Sony Entertainment Network
Latest
PlayStation Network ID moniter sacked, falls under Sony Entertainment Network umbrella on Feb. 7
Listen up, those of you with PlayStation Network IDs. Sony Computer Entertainment International has announced that, as of February 7th, PSN IDs will change into SEN IDs as a part of its existing Sony Entertainment Network The company has aimed the move at clearly unifying the services of PSN and SEN, such as Music Unlimited. Fret not, however, as Joystiq notes that the change is basically a looks-only affair, meaning your current account information and related services will remain the same. Notably, the moniker refresh won't apply to the PSP, which will curiously remain under the PSN moniker for network services. The news comes as a part of SCEI's updated Terms of Service and privacy policy, both of which take effect on the same day. Those changes, by the way, appear to mainly be regarding location-based services for PS Vita, and parental controls for sub-master accounts. After all of the bad times PSN has been through, partnering up closer to SEN might just be the refreshed outlook on (online) life it needed all along -- and hopefully with less downtime. Hit up the source link below for the full details.Update: We've adjusted the post to clarify that the PlayStation Network will remain named as such, but that PSN IDs have now become SEN IDs.
PSA: PSN accounts changing to Sony Entertainment Network accounts Feb. 8
As part of Sony's efforts to phase out the Qriocity brand and replace it with the all-encompassing Sony Entertainment Network, Sony will be phasing out the term "PlayStation Network account" and will instead be using "Sony Entertainment Network account," beginning next Wednesday, February 8.The change, however, is purely cosmetic. Your account will still function in an identical fashion and it will not be necessary to change your username or password; the PSN itself remains unaltered."The goal is for there to be one networked log-in for all Sony services," a Sony spokesperson told us after news of the switch made its way to neoGAF. "Changing the name 'PlayStation Network account' to 'Sony Entertainment Network account' helps clarify the unity between PSN and other Sony Entertainment Network services." The change does not apply to the PSP, so users will still see "PlayStation Network account" when logging on with that device.
Sony announced three new series of HDTVs for 2012
No one is more pleased than us that Sony has finally seen the light and somehow found a way to condense last year's lineup of 27 TVs to only ten new models for 2012, all due in Q1 2012. All of which fit into either the BX, EX or HX line. We'll start at the top with HX. It is broken up into the HX850 or HX750, both available in 46 or 55-inches. All the HX models are Skype ready (optional CMU-BR100 camera and microphone) include Track ID, have built-in WiFi and provide access to the Sony Entertainment Network (SEN) as well as apps like Netflix and Hulu Plus. The key different between the 750 and the 850 is frameless Monolithic design and Motionflow XR 960 vs the 480 Motionflow flavor on the 750. The EX640 also has Motionflow, but the 240 type, and instead of having built-in WiFi like the HX, there's a dongle in the box. SEN is available on the both the 40, 46 and 55-inch EX640, but no other apps are. Rounding out the lineup on the lower end is the BX450 CCFL back-lit available in 40 and 46-inches and finally the BX330, only available in 32-inches. The complete press release is available after the break, but don't bother looking for any prices, because they aren't there.
Sony divisions to elope in Vegas, celebrate the marriage of Television and Internet at CES 2012
Well, we can't decide if this is one of the cheesiest or most clever event invites in CE history. Sony's PR arm just sent us an e-vite to the marriage of Sony Electronics Home Division and Sony Entertainment Network, simplified to "Television and Internet" on the company's appropriately generic Wedsite wedding page. Now this won't be a cheap Vegas wedding by any means -- the ceremony will take place at the Bellagio Wedding Chapel on the evening of January 11th, with a "Reception Immediately Following." Since this is technically a marriage between cousins, we've spent time with both the bride (Bravia) and the groom (Sony Entertainment Network -- or SEN, when among friends), so we mean no offense if forced to choose sides in the chapel. Coincidentally, we'll already be in town, so we may pop in to greet the likes of family members "Al Gore, Father of the Internet" and HMZ-T1, aka "Aunt Madge." Care to come along? The couple-to-be's site appears to be open to all, so hit up the source link to sign the guest book and send in your RSVP.
Sony locks 93,000 PSN and SOE accounts due to 'massive' hack attempt
Sony's not having a good morning. In addition to having to recall 1.6 million Bravia TVs, it's also been forced to temporarily lock 93,000 customers out of their PSN and Sony Online Entertainment accounts. You won't be surprised by the reason: an attempt by hackers to "test a massive set of sign-in IDs and passwords" against Sony's network database. Some of the affected accounts showed "additional activity prior to being locked" and are being investigated. On the flip-side, Sony's Chief Information Security Officer, Philip Reitinger, stressed that most of the hackers' details resulted in failed logins and in any case credit card details are not at risk. Users are being told to expect an email if they've been affected, which will contain further instructions. Has Sony finally realized the value of timely communication?
Sony Video Unlimited-preview brings Gracenote metadata to SEN
Despite one of its execs pegging this spring's lengthy PSN outage as a "great experience" the folks at Sony have been pounding the pavement to drum up consumer morale. Back at IFA, the outfit unveiled its new all-in-one Sony Entertainment Network, and its already giving the VOD wing, Video Unlimited, a facelift. Starting today, PS3 owners holding a PlayStation Plus subscription can download the creatively titled "Video Unlimited-preview" app from the PlayStation Store. According to Sony, the new user interface is all about giving the people what they want, and in this case that means a streamlined UI, with big bright graphics and understated, glowing blue text. It also means Gracenote integration, opening up the possibility of endless rabbit-holes of related content searches. We had a few minutes with the new setup, and found ourselves searching content related to Danny McBride's Your Highness under categories like "Bumbling Buffoons" and "Mythical Beasts," although we could just as easily have called up titles featuring the film's director or any of its stars. If that's not enough of a departure from the conventional video on demand arrangement, the new UI also features "tumbler search technology," which abandons regular keyboard-style input for PS3 controls -- click the right button to select a letter as you scroll vertically through the alphabet. This "patented technology" also autocompletes your query and similarly takes advantage of Gracenote's database, allowing you to search by title, actor, director or tag. The new UI is specific to the company's video service and is currently only available via the PS3, but we're told it will roll out to the entire network and supported devices sometime in the future. All PlayStation Network users will be able to download the preview app starting October 11th, check out a video preview embedded after the break. %Gallery-134935%
Live from Sony IFA 2011 press event
What better way to kick this year's IFA conference in beautiful Berlin, Germany than a good old fashioned Sony press conference? We're getting ready to get things started here, so sit down, grab a beverage and reach for those 3D glasses to read along at home [note: this liveblog is not in 3D]. Photos by Zach Honig.
