New VAIO Desktops Help Create Personal Blockbusters

Sony's Video Editing Software Transforms Novice Computer Users Into Movie Directors

PRNewswire
SAN DIEGO
06/03/2002

Sony's new summer line of VAIO® desktop PCs offers a variety of configuration options for people who are ready to dive into the world of customized DVD recording. With the novice-friendly Simple DVD Maker™ software in all DVD-RW equipped VAIO desktop systems, end-users can expect to watch personal movies on their home DVD players in a few easy steps.

"Sony is drawing a straight line from the camcorder to the VAIO desktop PC," said Mark Hanson, Sony Electronics' vice president and general manager, VAIO PC marketing. "The software is so straightforward that not only can I burn DVDs, but so can anyone in my family."

Sony is also reintroducing AMD® processors into three of its new models, creating an excellent entry-level system for the first-time computer purchaser. Additionally, eight Intel® powered systems round out the line-up, including Sony's fastest VAIO desktop PC to date with an Intel Pentium® 4 processor 2.40 GHz.

Watch, Record and Store TV

Sony's high-end line of VAIO Digital Studio™ desktop PCs featuring DVD-RW (re-writable) drives are ideal for video editing and data transfer to blank DVDs. The PCV-RX780G and the PCV-RX790G models, expected to sell for about $2,100 and $2,500, respectively, both include Sony's original Giga Pocket™ personal video recorder. Giga Pocket functionality, exclusive to these two models, allows users to watch television on their PC with the ability to watch live TV and to pause, rewind and store recorded shows to the hard drive for viewing at a later time. It also provides an easy way to capture video from analog camcorders for editing and DVD creation.

Rounding out the recordable DVD-featured models are the PCV-RX752 and the PCV-RX770, available for about $1,550 and $1,700, respectively. Each model in this series comes with user-friendly DVD recording and editing software that easily transfers video content from external sources including video cameras.

Blast Tunes with the VAIO PC

To address the needs of the digital music enthusiast, Sony is offering four VAIO Digital Studio models with high-speed CD-RW (re-writable) drives. By using the VAIO desktop PC as a centralized music library, users can create customized, personal music collections that can be burned to CDs and transferred to personal audio devices, such as Sony's popular NetMD™ Walkman® recorders. The supplied SonicStage™ for VAIO® software makes it a simple task to manage music and create custom playlists.

Available with different options and memory configurations, the PCV-RX750 is expected to sell for about $1,150, the PCV-RX755 for around $1,250 and the PCV-RX760 for approximately $1,400. All of these models feature DVD-ROM and CD-RW drives, 60GB or 80GB hard drives and Intel® Pentium® 4 processors. The entry-level PCV-RX730 model offers an affordable option at about $850, and features a 40GB hard drive and an Intel® Celeron® processor.

AMD Back in the Fold

AMD® Athlon™ XP processors, ranging from 1.40 GHz to 1.53GHz, are in three models of the VAIO RX series. All AMD RX systems come equipped with DVD-ROM and CD-RW drives. The PCV-RX742 model, available for about $850, is perfect for people who would prefer to upgrade as their future needs expand. For about $100 more, the PCV-RX740 has a faster processor for quicker data access and processing. The PCV-RX741, expected to sell for about $1,100, comes with 512MB of PC-2100 DDR RAM (expandable to 1GB) and is ideal for digital music creation/management, photo editing and scrap booking.

More Specs and Availability

Every model in the VAIO desktop PC summer line-up includes 10Base-T/100Base-TX Fast Ethernet connections for high-speed Internet access and networking, i.LINK™ interfaces to hook compatible camcorders directly to the desktop, and plenty of hard drive space to store songs, home movies and photos. All models will ship in June. Specification sheets for all models are available online at http://www.sonystyle.com/vaio .

