SBS On Demand for PS3 Australia – fantastic stuff

I noticed on the weekend that I could have SBS Catch Up TV on our Sony PlayStation 3 (do you call it PS3?). To get the little app just turn your PlayStation on, go to the TV/Video Services section and under the rainbow-coloured My Channels icon you’ll find a small SBS On Demand application ready to download.

Once the app’s been downloaded, you’ll have access to a pretty well sorted version of the SBS On Demand website from the TV/Video Services menu and it looks to have a really good range of videos to watch. Video quality is not bad about the same as the ABC iView one.

So now us Australian PS3 owners have the fantastic ABC iView, the great SBS On Demand and the really, really poor Plus7 catch up TV channels.

Geez, the Seven networks Plus7 is so poor, I don’t bother looking. The range of shows is so small and so old it isn’t worth the effort. Last time I looked , I went to play a Get Smart TV episode – it isn’t even the original ‘60s series but the really bad ‘80s one. They should just shut it down or offer a lot more as it is I am sure no one even looks at it.

Sony Australia PS3 3.73 update

Sony has released a new firmware update for the Australian PS3 . You can get it via wi-fi on your PS3 and click System Update, that is the easy way or you can download it from http://au.playstation.com/ps3/support/system-software/detail/item420189/Update-features-%28ver-3-73%29/

When searching for what the update offered I find it strange that people ask on Yahoo Answers questions like

PS3 3.73 Firmware free download?? where can i download it?

All they need to do is go to the Sony PS3 site, I am sure they have done it before.

Anyway the update is not mandatory and the only thing it mentions is – Playback quality during use of some PlayStation 3 format software has been improved. The update takes less than 5 minutes so not a long time to do it.

And on some systems the firmware 3.73 also turns your PS3 white, so only proceed if you don’t want your Black PS3 changing colour.

Star Wars Begins, A Fantastic Fan-Made Documentary for Ep.IV

I have just finished watching this full-length youtube video and it is fantastic. Any Star Wars fan should watch it. This documentary was made by a fan and not by Lucas or one of his lackies and , probably, that is why it is so good.

This is actually the film-makers third feature-length documentary and commentary about Star Wars and it’s called “Star Wars Begins“ so it is actually about the first Star Wars that was made in 1977. This is an unofficial look at the movie and has heaps of original set audio recordings, alternate takes, deleted scenes, bloopers  and different angles and an even bigger amount of comments and explainations from cast and crew that he must have pulled out form every documentary, interview and commentary track that has ever been made about Star Wars.

What makes this, for me, probably the best documentary I have seen for Star Wars is that it is played following the original movie itself. So that means when he has a deleted  or alternative scene it is added where they would have been, the interviews with cast and crew are placed over the top of the action they’re describing. The overall outcome is much more riveting than any old commentary track you get on a DVD or BluRay and so much better than what is on the new BluRay set that has just been released – if only the Star Wars Company did the extras in this style rather than just re-releasing the same bits over and over.

Anyway, have a look for yourself and see what I mean. I actually watched it in HD streamed to my TV via my Sony PS3, it looked great. I will post the video about Star Wars Episodes V and VI later after I have watched them.

PS3 update 3.70 for Australia – ABC iView problems

Well today I turn on the PS3 to watch a little ABC on iView and it pops up that there was a system update downloaded and ready to install. I go to install it – weary that an update might not be an actual improvement – and the agreement mentions that the TV tab will be changed to TV/Video Services.

Well, that seemed to be OK to me – maybe we will have a little more than ABC iView (a fantastic TV service – not just catch up TV but some shows are on iView before live TV), Seven Plus (which is really poor so I never use it) and Mubi (arty movies you need to pay for) . I installed the system update and it then auto-rebooted.

Now to check the cool new TV/Video Services. – what!!! nothing is there – iView on the PS3 is gone – iView is missing. Now I am cranky. The item I use most on the PS3 is not there. reboot, still not there. Start a game up and close it down then magically the new TV/Video Services is there!!!

Australian PS3 October Playstation Plus

I have just checked what I get as part of my Australian Playstation Plus subscription for October. Not mentioning the items like games and themes that you get a discount, just the free stuff as that’s all I am interested in.

I have a trial of the new Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (2.3GB)

Beta access to the multi-player version of Assassins Creed Brotherhood Multiplayer (3GB) , not sure if I will bother with that.

A PS3 full game Street Fighter 2 Turbo – HD Remix – great classic bash’em up re-done with better graphics.

Another trial PS3 game – Ferrari The Race Experience – but this trial only works for 60 minutes even if you quit the game after 1 minute and want to return later – I am not bothering to download this poor effort – give us a proper trial or don’t bother. I hope no-one downloads this and then the games company might learn to do it properly.

Two mini-games – Yeti Sports and Aero Racer. Both seem OK, I really like these mini games on the PS3 (love last months VectorTD)

A Playstation One game Kula World

A couple of Dynamic Themes, Start The Party and Halloween – they say they are exclusive for Playstion Plus members, who knows.

Four avatars, I don’t bother downloading these either.

All in all , not bad. I am sure I am getting my subscription price covered with the freebies offered this and last month. Do others think they will get $70 of entertainment a year? That’s how I see it – To go and see a movie costs around $15 plus your popcorn so $70 for hours of entertainment seems good to me.

Assassins Creed Brotherhood multiplayer beta for PS3 Australia - GoldCoaster

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light for PS3 Australia - GoldCoaster

Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix for PS3 Australia - GoldCoaster