Sony exec targets 2007 for Cell processor expansion

[one]

http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=160702140

Sony exec targets 2007 for Cell processor expansion

Junko Yoshida
EE Times
(04/13/2005 10:03 HM EDT)

BORDEAUX, France — Promising to "redefine the consumer experience," Fujio Nishida, executive vice president of Sony Corp., said new Cell processors for its third-generation PlayStation video game console will also drive Sony's home server and HDTV products in 2007.

Speaking at an extravagent media event here this week attended by more than 400 journalists, Nishida said Sony's device strategy remains focused on the Cell processor — designed jointly with Toshiba and IBM and originally promoted by Sony executive Ken Kutaragi. Nishida's comments also marked the first time Sony has revealed a time line for the company's Cell-based consumer products other than PlayStation 3.

Sony's recent management shakeup, in which Kutaragi stepped down from Sony's board and his management role was curtailed to running only Sony's game division, has spawned uncertainty about how hard Sony's new managers will fight for the Cell processor. One question is whether they would direct divisions other than the video game unit to use Cell in new products.

Positioning the Cell processor as "a media processor for the broadband engine," Nishida described it as ideal for handling "massively rich content at an astonishing speed." Asked when the new processor will appear in products other than PlayStation 3, Nishida said internal projects to design the Cell processor into home servers and HDTVs are underway, and that commercial products will appear in 2007.

"Right now, using the Cell processor in our HDTV products would be overkill," he said. The media processor's multi-core structure will shine in a future home server where multiple streams of HD video programs need to be simultaneously transmitted in real time to multiple displays, Nishida explained.

"We are still looking for applications that will make sense for the Cell processor to reside in a variety of new consumer products," he added.

Nishida said there are currently no plans to enlist other Cell partners, but added that Toshiba can sell the processor to others. Because the Cell processor will drive millions of Playstation 3 units by 2007, Nishida said he is convinced that market momentum and economies of scale behind its proprietary processor will emerge without seeking new CE partners.

Acknowledging the commoditization of many consumer products, Nishida said Sony needs a platform like the Cell processor to differentiate its products as it struggles to regain market share.

 

[Lazy8s]

Nishida said there are currently no plans to enlist other Cell partners, but added that Toshiba can sell the processor to others. Because the Cell processor will drive millions of Playstation 3 units by 2007, Nishida said he is convinced that market momentum and economies of scale behind its proprietary processor will emerge without seeking new CE partners.

Looks to make more of an impact on Sony and the same level of impact on the rest of the industry that the Emotion Engine did.

 

[jvd]

Yup no big deal outside of the ps3 and most likely not outside of sony products in general .

It also makes sense they will branch out in 2007 as i'm sure the yields will be horrible in the first year along with other problems of making enough chips for a few million systems world wide

 

[Carl B]

I think Sony's looking to use this chip more or less just for Sony. IBM will be the one dipping their toes in selling it into other sectors, at least initially. And I guess they'll both team up to sell into digital content creation at some point. I don't know what Toshiba plans to do though, honestly. Maybe they just got involved for rights to the IP? Sure, they could use it for stuff - but do they have a fab set up even or would they need to procure from IBM and Sony?

 

[AtariAlum]

Nishida said there are currently no plans to enlist other Cell partners, but added that Toshiba can sell the processor to others. Because the Cell processor will drive millions of Playstation 3 units by 2007, Nishida said he is convinced that market momentum and economies of scale behind its proprietary processor will emerge without seeking new CE partners.

Looks to make more of an impact on Sony and the same level of impact on the rest of the industry that the Emotion Engine did.

Now that is hilarious. In a sad way...

 

[London Geezer]

Though i'm sure everyone knows what i think of Lazy8's, you can't really say he's wrong, like no one can say he's right. As usual really. We're talking about the future. He doesn't know, i don't know, and you certainly don't know either. So it's pointless starting to flame, cause my spider sense is already picking up flaming vibrations.


(Man i'm diplomatic lately...)

 

[Sonic]

Thank you for that wonderful contribution to the thread london-boy.

This doesn't seem too bad considering that CELL is going to be a new architecture and that the yields will probably extremely bad even on 2006 process technology. I can see why Sony wouldn't want to delay the PS3 launch past next year mainly because it would allow MS and Nintendo too much room to grow their userbases until Sony releases their system.

There's no sense in selling vacuums, toasters, TV's, and audio equipment if it's going to take so much money to manufacture them. Why not do it when yields are better and more money can be made from the chips?

 

[one]

FYI, Toshiba sets the launch of Cell in Fall 2006 as the engine behind SED TV.

http://bb.watch.impress.co.jp/cda/news/9331.html

 

[London Geezer]

Why do they mention Pentium4 in the Cell slot?
Anyone who speaks japanese here?

 

[xmu]

i really suck at japanese but it says "process" in the end i think now someone else decipher the beginning of the text

 

[Andy]

Actually that says Processor not process

From what I can read, this is to do with Toshiba and their "Television Alliance". The first alliance (SED) is between Canon, the second (IPS) I think the first is Nikon, but the second company I don't know, if its any help the second character means "down" or "lower than". The third alliance (CELL) is of course the infamous STI one.

 

[one]

It says "Processor IC more powerfull than Pentium 4"

For SED, Canon/Toshiba are allied, for IPS LCD, Hitachi/Matsushita/Toshiba, for Cell, Sony/IBM/Toshiba.