"January 20, 2004 - When the first hardware codenamed "PSX" was released
to Japan in late 1994, Sony was just an upstart in the videogame
hardware business and had to fight off powerful hardware foes like Sega
and Nintendo.
Years later, as the PlayStation brand continues its domination of the
world videogame market, Sony has invoked the PSX moniker as the official
name for the latest entry in the brand.
The PSX, now available in Japan and coming later this year to America,
combines the Online and Offline game playing functions of a PlayStation
2 with the DVD and television recording functions of a digital video
recorder. While the result is a true multimedia center that can truly
claim ownership of that shelf below your television, it's not without
its share (and a large share at that) of problems.
We picked up a DESR-5000 model PSX, which features a built in 160
gigabyte hard disk, for the price of 79800 yen in order to pretend to be
like "Consumer Reports" and put the system through the paces. We left
the more expensive DESR-7000 model and its internal 250 gigabyte hard
disk on the store shelves, as the DESR-5000's promise of 67 hours
recording time in standard mode seemed like more than enough.
Incidentally, we could have gotten about $150 back from the price of our
PSX by selling our current model PS2 bundled with the broadband adapter
and hard disk drive (not that we did this, as our collection of gaming
paraphernalia would be a bit lonely without a stock PS2). For the more
mainstream video freaks who may have a PS2 already, this is a good way
to make the PSX even cheaper.
The PSX's box is big and heavy, making us wonder non stop on the way
home from the electronics store where we picked it up why it was so big
and heavy. It turns out that the hardware itself is surprisingly large
and massive.
It's heavier than our cheap year-old VCR and our limited edition
Japanese Xbox. In terms of dimensions, the PSX has about the same width
and height as an Xbox, but is a couple of inches deeper than Microsoft's
system. If the PSX were a gaming system (and to be fair, it's not), it
would be take the crown as the largest system on the planet.
Even though it's physically larger, Sony's sleek design keeps the PSX
looking smaller than the Xbox when viewed face on.
The front of the system is clean, with just a few visible buttons for
power, disk eject and stopping a game. A red light is always visible
even when the power is off, turning green when the power is turned on. A
blue light is visible when a disk is inserted with another red light
visible when recording is taking place. There's also an indicator for
when the hard disk is accessing, but it's visible only when the system
is placed upright.
CONNECTIONS
The back of the PSX has inputs for a standard VHF/UHF antenna
connection, a broadcast satellite connection, one set of audio/video
inputs and outputs both with S-Video, optical out for digital audio and
D1/D2 out for high quality video. There's also an Ethernet port and two
PS2 controller ports. The front of the system has two memory card ports,
a single USB connection and a Memory Stick slot, normally hidden from
view by a cover.
Now for what the system lacks. There's no pass-through for antenna
connections, meaning if you want to ever use your television directly
without turning on the PSX you'll have to buy a splitter. There's also
no front audio-video input, which is a standard thing in even a cheap
VCR nowadays.
Initially connecting the system is as easy as connecting a VCR. It's
changing the connections that can be tricky. The rear connections aren't
on the rear face of the system; they're somewhat inside, shielded by a
removable cover plate that keeps only a small area of the back open. The
system was apparently designed like this so that it could be placed
upright (a completely impractical way of placing the system as it ends
up taking a lot of space).
Once things are connected, you'll want to keep them as they are.
Unfortunately this is somewhat difficult. Connecting another device such
as a video camera in order to record your home videos to DVD means
reaching into the back of the system. Controllers are connected in the
back meaning you'll have to either keep them plugged in or keep reaching
in back whenever you want to play a game. If a PSX is a part of your
pricey home theater system, having a controller sticking out of it at
all times is probably something you'll want to avoid.
The front of the system also has its problems. The curious decision to
include only one USB adapter means those lucky enough to have two GT
Force devices can't race two player races. The separation of the
controller ports and memory card slots pose some problems for
multi-taps, which require both to be next to one another. Sticking a
memory card in also reveals another design flaw: the memory card doesn't
go in far enough and has to be removed in order to close the front
connections panel.
While nice to look at, we get the feeling that some of the PSX's
function followed its form rather than the other way around.
