With the aim of putting making Blu-ray accessible for smaller studios, Sony Creative Software has released the BAE-VX1000 encoder for disc authoring. $55,000 buys a system capable of analyzing a film automatically and offering multiple bit rate versions to be compared later, or frame by frame encoding. The finished product comes out in either h.264 or MPEG-2 form (what, no VC-1?) and it works on varying setups from one to many PCs or servers depending on what a studio can afford. Of course, it's the perfect match for Sony's Blu-print software (now up to version 4.3) or other authoring applications, we'll wait for prices to get a bit more affordable before cranking out the next Behind the Scenes at CES boxed set, but for the pros it might be worth it to get the same tools Sony Pictures uses.

Be still, our hearts! After watching the wireless HD / HDMI sector fumble along for years on end, a team of mega-corps have finally agreed to push their self-interests aside and collaborate on a standard. WHDI creator AMIMON has joined forces with Motorola, Samsung, Sony and Sharp in order to form "a special interest group to develop a comprehensive new industry standard for multi-room audio, video and control connectivity" utilizing the aforementioned Wireless Home Digital Interface technology. Reportedly, the group will have a standard completed before 2009 dawns, but we all know how easily these things can get pushed under the rug. Nevertheless, the overriding goal here is to "enhance the current WHDI technology to enable wireless streaming of uncompressed HD video and audio between CE devices such as LCD and plasma HDTVs, multimedia projectors, AV receivers, DVD and BD players, set-top-boxes, game consoles and PCs." A tall order, sure, but one we're elated to see taken on. Full release (and promo spot) after the break.

Though we suspect this is totally normal judging by the fact that not all HD flicks available via Apple TV have 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound, it is a wee bit disappointing. One particular tipster wrote in to express his frustration with Sony's recently launched PlayStation Video Store, noting that his HD movie rental featured only stereo sound. When contacting Sony on the matter, a Store specialist informed him that no refunds were allowed and there was no way to determine how audio was packaged prior to downloading. So yeah, if multi-channel audio is paramount, you may want to think twice about emptying your wallet in the PS Store.

For those out there totally stoked about paying $400 for a Blu-ray player that's just "BD-Live-ready," have we got a surprise for you! Our brethren over at Engadget Classic got a chance to swing by Sony's demonstration today in New York City and take a peek at the firm's recently released (as in, shipping) Blu-ray deck alongside a few other audio related products. Whatcha waiting for? Get over there and check it all out!

Wow, Toys 'R Us was only a day off. Sure enough, Sony's BDP-S350 -- which was first introduced / spotted in February -- has gone on sale at Sony Style retail outlets, the Sony Style website and other fine retailers near you. If you're looking for a quick refresher, this Profile 2.0-compliant deck supports BonusView (picture-in-picture), but curiously enough, Sony mentions that "a firmware update enabling BD-Live is planned [for] later this year." You'll also find full 1080p output, 7.1-channel Dolby TrueHD / DTS-HD Master Audio support and a promise to suck down 21% less power in playback compared to the BDP-S300. All yours for $400 (give or take a few pennies).

Those of you who didn't stay up late last night and check out the new PlayStation Store on your own now have nowhere to go. Stuck inside your cube with no early lunch, no way to slip out at 3:00 -- nada. Thankfully, the crew over at PS3 Fanboy has the goods to satisfy your appetite until you get home. Tap the read link for a gallery of hands-on shots, and chime in below with your likes / dislikes once you've had a chance to meander around yourself.

The long delay until Sony launched its video download service (actually more like a few hours), is over. HD and SD rentals, and SD purchases from an assortment of movie studios is now available in the Playstation Store by selecting the video button at the top left. Need to know what's available in your region but aren't near your PS3? Check out the website for a list of what awaits.

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

Shanghai Xinsuo Music Co. is opening a plant capable of making 500,000 Blu-ray discs per month by the end of this year. It is touted as the premier Hollywood film disc supplier in the Chinese market, and a company 51 percent owned by Sony (the other 49 percent held by Shanghai Media Group) as it continues to expand the market in China and reduce the cost of Blu-ray production. After that? More expansion, another plant in Shanghai and so on. The Chinese Blu-ray market also got a jolt with Sony announcing a 3-movie pack of Kung Fu Hustle, Spider-Man 3 and Open Season for the BDP-S300. Guess it's a good thing there's a testing center in the area.

