Gadget Review: GO!VIEW on PSP

A few months ago I was asked to trial GO!VIEW on PSP! A joint venture between Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and BSkyB. Giving PSP owners the opportunity to access TV Shows, Movies and Sports on-demand and on the move.

From top entertainment shows including Heroes, Desperate Housewives and The Mighty Boosh, through to sporting highlights such as Barclays Premier League football from Sky Sports, and a wide selection of top movies, there’s content to suit every PSP owner’s tastes. With a full range of programming that is frequently updated, GO!VIEW provides a constant source of entertainment for PSP owners to use wherever they want, whenever they want.

Pros
*High quality video codec and small file size
*Available directly from the PSP's Cross Media Bar (XMB)
*Recession-proof rental and subscription tariffs

Cons
*Not platform agnostic - should support Mac OS X and Windows
*Multiple pop-up windows during file transfer
*Library settings do not stick
*No download indicator after a programme has been selected - I accidentally downloaded the same content 3 times
*File transfer is clunky and counterintuitive
*Using the PC for file transfer is cumbersome! I'd rather the service be available via wireless connection - PSN for example
*The GO!VIEW application does not boast the intuitiveness of XMB, which goes against my expectations as a consumer of Sony products

If GO!VIEW quickly addresses the negatives (no longer behaving like a half-baked product), and the PSP undergoes a refresh to include a touch screen, the iPhone and iPod touch would be battling a genuine contender for the crown of portable King! Incidentally, the PSP's recent press and television advertising campaign confusingly implied a touch screen - the whole world in your pocket, yes, only if you buy an iPhone or iPod touch!

Whereas GO!VIEW failed to convey the 'wow' factor, Remote Play stole the show for me! Remote Play allows the PSP to directly access many features on a PlayStation 3 console from a remote location using the PS3's WLAN capabilities, a home network, or the Internet. I was able to watch PlayTV anywhere! Streaming 4Music into my studio enlivened the working day!

Going forward, I'd like to see GO!VIEW integrated into a future firmware update/download from PSN on the PS3! PSP + PS3 is an excellent combo and may inspire me to buy another PSP in the future.

As it stands, the PSP continues to flounder even with the delayed arrival of GO!VIEW... Is that Nintendo's DSi that I spy on the horizon?

GO!VIEW 'give-away' contest

To celebrate the launch of GO!VIEW on PSP, which is currently showing Universal's The Bourne Identity and House. GO!VIEW and myself are offering several lucky readers a chance to win some seriously cool prizes including Bourne and House t-shirts, Heroes clocks and limited edition comics!



To enter for a chance of winning one of these prizes, just answer this simple question. How many steps are there to registering at www.goview.tv? Please post your answer in comments!

The competition closes December 31st 2008 and the winners will be randomly selected by me. My decision will be final! Good luck.

Special thanks to GO!VIEW for supplying the competition prizes. Sign up for GO!VIEW, and trial it free for a month! PSP. More than just gaming...

PlayStation Home Beta & GO!VIEW on PSP

Black Friday is not short of surprises! Not only have I received an exclusive invitation to join the PlayStation Home Beta (PlayStation Home is a 3D, interactive, evolving service, exclusive to PS3™). But, a PSP Slim & Lite has arrived!



Looking forward to exploring PlayStation Home and reviewing GO!VIEW on PSP during December. Incidentally, I'll be comparing and contrasting the PSP Slim & Lite against the iPod touch to see which (if any) is the new king of portables!

Give GO!VIEW a go!

PSP™ owners to beat boredom this winter with a free trial of the fully launched GO!VIEW service

From today, GO!VIEW (www.goview.tv), the portable Video-On-Demand Service for the PlayStation®Portable (PSP™), officially launches in the UK and Ireland giving PSP ™ owners the opportunity to access TV Shows, Movies and Sports on-demand and on the move. Following its Beta release in July, GO!VIEW has now been fully updated to bring PSP™ users the ultimate in on-demand content – exactly how they want it, when they want it. What’s more, a free 30 day trial of all three subscription packs is available to all PSP™ users so they can try GO!VIEW for themselves before signing up.



There’s no excuse for any PSP™ owner to be bored this winter with the wide range of TV shows, movies and sports that can be easily transferred to the PSP™ via an internet enabled PC. From top entertainment shows including Heroes, Desperate Housewives and The Mighty Boosh, through to sporting highlights such as Barclays Premier League football from Sky Sports, and a wide selection of top movies, there’s content to suit every PSP™ owner’s tastes. With a full range of programming that is frequently updated, GO!VIEW provides a constant source of entertainment for PSP™ owners to use wherever they want, whenever they want. And all PSP™ owners can enjoy a free trial for one month with no commitment.



From beating boredom during the commute to preventing arguments about what to watch on TV, every PSP™ user will benefit from GO!VIEW this winter!

www.goview.tv

GO!VIEW is a joint venture between Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and BSkyB who have established the joint venture ‘GO!VIEW Entertainment UK’. This is being used to bring the PSP video-on-demand to market in the UK, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands & the Isle of Man. Sky is providing their expertise in building successful video-on-demand platforms as well as content acquisition. Sony Computer Entertainment is providing the marketing for the service.