First off – the controls. One of the first thing that struck me (and many of you) about the PS3’s implementation of iView was that it was just a big-screen translation of the web interface, meaning you need to use the dualshock to manually drag a pointer around the screen to do anything. The Bluetooth remote doesn’t even work. Both Sony and the ABC are aware of this restriction, and will be working to fix it in future versions. In order to make that possible, they need to throw a layer of HTML code over the top of the service, a process that takes time and money.

The service itself has just been optimised for viewing on a big screen, but all the content is exactly the same. They guys at the ABC are currently in the process of transitioning their video content from flash video to H.264 encoding (running at 600kbps), a process that should be completed by the end of the year. At the moment there are both formats on the iView platform and although the H.264 can still appear a little blocky at 50-odd inches, it’s still a lot more fluid than the flash vids that are still up there.

At the moment, the ABC hasn’t ruled out a HQ stream for people with higher bandwidths, but it’s not something they’re planning in the short term. Essentially, this launch on the PS3 is a trial – the ABC have big plans to diversify how people access their iView service (the move to H.264 is as much about getting iView onto platforms that don’t support Flash as it is about smoother picture) and the PS3 is the first step in that diversification. There’s no commercial arrangement with Sony on this one. The trial is set to run until the end of March next year, at which point they’ll collate all the data and try and focus what works and what doesn’t into an even better service.

As such, they plan on fixing issues like the UI and the backlight (if your PS3 is set to dim after a period of time to prevent burn-in on plasmas, the iView app doesn’t override this) as time goes on. Also worth noting is that Sony are planning on using this as a learning experience as well, stating that they won’t be launching any more IPTV services until after the iView trial is over come March next year.

One other cool thing – you can apparently stream iView to your PSP via Remote Play. Hopefully that’ll work around any regional restrictions for international travellers too…

As the first real move from a desktop app to something you can watch on the TV, this is a good first step. But it’s hard not to look forward to the inevitable developments that will take iView on the PS3 from good to fantastic. Hopefully it’ll happen sooner than later…

PlayTV to launch in Australia Unlock free-to-air digital HD TV on PlayStation®3
Watch, record and replay TV shows on demand Turn PS3 into a High Definition digital TV tuner and video recorder

Sydney, 2 November 2009 – Sony Computer Entertainment Australia (SCE Aust.) announced today the introduction of PlayTVTM – the device that turns PlayStation®3 (PS3TM) into a Personal Video Recorder (PVR) and High Definition digital TV tuner. PlayTV will be available in Australia on 26 November at a compelling recommended retail price of $169.95 and is set to become a favourite on the gift lists in time for the festive season.

With the ability to watch, pause and record free-to-air TV, PlayTV reinforces PS3’s rightful place at the heart of the family’s home entertainment needs. With twin HD tuners, PlayTV allows you to watch one program while recording another, or even record while playing a game or enjoying a Blu-ray movie. PlayTV offers a simple solution to the Australian family’s TV needs.

“PlayTV further extends the broad entertainment credentials of PS3, and makes it a must-have item for every Australian family,” said Michael Ephraim, Managing Director of Sony Computer Entertainment Australia and New Zealand. “PS3 already provides the best High Definition gaming, Blu-ray Disc movie playback, VidZone music video streaming, video, photo album, web browsing and PlayStation®Network content. With the introduction of PlayTV’s state of the art TV tuner and PVR functionality, PS3 continues to be the best choice for the home entertainment needs of the Australian family.”

PlayTV also makes it possible to watch TV programs on the go via Remote Play on PSPTM (PlayStation®Portable) or via WiFi or 3G with Sony Ericsson’s AINO phone. Visit the new www.playstation3.com.au website to find out how to start getting more entertainment out of your PS3 console.

Feature List
PlayTV provides the sort of features you’ll only find on top of the range PVRs:
* Two High Definition TV tuners: both able to watch, pause and record TV in High Definition, as well as Standard Definition. Ability to record TV while playing games or watching a Blu-ray movie or DVD.
* Electronic Program Guide: an incredibly user-friendly, seven-day interface, that provides the navigation for programming the PVR features of PlayTV – it’s fast and simple to use, with either SIXAXIS controller or the Blu-ray Remote Control for PS3.
* Compatibility: PlayTV operates on the widely available Digital Video Broadcasting – Terrestrial (DVB-T) format.
* Easy to use: Intuitive controls, single button help features, tutorial videos and simple navigation make PlayTV a joy to use compared with the complex navigation of other PVR models. Optional on-screen graphical display provides a wealth of information about the status of PlayTV and enables quick access to program information, stored TV programs and the controls to pause or record live TV. PlayTV will also determine the correct settings for either Standard Definition or High Definition displays automatically for a hassle-free viewing experience.
* Portable viewing with PSP: Seamless PSP connectivity allows you to set recordings, watch live TV and recorded TV programs remotely on the PSP, via a WiFi connection (using Remote Play feature).
* Portable viewing with Sony Ericsson AINO: Remote Play via a WiFi or 3G connection.
* It’s future-proof: PlayTV will evolve with time – with new features added and updated via PlayStation Network.

