Yesterday we reported on the South African launch of the Sony Bravia XR TVs, a range that that company is selling with “cognitive intelligence” that is meant to mimic human vision and hearing to produce the best possible experience.

As part of the launch here in Joburg we got to sit down with Takakiyo Fujita (pictured above), the managing director of Sony Middle East and Africa (MEA).

Read below to see how Fujita and his team manage such a large region, the current state of their new products and what’s in store for the future.

Hypertext: The MEA “region” is huge and compromises so many countries, territories and cultures. How do you juggle all of these factors when managing Sony in these areas? 

Takakiyo Fujita: We have a very diverse range of employees in the region representing many nationalities that allows us to can cater to those markets. South Africa is one of our most important markets.

Sony Middle East and Africa is the regional headquarter of Sony for the vibrant and dynamic countries across the Middle East and Africa region. Sony MEA leads the execution of various logistics, sales, marketing, advertising, and customer services activities through its business partners in various countries.

We have 274 accredited third-party service centres across the region to reinforce Sony’s presence in key markets and support marketing efforts.

What is the Bravia XR Cognitive Intelligence range bringing to South Africans which they may not have right now? 

Fujita: It’s the Cognitive Processor XR. We’ve been working on this kind of processor for more than 15 years. Not only that, but we [Sony] have a filmmaking company, professional camera company and other arms which have a lot of experience around replicating what the human eye sees and how people experience sound.

Sony Bravia XR TVs are bringing the best picture and sound quality thanks to the Cognitive Processor XR. Our flagship A801 model comes with XR OLED contrast pro, giving a near-infinite contrast ratio.

The TV also performs well in dark rooms, making it perfect for gaming or watching movies. Additionally, the A80J XR is the brightest OLED TV Sony has ever made. With the 4K 120FPS and the XR Motion Clarity, the OLED XR TVs provide instantaneous response time, so the motion looks clear in fast-moving content like sports or video games, giving an excellent gaming experience

Sony is a premium brand, but South Africa is a market that usually prefers budget options and mid-range devices. Do you see that sentiment from your side? 

Fujita: Our focus is still on the premium experience for concerning customers. That’s our first priority. However, as we grow in the [local] market, we may also begin to offer products in different price categories.

Our strategy has always been to focus on delivering Sony’s premium experience to those tech-savvy customers looking out for latest innovations. Therefore, our attention is to respond to these premium consumer demands and continue to bring the latest and best technologies to South Africa.

Resolution has become such a fractured field. 1080p is still the most common, but 4K and 8K are gaining ground while devices like the Switch are still popular and championing 720P. What do you think about the market right now in terms of raw resolution and where it will go in the future? 

Fujita: If, for example, you have a screen that is more than 65 inches, you don’t feel comfortable with 1080p. And when you go even bigger, such as 85 inches or above, you start to see the value of 8K. In the future, as screens get larger, we will see that resolution will go up to match it.

Next year, for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, we will be broadcasting in 4K as well because, I think the broadcasting side of things is moving more slowly towards the higher resolution side of things.

We’re seeing a demand for higher screen resolutions, like 4K and 8K, but with our best-in-class processors, and the launch of the cognitive processor XR, and overwhelming image and sound quality differentiating technologies, we are demonstrating our strength in large screen and high picture quality.

We aim to enhance our premium model strategy with the combination of signal processing and device evolution. Based on the market demand, we will continue to bring in the world class technologies and products to keep up with the latest innovations and consumer needs in South Africa.