       Key Specifications, VAIO Digital Studio Series Summer 2002:

                              PCV-RX730              PCV-RX740
  Processor                 Intel® Celeron®   AMD® Athlon™
                            1.70 GHz              XP Processor 1800+
                                                  operating at 1.53 GHZ
  Cache Memory              128 KB Integrated     128KB Integrated
                            On-Die Level 2        On-Die Level 1
                                                  256KB Integrated
                                                  On-Die Level 2
  Operating System          Microsoft®          Microsoft®
                            Windows® XP         Windows® XP
                            Home Edition          Home Edition
  Sony Original Software    DVgate™            DVgate™
                            SonicStage™ for    SonicStage™ for
                            VAIO®               VAIO®
                            MovieShaker™       MovieShaker™
                            Smart Capture         Smart Capture
                            DigitalPrint          DigitalPrint
                                                  PowerDVD
  Other Software            Corel WordPerfect®  Corel WordPerfect®
   Applications             Office 2002           Office 2002
                            Adobe® Acrobat®   Adobe® Acrobat®
                            Reader®             Reader®
                            Apple QuickTime®    Apple QuickTime®
                            Intuit Quicken®     Intuit Quicken®
                            2002                  2002
                            Microsoft®          Microsoft®
                            Outlook® Express    Outlook® Express
  Standard RAM              256MB PC-2100 DDR     256MB PC-2100 DDR
                            (expandable to 1GB)   (expandable to 1GB)
  Hard Drive                40GB Ultra ATA/100    60GB Ultra ATA/100
                            Hard Drive            Hard Drive
  Floppy Disk Drive         1.44MB                1.44MB
  Drives                    16X max. DVD-ROM      16X max. DVD-ROM
                            40X max. CD-ROM       40X max. CD-ROM
                            24X10X40X max. CD-RW  24X10X40X max. CD-RW
  Video & Graphics          SIS650 Integrated     SIS740 Integrated
                            Graphics with         Graphics
                            Real256™ 2D/3D     32MB Shared Graphics
                            Graphics Accelerator  Memory
                            32MB Shared Graphics
                            Memory (64MB max.)
  Modem                     V.90 compatible       V.90 compatible
                            data/fax modem        data/fax modem
  Ethernet                  10-BaseT/100-BaseTX   10-BaseT/100-BaseTX
                            Fast Ethernet         Fast Ethernet
  Ports                     USB (4), i.LINK®    USB (4), i.LINK®
                            (IEEE 1394) (2)       (IEEE 1394) (2)
                            Memory Stick®
                            media slot
  Dimensions (CPU)          8.0" (W) x 14.2"(H)   8.0" (W) x 14.2"(H)
                            x 14.6"(D)            x 14.6"(D)
  Availability              June 2002             June 2002
  ESP                       About $850            About $950


                              PCV-RX741              PCV-RX742
  Processor                 AMD® Athlon™     AMD® Athlon™
                            XP Processor 1800+    XP Processor 1600+
                            operating at 1.53 GHz operating at 1.40 GHz
  Cache Memory              128KB Integrated      128KB Integrated
                            On-Die Level 1        On-Die Level 1
                            256KB Integrated      256KB Integrated
                            On-Die Level 2        On-Die Level 2
  Operating System          Microsoft®          Microsoft®
                            Windows® XP         Windows® XP
                            Home Edition          Home Edition
  Sony Original Software    DVgate™            DVgate™
                            SonicStage™        SonicStage™
                            for VAIO®           for VAIO®
                            MovieShaker™       MovieShaker™
                            Smart Capture         Smart Capture
                            DigitalPrint          DigitalPrint
                            PowerDVD              PowerDVD
  Other Software            Corel WordPerfect®  Corel WordPerfect®
   Applications             Office 2002           Office 2002
                            Adobe® Acrobat®   Adobe® Acrobat®
                            Reader®             Reader®
                            Apple QuickTime®    Apple QuickTime®
                            Intuit Quicken®     Intuit Quicken®
                            2002                  2002
                            Microsoft®          Microsoft®
                            Outlook® Express    Outlook® Express
  Standard RAM              512MB PC-2100 DDR     256MB PC-2100 DDR
                            (expandable to 1GB)   (expandable to 1GB)
  Hard Drive                60GB Ultra ATA/100    60GB Ultra ATA/100
                            Hard Drive            Hard Drive
  Floppy Disk Drive         1.44MB                1.44MB
  Drives                    16X max. DVD-ROM      16X max. DVD-ROM
                            40X max. CD-ROM       40 max. CD-ROM
                            24X10X40X max. CD-RW  24X10X40X max. CD-RW
  Video & Graphics          SIS740 Integrated     SIS740 Integrated
                            Graphics              Graphics
                            32MB Shared Graphics  32MB Shared Graphics
                            Memory                Memory
  Modem                     V.90 compatible       V.90 compatible
                            data/fax modem        data/fax modem
  Ethernet                  10-BaseT/100-BaseTX   10-BaseT/100-BaseTX
                            Fast Ethernet         Fast Ethernet
  Ports                     USB (4), i.LINK®    USB (4), i.LINK®
                            (IEEE 1394) (2)       (IEEE 1394) (2)
  Dimensions (CPU)          8.0" (W) x 14.2"(H)   8.0" (W) x 14.2"(H)
                            x 14.6"(D)            x 14.6"(D)
  Availability              June 2002             June 2002
  ESP                       About $1,100          About $1,850


