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Web Browsing, Video Coming to PSP

By Ed Oswald | Published July 21, 2005, 11:07 AM

Sony said Thursday that a software update for the PlayStation Portable next week would add the capability to surf the Web and watch video clips. The Web browser will be HTML 4.01-compatible and will be able to display most Websites.

Capabilities for Web browsing were already available to players who had the game "Wipeout Pure" -- instructions to exploit a Web browser to view Web sites could be found on the Internet.

The PSP will be able to play video in the MPEG4 AVC format. Sony is launching a Website in Japan called SoNet which will allow users to purchase downloads of TV programs and other videos. Sony has not announced pricing for the service.

The software update will be made available on July 27 in Japan. An announcement was not made if the update would be made available elsewhere at that time.

Also announced with the software update was the company's intentions to start producing a white PSP model, which will be available in Japan starting on September 15.

So far, the PSP has sold 5.1 million units, with 2.7 million of them in the U.S.

Comments

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R0bin|-|ood
Jul 24, 2005 - 11:44 PM

so does this mean its coming out on thursday or is that just for japan?

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Kamika007z
Jul 25, 2005 - 3:03 AM

I've installed a Japanese version of 1.52 and it installed flawlessly. They all have localized language settings built in the "OS".

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wingo
Jul 21, 2005 - 2:05 PM

"So far, the PSP has sold 5.1 million units, with 2.7 million of them in the U.S."

->sounds strange, so the means asian psp sold 2.4 million and still all grey import here in europe comes from asia.

"SoNet"

->there is a swedish company by that name so they might get into a little battle there. *let me enjoy that from here*

i don't care who wins the battle.

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Mark Gillespie
Jul 21, 2005 - 11:21 AM

All very nice. The killer app however is UPNP media rendering. If it gets that's i'll buy one...

I already have a UPnP media server on my home network, streaming my music collection to my wireles MP101 hifi components.

if PSP implemented the UPnP video and audio rendering, I could serve up movies and music to any PSP in range. Would no longer matter that the onboard storage is limited...

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