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Netflix is about to stop working on 87 million devices this week - is your TV or phone affected?
The Economic Times· 2026-03-02 19:57
Core Viewpoint - Netflix is set to discontinue service on a significant number of older devices, including PlayStation 3 and smart TVs that are approximately a decade old, causing frustration among users who prefer these ad-free platforms [1][2][8]. Group 1: Device Support Changes - Netflix will no longer be available on PlayStation 3 consoles after March 2, 2026, and similar discontinuation applies to older smart TVs and streaming boxes [2][8]. - Users have been alerted through warnings on their devices, directing them to check compatible devices on Netflix's website [2][8]. Group 2: User Reactions - Social media reactions have varied, with some users expressing disbelief that Netflix was still operational on older devices, while others lamented the loss of a simpler viewing experience without ads [2][3][4]. - Comments from users highlight a preference for older devices, which they feel provide a better experience compared to newer "smart" devices filled with advertisements [3][4][6]. Group 3: Future Developments - Despite the discontinuation of support for older devices, Netflix will continue to function on newer smart TVs, phones, tablets, and consoles [9]. - In a related industry development, Sony is preparing to launch its first car, the Afeela 1, which will allow passengers to stream games and content using PlayStation Remote Play [7].
又一个芯片架构,走向消亡?
半导体行业观察· 2025-04-02 01:04
Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the ambitious vision behind the development of the Cell processor by Sony, IBM, and Toshiba, highlighting its potential to revolutionize computing architecture and its eventual shortcomings in the market [1][3][21]. Group 1: Development of Cell Processor - In 2000, Sony, IBM, and Toshiba announced a collaboration to develop the Cell processor, aiming for a computing architecture that could achieve unprecedented performance levels, targeting 1 trillion floating-point operations per second [3][4]. - IBM committed to investing $400 million to establish design centers and manufacturing facilities for the Cell processor, while Sony and Toshiba contributed their respective technologies [4]. - The Cell processor was designed to integrate multiple computing units on a single chip, with the goal of creating a highly parallel computing environment [4][5]. Group 2: Technical Specifications - The Cell processor features a 64-bit PowerPC core (PPE) and up to 32 synergistic processing elements (SPEs), achieving peak performance of 1 TFLOPS in its initial prototype [11][12]. - The architecture includes a unique memory structure where SPEs cannot directly access system memory, requiring explicit data management, which increases programming complexity but enhances efficiency [9][12]. - The interconnect bus (EIB) allows for high bandwidth communication between processing units, crucial for maximizing the processor's performance [9]. Group 3: Market Performance and Challenges - Despite its theoretical performance, the Cell processor faced significant challenges in mass production due to high power consumption and complex architecture, leading to a reduced number of SPEs in the final version [11][12]. - The PlayStation 3, which utilized the Cell processor, struggled in the market due to its high manufacturing costs and the difficulty developers faced in optimizing games for its architecture [13][14]. - Competing products, such as Microsoft's Xbox 360, offered simpler architectures that were easier for developers to work with, further hindering the PS3's market performance [13][14]. Group 4: Legacy and Conclusion - Although the Cell processor did not achieve mainstream success in gaming, it found applications in high-performance computing, notably in the Roadrunner supercomputer, which was the first to exceed 1 PetaFLOPS [16][18]. - The innovative design of the Cell processor influenced future computing architectures, particularly in parallel processing and GPU computing [21]. - By 2012, IBM officially discontinued support for the Cell architecture, marking the end of an era for a processor that had once held great promise [19].