PS3 to support DiVX

This seems to be more of an announcement than anything else. On the heels of Microsoft announcing that the Xbox 360 would soon be given playback of DiVX and Xvid formats, Sony has jumped in and tried to beat them to it. It is important to note that most media centers have already adapted the DiVX media format. It doesn't make us any less excited though. The newest Development Kit will give developers the tools it takes to implement this nearly standard format into their games.

[via Sony]

Sony is tired of Blu-Ray, HD DVD fight

CEO Howard Stringer is about as tired as we are when it comes to the fight over who controls the next media format. The thing is, he started it and now there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. He admits that over the past few months it has basically come down to perception of who is winning since the sales numbers are so similar.

Paramount recently jumping ship from Blu-Ray to HD DVD and the European market favoring HD DVD has taken a bite out of what appeared to be a substantial lead by Blu-Ray. Sony had gotten Blockbuster on their side and with booming sales of the PS3 there were more Blu-Ray players out there, now it seems to have evened out making it very difficult for customers to decide.

Not to say I told you so, but maybe if Sony and Toshiba had held hands in the first place Sony wouldn't be facing a possible BetaMax situation for the second time in three decades. This seems to be primed to continue on into 2009 unless something happens (like say, the pornography industry stepping in like they did for VHS).

[via arstechnica.com]