Sony’s New Digital Photo Album

April 28, 2006: Sony has announced the impending release of a new device that makes it easy to store digital image files and display them on a TV screen.
The new HDPSL1 High Definition Digital Photo Album contains an 80GB drive and slots for Memory Stick Pro, Memory Stick Pro Duo, Compact Flash, Microdrive, SD/MMC and xD-Picture Card media that allow images to be uploaded directly for storage and playback. It can read both JPEG and RAW files and includes home theatre compatibility that allows digital photos to be displayed on a High Definition TV and watched in 16:9 widescreen format without compromising image quality. Stored photos can also be viewed on a standard TV in 4:3 aspect ratio.
Images can be played back from memory cards as slideshows and a One-Touch Copy button allows them to be copied from the memory card to the HDPSL1. From the hard drive, they can then be transferred to flash media for viewing photos on a mobile phone, printer or other Memory Stick-compatible portable device. Several ‘intelligent’ functions are provided for organising and displaying photos. The Calendar Catalogue uses an image’s creation date to sort images and display them in chronological order. Images can also be sorted and displayed by type or categorised as the user chooses.
For viewing photos, users can either browse manually or choose from one of the eight Slide Show styles on offer, which can be accompanied by a choice of eight background songs. Users can also upload their own music files to the HDPSL1 in WAV format or play songs from any personal audio device by connecting through the Auxiliary-Input on board the HDPSL1.
Weighing only 1.8 kg and with a smaller footprint than a standard DVD player, the HDPSL1 fits neatly into the living room and is portable enough for any destination. It is due to go on sale in July at an RRP of $499. For details, visit www.sony.com.au.