Sony Gadget Promises Flicker-Free Images For Any TV
Sony Corp. (6758.TO) says its new Creation Box makes any TV's images clearer, flicker-free and more vivid, and lets users zoom in for close-ups of on-screen images. But at Y500,000, it's not for everyone
The Creation Box - on sale by order only starting Jan. 29 in Japan - is part of Sony's high-price Qualia line. The Japanese electronics giant has no sales target, and no plans so far to sell the product overseas.
The machine, also known as Qualia 001, looks like a black box with a handheld remote control. It uses technology that adjusts TV signals so that images' outlines and textures look shaper and clearer, even on large screens.
In a demonstration Wednesday using the Creation Box with two 32-inch traditional TV monitors, flickering was negligible. The outlines of distant trees sharpened, glass looked shinier and the sense of landscape perspective was enhanced.
Sony officials said that the technology is being added to its new television sets, but acknowledged that the box can be used with TVs made by rival brands, including those far cheaper than Sony's.
The zoom-in feature is intended to help users edit home videos by letting them adjust images' framing and zoom in on a subject, such as one's child, favorite athlete or actor.
Sony is promising additional features for use with the Creation Box, but Sony Executive Vice President Tetsujiro Kondo refused to give details.
"This product can coexist with - and adds value to - existing audio-video equipment," he said.
索尼推出可改变电视画面的新设备
索尼公司（Sony Corp. ，又名:新力公司）推出一个近5,000美元的新设备，使用者可以用其对电视画面进行操控。当前这家日本电器巨头在竞争日趋激烈的市场上竭力将其产品与其他产品区分开来。
通过这个索尼称之为Creation Box的新设备，用户可以放大电视画面上他们感兴趣的任何一部分，并可随意观看放大画面的其他部分。该设备还可以控制感光度，对画面的锐度和清晰度进行调节，此外它还可以将大多数电视节目标准分辨率的视频信号升级为更高分辨率品质。
现在画面品质大幅提高越来越难，索尼的工程师将此设备视为在市场上区分其视频和电视产品的新途径，该设备所使用的技术最早在去年进行了展示。
该技术的开发者Tetsujiro Kondo说，“现在画面已经非常漂亮，因此当前挑战是知道下一步做什么。”
Kondo称，Creation Box朝著令电视收看变成更生动的体验迈进了一步。该设备将能够使用户重新制作家庭视频，比如将他们不希望在画面中看到的人或物体剪掉。或者放大电视节目的细节，比如在海底电视画面中，放大海葵上爬行的一只小海蟹。
目前只有少数消费者能获得这一体验。Creation Box将以Qualia这个索尼的豪华品牌出售，价格为500,000日圆，约合4,840美元，考虑到包括索尼最新的Wega系列在内的许多高端电视已经内置画面提升功能，这一售价显得过高。索尼将从1月29日起在日本接受对此产品的订单，但是目前尚没有在日本以外出售或将该功能配置到电视机当中的计划。
Kondo称，索尼计划不断向Creation Box添加一些新功能，以使消费者跟上尖端的视频处理技术。但是他拒绝透露将加入哪些新功能。
