No Blue-ray movies with these anymore.

JULY 13, 2011 • Newer PlayStation 3s Series K and after, will no longer be able to output Bluray movies to HD TVs via a component cable. To fall in better line with content security standards, such output will only be possible via HDMI cables. High definition game output will still be possible via component cables, however. Despite the change, Sony is not including an HDMI cable with new PS3s. In other news, SCEA announced that it will spend $20 million during the next three years to invest in creating exclusive content for the PlayStation Network. The funds will be available to both SCEA-affiliated and independent studios.

Impact: For a research firm, this is a great feature change. Very quickly we are going to have anecdotal evidence of how many of these new PS3s are plugged into HD TVs with multiple HDMI inputs, and how many are plugged into sets where component cable input is necessary. If the latter is the truer case, then we’ve just seen another case were DRM creates more friction for consumers in enjoying their entertainment.