Neon Alley Hands-On

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Anime comes to PS3.

I had the chance to try out the new PS3 application, Neon Alley. For a time, I was a pretty big anime fan. As of late, I’ve falled off the bandwagon, but still enjoy a couple like Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Baccano! Now, with Neon Alley, I can get a dedicated anime network right on my PS3. Let’s see just what it has to offer.

Neon Alley is a 24/7 anime television channel. They show some of the most popular anime series around with the likes of Naruto, One Piece, InuYasha and many others. The programming is all based per episode, and the menu system will tell you what’s coming on next as well as hours down the line.

The commercial breaks feature anime trivia, news and video game related news. They never last more than two minutes, and they never really feel invasive. It was nice to see a channel that wasn’t always trying to sell me something.

They even show anime movies as well as martial arts movies, usually during the weekends. They premier movies and shows on the channel as well. Just last weekend, they broadcasted Berserk: Golden Age Arc.

If you want to catch up on a show, or check out a series from the beginning, they offer up blocks of some shows for allotted time frames so you can always catch them when you have the time. Unfortunately, you can’t pick and choose which shows you would like to watch, but they do a decent job of showing episodes again in case you miss them.

According to their website, they plan on bringing more programming to the network. The library of shows they have now is not small by any means, but more is always better.

The streaming is pretty much flawless. In the eight or so hours I watched, I never once had a problem with the picture or audio, and many of the shows they offer are in high definition. I was rather impressed.

Of course, I would have liked to have seen a possible recording feature or at least a pause feature, but I understand there are limitations. For the most part, anime fans may want to check out Neon Alley. The first week is completely free, and the full service is only $6.99 a month. It’s not a bad deal if you’re a big anime fan, or are maybe looking to expand your anime horizons. I know I fell in love with a few shows I had never seen before, and will continue to watch them even after my trial period is up. For a more detailed list of what they are currently offering, take a look at their official website.

We were provided a trial membership for the purposes of this preview.
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Written by
Drew is the Community Manager here at ZTGD and his accent simply woos the ladies. His rage is only surpassed by the great one himself and no one should stand between him and his Twizzlers.