       Key Specifications, VAIO Digital Studio Series Summer 2002:

                             PCV-RX750               PCV-RX752
  Processor                 Intel® Pentium® 4 Intel® Pentium® 4
                            Processor 2A GHz      Processor 2A GHz
  Cache Memory              512 KB Integrated     512 KB Integrated
                            On-Die Level 2        On-Die Level 2
  Operating System          Microsoft®          Microsoft®
                            Windows® XP         Windows® XP
                            Home Edition          Home Edition
  Sony Original Software    DVgate™            DVgate™
                            SonicStage™        Simple DVD Maker
                            for VAIO®           SonicStage™
                            MovieShaker™       for VAIO®
                            Smart Capture         MovieShaker™
                            DigitalPrint          Smart Capture
                            PowerDVD              DigitalPrint
                                                  PowerDVD
  Other Software            Corel WordPerfect®  Corel WordPerfect®
   Applications             Office 2002           Office 2002
                            Adobe® Photoshop® Sonic Solutions
                            Elements              DVDit!® for VAIO®
                            Adobe® Acrobat®   Adobe® Photoshop®
                            Reader®             Elements
                            Apple QuickTime®    Veritas® RecordNow™
                            Intuit Quicken®     DX
                            2002                  Adobe® Acrobat®
                            Microsoft®          Reader®
                            Outlook® Express    Apple QuickTime®
                                                  Intuit Quicken® 2002
                                                  Microsoft® Outlook®
                                                  Express
  Standard RAM              256MB PC-2100 DDR     512MB PC-2100 DDR
                            (expandable to 1GB)   (expandable to 1GB)
  Hard Drive                60GB Ultra ATA/100    80GB Ultra ATA/100
                            Hard Drive            Hard Drive
  Floppy Disk Drive         1.44MB                1.44MB
  Drives                    16X max. DVD-ROM      2X1X4X max. DVD-RW
                            40X max. CD-ROM       40X max. CD-ROM
                            24X10X40X max. CD-RW  8X4X24X max. CD-RW
  Video & Graphics          SIS650 Integrated     SIS650 Integrated
                            Graphics with         Graphics with
                            Real256™ 2D/3D     Real256™ 2D/3D
                            Graphics Accelerator  Graphics Accelerator
                            32MB Shared Graphics  32MB Shared Graphics
                            Memory (64MB max.)    Memory (64MB max.)
  Modem                     V.90 compatible       V.90 compatible
                            data/fax modem        data/fax modem
  Ethernet                  10-BaseT/100-BaseTX   10-BaseT/100-BaseTX
                            Fast Ethernet         Fast Ethernet
  Ports                     USB (4), i.LINK®    USB (4), i.LINK®
                            (IEEE 1394) (2)       (IEEE 1394) (2)
                            Memory Stick®       Memory Stick®
                            media slot            media slot
  Dimensions (CPU)          8.0" (W) x 14.2"(H)   8.0" (W) x 14.2"(H)
                            x 14.6"(D)            x 14.6"(D)
  Availability              June 2002             June 2002
  ESP                       About $1,150          About $1,550


