Sony's four screens concept the next Gen-TV

Apple isn't the only company reportedly plotting to revolutionize the television set, Sony is also on the case, according to company CEO Howard Stringer. Stringer said all major television manufacturers, including Sony, are "scrambling" to figure out what the next generation of televisions should do. Stringer also noted that he has "no doubt" that Steve Jobs, Apple's recently deceased co-founder and former CEO, was also hard at work on the problem.

Looking to compete with Apple, Sony is touting its so-called "four screens strategy" that aims to emulate Apple's seamless content sharing and networking capability between devices such as MacBooks, iPads, iPhones and iPods. Sony's four screens concept, which the company began promoting earlier this year, aims to integrate the company's high definition television sets, tablets, smartphones and PCs. "I spent the last five years building a platform so I can compete against Steve Jobs," Mr. Stringer said during the Journal's event. Sony A Serious Challenger
 
Regardless of Stringer's confidence, you have to ask: would Sony be a serious challenge to Apple? Apple outsells Sony in the PC market in the United States, according to market research firm IDC. And, of course, Apple's iPod dominates the MP3 player market. But, assuming Apple actually does produce a TV, Sony would likely outsell Apple given foothold in the television market. Sony has excelled at screwing up with its market strategy. Sony in 2005 Sony released PlayStation Portable, a fantastic device that offered gamers an excellent portable gaming experience, expandable storage to house videos and music, a semi-usable Web browsing experience and constant firmware improvements.

Despite the advantages of the PSP, Sony's portable device was soon outshone by Apple devices such as the fifth-generation iPod that was able to play video and download content from the iTunes Store. As of April, Sony said it sold 70 million PSP devices total worldwide since introducing the device in Japan in 2004. Apple iOS and Google Android devices are also cutting portable gaming sales revenues for Sony and Nintendo in half, according to an analysis by Flurry Analytics. Will Apple Build It?

The odds of Sony producing and then succeeding with a revolutionary next-generation television set are not good. Rumor mongering over Apple's intent to dive into the TV making business got louder in October after the publication of Steve Jobs' authorized biography by Walter Isaacson. Jobs told Isaacson he was working on an easy-to-use TV set that seamlessly syncs "with all your devices and with iCloud." The New York Times recently reported that Apple is working on a television with a voice command interface, similar to Siri, Apple's digital personal assistant on the iPhone 4S. Following the death of Apple founder Steve Jobs last month, speculation ramped up that his last great idea might have been a next-generation TV. The comments came out during a Wall Street Journal interview with Sony CEO Howard Stringer yesterday.

"There's a tremendous amount of R&D going into a different kind of TV set," Stringer said. Every TV set we all make loses money." Exactly what kind of television Apple might have in mind is anyone's guess, but much of the educated speculation centers around what Apple has already revealed, namely, its so-called "hobby," the Apple TV device. The combination of the Apple TV system, voice-commands via Siri (no remote needed), and the Apple App Store (think: channels as apps), all backing a high-resolution Apple display, does indeed sound like a product that could change the television business from top to bottom. Sony watchers are hopeful that we'll get a preview of what Sony is cooking up at the CES event in January of 2012.

Sony Corp.'s chief executive said Thursday that the Japanese electronics giant is well-positioned to turn out the innovative products needed to re-energize the television market, even as it faces design-savvy competitors like Apple Inc. Howard Stringer, speaking at a breakfast hosted by The Wall Street Journal, said TV manufacturers, driven by their desire to rack up market share, have bred an intensely competitive market. Every TV set we all make loses money."  Sony isn't alone in struggling to turn a profit in the TV market. Sony has a "four screen" strategy of offering network services on mobile phones, tablet computers, personal computers and TV sets. "I spent the last five years building a platform so I can compete against Steve Jobs," Mr. Stringer said. Mr. Stringer said he isn't leaving Sony, despite reports he is considering such a move.