You still haven't explained what you expect these .5 systems to be.
Are you just not answering so IF it happens and it's just updated HDMI or extra ports you can still come out and say "SEE I TOLD YOU GUYS!!"
???
To be? I've already outlined the logic of their creation, the hardware they are likely to contain so I assume you mean the market niche.
PS3.5 emulates a PS3 using the same CPU elements but not "Cell" using modern (downscaled) GPU and support hardware. This because adding HDMI pass-thru and low power modes would cost more in redesign costs than to start over. Possible because of economy of scale. (Same SOC used by both Microsoft and Sony)
Some of the following coming to the PS3 with software upgrade. PS3 will be killed when PS3.5 launches. It's Sony's choice in how much they fragment the PS3 market. I think they will bite the bullet and Disrupt fully fragment the PS3 except for games. This would have the non-game OS with more memory and much faster (not emulated) (see DieH@rds post above, Xbox360S refresh had to be slowed down). Game side 100% emulation with same memory limitation and speed. An indication of the difference will be different Firmware update files.
1) Cheaper
2) Google TV like XTV support. I doubt Android-GoogleTV as it's much less powerful. It's attraction are all the apps for Android. Sony will build and sell HTML5 apps.
3) DRM security, the PS3's security key is broken and a new design emulating a PS3 with a ARM CPU for Trustzone DRM works.
4) HDMI pass-thru and low power modes allow always connected always on or in hibernate mode. Gives us instant boot. Further, XTV and this design means always loaded Webkit and native libraries which with HTML5 apps gives us a browser desktop.
5) Free HTML5 apps when the OS is upgraded; Calender, Contact List, Skype, Google Talk Ultraviolet and more. Others will be in the Sony Store.
6) It will likely have 100 meg+ of free memory over what a PS3 has. This because a PS3.5 would require memory above 512 meg for emulation overhead. 2 stacked 512 meg ultrawide memory packages are in the SOC. The memory has enough bandwidth that XDR and eDRAM are not needed. Sony OS can use this memory but developers will be restricted to exactly old PS3 specs to not fragment the market.
a) Cross game chat possible between PS3.5 and PS4
b) Better more accurate Kinect like features
c) faster XMB from game, always loaded in and out of game OS routines
d) Chat/video/audio available everywhere
e) Popup display windows while in game like Vita.
Market Niche:
I'm guessing the PS3.5 will come bundled with a Kinect like Depth camera. Price with Motion camera $199.00. This will be the low priced entry supporting casual and AR games as well as XTV. It will be a must have for the family TV. PS4 will be 10X as powerful and $200+ more expensive. Both can use the same accessories so consumers can upgrade from PS3.5 to PS4.
An example; the current Head mounted LCD display is $800 because there is no economy of scale and no interface (LVDS + Power) in the PS3 to support it. LCD glasses made for a PS3.5 or PS4 will be about $200 and drop from there. Multiple new RF modes allow support for Cell phones and wireless LCD glasses.
Mindlog said:
How does the NSZ-GS7 work with a hypothetical PS3.5? Is one a test for the other? Would the the NSZ-GS7 have a niche in a 3.5 market?
No, it will work but the PS3.5 has interface hardware that allows cheaper LCD glasses. That interface is going to be standard across PS3.5, PS4, Xbox365 and Xbox720 which allows economy of scale and a cheaper LCD head mounted display with more features to sell AR games.
From BY3D:
http://www.wowza.com/forums/showthread.php?17182-PlayReady-and-HLS&p=88051#post88051 said:
Richard, We already use AES for HLS which is OK for most iOS devices but far too unsecure for most rights owners that require Playready. So we choose SmoothStreaming for that.
BUT, the results in term of feeling for the end user is very poor in Smoothstreaming compared to HLS. We tried everything: various GOP, various encoder, various streamers (even with
IIS Media Services). We put varnish cache in front of streamer, same thing. HLS is better than Smoothstreaming, there's no discution about it.
Moreover, the new devices that are coming in 2012 (Samsung TV, PS3 WebMAF, LG TV, etc...) will all have HLS and Playready capabilities. So why don't we use the better of the two
world : HLS + Playready !
So for us, it will be great to be able to unlock the DRM mecanism to use it with HLS...
What's your feeling about that ?
http://www.cv-library.co.uk/cgi-bin/view-job.cgi?jobref=113608492&print=1 said:
Developer - JavaScript, MVC, CSSPosted08/06/2012 (09:27)Agency/EmployerEurobase PeopleDescription
Developer - JavaScript, MVC, CSS
I am seeking a Developer with strong Javascript application development skills, with some experience in developing Playstation/PS3 media applications, to join a fast growing and game console development team.
Essential Skills
-Javascript application development, preferably with an MVC framework (Backbone, knockout, Angular etc.)
-Javascript unit testing, preferably using -Cucumber/Gherkin or TestSwarm
-CSS 3
-Good written and verbal communication skills in English
Desirable Skills
-Playstation Network/PS3 development with Webkit browser & WebMAF framework
-Movie playback on PS3 with DRM encoding
-Javascript framerworks, eg JQuery, Angular, browsercap
-Playstation Network
-Experience of consuming RESTful services and JSON
-Experience working with bug management and source control system
Mozilla Application Framework WebMAF framework Gecko was used in the OLPC Sugar interface and Google used it to create Picasa. Samsung TV uses QTwebkit and Sony uses a modified GTKwebkit.
The Mozilla application framework is a collection of cross-platform software components that make up the Mozilla applications. It was originally known as XPFE, an abbreviation of cross-platform front end. It was also known as XPToolkit. To avoid confusion, it is now best referred to as the Mozilla application framework.
While similar to generic cross-platform application frameworks like GTK+, Qt and wxWidgets, the intent is to provide a subset of cross-platform functionality suitable for building network applications like web browsers, leveraging the cross-platform functionality already built into the Gecko layout engine.
HAL HTTP Live Streaming
HTTP Live Streaming (also known as HLS) is an HTTP-based media streaming communications protocol implemented by Apple Inc. as part of their QuickTime X and iPhone software systems. It works by breaking the overall stream into a sequence of small HTTP-based file downloads, each download loading one short chunk of an overall potentially unbounded transport stream. As the stream is played, the client may select from a number of different alternate streams containing the same material encoded at a variety of data rates, allowing the streaming session to adapt to the available data rate. At the start of the streaming session, it downloads an extended M3U (m3u8) playlist containing the metadata for the various sub-streams which are available.
Since its requests use only standard HTTP transactions, HTTP Live Streaming is capable of traversing any firewall or proxy server that lets through standard HTTP traffic, unlike UDP-based protocols such as RTP. This also allows a Content delivery network to easily be implemented for any given stream.
Playready DRM from Microsoft.
Coming to the PS3 is support for HAL (DASH player) with Playready DRM. Sony can finally have commercial IPTV. Further this implies a player like Gstreamer is coming and HTML5 <video> should be supported. When, I've been predicting Sept 23 (Gnome Cycle). Also HTML5 apps are coming based on the Mozilla application framework. PS3 WebMAF can mean anything from a few WebMAF (HTML5) apps to a complete XMB and OS rewrite. FYI the VITA OS takes many ideas from the OLPC Sugar interface which also used Gecko.
Wowza Media server PS4 and Xbox 720 are going to serve media to Handhelds. It's possible the PS3.5 and Xbox365 also.