Sony Introduces PS3-based ZEGO Video Rendering System

[Shin-Ra]

Sony to Showcase Innovative "Beyond HD" Content Creation Workflows at "SIGGRAPH 2008"

"ZEGO" Computing Unit incorporating Cell/B.E. microprocessor and RSX® graphics processor to be launched for U.S. market within this year

Sony is exhibiting new "Beyond HD" content creation workflow solutions at "SIGGRAPH 2008" (held from August 12-14 at Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, California, USA). Based on a new hybrid multi-core processing platform, these solutions are designed to provide production professionals with increased efficiency and accelerated workflows across every stage of production, from shooting and acquisition to editing and display.

New Product Launch for U.S. Market

To coincide with SIGGRAPH 2008, Sony Electronics Inc. has also announced a new computing unit. The BCU-100 is the first product to be launched as part of Sony's new multi-core processing platform, "ZEGO". BCU-100 incorporates the high-performance Cell Broadband Engine™ microprocessor (Cell/B.E.) and RSX® graphics processor to realize high speed computational performance. BCU-100 is scheduled for launch in the U.S. market within this year.

The new brand name "ZEGO" originates from the concept "Zest to Go", emphasizing Sony's dynamic advancement towards the future of video production with this new, hybrid multi-core processing platform.

Features of "ZEGO" BCU-100

1. High-Speed Processing

• RSX® delivers high-performance graphics processing while Cell/B.E. realizes arithmetic operation speeds of up to 230 GFLOPS.
• Equipped with onboard high speed memory, XDR™.

2. Miniature Size

• BCU-100 is a 1U (unit) size and can be mounted in a 19-inch rack.

3. Reduced Energy Consumption

• BCU-100 delivers high computational performance while reducing power consumption to 330W or less.

[ps3andlovinit]

Originally Posted by Shin-Ra

Sony to Showcase Innovative "Beyond HD" Content Creation Workflows at "SIGGRAPH 2008"

"ZEGO" Computing Unit incorporating Cell/B.E. microprocessor and RSX® graphics processor to be launched for U.S. market within this year

Good to see you back.

Just further evidence that the PS4 will be Cell based.

The Cell investment was a long-term platform play and not just a one-off for the PS3 like the PS2 and PS1 chips.

Also check this out ... http://www.gametrailers.com/player/u...es/252649.html

Running on IBM's Cell blade systems. The PS3 is just being used for the output AFAIK.

[WriteSimply]

I showed this bit of news to the the studio I'm currently consulting with. Just in the nick of time for them to be aware of this as they may need the extra muscle for rendering their work.


fuad

[Bluoholic]

but rsx is outdated...

[DezNutz]

Originally Posted by ps3andlovinit

Good to see you back.

Just further evidence that the PS4 will be Cell based.

The Cell investment was a long-term platform play and not just a one-off for the PS3 like the PS2 and PS1 chips.

Also check this out ... http://www.gametrailers.com/player/u...es/252649.html

Running on IBM's Cell blade systems. The PS3 is just being used for the output AFAIK.

I agree nice to see Shin-Ra back!

But, I do not agree that this is "evidence" that the PS4 will be cell based, as this has little to nothing to do with PS4, it is more getting money out of current technology and development using PS3 architecture.

They have done similar projects with both PS2, and PS1, both with their chipsets, and system architecture..

[Bluoholic]

Sony better find something they can keep reusing until technology advances much more... they can't just keep using different technologies on every PS, devs will get tired of learning new stuff every 5-7 years... there is a reason why stuff gets developed faster on xbox... I didn't say better but faster.

[Rike255]

Originally Posted by Bluoholic

Sony better find something they can keep reusing until technology advances much more... they can't just keep using different technologies on every PS, devs will get tired of learning new stuff every 5-7 years... there is a reason why stuff gets developed faster on xbox... I didn't say better but faster.

I think that's where the PS3 comes in. I expect the PS4 to be very similar to the PS3. Lots more power, hopefully some nice new features to help it stand out, but a very similar platform.

[joeorc]

Originally Posted by Rike255

I think that's where the PS3 comes in. I expect the PS4 to be very similar to the PS3. Lots more power, hopefully some nice new features to help it stand out, but a very similar platform.

david reeves stated in a recent interview that the playstation 4 will contain a faster blu-ray optical drive, and contain a enhanced Cell Processor. this was him talking about the future of the playstation system and digital downloads.
things could change no doubt but that is from the ceo of scee

[Xerios]

Its a 1U rack mountable server?


EDIT.. re-read it yeh it is. i work as a tech for HP and work with these types of servers... nothing with the power of this though. especially in a 1U server
lets see it up against an RX machine though =P

[chnandler_bong]

Originally Posted by Xerios

Its a 1U rack mountable server?


EDIT.. re-read it yeh it is. i work as a tech for HP and work with these types of servers... nothing with the power of this though. especially in a 1U server
lets see it up against an RX machine though =P

Psssh...HP servers...RX machines

IBM Power servers eat your RX servers and superdomes for breakfast yo!

[Paradox69]

Originally Posted by chnandler_bong

Psssh...HP servers...RX machines

IBM Power servers eat your RX servers and superdomes for breakfast yo!

Pssst..... IBM Power Servers are not what you need for Multi-purpose Render Farms. They are for Databases!

They are featuring a new PowerVM Active Memory Sharing that can flow virtual memory from/to many partitions, giving physical memory a boost with these management tools. Don't forget we are talking XDR and Rambus FLEX Bus Speed and Technology. This is no DDR2 or 3 couch potatoes!

So although a Power 570 is indeed almost twice as fast as HP Superdomes, we are talking different workloads altogether as well as RX machines.

These new ZEGO 1U rack systems are not even close to being meant for Database use. They are specifically for Render Farms and both RSX and Cell BDE are utilized fully.

This is a new World and we have RSX GPU on these new units doing General Purpose Parallel computing that kills even the Cell. Combined, they are ideal for Render Farms because they can also do Multi-calculations and Rendering!!! ......is Power 570 better at Database? Yes, but for this job, they aren't even in the same ballpark when combined in a rack system!!!

[WriteSimply]

Anybody worked with these or HP's Cell-based Blade servers? Need to know what the interface is like for offloading render jobs to these units. If it can work with Blender, that's great.


fuad

[chnandler_bong]

Originally Posted by Paradox69

Pssst..... IBM Power Servers are not what you need for Multi-purpose Render Farms. They are for Databases!

They are featuring a new PowerVM Active Memory Sharing that can flow virtual memory from/to many partitions, giving physical memory a boost with these management tools. Don't forget we are talking XDR and Rambus FLEX Bus Speed and Technology. This is no DDR2 or 3 couch potatoes!

So although a Power 570 is indeed almost twice as fast as HP Superdomes, we are talking different workloads altogether as well as RX machines.

These new ZEGO 1U rack systems are not even close to being meant for Database use. They are specifically for Render Farms and both RSX and Cell BDE are utilized fully.

This is a new World and we have RSX GPU on these new units doing General Purpose Parallel computing that kills even the Cell. Combined, they are ideal for Render Farms because they can also do Multi-calculations and Rendering!!! ......is Power 570 better at Database? Yes, but for this job, they aren't even in the same ballpark when combined in a rack system!!!

That's a good point, well said. I still wuv my database servers! *hugs his 570s*