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Hulu Plus now available to all PS3 owners in the US, Europe lets out a wistful sigh
Yes indeed, the expected wide availability of Hulu Plus on the PlayStation 3 has just been enacted, allowing any US PlayStation Network member to get streaming with Hulu's premium offering. Until now, you needed to be a paying member of Sony's PlayStation Plus club to qualify, but that requirement has now finally been dropped. Check out our experience with Hulu Plus on the PS3 if you still need help deciding whether the $9.99 TV streaming service is worth your hard-earned greenbacks. Those of us unlucky enough to be living on another continent will just go drown our sorrows with another round of Black Ops mayhem. [Thanks, Robert]
Hulu Plus hits 2010 BRAVIA HDTVs, coming to all PS3 users next week
Sad, dreary day at your place? Fret not, as the Boob Tube is just about to get even better. Hulu has just revealed a movement to get Hulu Plus stocked with more content and onto more devices, STAT. Making sure those words aren't empty, we're learning that all 2010 Sony BRAVIA HDTVs will today have access to the subscription programming service, with it bleeding over to Sony's various Blu-ray players, home theater systems, network media players and even the Dash -- yeah, that Dash -- in due time. In related news, Hulu will be soon yanking the invite requirement to get Hulu Plus on the PlayStation 3, and as of next week, any ole PlayStation Network member (as opposed to PlayStation Plus, as it stands today) will be able to grab it. 'Course, even those freeloaders will be forced to pony up $9.99 per month if they're interested in using it, but hey, it's not like Raising Hope is financed with pixie dust, right? [Thanks, Brian]
PS3 and Lovefilm make it official, streaming movies to consoles in the UK this November (updated)
Considering our leak a couple of days back came directly from Sony itself, this is hardly a suprise, but Eurogamer has done the diligent thing and managed to confirm with the dudes in suits that British film streaming service Lovefilm will indeed be coming to the PlayStation 3. The everything console is adding the UK answer to Netflix to its stable of software enhancements, which will let people buy pay-per-view movies or, provided they're on Lovefilm's £5.99 subscription or above, let them stream away without a care in the world. Oh, and the video ad that got pulled? We've now got it for you after the break. Update: Electric Pig have been told that the PPV option will be left off the table for console streamers. Update 2: Lovefilm has gotten in touch with us directly to say the service is rolling out this November.
Sony phasing out 120GB and 250GB PS3 SKUs, the latter now going for $299 at Fry's
From a supply chain management standpoint, this all makes sense -- why have four separate PS3 SKUs with various HDD sizes when just a pair will do? After announcing last week that a 160GB and 320GB PS3 Slim would be making landfall in the US and Europe, it seems as if Sony has decided to phase out the existing 120GB and 250GB flavors. There's no definitive word on when production on those will stop (we're surmising that the stop order has already been placed), but it looks as if some retailers are already starting up fire sales on the now-old models. For those curious, that's a Fry's installation pictured above, which is selling their leftover 250GB units for just $299, or the same price as the incoming 160GB unit. Decisions, decisions...
Hori's mesmerizing PS3 Slim LCD dock now available for import
Love at first sight may be debatable, but we had a feeling we'd be into Hori's PS3 Slim LCD dock just as soon as we laid eyes on it. A few months after first appearing overseas, the simplistic device -- which mounts an 11.6-inch LCD atop your PlayStation 3 Slim console -- is ready to be imported into these great States of America. Play-Asia is coming through in the clutch once more, offering the gizmo to those situated far, far from the Land of the Rising Sun for $259.90. It's in stock and ready to ship within 24 hours, so we'd get it on it if you were planning to get on it. Just sayin'. [Thanks, Craig]
Sony restricts stereoscopic PS3 games to 720p 3D
Sorry, fellow gamers, we're out of luck if we want to play stereoscopic PS3 titles in their full high definition glory -- Joystiq reports that Sony guidelines won't allow for 1080p 3D. As we discovered in April, the goal is to run even native 1080p content at a lower 720p resolution when splitting the image in twain, allowing enough processing overhead for a smooth 60fps framerate and likely reducing eyestrain. Mind you, it's not like there are many occasions when you'd have cause to complain -- even in two dimensions, native 1080p titles on modern consoles are few and far between. Exempt from the specification are 3D Blu-ray movies, which run at a slower (but larger) 1080p24 by default, so rest assured that when you're being tortured with Clash of the Titans repeat viewings, you'll see every glorious detail.