You can control the PSX via three means: a remote control, the PS2
controller and a small, limited control panel located on the front of
the system.
We always use the standard PSX remote when watching television. It
follows Sony's tradition of ergonomic remote controllers, with logical
button placement. The only time we find ourselves looking down at the
remote is when we need to pause playback. The controller also lacks a
few features, such as direct slow motion access; to access slow motion
you have to go into a menu.
The remote control allows for quick access to the system's control panel
and easy viewing of program information. Rewinding and forwarding of
video footage are easily achieved thanks to a control lever which also
functions as the thumb pad used when playing games (although game play
is, of course, best left to a standard controller). Recording is
achieved with a single button press and can be paused and restarted
easily.
Just to be complete we also picked up a PSX game controller, which is
just a standard PS2 Dual Shock 2 controller colored white and with a
longer cord. This controller is for exclusive use with the PSX and
cannot be used with another gaming device.
A white controller gets dirty quickly, as we found out.
STARTING UP
Getting the system up and running once you've gotten everything
connected is easy. When you power on for the first time, the system
enters a simple setup up mode that guides you through setting up the
broadcast satellite connection, time and date, area of use (important
for the digital channel guide), TV type (wide screen/standard) and
audio/video output options. Channels are automatically scanned here,
taking a few minutes to go through the entire array available to
Japanese viewers.
The hard disk didn't need formatting when we started up for the first
time. The PSX asks you if you'll be playing games that use the hard
disk, in which case 40 gigabytes are allocated for game playing and
cannot be used for recording. You can set an option to switch this
allocation to zero, leaving more space for recording, but preventing you
from using the game for hard disk compatible games.
Getting network support set up is also easy. The system detected
everything for us automatically in just a few seconds. We were then able
to search for software updates by selecting an option from the system's
navigator.
Once you've gotten through the initial setup phase, starting the PSX
takes you through the following process. First, a PSX logo screen
appears, taking about seven seconds before clearing. The default channel
then appears, but you can't switch channels until another eight seconds
later. It takes another twenty seconds before other functions become
available.
The system has a somewhat slow startup at this point. We don't like
having a startup screen whenever we want to use the system; it's not
like a VCR shows its maker's logo at startup, after all. Also, the
system displays its interface for you when channel surfing becomes
available and again when the other system functions become available,
getting in the way when we just want to watch television.
Outside of the slow start up, there have also been a couple of instances
where we couldn't get the PSX to do anything -- not even turn off -- no
matter what we tried. The system just froze for a minute or so and
wouldn't accept any input from the remote control or from the face
buttons. We presume this is a bug in the system software.
Lets hope that the system's downloadable upgrades fix these areas to
make the PSX into more of the post VCR that Sony has been promising.
WATCHING
Using a PSX for the first time will cause quite a surprise for those
accustomed to watching standard television. When using a PSX even with a
standard UHF/VHF connection, channels are referred to not by number but
by proper name. As you move through the channels, the proper name of the
program along with other bits of information are displayed in an
information panel that disappears after a couple of seconds.
The PSX also gives you access to a programming guide that lists upcoming
programs throughout the remainder of the day. In addition to names, the
guide includes detailed information about each program. You'll have no
need for a TV Guide once you get your hands on one of these.
RECORDING
Perhaps the main feature for the system is its ability as a digitally
recording device. Once you have a PSX, you can kiss videotapes and slow
analogue forward and rewind features away for good!
Recording from television or from the device connected via the line
input is quick and easy. You simply push the record button on the remote
and the system begins recording whatever program you're watching. You
can pause and restart as you like.
Push the record button twice and the system gives you the option of
recording for a fixed time, settable in thirty-minute increments. You
can also chose to have the system automatically stop recording when the
program ends.
Like a VCR, you can program the system in advance to record programs.
Programs can be selected directly from the programming guide for
recording, and are automatically added to your recording list with
appropriate date and start/stop times. You can also input future
recordings manually, setting up recordings to occur every week on a
given time and day.
