Sony's Comeback Gamble to Reclaim the Mainstream CE Market

The fact that Bravia is a "family" could appeal to consumers who project themselves upgrading their home theater system in stages. Among yesterday's announcements included a broadening of Bravia's HDTV spectrum, including lower-resolution (768p) displays under the "S-series" category, at sizes starting as low as 26" diagonal. The 1080p displays will now be classified as "V-series," though even there, the buildout has been toward 40" and 46" models - by no means the largest.

In the sound department, Sony's Bravia expansion extends to a new line of digital A/V receivers, including the STR-DG510. This particular model supports 6.1 channel digital audio at 100 watts per channel - not too shabby for an entry-level model priced at "around $200" (translation: $199 suggested retail). And the "Bravia Theater Link" function appeals to non-enthusiasts who want to be able to plug the receiver into the display, and forget about the plugs from there on out.

All these components are brought together in the Bravia scheme by its Internet link which will sell for "about $300" (subtract one) and ship this spring. The BDP-S300 could play a role here too, connecting to the Internet link and conceivably making available downloadable content through a future high-def DV-R (although this model isn't a recorder).

Every component will share a common on-screen user interface called XMB, based on the front end of the PlayStation Portable. Behind the Internet link could also be a potential community of Bravia users and videophiles, sharing content elements, e-mails, and cross-country comments on favorite videos-on-demand.

So if Bravia's one big happy family...where does the PS3 fit in? Rather than the pinnacle of the mainstream home media center it was made out to be last year at this time, the device is looking more and more like an orphan - a situation which could be readily resolved by upgrading its hardware and HDMI connection.

However, the fact that Sony is downgrading the European PS3, and is likely to do so for future North American and Asian editions as well, suggests that bringing PS3 into the Bravia fold isn't the direction Sony has in mind at present.

Sony still faces a road ahead comparable to a minefield that a warrior character in a PS3 first-person adventure might dare to cross. But if the PS3 doesn't make it across in time, Sony - one of the smartest companies in the electronics business - appears to be set with a backup plan. A family of backups, in fact.