Hulu Plus will be a downloadable app on PS3, require PlayStation Plus subscription?
The mathematical symbols are aligned... and they're pointing to a greater cash outlay if you want to have (a legitimate copy of) Hulu on your PlayStation 3. Technologizer recently discovered the highlighted line above in the source code for the Hulu website, and if correct, you'll need a PlayStation Plus subscription on top of your Hulu Plus one in order to stream the best brain-numbing shows from broadcast TV. While that adds up to an additional $18 for three months or $50 annually on top of your $10 monthly Hulu Plus fee, it's not like you'll get a better deal on a different game console -- Microsoft has confirmed Hulu will require Xbox Live Gold when it launches on Xbox 360 next year. Besides, this isn't like those janky Netflix Instant Streaming Discs -- further down the source code, there are hints that Hulu's developing a bona fide app for PlayStation 3. See the relevant section of the code right after the break.
Sony explains PlayStation Plus: here's what your $50 annually buys (update)
With less than a week before PlayStation Network's premium subscription plan launches, many gamers still haven't the foggiest idea what it does -- which isn't terribly promising for a service that costs $50 a year, or even $18 for three months. Thankfully, the official PlayStation.Blog has stepped forward to clear up that noise, explaining more concretely what comes with PlayStation Plus. While you'll still get online network play for free -- assuming you've accepted Sophie's Sony's Choice -- if you choose to pay the extra fee you'll get free monthly games attached to your account, as long as you remain a subscriber. Furthermore, PSN titles will be discounted up to 50 percent by the sheer power of your will, you'll get early access to betas, and you can try certain full games for an hour (not just a demo) before you buy them. You can also turn on an automatic update feature that will download patches and the like automatically, and the company hints it may even (finally) bring us cross-game voice chat. Without knowing which games are included, we still don't know if it's worth our annual Ulysses S. Grant, but at least now the service sounds like it's worthy of consideration. Update: Looks like the US will get a free copy of Wipeout HD at launch, and European gamers will get LittleBigPlanet as well -- see our more coverage link for the full EU slate. Now that's more like it.
Sony announcing PS3 bundles with more storage, faster WiFi, and Move?
We're just a day away from Sony's official press conference at this year's E3, and CVG has heard rumors from a supposedly reliable source that some refreshed PS3 bundles are on the docket for officialdom. Word is that the new PS3s will pack 802.11n WiFi (up from 802.11b/g currently) and will come in 250 and 500GB flavors. Both bundles are said to be coming with at least one Move controller included, a move (zing!) that Sony had already said it would make, but the word of faster WiFi flies in the face of last week's FCC filing for new bundles still offering only 802.11b/g. So, will a new 802.11n-equipped model become the standard edition, or does this "industry source" not have a clue? We'll find out tomorrow. Update: Looks as if Sony has updated Move's official online portal with a slew of working titles. Have a peek while we get ready for the full reveal at E3, won't you? Thanks, Tiaan!
TwistDock is the PS3 organizer for M. Night Shyamalan fans
Looking for a dock... with a twist? Frankly we weren't either, but that didn't stop us from being intrigued by the aptly titled TwistDock for the PS3 from Vogel's, a docking station for a console that we didn't think needed one. On the front the TwistDock houses a PS3, either original or Slim, and on the back (here comes the twist) two controllers can be slotted in and charged, shown after the break. There's also a USB hub for connecting other goods and overall it pledges to keep your layout "clean, stylish and sexy." That would be lovely progression from our current entertainment center's "dusty, cluttered and tangly" label. Can it deliver? It's on display at this year's E3, and we'll go see for ourselves.
