The reviews are out, and the PlayStation 4 is, in fact, much of what we'd hoped it'd be: a fabulous gaming machine with a social personality. It has lived up to it's next-gen label, thus far. But there's another aspect to the PS4 that may prove to be equally as important to the console's long-term success against its main rival from Microsoft. I'm talking about video and music services.
Roughly a year and half ago, PlayStation Network IDs transformed into Sony Entertainment Network (SEN) accounts, and since then we've been introduced to the next-generation of console gaming for PlayStation. We caught up with Sony Network Entertainment COO Shawn Layden at IFA for a progress report on how the platform is doing on the eve of the PS4's launch.
Considering a 2011 security breach was arguably the largest hiccup the PSN and PS3 have experienced, we wondered just what the firm had done to shore up its defenses for the next-gen wave. As it turns out, operations have been re-tooled, but Hirai and Co. aren't forthcoming with details. "As a result of that (the hack), we've instituted a number of measures, systems and protocols inside the platform, which you'll understand why I can't speak to that in any detail whatsoever," Layden said. "We had our baptism by fire early in 2011, and we've come out stronger and with more users from that point forward." In fact, Layden sats the PSN storefront saw more business the month it came back online than it had garnered up to that point.
Sony's betting big on 4K, with its movie studios shooting movies and television in 4K using its pro cameras. And now, to get that content to all those Ultra HD TVs, the company is rolling out its long-awaited Video Unlimited 4K download service. As of today, there are 70 native 4K movies and shows available -- Sony's aiming to have over 100 by the end of the year -- and users can rent or buy content through the service. Of course, you'll need one of Sony's FMP-X1 media players and an appropriately rezzed Sony screen to actually consume said video. Single show episodes are $3.99, with movie rentals starting at $7.99 for a 24-hour viewing window. Looking to buy? $29.99 gets you any film for good.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Sony
Starting today, Sony is rolling out updates for three of its media apps: Walkman, Album and Movies. Across the board, the most notable change is that each of the apps will now have enhanced integration with your media in the cloud. For example, Walkman app users will now be able to search both locally stored and cloud-based content through Music Unlimited. Similarly, Movies, which is getting a minor facelift with a tweaked interface, has been synced up with Video Unlimited to provide more content accessible from Sony devices. Lastly, the Album app is getting its share of upgrades, including PlayMemories Online integration, intelligent recall playback and a new favorites feature. The updates are being introduced gradually for owners of Xperia devices running Android Jelly Bean 4.2 via an over-the-air download through the Update Center. For more info, check out the video after the break.
Filed under: Software, Mobile, Sony
Source: Sony
Using Sony's Video Unlimited platform just got a little more appealing. Prior to Shacknews' discovery of a change in the store's terms of service, once you purchased a video it was only available on the PlayStation device it was downloaded to. Now, there's parity between its storefront and the likes of iTunes and Amazon Video that allow media access from a range of hardware tied to your account. Frankly, it's long overdue but not the first time the hardware giant's been slow to evolve. We've reached out to Sony to see if this applies to gadgets not carrying PlayStation branding and will update if we hear back. Till then, take a moment to appreciate a fuller, more apt definition of "unlimited."
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Sony
Via: Shacknews
Source: Sony Entertainment Network
Sony announced its FMP-X1 4K Ultra HD Media Player a few months ago, and today confirmed it's arriving in homes and on store shelves by July 15th. The $699 box only works with Sony's own 4K TVs, and early adopting owners of "qualifying" X900A sets can expect a $200 introductory discount. Also available is in-home setup and activations free of charge, set up through the 4KActivation.com site once it's available July 8th. Sony's also named the online 4K movie distribution network it's launching this fall -- Video Unlimited 4K -- which will offer films, TV episodes and short-form content for download. For feature films, it will cost $7.99 for a 24-hour rental or $29.99 to purchase. The 4K Player (and its 10 pack-in movies) is available for pre-order now on the US Sony store, expect it to hit other retailers soon.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Sony
Source: Sony Store, 4KActivation.com
Sony officially launched its new tablet here at IFA -- and it's keeping that folded-over profile. Happily, it's running Android ICS. We've just spent some time with the Xperia Tablet S here in Berlin and it's looking like Sony wants this to be the center of your media-consuming world. The new tablet pals up with the company's range of phones, bearing that familiar Xperia branding on a freshly hewn metal slab. Yes, the new tablet sidesteps the plastic build of Sony's last two tablets going for a solid metal build. Fortunately, it feels just as light in the hand, while that folded design also remains well-balanced. We're particularly pleased with the tactile finish on the folded-over surface of the tablet -- it's very grippable. Internally, we're dealing with a quad-core Tegra 3 processor, while a 10-inch 1,280 x 800 IPS display will be showing off all that media and gaming content. Browse our gallery of images below and check out our hands-on video and first impressions after the break.
