Sony are launching a 720p HD TV set with a built in PS2 in its base. No, you haven't just timewarped 6 years into the past, the Bravia KDL-22PX300 LCD is a brand new product.

And you know what? It isn't that bad a deal to be fair.

Sure, the PS2 is a decade old now, but it's got a mahoooosive catalogue of cracking games, and it's cleverly built into the bottom of this 22 inch screen.

The screen itself is decent too, especially considering it wont set you back any more than £200. It's got 4 HDMI ports and support for Sony's Bravia service through Ethernet cable or optional wireless dongle.

So in theory when you factor in the PS3's media capabilities, you're getting a web connected HDTV, games console, DVD player and CD player all-in for £200. Can't knock that really, can you?

The Blu-ray disc association have decided which codec it's going to use to display 3D Blu-ray, and PS3 owners can breathe a sigh of relief.

Multiview Video Coding is the codec agreed upon, which will only need 50% more storage space per film compared to 2D its 2D counterparts, despite offering two seperate 1080p frames, one for each eye. All new 3D discs are going to be backwards compatible too, meaning the 2D versions of each film will be viewable on older Blu-ray players with the new 3D discs.

And finally, confirmation for Playstation fans; your PS3 WILL be fully compatible with the new 3D format. You'll still need a new 3D-capable TV with IR emitters and a set of 3D shutter shades, but at least PS3 owners wont have to upgrade to a pricey new blu-ray player.

Via: Engadget HD

Rumours of a high definition
Wii have been denied by Nintendo America's Reggie Fils-Aime.

He said he was disappointed that the 2011 date was being reported by some publications as a fact.

We're used to companies denying rumours -- they pretty much have to, especially with timescales of this order -- but "pure rumour and speculation" can quite easily turn in to a major product launch.

Fils-Aime said that presentations of a prototype to the industry would not be the way that people would find out about Nintendo's next big product.

(Via Videogamer)

According to an article in Variety magazine, Sony could be launching a high definition video on demand service for its PS3 users early next year.

Though it's initially aimed at its Japanese customers, which would make sense given the country's better technology infrastructure and HD adoption, it could start rolling out worldwide next year.

Microsoft already offers high definition movies and TV shows via the Xbox 360, and it's something that Apple could begin introducing via iTunes, so it's a fairly predictable move on Sony's part.

For the service to come to the UK, we'd need much faster, uncapped broadband, and PS3's with decent sized hard drives. I'd be surprised if it arrives here next year.

(Via TV Predictions)

Despite Sony’s semi-denial that an entry-level 40GB Playstation 3 model is on its way, the rumours got a little more real when a PS3 with a new model number made its way through the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) testing process.

Details have emerged that the lower specced version, dubbed PS3 Lite by the blogosphere, is on its way.

Microsoft has set its sights firmly on Europe to boost global sales of its Xbox 360 high-definition games console after disappointing sales in Japan.

Speaking in an interview with Bloomberg, Aaron Greenberg, group product manager at Microsoft, said, “The number one objective is to win on a global basis and that may mean winning some markets and losing others.

"Europe is our priority focus right now."

In another setback, Sony has delayed the launch of its ‘Home’ virtual community service for the Playstation3 HD games console.

The 3D online service, which allows users to create their own characters and content, was originally schedules for release this autumn – but has now been put back until early next year.

There have been contrasting reports about the arrival of a new HD-DVD player for the Xbox360.

Personal Computer World reported that Mark Bennett, Microsoft’s European HD-DVD Business Director, announced an upgrade to the next generation disc player due sometime next year. The new drive was said to support better HDi interactive features.

However, it appears as if Bennett might have been misquoted as several gaming sites have stated there is no new drive on the way – with Microsoft contacting Gizmondo to confirm as much.

The Xbox360 HD-DVD drive is still one of the most cost effective ways of watching high-definition discs.

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EISA (European Imaging and Sound Association) judges have revealed that Blu-ray is the reason for recognising Sony’s Playstation3 with an award in its home entertainment category.

The EISA organisation, comprised of around 50 consumer electronics magazine editors from 19 European countries, awarded the PS3 as the best European Media Center – despite it being primarily a games console.

And, it’s all down to Blu-ray.

