The Art of the Frame is what you will see if you visit one of the largest museums in Denmark at the moment. But they have something more exciting – if you are invited, that is. Sony is presenting their new E4000 series in a very nice design and the new Picture Frame mode.
Flatpanels was invited by Sony to the presentation of this new very nice looking TV. The E series is brand new so we were eager to see what it was all about.
The Art of the Frame
Art has a proud history and paintings are a huge part of it. It’s doesn’t exactly get my blood pumping but at the moment the Art of the Frame is praised at the Museum of Art in Denmark. Sony used this event to show their new E4000 series to the press. And the design is quite different from what we are used to.
Sony E4000 serien
Sony describes the E4000 series with these words: Clean lines. The design is minimalistic, simple – and clean.
The presentation was opned by a woman from the museum wanting to talk a little history and how the modern flat screen TV has become a part of the living room and interior in most houses.
Sony took over and talked about the new E series and how this new design concept was developed by Sony. It’s a gamble but Sony hope to pump new life into the TV market which is dominated by the glossy, black frame today.
Sony E4000 serien
E4000 is part of the Bravia line and utilize the same panel and technology as the new W4000 series. E4000 is launching very soon and Sony Denmark says late June.
The goal was to create a TV suited for the modern home and to reinvent the TV as a furniture. You’ll be able to choose from two different frames, one being the Midnight Sky and the other being the Aluminium frame.
Midnight Sky is a dark look with shades of blue. Aluminium is grey/white depending on the wall behind the TV.
Sony E4000 serien
Sony has planned to start with three sizes, 26, 32 and 40”. They are called KDL-26E4000, KDL-32E4000 and KDL-40E4000, respectively. If you want the aluminium edition it ends on 4020.
No bigger models are planned at the moment unless the E4000 series turn out to be successful.
Specs
Full HD is the buzz word and Sony will be launching the 32 and 40 inch models with Full HD panels. The 26 inch panel is HD Ready.
Sony E4000 serien
A new feature is the Picture Frame mode. To put it short imagine these small digital picture frames. It’s the same concept.
You put the TV in the Picture Frame mode to show a slideshow or a static picture. A few pictures are located in the memory system, including Van Gogh.
If you want your own pictures you can insert an USB stick in the left side of the TV.
The clever thing is that the TV operates in a different way when in Picture Frame mode and uses about 35 % less power. The stand-by power consumption is reduced to 0,19 W as well.
Sony E4000 serien
The menus have been improved and it’s a quite nice move by Sony. They have integrated the XMB (Xross Media Bar) seen on for example Sony PlayStation 3.
The XMB is also planned for the new Blu-Ray players.
Sony E4000 serien
The new E4000 series uses the improved picture circuit system called Bravia Engine 2. It’s an improvement over the Bravie Engine found in the X3000/X3500.
The 40 inch model supports the x.v.Colour spectre. All models have a 10 bit LCD panel and supports 24p as well.
Also, Sony has thrown a DVB-T tuner for terrestrial TV and a DVB-C tuner for cable TV. Both tuners support mpeg4 (H.264) and therefore HD signals.
The 26 inch model is now the first 26 inch TV to support mpeg4 according to Sony.
Sony E4000 serien
The TVs have 3 HDMI inputs and 2x10W hidden speakers.
Sony told us to get some food now and we could ask questions if we would like to. Nothing important popped up so here’s the prices from the Danish marked converted into Euros. Please note that prices may differ from one country to another.
Prices
26”: 1050,-
32”: 1600,-
40”: 2100,-
Availability
The E series will be available starting form late June 2008.
If you want to know more visit Sony online www.sony.com
