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PlayStation Home lets friends watch free movies together now, UStream and radio next month
Sony's recently redesigned PlayStation Home project has always been about bringing online social experiences to the PS3 that mirror their real-world counterparts: hanging out in your apartment with friends, window shopping at the mall, Quincying. Now it can add one more notch to its virtual world experience belt by offering the ability to view full length movies for free, streamed by Sony's Crackle network. If you're a frequent user of Xbox Live's Netflix Movie Parties this may sound like old hat (were we the only ones using that feature?), but now all PS Home users -- in North America -- can do social viewing with up to 60 users or private parties with up to 11 at a time. Crackle's selection of movies and TV shows are available today, while live broadcast UStream events (Engadget podcast party anyone?) and musical stations provided by RadioIO are scheduled to debut in December. Press play on the video above for a quick preview or check after the break for a celebratory press release.
Sony gears up for Blu-ray 3D mastering and production in Japan
Good news if you find yourself in Tokyo and just have to have a Blu-ray 3D disc made, as Sony DADC Japan and Sony PCL are equipped to produce them. They're open for business July 1, following the Panasonic facilities opened last month, check out an authoring suite at Sony PCL pictured above. So far the facilities have focused on Blu-ray 2D, DVD and UMD production, but since 3DTV has been on the air in Japan for quite some time, we're expecting there to be a quite a backlog of content to bring home on disc.
Sony DADC to expand Indiana Blu-ray manufacturing plant
Terre Haute, Indiana is home to Sony's only Blu-ray Disc manufacturing facility in the entire United States, and while just north of 1,100 people are employed there now, another 85 will soon be joining the staff as finalized expansion plans are hammered down. The $113 million effort will add to its nearly 1 million-square-foot facility, though we aren't given specifics regarding how many more discs the plant will soon crank out. We hear you can wear funny masks there, though.
