TOKYO--Sony Communication Network launched a Web portal today through which owners of the PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld gaming device can download video clips.
The Portable TV site offers at launch a small selection of movie previews, animated cartoons, entertainment, digests of TV dramas, music, lifestyle programming, and sports. Content is initially available at no cost.
The service is currently available to anyone with a user ID and password for SCN's So-Net portal. Users can sign up on the Portable TV home page, and membership is not restricted by geography or nationality, although the service and sign-up is available only in Japanese, said Yoshio Takushima, chief of SCN's mobile TV service group.
Launch of the site coincides with the release of a software update for the PSP that adds features required for the service. These new features include a Web browser and support for the MPEG4 AVC video codec and AAC audio codec in which the clips are encoded. The downloaded video files require a Memory Stick Duo memory card for storage.
Two Ways to Use
Users will be able to access and download clips in two ways, said Takushima at a Tokyo news conference.
The first way is directly from the PSP using the newly added Web browser and the already-present built-in wireless LAN adapter, he said.
However, the PSP's WLAN adapter supports the 802.11b standard, which has a maximum data throughput of 11 megabits per second; that could mean a long wait when downloading large video files. A 1GB file, for example, will take more than 10 minutes to download over a wireless connection assuming it's running at top speed.
So Sony offers a second option: download via PC. This means users can take advantage of much faster broadband connections to get the content more quickly. With this method the PSP needs to be attached to the PC via a USB cable so that the file can be written directly onto the PSP's Memory Stick. As protection against piracy, the video is not stored on the PC.
In this second method, users with fiber optic lines, which typically provide between 50 mbps and 100 mbps of data throughput, can expect to get the file in about 2 minutes, Takushima said.
When the paid service starts, users will be required to provide credit card details, and SCN hasn't yet decided if it will restrict the purchase of premium content to only those with a Japanese card. Apple Computer uses such a system to control access to its regional ITunes Music Store sites.
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