We spend some hands-on time with the Playstation Network's upcoming VidZone streaming service.
Some might think that Sony's in a spot of trouble, but last night we saw a new addition to the Playstation Network which actually makes us want to buy a PS3.
VidZone is a free, ad supported music video streaming service. If you're a member of the Playstation Network, it'll be an easy download, and will live under the music tab of the Cross Media Bar (we refuse to call it the XrossMediaBar - learn to English, Sony!). VidZone lets you easily browse videos by artist, genre or popularity, and you can even save playlists to create your own Rage-style programming.
The service was announced at the Leipzig Game Convention last year, but having gotten some hands on time with VidZone at a recent press event, we're, well, impressed. Browsing is easy and intuitive, and while there were a few hiccups, Sony reps assure us that when it goes live in Oz later this year it will be run off a localised backbone, with content tailored for the Australian audience. The PS3-optimised streaming is smooth, and image quality can be scaled based on the speed of your connection.
Of course, any music service is only as good as it's content. The version we played with was pretty limited (no Cure? Sacrilege!), but we've also been assured that Sony aims to make VidZone publisher agnostic. "We're in talks with all the big Australian labels, and a lot of them are already very excited," said Patrick Lagana, marketing manager at SCE Australia.
What's more, VidZone can also be accessed via your PSP, meaning you can talk your favourite Beyonce clip to bed with you. If that's your thing.
Oh, and if your worried about the ads, they're pretty unobtrusive. This really is an excellent addition to the PS3's bag of tricks.
Issue: 133 | February, 2012