PlayStation 3's first 3D title updates coming June 10th to Japan
Good news / bad news, folks. First with the smiles: PlayStation 3's first 3D-enabling updates are due out on June 10th for downloadable titles Super Stardust HD, WipEout HD, and Pain. The first two games get the added dimension for gratis, but Pain lovers (who should be accustomed by now to its abundant premium add-ons) will need to fork over ¥300 (approximately $3.28) for the benefit. The other stickler is that these updates are so far only announced for Japan -- and by merit of a Bravia promotion, Europe as well. So what's a North American gamer with a penchant for wearing special glasses to do? Keep waiting, true believers.
IntensaFIRE click-on mod bringing programmable / rapid fire modes to PS3 controller
Xbox 360 gamers may have had a solid year head start, but PlayStation 3 loyalists will soon be able to join the programmable / rapid fire party, too. BGRMods has announced that its much-hyped IntensaFIRE controller mod is finally coming to Sony's latest console, bringing with it fewer installation steps and an equal amount of tinkering possibilities. This new board requires no glue and no solder; users simply "click" it into place and enjoy the spoils of having rapid-fire potential at their fingertips. Purportedly, the mod is useful in "all PlayStation games," and it'll begin shipping out on May 21st for those who just can't game without a macro. We're told that the $69.95 device will also be making its public debut at E3, so you can bet your bottom dollar we'll be hitting the show floor in hopes of snagging a bit of hands-on time come June. [Thanks, Kristofer B]
Hacker gets XBMC running on his PS3, tells you how (video)
Sony's disabling of Linux on the PS3 has made many people very angry, some more so than others, but for an enthusiast named madshaun1984 it was something of a call to arms. He didn't file a lawsuit or whine about it in forums -- oh no. He sat down to get XBMC working and has succeeded, albeit slowly. Right now the CellSDK that this build relies upon is not up to snuff performance-wise, so just scrolling through media is somewhat less than fun and you can forget about playing it. But, the hope is to improve that and to turn the PS3 into a proper media-streaming Linux box... so long as you don't update the firmware, anyway. Full instructions on how to do this are at the source link, but be prepared to spend the better part of an afternoon at it if you want to try yourself. For those not ready for that kind of commitment (or anyone who already has the latest firmware) you can just enjoy the video proof after the break.
Air Force feels afterburned as Sony clips the PS3's Linux wings
When we learned that the Air Force was buying 300 PS3s we knew it could mean only one thing: all-night HAWX LAN party. But, when the order came through for 2,200 more, it seemed something more serious was afoot, and sure enough the armed force that aims higher was aiming to use them as a cluster for high-def video processing. Naturally that's quite dependent on the machine's Linux capabilities, capabilities that Sony has, of course, since disabled. You might think this doesn't matter, since the units will never play games and so don't need the distro-disabling firmware update. But, hardware fails, especially when stacked as close as these units are and, according to the Air Force's Research Laboratory, Sony takes the liberty of applying the latest firmware even to refurb'd units. In other words, this is one cluster that's bound to fragment and not even Louis Gossett Jr. could bring it back together. Dramatic re-enactment after the break.
Sony turns VAIO P into world's most expensive PS3 keyboard
Yesterday we told you what we thought about the new VAIO P, an $800 conversation piece of a netbook, and now Sony is giving potential owners something else to talk about. The little laptop has been granted "Remote Keyboard" functionality, turning it into a sort of giant economy sized version of the PlayStation 3 Wireless Keypad, a device we weren't particularly fond of when we first played with it way back in 2008. Like that device, the VAIO P has a battery life that's too short and a keyboard that's uncomfortable to use, but this new ability adds one more piece of function this very form-centric laptop desperately needs. The software isn't officially available in the US yet, but we're told the Japanese version at the source link will do you just fine if you're one of the few, the proud, and the financially irresponsible rocking a VAIO P today.
