By Grant Shepherd

SYDNEY, NSW: Sony Australia has this morning unveiled its latest range of Bravia LCD TVs, which consists of 26 models to suit the needs of every consumer. The most notable developments for the range were 3D TV, IPTV and a new monolithic design.

Undoubtedly one of the most exciting technologies for 2010 is 3D TV. Sony Australia managing director, Carl Rose, discussed Sony’s presence in the new three-dimensional battle.

“Later this year we will be releasing our 3D TV benchmark to the market,” he said. “Sony intends to lead this entertainment revolution.”

The company stated that its 3D TV offering will be available in July, as this will be the perfect time for consumers to fully appreciate the full benefits of the technology in terms of hardware and content availability.

But a bigger focus for Sony at this event was IPTV, or Internet Protocol Television.This is another major drawcard for the new range of Bravia LCD TVs.

The new range is the first time the company has released an internet-enabled TV, which consumers can use to stream videos directly from the internet. Sony announced that 15 channels will be available at launch, including catch-up TV and made-for-internet content.

Deals with Yahoo 7, SBS and Billabong have already been made in terms of the Australian content.

Another interesting aspect of the new Bravias is what Sony is calling ‘Monolithic Design’. This design philosophy has been introduced to improve the aesthetic appeal of TV range and make them stand out from other conventional panels on the market.

One of the more interesting aspects of this is an optional 6 degree viewing angle that Sony claims offers the ideal viewing angle for contemporary entertainment units.

There are four ranges in the new Bravia line up, including the LX Series which is aimed at consumers wanting ‘pure entertainment’. This encompasses the LX900 model that will feature 3D TV capability and is slated for release in July. Similar to Panasonic last Friday, Sony declined to speculate on any pricing.

The NX Series is designed as the ‘superior style’ offering in the Bravia range and consists of the NX800 (RRP: $6,999 and $4,999) and NX700 (RRP: $3,699 and $2,999).

The HX Series is next and delivers ‘picture perfection’ with three models including the HX900 (RRP: TBC), HX800 (RRP: TBC) and HX700 (RRP: $3,899, $2,999 and $2,499).

Finally the EX series offers an ‘all-round performance’ and consists of four models: the EX700 (RRP: $1,499 through to $5,699), EX600 (RRP: $1,799 and $1,299), EX500 (RRP: $1,099 through to $2,699) and the EX400 (RRP: $899).

Sony Australia MD Carl Rose with the new integrated 3D Bravia.

Sony's new 6 degree viewing angle.

Consumers will need to use a pair of active shutter glasses to experience 3D.