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It has been common knowledge for some time that Sony intended on launching a range of Freesat products; and now finally some official information is beginning to emerge.
Sony plan to launch two televisions initially with Freesat built-in; the Bravia KDL-32W5810 32″ LCD TV and Bravia KDL-40Z5800 40″ LCD TV. The models will launch in October this year. These are said to follow with further models once they see how viable an option it is; although they only need to look to Panasonic and LG to see how successful they have been.
This is great news for Freesat, another high profile electrical manufacturer on-board, and we look forward to seeing just how good these new Bravia televisions are.
Sony are promoting these two televisions as a great way to receive digital television via satellite without the need for a separate receiver and cables. They also mention 70 hours of HD content per week, so given that BBC has 63 hours showing, they must have decided that 1 hour per day for ITV HD is fair 
.
Sony Bravia KDL-32W5810 32″ LCD Television with built-in Freesat
* Integrated Freesat tuner – watch free-to-air HD and SD satellite broadcasts without the need for an additional set top box
* Watch digital TV with the integrated standard definition digital terrestrial tuner (MPEG-2, also receives analogue)
* Sharp, smooth action with Motionflow 100Hz and Image Blur Reduction
* Superb High Definition detail with a 1920 x 1080 pixel screen resolution
* BRAVIA ENGINE 3 and Live Colour for impressive depth, clarity and colour purity
Sony Bravia KDL-40Z5800 40″ LCD Television with built-in Freesat
* Integrated Freesat tuner – watch free-to-air HD and SD satellite broadcasts without the need for an additional set top box
* Watch digital TV with the integrated standard definition digital terrestrial tuner (MPEG-2, also receives analogue)
* Watch smoother, sharper fast-action with Motionflow 200Hz and Image Blur Reduction
* BRAVIA ENGINE 3 and 100,000:1 Dynamic Contrast for amazing picture quality
* Eco features for 25-30% less energy consumption than previous comparable models
September 2nd, 2009 at 11:52 pm
Do freesat get a payment from Sony for using the brand/tech?
Lee BQuote
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:02 am
@Lee B
I wouldn’t have thought so; Freesat have very little involvement with the manufacturer side of the platform. They simply allow manufacturers to approach Freesat to approve proposed products ensuring they meet the technical specification required, then get on with the build and retail process.
adminQuote
September 3rd, 2009 at 7:35 am
Got to be good news.
DenisQuote
September 3rd, 2009 at 8:16 am
A missed oppportunity – Sony could clean up in the Irish market if they supported the MPEG-4 standard with these Freesat receivers
BobQuote
September 3rd, 2009 at 9:15 am
It’s good to see the these big name companies still have faith in Freesat unlike some of it’s users
Soul4realQuote
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:53 am
I think its great to see Sony have joined the Freesat range a major plus and should drive viewer numbers which should drive channels ?
My major hope is that with Panasonic and Sony on board (regarded as 2 consistent top tier for picture quality mfrs) they may be able to exert some pressure to ensure ITV and BBC retain / return to decent HD broadcast qualities.
If I was Sony I’m not sure I’d want my range being judged by the consumer on the resolutions being muted as the ITV HD broadcast quality or event the BBC’s reduced bitrates – hardly going to show off what the technology can really achieve !
samQuote
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:23 am
I saw somewhere yesterday Sony are also making a 19″ freesat tv for kitchen and bedrooms.
MarkQuote
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:26 am
Wow. Only 5 posts before HD was mentioned. Quite possibly a new record…
CerberusQuote
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:47 pm
All very nice. All we need now are some new channels!
Kevin McFarlaneQuote
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:19 pm
SD is pointless in this day and age.
All channels should be HD.
Tony HalesQuote
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:33 pm
What would be nice is a Freeview HD and Freesat HD capable TV.
These will soon be obselete as will all the TV’s on the market now.
Richard CrichtonQuote
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:52 pm
@ 11.
Spot on, having both a Freeview HD tuner and Freesat HD tuner would be amazing all in 1 screen/unit no need for additional boxes. Plus, some channels are only available on Freeview or Freesat…so would give you the best possible FREE range of SD/HD channels
I too really hope such a product comes to market in the near future
JackQuote
September 3rd, 2009 at 3:58 pm
@ cerberus spot on and the usual candidates to boot.
Iain.DQuote
September 3rd, 2009 at 8:01 pm
More good news ITVHD is increasing the res back to what it was!
