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Sony To Ship Enhanced PSX Console/DVR Combo
bluethundr writes "The Register has posted a story indicating that Sony will ship the new PSX models on July 1 (Japan first, Europe to follow, then - eventually released to us Yanks?) following the company's move to suspend production of the original model of PlayStation 2/digital video recorder hybrid, earlier this year. Apparently: 'The new models, the DESR-5100 and DESR-7100, offer the same storage capacity - 160GB and 250GB, respectively - as their predecessors, the DESR-5000 and DESR- 7000. What's changed is the introduction of a better graphical user interface and the ability to add DVD-style menus to content copied from the unit's hard drive to a DVD-R, DVD-RW or DVD+RW disc.' Sony also appears to have added a range of extra video recording modes to maximise the amount of programming that can be stored on the PSX's hard drive."
I just don't see it as being something that I would spend that much money on. $676 for the 160GB and $868 for the 200GB model... That seems like an awful lot of money for a device that doesn't look "sexy", doesn't do anything extraordinary over any other device of its kind, and is basically just a piece of bundled hardware.
In a recent story (about the PSX's possible demise) someone noted that it was pretty expensive for something you could do for about $350 unbundled.
I guess the reason that they are releasing it to Japan and then England before us Yanks is because most cable providers already offer PVRs, we have TiVO, we have rolled out our own based on various software packages (both OSS and proprietary), or we just don't care.
I'll pass for now... Maybe if it was bundled with the PS3 it would be more attractive.
One of the major selling points of the original PS2 was that DVD players were still fairly expensive, but gaining popularity. For the price of a nice DVD player, you could get that and much more. I don't see that happening with the PSX, but only time will tell.
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Huh? Can you?
If not I don't want one. What's the point of a DVD-R if I can't play the PS2 games I use it to copy, that is legitimately backup for educational purposes!
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Don't be confused by the name PSX. Many people took to calling the original Playstation the PSX, but that was not an official name for the console. This new PS2 supermachine is officially known as the PSX. It's a little confusing, but what can you do?
Will the future PSX still run Linux?
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Almost $900 for a PVR / Playstation 2? That's a bit pricey for a gaming console which i'm sure will be (already is?) obsolete.
Acronym time : DIY PVR IMO. FU PS2/PVR DRM.
Blame the media for it. When Playstation first came out it was code named Playstation X. But when finally released, they dropped the X to just have the Playstation name. However, the media decided to keep the X moniker and made it PSX, PSX2, etc... Soo.. Blame the Media... oh.. and Canada j/k.
Hmmm.
The reason that it is coming to us yanks last is that Sony is still in a pretty tight race with X-Box here in the states. That is not true in Japan and I'm pretty sure that is also not true in Europe. I can the the fancy system coming out here, but I can't see it replacing the original system since Sony needs to have a (recently reduced) $150 model to remain competitive.
I saw the original model in Akihabara two months ago. They seemed to be all the rage in Japan. However, I had difficulty convincing myself that it would have mass appeal in America with such a large price tag. I would think most people who want a PS2 probably own one already. For that matter, early adopters likely have a DVR/Tivo already anyways. I guess I'd like to know exactly who they are marketing this too.
Cool device, but no market.
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Don't fool yourselves....Sony is the biggest DRM
whore on the planet...anyone wanna debate this
go buy an md player...
Look at Sony carefully...
Know any other electronic retail mfr's that also
own record and movie subsidiarys ????
These people are hook, line, and sinker after
your file sharing, movie recording asses...!!!
Perhaps you are a bit confused (or didn't read the article). The PSX is just a PVR + PS2. There is nothing under the hood that makes this a different CONSOLE. It just contains a DVD recorder, HD, and TV tuner.
Definitely more than I would pay... but remember that space is more of a commodity in Japan than here in the states.
I don't know where these memes get started but yes, Japanese houses are small, but they're not so cramped for space that an unbundled PS2 and DVD player or whatever would have them coming out the windows.
"There is no time, sir, at which ties do not matter," Jeeves, (Jeeves and the Impending Doom)
PS2 has sold like 71 million units, Gamecube 16M and Xbox in 3rd with 15M.
It's far from a tight race.
It is a bit of a closer race in software sold, but these units will not lead to additional software sales.
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I for one welcome our new Sony PVR Console overlords!
...a swing and a miss.
Being that the laser in Sony's PS2 is so weak I've seen consoles less than 1 year old worn out, is there any chance this device will have a laser that justifies the pricetag?
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I want a box that I can load all CDs, DVDs, PS1 discs, PS2 discs, and PS3 discs. They could make a 200, and a 300 disc model. It should have .5 - 1 TB. It should automatically rip a CD, convert it to mpg to format of my choice name all tracks and auto organise the CD collection. It should give full PVR functions. It should cache frequently played DVDs to reduce wear and tear on the disc. It should have built-in RAID 5 with hotswap able drives that are as easy to change as VHS tapes. It should cost less than a used car.
Here's the updated screenshot of the updated UI in the PSX. Seems to have a transparent menus over the TV show you're watching, and these screens show the customizable backgrounds for the menus.
Screenshot
Screenshot
ScreenshotPSX Official Site(in Japanese)
There's already a hard drive for the regular PS2. Several games can use it, and Final Fantasy XII requires it.
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If I didn't already own a ps2, I might be willing to pay $600 for the combo presented here. Sure, I could build a pvr myself, but FROM SCRATCH, getting one that would be able to handle pvr duties well and burn dvds would cost at least $600 plus my time.
What I really want to know is if I would be able to access the files across a network. Ps2 has the ethernet adapter you can buy, so it seems like a reasonable idea, but I imagine there's tons of reasons why sony might not want to add that capability.
Since it's relevant and I haven't had time to hit google yet to research it myself, I'm just curious if there's any other products out right now that are a pvr, can burn dvds, and are accessible across the network. Heck, any two of those are cool in my opinion if they're decently priced.
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