Sony"s new Cybershot cameras, which will hit global markets in March and April, will offer an output for HDTVs. Most current digital cameras support the ability to view pictures on typical standard definition television sets. More often than not, the original image is much higher quality, so a better image could be displayed on an HDTV if the camera were capable of generating such a video image. The VMC-MHC1 cable will be required for the high-definition connection and will go on sale on March 9 in Japan for ¥4,935 ($41). It can also connect the CSS-HD1 docking unit to a television set. The HDTV output is available on the DSC-T100, T20, W200, W90, W80, H7 and H9 models. The flagship model of the range is the T100 (¥50,000 or about $400), which combines a slim body with an optical 5X zoom, 8.1-megapixels image sensor and a 3-inch display - it will be available in Japan and the U.S. in March.
"We are strongly promoting the importance of high-definition quality. Here in Japan penetration of HDTV is going up every day. It"s now almost at 30 percent of households so because of that we"re encouraging people to watch digital still camera pictures at the level of high-definition rather than standard level." said Kiyoshi Shikano, corporate senior vice president of Sony Marketing (Japan) at a Tokyo news conference Wednesday.