Sony's Grave Error: The $499 HDMI-Lacking PS3.

Razor05 · 05-20-2006, 12:58 PM

IGN » Entertainment » Gear » Features

Sony's Grave Error: The $499 HDMI-Lacking PS3.
No HDMI, no HDCP. That equals no 1080p thanks to ICS. This equation spells disaster.
by Gerry Block
May 19, 2006 - Prior to Sony's pre-E3 media conference early last week, it was more or less impossible to bring up the future of the PlayStation 3 without launching into a debate on the subject of price point. After months, if not years, of rumors suggesting the console would not ship for less than a king's ransom, no journalist or fan could say a word about the PS3 without a careful mention that if Sony wasn't willing to sell the system at huge loss, the console was doomed. Last week at their pre-E3 media-conference, Sony finally dropped the proverbial bomb, announcing two PS3 models, differentiated by $100 in price but potentially far more in capabilities.

In word, Sony downplayed the disparity between the $499 and $599 PS3 versions, citing the primary difference between the consoles at the time of the announcement as the difference in built-in hard drive space, namely 20 GB for the low-end and 60 GB for the high-end. Within minutes, however, journalists homed in on a variety of factors that placed the lower-end PS3 into contention for the dreaded "tard-box" classification of crippled-console.

Not only does the $499 PS3 lack built-in support for Wi-Fi broadband and SD and Compact Flash memory cards, but rather shockingly, the machine does not possess HDMI output. Rumors spread like wild fire that the $499 machine was also missing Bluetooth support for wireless controllers, spreading fury among fans and detractors alike.

A week after the announcement, Sony representatives have gone on record with the press, officially clarifying that the $499 console will support Bluetooth and that Wi-Fi adapters and flash-memory reader add-ons will be made available for the console. The hard-drive will also be upgradeable, as Phil Harrison, long time SCEA heavyweight, told GI.biz, "You can upgrade to whatever size of drive you like. You can put in any drive that you like—it is a computer, after all."

Calming though such statements are, what may prove truly calamitous for the budget-model PS3 is its lack of support for HDMI. On the surface, the lack of such a feature does not spell immediate disaster, as HDMI is merely a high-end video-cable that couples digital image signals with digital sound, essentially equivalent to a DVI and optical audio connection combination. The $499 PS3 model will be able to transmit games in full 1080p High-Definition via component cables without a problem, and far more surround sound receiver-amplifiers support optical-audio than HDMI.

Where the pain will set in, however, is when Blu-ray movies begin making use of HDCP/AACS copy-protection and the infamous "Image-Constraint-Token" (ICP). At the demand of the major Hollywood studios, both HD-DVD and Blu-ray standards have been developed to support this next-generation copy-protection scheme that protects Hi-Def movies from piracy and illegal digital distribution. While AACS is more or less innocuous from the standpoint of a general consumer, HDCP is destined to rain frustration and disappointment upon the masses, or at least those who purchase the $499 PS3 package.

The HDCP system is the means by which each piece of hardware involved in transmitting a High-Def movie signal, from player, to wire, to amplifier, to HDTV or computer monitor, checks for support and protection from hacking and piracy before passing the signal along the chain. Each device must have a specially programmed HDCP chip, and any link in the chain that lacks such protection will cause the entire system to fail, causing movies encoded in 1080p Hi-Def to down-convert to 540p, by means of what is known as the "Image Constraint Token" capability of AACS/HDCP copy-protection scheme.

The crux of the $499 PlayStation 3's problem is the fact that HDCP copy-protection only supports digital connections, namely HDMI. Cutting straight to the chase, the $499 PS3 will not be able to play Blu-ray movies in 1080p High-Definition the moment Blu-ray DVDs begin implementing ICP. Though most studios have agreed to a one or two year grace period in which the Image Constraint Token will not be implemented while American consumers make the switch to next-gen DVD and purchase HDCP-ready HDTVs and PCs, barring a massive retreat on the part of the Hollywood studios, HDCP and ICP are the future of Hi-Def movies, and the $499 PS3 will not be invited to the party.

