When
Sony gave out the specs on the PS3 earlier tonight, the company mentioned that there would be two configurations: a $500 version with a 20GB hard drive and a $600 edition with a 60GB drive. Turns out that was only half the story. Yes, that pricing and storage info is accurate. But it turns out that there are a lot of other things missing from the lower-end (we can't bring ourselves to call a $500 console "cheap") version, besides an extra 40GB of storage. According to the specs released by Sony, the 20GB version will lack WiFi, a memory card reader and, most significantly, HDMI output. While you could probably get along without WiFi in a home-based console that already has Ethernet, and you can always presumably hook up a memory card reader via one of the unit's four USB ports, the lack of HDMI output makes this pretty much a non-starter for anyone hoping to actually use the PS3's Blu-ray drive for anything more than playing games. Sure, we can understand Sony not wanting to undercut sales of its own
dedicated Blu-ray players by offering the $500 PS3 as a cheaper alternative. But if the company was hoping to use the gaming platform as a way to build a base of fans for HD discs, chances are the strategy is going to backfire the first time someone tries playing a Blu-ray flick in their 20GB version and discovers that the unit's lack of HDMI limits them to analog 1080i output (or worse, depending on a disc's use of HDCP).
[Via
HD Beat]
posted May 8th 2006 11:46PM
You guys are fucking morons.
HD movies at 1080p can be played through component cables. The studio releasing the movie has the OPTION of downgrading the video signal IF they decide to do so. If you're been reading the news you'll know that the majority of studios wont be doing this simply because analog capture of hd content is nowhere as harmful as the capture of the digital stream.
I have no idea what MX has in store with the HD-DVD appendage. Streaming HD content through USB. They dont even have an HDMI option. And WiFi costs an extra 100 USD.
And, the lack of HDMI, WiFi, and card reader (however sucky) does not affect gameplay in the same way as LACK OF HDD STANDARD .. ala xbox360. So shut the fuck up.
Don't most consoles have one video output which uses different leads, couldn't this just mean the low-end PS3 doesn't include a premium HDMI cable?
The rest of the differences are perhiperals, wouldn't leaving off HDMI mean making two motherboards?
I'm soooo happy to hear this!! Finally sony is going to crash and burn. it was stupid of them to even think of releasing a console with Blu ray before the HD format war is even over.
sony would be screwd if HD DVD won the war but it doesnt matter for MS because the HDDVD drive is external and the games are regular DVD. hahahah fuck you sony.
and for all of you stupid noobs HDMI doesnt not have support for 1080p. the only way to get 1080p is to upconvert through the TV. hahaha fuck you sony again
and the new controller has no new inovation, all they did was take the old controller and put the pitch and yaw crap that it stole from nintendo in it and they removed the dual shock hahaha fuck you sony again!
and how they HELL are they gonna make any sort of money on this? Bluray = $EXPENSIVE$ 7core CPU = $EXPENSIVE$ plus all the other expensive crap in it must cost at least $1000 a unit. hahahahah fuck you sony again
Technically speaking even component can support 1080p but they will never allow blueray movies to play at that resolution over a analog signal. Component video can be just as great looking as HDMI HDMI is just a copy right protection and can do audio. but i think for the price this thing is a rip off. Sony is doomed.
HD we talking about requires HDMI cause we are referring to HDCP as thats where its all going... oh and BTW thats HDMI nextgen so hope you are 1.3 compatible Mr. Hidefs :) lol
as for the premium cable idea its a great idea but thats what the 360 did lol... sony wouldnt want to copy that as well it'd be too obvious as we've already seen the back of the console all the ports are directly on the console itself.... you know ... vcr style
btw here is microsofts reaction at teamxbox
http://features.teamxbox.com/xbox/1573/E3-2006-Microsoft-Reaction-to-Sony-Press-Briefing/p1
Ok, at first thought Sony sounds CRAZY. My first reaction was like "NO FREAKING WAY, THIS MEANS XBOX360 WINS THIS GEN". But then give it a second, let it sink in...Sony is SMART SMART SMART.
Think about it. What happened when the XBOX 360 came out last year? It was in short supply and who made the most money off the early sales of the 360? It wasn't MSFT, it was EBAY. eBay and the sellers there who camped out at Targets & Walmarts and turned around and sold those xboxes for double and TRIPLE what they paid for them.
