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Japan's 1seg advertisement
Here's yet another international PSP commercial. This time, we're taking a look at the 1seg device, a handy peripheral which allows Japanese PSP owners to access digital television signals over the air. Unfortunately, 1seg isn't available in America, and the likelihood of us seeing something similar is zero. At least we have the PlayStation Store, right? Wait a minute ...
Video of the Nintendo DS 1seg TV tuner in action
We've seen a couple pretty press photos of the forthcoming DS 1seg TV tuner, but nothing beats video -- and the Japanese promo video unearthed by the crew at Gamebrink delivers the goods in spades. Apart from the usual orientation and aspect ratio settings, the tuner has some neat extra features -- you can take notes on one screen while watching on the other, and it also can be set to take screenshots whenever the closed captioning changes, allowing you to flip through a show like a picture book later. Japanese DS fans can get their hands on the 1seg tuner starting on the 23rd, according to Gamebrink. Check the whole video after the break.[Thanks, J]
Nintendo dusts off their TV tuner accessory
First seen back in February of last year, the DS TV tuner accessory kind of disappeared. Now that it's back and Nintendo is actually planning to release it, the DS is a very different system. The DS Lite was being shown off at the same conference as the TV tuner, yet to become the massive cultural phenomenon that nobody expected it to be. New Super Mario Bros. had yet to be released; the first Brain Training game was out and selling well, but not ridiculously well. Maybe Nintendo just got busy and forgot about the accessory.It's back now, and it has a firm release date of November 20th. If you have access to the 1seg digital audio/video broadcast system (which means you live in Japan), you can use this device to receive programming! You can also write notes and save them, which can be useful for sports scores. Nintendo will be selling this exclusively online for 6,800 yen ($59), and preorders start November 8th.The sudden resurgence of this accessory was predicted by the Japanese magazine Gamelabo, whose predictions are usually not worth caring about. However, since this one turned out to be true, it may bode well for the other rumors they mongered in that issue: a new Square Enix RPG for DS starring Shonen Jump characters, and a PSP version of Dragon Quest IX. Or it could be that Gamelabo has a strict lies:truth ratio they have to keep up.[Via Dengeki]
Nintendo DS gets 1seg tuner, too -- watch out PSP
Maybe you know the deal with 1seg, but in case you don't, it's Japan's new(ish) native-brewed broadcast digital TV service technology that devices like the PSP -- and now the Nintendo DS -- are rocking. Granted, we can't help but thinking the way this cartridge is going to jut out the back of one's DS is hardly elegant compared to Sony's much more densely designed solution, but the Japanese obsession with the DS knows no bounds, so godspeed, 'Tendo. This dongle will sell for ¥6800 (about $60 USD) when it goes on sale in Japan on November 20th.[Via Engadget Japanese and Akihabara News]
Sharp develops "world's thinnest" 2.2-inch QVGA mobile LCD
We've already seen Hitachi launch the "world's slimmest" LCD TV today, so it's rather fitting that Sharp comes through and delivers what it calls the "industry's thinnest" mobile display. Granted, we've known this ultrathin 2.2-inch wonder was coming since April, but it's always reassuring to see plans actually emerge from the drawing board. Nevertheless, this wee unit measures in just 0.01-millimeters thinner than a 1.9-inch version that AU Optronics was touting earlier this week (that's 0.68-millimeters for those keeping score), and it features a 2,000:1 contrast ratio, 320 x 240 (QVGA) resolution, 176-degree viewing angle and an eight-millisecond response time that should be suitable for mobile TV viewing. Regrettably, there's no sign of an actual release date, but those browsing the aisles at FPD International 2007 can reportedly catch it up close and in person.[Via Akihabara News]
Famitsu survey reveals: PSP momentum in doubt
Due to the overwhelming success of the PSP, Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu surveyed 68 of its retail partners for their thoughts on the state of the PSP. The survey revealed a number of interesting factoids. For example, Piano Black is the best selling system (17.4%) while Rose Pink is the worst (6.9%). Unsurprisingly, Crisis Core ended up being the top seller of the month, which caught 62.7% of retailers off guard -- they couldn't predict sales would be so strong.Although Crisis Core sold so well, it was actually the 1seg, retailers report, that inspired the most PSP sales. However, in spite of the system's current success, 43.3% of retailers surveyed do not believe PSP momentum will continue.The retailers are worried about the lack of big titles coming up for the system. More games like Monster Hunter are (obviously) needed. Some other suggestions included: games that support the 1seg (how would that work?), record functionality for the 1seg, and new colors that look different than DS's offerings. Supposedly, Japan's software lineup on PSP leaves something to be desired as well.For the complete report, make sure you check out PSPHyper.
