Sony Interview (Please Translate)

[DemoCoder]

A 60gb drive could store 30hrs of video at DVD quality using H.264 (4.5mbps), or, if you choose Tivo "best" quality SDTV, you can do 60hrs, and "worst" Tivo quality about 90hrs. More than sufficient for most people, although I'm sure hardcore people would upgrade to a new HD. Considering that you would need to buy a TV capture adapter, DVB, or CableCard to get any kind of capture, you'd probably get a new HD as well. Sony may just as well sell a combo HD+capture card.

I'm not really sure I'd want my PS3 as a PVR though, since when you play games, you'd have to stop recording, OR when a scheduled record was about to come up, you'd have to stop playing a game.

Instead, I think an open client/server protocol should exist. You go to your local electronics store and buy the equivalent of network attached storaged and network attached capture devices. Put them anywhere in your house on the network. Then, from any room in the house, your PC, your PS3, you're wifi PDA, whatever, can stream the video.

This differs from MS's approach where the capturing and serving always has to be done by PC. I think it should be point-to-point, and any device can be a capture/video server, so if some company wants to stick a cablecard + HD + enclosure + cheap CPU + linux into a small package that you buy like linksys or d-link periphrals, and sell something that sits in my A/V closet or next to my coax-multiswitch, that's fine by me.

 

[DemoCoder]

Sure they will.... Security holes? Hell ya. Hard to use? LMFAO.

Microsoft software is difficult to use for the average user. The average user can barely set the clock on his VCR. That's why we have Office for dummies, and innumerable classes that teach Windows and Office, because they are poorly designed human interfaces.

And all Office keeps doing every revision is adding more and more features and complexity that the average user has little ability to find or take advantage of. Home users need vastly simplified productivity programs. That's why you've seen programs like Photoshop Elements become a hit, because normal people who just want to publish a photo and correct contrast and red eye don't need friggin full blown Photoshop.

 

[TheChefO]

I'm not really sure I'd want my PS3 as a PVR though, since when you play games, you'd have to stop recording, OR when a scheduled record was about to come up, you'd have to stop playing a game.

Not necessarily, they could either produce a version of cell for this obviously higher end product (more expensive better equiped to handle a more expensive version of said chip)which has an extra core or two to support background recording/playing/streaming to psp or other "media extenders" around the house. This should avoid the stall you're talking about as long as you don't start streaming hd content to every room in your house while you try to record LOST/24 in hd and play a round of Tekken 7 online

 

[Diamond.G]

All this banter about HDD size made me wonder. I have every episode of Bleach and Naruto (along with both Naruto movies and various other subbed Anime) which take up a few hundred gig. Am I gonna have to convert all of it from DIVX/XVID to H.264?? It doesn't seem worth it to have to convert my existing collection to another format. What about iTunes music? I haven't upgraded my PSP in a while, it can play AAC right?

 

[Naboomagnoli]

Not necessarily, they could either produce a version of cell for this obviously higher end product (more expensive better equiped to handle a more expensive version of said chip)which has an extra core or two to support background recording/playing/streaming to psp or other "media extenders" around the house. This should avoid the stall you're talking about as long as you don't start streaming hd content to every toom in your house while you try to record LOST/24 in hd and play a round of Tekken 7 online

I know nothing of the intricacies of video recording, but I seem to recall that 1 SPE was benchmarked as being capable of handling more than 1 HD video channel at a time (I can't remember which report that was in). I can't remember how much memory the OS was expected to require, but maybe you wouldn't need a different version of Cell to simultaneously perform the two. You wouldn't be able to use multi-video in-game chat though.

 

[TheChefO]

I know nothing of the intricacies of video recording, but I seem to recall that 1 SPE was benchmarked as being capable of handling more than 1 HD video channel at a time (I can't remember which report that was in). I can't remember how much memory the OS was expected to require, but maybe you wouldn't need a different version of Cell to simultaneously perform the two. You wouldn't be able to use multi-video in-game chat though.

I remember the talk of spe encoding/decoding as well but didn't recall specifics. Point is if the cell in it's current configuration is busy doing game calcs + running sony os then you'd at least need to add an spe or two to handle the other potential duties. This wouldn't significantly increase the cost of the cpu for this configuration though as far as I could tell.

 

[DemoCoder]

Any extra power in my game console, I'd want dedicated to the game. It just don't make sense to build another SKU of the PS3 with an extra core and goodies for PVR functionality when it just makes the PS3 bigger, hotter, and more at risk of failure (crash), not to mention you'd need 2 drives since if the game is using the HD, you don't want unpredictable access times from disk thrashing.

PVRs should be standalone devices, preferably built right into your setup box/tuner, and export an interface to copy or stream to other devices on the network.