Sony's thought process in crippling the $499 PS3 in this respect is positively dumbfounding. The general populace has not been educated in the intricacies of HDCP / AACS copy-protection, and a variety of electronics manufacturers are presently involved in class-action law-suits filed by consumers after the companies erroneously claimed support for the new format when their products were, in fact, incompatible (most notably ATI and NVIDIA at this point in time). Legions of buyers will purchase the $499 PS3 version, believing that it represents an excellent value as both a next-gen DVD player and game console, only to discover that its Blu-ray capabilities are stripped a year or two into its lifecycle.

At the least, the decision to remove HDMI support from the $499 PS3 is a badly designed means of protecting the market for the higher-end stand-alone Blu-ray players that Sony and its partners plan to launch, beginning with the $999 Samsung BD-P1000 that will hit the streets on June 25. At worst, Sony is committing a massive breach of consumer trust if it markets both the $499 and $599 PlayStation 3 consoles as Blu-ray movie players and does not seek to educate buyers on the differences between them. Considering that, thus far, the most direct communication between manufacturers and consumers on the topic of HDCP support has been, at best, obfuscation, and at worst out-right lies, the chances that Sony aims to do the right thing in this regard are low.

There's still a chance that things might be set right. The Playstation 3's architecture has thus far been somewhat amorphous, as there has been word that the motion-sensing capabilities of the PS3 controller were added only weeks before E3, which suggests the possibility that Sony could recant under pressure and add HDMI output to the $499 console. It's also possible the word has gone out among electronics manufacturers that Hollywood is backing off demands for HDCP and ICS, which might explain why Microsoft thinks it can get away with producing a USB-based HD-DVD drive for the Xbox 360, a console that most certainly does not support HDCP natively (the standard wasn't finalized until the late first quarter of 2006) and presently does not even have wires capable of transmitting a digital signal (DVI or HDMI). Such a change of heart would be rather uncharacteristic of the movie industry, however, despite the fact that the algorithms that serve as the basis of HDCP-protection are fundamentally flawed and will be likely hacked and broken within a year of their implementation.

Until Sony announces a $499 PS3 design change, we at IGN Gear can, in good faith, only recommend that interested buyers steer clear of the lower-priced PS3 model or make the purchase fully aware that they may in future suffer severe repercussions when it comes to Blu-ray movie playback -- one of the key features that puts the PS3's price point above competing systems. 540p, the resolution that the Image Constraint Token will down-convert 1080p movies to in non-HDCP systems, is by no stretch of the imagination Hi-Def, and will, without major changes in PS3 design or studio policy, be the future of Blu-ray playback on the $499 PS3. Sony must either make this truth clear to buyers or make a hardware alteration. Any other response should be counted as negligent and anti-consumer, grave mistakes for a company that is risking so much on the PS3 and Blu-ray's success.

tanaka · 05-20-2006, 01:15 PM

A lot of people probably wont even realize this. Sony sure isn't going to broadcast it.
Just in case if anyone didn't read through the whole article:
This also means that the blue ray drive will be worthless in the future if i understand correctly.
If not. Correct me.

Razor05 · 05-20-2006, 01:26 PM

Yep, that's how I understood it. Why even have Blu-Ray in the $499 model? They could have dropped the price by at least a hundred & fifty bucks or more.

ViperVenom18 · 05-20-2006, 01:33 PM

Haha yeah! "Let's implement a BR player in the 500 dollar ps3 when no one will even be able to use it!"

drock912001 · 05-20-2006, 06:38 PM

How is this a big deal?How many homes have hd sets?Less than 20% so how does this hurt?Blu-ray and hddvd got long ways to go before they are considered a serious alternative to current formats and technologies.Blu-ray is selling point but if you buy the system for gaming and gaming only you'll be satisfied.

rudyusmc1980 · 05-20-2006, 06:45 PM

sony wouldn't ICT their games, so your right, buying this for games only is fine. But it's still a tardbox.