Sanyo intros the NV-HD880FT "Gorilla" GPS navigator
Sanyo wants to navigate through this crazy world with you, or, more specifically, it wants you to navigate through this crazy world with its NV-HD880FT "Gorilla," a personal GPS rig sure to have even the most die-hard map users casting sideways glances. The new navigator features a massive 8-inch touchscreen, a 30GB hard drive, and dual TV tuners (12Seg / 1Seg and terrestrial). Additionally, the NV-HD880FT packs traffic updates, an FM transmitter, and emission reduction "thoughts" via the company's "Eco-Drive II information" (whatever that means). The navigator will be available in Japan on November 26th, for ¥225,750 (or around $1,956), no word on a wider release.[Via Akihabara News]
Toshiba crams a fuel cell into PMP concept
A far cry from the concepts of yesteryear, Toshiba is really getting serious about its fuel cell PMP concepts, and this year's model makes the all-important move of integrating the fuel cell power plant into the very back of the player. The unit runs on nearly 100% methanol, and discharges the vapor created through natural evaporation. There's a capacity meter for tracking the amount of fuel you've got left, and the cell provides about 10 hours of 1seg playback. Toshiba's aiming to launch the player in 2008-ish, and is showing off other fuel cell items at CEATEC to bolster its cred, including a prototype laptop -- which you can sign us up for right here and now.
Sony Walkman NW-A910 hands-on
Not that it's of much consequence to those living outside Japan, but we got our hands on a Walkman NW-A910 1seg portable media player. If you know what the specs are and know what 1seg is, you don't really need further commentary from the likes of us. Commence photo gallery.%Gallery-8066%
Toshiba tosses gigabeat V41 brick at Sony: misses, throws like girl
First Sony, now Toshiba introduces a new flash-based 1Seg TV totin' media player onto the Japanese market. However, unless you're after SD/SDHC card expansion, Microsoft DRM support, and a larger 3.5-inch display (albeit at the same resolution as the Sony) for the same price but twice the weight, there's just not much to like from the latest Toshiba slab sporting the gigabeat logo. Impress did the dirty work of pitting the gigabeat V41 head-to-head with the smokin' Sony NW-A910 for a feature-by-feature comparison. Damn Tosh, we can feel your embarrassment from here.
Sony's Walkman NW-A910 series slakes that media jones
Nice huh? That's the latest Walkman from Sony. However, unless you live in Japan, you can forget about using it to watch your mobile digital TV. This little pup packs a 1Seg tuner, not DMB, DVB-H, or Flo. Measuring just 86.8 × 48 × 12.3-mm, the NW-A910 series player holds up to 16GB of flash memory and a 2.4-inch, 320 x 240 pixel display. The included EPG even allows you to schedule up to 10 programs for recording up to one month in advance for up to 100 hours of MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 formatted television inside the device. As this is Japan, it still supports ATRAC in addition to non-DRMed WMA and AAC, MP3, and linear PCM audio playback with SonicStage doing the sync work back to your PC. Rounding things out are an FM tuner, direct encoding from your CD/MD player, clear audio noise canceling headphones, and a battery capable of juicing up to 6 hours of television or 36 hours of audio. The premium NW-A919/BI (pictured) will sell in November for ¥47,800 while a 4GB NW-A916 should pop for about ¥30,000 ($259). %Gallery-7850%[Via Impress]
Sanyo kicks out two new 1seg-equipped navigators
Unfortunately for those in America, you aren't likely to see either of Sanyo's latest GPS units, but for those dwelling in Japan, here's the low down. Up first is the fairly attractive NV-SD580DT, which boasts a 1seg tuner, integrated media player, FM transmitter, built-in one-watt speaker, 5.8-inch display, and an SD expansion slot. The slightly less stunning NV-SB260DT (shown after the jump) packs a 4.5-inch screen and omits MP3 playback, but retains most of the other features on the aforementioned sibling. Both units are set to hit stores next month, and while the NV-SD580DT will ring up at ¥117,600 ($1,021), the NV-SB260DT will demand ¥103,950 ($902).[Via Impress]
TGS hands-on: PSP 1seg TV tuner
The 1seg tuner for PSP makes us jealous of Japanese PSP owners. The tiny peripheral attaches to the top of the system, and allows users to tune into a variety of broadcast channels. The video quality at the Tokyo Game Show floor was stellar, with very minimal artifacting seen in the video. It's easy to change channels through a simple intuitive interface which overlays over the video quite nicely. A variety of video resize options can be readily accessed by bringing up the options menu with the Triangle button.If there's a complaint we would have about the 1seg tuner, we'd say it has to be the delay that comes when switching channels. It takes a full second or so for the system to display video of the next channel. Certainly not a major hindrance, especially when considering the quality of video that's produced on such a small peripheral. Japanese Joystiq readers will want to check it out.
