PlayStation 3 to use Blu-ray Disc

[Kurt Angle]

Sony hopes the move will help jump-start the market for the new high-storage format.

TOKYO--According to Kyodo News, Sony officials announced today that they will use Blu-ray Disc technology in their next-generation console, most commonly referred to as the PlayStation 3. Sony revealed its decision at a press conference held by the Blu-ray Disc Founders (BDF), an organization committed to developing and standardizing the next-generation optical disc format. The BDF also used the occasion to announce that it will finalize the specifications for the read-only version of Blu-ray Discs (BD-ROMs) by September 30.

Sony has been investing heavily into Blu-ray product development and was the first company to have a disc recorder on the market. The company had previously hinted that it may use the format in the PS3. Sony\'s Blu-ray Disc R&D division chief Kiyoshi Nishitani commented in an interview with Asahi PC magazine in March that the company would like to establish ground in the Blu-ray Disc market by adopting BD-ROMs for its "home video game console."

The Blu-ray Disc Founders organization is composed of Sony, Panasonic, and 11 other major electronic makers. Like its predecessor, the DVD, the BD-ROM will primarily be used for movies. The companies plan to start marketing Blu-ray Disc playback machines (without recording capabilities) by the end of the fiscal year.

Sony is relying heavily on the Blu-ray Disc format, so the use of Blu-ray as the market standard in next-generation media is vital, especially since the company also publishes movies through its Sony Pictures subsidiary. Adopting the Blu-ray Disc for the PS3 should help spread use of the format, similar to what the PlayStation 2 did for DVDs.

Early expansion of the Blu-ray format would be ideal for Sony, considering it will have to compete with high-definition DVDs (HD DVD) in the future. Blu-ray Discs can hold 25GB on a single layer and 50GB on the dual-layer discs, while HD DVD discs--which have yet to be released--will hold only 30GB on a dual-layered disc. However, HD DVD has the upper hand when it comes to convenience, as its players will be backward-compatible with current DVDs. Sony did not say whether the PS3 would be able to play DVDs or will be backward-compatible with PS2 games.

Sony said it will reveal more details on the PlayStation 3 at a premiere event in Japan on March 31, 2005. The console will also be on display at next year\'s E3 in Los Angeles.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/08/04/news_6104095.html

:eek:

Excellent..

When are the BR players coming out anyways? Before PS3 I hope, to eliminate any early problems.

[clips]

i think i\'ll wait until the 2nd batch of ps3\'s come out..so they can work out the bugs..

[Paul2]

HD DVD has the upper hand when it comes to convenience, as its players will be backward-compatible with current DVDs. Sony did not say whether the PS3 would be able to play DVDs or will be backward-compatible with PS2 games.

this is bull.  PS3 can be backward compatible with dvd and cd by using their cost saving 3 in 1 lasers.  By using 3 seperate lasers is much better than 3 in 1, but either works just fine.

Originally posted by clips
i think i\'ll wait until the 2nd batch of ps3\'s come out..so they can work out the bugs..

Screw that. I dont think i could wait when everybody but me has one. I know its stupid but hey, Im gettin a damn ps3 when it comes out. well.... we\'ll see when it comes out.

this is bull. PS3 can be backward compatible with dvd and cd by using their cost saving 3 in 1 lasers. By using 3 seperate lasers is much better than 3 in 1, but either works just fine.

I could have swore the thing was going to be backwards compatible with ps1/2. What the hell. It would be one hell of a space saver. And about BR. Could they still be used if the machine was backwards compatible?

eh?  it says "Sony did not say."  Don\'t assume just yet.

Blu-Ray in America = 2005.

[Paul2]

I think Sony is just being tight lips about it.  Blu Ray seem to be coming out in 2006.

Cool stuff.

Besides saving space, will the blue laser help with speed too?

Red Laser = 11.08mbps
Blue Laser = 36mbps

More than 3x the bandwidth so yes load times will decrease assuming there is ample processing power and little bandwidth restrictions.

Columbia has pledged to "release all of its home video products in the Blu-ray format by the end of 2005."  But the BR Group is saying late \'05 or early \'06.  NEC & Toshiba are now saying 2005 for HDVD.  The sooner the better, a year is a long time from now and competition always speeds things up.

[Paul2]

I think they are still working on speeding up the read time.

Now its currently read up to 36 mbits.  It would be cool if they could increase it to 40 mbits, 50 mbits and higher.

Originally posted by THX
Red Laser = 11.08mbps
Blue Laser = 36mbps

More than 3x the bandwidth so yes load times will decrease assuming there is ample processing power and little bandwidth restrictions.

Columbia has pledged to "release all of its home video products in the Blu-ray format by the end of 2005."  But the BR Group is saying late \'05 or early \'06.  NEC & Toshiba are now saying 2005 for HDVD.  The sooner the better, a year is a long time from now and competition always speeds things up.

How can you be sure it\'ll decrease since next generation obviously will have to load a lot more resources. I\'m expecting about the same load times.

[Evi]

:rolleyes: Thanks for re-posting this after I posted it the first time. Seems it\'s less magical when I post it, so somebody else has to create some sparks...*ahem* Kurt.

But yeah...that\'d be awesome if the PS3 did in fact use Blu-Ray technology. That\'d open up a whole new world of gaming...like huge friggin levels and such. Bleh...anyway...I\'M DONE RAMBLING...

[Kurt Angle]

Originally posted by EviscerationX
:rolleyes: Thanks for re-posting this after I posted it the first time. Seems it\'s less magical when I post it, so somebody else has to create some sparks...*ahem* Kurt.

When and where did you post it as this has only just been announced?

Originally posted by JP
How can you be sure it\'ll decrease since next generation obviously will have to load a lot more resources. I\'m expecting about the same load times.

I said assuming there is ample processing power.  A fast system with a speedy system bus can handle more resources much better than a 300Mhz CPU.  If takes the same amount of time to load the levels on the next gen GTA on PS3 I\'ll be disappointed.

It has been said they are contemplating using blu-ray, this announcement just solidifies it.

[Bobs_Hardware]

Originally posted by EviscerationX
:rolleyes: Thanks for re-posting this after I posted it the first time. Seems it\'s less magical when I post it, so somebody else has to create some sparks...*ahem* Kurt.

But yeah...that\'d be awesome if the PS3 did in fact use Blu-Ray technology. That\'d open up a whole new world of gaming...like huge friggin levels and such. Bleh...anyway...I\'M DONE RAMBLING...

Define "huge friggin levels"? Seems to me that games like The Getaway and Jak & Daxter already have pretty huge levels..