ViperVenom18 · 05-20-2006, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rudyusmc1980

sony wouldn't ICT their games, so your right, buying this for games only is fine. But it's still a tardbox.

Yeah, and at least they shouldnt have a blu ray player for the cheaper model, as its useless in the first place...

I mean, the games are formated for the blu ray player as well.. but it could be done... its just the point of paying for a usless br player as well when u cant use it.

EddieDZ · 05-21-2006, 09:19 AM

wow!! thats deep man.! thanks for posting this.. is this directly copy from IGN right?. wheres the link?..

I myself knew that even though not right away blu-ray movies will enable the security feature but in the long run down the road movie companies will begin enabling the security feature and without HDMI or a HDCP compliant connection HD movies will simply be standard DVD movies at 480p/540p... which kind of takes awhile the whole point of HD movies.. you want to be able to play HD movies AT HD(720p/1080i/p)....

but sony earlier made a decent comment stating that the 20GB version is more aimed at the gamer, the consumer that doesnt care about film and only wants a gaming console, where as the 60GB version is aimed at the multimedia user where they plan on playing games and watching HD movies.. so in the long run this is the final solution..

for me i do want to play blu-ray movies for sure! thats one of the main reasons i want the PS3 so bad so yea im only looking at getting the 60GB version..

Cygnus · 05-21-2006, 02:33 PM

That makes no sense. If you buy PS3 "for gaming and gaming only" then you wasted $$ buying the BR drive. BR is not needed for gaming.

Quote:

Originally Posted by drock912001

How is this a big deal?How many homes have hd sets?Less than 20% so how does this hurt?Blu-ray and hddvd got long ways to go before they are considered a serious alternative to current formats and technologies.Blu-ray is selling point but if you buy the system for gaming and gaming only you'll be satisfied.

Razor05 · 05-21-2006, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EddieDZ

wow!! thats deep man.! thanks for posting this.. is this directly copy from IGN right?. wheres the link?..

Not a problem Ed...here's the link:

http://gear.ign.com/articles/709/709495p1.html

EddieDZ · 05-21-2006, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cygnus

That makes no sense. If you buy PS3 "for gaming and gaming only" then you wasted $$ buying the BR drive. BR is not needed for gaming.

because sony made it final that the PS3 gaming format would be BD(blu-ray disc) ONLY..unlike the PS2 where PS2 games where CD and DVD.. PS3 games are only going to be on the BD format, thats what sony wanted, i guess its because blu-ray disc have a good piracy thing in it so they want to limit the people "copying/backing up" their games like so many people have managed to do on PS2 games due to the fact that there only CD's and DVD formats for PS2 games..

also lets not forget one of the major points, blu-ray disc can hold a massive massive massive amount of Data.. choosing blu-ray as the format for PS3 allows developers to have an almost unlimited amount of space to develope their games.... DVD you can only get 8GB on a dual layer, blu-ray signal layers are 25GB!.. it was a very smart and good choice for sony to go with blu-ray as the main format for PS3.

but again both systems can playback blu-ray movies without a problem, its just that when the time comes in the future some blu-ray movies might have that security feature enable so that means for the consumers that buy the 20GB version they will not get a HD experience if they buy a blu-ray movie that has the security feature enable.

personally i think sony should have priced it $100 cheaper for both configurations.. 20GB for $399 and 60GB for $499.. thats much much more reasonable price and fair. to go $500 min. on the "lower end version" is abit too much, but i'll still be getting the PS3 if anything

Cygnus · 05-21-2006, 04:24 PM

Not true. PS3 will support CD, DVD, and BR media or else it won't be backwards compatible. There will be many PS3 games on DVD since its much cheaper than BR. If you think games need 25 or 50GB of space, I have a bridge to sell you. Do you know how much time and money it would take to develop a game that big? Well, unless you want a game with alot of HD cutscenes.

BigCN401 · 05-21-2006, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cygnus

Not true. PS3 will support CD, DVD, and BR media or else it won't be backwards compatible. There will be many PS3 games on DVD since its much cheaper than BR. If you think games need 25 or 50GB of space, I have a bridge to sell you. Do you know how much time and money it would take to develop a game that big? Well, unless you want a game with alot of HD cutscenes.

