Sony Plasma Hits Gameshow Jackpots

Contestants in the newly revived "Pyramid" game show are encountering Sony products, and not just in the prizes they seek. The new version of the '70s classic, originally hosted by Dick Clark and now featuring Donny Osmond, uses two pyramid-shaped stacks of monitors, one using 32-inch Sony plasma monitors and one using 50-inch models. At certain moments, when Osmond gives the word, the monitors rise from a face-down position into a pyramid.

"You just can't do that kind of rotation with other technology; that's the beauty of these ultra-thin displays," said executive producer Stephen Brown.

The graphics on the monitors are controlled by a computer with a Matrox video card. The contestants read questions from Sony Vaio laptops on their desks.

Sony Pictures Television produces the show and uses Sony plasma monitors on its "Jeopardy!" and "Wheel of Fortune" programs.