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Sony's PSX Game/Media Hub Loses Features For Early Release
StingRay02 writes "Sony's recently announced 'digital media hub', the PlayStation 2-based PSX, is getting a feature downgrade to facilitate getting it out of the door for the holidays in Japan, according to a GameSpot article. Apparently, the following features are being cut: HDD to DVD dubbing has been downgraded from 24x speed to 12x speed, CD-R playback will not be supported, DVD+RW playback will not be supported, MP3 file format will not be supported, TIFF and GIF file formats will not be supported, Sony's Cybershot movie format will not be supported. There will also be no antenna output, nor will it be compatible with the Playstation BB service. The original specs can be found on Sony's website." The company "plans to offer firmware updates to owners", but it's unclear as yet what features this will add.
This is bad practice. The PSX always seemed like this poorly thought of device that was just going to test the waters for the PS3 (and gauge what people wanted from their PS3 - video game device or all-in-one media powerhouse) anyway. The poor selection of a name coupled with this news about the downgrade really makes me wonder who's in charge at Sony and whether they are thinking long term at all.
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...with no MP3 support. that's great R&D that is.
This device is out of Sony Electronics, not Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated, nor Sony Pictures. Same brands, different heads of the hydra.
What winds up happening is that different sections have entirely contradicting business goals: Sony Electronics wants to provide the consumer with devices which will allow him to burn DVDs at high speeds from a large capacity hard drive, and record live TV onto said hard drive, not to mention viewing a variety of other burned media, including the burned DVD-rs.
SCEI fears this will allow people to play copied PS2 and PSOne games. They need to squash some features.
Sony Pictures fears this will allow people to play copied movies. They need to squash some features.
Sony Music fears this will allow people to play downloaded songs. They need to squash some features.
And so on. It's no surprise that the PSX is going to be all black-and-blue (and missing functionality) after all these corporate divisions have beaten it up. By the time this thing sees a stateside release, I'll be surprised if it even has a dvd-r drive in it.
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I know the Media-less hub. It doesn't support CD-R or DVD+RW, my cheap Lenox sound DVD walmart player does. No MP3?? Heck it doesnt even play sony's own format. Save your money folks.
Several bad ideas.
The downgrade must have made sense on paper. The difference between 24 speed and 12 speed recording is not a lot. DVD+RW is a standard that isn't particularly necessary, despite what SCE's parent company may think. Who needs Tiff? Cybershot? MP3?
Ok, the lack of MP3 playback in a media hub is like a car that can't turn left. Even on paper that cut's dumb. And being incompatible with Playstation BB seems very odd... Almost like compatibility with other online games is not guaranteed.
The main problem that I see with this, however, is that you are taking a luxury device that retails near $1,000, and removing features before it launches. People spend that much money on a device because it will be the ultimate... The penultimate just isn't enough. If the cuts had been made before the device was announced, and released later as a patch, it wouldn't be an issue. In fact it would serve as a boost, as people get a better machine than they had planned for. But making cuts now just days before the item goes on sale is going to severely tarnish its image.
Bad planning guys. Bad planning.
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The only way you can get a more recent version of the DVD player app for the PS2 is to use the disc that came bundled with the optional Sony-branded remote. Then you have to install it to a memory card. Remember, it's illegal for you to copy and distribute the disc, though it might not be illegal to install the software on a friend's memory card for him.
Also, I'm told that later models of the PS2 have support for extra media like DVD+R(W) playback, but my early model certainly doesn't.
I'm still waiting for Sony to explain how to add a hard drive in the hard drive bay; without a filesystem the PS2 won't see any drive. They have or had a Linux distro bundled with a hard drive, but that had a noncompatible filesystem on it so you couldn't use it for game storage.
Console vendors have a history of promising more than they can deliver. If Sony is already admitting to scaling back on the original PSX, I don't have faith that any promised add-ons or upgrades to firmware for it will actually materalize, especially since this is just an interim product.
Get off my launchpad!
Did they drop support for electrical power as well? Should I dig out my old steam engine?
They will no doubt can the remote control as well. That does not bother me so much as I have 2 kids to change channels for me :)
Is this foreshadowing Sony's fall from the #1 spot? Sounds impossible, but it also seemed impossible that Nintendo would fall after the NES and Super NES (and Game Boy, for that matter), but all it took was the Nintendo 64 to send them free-falling down the totem pole.
Sony needs to not be screwing with this PSX crap, and maybe not even the PSP, but better focus attention on the PS3. There won't be a big head start for them this time.
Of course, for Sony to fall, it means Microsoft has to step it up to the next level. They had a good first showing, and really led the way on complete online console gaming, but they have to bring in more balanced, broad development for the second go-around (and no flubs like too-big-for-some-people controllers on release).
Those people who are looking at the PSX as the "next generation gaming system" to upgrade from their current PS2s are not the audience Sony is looking for with the PSX.
The PSX is aimed at those people who have not purchased a PS2 yet and are thinking of not buying one until the PS3 comes out... which won't be until 2005 (so everyone's been saying). Those people who are not early adopters.
Yes, the diehard PS2 owners and gaming early-adopters are probably dying to get their hands on the "next new thing" from Sony. To them, I say wait for the PSP or the PS3. As many of you have already said - you already have DVD burners, TiVo units, or other media centers. Why would you want this as well?
So the PSX doesn't have all the features that we would want (and I agree, networking and MP3 ability shouldn't have been stubbed), but for someone who doesn't even have a PS2, it's certainly better than nothing.
Analysts have said that digital cameras and other gadgets are what's driving computer sales, not vice-versa. I suspect the same philosphy and target audience is where Sony is heading with the PSX - people who haven't quite gotten onto the electronics/media center bandwagon and are looking for an easy entry point.
'Apparently, the following features are being cut: HDD to DVD dubbing has been downgraded from 24x speed to 12x speed, CD-R playback will not be supported, DVD+RW playback will not be supported, MP3 file format will not be supported, TIFF and GIF file formats will not be supported, Sony's Cybershot movie format will not be supported. There will also be no antenna output, nor will it be compatible with the Playstation BB service. '
Slower DVD dubbing? Considering DVDs hold 4.7 gigs of space, that can't be good. No CD-R playback no supported? Does this mean I can't play my own re-mixed CDs? No DVD+RW playback? Two words : Bad Investment. No MP3s? Wtf? Why not take out the PS1 capability at the same time? No TIFF and GIF format? COMON! Last time I checked there were no complaints about photo privacy. No Sony Cybershot capability either? Great, one more type of Sony product I'll have to avoid in the future, assuming I still get the PSX. No antenna output and no Playstation BB service? Gee, thanks. Nice way to wrap up the list of nerfage. If the PSX was a game, this would be the equivaliant of removing the crowbar, the AI, the storyline, and the voice acting from Half-Life followed by a press release saying that the game will make "its bitch".
And is it really so bad? All these features they're dropping are software features that can be upgraded later. Not the ideal situation, but certainly financially better for the company than delaying the launch.
aparently Sony's PSX has just been renamed to "Fuck You Customer".