Sony's Digital Link Sound System brings all-in-one iOS integration to your dashboard

Sony's New Digital Link Sound System Integrates Factory Car Head Units with Sound Staging Technology

The product is an all-in-one package solution for iPod touch?/iPhone? integration into original car audio systems

San Diego, August 24, 2011 – Sony announced Digital Link Sound System, a new product that easily installs and enhances the audio quality of factory head units. Digital Link Sound System will be available in two models, XDP-PK1000, an all-in-one package to optimize sound staging, and the XDP-MU110 model, a condensed version which integrates with existing or other subwoofers and amplifiers.

"It is becoming increasingly common for original in-dash radios to be integrated with other features like navigation and climate controls, and more and more, customers want to keep the original looks of their car stereos, while improving sound quality," said Mike Kahn, director of the Audio Product Division at Sony Electronics. "Digital Link Sound System is a convenient solution, allowing music lovers to listen to their favorite songs on their iPhone or iPod touch with a high-quality, powerful 3 Dimensional sound and increased functionality of their factory audio system."

XDP-PK1000 Digital Link Sound System

The XDP-PK1000 Digital Link Sound System is a total audio system comprised of five pieces: Cradle for iPhone, card remote, Digital Sound Processor Master Unit, 12 inch box subwoofer, and Class D Mono Block Amplifier. The internal DSP processing creates a balanced front stage and improves sound quality on a pre-installed original car audio system. It enhances iPod Touch or iPhone playback by digitally connecting and fully processing in the digital domain for optimized sound performance. It also enables adjustment of time alignment, equalization and crossover points to deliver an improved audio experience. The processor is customizable, utilizing three multi-position switches to adjust DSP parameters for 18 types of vehicles.

Bass response is increased with the 300 watt Class D amp and sealed 12 inch subwoofer enclosure. The Class D amp is highly efficient, converting about 90% of incoming power into output to the speakers. Sony's original technology, Dynamic Distortion Suppressor, suppresses distortion that occurs at higher playback levels for clear bass reproduction. The subwoofer utilizes Sony's Dimpled Woofer Cone, which makes the unit lightweight but tough, while producing higher output power.

Using the adjustable dash mounted cradle, you can control playback of internally stored audio content or listen to audio from internet audio apps on an iPod touch or iPhone. The included wireless remote lets drivers control the basic functions of the system.

XDP-MU110 Digital Link Sound System

For music lovers who already have an amplifier and subwoofer or want to install a different audio system, the XDP-MU110 system is an ideal solution. This model comes with three pieces: Cradle for iPhone, Digital Sound Processor Master Unit and card remote. Buyers of this model still get the enhanced sound quality from the DSP processing and increased functionality from the mounted cradle and wireless remote control while having the flexibility and freedom to combine with the amplifier and subwoofer of their choice. The XDP-MU110 model offers a simple and easy set-up and navigation support by illumination color (cradle) and beep sound. Whether using the internal 45W x 4 high power amplifier for speakers or the 2 Volt Front, Rear and Sub RCA pre-amp outputs to feed an external amplifier, drivers can dial in the output for optimum sound.

Pricing and Availability

The XDP-PK1000 model, available in September 2011, will be available for about $799 at authorized car dealerships nationwide, Best Buy and Sony stores and online at http://store.sony.com.

The XDP-MU11, available November 2011, will be available for about $399 at authorized retailers nationwide, Sony stores and online at http://store.sony.com.

For further details and pre-orders, please visit http://sony.com/caraudio.

For images and information, please visit www.sony.com/news.

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Sony's AR tool lets you put big screens in small apartments (video)

See Before You Buy: Sony uses augmented reality to help choose the right size TV for your home
22 August 2011

We've all been there when it comes to sizing up televisions for the home. Judging if it will fit into a certain space, how it will look when it's there and whether it will be suitable for the style of your home are some of the customary headaches associated with making a purchase. There is also a common opinion that bigger is usually better when it comes to TVs, but a lack of confidence over whether bigger will look better often leads us to opt for a smaller size. It's only when the television is in place that we realise a bigger size would have looked just fine.

In fact, it can be misleading that today's TVs are bigger. If you compare one of Sony's top of the range 32-inch Trinitron TV's from 2001(*1) and today's 46-inch award winning BRAVIA, the KDL-46HX923 –– the latter is only 10cm wider than the Trinitron and half as deep at 24cm. That includes the stand as the TV alone is just 3cm thick. This is because the frame around the actual screen takes up less space, as well as it being much flatter.

To help consumers choose the best size TV with confidence, Sony has developed its own 'TV Size Guide' tool. Hosted online, www.sony.co.uk/article/tv-size-guide, it uses augmented reality to show how different size TVs look in any given location, so you can rely less on gut feeling when it comes to the most appropriate size.

How it works
The prospective TV buyer simply goes to the TV Size Guide website and follows four easy steps:
1. Download and print out a marker – this is a simple shape printed onto an A4 piece of paper that the app will recognise and transfer into your selected TV
2. Place this marker where you want your TV to go, either on a flat horizontal surface or mounted on a wall, and take a photograph of it.
3. Upload the image to Sony's online tool and it will automatically pick up the marker, working out the appropriate scale and position for your TV. Choose different size TVs which will appear on top of the marker to find the best one for you.
4. Save your images to create a gallery of choices to compare and contrast.

Tim Schwarz, Online Content Manager, Sony Europe explains: "Up until now a tape measure and guess work is all that most of us have had to rely on when it comes to picking the best sized TV for the home and this often leads to mistakes. We know consumers put a lot of emphasis on getting the right screen size and our research has shown that this is one of the most important features they look for when buying a TV(*2). What people don't often realise is that TVs take up a lot less space than they used to, so you really can go larger. This is why we've developed this simple guide – to give you the confidence to choose the right size TV by accurately visualising how it would look in situ before you buy."

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Sony's S1 Android Tablet is the Tablet S, due to arrive in early September

While one consumer electronics giant is unceremoniously exiting the tablet wars, after many teaser trailers we're hearing Sony is finally ready to reveal its entry. We uncovered the S1 PlayStation Tablet ahead of its official reveal earlier this year, and after getting our hands all over it we've got more details to report before it launches. The official name of the S1 is the Sony Tablet S, which is currently projected to bring its 9.4-inch (1280x768) screen to market in the first two weeks of September. It will ship with Android 3.1 with an eye towards upgrading to Ice Cream Sandwich once that's available, and just as the company said many of the key features will revolve around using it to control all devices in the home, via the network or the integrated IR blaster, as well as having the ability to "Throw" media to other DLNA-compatible hardware, whether it's made by Sony or someone else. The slate's dual cameras come in at 3.0MP res up front and 5.0MP around the back, while it's also expected to bring along accessories our source indicates are very similar to those for the iPad. In the images below you can check out a wireless keyboard and dock setup and micro-USB to USB host dongle, details on the "TruBlack" screen technology that's supposed to provide better colors with less glare, and of course all of Sony's preinstalled software bringing PlayStation Certified gaming plus its music, movie and book services. What we don't know yet is its final price -- we'd heard $599 previously -- but there should be more to say about that and the clamshell S2 tablet soon.

Update: Eagle-eyed Daniel wrote in to let us know that it looks like Sony is rebranding its video service as "Video Unlimited," which will make it a much nicer match for Music Unlimited.

[Thanks, J]

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