Japan's Segnity: the talking TV
If you've ever dreamed of a cute little television which would speak to you (and we're pretty sure you have), you're in luck. Thanks to E-Revolutiona and Takara Tomy, that dream is now a reality. The two companies have gotten together and produced a 2.7-inch, QVGA TV called the Segnity which runs on AAA batteries or USB power, features a 1seg tuner (a a mobile terrestrial digital audio / video / data broadcasting service in Japan), and... talks to you. Apparently, the little display (which comes in black or white) will asking you things like, "Are you leaving already?" when you attempt to switch it off. No word on whether it whispers subliminal messages to you while you sleep, or threatens to kill you if you return it -- but we can certainly hope. Available at the end of September for about ¥10,000 (or $86). Check the video after the break to see the annoying device in action. [Warning: read link not translated][Via Akihabara News]
Kohjinsha SH-series UMPC bumped to Intel A110 processor
If you're a Kohjinsha fan (and trust us, UMPC pumpers love 'em) then you'll want to take note of this, their latest flagship mini. The new SH8-series eases the processor up a notch to an 800MHz Intel A110 while stiffening the disk to 120GB -- 32GB SSDs still available. Unfortunately, they've somehow managed to decrease battery life from 3.5- to 3.3-hours with the SSD, or 3.1-hours with an HDD -- a real no-no for ultraportables. You'll be looking at ¥238,000 (about $2,047) fully specced with a 1Seg TV tuner and Vista / MS Office pre-load when these hit Japan in September. Docked, white-on-black style after the break. [Via Impress]
Fujitsu's LOOX U50XN ultra-portable PC gets colored
It's been a tick since Fujitsu's LOOX ultra-portable PC lineup has garnered our attention, but there's no better way to do that than offer up the machine in four dazzling colors and bump the hardware while you're at it. The FMV-U50XN is now available in white, blue, black and red color schemes, and includes an 800MHz Intel A110 processor, up to 1GB of DDR2 RAM, between 20GB and 40GB of hard drive space, a 5.6-inch LED-backlit LCD with a 1,024 x 600 resolution, 802.11b/g, USB 2.0, VGA output, SD / CF card slots, an integrated speaker, and Windows Vista to boot. After you mull over exactly which hue to choose (take a peek after the break for closeups), you can snag your fav for around $1,600 right now.
1seg brings digital TV to Japanese PSP Lites
Finally, Japan is getting what it always wanted from the PSP: a 1seg digital TV tuner. 1seg is technology that allows Japanese PSP owners to watch digital TV while on the go. There's a catch, though -- the 1seg device will only work on the redesigned PSP. Burn!The peripheral is coming September 20th for ¥6980 (about $57). Those interested in picking it up will have to buy a redesigned PSP on the same day. Let's hope that this isn't a new trend of future PSP products becoming incompatible with the original model.[Via Joystiq]
Sony shows off digital TV tuner for PSP ... Lite ... in Japan
Despite a strong showing at E3, Sony unleashed an additional volley of announcements at today's PlayStation Premier event in Tokyo, which IGN has been covering. In addition to a handful of games, Sony also announced a 1seg TV Tuner that attaches to the PSP's USB port. Since it's 1seg – a mobile terrestrial digital audio/video and data broadcasting service in Japan – we can't expect to see it over here, but we can always hope for a technologically inferior Western counterpart. As if that wasn't limiting enough, the 1seg Tuner will only be compatible with the new PSP Lite redesign. So, when Japanese gamers pick up a Tuner on September 20th for ¥6980 (about $57), they'll also need to grab the new PSP conveniently released on the same day for ¥19,800 ($162). Then they can watch cat videos all day long , we guess ...[Via Engadget]
Sony announces PSP 1seg TV tuner
It looks like Sony's finally deemed it necessary to offer an updated version of Sega's Game Gear TV tuner, with the company today announcing its 1seg TV tuner for the PlayStation Portable. That technological distinction of course means that the device won't be making its way to North America (at least in its current form), but PSP users in Japan will soon be able to pick up some digital TV signals for the not unreasonable price of ¥6,980 (or about $57). There is a catch, however, in that the device is apparently only compatible with the new, slimmer PSP -- hopefully not a sign of further things to come from Sony. If that's not a deal-breaker for ya, you'll be able to grab one on September 20th.[Via PS3Forums, thanks Stan]
Sharp Papyrus PW-TC920 defines words, tunes TV
While it's not like we expect e-dictionaries to hop on the fast track of upgrades or anything, it's been way too long since Sharp's flagship Papyrus received any attention, but the day has finally come for a successor to take over. The PW-TC920 picks right up with a 4.3-inch 480 x 272 resolution touchscreen, QWERTY keyboard, handwriting recognition pad, SD flash card slot, internal handwriting translation ability, and is offered in both red and black color schemes. The real kicker, however, is the 1Seg TV tuner that allows you to kick back and enjoy a television show in between study sessions, and the headphone out jack ensures that the crowd around you won't become annoyed with your antics. Unfortunately, there's no word yet surrounding a future price or release date, but hey, school's out for the most of us anyway, right?[Via Electronista]
