Buena Vista releases video in UMD format

[Soulquarian]

Many of you gamers alreay know about the Sony PSP. The handheld system that allows you to play games, mp3s, movies, and surf the web. Buena Vista has just announced the movies that it will release for the new Playstation Portable unit...

The first batch of releases include:

National Treasure
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Reign of Fire
Kill Bill vol. 1
Hero

More movies will be released throughout the year. The Sony PSP launches on the 24th of March.

The PSP is 6.7 inches wide and sports a VERY large widescreen. Quality of images is just under PS2.

[testtrack321]

*Note, the image is not the final design of the unit*

Ok, here's my rant.

Disney has had a prior history of releasing material on litterally ANY new media. Disney supported such failures such as DivX (the boxtop unit), disposable DVDs, and laser disk! I'm not surprised they released it on the PSP, but this announcement dose not guarantee the PSPs sucess.

[Soulquarian]

Yes, that image is not the final model for the PSP, but they are very similar. I wanted to show the PSP with a UMD disc.

As for the PSP itself, I have no doubt that it will be succesful. Movies are a great add on, but it is the gameplay that will make or break a system. Nintendo has had a virtual monopoly on the handheld market, and it craps out the same old games year after year. It's time for a new system that markets to the older, more experienced, player. Once again, Sony is going to take over another market in entertainment...

[Reaver]

I've seen the PSP, played with it at E3 last year, and I can tell you, it's going to be big. The UMD format is something Sony is going to start pushing, and the PSP/PS3 connectivity is going to be a guiding force in SCEA strategy. I think this is a good move for Disney. It doesn't cost much to convert (except for some compression time), and it gets movies into gamers' hands. Good move, BV.

[Modern Folly]

What's the estimated cost of this thing?? I want.

[Monorail Man]

Once I have Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! for the PSP, I'm buyin' it.

[MickeyMania]

I'm not surprised they released it on the PSP, but this announcement dose not guarantee the PSPs sucess.

How many people are going to buy PSPs to watch Disney movies? Not many, since you can get portable DVD players that do the same thing with the library you've already built up over the years.

I think the idea is to get people who are buying PSPs to buy Disney movies, not the other way around. I looked already and they're expensive! I think I'll wait a bit until the energy dies down and it becomes more obvious whether buying one is a money waste or not.

[Reaver]

I've got mine pre-ordered... $320, but it comes wit 3 games and a UMD of SpiderMan 2... I cannot wait for this GameBoy killer to hit the US!

[testtrack321]

How many people are going to buy PSPs to watch Disney movies? Not many, since you can get portable DVD players that do the same thing with the library you've already built up over the years.

I think the idea is to get people who are buying PSPs to buy Disney movies, not the other way around. I looked already and they're expensive! I think I'll wait a bit until the energy dies down and it becomes more obvious whether buying one is a money waste or not.

I know, that's the problem, why spend $40 bucks or more to watch a movie on your PSP AND your DVD player? It's not even like the PSP video quality is like a DVD so you could hook it up to a TV or something.

Also, saying the PSP is a GameBoy killer is way too premature. Even if the PSP sells 10 million units, the gameboy still has tens of millions more, plus the DS which is neck and neck with the PSP in Japan.

[Reaver]

lol. The DS is going to die a quick death in the US. I've played it, and it is the most user-unfriendly handheld I've ever played. The touchscreen is often more a detriment than benefit. Trust me, PSP will dominate the DS in the states. Nintendo GC has been coasting, mainly due to some exclusive contracts with people like LucasArts. XBox outsold GC 6 to 1 this year, and PS2 3 to 1. PSP is simply a superior beast, all around.

As to the video, of course it's not the same quality, because as of now, the UMD is only a little over 1 GB of storage. That will change, as will compression technology. I can see a UMD holding full-length DVD quality films. But right now the UMD is strictly for PSP, so there's no need to up the capacity. Once UMD burners hit the market, the technology will advance quickly, and we'll be able to just convert our DVDs to UMDs, like I do now with my iPAQ. I have 5 full-length movies on a 1GB SD card, and on the screen the size of the iPAQs, you hardly notice the compression...

