Revvin

Indeed...

Nope sorry not even close, not even the same spelling <shrug>

What?

With one Sony exec stating a few months ago that the HD format war was at stalement, he might want to re-evaluate that statement as Warner Bros have now decided the future is bright, the future is Blu! Warner Bros are Hollywoods biggest DVD seller and account for 18-20% of sales in the US according to Reuters. Warner Bros Chairman and Chief Executive Barry Meyer made the following statement: In answer to Warner Bros dropping a format they and Microsoft supported Toshiba had this to say: CNBC are already speculating there is now no way back for the HD DVD format with such a large Hollywood company has made a decisive move to one format. You have to wonder how long it will be before Universal Pictures and Paramount Pictures/Dreamworks join the format although at present they are exclusively HD DVD. On the computer front both Dell and Apple are now producing systems with built in Blu-Ray disc players and with Sony's PS3 also (rather obviously) supporting the Blu-Ray format its hard to see where HD DVD can go from here. Its been reported that at the CES show next week Bill Gates was to make a big XBOX 360 related announcement. Speculation was rife that the annoucement would be a new 360 SKU with built in wifi, a 320GB HDD, the IPTV service and perhaps importantly until this announcement from Warner Bros it was to include a built in HD DVD drive. Those rumours were circulating for a week and Microsoft chose to ignore them but after Warner Bros announcement I saw a quote from one site where an MS employee chanted the same mantra about offering the HD DVD as an accessory and that they had no plans to release a 360 with a built in HD DVD drive.

I think its safe to say none of the MP3 players or ipods are designed to work in that enviroment and thats a pretty extreme one. There are also models without the touch sensitive wheel anyway. I think you've completely missed the point over the UMD format. Sony didn't stop anyone from developing a UMD player, they designed the format for their PSP so are they some sort of bad guy because they created a new media? Are the other memory manufacturers bad for creating so many different types of memory card so we have to use different types for mobile phones, cameras etc? shame on Ford too for making proprietary cars, why shouldn't I be able to buy a Honda engine and plug it straight into the engine bay without modifying it?

Agreed, I used many cheaper alternatives for playing MP3's but finally gave in and bought an iPod and been really happy with it. Overall I'm very happy with my PS3, HD DVD will have to pull one hell of a rabbit out of the hat to turn the current tide.

That Twonkymedia software is pretty good, without a media server prog the PS3 can't see my XP64 system, neither could my 360 but they both see my missus 32 Bit XP system. As for backwards compatibility I think its something you think you'd miss but in reality on the 360 I only had two or three games from my days owning an Xbox, Halo and Forza because it was not fully backwards compatible and neither is the PS3 though the 60GB version I have (UK 60GB) supports a very large number of games I only bought GT4 and Killzone just as a taster for each of those series as the sequels are due on the PS3 this year. I've hardly touched them as I think a lot of people do when the systems become more established as both the 360 and PS3 are now you are more inclined to play the games actually designed for that system. Still no excuse as to why Sony couldn't use the Cell processor and some software emulation but they chose to include some of the hardware from the PS2 to maintain backwards compatibility namely the Emotion Engine and Graphics Synthesizer. With both chips you get pretty much full BC but with just the Game Synthesizer it uses that hardware along with some software emulation to make up for the lack of Emotion Engine. I may be incorrect but from what I've read in regards to backwards compatibility the specs for the PS3 models are: NTSC: 20GB = Emotion Engine/Game Synthesizer 60GB = Emotion Engine/Game Synthesizer 80GB = Game Synthesizer 40GB = None PAL: 60GB = Game Synthesizer 40GB = None Sony have announced that the PS3 will get a BD Live 2.0 update and also plan to integrate support for the PSP by having encoded versions of the film all on one Blu-Ray film disc that you can tranfer to your PSP through the PS3.

Just in case anyone else was wondering, the PS3 was updated to Blu-Ray profile 1.1 in last months firmware update. Sounds like a good deal you had there, the margin would probably be less than $50 by the time you buy the PS3 Blu-Ray remote. You can use a joypad but I bought one because I preferred to have a standard type of remote control though it is very nice and connects via Bluetooth so you don't have to point the thing at the PS3. You obviously would not have had the choice of films that you had with your player though I do like to use the internet browser on the PS3 when I'm feeling lazy. Not tried Drakes Fortune as it didn't appeal to me but its suppossed to be very good. If you like racing games you might like Motorstorm - ( with some nice in game video at the end) as it was released with the PS3 quite some time ago you should find it cheap, especially on Ebay.

