Sony has announced details on the PS3′s “PlayStation Eye,” which will serve for voice, video and online gaming communications.
David Reeves, President of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe said, “PLAYSTATION Eye is a great example of how we have moved forward so significantly with our technology. PLAYSTATION Eye has four times the resolution, twice the framerate and double the sensitivity of its predecessor EyeToy USB Camera. With the technology that we now have at our disposal we will be able to dramatically improve the communications experience enjoyed on PS3”.
Features as described by Sony include:
- A sophisticated microphone with the ability to reduce background noise and focus on the spoken word for smoother, more accurate speech recognition and transfer.
- The ability to capture videos and audio clips directly to your PS3’s hard disk drive
- Engineered to perform well even in low-light conditions
- A range of different capturing modes, including slow motion and time-lapse (used with included EyeCreate software)
- Faster frame rate for improved tracking, responsiveness and smoothness
- Two position zoom lens for close-up and full body options
- A range of eye-catching visual effects to apply to photos and videos
- Bundled with EyeCreate™ editing software, which allows users to save and edit photos, video and audio clips
Those of you interested in the tech specs, here they are:
- 4 channel audio input:16 bits/channel, 48kHz, SNR 90db
- 56º to 75º Field of View zoom lens
- 2.1 F-stop, <1% distortion, fixed focus (25cm to 8 at 75º FOV)
- 640 x 480 at 60 frames/second
- 320 x 240 at 120 frames/second
- USB2 high-speed data transfer
- Uncompressed video or optional JPEG compression
The four channel mic allows “multidirectional voice location tracking, enhanced echo cancelling and background noise suppression.” The Playstation Eye should debut in Summer 2007. We’ll bring you updates on pricing and specific release date when they are announced.
{mosimage}
EyeCreate software
EyeCreate editing software, bundled free with PLAYSTATION Eye allows you to save photos, video and audio clips to your PS3 hard disk drive and apply eye-catching visual effects to your images. Different capture modes like time-lapse and slow motion open up a world of possibilities to be explored further in EyeCreate’s editing suite, where you can turn your media into professional looking movies.
New microphone functions
An all-new four microphone array, incorporating multidirectional voice location tracking, enhanced echo cancelling and background noise suppression allows for clear audio chat in even the most noisy of environments, without the need to hold or wear a headset.
Next-generation camera features
A frame rate of up to 120 frames per second allows for super-smooth video and sophisticated low-light operation means that the room doesn’t have to be brightly lit for the camera to deliver crisp, perfectly exposed video. The adjustable zoom lens features a 56º field of view to capture head and shoulders action for close-in audio-visual chat, and a 75º field of view to capture the whole body for a fully physical gaming experience.
Technical Specifications:
• 4 channel audio input:16 bits/channel, 48kHz, SNR 90db
• 56º to 75º Field of View zoom lens
• 2.1 F-stop, <1% distortion, fixed focus (25cm to 8 at 75º FOV)
• 640 x 480 at 60 frames/second
• 320 x 240 at 120 frames/second
• USB2 high-speed data transfer
• Uncompressed video or optional JPEG compression
