The RED Menace: Sony Getting Paranoid

[Rob Lohman]

From what I understand the PS3 should support around a 1000 PS2 games in Europe, not none! Still less than the US though?

 

[Michael Schrengohst]

Regardless of whether or not you like Sony, it seems like their tape formats will keep Sony Broadcast going. BetaSP, Digital Betacam, HDCAM, and (increasingly) HDCAM SR are the mastering formats of many, many productions. And the use of those formats is going to help support its camera sales. As, Sony's ubiquity will help perpetuate its future formats (i.e. HDCAM SR), since its decks tend to read the older formats (multi-format is a very nice feature).

Its time for Sony to lower prices as tape will all but vanish in the next 10-15 years. Look at commercial TV delivery...going away from tape to file transmission.

 

[GlennChan]

IMO, I don't think tape will go away.

For archival/backup/storage purposes, tape will still stay one step ahead of data. Companies making playout servers acknowledge this.

2- Bandwidth-wise, the Internet doesn't quite have the bandwidth for all post houses to be delivering over IP. Maybe except for commercials (and the broadcaster is not the client, so they may bend over to their client's demands).

3- Workflow-wise, tape/VTRs works.
A- Standard interface via SDI + deck control. No proprietary data formats, no data incompatibilities, etc.
B- Supports insert editing (video and audio).

4- I still see work being delivered on betaSP. In some cases, non-tape formats don't have a big enough advantage over tape to justify switching over.

5- To clarify:
A- Are you talking about delivery over IP, instead of sending a tape?
B- Or are you talking about sending a hard drive / optical disk / whatever, instead of tape?

 

[Michael Schrengohst]

I am talking that most spots are now sent as a file over FTP.
I have a few die-hard "it must be on BetaSP" clients.
I am trying to get them to convert to file transmission....
I am talking 2020 when programs will probably
be on an optical disc vs. tape. Even HD tape can have
drop-outs.

 

[PaulClements]

From what I understand the PS3 should support around a 1000 PS2 games in Europe, not none! Still less than the US though?

Apparently not Rob. Latest I heard is that Sony have just decided to remove the emotion chip or whatever was running the PS2 games from the PS3 for the Europe market. The rest of the world has backward compatibility but we do not it'd seem. hmmph

 

[Rob Lohman]

so backwards compatibility with PS2 games will be achieved via software emulation. Sony’s decision to point consumers towards a website (http://faq.eu.playstation.com/bc) detailing which PS2 games will be playable on the PS3, but which won’t go live until March 23 also hardly made PlayStation enthusiasts feel any less unloved. But we have good news: we managed to snatch a quick interview with head of worldwide studios Phil Harrison, in between putting the finishing touches to his Game Developers’ Conference keynote, and what he said firmly puts the contentious issue of backwards compatibility into storm-in-a-teacup territory.

Harrison would not be drawn on specific PS2 titles which will be playable on PS3 on March 23, but it seems the only problem we will have is deciding which ones to play: “The situation is changing every day, but on March 23, we expect the list to include over 1,000 PS2 titles.” That enough for you?

Source: http://threespeech.com/blog/?p=301