Sony hopes fortune favors the BRAVIA

Sony Korea launched yesterday its BRAVIA range of premium liquid crystal display televisions, making Korea the first country in Asia in which the sets are available. Standing for “Best Resolution Audio Visual Integrated Architecture,” the new BRAVIA LCD televisions include the 32- and 40-inch V-series, E-series projection televisions measuring 50 inches, and the 50-inch luxury line R-series. The new televisions offer a higher definition picture, clearer contrast and a wider viewing angle, and have largely done away with the delay between turning the set on and a picture flickering into view, the company said at a press conference at the Westin Chosun Hotel in central Seoul. Making their world debut in September in the United States, the BRAVIA sets already accounted for more than 30 percent of the country’s LCD television sales as of late October, the highest of any type of television. The BRAVIA brand makes up almost half of U.S. sales of LCD televisions larger than 33 inches, according to Sony Korea. “Many companies are now racing to lower their prices, but Sony aims to stand out with superior technology and quality,” said Yoon Yeo-eul, president and chief executive of Sony Korea. Despite Mr. Yoon’s comment, the company is not totally averse to tweaking its pricing strategies. The 40-inch model of its V-series, to be released here by the end of the year priced at 4.99 million won ($4,800), is a case in point. “Samsung’s 40-inch LCD television costs 5.5 million won. We can’t say our model is very cheap but it is now at a reasonable level, we think,” said a Sony product manager. With the new pricing tactics, “Sony hopes to attain a 10 percent share in the Korean TV market by next year,” said Toshikazu Mashima, vice president of Sony Korea. Sony’s current share is 4 to 5 percent. As part of this effort, Sony has enlisted the help of Korean technicians in the development process to get a better idea of Korean consumers’ tastes. by Seo Ji-eun