The only company that will use BR media is SquareEnix: 10 GB for data and 40 GB for HD movie cutscenes. :P

...and if that's the case, I guess the "cell" process isn't that powerful.

drock912001 · 05-21-2006, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigCN401

The only company that will use BR media is SquareEnix: 10 GB for data and 40 GB for HD movie cutscenes. :P

...and if that's the case, I guess the "cell" process isn't that powerful.

Let's not forget the PS3 has the ability to output games in 1080p.I'm pretty sure your not going to store a technical game on a 8GB dvd.720p is what the 1st batch of games will be.The demanding games will eventually use the space.

**rbinck** · 05-21-2006, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drock912001

Let's not forget the PS3 has the ability to output games in 1080p.I'm pretty sure your not going to store a technical game on a 8GB dvd.720p is what the 1st batch of games will be.The demanding games will eventually use the space.

True, but what they are saying is not on the base version because of the lack of HDMI. Are you saying the base version without HDMI will output 1080p games? Or are you saying in order to be able to play the 1080p games on the base player they will need the BR drive?

05-20-2006, 12:58 PM	#1
Razor05 HD = 65 beautiful inches Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 3,274	Sony's Grave Error: The $499 HDMI-Lacking PS3. IGN » Entertainment » Gear » Features Sony's Grave Error: The $499 HDMI-Lacking PS3. No HDMI, no HDCP. That equals no 1080p thanks to ICS. This equation spells disaster. by Gerry Block May 19, 2006 - Prior to Sony's pre-E3 media conference early last week, it was more or less impossible to bring up the future of the PlayStation 3 without launching into a debate on the subject of price point. After months, if not years, of rumors suggesting the console would not ship for less than a king's ransom, no journalist or fan could say a word about the PS3 without a careful mention that if Sony wasn't willing to sell the system at huge loss, the console was doomed. Last week at their pre-E3 media-conference, Sony finally dropped the proverbial bomb, announcing two PS3 models, differentiated by $100 in price but potentially far more in capabilities. In word, Sony downplayed the disparity between the $499 and $599 PS3 versions, citing the primary difference between the consoles at the time of the announcement as the difference in built-in hard drive space, namely 20 GB for the low-end and 60 GB for the high-end. Within minutes, however, journalists homed in on a variety of factors that placed the lower-end PS3 into contention for the dreaded "tard-box" classification of crippled-console. Not only does the $499 PS3 lack built-in support for Wi-Fi broadband and SD and Compact Flash memory cards, but rather shockingly, the machine does not possess HDMI output. Rumors spread like wild fire that the $499 machine was also missing Bluetooth support for wireless controllers, spreading fury among fans and detractors alike. A week after the announcement, Sony representatives have gone on record with the press, officially clarifying that the $499 console will support Bluetooth and that Wi-Fi adapters and flash-memory reader add-ons will be made available for the console. The hard-drive will also be upgradeable, as Phil Harrison, long time SCEA heavyweight, told GI.biz, "You can upgrade to whatever size of drive you like. You can put in any drive that you like—it is a computer, after all." Calming though such statements are, what may prove truly calamitous for the budget-model PS3 is its lack of support for HDMI. On the surface, the lack of such a feature does not spell immediate disaster, as HDMI is merely a high-end video-cable that couples digital image signals with digital sound, essentially equivalent to a DVI and optical audio connection combination. The $499 PS3 model will be able to transmit games in full 1080p High-Definition via component cables without a problem, and far more surround sound receiver-amplifiers support optical-audio than HDMI. Where the pain will set in, however, is when Blu-ray movies begin making use of HDCP/AACS copy-protection and the infamous "Image-Constraint-Token" (ICP). At the demand of the major Hollywood studios, both HD-DVD and Blu-ray standards have been developed to support this next-generation copy-protection scheme that protects Hi-Def movies from piracy and illegal digital distribution. While AACS is more or less innocuous from the standpoint of a general consumer, HDCP is destined to rain frustration and disappointment upon the masses, or at least those who purchase the $499 PS3 package. The HDCP system is the means by which each piece of hardware involved in transmitting a High-Def movie signal, from player, to wire, to amplifier, to HDTV or