How-TosHow To: Stream Any Video to Your Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and Nintendo Wii
Posted 10/25/08 at 02:22:18 PM by Will Smith
From the Maximum PC Archive - Odds are, you already have everything you need to turn that big TV in your living room into an movie and music jukebox that will put all your media at your fingertips and amaze your friends. Whether you ripped your entire CD and DVD collection, purchase DRM-free content online, or you acquire your media from less legitimate sources, we'll show you everything you need to know to stream your audio, video, and pictures to your Xbox 360, PS3, or any other UPNP-compatible streaming device!
Hit the jump for the full, unadulterated story.
NewsBuilding a Rig? Don't Forget the Playstation 3 Cell Processor Add-In Card!
Posted 10/02/08 at 05:22:00 PM by Paul Lilly
One of the high points with the technology used in Sony's Playstation 3 console is the Cell processor technology. A similar concept could be coming to the PC, and you'll have Toshiba to thank, not Sony.
Toshiba's SpursEngine is based on the same Cell processor technology as found in the PS3 and is used to process HD video with its four Cell cores. The technology makes easy work out of encoding and decoding HD content and can upscale standard-definition video to high-definition video without bogging down the CPU. Toshiba is already using the technology in its Qosmio G50 and F40 notebooks and hopes to expand to the desktop market via add-in cards by the end of the years.
LeadTek and Thomson are already on board with plans to release a SpursEngine card within the next few weeks. LeadTek's version is expected to debut this month at about $286 and its Winfast PxVC 1100 card has already been shown at the Ceatec Exhibition in Japan. Thomson is targeting a November release in the $375 to $400 range
NewsPlaystation 3 Has Strict Video Rental DRM
Posted 09/25/08 at 04:00:14 PM by Paul Lilly
We don't know what it is about Sony and DRM, but the company just seems intent on unnecessarily pissing off customers. For those who might have thought the whole rootkit fiasco would turn out to be a learning experience for Sony, well, guess again.
This time its console junkies who plan to download movies who have reason to be angry. On the Playstation 3's support page, the terms state that purchased "content cannot be re-downloaded once it has been downloaded to either a PLAYSTATION 3 or PSP system." That means if you run out of room and delete content to make room for new flicks or upgrade to a bigger hard drive, you're hosed. Sort of.
"If a consumer deletes a purchased movie from their PS3, they will not be able to redownload the movie without assistance from SCEA's consumer services," said Lincoln Davis, who handles media relations for the Playstation Network, in a statement to Arstechnica. "Consumer service can issue a redownload as a one-time courtesy, as provided by our guidelines, for the title to allow the consumer to go back and download the movie from their PSN download list."
In other words, you get a one-time do-over, should you need it, which requires jumping through a hoop. To be fair, Sony may not be entirely at fault and it could be the content providers who are pushing the issue. But no matter who's really to blame, as is always the case with DRM, it's the paying customer who ultimately gets the shaft.
Who do you blame more, the studios or Sony? Hit the jump and sound off.
NewsSIGGRAPH 2008: Sony Showcases Cell-powered ZEGO Video Rendering System
Posted 08/15/08 at 04:59:14 PM by Pulkit Chandna
The whole world went gaga over the PS3’s Cell processor at the advent of the 7th generation of consoles. That hype slowly subsided as the PS3 failed to set the cash registers ringing. However, an imminent deluge of Cell-based products - Toshiba's latest Qosmio notebooks bear a Cell-derived chip - has turned the spotlight back on to the Cell Broadband Engine.
Sony is showcasing its ZEGO BCU-100 system, a dedicated high resolution video rendering system, at the ongoing SIGGRAPH 2008 event in Las Vegas. The BCU-100 multi-core processing platform leverages the immense power of the Cell Broadband Engine microprocessor and RSX processor. The product can easily fit in a 19-inch rack due to its 1U size. So you now know whom to thank for spell binding special effects in future movies.
NewsWii Wrests US Crown from Xbox 360
Posted 07/19/08 at 02:09:13 AM by Pulkit Chandna
It was more a question of when than if: Wii sales leaping past Xbox 360’s in the U.S. The Wii has formally breached Xbox 360’s bastion by going past its US sales tally, according to the latest data from NPD. Wii is now the best-selling console in the U.S also. The month of June proved to be quite fecund for the Wii, as the headcount of US Wii owners rose by 666,000 in this month. Nintendo has sold 10.9 million units of its popular 7th generation console in the States. The month of June was great for the US videogame industry as a whole. The PS3 saw a massive increase of 94% in sales compared to the preceding month and also trounced the Xbox 360 to finish second.
NewsVideo Downloads Arrive on PS3 Amid Reports of a Limited Launch
Posted 07/17/08 at 04:51:23 PM by Pulkit Chandna
Xbox Live is a major money-spinner for Microsoft's gaming division, one which both Sony and Nintendo envy. Sony is currently trying to replicate Live's success with its very own PSN service and the wide array of new additions to PSN might help Sony in its endeavor. One of the new additions happens to be the Playstation video downloading service, which is now live.
Users can rent or purchase SD or HD content from various leading TV and movie stables including Fox, MGM, Warner and Disney etc. TV videos begin at $1.99, while movie rentals and purchases begin at $2.99 and $9.99 respectively.
Several reports frequenting the internet seem to suggest that the service is not available in all regions/countries. But there is no word on this issue from Sony. Limited launch or not, Wedbush Morgan’s videogame analyst Michael Pachter believes that availability of videos on PSN can lure potential Apple TV owners towards the PS3.
NewsE3 2008: Microsoft Expects Xbox 360 to Remain Ahead of PS3 
Posted 07/14/08 at 08:32:37 PM by Pulkit Chandna
After Microsoft had tantalized attendees with a few breathtaking glimpses of Gears of War 2 gameplay at its E3 2008 press conference, Microsoft devices division VP Don Mattrick took to the stage for the mandatory chest-thumping talk. He pompously announced that he expects Xbox 360 to trounce PS3 over the entire course of the current console cycle.
Then he triumphantly stated that Xbox Live had generated more than $1 billion in sales and dispersed 500 million pieces of content. Microsoft also announced that it has partnered with NBC and Universal who will now make their content available through the Xbox Live Marketplace.
Interestingly, Microsoft never made any statements regarding how it plans to wrest the no.1 spot from Nintendo. Has it relinquished all such hopes and desires? Have your say.
NewsSony to Steer Clear of PS3 Price Cuts, Aims for Profitability
Posted 07/11/08 at 06:16:14 PM by Pulkit Chandna
The last time Sony slashed PS3’s price, it immediately translated into much improved sales. However, Sony isn’t too keen on cutting prices at this time, according to its CFO Nobuyuki Oneda. This denial comes amidst rumors that suggest the Xbox 360 Pro console – one with the 20gigs drive – will soon receive a $50 price cut.
Even though the PS3 has climbed back to a position of moderate strength after the abyss it plunged into almost immediately after launch, it still is making huge losses. But Oneda told a forum in Singapore that he expects the gaming division to churn profits this fiscal year. Sony can do a world of good to PS3’s prospects by expanding the console’s small games library than lowering prices.
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