Sony Qriocity On-Demand Movie Service Launching in February?

By Geoff Duncan January 11, 2010

sony-bravia-xbr9-300x214

Last week’s Consumer Electronics Show was filled with product announcements and promises from high-tech companies: among them is apparently a new Internet-based on-demand video service from Sony dubbed Qriocity, which is getting ready to compete with the likes of Netflix, Amazon Video-On-Demand, Hulu, and CinemaNow. Although Sony has yet to announce any details, reports from CES have Qriocity tying in with customers PlayStation Network accounts and getting top-level billing on Sony’s Bravia network-capable HDTVs—and possibly coming to consumers as soon as February.

According to reports from CES, Sony is preparing to launch Qriocity as a top-level selection on the XMB menus on its network-capable high-definition televisions; users will be able to browse on-demand video options through a rich on-screen interface, and set up multiple PSN accounts on the same television to control access for different household members and children. The service will reportedly offer both standard definition content and some high-definition (720p) options as well; high-definition streaming will require a high-bandwidth home Internet connection.

Sony representatives have apparently claimed “hundreds” of titles will be available when the service launches, but there’s no word on whether those will just be titles from Sony’s own vaults, or whether other movie studios are already in on the Qriocity service. There’s also now word on when (or if) Sony plans to bring Qriocity to the PlayStation 3 (such a move would make sense, since Sony is already pushing digital content to PlayStation users through the PlayStation network), or whether Sony plans to bring the service to PCs.

Another missing detail is pricing: Sony has not indicated whether it plans to follow a route similar to Netflix (charging a subscription fee for access) or plans to make titles available on a pay-per-view basis (similar to how many cable or satellite provides charge for premium content.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Sony

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Audio / Video

Get this popular Sony waterproof Bluetooth speaker for $35 today

The Sony SRS-XB13 Extra Bass Bluetooth speaker beside a swimming pool.

There's no shortage of Prime Day speaker deals, but you're going to love this one -- the popular Sony SRS-XB13 Extra Bass Bluetooth speaker is down to its cheapest price this year of $35, beating the previous low of $38. Amazon slashed its original price of $60 with a $25 discount, but you'll need to proceed with the purchase as soon as you can if you want to take advantage of the offer because stocks of the Bluetooth speaker are expected to run out fast.

Why you should buy the Sony SRS-XB13 Extra Bass Bluetooth speaker
The Sony SRS-XB13 Extra Bass Bluetooth speaker, as you can deduce from its name, is capable of strong bass output with deep and punchy sound, despite a compact design that makes it very easy to bring with you wherever you go. It even comes with a multiway strap to attach to your bag, and like most of the best Bluetooth speakers, it's waterproof and dustproof with an IP67 rating to protect it from the elements whether you're in the city, the forest, or the beach. However, even if you're outdoors, the speaker will still be able to provide expansive audio coverage with Sony's Sound Diffusion Processor.

Audio / Video

Amazon Prime Day has a Pair of Sony Bookshelf Speakers for $124

A pair of the Sony Core Series SSCS5 bookshelf speakers on a white background.

There's nothing like Prime Day deals to you motivated to upgrade your A/V equipment. As part of Prime Day speaker deals you can grab a pair of Sony SSCS5 bookshelf speakers at a greatly discounted price of just $124. They're usually $198, so you'll be getting them for a large $74 off. Just tap the button below to grab your pair while Prime Day is still ongoing. Alternatively, read on to see why they have three circles up front.

Why you should buy a pair of Sony SSCS5 Bookshelf Speakers
The Sony SSCS5 bookshelf speakers have a black wooden frame that can casually blend into the background of your other sound equipment and TV frames. It's probably why one of the first things that pops out when you look at the Sony SSCS5 bookshelf speakers is the noticeably 3-speaker design. If you look casually at bookshelf speakers, like Klipsch's The Fives, you'll be used to seeing two spots in the front. The Sony SSCS5 bookshelf speakers have three. What are they?

Audio / Video

Prime Day: These popular Sony wireless headphones are under $120

Sony WH-XB910N Headphones, showing the comfortable earcups.

The affordable but impressive Sony WH-XB910N wireless headphones were available for as low as $168 earlier this year, but Amazon makes them even cheaper with its Prime Day deals. They're down to just $118, less than half of their original price of $250 after a $132 discount, for an offer that you should definitely consider buying if you're on the hunt for new headphones. You need to make that decision fast though, because we're pretty sure that stocks are already running low.

Why you should buy the Sony WH-XB910N wireless headphones
While Sony is a mainstay in our roundup of the best headphones, the Sony WH-XB910N make it on another one of our lists -- the best noise-canceling headphones. They're the top option for bass enthusiasts because of their Extra Bass technology that creates deep and punchy audio, which you can adjust through the accompanying Sony Headphones Connect app that offers equalization sliders and presets based on several music types. Meanwhile, the active noise cancellation on these headphones utilizes Sony's Adaptive Sound Control, which makes modifications according to the noise of your surroundings and learns the locations that you visit for a more tailored experience.