Lee BQuote
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:19 pm
@Lee B
Yes very good news re ITV HD
They listened, they acted. Unlike another channel I won’t mention. Well, not just yet…
scoobieQuote
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:25 pm
BBC Boss : Ok , so we’re low on viewers on the HD channel. What can we do that pleases the audience?
Employee : Well , a lot of people want the HD service to get a new encoder to improve the picture quality back to the days when we had high bitrates like other proper HD channels.
BBC Boss : So… They want the HD service to look different… I KNOW ! LET’S GET NEW ENCODERS AND CUT THE BITRATE SO WE’RE THE LOWEST FOR A MAIN HD CHANNEL IN THE UK.
Employee : That’s not what I said.
BBC Boss : WHO CARES? I’M BRILLIANT !
Employee : (that’s not what the customer’s are gonna think….)
Based on an original idea by Peter(bobmarleypeople) on joinfreesat.
scoobieQuote
September 4th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
@Lee Especially as there is 7hrs of ITV HD on Sunday 6th. Nearly a full primetime schedule!
I think Sony got there estimate of 1hr per day from ITV slightly wrong.
Richard CrichtonQuote
September 4th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
@scoobie There are seven ‘u pay lots to watch’ HD channels with a lower bitrate than BBC HD.
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/satellite_hdtv_bit_rates.php
Tony HalesQuote
September 5th, 2009 at 6:52 am
I do wonder if this bit rate thing is a bit of a red herring. If you look on the link above LUX HD has a much lower bit rate than BBC HD and yet on viewing is a much more defined picture.
I am not grumbling about the BBC HD picture, I am quite happy with it. This is just an observation from a non tecky.
DenisQuote
September 5th, 2009 at 6:58 am
Follow on from my last comment I expect now some tecky will come back with a long convulated answer with numbers and definitions as to why this is so.
The point being is how can the layman be expected to believe this argument re bit rates when you look at the above example?
DenisQuote
September 5th, 2009 at 10:05 am
@19 Denis
As has been stated before Luxe have very little movement in their pictures, have ideal lighting conditions and is probably not encoded on the fly hence they can use two pass (or more) encoding.
If they showed sports or action movies their pictures would look very poor.
Tony HalesQuote
September 5th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
As I thought a tecky response.
DenisQuote
September 6th, 2009 at 3:19 am
@Tony
That’s why I said “main” HD channels.
Also those other channels have variable bit rates, so they can boost the bitrate when the picture needs it. This can make a big difference.
Some of the channels are shown letterbox style too, so they need less birate and the screen resolution vertical is much less- around 700 lines.
I’m not saying BBC HD is the lowest bitrate, but its near the bottom and is the bottom out of all the main channels (ITV HD, C4 HD, Skyone HD)
scoobieQuote
September 6th, 2009 at 11:07 am
Nothing tecky about the respose. It’s common sense.
Tony HalesQuote
September 6th, 2009 at 11:15 am
@scoobie
I take your point. Mine is’ U pay lots to watch channels’ are using a lower bitrate in some cases even though they are charging people to watch.
I think BBC hd and ITV hd may well be multiplexed in December when the ITV HD simulcast starts so they can trade bitrates etc then. That is just speculation on my part using logic.
Tony HalesQuote
September 6th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
@ Tony Hales
“probably not encoded on the fly hence they can use two pass (or more) encoding”
I think you will have to agree that phrase is tecky. If the average person was looking at a TV picture in Currys etc and the salesman came up with statement like that I think most people would just look blank faced.
The point being the average person would look at the Lux HD channel and conclude the quality of the picture is about as good as you can get. I understand exactly what you mean about movement but you can only compare with what is being screened.
DenisQuote
October 16th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
Don’t you all think you take HD a bit too seriously, end of the day its the content you watch not the quality
GaryQuote
November 6th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
Easily the best freesat integrated product available – but way overpriced. You can get the non-freesat model for much cheaper and add the Humax box or PVR and get a better solution for freesat features. But if you’re willing to pay for the ease of it, and the saving of cable and shelf space, then this promises to be almost as good.
aasQuote
December 21st, 2009 at 8:53 pm
any word of when the iplayer will be coming onto the sony?
neilQuote
June 6th, 2010 at 2:01 pm
Good news, my local Euronics when I asked if Sony did a Freesat 32″ said Sony had stopped making them?.
HaroldQuote