’ 5.3% – 11.8%. The first, hour-long Thursday episode of The X Factor USA lost against TV2′s reality double-bill, averaging 8.7% – 9.7% compared to Police Ten-7′s 11.7% – 13.0% and Motorway Patrol’s 10.6% – 13.3%. Season four of Fringe bowed out with 2.2% – 3.9% while the latest SoHo series to resurface in SD on Prime, Camelot, opened to a 1.3% – 2.2% average off the back of Doctor Who’s 1.8% – 3.7% — sightly lower than than 1.7% – 2.7% True Blood’s season finale averaged the previous week.

The race is on to deliver 4K resolution TV to New Zealand, with Sony today announcing its first display would go on sale here before the end of the year.

LG also is planning to launch a 4K TV this year and while the NZ pricing of Sony’s 84-inch “ultra-definition” TV has still to be disclosed, expect it to be as eye-watering as the image is eye-popping.

Of course, the downside of a display that offers four times the resolution of Full HD is there isn’t any native content to screen on it.

Indeed, outside of Blu-ray discs, there’s scarcely any HD content to be upscaled on it, with only three free-to-air channels and seven Sky channels broadcasting in 1080i.

No matter, as Sony’s press release says, 4K TV represents the next evolution in TV technology.

“Just as the transition from standard definition to high definition improved the quality of our at-home entertainment experience, the move to 4K or UDTV will provide another leap in what we can expect to enjoy in our own lounge rooms,” Sony product manager Stephanie Thiebault says.

“The 4K TV marks our biggest TV launch to date. The combination of Sony’s 4K broadcast expertise and our extensive history in TV innovation has resulted in the creation of this 84-inch beauty.

“It’s a must-want for those who like to be at the very cutting edge of technology – who demand the very best.”

Equipped with 4K X-Reality PRO and a 4K LCD panel with more than eight million pixels, the TV can take a variety of content with different resolutions, such as HD footage from digital broadcasts or Blu-ray discs, and reproduce it in 4K resolution.

Sony says the impact of the size of the 4K TV is “incomprehensible” – although it’s huge, the phenomenally high resolution (3840 x 2160) allows you to sit as close to the screen as half the distance required when viewing Full HD (for which three times the screen height is recommended) without being concerned by the pixels.

According to Sony’s press release, “The new UDTV is packed with Sony’s independent technologies, from its signal processing through to its speakers, and its ‘signal to sound architecture’ delivers powerful sound quality.

“This three-way 10-speaker system (total output 50W) is arranged at the sides of the UDTV directly facing the viewing position, and is optimised for large-screen TVs.

“It achieves a powerful sound with position-orienting tones, from deep bass through to medium range and high notes.”

Surprisingly, with this display Sony has dumped its Active Shutter 3D technology for the Passive alternative.

Sharp NZ will release the world’s biggest consumer LCD-LED TV next month for $15,000.

The 80-inch LC80LE940X is the latest addition to Sharp’s AQUOS Quattron HDTV range.

It has double the screen area of a 55-inch display and is being launched during Sharp’s centenary year.

What’s more, it may be displaced by a 90-inch model at the end of the year.

According to Sharp’s press release, “The fourth-generation Quattron technology built into the new 80-inch screen provides ultra-brilliant Full HD in not three, but four colours – with superior Aquomotion Pro controlled 200Hz panel, in both 2D and 3D, for the ultimate viewing experience.

“Offering USB multimedia display capabilities, the Sharp 80-inch AQUOS Quattron is the perfect large-screen centrepiece for a ‘dream’ in-home entertainment centre or dedicated home theatre.”

Other features include:

• Internet and web browser ready
• LAN terminal for movies, photos and music via Microsoft Windows 7
• Skype calling and YouTube video streaming
• AQUOS LED backlighting and 3D brightness booster
• Yamaha Audio Engine and TruSurround sound system.

Europe’s top a/v publications have awarded Sony “best product” prizes for its flagship 3D TV and 4K projector.

