Support NeoGAF

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

We are thrilled to announce that Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC ("SIE") has entered into an agreement to acquire iSIZE, a UK-based company specializing in deep learning for video delivery. iSIZE builds AI-powered solutions to deliver bitrate savings and quality improvements for the media and entertainment industry. The acquisition provides SIE with significant expertise in applying machine learning to video processing, which will benefit a range of our R&D efforts as well as our video and streaming services.

Founded in 2016 and based in London, iSIZE has a team of talented engineers and technical experts who have developed a suite of software solutions to optimize video. For example, the company built an AI-based perceptual preprocessing solution that allows conventional, third-party encoders to produce higher quality video at a significantly lower bitrate.

We look forward to welcoming the iSIZE team to SIE.

Sony Interactive Entertainment to Acquire iSIZE

We are thrilled to announce that Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (“SIE”) has entered into an agreement to acquire iSIZE, a UK-based company specializing in deep learning for video delivery. iSIZE builds AI-powered solutions to deliver bitrate savings and quality improvements for the media and...

sonyinteractive.com

 

[adamsapple]

Almost as good as Take 2, I suppose.

 

[Punished Miku]

That's adorable.

 

[Dr_Ifto]

Hoepfully this will make PS+ streaming of games better

 

[tommib]

So, all in for the PlayStation Portal.

 

[Salty Popsicle]

 

[StueyDuck]

So we assume for streaming right?

Or possible back compat or some sort of dlss maybe but would make more sense for streaming,

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

Hoepfully this will make PS+ streaming of games better

I tried ps5 games at 4k like 2 days ago and honestly couldn’t tell a difference from the real deal.

How much better can it get?

 

[Dick Jones]

At least people don't have to point to Psygnosis in the console warz anymore

 

[yurinka]

So we assume for streaming right?

Or possible back compat or some sort of dlss maybe but would make more sense for streaming,

Looking at the tech they have I'd say:

• Better latency and image quality for PS cloud gaming, Remote Play, Share Play or Sony video apps like Crunchyroll, Sony Pictures Core or even Sony tv/cable channels
• Reduction of the minimum internet speed needed to use PS cloud gaming, Share Play or Remote Play in optimal conditions
• Better loading times and image quality for PSN store & PS App videos
• Less server costs for PS cloud gaming, Remote Play when used over internet, PSN store & PS app
• Further game size reduction in SSD/discs and game download times since videos with lower bitrate would be shown with better quality
• Potential use to create Sony's own version of DLSS and FSR

The demos they have in their website are pretty impressive.

 

[aclar00]

So we assume for streaming right?

Or possible back compat or some sort of dlss maybe but would make more sense for streaming,

I dont know much about nothin', but this seems more like it would be better suited for PSN in general? 'Cause god is the interface slow and sluggish. Its the only service i have where the game trailers looks like theyre 480i and the pictures are just placeholders 25% of the time (purple wavy backgroud)....hell, dont have something downloading in the background either because then all hell breaks loose.

 

[NickFire]

Yawn.

Still waiting for, you know, actual this game coming soon announcements. Sony buys this, Sony buys that, Sony assembled new studio, Sony all in on GAAS, Sony not all in on GAAS. Yawn.

 

[nial]

SIE can buy a deep learning video delivery company and it's enough to bring all the console/list/acquisition warriors. Twitter must be a hell right now.

 

[Pelta88]

 

[Arsic]

Great use of $.

Remedy , Take 2, SquareEnix, Capcom, etc but no we did a machine learning .

Listen if you want to burn money just send me a cool $500,000 check for shits and giggles.

 

[StealthGoblin]

I tried ps5 games at 4k like 2 days ago and honestly couldn’t tell a difference from the real deal.

How much better can it get?

Well this means they can stream that content much more cheaply for the same effect. It sends less data so hopefully allows them to roll out more robust cloud features overall.

 

[SEGAvangelist]

They should have that be a pop up image for when you start your PS5 now. That would be cool.

 

[Ronin_7]

Hoepfully this will make PS+ streaming of games better

The new streaming that just launched is the best in business.

Ignorance is bliss i guess.

I've tested every single one and only Nvidia is on par but that uses 4080 GPUs.

 

[StueyDuck]

I dont know much about nothin', but this seems more like it would be better suited for PSN in general? 'Cause god is the interface slow and sluggish. Its the only service i have where the game trailers looks like theyre 480i and the pictures are just placeholders 25% of the time (purple wavy backgroud)....hell, dont have something downloading in the background either because then all hell breaks loose.

I mean strong chance it's gonna be used for everything sony could possibly use it for. But with their expertise I can't imagine the main purchase was just for the store front.

My thoughts were backcompat as in a way to upscale ps1/2 textures in their emulation more accurately or like you see on pc for BG images like ff9. Or for ML super sampling to provide cleaner images at lower resolutions.

But both of those exist in forms already by other 3rd parties so my likely bet was for cloud streaming to try clean up video playback at a lower bitrate or something along those lines.

However yurinka List they provided earlier seems to be the most likely overall given what the company already does

 

[Fake]

Meanwhile...

 

[Ronin_7]

SIE can buy a deep learning video delivery company and it's enough to bring all the console/list/acquisition warriors. Twitter must be a hell right now.

Yeah these losers are insane.

Living paycheck to paycheck in miserable jobs can lead to mental problems like those.

