Sony Launching psp video downloads

[8th lutz]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6163328.html?...estnews;title;0

 

Sony will launch a digital video service early next year for its PlayStation Portable, reports Financial Times. The service lets consumers download a movie from the Internet to their PC, then transfer the file to a Memory Stick Duo. No pricing or further details on the service were disclosed.

 

The service will not require any hardware upgrades to the PSP, meaning the more than 20 million PSPs already in the market will be able to view the films. Sony's 4GB Memory Stick Duo will be able to hold about 10 full-length movies, according to the report.

 

No participating studios have been mentioned, but because the service limits piracy by only allowing one copy to exist per purchase, film studios may be less wary to license their films. Currently, only the Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group (Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, Miramax Films) has offered up its films for the iTunes video download service.

 

I do have a couple concerns about this: The price of downloading videos and if any film Studios will allow their films to be downoloaded for the psp after the umd movie failure outside of sony.

Edited December 18, 2006 by 8th lutz

[Jess Ragan]

Microsoft seems to have a head start on video downloads. I was really impressed with the selection available for the Xbox 360. Having said that, Sony has a rather large back library of films and television shows, and can make their own download service work IF it's not strictly limited to the PSP. There are just way too many portable media players out there to make it practical or wise to limit the scope of the service.

 

JR

[PuddWakkr]

Yeah I was surprised how much the 360 had as far as movies. If Sony really wants to get movie downloads off to a big start they should offer a way that consumers can burn UMD.... and make it cost effective. It would be great to download your fav TV series and keep it on a UMD whenever you wanted to watch it. I'd Pony up a couple of hundred for a UMD burner.

[128bytes]

I'm all for anything that sells more PSP's, even if I don't use the service. I am also all for anything that presses Sony towards refining the built in browser and media player software. With the built-in Wifi, the next logical step would be to allow downloads directly from the PSP - which would place it one step ahead of the iPod for now.

 

The PSP is still a VERY impressive hardware platform, and the system should hit its sweet spot in terms of games that would take full advantage of its horsepower, controller action, etc. in the next two years - IF Sony can get the PSP out of its current sales funk.

 

And maybe, if they can resist changing out the hardware, and the cost of manufacturing PSP's decreases to the point of profitability, they won't mind the existence of homebrew software that would drive the sales of more PSP's...

[Cheese007]

I wouldn't end up surprised if this ends up getting no support and is ridiculously over-priced. But good to see SONY is doing SOMETHING to compensate for the UMD debacle. Oh and 20 million on the market made me rofl. Too bad that (according to NDP or whatever that company is called that releases sales numbers) 8 million are sitting on shelves.

[Classic Pac]

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