Sony expects PS3's Cell to herald new forms of digital entertainmentBe careful what you decide to the call the PlayStation 3, because the all-father of the PlayStation dynasty himself is hesitant on branding it a mere "game machine". Sony Computer Entertainment president Ken Kutaragi reaffirms today that the next-generation PlayStation console will be much more than a video game, likening it instead to a "entertainment supercomputer" built for the everyday home. Sony Computer Entertainment's strategy for quite some time now was to have its products as the center of "digital entertainment hub", so the idea is not exactly far-fetched for PlayStation buffs.
What is interesting is just how exactly SCE intends to realize such a hub:
When asked about the difference in concept between Microsoft's Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3, Kutaragi commented, "I can understand the [Xbox 360's] approach of adopting multiple, all-purpose processors. However, that will just raise integer calculation capabilities, and it will only benefit general applications. It will increase the machine's capabilities as an all-purpose computer, but it won't change the types of entertainment. On the other hand, the Cell (which is said to specialize in floating point calculations in comparison to normal CPUs) was created to 'generate,' or, in other words, to produce virtual objects and phenomenons inside the computer.". Kutaragi gave one example of how the PS3's powerful calculation abilities and broadband network connection could be used for new and original entertainment endeavors.
"Users will be able to store their content in an online storage server called the 'Cell Storage.' And the Cell processor, when it's not being used, can refine the content's quality. We call it the 'aging' process. For example, users can 'age' their Standard Definition (SD) video and up-convert it to High Definition (HD) video. We have many plans [for the PS3], but this 'Cell Storage' service is something that we definitely intend to launch. By using the Cell's security feature, users will be able to rip DVDs that include copyright protection and lay it in the storage area to refine its video quality."
Article Link: GameSpot
