Sony Corp. said Thursday it will launch a large-size LCD television with enhanced image quality on Nov. 23, aiming to boost sales of value-added products to rebuild its loss-making TV business.
The TV will have an 84-inch LCD panel with "4K" technology, which displays images four times finer than existing high-definition resolution, Sony said. Its expected retail price is ¥1.68 million.
"We have been developing larger and high image quality TVs as we focus on quality of products, not chasing volume," Sony Senior Vice President Masashi Imamura said at a news conference in Tokyo.
The company has set a goal of making its TV business profitable in the business year starting next April. Sony did not release a sales target for the new TV. The company, known for its Bravia brand of televisions, has been shifting its focus toward selling more large and value-added products that earn more profit.
The company has slashed its annual LCD TV sales projection to 15.5 million units this business year from an earlier forecast of 17.5 million, reflecting a cautious view regarding European and Chinese markets. "We are raising the ratio of large-size products in all lineups in our Bravia TVs for the yearend shopping season," Imamura said, adding there is a growing global trend of customers seeking to buy big TVs.