Sega Vision - new Sega hardware

[gutzsant]

Apparently, Sega will launch a new portable media device:

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/10/03/sega_vision/
http://www.i4u.com/article20635.html
http://www.slashgear.com/sega-vision-gaming-pmp-with-tv-tuner-planned-for-2009-0318218/
http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/10/03/so-is-the-sega-vision-handheld-multimedia-device-real-or-not/

This is not exactly emulation related, but I've seen that some have posted new hardware as news, so I thought this might interest you. If so, please put a note in the news section.

[Umiliphus]

Wow, a tv tuner! That will be great for getting a couple local channels until analog service is discontinued in 2009. Supposedly, in the United Kingdom, where that first story seems to originate, the "switchover" is already in progress. Even if "tuner" is supposed to mean something different than that, I can't imagine anyone would intentionally represent their new techno-thingo with the dual antennas a decreasing number of new consumers will recognize.

[gutzsant]

Yeah, it does sound silly. But it seems it's real, although of course. It remains to be seen what exactly it is:
http://www.rpgsite.net/news/281.html
As far as I know, it seems it's merely a mp4 player of sorts. Not videogame related. Anyway, it might not really be worthy of more attention.

[Haoie]

When they said they were getting out of making "gaming" hardware, they weren't kidding!!

[Reaper man]

Wow, a tv tuner! That will be great for getting a couple local channels until analog service is discontinued in 2009.

. . .

whoever said it was going to be an analog tuner?

I love the fact that it's being touted as a PSP killer. From what I saw, It'll be only able to play Java based games, so it'll hardly be a gaming handheld. I'd love to see this thing somehow kill off the iTouchmyself though.

[Rattlehead]

. . .

whoever said it was going to be an analog tuner?

I love the fact that it's being touted as a PSP killer. From what I saw, It'll be only able to play Java based games, so it'll hardly be a gaming handheld. I'd love to see this thing somehow kill off the iTouchmyself though.

You touch yourself too? Join the club.

Anyway, disturbing imagery aside...in the RPGsite article, Sega claims it's an "MP4" player. I hate it when companies that make PMPs do that. I'm guessing that they (the Sega rep) has no clue what 'MP4' means. It's a damn file format for videos, not video files in general! Just ask the guys who invented the '.AVI', '.WMV', and '.MOV' formats that. Those are the formats that my previous PMP (before it broke) supported, and it was touted as an "MP4" player. Just check here for relevant info on my rant: CLICK THIS TEXT (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MP4_Player). Secondly, I'm agreeing on what ReapMan said. They could make it Internet-capable, and offer "portable TV" via video podcasts...which is likely what they'll do. Don't quote me on that, though.

[Umiliphus]

. . .

whoever said it was going to be an analog tuner?
To me that was implied through the word "tuner." When I hear "tune" in the context of television I think of rotating little dials and fumbling with signal receiving apparatuses, such as the dopey antennas which comprise the V in the product's name. Nobody tunes their cable... actually, cable isn't even proper terminology. I have a satellite receiver, which I cannot tune, and still get channels designated as "cable." And "channel" is probably imprecise as well. I suppose that should be expected with 80 year old technology, but "tuner" certainly took me by surprise. I don't think I've heard the phrase "stay tuned" in ten years.

[Rattlehead]

On a related note...

I'm getting kinda tired of hearing about the whole "DTV Transition" thing. Everyone who doesn't live under a rock knows about it by now, so the ads are getting kinda annoying.

[Umiliphus]

I feel that way about most ads, except if I can't immediately get my remote-control object to mute them I replace "kinda" with "incredibly."

[tebian]

I think its cool thing that SEGA is doing some hardware but which part of this says anything about games... Java is not in my books game console status by a long shot. Looks to me like the took the worst parts of the next gen machines and built a machine.

Features of the Sega Vision include MP4 movie player, digital TV tuner, MP3 player, 2GB integrated memory, video and photo camera, eBook reader, and Java mini games.

