For the second yr in a row, Sony won’t be displaying its new TVs at CES in Las Vegas. Do you have to be fearful? Completely not. And I’m not simply going to let you know why — I’m going to point out you ways Sony’s 2024 TVs are gonna be lit. Actually.
I’ve been ready to share what I’ve realized for just a little over six weeks. That won’t sound like a very long time, however for me, it’s felt like an eternity. I believe that is fairly thrilling stuff.
In the present day, I get to share with you that, after years of holding its LED and mini-LED backlight know-how — and the way it works — a really intently guarded secret, Sony has lastly introduced it out of the darkness and into the sunshine. It’s given us an inside look as to how its new backlight tech works.
The story goes that in November 2023, video producer Zeke Jones and I traveled to Tokyo to participate in a really small press journey hosted by Sony. There was just a little sightseeing and quite a lot of meals. However most of our time not spent on a bus (or a really temporary 10 minutes on the bullet practice) was spent at Sony’s headquarters, the place we bought to go behind the scenes and find out about what Sony is as much as, and the way Sony does what it does.
A few of what we realized on that journey continues to be hush-hush, and I’ll have extra information to share this spring. However first, let’s discuss concerning the impending elephant within the room. Or elephant that’s not within the room. The elephant is the brand new Sony TVs. The room is CES.
Sony is doing simply fantastic
First, let me unequivocally dispel myths I’ve seen circulating in boards and remark sections about Sony being in some sort of bother or in any other case struggling. I’m right here to let you know that Sony is doing simply fantastic.
For context, let’s journey again to 2015, as Sony was nonetheless clawing again from the devastating results of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and ensuing tsunami, amongst another challenges. At a press convention that yr, then-Sony Electronics President Mike Fasulo advised me that Sony was going to lean arduous into “premium.” This was massive information on the time as a result of Sony, as soon as a family title in TV, had taken a market share hit from new competitors popping out of South Korea — notably Samsung and LG.
It grew to become clear that Sony was going to cease chasing market share dominance and as an alternative was going to show its consideration to capturing and holding a big chunk of the premium TV area. And it has, as TV fanatics know. Sony’s TVs routinely win a number of Editor’s Selection awards and shootouts.
This all-premium method is a giant a part of why the so-called Sony Tax exists.
The purpose is Sony is holding its personal within the North American TV area, and Sony electronics isn’t hurting in any respect. Even when it was hurting within the TV area, Sony’s digital camera division may most likely prop up the remainder of the enterprise.
So, no, the explanation Sony isn’t attending CES the best way it used to isn’t as a result of it’s on the battle bus. Frankly, although, the explanations Sony has modified its method to CES are, properly, for us customers, just a little bit boring, actually.
Absorbing the highlight
Sony is a big company, and it’s doing quite a lot of fascinating work in mobility. Its entire CES 2023 press convention was titled “shifting individuals ahead,” and the Afeela automobile it’s creating in partnership with Honda was the central fixture – talking of, I noticed the SUV model of that automobile in Tokyo and it was fairly superior.
Then there’s Sony Photos, Sony Imaging, and a rising listing of enterprise partnerships. Briefly, Sony has quite a lot of divisions and quite a lot of coals within the fireplace. What I’m advised is that Sony sees CES as a chance to speak about some big-picture company stuff whereas it’s bought this brilliant highlight on the worldwide stage that’s CES. It will get one of many world’s loudest microphones for about an hour, and it’s (once more) utilizing it strategically.
Frankly, I might relatively see fancy new TVs and get excited for what’s coming later within the yr. However I can’t fault Sony for its technique right here.
Right here’s the opposite factor: CES is a loud, noisy place. And I don’t simply imply it’s bodily loud — although it’s. After I say noisy, I imply the large quantity of stories and movies and tech media protection popping out of CES is simply insane and overwhelming. It’s arduous to maintain monitor of all of the information popping out of that present. It’s enjoyable to look at and discuss — that’s why we go. However there’s a lot info popping out of there that for any firm, it’s a crap shoot as as to if what you say goes to get observed by the individuals you wish to discover it.
Why not, then, have your individual, impartial press occasion for TVs and maintain it a few months after CES, when there’s little or no tech information happening and you may personal headlines for a couple of days?
From a enterprise perspective, that is fairly sensible — as long as you don’t lose gross sales by popping out with merchandise later within the yr than your competitors. To this point, that tactic doesn’t seem to have brought about Sony any issues. (And for what it’s price, it’s what the telephone producers realized to do years in the past. To wit: Samsung’s first Unpacked occasion of 2024 is scheduled for January 17.)
So, that’s what’s up with Sony’s enterprise. There will probably be a lot to come back in 2024. Simply not at CES.
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