PSP Ready and Priced for North American Launch
By:
Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. announced today the North American launch details for its highly anticipated PSP(TM) (PlayStation(R) Portable) handheld entertainment system.Available through retail outlets on March 24, the company continues its consumer-centric legacy with the release of the PSP Value Pack for a suggested retail price of
$249.99 U.S
http://www.digitalbackspin.com/adm/ $299.99 CND.
In addition to the revolutionary PSP hardware, the PSP Value Pack contains an unprecedented added-value package of accessories and entertainment content, including 32 MB Memory Stick Duo(TM), headphones with remote control, battery pack, AC adaptor, soft case and cleaning cloth, movie/music/game video sampler UMD disc including multiple non-interactive game demos, and for the first one million PSP Value Packs shipped, a special UMD video release of the feature film Spider-Man(TM) 2 from Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Sony Computer Entertainment will manufacture one million units for sale in the North American market by the close of its fiscal year ending March 31. This figure is part of the company's total three-million-unit worldwide PSP system shipment estimate within the same time period. PSP released in Japan on December 12, 2004 and is already a hit, with more than 800,000 units shipped, including a 200,000-unit allocation that sold out on day one. PSP sets a new standard as the first truly integrated portable entertainment system designed to provide consumers with a comprehensive entertainment experience including games, music, movies, communication, and wireless networking. Featuring graphics rendering capabilities comparable to the company's leading in-home console, PlayStation(R)2, PSP brings an unparalleled gaming experience to a portable platform, allowing users to enjoy 3D games, with high-quality, full-motion video, and high-fidelity stereo audio. PSP also allows for digital photo display and supports digital music playback in both MP3 and ATRAC formats.
"PSP will evolve and elevate portable entertainment, giving users the freedom to play full 3D games, watch movies, listen to music and connect wirelessly on their terms, their time and their place," said Kaz Hirai, president and chief executive officer, Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. "More than ever, today's consumer demands access to entertainment outside the home without compromising quality. With more than 100 PSP game titles currently in development worldwide, and the ability to download and listen to digital music and view feature films with breathtaking screen quality, PSP lets users control their entertainment options, all in one package."
PSP features an unmatched 4.3-inch, 16:9 wide screen TFT LCD that displays full color (16.77 million colors) on a 480 x 272 pixel high-resolution screen. PSP also comes complete with built-in stereo speakers, exterior headphone connector and diverse input/output connectors such as USB 2.0, and 802.11b (Wi-Fi) wireless LAN, enabling users to connect to the Internet and play online via a wireless network.* Up to 16 PSPs in the vicinity can also be connected to each other directly in ad-hoc mode, allowing for wireless head-to-head competition. In addition, wireless capabilities will allow software and data to be downloaded to a PSP and saved onto a Memory Stick Duo.
PSP also adopts a newly developed proprietary, compact, but high-capacity optical disc, Universal Media Disc (UMD(TM)), as its storage medium. UMD is the next-generation compact storage media, only 60mm in diameter but can store up to 1.8GB of digital data -- more than three times the data held on a CD-ROM. A broad range of digital entertainment content such as high quality 3D games, music, movies, video clips and other programs can be distributed on UMD. To protect this content, a robust copyright protection system has been developed for UMD, which utilizes a combination of a unique disc ID, 128 bit
AES encryption keys for the media, and individual ID for each PSP hardware unit.
PSP (PlayStationPortable) Basic Specifications and Features
Product Name PSP(TM) (PlayStation(R)Portable)
Color Black
Product Code PSP-1001K
Dimensions Approximately 6.7 in (W) x .9 in (H) x 2.9 in (D)
Weight Approximately 280g / .62 lbs (including battery)
CPU PSP CPU (System clock frequency 1 - 333MHz)
Main Memory 32MB
Embedded DRAM 4MB
Display 4.3 inch, 16:9 Wide screen TFT LCD
480 x 272 pixel, 16.77 million colors
Maximum luminance 180 / 130 / 80cd/m2 (when using battery pack)
Maximum luminance 200 / 180 / 130 / 80cd/m2 (when using AC adaptor)
Sound Built-in stereo speakers
Main Input/Output IEEE 802.11b (Wi-Fi)
USB 2.0 (mini-B)
Memory Stick Duo(TM)
IrDA
IR Remote
Main Connectors Memory Stick Duo(TM) Slot
USB connector
DC OUT connector
DC IN 5V connector
Headset connector
Keys/Switches Directional buttons (Up/Down/Right/Left)
Analog Stick
Enter keys (Triangle, Circle, Cross, Square)
Left, Right shoulder buttons x 1
START button, SELECT button, HOME button x 1
POWER/HOLD switch x 1
Display button, Sound button, Volume +/- buttons x 1
Wireless LAN switch (ON/OFF) x 1
OPEN latch (UMD) x 1
Power Lithium-ion Battery
AC Adaptor
Disc Drive UMD Drive (Read only)
Profile PSP Game
UMD Audio (profile name TBD)
UMD Video (profile name TBD)
Codec [Video]: "UMD": H.264/MPEG-4 AVC Main Profile Level3
[Video}: "Memory Stick": MPEG-4 SP,AAC
[Music]: "UMD": linear PCM,ATRAC3plus(TM)
[Music}: "Memory Stick": ATRAC3plus(TM),MP3(MPEG1/2 Layer3)
[Photo]: JPEG (DCF2.0/Exif2.21)
Security (Encryption) 128bit AES (Copyright protection technology) MagicGate(TM)
Access control Region, Parental Control
Wireless communications
IEEE802.11b Infrastructure mode, Ad hoc mode (connection up to 16 consoles)
PSP Value Pack
supplied
accessories AC adaptor
Battery pack
Memory Stick Duo (32 MB)
Headphone with remote control
Soft case and cloth
UMD In-pack Sampler