computer monitor, checks for support and protection from hacking and piracy before passing the signal along the chain. Each device must have a specially programmed HDCP chip, and any link in the chain that lacks such protection will cause the entire system to fail, causing movies encoded in 1080p Hi-Def to down-convert to 540p, by means of what is known as the "Image Constraint Token" capability of AACS/HDCP copy-protection scheme. The crux of the $499 PlayStation 3's problem is the fact that HDCP copy-protection only supports digital connections, namely HDMI. Cutting straight to the chase, the $499 PS3 will not be able to play Blu-ray movies in 1080p High-Definition the moment Blu-ray DVDs begin implementing ICP. Though most studios have agreed to a one or two year grace period in which the Image Constraint Token will not be implemented while American consumers make the switch to next-gen DVD and purchase HDCP-ready HDTVs and PCs, barring a massive retreat on the part of the Hollywood studios, HDCP and ICP are the future of Hi-Def movies, and the $499 PS3 will not be invited to the party. Sony's thought process in crippling the $499 PS3 in this respect is positively dumbfounding. The general populace has not been educated in the intricacies of HDCP / AACS copy-protection, and a variety of electronics manufacturers are presently involved in class-action law-suits filed by consumers after the companies erroneously claimed support for the new format when their products were, in fact, incompatible (most notably ATI and NVIDIA at this point in time). Legions of buyers will purchase the $499 PS3 version, believing that it represents an excellent value as both a next-gen DVD player and game console, only to discover that its Blu-ray capabilities are stripped a year or two into its lifecycle. At the least, the decision to remove HDMI support from the $499 PS3 is a badly designed means of protecting the market for the higher-end stand-alone Blu-ray players that Sony and its partners plan to launch, beginning with the $999 Samsung BD-P1000 that will hit the streets on June 25. At worst, Sony is committing a massive breach of consumer trust if it markets both the $499 and $599 PlayStation 3 consoles as Blu-ray movie players and does not seek to educate buyers on the differences between them. Considering that, thus far, the most direct communication between manufacturers and consumers on the topic of HDCP support has been, at best, obfuscation, and at worst out-right lies, the chances that Sony aims to do the right thing in this regard are low. There's still a chance that things might be set right. The Playstation 3's architecture has thus far been somewhat amorphous, as there has been word that the motion-sensing capabilities of the PS3 controller were added only weeks before E3, which suggests the possibility that Sony could recant under pressure and add HDMI output to the $499 console. It's also possible the word has gone out among electronics manufacturers that Hollywood is backing off demands for HDCP and ICS, which might explain why Microsoft thinks it can get away with producing a USB-based HD-DVD drive for the Xbox 360, a console that most certainly does not support HDCP natively (the standard wasn't finalized until the late first quarter of 2006) and presently does not even have wires capable of transmitting a digital signal (DVI or HDMI). Such a change of heart would be rather uncharacteristic of the movie industry, however, despite the fact that the algorithms that serve as the basis of HDCP-protection are fundamentally flawed and will be likely hacked and broken within a year of their implementation. Until Sony announces a $499 PS3 design change, we at IGN Gear can, in good faith, only recommend that interested buyers steer clear of the lower-priced PS3 model or make the purchase fully aware that they may in future suffer severe repercussions when it comes to Blu-ray movie playback -- one of the key features that puts the PS3's price point above competing systems. 540p, the resolution that the Image Constraint Token will down-convert 1080p movies to in non-HDCP systems, is by no stretch of the imagination Hi-Def, and will, without major changes in PS3 design or studio policy, be the future of Blu-ray playback on the $499 PS3. Sony must either make this truth clear to buyers or make a hardware alteration. Any other response should be counted as negligent and anti-consumer, grave mistakes for a company that is risking so much on the PS3 and Blu-ray's success. __________________ Panasonic TH-65PZ850U Sony KDL37XBR6 Panasonic TH-37PX50U Cambridge Audio Azur 640R & 740C Paradigm Studio 60's, 20's, CC-590 & Seismic 12 Panasonic DMP-BD35 Toshiba HD-XA2 & A35 Motorola VIP1200 Monster HTFS1000, PB2100 AA 1154a Xbox360 Prem(2) & Halo3 LE + HD-DVD GT: Razor59 Sony PS3 slim GT:Razor_59 Sony PSP