The European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) judged Sony’s Bravia KDL-55HX850 to be the top European 3D TV of 2012-13 and Sony’s VPL-VW1000ES projector the top high-end home theatre product of the year.

EISA is the largest editorial multimedia organisation in Europe, representing 50 special interest magazines, from audio and mobile electronics to video and photo, spanning 19 countries.

“Sony’s KDL-55HX850 is the ideal television for 3D movie fans,” the EISA judging panel said.

“The very fast response time of the panel and its ability to keep the two image channels separate means image quality is striking, with almost no crosstalk.

“Sony’s Cinema mode, meanwhile, ensures correctly-balanced colours straight out of the box, and black levels are excellent due to dimming technology that reduces the backlight in dark parts of the picture without a loss of shadow detail.

“As well as the superior 3D and 2D pictures, the unique lean-back stand provides a convenient, stylish viewing experience.”

Said the panel of the projector: “Home theatre diehards have keenly anticipated a true 4K projector and Sony’s VPL-VW1000ES is that dream given form.

“This inaugural native 4K home theatre projector offers a full 4096х2160 pixel resolution and is based on Sony’s professional cinema solution.

“At its core are three new SXRD matrix panels capable of delivering a claimed 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio through its specially developed 2.1x zoom lens.

“As you would expect for a projector of this resolution, its picture processing is exceptional, upscaling Full HD input to fill its 4K capacity with seamless efficiency.

“Your favourite movies have never looked so vivid, detailed and realistic – this is the projector of the future, available today.”

The KDL-55HX850 retails for $4,000 and the VPL-VW1000ES, $35,000.

Sony also won EISA best product awards for its SLT-A57 (European SLR Camera of the year), Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 (European Advanced Compact Camera of the year), and Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V (European Travel Camera of the year).

Loewe’s Art LED range for 2011 has gone on sale in screen sizes of 32, 40 and 47 inches.

Prices range from $6,643 to $9,710, with some models incorporating 250GB or 500GB integrated hard disks.

They also have up to 200Hz refresh rates, to optimise motion reproduction; edge LED backlighting, for maximum contrast; and, for the first time, Loewe’s MediaHome portal for accessing photos, videos and music from a home network or USB storage device (online content can be accessed on models with integrated hard disks).

The Art LED’s design, created in cooperation with Phoenix Design, references design elements from the Loewe Spheros and Loewe Art SL models.

Despite a full range of integrated functions, the televisions are slimmer than their predecessors and can be bought in two colour options: High Gloss Black and Chrome Silver.

Optional accessories include a rotating table stand with adjustable incline, an equally flexible floor stand and VESA wall mounts (the support for which is already integrated in the rear of the chassis).

Loewe says its closed two-way speakers “guarantee” precise treble, a clear midrange, and powerful bass (2 x 20 watt stereo power plus 40 watt for the low frequency range); all models have Dolby Digital Plus, AC3 and DTS.

Loewe has announced a world first in video streaming: programmes that can ‘follow’ users of its TVs around the home.

Known as DR+ Streaming with ‘Follow Me’ function, it allows viewers to pause any programme, then pick up exactly where they left off on another television in another room without missing any of the action.

It’s initially available only as a software update for the Individual SL series range but Loewe will be expanding it to upcoming series.

How does it work?

An internal hard drive in the main television records the chosen programme and simultaneously streams it to the TV of choice.

This can happen in real time, as the programme is broadcast, or archived recordings can be streamed to a second Loewe TV while another household member views live programming on the main set.

The feature supports video streaming over LAN, Wireless LAN or Powerline (networking over the home’s electrical wiring).

To use it, you’ll need two or more current model SL series Loewe TVs, one with DR+ hard drive recorder (the software can be downloaded from the Loewe support website for updating via USB).

Selected Loewe TVs also can be used to surf the web, using their integrated MediaNet portal to access content in a format optimised for big-screen viewing.