Read - Shanghai Xinsuo to Roll Out Blu-ray Discs within 08
Read - Blu-ray Discs Production Surge Expected by December

Several Japanese tech giants are teaming together today in a quest to make 40-inch and larger OLED panels for televisions. Sony, Toshiba, Panasonic, Sharp and others will participate under a joint development project initiated by the Japanese government. All of this is of course meant to help the Japanese companies compete with South Korea's chaebols, particularly Samsung and LG, as the industry giants maneuver for an advantage over the next, next-generation flat panel technology to dominate the living room.

[Via OLED-info]

Sony's been pretty big on its HDNA marketing scheme. Even at last year's CEDIA the message was everywhere, asserting that its home theater gear shared some sort of double-helix bond with the root of all high-definition. Now, the outfit is pulling its HD-equipped VAIO machines under the same marketing umbrella in an attempt to convince prospective buyers that these systems are "born out of" other high-def products. In particular, Sony will push the HD OTA tuning and BD playback abilities in its all-in-one PCs and Blu-ray-equipped laptops, though we don't expect any new rigs to emerge as part of the deal. Sure, this is little more than a trivial way to tack "HD" onto yet another product, but we can't harsh too much on anything that gets high-def into the mainstream.

t's been a hot minute since we've heard anything from Field Emission Technologies, but apparently the Sony spin-off is gearing up to make some serious noise in the industry. Field emission display (FED) still remains a relatively unknown panel technology, but FET is hoping to change all that by introducing a 60-inch display that will be "more energy efficient and sharper than [an] LCD." Analysts assert that FED will actually be a suitable alternative to OLED, and while Sony's own XEL-1 is fine and dandy, that 11-inch screen sort of renders it useless for home theater use. Reportedly, FET is "in negotiation with Pioneer regarding mass-production of field emission displays," and while the first batch of 60-inchers will likely hit hospital wards and TV studios first, you better believe the general public will be next in line.

[Via OLED-Display]

Although Sony's eyeVio service has been live since April of last year, a recent announcement from the company is trumpeting said program's leap into the high-def world. The aptly-titled eyeVio HD Pro service will enable users to post and share HD video files from their PCs as well as their HDTVs if using the PlayStation 3 or BRX-NT1 network TV box. It should be noted that Adobe's Flash Player 9 is required to view the clips on PC and file uploads are capped at 500MB apiece, but hey, it's a start. YouTube, you listening?

When Sony introduced its classically-styled BDP-S350 Blu-ray player in late February, all we knew was that the $400 machine would land sometime this summer. Now, we're seeing a pre-order page (on Toys R Us, admittedly) that pegs the ship date at July 15th. Yeah, a fortnight from now. The price remains unchanged at $399.99, but at least you'll find Profile 2.0 compatibility as well as bitstream support for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, right? Okay, now that it's a date, who's buying (and more importantly, who's not?)

[Thanks, Rahul]

Forget YouTube over Bravia Internet Video Link, Sony plans on making the dongle relevant this winter by releasing the blockbuster Hancock for viewing to anyone who has the device hooked up to their Sony HDTV. This debut will happen before the flick hits shelves as a DVD and makes for an interesting end-around VOD services, competing movie delivery boxes or any thorny MPAA proposals. Unfortunately its exposure is limited to those with Bravia TVs, a good Internet connection and the $299 device, and willing to pay an as-yet-unspecified amount for the privilege. We're also still waiting to hear the details of Sony's PlayStation 3 based movie network, but we wouldn't be surprised if Hancock -- like Click, James Bond and Talladega Nights before it -- pushes multiple Sony platforms at once.

[Thanks, Tyler]

Mark your calendars, the 17th season of Survivor makes its HD debut September 18. The entire fall debut schedule for the 2008-09 CBS lineup is available at TV Squad or in the embedded video after the break, but considering there's just one top rated show that we've waited years to watch (or not watch, considering the glut of reality TV) we'll focus on this one for a moment. Apparently this season's caught the bug of production problems already, although none seem to have anything to do with Sony's slick XDCAM production system that promises real time human drama, backstabbing and tribal council votes in 1080i.

[Via TV Squad]