Sony Issues Detailed PS4 FAQ Ahead of Launch 312
Sockatume writes "Sony has released a detailed FAQ for the PS4 system, which launches in coming weeks. Of particular note: although Bluetooth headsets will not be compatible, generic 3.5mm and USB audio devices will work; the console will require activation via the internet or a special disk before it will play Blu-ray or DVDs; media servers, MP3s, and audio CDs are not supported. The console's "suspend/resume" and remote assistance features are listed as unavailable for the North American launch, implying that they will be patched in before the console launches in Europe later in November."
If you want Linux instead of Sony (Score:4, Informative)
Give me Linux back or f off!
Now that alternatives have appeared, it's that much easier to tell Sony Computer Entertainment to f off. OUYA runs Android, which uses the Linux kernel. The forthcoming Steam Machine from Valve runs SteamOS, a distribution of GNU/Linux.
Brazil charges prohibitive import duty (Score:4, Informative)
CD defined (Score:5, Informative)
MPEG-LA, for one (Score:5, Informative)
Who, exactly, does Sony have to pay?
Sony would have to pay other BDA members, DVD FLLC, DVD CCA, (Mac)Rovi(sion), AACSLA, MPEG-LA, and anyone else who manages licensing patents or DRM trade secrets associated with BD or DVD video.
Image Constraint Token; PAL market defined (Score:4, Informative)
But why does it support 480p?
It's probably an AACS requirement to support at least one EDTV resolution, given the Image Constraint Token.
But that last line really cinches it... "In PAL markets". WTF? Seriously Sony, what the hell does PAL-vs-NTSC have to do with it, when you only have digital outputs?
"PAL market" refers to markets that use 50 Hz alternating current and historically used PAL video: Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. These tend to have fewer people per country than North America. This increases cost of licensing works for adaptation when distributors own exclusive rights in different countries. It increases the cost of localization as UI and games must be dubbed in more languages. It increases censorship as some PAL market countries have less comprehensive protection of speech than the United States, allowing no-swastikas policies and refusal to accept neighboring countries' classification for violent, sexual, or otherwise objectionable materials. Finally, Europe tends toward stronger warranty requirements for consumer products than North America.
For that matter, does PAL-vs-NTSC even exist at all anymore?
Yes. It would be cost prohibitive for the PAL market to switch to 60 Hz AC and a single media distribution territory, and it would be politically unpopular to adopt English language, free speech, and U.S.-style minimal warranty.
Re:No media server support upsets me (Score:4, Informative)
because for decent stereo systems, mp3 is not good enough.
I prefer to buy a cd (used), rip it to flac and play that.
when I rip, I know its done right and if there are errors, I send the cd back or re-rip until it comes out right.
allofmp3 used to sell flac. times were good back then. now, to get flac, you mostly have to rip yourself (or have someone do it, but again, you don't have control over the quality and there's a lot that can go wrong when someone careless does the rip/encode/tag).
Re:No media server support upsets me (Score:5, Informative)
However, it should be noted that, with the PS3, Sony didn't let that stop them: They put out a DLNA client and, because their hardware was about the single most common DLNA client that anybody actually used (I think WMP, at least some versions, is nominally a DLNA client; but sharing from computer to computer, when both machines are Windows boxes and you could just use SMB, isn't much of a use case compared to streaming to your TV), people sucked it up and tailored their DLNA server support to the PS3. That's why "http://www.ps3mediaserver.org/" is called what it is. It's a DLNA server, it isn't locked to PS3s only or anything; but wherever something was fucked up or unclear (with DLNA, this is normal) the PS3's behavior was taken into account.
Either Sony's figures suggested that only