Recording quality, one of six levels, can also be selected ahead of
time. Listed in rising order of quality and with the amount of available
recording hours on an empty 5000/7000 model hard disk, the six modes
offered by the PSX are SLP (204/325), EP (137/217), LP (103/164), SP
(67/107), HSP (51/81) and HQ (33/53). SP gives you VCR-quality with SLP
looking like a video CD. The higher modes are meant for recording
digital content via broadcast satellite.
Recorded programs are easily accessible from the system's browser, with
files that you've yet to access marked with a "New." Programs that have
been recorded are saved with the time of recording, the name of the
program that was airing when recording started, the channel of
recording, and the mode used for recording. The program information also
lists whether or not dubbing to DVD is possible. We have yet to
encounter an instance where dubbing was blocked.
While recording one program, you can access the system's browser to view
previous programs that you've recording, with no hit on recording
performance. This allows for you to, in effect, pause live television,
although indirectly. You can't press pause while watching television,
but you can begin recording and continue by watching the recorded file
from the point that you started recording even while the program is
currently recording. We presume this slight inconvenience can be fixed
in future downloads.
Files that have been recorded can be edited in limited fashion. While
watching the program in an edit mode, you can set multiple start and
stop points for areas that you want deleted. Once marked, the areas of
the file will no longer appear the next time you start up the PSX.
DUBBING
The PSX hard disk only has so much space, so for keeping things
permanently you'll want to make use of the system's DVD dubbing
features. Unfortunately, due to various limitations, the system's DVD
dubbing features are pretty much useless at this point.
Actually getting things from the hard disk to DVD isn't tricky. You
simply insert a DVD, select movie files that you want to insert and let
the system take care of the rest. As you select programs, the amount of
space remaining on the DVD is clearly displayed.
Dubbing speed in the samples that we tried was about twenty minutes for
two hours of footage. This was preceded by a short formatting period for
the disk.
There are many things that currently can't be done with PSX DVD dubbing
that one would probably like to be able to do. Clips that have been
recorded to the hard disk cannot be split up into tracks, for instance.
The system automatically places each file that you've selected for
dubbing to DVD into its own track. It's impossible to split up a really
large file into multiple tracks, or to split it up in order to span
multiple DVDs. Nor can you change the recording quality in order to get
a large file to fit onto a single DVD.
As an example of where the dubbing features fail, say you have a two
hour tape consisting of home video footage that you want to store on
DVD. To do so, you'll have to record the video to the hard disk in bits
and pieces depending on how you want to split up the tracks on the
eventual DVD. Not only is this an inconvenience, but you'll inevitably
end up loosing bits and pieces of your video footage.
Any way you view it, these limitations and the inability to add new
content to a DVD without reformatting the entire DVD make DVD dubbing a
pending feature of the PSX as far as we're concerned. We, once again,
await Sony's downloadable upgrades.
PLAYING
Outside of all the multimedia applications, the PSX adheres to its brand
legacy as a fully PS2 compatible device. You can play all PS2 and PSX
games on the system, with a few compatibility issues arising only for
some peripheral devices.
To start a game, you insert it into the system's front disc slot. After
a few seconds, the game will appear in the "game" area of the PSX
browser. To start the game, you select it from the browser. The PSX
pauses for a few seconds then displays the PlayStation logo that starts
off all PS2 games. From there, the game starts off as normal.
Game related files are accessible from the same area of the browser.
Games that use the hard disk have their files visible complete with size
information. To start off a game like Resident Evil Outbreak that's been
loaded onto the hard disk, you can either click on the disk icon or on
the game's hard disk file (the disk has to be loaded in order to play,
even if the game is on the hard disk). Game saves stored on memory cards
are also accessible in this area and viewed via a speedy memory
management screen.
Sony has stated that network support would be limited in games, but we
had no problem connecting to the Resident Evil startup screen. The game
actually took care of everything for us once we'd set up the PSX for
network support.
You can play a game while the PSX is doing other things like recording
programming to the hard disk. This is true even if the game uses the
hard disk, with no hit in performance on either the game or the
recording end. Unfortunately, while in game mode the other features of
the system cannot be accessed via the remote control. To stop recording
or view your recording you have to exit the game and go through the
entire PSX start-up process, waiting at least thirty seconds before the
full set up system features become accessible.