                             PCV-RX755               PCV-RX760
  Processor                 Intel® Pentium® 4 Intel® Pentium® 4
                            Processor 2A GHz      Processor 2.20 GHz
  Cache Memory              512 KB Integrated     512 KB Integrated
                            On-Die Level 2        On-Die Level 2
  Operating System          Microsoft®          Microsoft®
                            Windows® XP         Windows® XP
                            Home Edition          Home Edition
  Sony Original Software    DVgate™            DVgate™
                            SonicStage™        SonicStage™
                            for VAIO®           for VAIO®
                            MovieShaker™       MovieShaker™
                            Smart Capture         Smart Capture
                            DigitalPrint          DigitalPrint
                            PowerDVD              PowerDVD
  Other Software            Corel WordPerfect®  Corel WordPerfect®
   Applications             Office 2002           Office 2002
                            Adobe® Photoshop® Adobe® Photoshop®
                            Elements              Elements
                            Adobe® Acrobat®   Adobe® Acrobat®
                            Reader®             Reader®
                            Apple QuickTime®    Apple QuickTime®
                            Intuit Quicken®     Intuit Quicken®
                            2002                  2002
                            Microsoft®          Microsoft®
                            Outlook® Express    Outlook® Express
  Standard RAM              512MB PC-2100 DDR     512MB PC-2100 DDR
                            (expandable to 1GB)   (expandable to 1GB)
  Hard Drive                60GB Ultra ATA/100    80GB 7200rpm Ultra
                            Hard Drive            ATA/100 Hard Drive
  Floppy Disk Drive         1.44MB                1.44MB
  Drives                    16X max. DVD-ROM      16X max. DVD-ROM
                            40X max. CD-ROM       40 max. CD-ROM
                            24X10X40X max. CD-RW  24X10X40X max. CD-RW
  Video & Graphics          SIS650 Integrated     SIS650 Integrated
                            Graphics with         Graphics with
                            Real256™ 2D/3D     Real256™ 2D/3D
                            Graphics Accelerator  Graphics Accelerator
                            32MB Shared Graphics  32MB Shared Graphics
                            Memory (64MB max.)    Memory (64MB max.)
  Modem                     V.90 compatible       V.90 compatible
                            data/fax modem        data/fax modem
  Ethernet                  10-BaseT/100-BaseTX   10-BaseT/100-BaseTX
                            Fast Ethernet         Fast Ethernet
  Ports                     USB (4), i.LINK®    USB (4), i.LINK®
                            (IEEE 1394) (2)       (IEEE 1394) (2)
                            Memory Stick®       Memory Stick®
                            media slot            media slot
  Dimensions (CPU)          8.0" (W) x 14.2"(H)   8.0" (W) x 14.2"(H)
                            x 14.6"(D)            x 14.6"(D)
  Availability              June 2002             June 2002
  ESP                       About $1,250          About $1,400


       Key Specifications, VAIO Digital Studio Series Summer 2002:

                             PCV-RX770               PCV-RX780G
  Processor                 Intel® Pentium® 4 Intel® Pentium® 4
                            Processor 2.20 GHz    Processor 2.20 GHz
  Cache Memory              512 KB Integrated     512 KB Integrated
                            On-Die Level 2        On-Die Level 2
  Operating System          Microsoft®          Microsoft®
                            Windows® XP         Windows® XP
                            Home Edition          Home Edition
  Sony Original Software    DVgate™            Giga Pocket™
                            Simple DVD Maker      Personal Video Recorder
                            SonicStage™        DVgate™
                            for VAIO®           Simple DVD Maker
                            MovieShaker™       SonicStage™
                            Smart Capture         for VAIO®
                            DigitalPrint          MovieShaker™
                            PowerDVD              Smart Capture
                                                  DigitalPrint
                                                  PowerDVD
  Other Software            Corel WordPerfect®  Corel WordPerfect®
   Applications             Office 2002           Office 2002
                            Sonic Solutions       Sonic Solutions
                            DVDit!®             DVDit!®
                            for VAIO®           for VAIO®
                            Adobe® Photoshop® Adobe® Photoshop®
                            Elements              Elements
                            Adobe® Premier®   Adobe® Premier®
                            LE                    LE
                            Veritas®            Veritas®
                            RecordNow™ DX      RecordNow™ DX
                            Adobe® Acrobat®   Adobe® Acrobat®
                            Reader®             Reader®
                            Apple QuickTime®    Apple QuickTime®
                            Intuit Quicken®     Intuit Quicken®
                            2002                  2002
                            Microsoft®          Microsoft®
                            Outlook® Express    Outlook® Express
  Standard RAM              512MB PC-2100 DDR     512MB PC-2100 DDR
                            (expandable to 1GB)   (expandable to 1GB)
  Hard Drive                120GB 7200rpm Ultra   120GB 7200rpm Ultra
                            ATA/100 Hard Drive    ATA/100 Hard Drive
  Floppy Disk Drive         1.44MB                1.44MB
  Drives                    2X1X4X DVD-RW         2X1X4X max. DVD-RW
                            40X max. CD-ROM       40X max. CD-ROM
                            8X4X24X max. CD-RW    8X4X24X max. CD-RW
  Video & Graphics          SIS650 Integrated     4X AGP 3D Graphics
                            Graphics with         Hardware Acceleration
                            Real256™ 2D/3D     (nVIDIA® GeForce4™
                            Graphics Accelerator  MX 440)
                            32MB Shared Graphics  64MB Video Memory
                            Memory (64MB max.)    (128-bit DDR) MPEG2
                                                  Realtime Encoder/Decoder
                                                  board with TV tuner
  Ethernet                  10-BaseT/100-BaseTX   10-BaseT/100-BaseTX
                            Fast Ethernet         Fast Ethernet
  Ports                     USB (4), i.LINK®    USB (4), i.LINK®
                            (IEEE 1394) (2)       (IEEE 1394) (2)
                            Memory Stick®       Memory Stick®
                            media slot            media slot
  Dimensions (CPU)          8.0" (W) x 14.2"(H)   8.0" (W) x 14.2"(H)
                            x 14.6"(D)            x 14.6"(D)
  Availability              June 2002             June 2002
  ESP                       About $1,700          About $2,100


