Playstation®3 And Psp®(Playstation®Portable) Expanding Entertainment Capabilities With New System Software Updates

Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) today announced that the next system software updates for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) and PSP®(PlayStation®Portable) systems are now available. PS3 system will be upgraded to v. 2.10, which further enhances the system’s home theater capabilities by enabling playback of DivX®-formatted videos and upgrading to Blu-ray Disc™ (BD) Profile 1.1. This profile makes PS3 one of the first Blu-ray players capable of advanced features for movies, such as picture-in-picture viewing and interactive audio commentary. PSP will be upgraded to v. 3.80, expanding the system’s music functionality with the addition of Internet Radio via AOL’s SHOUTcast Radio and icecast.org’s icecast . PSP users will be able to listen to their choice of more than 22,000 stations whenever they’re at a Wi-Fi hotspot, giving them significantly more options beyond the music stored on their Memory Stick Duo™.*

“Consumers are seeing the incredible depth of PS3 and PSP as entertainment systems, and these new features expand each platform’s media capabilities and provide more options for enjoying content – whether it’s movies on a high-definition setup with PS3 or music on the road with PSP,” said Peter Dille, senior vice president, marketing and PLAYSTATION®Network, SCEA.“Both PS3 and PSP continue to evolve with new upgrades that consumers are asking for, all delivered with the ease of free system software updates that keep our consumers at the forefront of innovation.”

PS3 system software 2.10
PS3 system’s value as a gaming and home entertainment center will be expanded with the PS3 system software 2.10 upgrade. Consumers will be able to playback videos in the popular DivX format. DivX is the format of choice for uploading personal video content to a PC or downloading content from the Internet because of its high visual quality and small file sizes. Many PS3 users may already have DivX videos stored on their PC, and now they’ll be able to enjoy this content in their living rooms on their PS3. Consumers will have the option to access DivX videos stored on their PC over Wi-Fi via PS3 system’s Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) technology.

PS3 system software 2.10 also includes the BD Profile 1.1, making PS3 one of the first Blu-ray players on the market capable of advanced features for movies, such as secondary video and audio decoders for picture-in-picture viewing and interactive audio commentary. The first BD movies to take advantage of BD Profile 1.1 are slated for release in January 2008, making PS3 owners among the first consumers who will be able to enjoy the enhanced movie-watching experience that Blu-ray technology makes possible.

All PS3 systems play high-definition Blu-ray movies out-of-the-box, and with 70 percent of PS3 users stating in a recent survey that they own at least three BD movies, it’s clear that Blu-ray movie playback is a key benefit for PS3 owners. Because of PS3’s ability to upgrade its system software , the 1.1 Profile and future BD updates can easily be delivered to users, enabling the system to remain current as BD technology advances.

System software 2.10 also adds support for playback of videos in VC-1 format, including WMV content. Additionally, a new Voice Changer setting for voice and video chat enables high and low-pitched tones to be adjusted to five preset levels.

PSP System Software 3.80
PSP system software 3.80 delivers free Internet Radio* to all PSP users whenever they’re at a Wi-Fi hotspot via AOL’s SHOUTcast Radio and icecast.org’s icecast . With AOL’s SHOUTcast, PSP users can tune in to their choice of more than 21,000 stations streaming a variety of musical genres, from pop and hip-hop to rock and talk. Icecast offers an additional 1,500 streams. More than 50 percent of PSP owners use the system to listen to music, and this new service makes PSP even more compelling for music fans. The volume and variety of content available through Internet Radio effectively expands a PSP user’s own music collection that they can currently listen to when stored on a Memory Stick Duo™.

The Internet Radio feature is compatible with both the original PSP (PSP- 1000 model ) and the recently released PSP (PSP- 2000 model ) . To access the feature, an Internet Radio icon will be available on the XMB™ (XrossMediaBar) under the Network category, and a Memory Stick Duo is required to register the application.

Both PS3 and PSP systems were designed to continually evolve with regular system software upgrades that deliver new features and functionality. With no additional investment, consumers simply update their systems and can immediately enjoy these upgrades. This process lengthens the lifecycle of PS3 and PSP, and consumers no longer have to worry about their hardware becoming outdated or missing out on exciting new capabilities. SCEA will continue to release system software updates on an ongoing basis. For further details and instructions on how to update the PS3 and PSP system software , please visit us.playstation.com.

About Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.

Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. continues to redefine the entertainment lifestyle with its PlayStation® and PS one® game console, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system, the ground-breaking PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system, and its online and network services, the PLAYSTATION®Network and PLAYSTATION®Store.

Recognized as the undisputed industry leader, Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. markets the PlayStation family of products and develops, publishes, markets, and distributes software for the PS one game console, the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, the PSP system and the PS3 system for the North American market. Based in Foster City, Calif. Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc. serves as headquarters for all North American operations and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.



“PlayStation,” “PLAYSTATION,” “PSP,” “PS one” are registered trademarks and“PS3” and“XMB” are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

*For details about how to register and use the Internet Radio player, see “About Internet Radio” http://www.playstation.com/psp-app/radio.html). You must have access to the Internet via a wireless access point or hotpsot to use Internet Radio features. Certain limitations apply to Wi-Fi connectivity. See manual for details. Internet connection and Memory Stick Duo ™ may be required. Player responsible for Wi-Fi fees.