 

[TheChefO]

Any extra power in my game console, I'd want dedicated to the game. It just don't make sense to build another SKU of the PS3 with an extra core and goodies for PVR functionality when it just makes the PS3 bigger, hotter, and more at risk of failure (crash), not to mention you'd need 2 drives since if the game is using the HD, you don't want unpredictable access times from disk thrashing.

PVRs should be standalone devices, preferably built right into your setup box/tuner, and export an interface to copy or stream to other devices on the network.

Sony want's ps3 to be a Media Center pc as well as games machine/musicplayer/blurayplayer. In order to do this you need space. With this alternate configuration it would realize this vision.

 

[RobertR1]

Head of PR for the PS name leaving in the middle of an important PR timeframe.....

http://ps3.qj.net/Sony-PS1-PS2-PR-Chief-Quits/pg/49/aid/50921

 

[scooby_dooby]

Sony want's ps3 to be a Media Center pc as well as games machine/musicplayer/blurayplayer. In order to do this you need space. With this alternate configuration it would realize this vision.

Sony wanted PS2 to jack into the matrix and have online messaging with AOL. Sometimes we have to realize this is a company who historically talks ALOT of shit. Lets just see what they actually deliver before talking about new SKU's and 'built to order" ps3's. It's not that long now...only 5 months!

 

[scooby_dooby]

Microsoft software is difficult to use for the average user. The average user can barely set the clock on his VCR. That's why we have Office for dummies, and innumerable classes that teach Windows and Office, because they are poorly designed human interfaces.

I don't really agree there, Office's success must be attributed in some part to it's ease of use, there were other viable competitors at one point in time. Also, open source programs like open-office mimic MS Office almost completely, so it can't be that horrible of an interface.

It's all relative really, hard to use compared to what? OSX? I wouldn't say that. Linux. Definately not. Compared to an extremely dumbed down interface on a console, well then ya it would be harder to use. Of course, alot of the functionality also flys out the window, as with any dumbed down interface.

From my experience, people's problems with mastering PC applications has nothing to do with them having poorly designed user interfaces, it's the fact that normally intelligent people seem to throw all common sense, and *thinking* out the window when they sit down behind a computer. People are intimidated, and they tend to assume it's too difficult for them to grasp, as a result they don't use their own logic and common sense to problem solve.

Maybe you're right, maybe it is a fundamental user-interface problem, but I certainly haven't seen the interface that solves the problem, or presents a signifigantly better alternative.

 

[NavNucST3]

I originally thought that Sony was going to use the firewire port on the "2005 PS3" to connect to digital tuners and PVRs. This is how I used to make my HDTV recordings to my D-VHS, and sometimes throught Virtual D-VHS on the Mac. I thought this was how they were going to handle the lack of tuner, but the firewire port is gone (it was there at E32K5 wasn't it?). Since firewire can handle the control signals I was thinking that the PS3 would not replace my cable box obviously, but that I would use the PS3s interface to jump from movies, music, TV, to gaming all from the single device.

I have some of those features with the 360, but I wish it was even more streamlined, meaning that I wish the Video section on the Media blade was like the Music section, where I could select my streamed files, as opposed to going into the Media Center option and then finding my files. Also, more streamlined in the sense that I wish that, me as primarily a Mac user, didn't have to build an MCE. Since I use Visual Studio everyday, I guess that part isn't that bad.

 

[DemoCoder]

I don't really agree there, Office's success must be attributed in some part to it's ease of use, there were other viable competitors at one point in time.

It's called bundling and uncompetitive API behavior. Once bundling established Office, compatability with document format kept it there. That's why MS is so scared of ODF.

Office's user interface faux pas have long been documented, go look them up. But primarily, Office is not designed as a *consumer* application, it's designed for the needs of business. It is thoroughly overkill for 99% of home user needs.

As for OSX vs Windows, it's a slam dunk. Even Windows industry rags like ZD, ComputerWorld, et al admit it's easier to use, easier to manage, better looking, and better featured. Even recent reviews of Vista Beta 2 have cast down whether they will even catch up with Tiger, let alone the upcoming Leopard release of OS X.

 

[NavNucST3]

It's called bundling and uncompetitive API behavior. Once bundling established Office, compatability with document format kept it there. That's why MS is so scared of ODF.

Office's user interface faux pas have long been documented, go look them up. But primarily, Office is not designed as a *consumer* application, it's designed for the needs of business. It is thoroughly overkill for 99% of home user needs.

As for OSX vs Windows, it's a slam dunk. Even Windows industry rags like ZD, ComputerWorld, et al admit it's easier to use, easier to manage, better looking, and better featured. Even recent reviews of Vista Beta 2 have cast down whether they will even catch up with Tiger, let alone the upcoming Leopard release of OS X.

Real quick OT, but I hope Leopard wows me, because as much as I like Tiger, it just didn't/doesn't knock my socks off like Jaguar did. Its about time for them to come out with a real competitor to Media Center, because Front Row isn't it...and the combination of MCE and the 360 kicks some serious ass...and it could still be better.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I don't really agree there, Office's success must be attributed in some part to it's ease of use, there were other viable competitors at one point in time.

