PS3 to Act as Digital Video Recorder? 42
PS3 Evolution writes "Ars Technica has some new info regarding the PS3 and PSP Connectivity, and explores claims that the console will be a Digital Video Recorder." From the article: "An 'accessory' for the PSP is going to be a device that can connect to the PS3 for interactive gaming, video sharing, and probably music synchronization. Think about it: you're Sony, and you have the PSP. The device is in the same price league as the iPod (although storage is more expensive), and the screen is better. You're also a content owner with fingers in movies, music, and television. Sony's efforts to-date with UMD offerings are only the opening salvos for the company. How do you go after iPod-like success? Like the iPod that is tethered to a computer, the PSP will be tethered to a PS3." Take with the usual recommended amount of salt.
Right hand...where's the right hand? Help! (Score:2, Interesting)
Left hand insists on bundling root kits, backing the *IAAs and curtailing purchasers rights wherever possible in the pursuit of profit.
Right hand wants you to freely copy from everyone else - assuming any kind of truth to these rumours. Bear in mind we've seen thus kind of U-turn before with MP3 players.
Either Sony are just too branched out to figure out a consistent stance on digital media and copyright or they're so old and cumbersome that they're beginning to suffer from the corporate equivalent of schizophrenia.
It bothers me only a little since I now boycott Sony thanks to the whole rootkit issue. I can understand the need for "light-touch" DRM (Fairplay etc.) but *any* DRM opens a door that we don't want opened and Sony's antics convinced me of that.
Besides all that, despite the high quality of the screen, I can't really see myself using any kind of handheld to play video on the go. Squinting at a tiny screen on the train seems somewhat pointless to me. Of course, that's just my take on it.
Yeah, but when will it ship? (Score:2, Interesting)
The PS3 is sounding dangerously vaporous, and adding new vapor features doesn't help. Seriously, the conventional wisdom on this was that we'd see a Spring launch in Japan, and Fall in North America. Well, Spring is getting pretty close, and the only news in the PS3 camp is that blogging on how it's too hard to develop for and not really "next gen" gets you fired [kotaku.com].
Whatever the PS3 ends up being, I no longer expect to see it in 2006.
Tonight I go to the edge and back (Score:3, Interesting)
What has this got to do with the story? Well, I have a PDA that runs a GBA emu, and a PC that runs lots of EMU's, and if I can export them to my PDA with
And I have a PVR in my PC. so ner. seriously, anyone ever done this?
Re:They also said that the PS3 would be a grid sys (Score:3, Interesting)
Streaming content from the PS3 to the PSP is a killer app.
If it's a fully funtioned at the existing Location Free player, you don't even need the PS3 to perform the PVR functions. It can just front-end an existing Tivo. This platform looks to be the living room convergence box that we've all been hearing about for so long...
Game Console - Location Free Base - DVD Player - Blu-ray Player - Front end for Streaming Media
I am so glad I didn't get a 360...
The International Picture (Score:2, Interesting)
- No confirmed hard-disk - Hard-disk is essential for the PVR functions- ok, maybe it will be sold seperately, but as it stands, we almost certainly won't get out of the box PVR.
- Region Issues- From a technical point of view there are HUNDREDS of TV standards out there, more so if you include analogue and digital based broadcasters all over the world. Sony plans to sell the console in lots of countries- thus you have to create a compatible recording device for various video signals - unless you simply get a bog-standard VCR like device that can't change the channel on your TV, let alone your set-top box (this, friends, seems to me to be the biggest issue and reason why this is almost defintely vapourware). TV Listings over the net would require extensive partnerships across the world to create a worldwide TV Guide...
- Copyright issues- Sony like copyright. Ripping content to a hard-drive is a security risk- they would much rather sell you it in DRM'd format over the net.
- Where's the $$$? - What benefits will Sony get from combining PVR with the PS3- they already sell PVR devices (DVD-recorders, HardDisk recorders, etc.) and locationfree devices - all of these will suffer if they the features are stuffed into one, very popular, device. It'll cost them more money per console and cost them lost sales- where's the business plan?
- HD Content and Hard-disks- HD Content eats up HD space faster than regular content- sony can't afford the extra hard-drive costs if they want to keep the rest of the specs reasonable and not sell the console at a reasonable loss level.
- Sony are a "super-dooper" hype company. They have a habit of going a bit Over the Top (though I do love my VAIO laptop!)