Clearly Sony has done it's marketing and knows that - at least in the "early adopter phase" people will spend a ton of money to get the latest and the greatest. Sony may end up making much more money on these units. So even if Sony doesn't sell out every single PS3 right away because the price is so high, go back to economics 101 and remember that you don't have to sell more of a product to make more in profit - you just have to peg that certain price point on the curve.
Sony can always lower the price later. Of course there are drawbacks to this strategy - XBOX can take an even bigger lead because of the lower price, larger availablity of different games and a product that has gotten all of it's "production" bugs worked out.
And there is also the possiblity that these prices are an indicator that Sony expects to actually have a very low number of units to actually be available at the November release. By charging a higher price they are going to ensure that there are actually more consoles in the stores for the people willing to plunk down the money...
IMHO, the HDCP requirement for HD/BD movies will go away. It's already optional, and studios decide not to enforce it.
51.
What in the hell are you talking about?!?
Considering how pissed the movie studios are about piracy, dont you think they will force HDCP onto all of us?
All HDTV's around today have HDCP decoder chips built into them. The toshiba HD DVD drive is fully compatible. For now, movies will be released without the analog penalty they plan on imposing on people. But as time progresses, they probably will force people to use HDCP compliant connections (HDMI). Its like the PS2 and the later generation of DVD's that were incompatible with it. Once they implement the HDCP in their content (and considering the beating they have received from piracy, i think they will), the low end PS3 will, at the time of this writing, be unable to send the HDCP compliant signal without an HDMI connection, forcing HD content to be down scaled using analog connections.
Im just pissed that this isnt a standard issue for their system. The smaller hard drive, Card reader and wifi, i can understand them cutting out, but this shit should be standard, and considering this copy protection that might be rearing its ugly head in the next little while, it will be devestating to adopters of the low end ps3.
Now you shut the fuck up!
guys guys... HDCP is the key to understanding this news. Go read up on it, then make your comments.
53.
"and for all of you stupid noobs HDMI doesnt not have support for 1080p. the only way to get 1080p is to upconvert through the TV. hahaha fuck you sony again"
1. All-digital gives the highest quality available.
HDMI is the only interface in consumer electronics that can carry both uncompressed high-definition (HD) video and uncompressed multi-channel audio in all HD formats including 720p, 1080I and even upcoming 1080p. An all-digital, uncompressed signal translates into the highest quality video and audio, seen and heard, direct from the source.
http://www.hdmi.org/consumer/why_hdmi.asp
DUMBASS!!!
57.
That, im not too sure about. All the modern hardware (TV's and upcoming HD DVD and BD drives) will have HDCP support if it had HDMI connections. All they need to do is say, "Were starting our copy protection, make sure you have the right connections" and its over.
There are solutions to subvert those copy protections already, but for the average person, not having the proper movie support out of the box, espically since they are going on about its next gen format compatibility, is just stupid in my oppinion.
Who here has a television capable of displaying 1080p resolution? Who here even knows someone who does?
Will the 20gig ps3 be capable of displaying a 720p picture? If so, we're solid.
No the 20 gig cannot display a 720p. It can only display a 420p if you get a picture at all.
It has no wifi meaning all wired controllers that have no rumble, have a severe latancy that ruins a lot of third party controllers on the market.
Do you think Sony is stupid given there reputation. This will not make or break them. It's not going to stop anybody who didn't already want one from getting one. I believe it will be worth it.
Sorry 480p. Only reason you would get anything higher then 480p is to buy the 599 version and a HDMI tv.
The PS3 controllers have no rumble. The cheaper version doesn't have any wireless at all meaning wired controllers. Fewer usb ports meaning fewer devices that are used for say online play such as keyboard, voice headset, dance pad, guitar hero guitar. The controllers have a severe latancy that you used to see only in wireless controllers pre gamecube. And since you have wired controllers through the USB you got a lot less usb ports on the cheaper PS3.
