PlayStation

Cord Cutters: Plex adds DLNA support

Good news for Plex users: The next version of the company’s media center server software will have support for DLNA devices, which brings Plex to the PS3, connected TVs and a bunch of other devices. Check out this episode of Cord Cutters for an exclusive preview.

The Tester: Sony’s secret reality TV hit

Move over, Fear Factor: Sony’s competitive reality TV show The Tester is a big hit with gamers, who have been watching the show through the PlayStation Network. The Tester’s third season, which starts this week, will for the first time also stream on the web.

Netflix makes it official, launches in U.K. and Ireland

Now it’s official: Netflix launched in the U.K. and Ireland Monday morning, promising to bring unlimited streaming of popular movies and TV shows through PCs as well as connected and mobile devices to both countries. But for Brits, Netflix isn’t the only choice.

OnLive gaming plays nice with Xperia Play controls

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play smartphone, aimed at mobile gamers, has a new twist that could add more appeal: OnLive’s cloud gaming service now supports the slide-out gaming controls on the Android smartphone. Touchscreens certainly work for games, but button-mashing is best done on…. buttons.

Sony proposes over-the-top TV service

Sony could be the latest company to try taking on the cable industry with an over-the-top video service. The CE manufacturer is in talks with media companies about launching a TV-like service that would be delivered to its PlayStation 3 game console and other connected devices.

Microsoft’s big gaming gamble is finally paying off

Despite its commercial appeal, the Xbox gaming console has historically been notoriously unprofitable for Microsoft. But according to the company’s latest earnings report, Microsoft’s gaming division has finally started to earn its keep. Has the tide finally turned for the gaming console market?

Netflix sued for lack of captions on streaming videos

Netflix is being taken to court over not providing accessible videos for the hearing impaired. In a lawsuit, the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) accused Netflix of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by not providing captions for most of its streaming videos.

Showyou now lets you save videos and watch them online later

Showyou is updating its iPad and iPhone apps to make the consumption of videos shared on social networks easier. In particular, Showyou gets “watch later” capability, as well as its own website and a bookmarklet for video sharing. Next up for Showyou: an Android app.

Sony: The PS3 makes up 30% of Netflix streaming usage

Sony Computer Entertainment America CEO Jack Tretton said in front of an audience in its E3 press conference that the game console is the leading provider of Netflix streams to consumers. In fact, the game console is accountable for 30 percent of Netflix’s streaming usage online.

Where to watch E3 2011 live online

How will the Wii2 look like? Is Microsoft going to introduce a cable-like TV subscription service? And how will Sony make up for its long PSN outage? All these questions will be answered at this week’s E3, and you can watch it all live online.

Sony Xperia Play Ready for Verizon Wireless Gamers

Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play hits Verizon Wireless May 26, with pre-orders starting a week earlier. As the first PlayStation-certified handset, Sony Ericcson hopes to boost flagging smartphone sales with the unique device. And unlike prior SE handsets, the Play launches with Android 2.3.

Netflix Adds Subtitles to iPad, iPhone App

Netflix has expanded the availability of closed captioning on its streaming service with the latest update of its iOS application. With the update, the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch join a growing list of consumer electronics devices that support streaming subtitles through the service.

Tales of the Tweets: Osama Bin Laden Edition

The news of Osama bin Laden’s death that broke late Sunday evening has proved to be a cause for jubilant celebration, somber reflection, detailed analysis … and thousands of jokes on Twitter. Most of the bon mots fall into a few categories, which we’ve rounded up here.

Cord Cutters: Can You Entertain Your Kids Sans Cable?

There’s always some reason people have for holding onto their cable subscriptions, and one of the more common excuses is this: Parents are afraid of cutting the cord to their kids’ favorite shows. But there are plenty of ways to access children’s entertainment cable-free.

Video Preview Feature Coming to Netflix

Don’t want to read all those movie descriptions when navigating the Netflix online catalog? Then you might be interested in a new feature the company going to test next month on the PS3: Netflix will start streaming two minute video previews of its titles.

What Sony Must Get Right With Its PlayStation Phone

Sony is said to be working on a “PlayStation phone” that would bring a more immersive, sophisticated gaming experience to the mobile gaming community and beyond. While the market is ripe for such a device, Sony must deliver on a few key challenges to succeed.

Netflix Goes Disc-Free On the Wii

Netflix announced last week that it would begin supporting disc-free streaming from Sony PlayStation 3 game consoles today, but Nintendo Wii owners got a bit of a surprise as the subscription video rental firm also rolled out a disc-free implementation on that game platform this morning.

Netflix Goes Native, Gets Dolby 5.1 and Search On PS3

Netflix subscribers with Sony PlayStation 3 consoles will now be able to access the service through a native app, which has a slew of new features, including Dolby 5.1 audio, 1080p video on some titles and a new UI to browse and search the service.

LoveFilm Brings PS3 Video Subscription to UK

U.K.-based PS3 owners will soon be able to access some 4000 movies through LoveFilm. The DVD subscription service is taking a cue from its U.S. counterpart Netflix by extending its online video offering to the game console after forging an alliance with Sony earlier this year.

Netflix Adds Search to Watch Instantly on PS3

Netflix users that access the company’s Watch Instantly service through their Playstation can now search its entire catalog without any laptop on their knees. Search is an important update, but it’s unclear yet when PS3 owners will finally be able to ditch their Netflix disks.

Sony Exec: YouTube Will Go 3-D on the PS3

YouTube will launch 3-D videos on the PlayStation 3 over the next year, a Sony exec says. While talking about the PS3’s future, Sony studio director Mick Hocking said an upcoming firmware update to the PS3 would enable the game console to support 3-D YouTube streams.

MLB.tv Goes Live on the PS3

Major League Baseball’s MLB.tv is already one of the most successful online video services, and now it will be available to even…

Sony's PS3 Pricing Conundrum

Another day, another industry insider calling for Sony (NYSE: SNE) to drop the price of the PS3. This time it’s Janco Partners’ Mike Hickey,…

Cisco's Misguided Foray Into the Living Room

Cisco Systems, a company best known for selling mundane (albeit very lucrative) routers, switches and other networking gear, plans to launch a whole series of products at the upcoming CES that fall under the connected, networked entertainment category. But in order for Cisco to compete with Samsung, Sony and even Apple in the consumer electronics space, the company would need to rewire its entire DNA. And unfortunately, it ain’t got the skills.

Sony (Finally) Lets Us Play In Home

PlayStation Home, Sony’s PS3-based virtual world is finally live. The free service lets gamers plug into the PlayStation Network and create…

PS3 To Get In-Game Ads Powered By IGA

If you appreciate the realism provided in in-game ads, here’s some good news: Sony’s PS3 game console is set to get in-game ads delivered ov…