Sony interview reveals PlayStation 3 details

[progmetal]

Sony interview reveals PlayStation 3 details
by Paul Coroneos


A recent interview with Izumi Kawanishi, head of the Software Platform division of SCEI, shed some new details on the PlayStation 3:

- Using XMB and web browsing won't need the fan. Playing Blu-ray will spin the fan, but the load is still low. The fan spins steadily while gaming.
- The picture/audio quality for video playback is excellent. Though Cell does not presently do much post processing, they are researching it.

- High Definition videos are converted to LPCM and outputted via HDMI.

- No DVD upscaling for the time being. But they are looking at user needs and have a plan for the support.

- The Blu-ray player's response is fast. The interviewer says he believes that the PlayStation 3 is the fastest among Toshiba, Sony, Matsushita HD players/recorders he tested.

- By pressing the triangle button the XMB shows the folder tree structure just like windows explorer.

- It can connect with USB mass-storage devices such as PSP, but not with ones with special transfer methods such as iPod and Walkman. They are currently working on Walkman support.

- They decided not to reveal the RSX clock speed.

- The EE+GS embedded in the PS3 does emulation for PS1/PS2 for initial shipments PS3, so no graphics upgrade for the time being. The software emulation technology is almost complete but not ready for the launch. As soon as it is ready, the EE+GS unit will be removed.

- In Remote Play with PSP for the 60GB version, the PS3 resolution becomes 480p (16:9) and converts the screen to MPEG-4 Simple Profile at around 1Mbps to send it to the PSP. All control is transferred to the PSP and you can control the PS3 by pressing the PSP buttons. BD/DVD and other copyright-protected materials can't be sent. As for games the support will come in the near future.

- Downloaded PS1 games are transferred from a PS3 to a PSP via USB cable. PLAYSTATION TV (the demo kiosk) starts the download service too.

- The web browser can open up to six pages simultaneously max. 64MB memory is always reserved for XMB functions (I.E. instant messaging, voice chat, etc.)

- Installing Linux creates a new HDD partition separately from the PS3 partition. After the setup, you can choose which system to use at the boot menu. You can choose to auto-boot Linux too.

- Aside from Linux, SCE's developers are still seeking the way to publish proper software development environment for the PS3 main OS and PSP for general users. But right now the PS3 main OS can run only signed applications (while PS3 Linux can run whatever applications on it).

http://www.ps3land.com/article-976.php

[darren]

i think the most intersting bit there is that they decided not to reveal the RSX clock speed. To me that says not as fast as they originally said.

[AmishNazi]

- Installing Linux creates a new HDD partition separately from the PS3 partition. After the setup, you can choose which system to use at the boot menu. You can choose to auto-boot Linux too.

- Aside from Linux, SCE's developers are still seeking the way to publish proper software development environment for the PS3 main OS and PSP for general users. But right now the PS3 main OS can run only signed applications (while PS3 Linux can run whatever applications on it).

Boooooooooo-yah.

Nice I was hoping they'd allow for a separate partition. Emu's here I come

[progmetal]

Originally Posted by darren316

i think the most intersting bit there is that they decided not to reveal the RSX clock speed. To me that says not as fast as they originally said.

The games are more interesting than the RSX.
I saw interview with one of the Cell devs that they thought of not including the RSX at all because the cell could do it's work. Maybe they're thinking of this at a later stage to reduce costs.