No ability to save or import saves onto the cheaper PS3. This is due to the SD and mem sticks being removed. So if you wanted to take a save game to play on a friend's PS3 you would have to take the unit with you. Also if the hard drive filled up you would have to delete things on it rather then use the SD or memory sticks to save stuff on it once more.
Btw no seven bluetooth controllers on the PS3. Sony keep lying but people keep buying Playstations. Maybe this will be the turnaround.
Maybe the Xbox 360's HDVDV addon will work like this:
It'll have an input from the Component out in the X360 and also be connected via USB and then it'll have an HDMI output to the TV
#65 you are a genius...I hope that that's exactly what MS will do. Or maybe they just have multi port cable out the back that actually supports HDMI and HDCP.
I have the actual photos of the PlayStations 3 from CES 2006 in all three colors and each one shows 2-HDMI outputs. Now it doesn't have it? what a nice way to force everyone into purchasing the top-of-the-line $600.00 version. Sony screw this one BIG TIME.
For those saying that non-HDMI (thus non-HDCP) means no HD movies, that is wrong.
No HDMI means that you cannot watch HD over Digital connections, but you can still watch HD over component.
Its ICT that causes downrez to SD. For now, BD movies dont have ICT turned on. If and when ICT is used by studios, then worry about it.
If you are watching a movie over a digital connection w/o HDCP, you get a blank screen.
Forgive me if I'm wrong, but didn't last year's E3 PS3 showing showed 2 - that's TWO - HDMI outputs and garanteed a double 1080p signal for two 1080p enabled displays?
Didn't they promise a launch date merely months away from the 360's, and failed to deliver that as well?
This is very reminiscent of the PS2 announcement back in 1999 that killed off the Dreamcast: and we all know for the first 2 years of the PS2's life, the DC was constantly better;
All of Sony's PS3 showings so far have been marketing ploys to take momentum from their rivals; I am sick and tired of this company, even though I owned 1 PS, 2 PS2's and a PSP; I haven't played any of these for more then 6 months now; can't even be bothered to put them up for sale; The PSP, above all, is a joke: killer looks, zero content; the only consoles I play regularely are the DS and, to a lesser extenct, the 360 (which makes more noise then a muscle car and is very bad at DVD playback).
And very good point by "r3dir"
Nintendo surprised everyone with that awful name for their new console; yet, for a 250 price point and full backwards compatibility (but at what price..?) and that incoming Zelda Twilight Princess, I may jump on the Wii (sigh..) bandwangon after all. Besides, as I read somewhere else, some people believe Nintendo has a really big surprise yet to announce; they have patents for stuff we only have seen in movies, so far; and there's always that elusive sentence... "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" ... No TV's? Shudder.....
H.
looks to me like it's a stunt to see what they can get away with and what people really want.
they announce a hike in price and some cuts in spec and see what the feedback is like to find out if they can actually get away with it.
so everyone keep moaning and saying they won't buy one without and for that price and we might get the full spec cheaper. :-)
As soon as I found out about Sony's latest "reductions" to the PS3, I wanted to post stating what a ripoff it all is. NO HDMI, No WiFi, No 1080p? As well as NO dual HDMI, No Tri-Ethernet. Sony must be out of their mind.
Forget about the $499 system, the only real next-gen system with blu-ray, HDMI and WiFi costs $599. Just like the Xbox, it is pointless to buy the lesser system, as it is lacking essential features needed for long term enjoyment of the system.
Sony should have swallowed the extra $800 million ($599 - $200 = $399, $200 x 4 million units = $800 million) and released a single console version with all the features. You want to charge $499? Throw in 160GB hard drive, two controllers and a game.)
My enthusiasm is gone. If or when I buy the PS3 will depend on when the price on the "decent" $599 system drops to about $299. That will be around Christmas 2008 or 2009. In the mean time, if I need next-gen that badly, I'll get the Xbox 360. I never would have considered it before today.
The real question is whether or not the HDMI version supports HDCP. Just because it has HDMI doesn't mean is supports it. Has anyone seen anything in their announcment that states they support HDCP?
600USD is expensive? oh man you americans are so spoiled! If i could get the PS3 for that price here in my country i would buy two!!!
I realize that nobody is going to read all the way to comment #72, but I thought I should set a few things straight, since there are so many ill-informed people posting here.