With PlayStation 3, the game is just the start. PS3 is so much more than a games console; now it’s a TV tuner and recorder as well – PlayTV is one more reason why PS3 kick starts the home entertainment experience in the living room.

Not only that, but there were reports earlier this week on Gamespot AU that stated a firmware update for UK versions of the device have enabled some of the extra digital channels not previously available to Aussie importers of the product.

Which all seems to point towards the notion that it might actually happen. So, the next question is, how many of you will buy one?

[Playstation 3 and Gamespot - Thanks Mark]

The game lets you “play” with a virtual monkey-like animal, using the PlayStation Eye camera, your hands and a card with a special pattern on it that comes with the game. You get to shower it, feed it and play with it, with a heap of different activities like bowling and drawing.

I had a little bit of a play with my five-year-old nephew, and while some elements were a bit challenging for him, he did enjoy drawing on a piece of paper and then watching the EyePet recreate the image on screen.

The game has an RRP of $80, which includes the PlayStation Eye camera, a peripheral that will almost certainly be required for any motion controller games in the future.

It’s to market the fact that Sony are once again giving away a free PS3 with the purchase of select Bravias TVs after October 22. There are 25,000 PS3’s available—a few less than last time—but really, all we really care about is expensive stuff smashing into each other.

There are some stats from the “experiment”, which should satisfy the mathematicians amongst you:

Fast facts on the crash test:
· PS3 Trajectory: Parabolic
· Impact Speed: 80km/hr = 22m/sec
· Mass of PS3: 3.2kg
· Kinetic energy of PS3 at point of impact: 774.4 joules
· PS3 deceleration: 246.9g = 2420 m/sec squared
· Force of PS3 on BRAVIA TV screen: 7744.0 newtons = 790.2kg force
· Sled deceleration: 40.0g = 392m/sec squared
· Force on sled: 470400.0newtons, 48000kg force = 48 tonnes force
· One 25kg metal bar stops the sled at the end of the track. A new bar is needed for every test
· Track speed: 80km
· Launch angle: 5 degrees
· Sled weight: 1.2 tonnes
· Track length: 60 metres, speed reaches 80km at 1 metre before impact
· Length PS3 travels when released: 3.19metres
· BRAVIA TV is mounted 2 metres from wall

The report by Asher Moses has a GfK source claim that the handheld sold less than 1000, although Michael Ephraim, Playstation Australia’s head honcho, reckons the number is slightly over 1000. But given the price of the device – especially when the PSP-3000 is still on sale – I don’t think anyone, let alone Sony, would be too surprised by those numbers. Throw in EB Games‘ refusal to stock the console, and that makes the whole thing an even harder sell.

[SMH]

$1,000,058.98…I’m not gonna lie. It’s tempting. [Amazon Thanks Naked Fish!]

Create a twisted PlayStation 3 ad for Sony, and send it to me at contests@gizmodo.com with Sony Ad in the subject line. Save your files as JPGs or GIFs, and use a FirstnameLastname.jpg naming convention using whatever name you want to be credited with. Send your work to me by next Tuesday morning, and I’ll pick three top winners and show off the rest of the best in our Gallery of Champions. Get to it! [Original image from Charlie White's "Understanding Joshua" series]

Godzilla and The Ugly Truth—both Sony Pictures films—will include extra discs that won’t do anything special when placed in a standard Blu-ray player. But when played in a PS3, users will be able to download a PSP-exclusive digital copy. The PSP copy can be downloaded over USB (we doubt it will work over Remote Play, but that’d be pretty handy).

Whether or not you own the necessary PS3/PSP combo or have any interest in digital copies of your Blu-ray movies, this news seems like yet another reason why the PS3 makes for the most attractive BD player on the market. Sony will always put the new stuff on the PS3 first. [Blu-ray via Joystiq]

Believe it or not, the PSP was a meaningful gift that brings earnest tears to my eyes just recollecting the scenario. It wasn’t just that I’d been obsessing about the PSP since its announcement — what seemed like (and sort of was) the ultimate do-everything media gadget of its day. The PSP was a token of her tacit acceptance of who I was. She knew that while I’d grow old with her, I’d probably never surpass mental adolescence. And that was OK.

So for better or worse, I’ll always feel attached to the PSP brand in this strangely emotional way. And realise that, as the PSPGo solidifies the Sony’s growing embarrassment in the industry, it breaks my heart a lot more than yours.

Price

$US250 on October 1.

Hardware

At 333MHz with 64MB of RAM, the Go isn’t any faster or more powerful than the last PSP. But now it’s loaded with 16GB of flash storage, has a Micro M2 slot for expansion and, without a UMD drive, manages to be 50% smaller and 40% lighter than the original PSP. The 3.8-inch screen is technically .5 inches smaller than the PSP classic, but it runs at the same 480×272 resolution.

After playing with the PSPGo for a week, I’ve adjusted to the small form. It slides open with a smooth but fulfilling snap, and it’s very light and balanced in your hands.