Dell has started offering selected Inspiron laptops with Blu-Ray disks. Blu-Ray already seemed to have a headstart over HD DVD with some of the larger film companies getting onboard and Blockbuster in the US only stocking Blu-Ray rentals not to mention Sony's trojan horse - the PS3 to get Blu-Ray players into peoples homes and now Dell - a major player jumps into bed with them. It seems like Dell are drifting away from Microsoft a little as they now offer Linux as an OS option and now have chosen Blu-Ray over the Microsoft backed HD DVD format. Link to Dell's Blu-Ray promotion

I've owned both consoles, last November I traded in my 360 for a PS3 as I felt like a change of format. I had two RROD's (thats a major hardware failure resulting in a need to return it BTW) but I still think its a good format with a good selection of games and good online system. That said I've not regretted my switch for a minute. Those who criticised it for its poor selection of gmaes must have a short memory as I remember being limited for choice when I bought my 360 a few months after release. 2008 will be a better year with more exclusive titles from developers that have had time to get to grips with the PS3's hardware. Its the same with every console, if you compare early release titles with ones from later on you'll see a marked improvement and one developer has said he's not even tapped a third of the PS3's capabilities so perhaps now is a good time to get one. To answer your points: 1. The PS3 makes a great Blu-Ray player, I'd recommend getting the Bluetooth DVD remote although you can use a joypad to control Blu-Ray and DVD playback. The Blu-Ray will also upscale your standard DVD's so they will look better but you can also stream music from a PC that has Media Player 11 on it, you can view pictures and also browse the internet with the built in web browser that while not as good as IE or Firefox is certainly a capable web browser. Should you want to you can partition the HDD and install Linux and of course you could always use the PS3 to play PS3 games :) 2. Its hard to argue at that price for the reasons above 3. I had not owned a console since the SNES then bought the original Xbox, I was stil lvery much a PC gamer so only really spent more time on the consoles when the 360 came along as it was closer in spec to a PC and the games were of a similar standard graphically etc. I spend even more time on my Pc now because apart from flight and racing sims I like to be able to just stick the disc in the PS3 and play. Recently I reformatted my PC and downloaded the usual stuff from Steam but couldn't bring myself to load them up and start messing about configuring video settings etc. At the moment I have IL-2 installed, RACE 07, rFactor with my joysticks and wheel setup. I started playing one or two FPS games despite saying that I would always be a PC FPS player because I started with Wolfenstein on mouse and keys many years ago. When CoD4 was released I opted for the PS3 version because it was less hassle to setup and just as much fun as the PC version I played on my friends PC. Again I just stick the disc in, click on multiplayer and join a game and my voice comms is already setup and I don't have to worry about people hacking the game like you do on the PC. There will always be some who wil ltry and cheat or use game glitches but because the console is a more closed system its much less likely to be abused and the fact everyone is using the same system, the same controls it means you have a very level playing field. When I load a game on the PS3 I don't need to mess with settings like the PC I know it will run just fine because I'm playing the game on the same system specs the developers used. At the end of the day you want a Blu-Ray player and you could buy a standalone one but for a little more money you can have a pretty damned decent games machine that will act as an all-round media hub.

Downloads are still quite some time away especially as a lot of countries don't have adequate broadband infrastructure and lots of ISP's having download caps not to mention Hollywood not being able to pick a DVD format let alone a DRM should they go with download as a method of distribution. It will happen eventually but its a long long way down the road to becomming a global standard for distributing films etc. A format needs to be chosen soon, this may well give Blu-Ray enough momentum to establish itself as 'the' format. Microsoft have been criticised by some for now being fully behind the HD DVD format as Bill Gates vision for the future is downloads but considering MS's take on rights to software particularly their OS's it sends a shiver down my spine not to mention the ill conceived DRM Sony developed a few years ago. The RIAA are apparently pursuing one Kazzaa user in the States for distributing 50 tracks he owned, thats fair enough IMO but its worrying that they are also trying to make a case that its illegal to burn your own music CD's to your own PC. With attitudes like that I'll keep my disc's thanks all the same HD or not.

Apple are also now making Macs with Blu-Ray drives in them, not that thats a shock that they would not choose the format backed partly by Microsoft :) But with Dell also building systems with Blu-Ray drives and now Warner Bros announcing they are now going to go Blu-Ray exclusive I don't see where HD DVD can gain any momentum to fight back. Warner Bros are Hollywoods biggest DVD seller and account for 18-20% of sales in the US according to this article at Reuters. This is the official announcement from Warner Bros: There were reports that Bill Gates was to announce something big relating to the 360 at CES and the popular rumour was it was going to be a 360 with a built in HD DVD drive dubbed by those speculating as the '360 Ultimate', perhaps they will be rethinking that now.

Polyphony has released a demo of Gran Turismo for Sony's Playstation 3 which can be downloaded exclusively through the PS Network until November 11th to coincide with the Tokyo Motor Show 2007. The demo features 7 cars and 1 track where you will be able to race offline 16 cars. The track will be the Suzuka track which is used in many real world racing events and was until recently the home of the Japanese Grand Prix. The cars included in the demo are as follows: Lexus IS F Nissan GT-R Mazda Atenza Subaru Impreza WRX STI Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR Daihatsu OFC-1 BMW 135i Coupe You can find out more about this demo here and view a movie of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue here at the official English version Gran Turismo.comwebsite. The demo is compatible with the Logitech G25 racing wheel.