If it’s another rainy one then high street store, Woolworths, has offered something to brighten up your Bank Holiday weekend by reducing the price of its PS3 consoles to £375.

The usual price of Sony’s high-definition games console is £425, so this reduction represents the lowest price the PS3 has ever been available for in the UK – and it comes in a bundle that includes two games, two Blu-ray discs and an extra controller.

Recent price cuts in the US have boosted sales of Sony’s PS3 HD games console, but it still trails behind rivals Microsoft and Nintendo.

The latest sales figures reveal that US retailers sold 159,000 PS3s in the last month, compared to 98,500 in the previous month – before Sony reduced prices by $100 to around $500.

But, despite growing sales, the PS3 is still in last place in the next generation consoles race.

With Ninja Theory’s first game for the PS3, Heavenly Sword, using 10GB for the audio alone, there’s talk that this game and others could start using dual layer Blu-ray discs in the future.

“We use a mixture of compressed and uncompressed, but lots were compressed for the reasons people have stated. Make no doubt, fitting all the audio in and not stuttering and being the highest quality we could get wasn’t easy, it was quite a problem even with the size of Blu-ray. At one point we seriously considered dual layer Blu-ray because of disk space issues,” the developer told Gamers-Creed.

In a bold move that could push the PS3 console ahead of Microsoft’s Xbox 360, Sony has announced that it will add digital video recording capabilities to the PS3 via an add-on called PlayTV.

The add-on will allow users to watch, pause and rewind live TV via their next generation consoles – something that the Xbox 360 can’t do, although Microsoft is apparently planning to deliver Internet TV in the future.

We didn’t think that it was going to happen but Microsoft has announced that it will follow its US example by cutting the price of Xbox 360 consoles in the UK – yay!

The company has announced that new recommended retail prices will start this Friday, August 24th. The 20GB Xbox 360 will be reduced £30 and now goes on sale for £249, while the entry-level Core system will be reduced £20 to £179. The Xbox Elite, due to launch this Friday, will still cost £299.

If rumours of leaked news across the Atlantic are to be believed, there’s a new Xbox 360 games console on its way – and it could include an integrated HD-DVD drive.

An employee at Gamestop has revealed that the retailer has been given information about a new Xbox SKU for the Xbox Ultimate. Apparently, since Microsoft decided to introduce HDMI connectivity to its Xbox Premium consoles, the latest Elite will replace the Premium – leaving space for a new high-end console.

Nintendo’s Wii console has sold almost as many units as Microsoft’s Xbox 360, despite being released a year later.

The latest figures from VG Chartz claim that the Wii has sold 10.1 units to date while the high-definition Xbox 360 has sold 10.3 million, suggesting that game play is more important than HD graphics when it comes to consoles.

Microsoft has reported that the upcoming Xbox 360-exclusive game, Halo 3, has received more than a staggering one million preorders – making it the faster selling HD console game in history.

Several leading consumer brands have jumped on the bandwagon to promote the game including 7-Eleven, Doritos and soft drink, Mountain Dew. Also helping is Pontiac, Burger King and Comcast.

The game will be released on September 25th in the US and buyers will get to choose from three different versions – the Standard Edition, the Limited Edition and the collectible Legendary Edition.

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Microsoft has augmented recent price cuts of its Xbox 360 in the US by introducing an HDMI output into the Premium Xbox 360 HD games console.

Previously, only the new Xbox 360 Elite model featured a digital video connection but now Premium models are arriving equipped with an HDMI port. It seems that Microsoft have been putting out the new version without telling anyone.

Despite Microsoft and Sony pushing the high-definition video capabilities of their next generation Xbox 360 and PS3 consoles, a recent report suggests that many users aren’t even aware of the technology.

The NPD report, ‘Next Gen Functionality and Usage’, reveals that only 40% of PS3 owners were aware that the console actually featured an integrated Blu-ray player. And, even more surprising, only 50% of those that knew had played a Blu-ray movie during the last ten times they used the console – the other half didn’t use the feature at all.

Although Microsoft has already announced that Xbox 360 price cuts wouldn’t be coming over here, it’s been confirmed that the price of US consoles will be reduced by $50 starting tomorrow.

The standard 20GB Xbox 360 will now cost $349, while the new 120GB Xbox Elite is also being reduced by $50 to $450 and the core system without a hard drive is $20 less at $280.