Sony's new TV update goes social
Sony ups the ante with the social-media integration found on its most recent TVs.
A new firmware update for Sony's Bravia TV series has arrived, enhancing the built-in YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter widgets.
The YouTube experience on Sony's TV sets now has the ability to play HD video. Previously, the output was mediocre at best, but it should now should offer a crisp, high-definition image for videos with that capability.
Those accessing their Facebook accounts can now look at photos and videos in full-screen resolution. Posted URLs on Facebook are now accessible in the built-in Web browser found in most current Sony televisions. Unfortunately, that browser is somewhat slow and due to the lack of processing power, operates worse than the one included with the PlayStation 3.
The Twitter widget is now capable of scrolling tweets at the bottom of the screen while viewers watch content, instead of on the side.
There's also word of a new "Remote Keyboard Lite" application that enables any PC to control a Bravia TV. This functionality was previously (officially) limited to Sony computers.
Unfortunately, this update is only for 2011 Sony TVs, and is not currently available in the U.S. For now it's only available in Europe and Asia Pacific regions.