biology

PSX (digital video recorder)

PSX (digital video recorder) is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand PSX (digital video recorder) rather than just read about it. In short: The PSX is a digital video recorder and home video game console released by Sony in Japan on December 13, 2003. Since it was designed to be a general-purpose consumer video device, it was marketed by the main Sony Corporation instead of Sony Computer Entertainment and does not carry the usual PlayStation branding.

Key takeaways

PSX (digital video recorder) belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect PSX (digital video recorder) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of PSX (digital video recorder) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The PSX is a digital video recorder and home video game console released by Sony in Japan on December 13, 2003. Since it was designed to be a general-purpose consumer video device, it was marketed by the main Sony Corporation instead of Sony Computer Entertainment and does not carry the usual PlayStation branding. Initial sales were strong, with the console selling 100,000 units during its first week, thus selling out. Its high cost, however, resulted in poor sales later on, prompting Sony to cancel plans to release the PSX outside Japan. After the price had been lowered in September 2004, sales increased again.

Features The device is a fully functional digital video recorder with an included Infrared remote control and S-Video, composite video, and RF inputs. It is able to tune analog VHF, UHF, and CATV. It can also be linked with a PlayStation Portable to transfer photos, videos and music via USB ports, and features software for non-linear video editing, image editing and audio editing. DVD+R support was to be introduced in a future update. It was the first device to use Sony's XrossMediaBar (XMB) graphical user interface, which was later used on the PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3, some Blu-ray Disc players, and 2008-era BRAVIA TVs. Like standard PS2 consoles, the PSX can be laid horizontally or stood up vertically. The PSX fully supports both PlayStation and PlayStation 2 software by its slot-loading DVD drive, as the onboard EE+GS chip is a unification of the PS2's Emotion Engine and Graphics Synthesizer chips. Online game compatibility was available using the broadband connection; Games that used the PS2 HDD (such as Final Fantasy XI) were supported as well. Shortly before release, Sony omitted numerous features from the PSX, citing that it was necessary to launch by Christmas 2003 time. Playback of CD-R and DVD+RW discs for example were dropped, as well as MP3 format audio, and instead DVD-RW discs and ATRAC format audio were retained upon release. However, firmware updates (versions 1.10 and 1.20) added these features later on.

Peripherals

The PSX is compatible with all first-party PlayStation and PlayStation 2 controllers and memory cards, with the exception of the PocketStation. The main unit has two controller ports located on the back side and two memory card slots on the front side hidden behind a panel cover. While the unit itself was sold without a game controller, a PSX-branded variant of the DualShock 2 analog controller was sold separately which features a 4-meter long cord (a bit longer than the standard versions of the controller). Because of the different placement of controller ports and memory card slots (which are located above each other on standard PlayStation and PlayStation 2 consoles), the PSX is incompatible with all versions of the multitap, and no PSX-specific multitap was ever made to get around this issue. Games that require the use of two or more USB ports are also incompatible with the PSX.

Retail configurations The PSX was released in eight retail configurations during its lifespan; the 5000 series (with an embossed logo on top and grey stripe at the back) shipped with 160 GB Hard disk drives, while the 7000 series (with a colored logo on top and black stripe at the back) contained 250 GB drives. Software updates were made available by disc and download. The 7500/7700 models added a Ghost Reduction Tuner. The inclusion of BS and UHF/VHF connectors varied by model. Starting with firmware version 2.10, users could export videos to a Memory Stick. The exported files are compatible for playback on the PSP. This feature is unavailable on earlier models due to the later firmware versions never being released for them. Contrary to popular belief, no variant of this console supports PSP games or is compatible with UMD discs.

All models have two sets of status LEDs and Infrared receivers; one along the front for horizontal orientation, and a second strip along the top-back for vertical orientation. The 'HDD Access' indicator was added to the front of the device in later models. Additionally, some models have one or two decorative blue LED light strips, either on the front located under the disc slot or in the back. DESR-5XXX consoles have a solid white case with an embossed PSX logo (except DESR-5100S, which has a silver case). DESR-7XXX consoles have a clear-white case with a colored PSX logo printed on.

Etymology Up until the release of the PlayStation 2, the first PlayStation console came to be known colloquially outside of Japan by its provisional codename of PSX (this was adopted to echo the MSX, a home computer standard sold by Sony and other companies throughout the 1980s). This can cause some confusion as to which device is being referred to.

Colors The PSX was initially displayed at CEATEC in white, silver, yellow, red and blue. The white variant was released commercially, with a limited edition silver model made available in 2004.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with PSX (digital video recorder)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what PSX (digital video recorder) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to PSX (digital video recorder) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about PSX (digital video recorder) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of PSX (digital video recorder)

In research: PSX (digital video recorder) appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses PSX (digital video recorder) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: PSX (digital video recorder) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computer-related introductions in 2003, Digital video recorders, Discontinued video game consoles, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for PSX (digital video recorder) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “PSX (digital video recorder)” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study PSX (digital video recorder) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what PSX (digital video recorder) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain PSX (digital video recorder) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is PSX (digital video recorder) in simple terms?

Why does PSX (digital video recorder) matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study PSX (digital video recorder)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on PSX (digital video recorder).