Sony announces new PSX models

TOKYO--In anticipation of the holiday season, Sony will release two new models of the PSX in Japan. The company today announced that the PSX DESR-5500 (160GB HDD edition) and DESR-7500 (250GB HDD edition) are slated for release in the beginning of December. This is the third incarnation of the multifunction PS2 and DVD-HDD recorder that has been released since the machine's debut last year.

Sony's announcement of the new PSX comes only days after it dropped the current model's prices down to 44,800 yen ($409) and 59,800 yen ($545) for the 160GB and 250GB HDD editions, respectively. The first generation of the PSX has already gone out of production.

The new PSX model focuses even more on TV recording and media playback functions. It is uncertain whether Sony will include support for the PlayStation BB on the new PSX, meaning the machine might not be able to play online games or view online content. The new model, however, will still have an Ethernet port.

The biggest selling point of the new PSX seems to be the addition of a group of programs that Sony calls the "X-appli." Each of the three X-appli applications that will come installed with the new PSX will have different functions.

The first program, the x-Omakase/Maru-roku, will let users set keywords on the PSX's TV recorder. The PSX will then automatically record TV shows corresponding to said keywords, just like a TiVo. The program also featues pattern recognition that will review shows users have watched or recorded, and then automatically record shows that fit the user's tastes.

The second program, the x-Pict Story, allows users to view their photos as a slide show with special effects and original music. This is done by simply importing photos from various devices and selecting one of the preinstalled music and effects options in the PSX.

The third program, x-DJ, operates like a disc jockey, mixing songs on the PSX's hard drive with various effects like DJ scratching. The user will be able to select a mood, such as "cool" or "hot," and the PSX will automatically search its hard drive for matching music and then play it in a corresponding DJ style. The x-DJ also comes with a set of visualizers, including one that looks like a Beat Mania game and another featuring Lego-like robots dancing to music. The user can also interact with the screen by pressing buttons on the controller.

The new PSX has a few hardware additions not found in the previous models. Both editions come with an antenna-out jack and support DVD+R recording, and the 250GB edition will come with an iLink connection. However, the 160GB edition will lack a few features available in past models--namely, a tuner for broadcast satellite channels and a ghost reduction capability.