                                          PCV-RX790G
  Processor                 Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 2.40B GHz
  Cache Memory              512 KB Integrated On-Die Level 2
  Operating System          Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
  Sony Original Software    Giga Pocket™ Personal Video Recorder
                            DVgate™
                            Simple DVD Maker
                            SonicStage™ for VAIO®
                            MovieShaker™
                            Smart Capture
                            DigitalPrint
                            PowerDVD
  Other Software            Corel WordPerfect® Office 2002
   Applications             Sonic Solutions DVDit!® for VAIO®
                            Adobe® Photoshop® Elements
                            Adobe® Premier® LE
                            Veritas® RecordNow™ DX
                            Adobe® Acrobat® Reader®
                            Apple QuickTime®
                            Intuit Quicken® 2002
                            Microsoft® Outlook® Express
  Standard RAM              512MB PC-800-40 RDRAM (expandable to 1GB)
  Hard Drive                120GB 7200rpm Ultra ATA/100 Hard Drive
  Floppy Disk Drive         1.44MB
  Drives                    2X1X4X max. DVD-RW
                            16X max. DVD-ROM
                            40X max. CD-ROM
                            8X4X24X max. CD-RW
  Video & Graphics          4X AGP 3D Graphics Hardware Acceleration
                            (nVIDIA® GeForce4™ MX 440)
                            64MB Video Memory (128-bit DDR) MPEG2 Realtime
                            Encoder/Decoder board with TV tuner
  Ethernet                  10-BaseT/100-BaseTX Fast Ethernet
  Ports                     USB (4), i.LINK® (IEEE 1394) (2)
                            Memory Stick® media slot
  Dimensions (CPU)          8.0" (W) x 14.2"(H) x 14.6"(D)
  Availability              June 2002
  ESP                       About $2,500


GHz denotes microprocessor internal clock speed. Other factors affect application performance.

i.LINK is a trademark of Sony used only to designate that a product contains an IEEE 1394 connector. All products with an i.LINK connector may not communicate with each other.

For further information please contact John Dolak of Sony Electronics Inc., +1-858-942-2905, John.Dolak@am.sony.com; or Yona Kweskin of Burson- Marsteller, +1-858-646-3026, Yona_Kweskin@sdg.bm.com, for Sony Electronics Inc.

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SOURCE: Sony Electronics Inc.

CONTACT: John Dolak of Sony Electronics Inc., +1-858-942-2905,
John.Dolak@am.sony.com; or Yona Kweskin of Burson-Marsteller, +1-858-646-3026,
Yona_Kweskin@sdg.bm.com, for Sony Electronics Inc.

Web site: http://www.sony.com/news
http://www.sonystyle.com/vaio