Sony will soon launch 4K TVs far smaller and cheaper than existing models, along with a 4K media player and download service, all aimed at bringing the next-generation TV format into the mainstream.

The company said Monday it will launch a 55-inch 4K TV set in its XBR line for US$4,999, to go on sale from April 21 in the U.S. That is about 20 percent the cost of its 84-inch model released earlier this year for $24,999. The company had no comment about launches in other regions.

Sony will also try to alleviate a major barrier to adoption of the new format: a scarcity of content. The company said that in the summer of this year it will launch a new media player, which will come pre-installed with movies in 4K format including The Amazing Spider-Man, Taxi Driver and Total Recall.

Sony said it will also launch a fee-based download service for 4K movies that will work with the new media player, to go live in the fall of this year. The company has yet to release more details about the player and service, but has made it clear they are to be used together in a Sony-only environment.

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