Yeah I have Combatace bookmarked on my PS3 for when I'm too lazy to run upstairs and switch my Pc on, or my laptop isn't switched on or my PSP isn't to hand

Incompatible with everything in his computer

I bought my copy for the PS3 today, so far I think graphically its very very nice, even on my standard def TV. The first mission aboard a cargo container is really atmospheric and quite frantic at the end (don't want to give away any spoilers) I've just tried my first multiplayer game and found it a bit disorientating at first as with most games you need to learn the maps but glad to see they've not reduced the graphics quality like they did in Rainbow 6:Vegas which looked great single player and distinctly last-gen in multiplay even if it was good fun that was dissapointing. I don't recall the name of the map I played but it was two blocks of flats adjacent to each other. The game fostered a good feeling of co-operation as my team sweeped from floor to floor clearing out the building - or at least attempting too

The issue as I read it was that there is a hetasink on the GPU (a GPU without a heatsink would never work), I've seen a video with a big heatsink other than that of the CPU and it was a clamp that held the heatsink in place warping and allowing the heatsink to wander causing the problem. Apparently on 360's sent in with the RROD MS was installing a newly designed heatsink that was slightly larger but also had an inproved clamp to stop it wandering when it got hot and warped like the old one.

The PS3 still lacks the great exclusive titles like the 360 has such as Halo but they are coming. For me it was not so much a decison based on console A having a game console B didn't as I think the 360 is a good format but for me it was time for a change and maybe by the next generation of consoles I'll switch back. Resistance: Fall of Man is a lot of fun but this friday I'll be buying CoD4 most likely and thats one good thing about these consoels is you can switch yet still play a lot of your favourite games as they are multiplatform. As far as the hardware problems with the 360 I think the new Premiums are shipping with the new 65nm chips and I believe that is the case with the new 40GB model PS3 so they run a lot cooler than before though the PS3 has not had the same kind of hardware issues as the 360 from what I've read. The new 360's should be a lot more reliable though I hope they changed the DVD drive also as that was another weak point on the XBOX line. I'm happy with the switch, I've been able to experience IMHO the two best next gen consoles available and both have ther strong points. One feature I'd like to see Sony develop is the 'Remote Play' feature which allows you to access your PS3 from your PSP. There is only one game playable remotely but maybe in future that number will rise. This is a picture of my PSP navigating the games menu on my PS3's XMB (cross media bar) and displaying the GT5 Prologue demo I downloaded a few days ago. Access can be gained by WiFi locally or over the internet remotely. Nice but they need to work on this feature.

Well ike the music industry they got complacent and didn't embrace the internet like other forms of business, they've had it good for a long time so now they have to compete on merit

LOL I doubt porn will have as big an impact as it did in the BETAMAX vs VHS battle as I would guess more porn is downloaded online these days.

Well I've not even got a HDTV yet lol and I think the overall percentage of HDTV owners in the UK lags places like the US significantly which is why perhaps some of the next gen consoles were slow to take off. I'm sitting on the fence too at the moment but I found this news interesting that a large company like Dell has got behind one of the formats.

I loved Super Sprint in the arcades :)

I played the demo on a mates PS3 this weekend and I have to admit (as a 360 owner ) it was rather impressive. Although I didn't spend as much time with it as I'd have liked the handling of the cars was nice, they all handled differently though the controller setup was not quite how I wanted it (using the second analogue stick as accelerate and brake) because it was hard to figure out the japanese menu's. Graphically it was superb though no doubt aided by my friends 32" LCD TV. It wasn't as huge a leap graphically over Forza as I thought it might but it did look very impressive and the cockpits looked very nice though we did all end up playing using the bonnet view with speedo/rev counter overlay. The one dissapointing aspect was the lack of damage, upon collision the cars just bounced off each other.

You'll need to setup a Japanese PS Network account to download the demo as it was released to coincide with the Tokyo Motor Show, this site has a step by step guide on how to navigate your way through the Japanese menu's to do that though.

I got my copy last wednesday finally (damn postal strike here in Blighty) I'm really enjoying this sim, just enough cars and tracks to make it interesting, my favourite so far is the Formula BMW. I loved the mod in rFactor but I think this one has a slight edge over it with the cockpit and sounds. I finally got around to trying out the Radicals last night, quite skitish and can be a handful after the rock steady FBMW and F3000 cars. I finally gave in and downloaded an add on track, though its a conversion of Spa from GTR2 so graphically its very good unlike some of the lower quality conversions from older sims I've tried in rFactor. The main reason for downloading was I'm running in an event run by a racing sim site, its going to be a full grid, mixed classes with FBMW's, BMW Mini Coopers, the BMW E90 and BMW E30. It will be interesting to see how the server holds up.