Sony has finally revealed the gadget that will deliver crispy 4K video content to its new ultra-pricey 4K televisions. The Sony FMP-X1 is the world’s first 4K media player and it will deliver movies and other content to those fortunate enough to have bagged a 4K TV already.
4K is currently a technology in its infancy, with a couple of the big names in home entertainment just launching their first televisions using the new tech. That’s all well and good, but there’s little to nothing in the way of 4K content to actually watch on these super sharp TVs. That’s where Sony’s new device comes into play.
The FMP-X1 is a small and circular box that plugs in to your 4K TV via HDMI and provides video content in glorious 4K quality. The box itself will come pre-loaded with 10 4K movies that are ready to watch, and Sony will be looking to build up a digital library of 4K movies which can be downloaded and watched on the box by means of a subscription.
The box itself along with a network to provide the 4K content will launch in the US this autumn, with the FMP-X1 priced at a cool $699. Sony hasn’t yet revealed the price for a 4K movie rental or purchase from its new service, although we would expect purchases to be in the region of $20/30, as Blu-rays were back when they were the new kids on the block.
Sony also launched two new sizes of 4K TV to cater for the new streaming box – the 55-inch XBR-55X900A and the 65-inch XBR-65X900A. Both are large TVs in their own right, but still much smaller than the insane 84-inch model revealed earlier in the year at CES. The two smaller models are obviously cheaper and Sony hopes this will help push 4K technology into homes, but they’re still $4,999 and $6,999 respectively.