Sony Thinking about UMD TV Playback

[fitbabits]

Head on over to GameSpot (http://www.gamespot.com) for the news (http://www.gamespot.com/news/2006/03/30/news_6146881.html?part=rss&tag=gs_&subj=6146881).

The Hollywood Reporter reports that Universal and Paramount have ceased making movies for the PSP, quotes Sony executive as saying TV playback "may" happen.

When the PlayStation Portable went on sale just over a year ago, the movie industry embraced it. Major studios saw the device's proprietary Universal Media Disc (UMD) format as a way to wring further income out of their vast film libraries.

And attempt to wring they did. To date, 239 movie and television-show UMDs have been announced or released. The list is a mismatched mix of independent films (Hustle and Flow, The Brothers Grimm) and big-budget flops (Stealth, Lord of War, Rent), along with occasional blast from the past (Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip) and television offerings (Beavis and Butt-head). However, as was the case with DVDs in the late 1990s, many films with the potential to mint money (Star Wars, anyone?) remained unreleased on UMD.

Over the past few weeks, there have been increasing signs that Hollywood is now much less bullish on UMD movies. Last month, Variety reported that Paramount Home Entertainment, Warner Home Video, and even Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, were scaling back on UMD releases because of poor sales.

Today, the Hollywood Reporter ran an article claiming that two major studios have ceased releasing UMDs altogether. Citing unnamed executives, the paper claims that the home-entertainment divisions of Universal Studios and Paramount Pictures have "completely stopped" shipping titles on the format. "We are on hiatus with UMD," one anonymous executive told the paper. "Releasing titles on UMD is the exception rather than the rule. No one's even breaking even on them."

Currently, one of the biggest reasons consumers don't buy films on UMD is because PSPs cannot play video onto televisions. But that may eventually change according to Benjamin Feingold, president of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Feingold told the Reporter that Sony is "hoping the format's going to be reinvigorated with next-generation capability that may include living room or normal television playback," he said. Sony reps declined to elaborate on Feingold's comments.
Too little, too late?

[Paranoia]

Currently, one of the biggest reasons consumers don't buy films on UMD is because PSPs cannot play video onto televisions.


Sony really never listens. If consumers wanted to watch films on televisions, they would have bought a cheaper, better content, higher quality, DVD!! Almost every complaint about movies on UMD is the higher price. Doesn't even take a genius to figure that out!

[if76]

I'd like to see how movies designed for a 480x272 resolution screen look on a TV. For those keeping track, that's roughly the vertical resolution of VHS and significantly less than the horizontal resolution of a nonHD-TV.

[Atepsflame]

Sony just keeps digging itself a deeper grave...

[netcraazzy]

$250 is a lot of money to pay for a portable movie player with a proprietary format. What's that? It's suppsed to play games too?

[ruprect]

Yeah, lack of TV playback as one of the drawbacks to this don't make sense. Why not just buy the DVD? It looks better, has better sound, more options and is generally cheaper (and you can loan it out).

I can't wait for Sony's next small distribution media.

[Heretic Machine]

EDIT

Deleted my post for it's lame-ass joke.

[KamaItachi]

Even if this were available from the beginning, I doubt this would have helped UMD sales, let alone revive the format after it's been written off by so many so many.

[GunnyMo]

So, in essence, they want you to: buy a PS3 (which plays DVDs), buy a PSP, buy some UMDs, play said UMDs on your PSP and then through your PS3 onto your tv? That's how I read "next generation capability". Just how dumb does Sony think consumers are? I mean, we're dumb but are we really that moronic?

[netcraazzy]

Yeah, lack of TV playback as one of the drawbacks to this don't make sense. Why not just buy the DVD? It looks better, has better sound, more options and is generally cheaper (and you can loan it out).

I can't wait for Sony's next small distribution media.

To be honest the fact that you couldn't play a UMD on your TV is one of the things that I originally complained about and I do think it's good that they are thinking about adding it.

The reality though is that the real problem is UMD itself. Movie studios don't like it because they have to pay a licensing fee to Sony and the discs are more expensive to manufature. Consumers don't like it becase UMDs cost more than a DVD and you essentially have to buy a movie twice if you want to watch it on your TV and your PSP.

