It's a real shame about the PS Vita TV's video output options. I passed on the original Vita hardware due to the plastic touchscreen (rather than glass) and the lack of TV-out. I was hoping for an updated version to include these features, and perhaps update the OLED display.
This new device seemed like the perfect option because I don't really want the handheld portion of it - just access to the games.
Unfortunately, limiting it to 720p and 1080i means that it's going to look terrible on a 1080p display. With an extremely slight crop, they could have output the 960x540 games "pixel-doubled" to 1080p. Instead, you are going to have 960x544 scaled to 720p, and then have that image upscaled to 1080p by your display.
Sony already caters to people who want a 1080p system, it's called the PS3. The PS4 also supports 1080p. I personally think the ability to up-sample some handheld games to 720p is great, every other handheld-tv converter didn't allow for higher resolution play of handheld games. Remember the GBA Player or Super Gameboy?
I think between the "stay the course PS4", the PS Vita TV and the WiFi camera lens, Sony is on a roll.
Only thing disappointing about the PS Vita TV is they are still relying on the outdated expensive proprietary memory card approach that everyone else long ago abandoned.
I agree with your memory card laments. But what's the other option? Use a significantly slower SD card? Use an awkward thumb drive that's going to stick out? There are trade offs with any solution. While I'd be fine with SDXC as the memory card they are slower.
Actually, it's my experience that the proprietary Vita memory cards are incredibly slow. There is currently nothing to get an actual metric on, but I have noticed that when playing certain titles, Gravity Rush, for example, there are times when gameplay will actually freeze, and you're presented with the small, rotating loading indicator that is normally present with a lot of I/O work. I have not seen this reported about the cartridge format Gravity Rush.
In addition, it's commonly known that the transfer speeds to and from the Vita memory card to a PC or PS3 are abysmal compared to other fast devices on USB 2.0.
Basically, the Vita memory cards seem to be both grossly overpriced, and just as slow (if not slower) than microSD cards.
I agree with you there. It would be good if Sony allows external USB hard drive to hold all the data including games. 64 GB for Vita is small. My backup size of PSP+Vita games on my PS3 hdd is already bigger than 64 GB. Juggling games on Vita 32GB card is a pain and slow process.
One of the only things I hate about Vita is the sealed proprietary battery...Vita TV kind of gets around that, at least assuring in decades to come I can use it to play my Vita games, so I'm pretty darned excited. Hmm...all sorts of possibilities for a tiny console with HDMI out (that's a real console like Vita that is).
Disapointed the new Vita portable doesn't have a replaceable battery, and uses TN...hopefully good quality TN, but too bad it's not IPS. I get that they have to compete with Nintendo's generation old hardware though.
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User.Name - Monday, September 9, 2013 - link
It's a real shame about the PS Vita TV's video output options.I passed on the original Vita hardware due to the plastic touchscreen (rather than glass) and the lack of TV-out.
I was hoping for an updated version to include these features, and perhaps update the OLED display.
This new device seemed like the perfect option because I don't really want the handheld portion of it - just access to the games.
Unfortunately, limiting it to 720p and 1080i means that it's going to look terrible on a 1080p display. With an extremely slight crop, they could have output the 960x540 games "pixel-doubled" to 1080p. Instead, you are going to have 960x544 scaled to 720p, and then have that image upscaled to 1080p by your display.
Flunk - Monday, September 9, 2013 - link
Sony already caters to people who want a 1080p system, it's called the PS3. The PS4 also supports 1080p. I personally think the ability to up-sample some handheld games to 720p is great, every other handheld-tv converter didn't allow for higher resolution play of handheld games. Remember the GBA Player or Super Gameboy?invinciblegod - Monday, September 9, 2013 - link
What's wrong with 1080i? That should look fine most likely.Mumrik - Monday, September 9, 2013 - link
Pretty sure the "i" is what is wrong with 1080i.steven75 - Monday, September 9, 2013 - link
I think between the "stay the course PS4", the PS Vita TV and the WiFi camera lens, Sony is on a roll.Only thing disappointing about the PS Vita TV is they are still relying on the outdated expensive proprietary memory card approach that everyone else long ago abandoned.
Hrel - Monday, September 9, 2013 - link
I agree with your memory card laments. But what's the other option? Use a significantly slower SD card? Use an awkward thumb drive that's going to stick out? There are trade offs with any solution. While I'd be fine with SDXC as the memory card they are slower.titaniumweasel - Monday, September 9, 2013 - link
They could have used their micro SD competitor, the m2. The vita memory card is basically just a pin-incompatible m2 card.Gc - Monday, September 9, 2013 - link
I think Sony announced a ~30% price cut for the memory cards in Japan, and a new 64GB card.http://www.ustream.tv/channel/sceja-press-conferen...
Gibson12345 - Monday, September 9, 2013 - link
Any word on whether they've upgraded the wifi to something more robust than 2.4GHz 1x1?Ryan Smith - Monday, September 9, 2013 - link
The WiFi is unchanged. It's still 2.4GHz 1x1.ExodusC - Monday, September 9, 2013 - link
Actually, it's my experience that the proprietary Vita memory cards are incredibly slow. There is currently nothing to get an actual metric on, but I have noticed that when playing certain titles, Gravity Rush, for example, there are times when gameplay will actually freeze, and you're presented with the small, rotating loading indicator that is normally present with a lot of I/O work. I have not seen this reported about the cartridge format Gravity Rush.In addition, it's commonly known that the transfer speeds to and from the Vita memory card to a PC or PS3 are abysmal compared to other fast devices on USB 2.0.
Basically, the Vita memory cards seem to be both grossly overpriced, and just as slow (if not slower) than microSD cards.
DG4RiA - Tuesday, September 10, 2013 - link
I agree with you there. It would be good if Sony allows external USB hard drive to hold all the data including games. 64 GB for Vita is small. My backup size of PSP+Vita games on my PS3 hdd is already bigger than 64 GB. Juggling games on Vita 32GB card is a pain and slow process.Wolfpup - Tuesday, September 10, 2013 - link
One of the only things I hate about Vita is the sealed proprietary battery...Vita TV kind of gets around that, at least assuring in decades to come I can use it to play my Vita games, so I'm pretty darned excited. Hmm...all sorts of possibilities for a tiny console with HDMI out (that's a real console like Vita that is).Disapointed the new Vita portable doesn't have a replaceable battery, and uses TN...hopefully good quality TN, but too bad it's not IPS. I get that they have to compete with Nintendo's generation old hardware though.