Sony Receives Famous German "red dot Design Award" for Six Products

BERLIN, July 1 /PRNewswire/ --

- Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen Awards "Best of the Best" to the HDR-FX1E Digital High Definition Camcorder

cross-reference: photos are available at http://www.presseportal.de/story.htx?firmaid=18880&keygroup=

At the awards presentation ceremony for its annual international design competition on 4 July at the Essen Aalto Theatre, the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen will bestow its prestigious "red dot label for high design quality" on six Sony products, including the "Best of the Best for Highest Design Quality" for the HDR-FX1E digital high definition camcorder. The awards recognise the position of Sony in the vanguard of digital age entertainment design.

Among a record number of 1,857 entries in 12 product categories, the international expert jury selected the following Sony products:

red dot Best of the Best for Highest Design Quality - HDR-FX1E HDV1080i Camcorder red dot for High Design Quality - QUALIA 006 Rear Projection Television - QUALIA 001 Creation Box - QUALIA 004 SXRD Projector - QUALIA 005 LCD Flat Panel Television - DAV-SR4W Wireless Home Theatre System

From all the red dot products in this year's competition the Sony HDR-FX1E HDV1080i camcorder was awarded the accolade of the "Best of the Best for Highest Design Quality". It represents the (1)world's first HDV1080i camcorder and is revolutionising the home camcorder market by bringing high quality digital video technology to the home user. 1080i is one of the standard formats in broadcasting that ensures smooth transition picture quality. The high definition picture quality even allows playback on TV screens bigger than 50 inches.

((1)According to Sony research, September 2004)

Shin Miyashita, Art Director at the Sony Creative Center and designer of the HDR-FX1E HDV1080i digital high definition camcorder, comments: "When a product such as the HDR-FX1E introduces new technology it is the job of the designer to make the new functions clear, easy to understand and simple to use. The bottom line is to create a design that looks attractive, feels good to use and avoids unnecessary frills."

Another Sony product that attracted attention amongst the judges was the full digital high-definition projector QUALIA 004. Similarly to the HDR-FX1E camcorder and the QUALIA 006 and QUALIA 005 televisions which were awarded the red dot awards, the QUALIA 004 is another product that underlines Sony's support for the high definition formats with innovations in every key product category in order to deliver the ultimate HD performance to all consumers. The QUALIA 004 front projector provides full HD (1920 X 1080) resolution and enables an original HD signal to be accurately displayed with optimum detail and clarity. It is the first to harness the Silicon Crystal Reflective technology from Sony and is designed to perform like a 35mm film projector. QUALIA is a Sony concept dedicated to the purity of artistic invention and expression; to what is possible and in what could be possible in terms of harnessing technology for entertainment. QUALIA products represent the highest expression of craftsmanship and technology from Sony, creating new sensory experiences for a discerning audience.

"We are proud and honoured that Sony's efforts to communicate globally through refined design have been recognised in this way," commented Kaz Ichikawa, Director, Sony Design Centre Europe. "At Sony, we foster a culture that encourages innovation and solutions that look beyond the conventional. These Product Design Awards are a matter of great pride within Sony, since they signify creativity in design that goes beyond products themselves to embrace future concepts and visions."

All this year's red dot products - including Sony products - will be on display at an exhibition at the Essen red dot design museum, starting 5 July. The exhibition is being staged within a fascinating building, which houses the largest permanent exhibition of contemporary design world-wide.

Notes to Editors

- Internationalisation: the red dot design award In 1992, under the aegis of Peter Zec, the design prize awarded since 1955 gained a face: the "red dot". The name of the award and the competition was born. Quoting the Design Zentrum's signet designed by Otl Aicher, the red dot from then on stood for high and the highest design quality. The first award symbol for the winners of the "red dot" competition integrates the signet of the Design Zentrum and the stylised red dot taken from it.

With the red dot, the competition has spanned the world. Companies in Asia, North and South America and Europe have since then been entering their industrial products in the competition, and the award-winning products are presented annually in the special "Design Innovations" exhibition. For more information on the red dot design award, visit the website - http://www.red-dot.de

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 be one of the World's Leading Consumer Brands. Sony recorded consolidated annual sales of EUR 53.43 billion (yen 7,160 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2005 and it employs approximately 151,400 people worldwide.

In Europe, Sony recorded consolidated annual sales of EUR 12.03 billion (yen 1,613 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2005, based on an average market exchange rate for the same period of Yen 134 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 8.87 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2005.

For more information on QUALIA, please visit http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/QUALIA/

For more information on Sony Europe, please visit http://www.sony-europe.com and http://www.sony-europe.com/presscenter

For more information, please contact: Daniela Stenzel, Corporate Communications Europe, Sony Europe GmbH Tel: +49-30-2575-5156, fax: +49-30-2575-6-5156, email: daniela.stenzel@eu.sony.com