1. The copy protection scheme for BR and HDDVD is AACS. HDCP is something else entirely: discs don't come "encoded" or "encrypted" with HDCP. HDCP ensures that a digital signal port won't work with a digital display that doesn't have HDCP, so that you can't "capture" full-res material; HDCP is a HARDWARE feature. This is different from AACS, which is in the content and prevents basically the same thing.
2. Not having HDMI does NOT necessarily mean that you will be restricted to 480p over component. AACS has this feature, but the token is optional. Thus far, no studio has announced an intention to down-res their content over component, even though they have this ability. So as of now, all announced titles for BR will play at 1080p over component on the PS3. (That is of course assuming that your TV will ACCEPT a 1080p signal over component--most 1080p TVs are limited to 1080p over HDMI or DVI).
Of course, if studios start to down-res over component (via AACS, not HDCP, as Marc mentioned), then the non-HDMI PS3 will be handicapped.
Wii wish you a merry christmas.
Wii wish you a merry christmas..
Wii wish you a merry christmas,
and marketshare for Nintendo!
I wonder if the PS3 will include a rootkit pre-installed..
Sony has made the assumption that EVERYONE who wants a PS3 owns an HD TV and wants to use the PS3 for HD Video!!! That is just stupid! Do they realize how many kids and college kids that don't have HD TVs? Gaming systems are used by "gamers" not HD Video fanatics! The extra $300 in this console is for HD Videos... period...
Its crazy too that the only way that Sony differentiated the 2 models in the presentation was the hard drive size!!! Again something that most gamers are not going to care about!!! As long as the machine an save games and cache content that is all they care about... not downloading songs to it and crap... how could Sony be so far off the boat??
It's obvious that they want to sell the PS3 for $600... they have severly limited the tech in the lower end model and made it a "stupid purchase"... why would I, a regular gamer, want to pay $100 bucks more for what is considered the low end Sony machine when I can get the High End next-gen XBOX for $100 bucks less!!??!!
They didn't even call it a gaming machine!!! Come on!!! and those playable demos that they showed don't look any more Next-Gen than the 360 does...
What a waste of time and money... if you ask me the early adopters will be willing to wait until the PS3 is released to buy a Blu-Ray player... since it is still $400 less than any of the upcoming players. So they are killing the market for Blu-Ray until November!!!
*sighs*
Its nice to know fanbois can keep things in perspective instead of reverting to 16 year old children who can't grow the hell up.
Get a clue guys. The majority of this price is in the blu-ray drive. That isn't justification its the simple fact. Sony, from what I've read is eating about $400 on the price of the PS3. that being said there is NO WAY IN HELL I'm spending $400 let alone $500 or $600 on a video game console. When I get my next gen optical disk player it ain't going to be built into a gaming system. For me there is one clear choice for next gen gaming: The WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. The price point won't leave you penniless. Now maybe in late 2007 I may eye a SP3 . No doubt the price of the system will drop like a rock in a years time. But for now. Oh hell NO.
Correct me if I am wrong, but don't the controllers use Bluetooth? Bluetooth is included in both bundles, so naturally the controllers would be wireless in both, right?
I really wanted to see some information about streaming videos and using the PS3 as a media center. One of the key aspect of next gen is that it simply isn't a game console but an entertainment hub where you can play games, watch movies either Blu-Ray or off the hard drive, connect to the internet, and other stuff. Anyone know what kind of codecs the PS3 can handle?
People forget the PS3 high end system comes with things that the Premium Xbox 360 doesn't. Such as:
WIFI
HD Dvd Player
HDMI
Memory Card Reader
If you buy the WIFI adapter for Xbox 360 it cost $100 bucks. If you buy the HD-DVD player add on it will surely be $100-$200. The HD-DVD player add on might have HDMI port and if so then it will drive the price up even more. So if you just add the HD-DVD player and WIFI, then it is around $200-$300 more making the premium Xbox 360 around $500-600 and it doesn't have a 60 gig hard drive. So like some people here say, the price is high for a gaming console, they are missing the point, the PS3 is simply not for gaming. I think the price at $600 is fair considering if you purchase any last gen gaming console (PS2, Xbox, Gamecube) right on the market and a HD-Dvd player it will cost you minimum $100 for the console and $500 for the DVD player.