In it's day Word wasn't bad, but now it's pretty messy simply because MS keep piling on features as the only way to create a new WP that probably had all the capability any home user would use back in '98. Also they did use 'dirty' tactics. But the competitors couldn't really compete with Word as a software app - for once MS managed to make a good application of their own .

Also, open source programs like open-office mimic MS Office almost completely, so it can't be that horrible of an interface.

Office has been established so long that a change in interface is going to confuse people. It's like a QWERTY keyboard. It's not the best solution but everyone's so used to it, it's here to stay. Giving a DVORAK or similar is going to make typing harder than a keyboard deliberately designed to slow typing. The Word interface is so heavily used if you want to attract users away from it, you have to give them the same environment. I don't think the UI is bad. There's only so much you can do with a word processor! But MS keep adding more and more stuff that's just confusing and goes unused in the home environment.

From my experience, people's problems with mastering PC applications has nothing to do with them having poorly designed user interfaces, it's the fact that normally intelligent people seem to throw all common sense, and *thinking* out the window when they sit down behind a computer. People are intimidated, and they tend to assume it's too difficult for them to grasp, as a result they don't use their own logic and common sense to problem solve.

From a sheer complexity POV, there's nothing even close to using a computer. One of the reasons users feel intimidated is error messages and other popups and warnings, plus dodgy software with spontaneous crashes. There's a lot of info to take in, with a lot of used insecurity based on mistakes causing problems. If a user is trying something new and gets it wrong, they can mess things up. So they're unwilling to try, practice and learn as they feel the computer is unforgiving and they can't afford to make mistakes. There's nothing like uncertainty and insecurity to totally cripple people's learning abilities.
Even if such warnings and errors were to become user friendly, the reputation of computers is set.

Maybe you're right, maybe it is a fundamental user-interface problem, but I certainly haven't seen the interface that solves the problem, or presents a signifigantly better alternative.

There are plenty of HCI specialists who believe things need to change.

 

[Sis]

There are plenty of HCI specialists who believe things need to change.

Certainly the Office team's own specialists believe so, since the main office apps are being redesigned for Office 12. What's interesting here is that the redesign is driven by making the available features of the application more transparent to the user. Supposedly a good majority of feature requests for Office are actually for features that already exist.

Anyway, if it were true that the normal user doesn't require most of the features of Word, then the solution would be to create a dumbed down, minimalist Word. It's been tried before and nobody's been successful. Primarily this is becuase that while each user may only use a small set of features of the application, that feature set used is different from user to user. It is incorrect to assume that there is a one-size-fits-all "home user" persona.

 

[TheChefO]

Sony wanted PS2 to jack into the matrix and have online messaging with AOL. Sometimes we have to realize this is a company who historically talks ALOT of shit. Lets just see what they actually deliver before talking about new SKU's and 'built to order" ps3's. It's not that long now...only 5 months!

lol - I remember all to well - My comments are meant to illustrate as you've done, that there is a big diffference between a having a goal and taking steps to ensure that goal is reached.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Anyway, if it were true that the normal user doesn't require most of the features of Word, then the solution would be to create a dumbed down, minimalist Word. It's been tried before and nobody's been successful.

I'm not sure I agree with your primary reason. Who created this dumbed-down version, when, and was it as well known as Word plus bundled with the most popular office suite of all time...

I guess what's really needed is a proper survey as to what features people use to see if feature-set used does vary from user to use, but I can't imagine that to be true at all and would be very surprised if it's so. Typing, pictures, tables, Wordart, spelling and grammar checks, thesaurus, styles and formatting with layout like headers and footers, probably covers everything used. Is there anyone here who uses more features than this in Word at home? Opening Word now and looking at the View > Toolbars, things I have never used are Autotext, Control Toolbox, Forms, Frames, Reviewing, Visual Basic, Web, and Web Tools. I can't see how anyone at home would use what are obviously buisiness features in a business application. And this is from Word 2000, so what has been added in the last 5-6 years that people are going to use?! If there were a Home Word, losing all the business features and stripping it down, I expect it could do well, but then MS couldn't charge as much for it

 

[Beafy]

Another problem is that users usually choose checkbox-features over ease of use. It's the same in consumer electronics, really. People buy Stereos or VCRs with hundreds of buttons, although they will never use most of them, but only get confused. Amount of features is unfortunately much more visible, than ease of use.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

That's true. You can't advertise ease of use in a product spec. You need experience and testimonials/reviews which only have a slow influence on the market. But a brand new product for a brand new system could make a big impression. If there were a special home WP for PS3 say that came with the machine, people may well try it just because it's there and find it's easier to use than Word on the PC and prefer (if indeed it is). Whereas the same WP on PC would have to get people to try it instead of going for the default WP.