So TV playback will partially resolve one of the major consumer complaints but the movie studios will still not like it and it'll still be more expensive.

[The Continental]

Wow, I could've sworn the PSP had a TV out capability of some sort, purely for the UMD movie playback. I've thought UMD movies were a really bad idea from the start, but I do believe I'm upgrading the idea to "fucking retarded" status as of being informed of this.

[Kamalot]

I would like to see Sony make several models of UMD players for the TV. They could have high-end versions and low end versions. They could include the readers into other products they make like clock-radios so you can wake up to your favorite movie.

I hope Sony spends LOTS of money keeping the UMD market afloat, cause they really need to make sure they fight as many battles on as many fronts as possible.

[DirtyChimp]

Currently, one of the biggest reasons consumers don't buy films on UMD is because PSPs cannot play video onto televisions.

What study did they base this claim on? Sounds like an unfounded assumption to me.

[Speed_D]

Why not just buy the DVD? It looks better, has better sound, more options and is generally cheaper (and you can loan it out).
And you can transcode it and put it on your PSP's memory stick. Not to mention, watching a movie from the memory stick consumes like half the battery power of a UMD movie.

I love my PSP when I'm travelling but with 2GB memory sticks available, there's not much reason to buy movies in UMD format.

It would be more interesting if we had info on exactly how much it costs to manufacture those things per disc, before Sony's cut. As many people said before, if a UMD could be included with a DVD purchase (say for an additional 5 bucks), PSP owners would be all over it. We all know CDs and DVDs cost pennies to produce. If UMDs are the same way, then the only reason movie studios couldn't make a profit on this model is if Sony's license fee is too high. Surprise surprise.

[Royal Fool]

I read an article very much like this one on Variety.com earlier this year. Sony are apparently planning some method to view UMDs (And perhaps PSP games in general?) on TVs. Maybe the PS3 will play a part in it, who knows...

We all know CDs and DVDs cost pennies to produce. If UMDs are the same way, then the only reason movie studios couldn't make a profit on this model is if Sony's license fee is too high. Surprise surprise.
Well, apparently it's too high for Paramount or Universal to make a profit off their releases.

I don't understand why the studios didn't risk putting out some good releases, all they did was release utter shit.

[Cubfan]

A couple of average joes from work got PSPs for Christmas. The biggest complaint they both had was that you couldn't play UMD movies on the TV.

Probably too late though, IMO.

[Blade]

This is the one time where I can solidly state that Nintendo was right for sticking with cartridges.

Not "right" per se (PSP's high-end game content needs more space than a DS cart can manage) but definitely more along the right track.

Maybe if Sony used DS-like cartridges, but physical larger with more capacity...

Oh, I'm sorry. I'm speaking as if they're focused on the games or something. :)

[Pumped'Up]

For handhelds, you can now forget the PSP as an option for watching movies on the go. Forget even the crap-ass iPod (the worst).

The best available now is Creative Zen Vision M. That sucker is the best for watching movies (and music/photos), all for a measly price. Supports even DivX. And has video out to plug into any TV.

[Megalith]

Universal Flop Disc.

[SuperMonkeyFighter2]

I read an article very much like this one on Variety.com earlier this year. Sony are apparently planning some method to view UMDs (And perhaps PSP games in general?) on TVs. Maybe the PS3 will play a part in it, who knows...


Well, apparently it's too high for Paramount or Universal to make a profit off their releases.

I don't understand why the studios didn't risk putting out some good releases, all they did was release utter shit.

The CoG for a UMD movie is $3/disk ... for the life of me, I have no idea why studios charged $29.99 for dumbed down DVD releases.

The UMD format for movies could have worked, as long as there was a stricter approval process of what made it out on the system. For example, if Final Fintasy Advent Children was UMD exclusive, then there would be a very good reason to buy a UMD movie.

However, with Sony not being proactive enough to lock up exclusive UMD content, mixed with zero quality control on what gets dumped on UMD, coupled with a very high retail point (versus DVD movies), coupled with a lower resolution and NO features, then you have a failure.

Oh well ... better luck with Blu Ray

[Last of the Red Hot Mamas]

I'd like to see how movies designed for a 480x272 resolution screen look on a TV.