Now if we could combine the PSP with the Gizmondo, THEN we'd have the ultimate in handheld technology!

[yensid98]

There is no way I'm paying $320 to watch movies on that small screen. No way. If I were to buy a PSP it would be for the games and so far, game-wise nothing is remotely interesting for me. Meanwhile, I'm enjoying my DS and GBA.

[testtrack321]

While I respect your opinion, there is one MAJOR error.

Once UMD burners hit the market, the technology will advance quickly, and we'll be able to just convert our DVDs to UMDs.....

First, Sony has never stated nor showed interest in creating a UMD recorder to the public. Infact, I say Sony will never release one. Why? Those damn MemoryStick Duo POS. If they can gouge consumers $40 + for a 128mb duo, why release a burner for the UMD? Also, this is Sony, who has the music and movie studios they own snapping at their heals. Do you think they will alow for DVD ripping?

It's typical Sony, release a closed media format, get some people to back it, sell it for a lot, don't sell recorders for that media, then fall on your face. ATRAC3, MiniDisk, and Betamax come to mind, and now UMD.

Here's what Sony SHOULD have done: release UMD players over the past few months, release recorders for cheap, release content, get things out into the marketplace. Then release the PSP. Allow for media to be recorded on it for the PSP. Don't stick to MPEG4, ATRAC3, and MP3. Accept AAC, WMA, WMV, DIVX, MOV, all of them.

I will reserve judgement until I actualy play with the PSP on the road. But from what I see, it seems Sony is spending more time polishing turds like MP3 playback and UMD movies and DEVELOPE AND IMPROVE THE GAMES AND THE SYSTEM. There will be a keyboard coming out for the PSP for word processing for crying out loud!

[Reaver]

Sony has never stated nor showed interest in creating a UMD recorder to the public. Infact, I say Sony will never release one. Why? Those damn MemoryStick Duo POS. If they can gouge consumers $40 + for a 128mb duo, why release a burner for the UMD? Also, this is Sony, who has the music and movie studios they own snapping at their heals. Do you think they will alow for DVD ripping?

Very true. But if you think Pelican and Mad Catz isn't working on them behind the scenes, then you don't know these guys! Sony has said that they won't be releasing them to the public, and I believe them. But eventually they'll be forced to, to compete with other companies. I'm sure they know this already, and are planning for it. I was fit to be tied when I heard their stance on the UMD, but once I thought about it, I figured this is exactly how it's going to happen. They'll get people to shell out way too much money on the MS media while they can (and MS does have it's uses, I admit), then release the burners, and make you pay through the nose for blank UMDs. Remember when DVD burners came out, and blank DVD-R media was 3 for $25? Now you can get them at $15 for a spindle of 50. Same thing will happen here.

At least, that's how I hope it'll go...

[testtrack321]

Well, it came out today, so I'll stop by my local game store to check out the demo unit and see how it works.

[ni_teach]

How much will the movies be... what is their price?

[Reaver]

No firm price yet, and undoubtedly it will vary from movie to movie and studio to studio. My guess from what I've heard is $15-$20. Yes, you can get a DVD for the same price...

[testtrack321]

No firm price yet, and undoubtedly it will vary from movie to movie and studio to studio. My guess from what I've heard is $15-$20. Yes, you can get a DVD for the same price...

If they offered them for $2-4 a pop, man, they would be set, they would have their product the impulse buy area, they would probably sell more movies than games.

[Reaver]

If they offered them for $2-4 a pop, man, they would be set, they would have their product the impulse buy area, they would probably sell more movies than games.

LOL. I'd be thrilled with 5-7, but that's not likely. Much like the PS2, the PSP is making almost no money (if any at all) on the sale of the unit, meaning they plan to make the real green from sales of games, movies, memory sticks and peripherals...