Sony's Bravia Line Gets YouTube, Without The Computer

11M4dOXT5jL._SL500_AA200_.jpg If you have a 2007 or 2008 Sony Bravia and a Bravia Internet Video Link, you'll now be able to watch millions of YouTube videos on your LCD TV without a computer. Wired magazine fans will now be able to access Wired.com on their Bravia's and Crackle's C-Spot which plays short episodic comedy series' such as "Hot Hot Los Angeles," "The Writer's Room," "Penn Says," and "The Roadents". Given the garbage found on YouTube, this announcement adds little value in my honest opinion to the Bravia line, but then again we all know given YouTube's ridiculous traffic numbers that you'd be sitting on your computer watching YouTube vids the next time there's nothing on TV.

If you're not familiar with the Bravia Internet Video Link, it's just a little module that attaches to the back of your Bravia streaming on-demand video content including news, weather, and traffic updates directly to your TV screen without a computer. You do however need an existing ethernet connection with a broadband speed of 2.5 Mbps. Check out the press release after the jump.

Via Sony

YouTube(TM) Content Now Available on Sony BRAVIA(R) Internet Video Link

Wired.com and Crackle's C-Spot Channels Also Added

NEW YORK, June 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony announced today that YouTube is
the latest online video provider to join the company's BRAVIA Internet
Video Link service. The service went live today providing BRAVIA Internet
Video Link users access to millions of videos on YouTube at no additional
charge.

Joining YouTube are Wired.com and C-Spot, which offers original
episodic short comedy series.

"Sony was one of the first to bring streaming Internet video to the
television in the United States without a PC, and now you can access one of
the most popular online video destinations, YouTube, on your BRAVIA TV,"
said Randy Waynick, senior vice president of Sony Electronics' Home
Products Division. "There are literally millions of videos to choose from
on the BRAVIA Internet Video Link service and we'll continue to add the
most compelling content available on the web."

The BRAVIA Internet Video Link is a small module that attaches to the
back of a selection of the company's 2007 and 2008 BRAVIA LCD flat-panel
television models. The service seamlessly streams on-demand entertainment
including movies, TV programs, your favorite YouTube videos and a variety
of other free content as well as news, weather and traffic information via
an existing Ethernet connection without the use of a personal computer. A
broadband connection of at least 2.5 Mbps is recommended. Content is easily
navigated with Sony's Technical Emmy(R) award-winning Xross Media Bar(TM)
(XMB(TM)) user interface.

Once the TV and BRAVIA Internet Video Link module have been purchased,
videos are available at no charge, bringing content to Sony televisions not
found on network or cable/satellite TV stations.

The new content adds to existing channels including Yahoo!, AOL, Sports
Illustrated, blip.tv, CondeNet's Style.com, Men.Style.com, Epicurious and
Concierge.com channels, Sony Pictures' Crackle, The Minisode Network and
Inside Sony Pictures channels, FEARnet, Ford Models, SingingFool and
VideoDetective.

Sony will continue to add new content partners and increase the growing
list of on-demand video content.

"The partnership with Sony helps us achieve our goal of making YouTube
accessible on any screen," said Chris Maxcy, YouTube's partner development
director. "The integration of YouTube into the television enhances the
living room entertainment experience by offering a large number of channels
for people to select from, enabling them to watch what they want, when they
want it."

The Wired.com channel delivers exclusive, original reporting at the
point where technology intersects with business, entertainment, politics,
culture, science and art. Content will include Game|Life, Wired.com's
weekly web video covering the world of gaming, and AltText, a satirical
commentary on technology, business, entertainment, communications and
culture.

Crackle's C-spot offers original character and story-driven episodic
series. The channel will offer series including "Hot Hot Los Angeles," "The
Writer's Room," "Penn Says," and "The Roadents."

Sony's BRAVIA Internet Video Link module is currently available for
about $300. It can be purchased online at sonystyle.com, at Sony Style(R)
retail stores and at Sony authorized dealers across the country. The module
used with a consumer's existing broadband Internet connection is compatible
with a majority of the latest 2007 BRAVIA television models, as well many
new 2008 models.

June 5, 2008

Sony's Bravia Line Gets YouTube, Without The Computer