New AV Products from Sony at InfoComm 2018 - Guest Post by Rebekah Markillie

At InfoComm 2018, earlier this month, Sony focused on “Creating Solutions Together,” aiming to inspire collaboration and get feedback from customers. Sony displayed its cutting-edge line of AV and presentation technologies, some of which were on display for the first time. There are a number of new developments by Sony, not all of them related to projectors, but all of them are sure to spark some interest!

At the center of their booth, Sony anchored their scalable 8K x 4K Crystal LED Display System to show InfoComm attendees stunning footage shot on the UHC-8300 — Sony’s first 8K System Camera.

The Crystal LED Display system is the industry’s first end-to-end 8K 120p HDR display. Boasting a contrast ratio of over 1 million to 1 and a 99% black surface area, this display creates exceptionally immersive visuals, high contrast, and high resolution.

On display for the first time, Sony showcased its flagship active learning solution, “Vision Exchange” Version 1.1. Its newest upgrade improved integrations with Skype for Business to better communications, distance learning, and smart note taking.

Version 1.1 will release later this month as a free upgrade to customers with V1.0. But for future updates, Sony plans to use their Software Upgrade Program and an annual subscription to guarantee software always remains current.

New to America, Sony displayed its two high-brightness installation laser projectors for the first time in the U.S. The VPL-FHZ120L is ideal for auditoriums and other large venues, and will be available in August of 2018. The VPL-FHZ90L is better suited for mid-to-large sized classrooms or meeting rooms and slightly smaller auditoriums, as well as houses of worship.   It will be available in September 2018.

Both projectors offer a clean design.  The laser light engine provides massive brightness, with and expanded color space capable of producing superior color precision, and maintain color and brightness for years — ideal for exhibitions and bright spaces, and museums as well.

Both projectors are WUXGA resolution.  The VPL-FHZ90L is 9000 lumens, so as you may have already figured out, the VPL-FHZ120L is 12,000 lumens.  That is a lot of bright!

Prices have not yet been announced.

Featuring exceptional image quality, sensitivity, and flexible remote operation, Sony displayed their full life of Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) cameras. This lineup included the new BRC-X1000 (4K) and BRC-H800 (HD), ideal for a variety of markets like classrooms, churches, medical spaces and conference rooms. Both models will be available in August 2018.

Continuing with their theme for innovating collaborative solutions Sony’s newest BRAVIA Professional Displays provide an intuitive UI, network and serial communication contra, flexible installation options and HTML5 support. These displays combined with the Vision Exchange provide a fully equipped collaborative environment for classrooms and meeting rooms.

Keeping up with virtual reality trends, Sony provided attendees with a virtual visit to an aquarium and museum with their new sound VR technology, the Sonic Surf VR. The Sonic Surf VR creates a unique interactive area where sounds move freely around a set space for a completely immersive experience. The Sonic Surf VR can be a stand-alone technology or combined with other technologies to create dynamic content and heighten the Sonic Serf VR experience. Sonic Serf VR will be available June 2018.