SONY CELEBRATES SHIPPING OF 1 MILLIONTH GRAND WEGA FROM SONY TECHNOLOGY CENTER - PITTSBURGH
PITTSBURGH, August 16, 2005 - Sony today announced that it has shipped the company's 1 millionth Grand WEGA ® micro-display HDTV from its Sony Technology Center - Pittsburgh, where they have been primarily manufactured since 2002.
Grand WEGA TVs have held the top market share position in the overall micro-display television category since their inception, averaging approximately 40 percent share on a weekly basis and achieving a 50 percent category market share during the latest holiday sales season (November 2004 - January 2005), according to The NPD Group, a Port Washington, N.Y. based market tracking firm.
"This milestone is indeed a time for celebration as Grand WEGA has been a spectacular product for Sony and the TV industry in general" said Randy Waynick, senior vice president of the Home Products Division for Sony Electronics. "With the millionth set rolling off the line, we take great pride in the innovation and dedication of all those who made this such a dominant product.
"We look forward to the next million Grand WEGA TVs and our continued industry leadership."
Compared to other technologies, the Grand WEGA high-definition TVs deliver bright pictures, natural color, and high details due to 3LCD technology with native 720p resolution. Additionally, Sony-only technologies including the WEGA Engine ™, which minimizes the digital-to-analog conversion process contributing to exceptional picture quality and the overall popularity of the sets.
Sony recently announced new 3LCD Grand WEGA models including the KDF-E60A20 (60-inch), KDF-E55A20 (55-inch), KDF-E50A10 (50-inch) and the KDF-E42A10 (42-inch). These new models join Sony's 70-inch KDF-70XBR950 3LCD micro-display and the critically acclaimed 70-inch rear-projection QUALIA 006, Sony's first Silicon X-tal Reflective Display ™ (SXRD) technology-based micro-display launched last spring. All models are now available at www.SonyStyle.com, SonyStyle stores or through authorized retailers.
Meanwhile this fall, Sony marks another milestone in the Grand WEGA line with the introduction of two new SXRD models. Shipping in September, the new models will be produced at the Sony Technology Center - Pittsburgh in 50 and 60-inch screen sizes. To accommodate increased demand, the company has also migrated 42 and 50-inch Grand WEGA production to Sony de Tijuana Este, S.A. de C.V. (STE), Mexico.
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