CES 2015: Sony's Hirai thanks 'Interview' supporters
Before Sony unveiled its new 4K TVs and cameras here Monday, company President Kaz Hirai took a few minutes to thank those who had supported Sony Pictures Entertainment and attended the studio's embattled comedy The Interview.
When he asked how many of the 2,000 or so journalists had seen "a great Sony movie this holiday?" a large portion of the crowd rose their hands. "That's great. Thank you. Annie is a fantastic movie, isn't it?" he quipped.
Then he got serious and said that Sony Pictures and employees were unfortunately the victim of one of the most vicious and malicious cyberattacks that we have known certainly in recent history."
Sony Pictures suffered a cyberattack in November and in December announced it would not release the Seth Rogen-James Franco satire about two journalists who the CIA ask to assassinate North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un. Subsequently, Sony decided to release the movie online and in a smattering of independent theaters.
After employees "worked tirelessly, literally 24 hours a day, sometimes days on end, to bring The Interview to audiences," the movie is now available on pay-TV and in more than 580 theaters, he said. "Freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of association -- those are very important lifebloods (and) lifelines of Sony and our entertainment business."
Hirai also noted that the PlayStation 4 had surpassed 18.5 million units sold globally, a sales rate that outpaces any previous PlayStation system.
Sony Electronics President Mike Fasulo came on to talk about the benefits of 4K Ultra HD TVs. The company has 10 new displays due this spring including what he called the world's thinnest LCD "slimmer than our Experia smartphone."
"As (4K) gains momentum, we're seeing even greater demand," he said. Consumers "can see the difference."
Netflix's chief streaming and partnerships officer Greg Peters came on stage to complement Sony on its advances with Bravia Ultra HD TVs. Sony is working to "re-engineer the TV from the ground up with the Internet at its core," Peters said.
Earlier in the day, Peters announced Netflix's plan to recommend to consumers the TVs that offer the best streaming experience. It expects to label sets from Sony, LG, Sharp and Vizio and others as "recommended."
With Netflix-recommended TVs, consumers "can rest assured that ... when they hit that Netflix button on the remote control they are going to get the best (experience)," Peters said. "Fast and easy access to Netflix and video playback that … is almost instantaneous."
Skateboard icon and extreme sports athlete Tony Hawk made an appearance and showed how he had used the new Sony 4K action camera on the slopes, halfpipe and in the water. "It puts (viewers) right in the point of view," he said. "Right in the center of the action.
Hawk also said he had a new video game for the PlayStation 4 in the works that should come out later this year. He wouldn't offer up its name, but said, "I'll give you a hint. It's got 'TH' in it."
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