Sony intros new printers with LCD, CD-RW

Sony Electronics has introduced new photo printers aimed at digital photo enthusiasts. The DPP-SV77 sports an LCD display, while the DPP-SV88 sports an integrated CD-RW drive for easy archiving.

The DPP-SV77 sports a touch-sensitive 3.2-inch color LCD. Users can view, edit and enlarge images viewed on the display utilizing the supplied stylus. Users can even use the screen and stylus for freehand drawing, text editing and stamp functions.

The DPP-SV88 features a self-contained CD-RW drive to enable users to transfer images from flash media to CD-R or CD-RW discs. The printer features integrated file management tools that enable you to arrange images in folders — important, said Sony, for the average digital photo user, who shoots many times more images per year than they would with regular film.

Unlike the DPP-SV77, the DPP-SV88 doesn’t feature a built-in LCD, but it does sport a video port that can be connected to any TV with a video-in port. The printer includes front-mounted controls and a wireless remote control, which Sony said could be used to integrate the printer into a home entertainment system. It also sports a video-in port that can be used to grab frames from a videotape source like a camcorder or VCR.

Although the printers don’t require a PC or Mac to function, they can be hooked up to a Mac through their USB interfaces. Each model sports a Memory Stick-compatible media slot and a slot for Type II PC cards, including SmartMedia and CompactFlash. Digital Print Order Format (DPOF) is also supported, enabling the printers to automatically produce photos that have been marked in-camera by DPOF-compliant digital cameras.

The printers use dye sublimation technology to produce 4 x 6 inch photo prints in up to 16.7 million colors. Sony said the printers could produce laminated copies in about 90 seconds.

The DPP-SV77 will ship in July and carries a retail price of around US$500. The DPP-SV88 will be released this October for about $800, according to Sony.