Sony's new sound bars get the 3D treatment
Sony's announced two new sound bar home theater systems, featuring extensive HDMI connectivity and support for 3D video.
We've been longtime fans of Sony's HT-CT100 sound bar home theater system, as it's the only system of its kind we're aware of that offers extensive HDMI connectivity for a bargain-level price. Sony's now announced two successor products, the HT-CT150 and HT-CT350, updating the HDMI connectivity to handle 3D video signals. Here are the details we could glean from the press release.
Key features of the Sony HT-CT150:
- 3.1-channel sound bar home theater system
- 340 watts of total system power
- 32 inches long
- Three HDMI inputs, all 3D-compatible
- HDMI pass-through in standby mode
- Two digital audio inputs (one optical, one coaxial)
- $300 list price; available in May
Key step-up features of the Sony HT-CT350:
- 400 watts of total system power
- 40 inches long
- Includes wall-mount bracket
- $400 list price; available in May
These systems look pretty slick from the spec sheets, as we've yet to see any competitors come close to the value Sony offers at this price level. We also appreciate the step-up to HDMI pass-through in standby mode, which allows you skip using the sound bar for audio during late-night scenarios.
In addition to the two sound bars, Sony also introduced a "Blu-ray ready" home theater system, which includes a 5.1-speaker package and AV receiver.
Key features of the Sony HT-SF470:
- 1,000 watts of total system power
- Three HDMI inputs, all 3D-compatible
- Two digital audio inputs (one optical, one coaxial)
- Automatic speaker calibration
- $550 list price; available in June