Sony has got the message that the Internet and home networking are here to stay and consumers want to connect all their electronics gear.
It’s new top-of-the line surround sound receiver not only comes with Ethernet connectors for connecting to the home network and via that to the Net, but it is also DLNA compatible.
DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) certification means the user can connect to the home network and stream music, digital photos and video content stored on a DLNA compatible PC or home media server. A TV set must be connected to the receiver, of course, to watch videos.
The newest version of Windows Media Center has DLNA built-in.
The Sony STR-DA6400ES will stream music to a receiver that’s perhaps in another room. The music can be from analog audio devices such as record players (for LPs), CD players or tape players that are connected to the STR-DA6400ES. It can also directly access the Internet radio services Rhapsody and SHOUTcast without the use of a PC. All audio signals, including Internet radio, can be distributed to up to three rooms simultaneously.
A video can be sent to a TV set in another room via a standard home network cable instead of using pricey HDMI cables or even pricier HDMI wireless connectors. A $130 adapter is required to convert Ethernet to component video.
The 7.1 channel receiver has two HDMI outputs and six HDMI inputs including one mounted at the front for easy access for use with devices such as HD camcorders. Two of the HDMI outputs support 1080/24P, x.v.Color and Deep Color from Blu-ray Disc.
One major difference in watching a movie in the theater and at home, other than the very pricey popcorn and sodas, is the sound. Sony touts the unit’s full HD audio capability for bringing cinematic quality sound to the living room with Dolby True HD, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS HD Master Audio and DTS High Resolution Audio decoding.
Sony says the units HD Digital Cinema Sound processing “perfectly recreates the HD cinematic viewing experience at home.”
The unit’s Digital Cinema Auto-Calibration automatically ensures a perfect final setup by fine-tuning the receiver’s 7.1 channel output to the speakers, the room itself and even actual listening positions.
All for about $2,500 when the unit becomes available later this year, what more could a gizmo lover want?
The new super receiver moves Sony in the right direction with Internet/home network connectivity. But, it raises several issues.
1. Even though it’s an audio device, the market it’s mainly aimed at is video. It’s a surround-sound system for enhancing audibly the experience of watching movies and TV shows. There is no music available that’s capable of using the 7.1 speaker configuration it supports. No CD supports even 3.1. CDs are still only stereo – two speakers. That’s it. The only enhanced audio that consumers will hear is the movie tracks. If people spend $500 to $3,000 for receivers that support 7.1 speaker configurations for movies, isn’t it likely they’d be interested in the same for their music? The labels have missed an opportunity
2. Sony made the unit, which is designed to connect to a TV, so it would access two online music services. Why didn’t it at least enable it to access Sony’s two online video services: the one for the PlayStation Store, which now has 30,000 titles in its library, and Crackle, which can be accessed by any PC and offers original, high-quality made-for-the-Web shows.
It’s almost as if Sony is being dragged into the Internet era. The new receiver sounds great but it’s not going to make the kinds of headlines and impact on consumers that it would if Sony had gone all the way. You better believe that if Apple had done it, the unit would have been able to access iTunes’ library of TV shows, movies and music.
The article was written by Charlie Hall at Rider Research in the US and ran first in his publication The Online Reporter