"54. I'm soooo happy to hear this!! Finally sony is going to crash and burn. it was stupid of them to even think of releasing a console with Blu ray before the HD format war is even over."
You are absolutely wrong with this statement. Why would a company invest so much money into a format, then wait to see who wins the format war? To win the format war, there are two things that need to happen. One is, movie companies need to make the blu-ray disks (which many have agreed to do) and second you need people to buy the blu-ray dvd players to watch the movie. It is absolutely a smart idea for Sony to include Blu-Ray into the PS3. They will generate the usual money with each game sold, but then they will generate even more money with each Blu-Ray movie sold too. You don't sit around and wait to win a war, you need to be proactive. Sony will lose alot of money in the beginning because they of Blu-Ray, but they plan to recoup that money with each movie and game sold.
The only problem with Blu-Ray and HD-DVD is that companies think people want movies on disk. I would rather have movies on a hard drive or streamed through the internet if the quality is high and there is no lag.
Face it, here is Sony's plan, in chronological order:
1. Price the unit so high so that early adopters/rich people would get a piece of the pie. At this time, there will be no "blockbuster" titles out yet.
2. Lower the price by $50. No good titles out yet.
3. Lower the price furthermore until PS3 hits it's sweet spot ($349). Gran Turismo and Metal Gear Solid set to release. Massive sales follow.
4. Lower the price even more. Slim-line PS2 will be discontinued.
5. Hardware revision to make the PS3 even smaller. Lower the price even more to $199. Plans for PS4 announced.
6. PS3 discontinued.
BRILLIANT!!!
All this talk, keywords to search: Xbox 360, 65nm Fab, price drop timed for release of ps3, Halo 3, Gears of War, sony's death.
"18. There is an error: without HDMI, it will be impossible for most of the BR Disc to be played on the PS3, beacause of the lack of HDCP !
So the lack of HDMI doesn't just mean only analog 1080i !!! No BR-D at all (except the first movies which won't require the HDCP protection!)"
Wrong. Wrong. WRONG!
First off, NO movie studio has plans to use the Image Constraint Token,so as of now (and for a while, if not forever) all discs will play HD, component, DVI, or HDMI. Also, the disc will still PLAY without HDCP, just at 540p. Again, there are no plans to do this.
Still nothing about the business end of this console and I do mean BUSINESS. I want to be able to use the PS3 as a desktop computer replacement which is obviously better then my current set up of playing games on my dated PC.
I want photo editing, word processing, spreadsheets, as well as games. At 33 is there a place for me in Sony's plan. I know about the Linux operating system pre-installed on the hard drive, but just how far can it go in regards to managing my websites, advertising accounts, uploading to Quicken, and reading my Gmail. Wouldn't that make it worth the $600?
Sony did it again everyone.
No HDMI on the cheap side and dual moniter use is now out of the question. If you wanna talk numbers, microsoft is thinking of HDMI for their HD-DVD player, and this will overall be cheaper than the PS3. 1080i movies and games are pretty darn good. Now hook that up with a nice 1080p tv like my Sharp 45 in that has technology built inside to make all interlaced signals proggressive, I will be enjoying both 1080p movie viewing and gaming using my proud xbox 360 core at the price of about 450$ total for the cables and all. That sounds better than 500$ and I get Halo 3. I'm happy.
One thing we all need to remember: all digital doesn't necessarily mean better quality. Many of us "early adopters" have EARLY HD sets, which means no digital input at all. So what? Depending on your setup, your all digital path is converted many times from disc to display. In some cases this can result in a poorer picture than a component analog connection. (regardless of what the tool at Best Buy tells you) Like some of you have mentioned, the studios have no plans to use the image constraint feature, so I for one am not freaking out about the loss of HDMI on my PS3. I wouldn't have any use for it anyway!
Overall though, I think I've come to the conclusion that for $600 it's just not worth the trouble. I watch HD movies all the time on my Cable, big whoop. Sports are much better in HD than movies, so what we have left is a $600 juggernaut of a Colecovision. This thing better play the friggin game FOR me for that money. Oh, and tell the designers what sunlight really looks like. I'm sick of looking at overcast afternoon and getting told it's sunshine. meh.