In its current form, while faster than a hard disk equipped PS2, the PSX
has less of a plug and play feel for its games than the stock PS2, which
already had a slow start up process to begin with. We hope that Sony's
downloadable upgrades will make game playing, and switching back to
television viewing mode, a speedier process.
OTHER STUFF
The PSX gives you access to three other areas of playback in case you're
tired of television and games: DVDs, CD audio and pictures.
Playing DVDs can be a bit shaky thanks to a remote control that lacks
features found in the remote control of even its PS2 cousin. There's no
menu button, although you can push the confirm button to access the
feature. Things like subtitles and audio channels have to be set by
accessing the DVD control panel, which is thankfully a lot nicer to look
at than the control panel featured with the PS2 DVD playback.
DVD playback actually requires the PSX to switch away from television
mode, causing a thirty second pause before the DVD is actually accessed
and a thirty second pause after you've stopped playback and want to get
back into television mode.
CD playback features a psychedelic light show in the background as music
plays. It almost made us forget the fact that you can't forward through
individual tracks. CDs can be copied to the hard disk, but the process
is excruciatingly slow. Once songs are copied to the hard disk, they can
be arranged into folders and given names. You can also specify recording
quality in order to get varying file sizes.
Finally, picture playback reads pictures located on your USB-connected
camera or on your Memory Stick. We only tried out the Memory Stick
playback method. The system displays pictures located on the Memory
Stick quickly, clocking in at just about three seconds for a 1024x768
shot. Coping pictures to the hard disk takes about twice as long for
some reason.
PS-SEX?
We may have a lot to complain about with the PSX, but many of the
problems should be addressed once Sony offers the downloadable software
updates that it has been promising. When the areas surrounding slow
startup and poor DVD dubbing are addressed, the PSX could end up being
the ultimate entry point for those getting into the digital video
recording thing for the first tim
---------------
So! This should be omore than enough info to make a decision on
purchasing :)
-Gel
-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Campbell [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Monday, February 09, 2004 12:05 PM
To: CF-Community
Subject: Re: PSX
I don't know. Nintendo's sales of Gamecubes quadrupled since they cut
their price...
HYPERLINK
"http://www.gamemarketwatch.com/news/item.asp?nid=2782"http://www.gamema
rketwatch.com/news/item.asp?nid=2782
... and that article is from October 2003, before Christmas. MS could
be looking at that, thinking it's worth even more of a short-term loss
to cut the Box price down to that much, since they'll obviously be
hoping to make up more from game sales. I don't know. It'll be
interesting to see how it plays out.
- Jim
Angel Stewart wrote:
>I don't think I totally agree with that 99US rumor.
>
>THe launch date of the Xbox2 is also heresay as well. Sony claims they
>don't expect their PS3 to launch before 2006.
>The new chipsets for the Xbox2 won't be ready until say mid 2005
>according to the manufacturers and that's if nothing goes wrong.
>Which leaves Microsoft 6 months max to get ready for a christmas 2005
>launch. Might as well be 2006 at E3 or something.
>
>If they have everything moving to a very precise plan, they could make
>it though!
>
>The XBox and the PS2 seem to all be heading for a definite price cut,
>though nothing official announced by either company, probably to about
>129US.
>
>The 99US is a pipe dream in my view, brought about by Nintendo's
>surprising move to put their Gamecube at 99US.
>
>Maybe it will be priced at 99US when the Xbox2 is released?
>
>The lack of backward compatibility is a shame though.
>
>-Gel
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Jim Campbell [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>
>
>However, if you don't have an XBox yet, the most plausible XBox hubbub
>I've heard is that MS will severely cut the price to $99 around Labor
>Day, since the XBox 2 is expected in 2005 at some point. That makes a
>great deal of sense, since backwards compatibility will likely not be a
>feature of the XBox 2 (snarkily known as the iBox) - MS will want to
>move as much software for the original console as possible before it
>becomes yesterday's news. $99 is within range of most people, hell, I
>make that much in an hour selling heroin at the middle school... I
mean,
>
>programming contracts.
>
>- Jim
>
>
>
>
>
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>
>
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