Continue reading Sony Xperia Tablet S hands-on (video)
Filed under: Tablets
Sony Xperia Tablet S hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 11:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Looks like those leaked slides showing Sony's Xperia-branded tablet were right about pretty much everything. (Well, everything except the price, anyway). The company just formally announced the Xperia Tablet S and, as rumored, it features a Tegra 3 chip, Android 4.0 and up to 64GB of built-in storage. Like last year's Tablet S, it has that distinctive folded-over magazine shape, except this go-round it's made of metal, and measures between .35 and .47 inches thick (the weight, too, has dropped to 1.26 pounds, down from 1.31). Sony also kept the Tablet S' IR emitter, which allows the tablet to double as a universal remote, and this time you can program shortcuts to do things like watch sports. Rounding out the spec sheet, there's a full-size SD slot, a 9.4-inch (1,280 x 800) IPS screen and a 6,000mAh battery promising 10 hours of runtime.
As we mentioned, the tablet will ship with Ice Cream Sandwich, but Sony is promising an upgrade to Jelly Bean as soon as it can optimize all its custom apps. And indeed, there are quite a few specialized applications here. For starters, there's a new Watch Now app that allows for live TV-viewing (cable subscription required), with the option to "check into" shows and share comments on Facebook and Twitter. Meanwhile, Sony added a Guest Mode that lets you create custom user profiles, forbidding the use of certain apps -- a handy parental control tool, we say. Naturally, Sony also threw in Music and Video Unlimited, where you can buy content from Sony's vast movie and song catalogs. Finally, the tablet comes with 5GB of space in PlayMemories, Sony's new cloud storage service.
The tablet will be available September 7th, though Sony is accepting pre-orders starting today. It will start at $400 for the 16GB model, with the 32GB going for $500 and the 64GB for $600. And yes, as those leaked slides indicated, there will most certainly be accessories. For starters, there's that optional Surface-like keyboard we heard about, priced at $100. There's also a three-position stand, with HDMI output and a USB adapter for a charging. That, too, costs $100. Sony is also selling a charging cradle ($40), a plain-Jane stand ($25), a dock speaker ($130) and a carrying case, priced at either $51 or $80, depending on whether or not you get it in leather. We very much expect to get some hands-on time at IFA, so stay tuned for first-hand impressions.
Filed under: Tablets
Sony Xperia Tablet S official: slimmed-down design, Tegra 3, IR remote and Android 4.0, starts at $400 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 10:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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CES came and went without an update on the status of an alleged cable TV alternative the Wall Street Journal claimed Sony was building to push ahead its four screen strategy, but now Sony Network Entertainment VP Michael Aragon has given the rumor new life. Variety reports that during its Entertainment & Technology Summit Monday Aragon confirmed the company is considering offering TV services over the internet, but is waiting to see what happen with ISP bandwidth caps. Specifically referring to the Comcast 250GB limit that has recently come under fire from Netflix and others now that its Xfinity TV app on Xbox 360 skirts the cap entirely, Aragon noted cable companies have the pipe and the bandwidth and can restrict competing services. We've heard Netflix has been trying to negotiate its own path around such restrictions even as Redbox partners with Verizon on a video service, and rumors have periodically popped up linking Apple, Microsoft and any other tech giant you could name to similar plans. What does all this mean for the future? No one can say for sure yet, but unless some of the key players start to partner up instead of go to war we may need the FCC to step in before anything significant changes.
Sony exec confirms IPTV aspirations, says they're on hold due to bandwidth caps originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 May 2012 21:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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