Sony is reported to be taking a shot at Apple's stronghold on the digital music and video market with a brand new multimedia subscription service, coming to the PlayStation Network (and beyond) next year.
The Financial Times reports that Sony will unveil that music and video subscription service at the IFA technology show in Berlin on September 1. Tomorrow. The service, which would replace Sony's long defunct Connect music store, is expected to begin its life on Sony's PlayStation platforms and extend to other networked devices, from Bravia televisions to Vaio computers.
Sony head honcho Sir Howard Stringer has long promised a PlayStation Network service that expands to a wide range of electronics, so this comes as little surprise. Actual visible progress of that expansion would be welcome.
Chief competitor in the space, Apple, is holding its own musically-themed event in San Francisco on September 1, at which updates to iTunes, iPod and Apple TV are expected.
Sony rises to digital-media challenge [Financial Times]