 

[Ronin_7]

They should have that be a pop up image for when you start your PS5 now. That would be cool.

Context?.

 

[Mowcno]

I tried ps5 games at 4k like 2 days ago and honestly couldn’t tell a difference from the real deal.

How much better can it get?

Yeah the 4k streaming quality is pretty crazy. My home network setup isn't stable enough to game on it but it blows most other cloud gaming services out of the water in terms of image quality.

 

[SEGAvangelist]

Context?.

Xbox players are greeted with a full-screen pop-up ad for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III when they boot up their Xbox console

www.neogaf.com

 

[StueyDuck]

Xbox players are greeted with a full-screen pop-up ad for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III when they boot up their Xbox console

www.neogaf.com

hahaha I thought Phil said they needed ABK cause of all those candy games and cod was a silly doo doo game of no importance

 

[Reaseru]

I told this before...while MS is buying game publishers (for mobile or gamepass), SIE is buying shit for streaming tv series and movies, and the main reason they increased PS plus subscription prices.

Sony seems to forget that the tv series that they are making now exist because they were once game franchises before...

 

[X-Wing]

Nice acquisition, they have quite interesting tech. Not all acquisitions need to be studios or publishers.

 

[Ronin_7]

Yeah the 4k streaming quality is pretty crazy. My home network setup isn't stable enough to game on it but it blows most other cloud gaming services out of the water in terms of image quality.

Yeah it's the best in the business right now.

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

With the amount of investment into streaming, Sony is going to become a third party for sure.

 

[Magic Carpet]

Will this get me my Anime fix?

 

[NonPhixion]

when things like this pop up it really shows you how many people here, and on Twitter, are on the spectrum.

 

[skit_data]

Wouldn't surprise me if they've been involved with developing stuff for their game streaming tech and/or PS Portal already to some extent. Similar to how Audeze tech already was already used in the new Pulse headphones/earbuds.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

With the amount of investment into streaming, Sony is going to become a third party for sure.

they are already

 

[Papa_Wisdom]

They should have that be a pop up image for when you start your PS5 now. That would be cool.

 

[Gamer_By_Proxy]

Sounds good. Now get all the PS+ games streaming to the Portal.

 

[MasterCornholio]

Context?.

He's saying that pop up are cool. There's a recent article on it happening on Xbox.

 

[K2D]

Good acquisition in a vacuum.. Perfect fit.

L's to people celebrating MS's ABK acquisition over this..

Shouldn't celebrate mega corporations being able gobble up whole corners of the industry without buyers competition. AKB should absolutely have been divested..

 

[Kdad]

While iSIZE benefits from off-line training, by combining content-adaptive preprocessing with the latest advances in deep neural networks, the technology can process any input content, from entertainment, sports and gaming to thermal images and surveillance footage

Reading iSite's website it sounds much like what Nvidia is doing

 

[skit_data]

Here's another theory: PS5 Pro tech

 

[yurinka]

Will this get me my Anime fix?

They could use it to improve the anime streaming visual quality on Crunchyroll or Sony Pictures Core, yes.

 

[nial]

They could use it to improve the anime streaming visual quality on Crunchyroll or Sony Pictures Core, yes.

While collaborations can exist, this is done by SIE, so it has nothing to do with SPE streaming services.

 

[Dr_Ifto]

I tried ps5 games at 4k like 2 days ago and honestly couldn’t tell a difference from the real deal.

How much better can it get?

How is the PS3 streaming? Ive had hit or miss on that.

 

[GHound]

PS+ dollars well spent.

 

[freefornow]

I am bitterly opposed to this acquisition!!! When is this going to end. These megacorps are going to ruin gaming.
The CMA had better grow a pair and scrutinise this fully at every phase. New Zealand save us!
Oh wait. Wrong corporation.

 

[Imtjnotu]

Layoff bungie
Bring in video delivery

 

[StealthGoblin]

Layoff bungie
Bring in video delivery

They laid of 100 or so mostly unneeded roles for the next year and a half or so.

This purchase will save them a lot of money.

 

[Topher]

I am bitterly opposed to this acquisition!!! When is this going to end. These megacorps are going to ruin gaming.
The CMA had better grow a pair and scrutinise this fully at every phase. New Zealand save us!
Oh wait. Wrong corporation.

 

[bender]

I am bitterly opposed to this acquisition!!! When is this going to end. These megacorps are going to ruin gaming.
The CMA had better grow a pair and scrutinise this fully at every phase. New Zealand save us!
Oh wait. Wrong corporation.

 

[yurinka]

While collaborations can exist, this is done by SIE, so it has nothing to do with SPE streaming services.

Both SPE and SIE are Sony divisions and often collaborate, look at PlayStation Productions.

Also, pretty likely SIE are the ones who make the PS apps for Crunchyroll, Sony Pictures Core and so on. Also, remember that PS+ will include >100 rotating Sony Pictures Core movies soon.

In addition to this, this tech -compatible with any video codec- would help Sony save millions of dollars per year in server costs to the many Sony apps and stores with video streaming. So it would be stupid to don't take advantage of it when it's free for their divisions once they acquired this company.

 

[poodaddy]

Interesting company. I can't lie and say I really understand everything about what they do, but it sounds like they've made some interesting and very forward thinking software. Smart investment I'd say.