Stringer talks PS3 video and music distribution

Sony is still working on plans to distribute music and video via the PlayStation Network, with a possibility of such efforts coming to fruition early next year.

Speaking in an interview with The Financial Times, Sony chief executive Sir Howard Stringer talked about building a software infrastructure to distribute video and music.

"That is a Japanese and American combined effort to build a platform around a common software architecture to distribute video via the PlayStation Network into the [PSP handhelds] and beyond," he said.

"We are trying to get our devices to talk to each other efficiently. PlayStation Network should migrate from gadget to gadget. But initially it starts with PlayStation devices and then to TV and beyond. That's the goal."

While no specific dates were announced, Stringer did say "We won't know how effective [the effort] is until early next year."

Sony has already announced a television tuner and recorder device, as well as PSP video/voice chat software, for the UK and some European markets.

Microsoft launched a video download marketplace via Xbox Live in the US in November 2006.