Bring back cartridges and no connect to internet/download/update before playing the game !! http://rgonots-sylph.net/cpg1410/albums/userpics/10002/icon_oldman.gif

[Lillymon]

I'm getting kinda tired of hearing about the whole "DTV Transition" thing. Everyone who doesn't live under a rock knows about it by now, so the ads are getting kinda annoying.
Ditto. Yes I do know when this region is going digital-only. 2011 now, slipped from 2010 originally. Timing isn't the only problem either, HDTV's coming, and there are plans to start phasing that in starting 2009. But the problem with that is that HDTV will require MPEG4 rather than MPEG2 to reasonably fit in the available bandwidth, but the current SDTV decoders can only handle MPEG2 (since the decoding is done in hardware), so you'll have to buy a completely new one to handle HDTV broadcasts.

The upshot? To ensure that the current generation of decoders don't become instantly obsolete, Freeview will need to broadcast both SDTV (encoded in MPEG2) and HDTV (encoded in MPEG4) for an indefinite period, meaning we end up using twice the bandwidth, can't get as many channels, probably have to lower the bitrate on the available channels, and so get degraded service on both sides!

This is why we pay for Sky. They may be extortionate bastards, but at least they're competent.

As for the Sega vision, it does look pretty clunky. They're also launching into an exceptionally crowded market with very little to distinguish them from the competition. It does have a lot of features, but I've noticed something it isn't. A mobile phone. High-end mobile phones will give you most of those features and are getting increasingly common. Unless Sega drop some sort of unknowable bombshell about this or introduces it at a ludicrously low price-point, I don't see it selling much.

Really, I've no idea what Sega were thinking.

[Shadow]

Really, I've no idea what Sega were thinking.

Just a try: Perhaps they sell the "TV thingy" first and a small adaptable console afterwards? But I think this is too complicated.
There must be some greater plan or it is just another flop like virtual boy etc...

[toasterhed]

I think its cool thing that SEGA is doing some hardware but which part of this says anything about games... Java is not in my books game console status by a long shot. Looks to me like the took the worst parts of the next gen machines and built a machine.



Bring back cartridges and no connect to internet/download/update before playing the game !!

That would be awesome. I loved cartridges and these days they can fit a lot more into a smaller one.

It might be cool if you could play the Genesis games on Java on this thing. The ones I played in Java weren't the greatest. I know it could be done though and I wonder if they'd do that. I read one story

It was however the most interesting way I've played a Sega Genesis game. I found it interesting that that ran pretty decently though.

The sound was kind screwed up and you had to stop the sound before you loaded another or it'd kill your ears.

I still hardly would consider that a gaming console either.

I really think Open Pandora would be cool to check out. It sounds very promising.

[Isildur]

On a related note...

I'm getting kinda tired of hearing about the whole "DTV Transition" thing. Everyone who doesn't live under a rock knows about it by now, so the ads are getting kinda annoying.

I don't really mind those, but what gets an instant mute-button-slam from me are all the ads that are twice as loud as the TV programs. Surely I'm hardly the only person majorly turned off by such ads, but I guess they want to be sure that the people who went to the kitchen to get a snack hear the ads too. =P

[Lillymon]

I don't really mind those, but what gets an instant mute-button-slam from me are all the ads that are twice as loud as the TV programs.
OVHUAco_k-g

[The 9th Sage]

Wow, he's like the British equivalent of Billy Mays!

grd8PDPLK1Q

Edit: Please note in future to place only the video ID (the bit after "v=" but before anything else) in the youtube tag, otherwise it won't work.

[toasterhed]

Gosh, if infomercials where really that interesting I bet way more people would watch them.

That last one reminds me of some SNES music or some such.

Quite funny. I needed a laugh today too. Thanks. :)

[Fla Flash]

On a related note...

I'm getting kinda tired of hearing about the whole "DTV Transition" thing. Everyone who doesn't live under a rock knows about it by now, so the ads are getting kinda annoying.

On a related note, these wonderful $ 40.00 off coupons have expiration dates. If you get screwed at the cash register, you'll know why.

[Isildur]

[Cillit Bang (<-when written out, the name looks dirty, ironically) advert]

Lol, nice, but even better is this one (http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/yaffa) from back in 2002. Trivia: I worked at this company for a while. During my time there, one of things I did was help make props for a later (also incredibly cheesy) ad.... an ad that got aired nationwide at enormous expense, even though the product wasn't ready, and in fact, never would be.:retardedlol:

[Lillymon]

Lol, nice, but even better is this one (http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/yaffa) from back in 2002.
The wildest furniture in the world! It stacks up like a skyscraper! Look at this great pasta strainer, it's like it's floating in mid-air!

What was that woman smoking?

Also note how entirely off-topic we are now.