PS3 Slim supports high-end audio bitstreaming

The Playstation 3 is one of the most popular Blu-ray Disc players on the market, mostly because it pulls double-duty as a game console. However, it still lacks a few key aspects that make it a really good home theater device. Mainly, it doesn't bitstream Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio codecs, and its internal decoding was prone to distortion and garbling the audio of those codecs. If you want to watch your Blu-ray Discs with the most advanced audio tracks available, you're out of luck if you have a PS3.

Sony's new PS3 Slim, the smaller Playstation 3 the company announced this week, corrects that oversight. According to EngadgetHD, the new console can bitstream Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio tracks straight to a receiver. It's a small addition, but one that should be welcome among home theater enthusiasts. Since the PS3 Slim will have the same $299 price tag as the PS3, it could become the newest most-popular-Blu-ray-player.

— Will Greenwald

Football on the world's biggest 1080p screen

It measures 160 feet wide and 72 feet high, and is the largest 1080p HDTV in the world. Cowboys Stadium, the newest stadium in the NFL, is home to this massive screen, which just showed its first football game on Saturday. Granted, it was a game of Madden 10 on a Playstation 3, but for the summer that's still pretty darn neat.

The game (games, actually; a Madden tournament) was part of a fan appreciation day for season ticket holders. The NFL 2009-2010 season won't start for another month, so Madden 10 is probably the only gridiron goodness that enormous screen will be seeing for a few weeks. The event was arranged by Sony and EA, and tournament winners got their own copies of Madden 10, along with game systems (a PS3 for first place, a PSP for second and third places).

— Will Greenwald

[Source: Kotaku via Gizmodo] [Photo Credit: Kotaku reader "Trent"]

SCEA Summer Preview: Batman, Pets, and More

Today, Sony Computer Entertainment (the folks behind the Playstation 3 and Playstation Portable) held a preview event, showcasing their upcoming titles for the rest of the year. The 2009 holiday season will be good for gamers, but multimedia buffs don't have a whole lot to look forward to that isn't Beatles-related.

The Playstation 3 is a multimedia beast, with Blu-ray Disc playback and an extensive library of downloadable SD and HD movies over the Playstation Network. On the plus side, that's not changing any time soon. On the minus side, that's not changing any time soon. The PS3 still lacks Netflix support, a rather significant content hole that its competitor, the Blu-ray Disc-less Xbox 360, filled over a year ago. Unfortunately, Sony still has no plans to add Netflix playback in the foreseeable future. If you don't mind paying per film, the Playstation Network will still add movies to its library on a weekly basis.

Among the 20-plus upcoming games SCEA showed off, The Beatles Rock Band was the big one for audiophiles to look forward to. Sony set aside an entire floor for the game, so I'm going to set aside an entire blog post for it. In the mean time, here are the highlights of SCEA's upcoming titles.

Hard Times

Hey buddy, can you spare a nickel? Better yet, how about $700 billion? Everyone is feeling the pain these days, even Sony Corporation.

The electronics giant issued a revised earnings report, and the news was not good. Consumer demand is slowing so sales are off. An unfavorable dollar/yen thing (the dollar hit a 13-year low against the yen today) means Sony's products cost more in the U.S. Plus, Sony's investments in Japanese equities have taken a tumble (join the club).

Adding insult to injury, the South Korean won ("won" is their currency, aka, "₩") has weakened by 31% this year, so products from competitors such as Samsung and LG are now cheaper in the U.S. As a result of all that, Sony cut its yearly profit outlook by 38%. In particular, Sony's profit estimates — $2.4 billion in July — have now been cut to $1.5 billion.

According to Forbes magazine, things look bad at Sony, and things may be even worse than they seem . . .

2008 or 1984? Sony Playing Big Brother

What year is it? Did George Orwell's prediction just get delayed? Seems like Sony is playing Big Brother. Sony Playstation 3 users just got an email from Sony stating that the terms of service have changed.

First noticeable change. Main account holders have to be over 15 years old. Under-15s can have a subaccount. Makes sense. No big whoop.

Here's the scary change. Sony claims to have the right to monitor and keep records of whatever you say or do online through PSN. Do you really want anyone listening in? In the heat of a game, we all probably say things we probably shouldn't.

Most of the terms of service are fine. No stalking, organizing hate groups, spamming, spreading viruses, or violating copyright. But, they want to be able to monitor and record communications? Is it just me, or is that just creepy?

Here is the questionable terms of service paragraph.

Playstation 4 WITHOUT Blu-ray?

It seems like many in the industry are killing off Blu-ray in its infancy. This is the second story today alone on the subject.

Now, a CNET blogger is going as far as saying that it's his opinion that Sony won't include Blu-ray in the next generation Playstation. He could have a point.

PS3 Firmware 2.5 Presents: Screengrabs!

Hot off the rumor mill: the firmware update for Sony's PS3 is going to have an exciting new feature. Screen grabs. Why, you ask? Simple. To prove that high score. Or, to save (and maybe zoom?) into your favorite movie scene. You know, movies like Basic Instinct. (Sorry. Couldn't resist.)
 

Seriously, how fun will it be to capture the action of your favorite superhero flic?  Or for even more fun...

PS3 Bundle: 160GB with Uncharted:Drake's Fortune

Exciting gaming news from Sony out of Germany's Game Convention. Lots of new Playstation product. Who doesn't love new games?

Perhaps the most exciting news is the 160GB PS3 that will come bundled with a Dual-Shock SIXAXIS plus Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. This new bundle will hit the stores in November for $499. The increased storage space makes this a perfect system to go with Playstation Network. This is a great system to contrast with the 80GB system previously announced at E3. Both appear to have the same console as previous PS3s.

There is a voucher packaged with the 160GB for the PS Network game PAIN.  Also showed off at Leipzig was the new PSP and PS3 wireless keyboard.

Keep reading for the complete press release.

Movies and TV Downloads Hit Playstation Network

Breaking news out of E3. Sony's Playstation Network users can now rent or purchase movies and TV shows. Notice what I said.  Now rent and purchase. Like, right now.

Beyond Sony's own material, Turner, MGM, Fox, Lions Gate, Warner, Disney, Paramount, and others have already signed up too.

How much will downloads cost?  Perhaps more pressing — will any HD content be available?

PS3 Pushing Blu-ray Sales

Sales reports are usually pretty dry reading. No difference with the latest report from the Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) following sales trends in TV, home video and video gaming. However, this time, the numbers from this 32-page report are pretty interesting.