Audio Video News

With new brands nipping at its heels, Sony will create a special line of LCD DTVs for non-specialty discount retailers including Wal-Mart and Target. It's quite a departure for the longtime king of TV brands.

The announcement came at a product briefing in San Francisco. These new models will differ from those sold at electronics and a/v specialty retailers.

What this will do to pricing (and picture quality) remains uncertain. While the average price of an LCD set has been declining, Sony's prices have actually risen. But Sony needs to reposition itself in this brutal new TV market. We'll know more when the new sets hit stores in a couple of months.

Wal-Mart had a major role in last year's Black Friday TV-pricing landslide, which may have been the triggering event for this latest turn in the Sony saga.