05-20-2006, 01:26 PM	#3
Razor05 HD = 65 beautiful inches Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 3,274	Yep, that's how I understood it. Why even have Blu-Ray in the $499 model? They could have dropped the price by at least a hundred & fifty bucks or more. __________________ Panasonic TH-65PZ850U Sony KDL37XBR6 Panasonic TH-37PX50U Cambridge Audio Azur 640R & 740C Paradigm Studio 60's, 20's, CC-590 & Seismic 12 Panasonic DMP-BD35 Toshiba HD-XA2 & A35 Motorola VIP1200 Monster HTFS1000, PB2100 AA 1154a Xbox360 Prem(2) & Halo3 LE + HD-DVD GT: Razor59 Sony PS3 slim GT:Razor_59 Sony PSP

05-20-2006, 06:38 PM	#5
drock912001 NFL in HD nothing else Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Charlotte,NC Posts: 1,570	Icp How is this a big deal?How many homes have hd sets?Less than 20% so how does this hurt?Blu-ray and hddvd got long ways to go before they are considered a serious alternative to current formats and technologies.Blu-ray is selling point but if you buy the system for gaming and gaming only you'll be satisfied. __________________ Samsung HL-R5667W Toshiba HD-XA1 Directv HR12-100S IXOS audio & video connectors Monster Power HTS2500 HD DVD 58? Mover's hustled most of my collection last year!

05-20-2006, 01:15 PM	#2
tanaka Paradigm Studios' Babey! Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 210	A lot of people probably wont even realize this. Sony sure isn't going to broadcast it. Just in case if anyone didn't read through the whole article: This also means that the blue ray drive will be worthless in the future if i understand correctly. If not. Correct me.

05-20-2006, 01:33 PM	#4
ViperVenom18 High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 641	Haha yeah! "Let's implement a BR player in the 500 dollar ps3 when no one will even be able to use it!"

05-20-2006, 06:45 PM	#6
rudyusmc1980 High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: McAllen, TX Posts: 709	sony wouldn't ICT their games, so your right, buying this for games only is fine. But it's still a tardbox.

05-21-2006, 09:19 AM	#8
EddieDZ PSN is Free Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Saint John, NB Canada Posts: 4,696	wow!! thats deep man.! thanks for posting this.. is this directly copy from IGN right?. wheres the link?.. I myself knew that even though not right away blu-ray movies will enable the security feature but in the long run down the road movie companies will begin enabling the security feature and without HDMI or a HDCP compliant connection HD movies will simply be standard DVD movies at 480p/540p... which kind of takes awhile the whole point of HD movies.. you want to be able to play HD movies AT HD(720p/1080i/p).... but sony earlier made a decent comment stating that the 20GB version is more aimed at the gamer, the consumer that doesnt care about film and only wants a gaming console, where as the 60GB version is aimed at the multimedia user where they plan on playing games and watching HD movies.. so in the long run this is the final solution.. for me i do want to play blu-ray movies for sure! thats one of the main reasons i want the PS3 so bad so yea im only looking at getting the 60GB version..

05-21-2006, 04:24 PM	#12
Cygnus The Bringer of Balance Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 6,766	Not true. PS3 will support CD, DVD, and BR media or else it won't be backwards compatible. There will be many PS3 games on DVD since its much cheaper than BR. If you think games need 25 or 50GB of space, I have a bridge to sell you. Do you know how much time and money it would take to develop a game that big? Well, unless you want a game with alot of HD cutscenes.