'Tomorrow Starts Today' - Sony highlights new digital products for the network age at IFA 2001

BERLIN, Aug 3 (PROTEXT/PRNewswire) - Sony announced that it will highlight several exciting new technologies and products for the network age at this year's Internationale Funkaustellung (IFA) fair in Berlin, from 25 August to 2 September. Occupying the whole of Hall 18, and with an exhibition surface of 6,000 square meters, the Sony booth will be housed in a future-inspired 'Network Dome,' dedicated to showcasing the latest technologies. Among the highlights Sony will present are Bluetooth, Wireless LANs, i.LINK (a single cable connection between various audiovisual devices, such as camcorders and personal computers or editing workstations) and Digital Photography. The focal point of Sony's presence at IFA this year, however, is digital TV, the television standard of the new century.

Smart sports cars and intelligent robots More thrills are promised by product prototypes and video presentations of future applications in the Network Dome. In a concept entitled 'Car Network Life Style,' Sony will exhibit its full line of e-Vehicle products in a state-of-the-art sports car, against the backdrop of appropriate sound and images. Sony's AIBO entertainment robot has also been booked to entertain visitors to Hall 18 with its advanced mobility and interactivity with its environment.

Cinema at home An innovator in home entertainment technology, Sony will showcase many of its latest advances in DVD and HiFi replay systems. DVD can transform your living room into a cinema theatre with a wide range of stunning sound and picture effects if the TV set is one of the new WEGA models with a flat screen. In the Audio World, Sony's SACD players represent the next generation in home music listening in stereo or multichannel format. Visitors to the fair can gain a first-hand impression of the industry-leading sound quality in special acoustically treated listening rooms. Digital is the key future technology for both moving and still pictures. Sony's line-up of new cameras adds further fun to filming and taking photographs, as well as giving access to post- production on a VAIO Notebook and presentations via video beamer. How do you transfer all this digital data between machines? The revolutionary Sony Memory Stick recordable IC storage media can accommodate copyright protected music files in addition to still photos and video material. A 128 MB Memory Stick offers storage capacity of up to 240 minutes of music or up to 90 minutes of MPEG1 video in the mail mode. Equipped with Magic Gate, a special copy protection system that safeguards music copyrights, Memory Stick can be used for a wide range of music storage applications. Sony will entertain visitors at IFA with new products beyond the confines of Hall 18. In collaboration with German state broadcaster ARD, Sony's Broadcast & Professional division will be producing live television shows for the afternoon schedule and recording other programs at the fair.

Sport, Stars and Sony - on-stage performances in Hall 18 Besides individual product presentations, the 2001 International Broadcast Fair will be hosting photo shoots of Kung Fu fighters taken by the famous photographer, Michael Naijar. The Sony booth would not bear the company's hallmark if it did not feature live music. Sony Music artists and bands will visit the show and entertain IFA visitors with their latest songs. In other areas of the booth, the exciting atmosphere will be further heightened by PlayStation battles with great prizes for the winners. While the IFA is being held in Berlin, the city is also the focus of soccer enthusiasts, and Sony has invited some of Bayern Munich's players to visit the fair to meet the visitors and learn about the latest technical trends.

From hall to marquee In a giant arena outside the main exhibition area, the Walkman and PlayStation business units will be attracting young consumers in particular with a colourful potpourri of entertainment. The Walkman Tour will end its summer circuit at IFA 2001 with a half pipe for skaters, a chill-out area, fashion shows and numerous music acts. Among the Walkman Tour events earlier this summer, there were open-air festivals, including the rock music jamboree at the Nürburgring racetrack, the HipHop Tour 69 Hz, and a Walkman float in Berlin's Love Parade. With two venues at its disposal, Sony will be celebrating IFA Night on August 31 not only with a special program in Hall 18, but also with music and action in the marquee. Visitors to the Sony exhibits at IFA can be sure of leading edge products and technologies, lots of good entertainment and fascinating conversation. Several of the main focuses of the Sony showcase at IFA will also be the subject of presentations in Sony's flagship outlet in Europe: the Style Store at the Sony Center on Potsdamer Platz. Berlin is always worth a visit, especially one scheduled to coincide with the IFA fair. The Sony Press Conference will be held on Friday, August 24, 2001 at the Sony Center (Potsdamer Platz, Berlin, Cinestar Theater, Cinema 8) from 15.45h to 16.45h CET.

About Sony Sony manufactures audio, video, communications and information technology products for the global consumer and professional markets. With its music, pictures, game and online businesses, Sony is uniquely positioned to become a leading personal broadband entertainment company in the 21st century. In Europe Sony recorded consolidated annual sales of EUR 13.52 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2001, based on a year-end exchange rate of yen 109 to the EUR. Sony Europe, headquartered at the Sony Center am Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, is responsible for the company's European electronics business and registered consolidated sales of EUR 10.37 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2001. For more information on Sony Europe, please visit http://www.sony-europe.com For further information regarding Sony in Berlin, please contact: Matthias Colli Corporate Communications Europe Sony Europe GmbH tel: +49-30-2575-5158 fax: +49-30-2575-5174 email: matthias.colli@eu.sony.com http://www.sony-europe.com/presscenter In addition, for any queries about Sony in your respective country, please contact your local Sony PR office corporate communications Europe

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