Sony selling 'PlayStation Protection Plan' warranty extension for PS3, PSP
Sony makes some pretty resilient game consoles, and while you'll certainly hear about the occasional glitch, they aren't exactly plagued with RRoD. That said, there's always room for worry, and if you're willing to pay for peace of mind, Sony has a brand-new service agreement with your name on it. Dubbed the "PlayStation Protection Plan," it simply extends the full warranty on your PlayStation 3 or PSP for another year or two, and optionally covers your handheld's five-foot swan dive onto solid concrete for an additional fee. While replacement won't quite be no-questions-asked and the warranty explicitly fails to cover dead pixels, liquid damage and loss of data (among other things), we can still imagine some will pony up the $30 to $50 for extra insurance. Not us, though. Since you can only buy if you're still within the original warranty period, it won't help us replace our backwards-compatible 60GB PS3... and honestly, we think we've had enough of Sony's protection.
PlayStation 3.30 firmware is a go, 3D games support 'prepped'
When the PlayStation blog said firmware 3.30 -- you know, the one that "preps" the console for added 3D support (games for now, not movies) -- was "coming soon," we figured that meant some indeterminate day or week ahead. Not so; we just turned on our Sony consoles and, lo and behold, we got a new update sent our way. There's nothing you can do with the third dimension at this point, but take solace in a handful of Trophy enhancements. And Linux support? Don't be silly, it's not coming back.
Bypass PS3 firmware 3.21 in seconds -- at your own risk (update: defunct)
Face it: Sony's backed you into a corner. You can't play PS3 online without downloading the 3.21 firmware update, but if you download, your precious 'Other OS' is forfeit -- and there may be side effects. You could wait it out, hoping Geohot comes through with a workaround. You could even sue Sony for a refund if you live in Europe. Or, if you're not terribly worried about the security of your PSN account and personal information, you could instead input just ten digits into your PS3 and magically bypass the entire issue. Though technically minded individuals have been skirting Sony's firmware checks for years now using private proxies, homebrew developer Aaron Lindsay decided to set up a public server at 67.202.81.137, which allows anyone to piggyback on his success in mere seconds -- we tried it ourselves, and it worked like a charm. By doing so, you run the risk of giving Aaron all your credentials... but if the odd identity theft doesn't break your stride, you can jump right back into that Uncharted 2 session by entering the above number into Internet Connection Settings > DNS Setting > Primary DNS. Update: As of April 13, the proxy DNS trick no longer works. We're not sure why, but considering how long the hacking community holds a grudge, we expect a workaround in due time.
PS3 meets Hori LCD dock, good things happen
Hori is a company that's no stranger to strapping LCDs to consoles and calling them portable, but for some reason we're quite smitten with its latest monitor docking station. The HP3-87 doesn't stray too far from the formula -- it adds an 11.6-inch screen to a wraparound structure for your PS3, with stereo speakers, two headphone jacks, and composite or component input options. With a resolution of 1,366 x 768, it's well suited to handling the 16:9 signal coming out of the do-everything console, although its 500:1 contrast ratio, 7ms response time, and 200 nits of brightness are perhaps a tiny step behind the times. On the other hand, it's compatible with the Japan-only Torne DTV adapter and it's officially licensed by Sony itself, so it can't be too bad, right? All you Tokyo-ites will have until May 27 to decide, when the HP3-87 goes on sale for ¥26,040 ($276). International release plans are not yet disclosed, but if you really need the portability, you could always grab a PS3 laptop from your local online auction house. Which option will be more useful (less useless?) we leave up to you to decide.
Older PS3s losing 'install other OS' option in Thursday's firmware 3.21 update
Bad news, Linux fans. The older PlayStation 3 consoles are losing one of the features they could tout over their Slim successor. Firmware 3.21 is coming out this Thursday, April 1st, and its major raison d'être is to kill the "install other OS" option. (This is "not an April fools joke," as the PlayStation Europe blog clarifies.) "Security concerns" is the cited reason, although we're sure that doesn't make you feel much better -- no one likes the loss of a feature, even if it wasn't being used. Those who wish to keep Yellow Dog or Fedora running can opt to not upgrade, but skipping out means losing the ability to access PlayStation Network and play games online, among other things. DARPA enthusiasts notwithstanding, we can't say we know many people still running Linux on their console, but if you count yourself among the few and proud, our condolences. Them's the breaks, but hey, at least some of you still have PS2 compatibility.
