Sony unveiled four new HD camcorders, HDR- CX7K (Memory stick format) at, HDR-HC5 (tape format) HDR-UX5 (DVD format) and HDR-SR5 (Hard disk). Each of these camcorders offer Sony's ClearVid CMOS sensor and Enhanced Imaging Processor, that allows quality videos and still images to be captured along with 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound. Each camcorder also incorporates a 4 mega pixel camera, 2.7 inches Wide Clear Photo LCD Plus and external navigation keys.
Sony's three new still cameras in the Cyber-shot range, DSC-W200, DSC- T100 and DSC-H9 feature a High Definition component output. These new cameras offer simple and direct connection to an HDTV set, so users can integrate full 1080 HD photo viewing into a home theater system. The new cameras also have the Double Anti Blur feature and Bionz high speed processing engine to minimize motion blur and offer more detail under different lighting conditions. All models come with Carl Zeiss 3x optical zoom lenses.
Masaru Tamagawa, Managing director, Sony India said, "As HD becomes more pervasive in Asian households, it is only natural to want to view all of your content including photos in high definition. HD lets you see more- razor sharp reproductions with the minutest details, all in crystal clear quality. While others profess to provide you with HD quality, only Sony delivers the complete HD experience- seamleassly and easily. We are confident that our new products support a shift in consumer behavior, from viewing digital photos on a PC to having a full entertainment experience in the living room."
HDR-UX5 is available for Rs. 59,000 and the HDR-HC5 is available for Rs 69,990. The HDR-CX7K and HDR-SR5 are yet to arrive in India. Among the Cyber-shot still cameras, the DSC-W200 is available for Rs. 24,000, the DSC-T100 is available for 24,990 and the DSC-H9 is available for Rs. 29,990. The products are available at select Sony outlets, throughout the country.
Tamagawa said the target consumer for these products is the tech enthusiast, who is on the lookout for the latest technology, that is, High definition. Hence, these products have a niche market. He also said that HD has already caught on, in US and Japan, with over 70% consumers buying high definition products. However, he admits that in India, the trend might take up to two years to catch on. He also stated that Sony currently has 33% of the market share but is planning on doubling the sales in digital cameras, with this launch.
On being asked whether the HD products will sustain in the Indian market, despite the fact that there is not much HD content such as Blu-ray discs and HD DVDs available for consumer use, Tamagawa said Sony is striving to bring more HD content in the country. For example, the launch of the PS3 brought about the HD version of Spiderman. He said, slowly, all of Sony's HD products will integrate seamlessly, offering the consumers a complete HD experience.
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