PlayMemories is Sony’s way to stop your mom from shooting 500 pictures at Christmas and then never looking at any of them because they’re stranded on an SD card she doesn’t really know how to work.
The service connects to a bunch of different Sony gear, from the new Bloggie video cams that are basically streaming Go-Pros to BRAVIA HDTVs and the PS3. It organizes all of your photos and videos and lets you browse them on your TV or phone or tablet and share them with friends. Which sounds a lot like Photo Stream, though hopefully without the never-unshare horror shows.
The service will be free across all Sony platforms, and unify other Sony accounts, like PSN. At launch, it will be on the PlayStation 3, PC and Mac, and mobile. Only the PS3 version will be paid—about $20-$25, we’re told—and that’s because you’ll be able to edit HD video and use a more interactive interface.
Free apps will be available in the Android marketplace and iTunes store in early January. We’re told that 20GB will be free, and further storage will cost you, though the price hasn’t been finalized. Sony says that it’s a full-on cloud storage service, just like Dropbox, but it’s definitely centralized around sharing visual media.