You know... saying "I told you so!".... doesn't quit say it.
#57 - Hey Ted, did you forget that you mentioned that Ebay made the most money off of sales of the 360, and not Microsoft? Doesn't that mean ebayers will be rich, not Sony? And did you forget that it costs Sony $900 to make one (the 60GB one, I hope, for Sony's sake)?
Sony's not so smart after all, huh? They're not raking in cash, they're taking the loss right up the ass.
YOU go back to Economics 101. Sony could sell the 60 GB PS3 at $699 and it still would sell out, seeing as how there actually are dumbasses who would buy a 360 for $1000. Supply and demand, bee-yatch! They could lower the price later.
Japanese Playstation by Japanese law HAS to output at least 1080i on analog component. It's only the US/EU
version which will be crippled, the same goes for HD-DVD players and BD-players, all players sold in Japan HAVE TO OUTPUT full HD over component - until at least 2011.
Question for everyone... who have HDTV that can support 1080p? I sure don't... i have hdtv that can support 1080i or 720p. It's useless or waste of money for me spending 500 or more for PS3 which i can't use all the functions. Sony made a mistake designing the PS3, can't upgrade from one model to another. but I will be buying 3 PS3 so i can sell them on ebay to stupid fan boys.
Just reading that 1st paragraph just... wants me to stick with the PS2. >_
OMG! people, add it all up, i lost count of the amount of people here saying how bad the $600 is.
Xbox 360 + HD-DVD + Online Gaming = Playstation 3
and if those two equal, i'd take the PS3.
also, u think america has it bad, Australia has the premium edition for $999 AUD, if u convert $600 USD into AUD its $819, somehow sony has added an extra $180!!! just because wer in australia.
its unbelievable!!!
oh, and im reserving the PS3 Premium for 1st day release.
PS3 HDMI 1080P runs on version 1.3, do you have a version 1.3 TV HDMI 1080P?
I believe most of the population doesn't have a 1.3 HDMI 1080P TV thats costs about $4000+ which means we cannot really use the PS3 HDMI without 1.3 TV version, right?
Please correct me if I'm wrong, Thanks.
Heres a good article involving PS3 without HDMI: http://www.tgdaily.com/2006/03/24/gdc2006_ps3_no_hdmi/
Sony is very technical. MS is all about marketing. Sony wants to go further and sometimes means to take a step longer than the leg! They promised twin HDMI (two screen in game action, etc). There wasn't a single spec on the PS3 that wasn't superior, in every way, to the XBox360's.
Regardless recent Sony announcements, specs are still superior in every way!
Frankly, I'm not too worried about the hardware or the price tag.
I'm much more worried about game quality! Sony PS3 game development software is so complex that it will probably take 2 years until a game that uses the hardware’s full potential is released! E3 2005 PS3 game demos looked great. E3 2006 PS3 games demos sucked big time! (regardless what you hear elsewhere)
My advice: Buy the 60 GB PS3 console. HDMI is crucial, as mentioned earlier. The extra 100 bucks are less than what U spend in two games anyway!
Please excuse me for this comment but this thread looks like a bunch of five year old kids debating the new Suzuki GSRX1000’s horsepower against the new Kawasaki’s! These are only the specs, people! One has to ride it to tell the difference. The games ARE the ride and that is why I’m troubled! We will all have to wait for 2 years before a “next gen” PS3 game is released! They will look “good” but… read this again in 2008 and you will understand what I mean!
Sony,
Please don't screw this one up ... I enjoyed my PS1, PS2 & PSP ... Please, Please, Please do the smart thing
#1. Lower the price
#2. Bring an innovation that no one else has right now
#3. If you are going to make it $600 ... Include time travel or auto house cleaning features.
Just get you head out of you rectum and do something constructive or else Nintendo will dominate once again. I hope it is not too late (I do miss super mario bro's.)
(By the way ... I love Sony products so please do not bash me. I have 14 Sony products currently ... But I feel they are going down the wrong path and need to straighten out to pull out a win)
20gb has hdmi... i have a 20gb ps3 and theres an HDMI out in the back. how can something with a bluray player not have HDMI output. come on people..