SAN DIEGO, Feb. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony today unveiled three new
Walkman(R) video MP3 models that for the first time in the United States
support noise-canceling and Bluetooth(R) technologies.
All three NWZ-S710F, NWZ-A720 and NWZ-A820 Walkman(R) players also
support common audio formats, including MP3s.
"Achieving the highest audio quality is one of our top priorities when
designing our players," said Steve Haber, senior vice president of the
Digital Imaging and Audio Division at Sony Electronics.
High-Quality Audio and Video
The new Walkman(R) video players offer great video resolution and
brightness, along with high-quality sound and an extended battery life.
They come with Sony's EX series in-ear-buds with 13.5 mm drivers that
passively block out ambient noise and help create a better listener
experience.
Sony's clear audio technologies are also included and significantly
improve sound quality when playing back digital music files. They fill in
the high tones that can be lost during file compression, enhance the bass,
minimize distortion and maintain a consistent channel signal.
The devices have a standard user interface that makes it easy to enjoy
songs, videos or pictures. For exceptional image quality, the video players
have a large Quarter Video Graphics Array (QVGA) LCD screen that displays
video at 30 frames per second. QVGA is a display mode for small screens in
which the resolution is 320 pixels vertically by 240 pixels horizontally.
The battery life is up to 33 hours of music playback for NWZ-S710F
models and up to 36 hours for NWZ-A720 and NWZ-A820 models. The battery
life is also up to nine-and-a-half hours of video playback for the
NWZ-S710F model and up to 10 hours for the NWZ-A720 and NWZ-A820 models.
Integrated Noise-Canceling Walkman(R) Players
For business travelers or families who want to keep the volume down and
the audio quality high, Sony has created the NWZ-S710F series of noise
canceling Walkman(R) players.
These Walkman(R) players have a built-in noise-canceling system that
can reduce up to 75 percent of the ambient noise. Five clear audio
technologies are built into the device to create sound clarity that
maintains the same quality of the original source.
Because the system diminishes intrusive noise, listeners can avoid
turning up the volume. Travelers can turn on the noise canceling feature
and get peace and quiet even without listening to music.
The compact and lightweight NWZ-S710 players have a 1.8-inch QVGA (320
by 240 pixels) LCD screen (measured diagonally). They include an FM tuner
with 30 presets that make it convenient to listen to the radio on the go.
With or Without Wires
The NWZ-A720 series has a bigger 2.4-inch QVGA (320 by 240 pixels) LCD
screen (measured diagonally). Incorporating the design ethos of both the
previous A and S Series Walkman(R) players, these models have a slim body
and a sleek industrial design.
With the same look and feature set as the NWZ-A720 series, the NWZ-A820
and NWZ-A820K series adds Bluetooth(R) technology. This technology
eliminates the inconvenience of wires while streaming tunes from the MP3
device to headphones or other devices with Bluetooth(R) technology. It also
makes it easier to listen to music virtually anywhere, anytime: in the
living room, bedroom, office or even outdoors.
These Walkman(R) players have a 2.4-inch QVGA (320 by 240 pixels) LCD
screen (measured diagonally). For NWZ-A820 and NWZ-A820K series, users can
manually delete videos directly from the devices' internal memory without
connecting to a PC.
For fitness enthusiasts, the NWZ-A820K Walkman(R) player comes bundled
with both the EX-series earbuds and the DR-BT21G Bluetooth(R) wireless
technology enabled headphones. With a wireless behind-the-neck style, the
DR- BT21G stereo Bluetooth(R) headset has built-in remote control features
that play, pause and forward tracks. Fully charged, this headset offers
hours of listening to music, watching videos or hands-free talking while
connected to a compatible cell phone.
These devices use stereo Bluetooth(R) Stereo technology with Advanced
Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) to deliver high-quality sound. The
Walkman(R) players support multiple digital music devices and accessories,
including headphones, headsets and speakers with Bluetooth(R) technology.
Consumers can check whether their Sony device is compatible by visiting
http://www.sony.com/bluetoothstereo.
Sony's Open Platform Means More Choice
The Walkman(R) players support an open platform, providing more choices
for downloading and managing music and video collections online. The
devices support security-enhanced Windows Media Audio (WMA), as well as
non-secure AAC, linear PCM and MP3 music formats, plus JPEG files for
photos, in addition to the AVC (H.264/AVC) Baseline Profile and MPEG-4
video codecs.
The Walkman(R) video players store up to 3,800 songs on the 16GB
models, 1,850 songs on the 8GB models and 925 songs on the 4GB models, for
songs an average of four minutes in length at 128kbps in the MP3 format.
All of the new players are compatible with most subscription music
services. The new players are Certified for Windows Vista, meaning they
have passed a series of compatibility tests including Plays For Sure
verification.
To help manage digital music libraries, the new Sony Walkman(R) video
players come with Microsoft Windows Media Player 11. This familiar
interface makes transferring music very intuitive.
Pricing and Availability
The NWZ-S710F series of Walkman(R) noise canceling video MP3 players
come in two different capacities and three colors:
-- The NWZ-S716F player has approximately 4GB of internal storage; comes
in silver, red and black and will cost about $150.
-- The NWZ-S718F player has approximately 8GB of internal storage; comes
in black and will cost about $200.
The NWZ-A720 series of Walkman(R) video MP3 players come in three
different capacities and two colors:
-- The NWZ-A726 player has approximately 4GB of internal storage; comes in
black and pink; and costs about $150.
-- The NWZ-A728 player has approximately 8GB of internal storage; comes in
black and pink and costs about $200.
-- The NWZ-A729 player has approximately 16GB of internal storage, comes
in black, and costs about $300.
The NWZ-A820 and NWZ-A820K series of Walkman(R) Bluetooth(R) wireless
technology enabled video players will initially be available in the
following configurations:
-- The NWZ-A828K comes in black, has approximately 8GB of internal storage,
and costs about $270.
-- The NWZ-A829 comes in black has approximately 16GB of internal storage,
and costs about $320.
Presales have begun for the new Walkman(R) models online at
http://www.sonystyle.com/walkman and at Sony Style stores. The players will be
available in March across the country at military base exchanges and at
authorized dealers nationwide.
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