Despite the chrome detailing, know that the edging and body are constructed of what’s not the most sturdy-feeling plastic, but only time will tell how well the Go holds up to daily abuse. As Adam Frucci said, “it doesn’t quite feel cheap, but it doesn’t feel expensive either.” If you could say one thing about the original PSP, it was that it felt expensive.

But it’s more than just quality making this impression. When you hold a Zune HD, the thing seems to be carved from the future itself. When you hold the PSPGo, it feels like a cheap tween’s phone.
The Go’s low profile buttons are strictly utilitarian—the springiness of the original PSP’s buttons are undoubtedly more comfortable. LB and RB shoulders feel wretchedly soft, while the low-profile D-pad and circle, triangle, etc. buttons are stiff and digital. Select and Start are a waste of space (a mocking waste of space, given that a second analogue stick would fit perfectly there). Meanwhile, most of the buttons around the case’s edges are throwbacks to classic PSP design, from the Wi-Fi toggle to the power switch.
The screen has vibrant colour reproduction, and a perfect level of max brightness (until you take it in direct sunlight, where it becomes unusable). Its black levels ever so slightly best those of my aging iPhone 3G, but the resolution, 480×272 stretched .3 inches beyond the iPhone’s 480×320, means that text often appears more pixelated than you’re used to seeing it, and otherwise gorgeous movie playback is often flawed with jagged pixels.
But what I really don’t understand is why this screen isn’t touch-sensitive. Especially when the slider is closed, I want to flick and zoom through webpages, the PS store and the XMB. More than once I’ve attempted the feat, only to remember, what the shit, this huge screen isn’t touch capable.

So closed, the PSPGo can’t really be navigated. Scratch that. You can accidentally hit LB to restart your movie—a function you’ll use frequently—if by accident.

Looking at the design, a conspiracy theory pops in my head. The PSPGo was the template for the PSP2. Open, it had dual analogues. Closed, it had a touchscreen. Somewhere inside, it had a faster processor, more RAM and, hell, maybe even 3G or something. Maybe it was machined of metal and could be thrown like a ninja star. Regardless of this theory’s truth, we’re stuck with the Go as-is.

Note: PSP shots are of original (PSP-1000) model.

Software

Honestly, the hardware is only half of what holds the PSPGo back from being something better. It’s the aging PSP software full of unfixed nagging points, like that Wi-Fi doesn’t connect automatically upon startup, typing is still done through that horrible phone-dial-like interface and lack of support for background downloading from the PS Store.

Yes, while the PS3 allows you to download games and movies while performing other tasks, the PSPGo is stuck monotasking during downloads. Oh, and if your PSP dies before you’ve finished that 1.6GB movie download—which takes a while over the Go’s slow 802.1b Wi-Fi—you get to start all over. (Also, while it’s nice of Sony to keep compression levels low, SD quality movies on portables need smaller files sizes than this for people to watch movies on the go.)
The browser is absolutely archaic. Beyond tedious analogue nub navigation, the Go ran out of RAM while loading Gizmodo just like it had before on the original PSP…just like is prone to occurring on the PS3. Sony has advertised a browser on multiple systems that doesn’t really work, and that’s just ridiculous.

PSP Minis, or tiny apps like you see on the iPhone (in some cases, exactly like you see on the iPhone), are on their way. But the limitations are strict, meaning that even the games ported from the iPhone could be missing functions like networking. And how big or wonderful will the catalogue be if Sony can barely recruit studios to develop for the PSP as it is now? (Sony has catalogue of 225 PSPGo games that will be downloadable over PC or Wi-fi at launch.)

Also, you may not have heard about one key software feature. When you close the PSPGo from the XMB, a clock appears on screen. Thank goodness, because I’ve been needing one of those!

Battery Life

In a mixture of movie playback, gaming and general interface navigation, the PSPGo ran for four hours and 47 minutes at max brightness with Wi-Fi on. That’s about the same battery life of the last few PSPs. Unfortunately, those who liked to use an extended or extra battery with the PSP will find that more difficult on the Go as its battery is positioned inside the screw-off case.

PSPGoes Nowhere New

The PSPGo should have been the ZuneHD with games, a versatile media platformed with cutting edge hardware and eye-meltingly beautiful software. But instead, it’s a slightly smaller PSP with a screen, storage capacity and software that’s not all that competitive with other $US250 devices today. If you see just the DSi as the PSP’s competition, the Go’s updates seem pretty substantial. But compared to the advancements in PMPs and smartphones as of late, it’s just very difficult to sit in awe of the Go’s inelegant hardware and clunky software.

Oh, and needless to say, there’s still no second analogue stick.

Four years later, my wife and I are closer than ever. But my beloved PSP sits on a shelf somewhere I don’t play it, a dusty artefact that I’ll neither play nor throw away. The Go will not fare any better by being a little bit smaller or ditching pesky UMDs. PSP2, I’ll be waiting for whenever you decide to show up and steal my heart again.

Your hands will get used to the new ergonomics

Squeezes into a jeans pocket

Buttons are usable, but less comfortable than regular PSP

Sony’s software feels dated (browser, downloads, text entry)

Next to a Zune HD or iPod touch, the hardware is unimpressive

Download speeds hindered by dated 802.1b Wi-Fi standard