Official: PS3 to get DivX through firmware upate
Xbox 360 too?
PlayStation 3 gamers will soon have access to DivX digital video content through their consoles after Sony yesterday agreed to a tie-up between the two companies.
Although a release date hasn’t yet been announced, DivX claimed it will certify the PS3 in the “near future”. Once completed, PS3 owners old and new will be able to add DivX functionality to the console through a firmware update.
DivX’s CEO, Kevin Hell, said PS3 game developers will also, DivX claims, be able to make use of its decoder technology by updating to version 2.0 of the console’s software development kit, released earlier this month.
Several online reports also indicate that Hell’s banking on a similar tie-up with Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console. According to GamesIndustry.biz, he apparently stated in a recent conference call that its video codec will appear on the console, but that a specific deal hasn't yet been signed.
COMMENTS
DivX (producing full HD 1080p) is more than what you think it is...
@ Liam
DivX's codec (6.7) is capable of encoding content in full HD 1080p just for the record. It's actually been proven through yearly test that the DivX codec is rated as either the best or second best compressed digital format over the past 5 years.
I think Sony recognized this after talking with Kevin Hill thus it only made since to offer it's customer base one more HD option for even further cross compatibility.
You might want to do a little more research there Liam before you go dogging the joint venture of DivX and Sony. Just a little food for thought!
@Joe
Erm.... TVersity?? Wifi streaming with on-access conversion? free? Quite why you'd want a memory card reader for viewing films is beyond me when a memory card is .. erm.. ooo, about £20. TVersity is free, simplistic to use (once changing the resolution of the streaming video to 640x480)
Works a treat.
Also, i think I'm right in saying that Xvid can be played on DivX players.. well at any rate, i can play Xvid on my DivX player..
Thats all very well....
..except that anything worth watching from the net now is in Xvid and Matroska format :-(
Also the new PS3's have lost the memory card slots, which kind of defeats the purpose of plugging a mem stick with videos in.
If they got Wifi streaming working so it acted like a proper media centre, that'd be something.
About time too!
Finally a decent feature from a firmware update. I'll no longer have to burn a CD from a computer and play it in my DVD/DIVX player. One less device under the TV.