UMD movies are encoded at 720x480, same as DVD. The PSP downrezzes them to 480x272. They probably won't be up to DVD standard on a full-sized screen, but MPEG4 is far more efficient than MPEG2 so the quality won't be as bad as you might think.

[Paranoia]

For example, if Final Fintasy Advent Children was UMD exclusive, then there would be a very good reason to buy a UMD movie.


An even stupid move. To ignore the DVD market while going UMD exclusive is just financial suicide.

[boratika]

Universal Flop Disc.
You could have at least tried to stick with the acronym, for example:

Universal Meh Disc
Universal Moron Disc
Unintentional Money Drain
or you know, something like:
Universal Mega Dicks

I'd like to see how movies designed for a 480x272 resolution screen look on a TV. For those keeping track, that's roughly the vertical resolution of VHS and significantly less than the horizontal resolution of a nonHD-TV.

It'd probably look fine on an olde fasione CRT TV, with it's poor man's anti aliasing, but I don't realy see an intentional synergy between these two products.

For handhelds, you can now forget the PSP as an option for watching movies on the go. Forget even the crap-ass iPod (the worst).

The best available now is Creative Zen Vision M. That sucker is the best for watching movies (and music/photos), all for a measly price. Supports even DivX. And has video out to plug into any TV.

SHILL!!!

[Magnanimous Gnome]

An even stupid move. To ignore the DVD market while going UMD exclusive is just financial suicide.


Square's already commited financial suicide with Advent Children from what I can tell. Delaying it was about the stupidest thing they could have done. The movie has been available online for months now, and still won't see a retail release for several more months in the U.S. Everyone who really wanted to see it most likely already has.

[Vandenh]

The best available now is Creative Zen Vision M. That sucker is the best for watching movies (and music/photos), all for a measly price. Supports even DivX. And has video out to plug into any TV.

I have that one... but I was hoping to pick something up with a bigger screen end of the year before I fly out to Japan so I have something to watch in the plane. I think end-of-the-year will see some amazing good quality media players (with big fat HDDs).

[GunJ]

Another format pushed god knows why by Sony bites da dust ...
When will they learn ?

[Royal Fool]

An even stupid move. To ignore the DVD market while going UMD exclusive is just financial suicide.
Do not underestimate the power of Final Fantasy/Sephiroth/Cloud fankiddies.

[51|RandoM]

What plays UMD besides the PSP? Where are the standalone UMD players? Where are the recorders so we can burn our own?

When a medium has no inherently "good" features other than portability, it would seem to make more sense to buy a portable DVD player, which is ultimately a cheaper option than replicating your DVD library on UMD by purchasing it all over again.

The studios love for you to pay again every time the industry changes to a new medium, but they have to sell that switch with better quality or more features. UMD has neither, imho.

Honestly, introducing a proprietary phsyical medium in an age where you've got things like digital distribution, divx, and mp3 showing up as household terms is just not wise.

[PacerDawn]

An even stupid move. To ignore the DVD market while going UMD exclusive is just financial suicide.I don't know. If Blu-Ray and HD-DVD make it to market as competitors, what are the odds that there will be format exclusive titles? It's already done with games right now (console exculsives) and with cable movie channels (HBO/Showtime).

That said, I doubt format exclusive movie titles will happen. I'm not sure exactly why game publishers do it, but I am guessing it has to do with the fact that it costs more to develop for multiple platforms? In any case, exclusive titles still continues to flabbergast me. I do not understand why publishers think it is a good idea to limit their market.

[absolut taco]

I'd like to see how movies designed for a 480x272 resolution screen look on a TV. For those keeping track, that's roughly the vertical resolution of VHS and significantly less than the horizontal resolution of a nonHD-TV.
I saw an ipod that was outputting video to a TV and it looked pretty good even though the video was 320x240 or something.

[Nessus]

What's the point? Why not just get a DVD, which is cheaper and can be played on a PC, laptop, portable DVD player, etc.?

[SuperMonkeyFighter2]

An even stupid move. To ignore the DVD market while going UMD exclusive is just financial suicide.

I think you missed the point of my post. It is up to Sony to make it worth a content provider's worth to go UMD exclusive. They (the CP) would be missing out on potential DVD sales, hence Sony needs to make it up to content providers until UMD's become viable.

Of course it's a bad move to ignore the DVD market, which is why the UMD platform failed as it has.