Destructoid is gaming news, community, videos, and sometimes love. Take the tour or jump in with Facebook:

 


Sony to offer PSP movie downloads; UMD ready to go die now photo

According to the Financial Times, Sony is in talks with "Amazon.com and film download sites such as Movielink and CinemaNow" to complete a movie download service that would be set to launch sometime early next year. The move would certainly signal the real end of the UMD format and be the ultimate hint at the PSP 2 having a hard drive or flash memory -- though most of us already assumed that.

If you're worried about space on your PSP for a movie, well perhaps battery life should be more of a concern. Why? Because if you're packin' a big memory stick, then you'll be good to go. According to the article, Sony will distribute a "4Gb memory stick capable of storing 10 feature films."

Bye bye UMD, hello digital download. How long until Blu-ray suffers the same fate?

 


Continue: More Technology stories





prev next

14 comments | showing # 1 to 14

BlindsideDork's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2006 12:17
BlindsideDork
Half the life cycle of PS3 is my prediction....well that is when they will start to be "phased out" with games.

So what, that's 2008?
Toneman's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2006 12:22
Toneman
Good. Give UMD what very, very little dignity it has left and let it die a peaceful death.
Cruds's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2006 12:22
Cruds
And games? Are they still be on UMD or are they going to be downloadable too? It would make sense to go for download, no moving part thus longer battery life.

They could even use the energy saved for a touch screen and a second display and elevate portable entertainment out of the handheld-gaming ghetto.
Mxyzptlk's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2006 12:24
Mxyzptlk
About time this happened, I've always been more impressed with the PSP converted DVD-rips my friends had on their memory card rather than the UMD flicks themselves. Longer battery life and no disc-searching noise FTW.
Tempus's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2006 12:25
Tempus
I absolutely hate discs. Let me manage my own data on formats I like instead of force feeding me UMD and Blu-Ray. Sony fuckups ftw!
Aaron Linde's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2006 12:29
Aaron Linde
Blu-ray and HDDVD won't be replaced by digital distribution unless there's as big a step forward in broadband technology as cable was to dialup. If people are going batshit over Blu-ray 'cos of the quality, it stands to reason that they wouldn't settle for anything less via any other format (like digital distribution) -- and I don't think anybody's really keen on the idea of downloading 25+GB for one flick.

The UMD, though, that thing can go to hell.
Ballistic90's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2006 12:37
Ballistic90
The problem is that most movies aren't going to be on Blu-ray or HD-DVD for a long time. Also, personally, there's not enough of a difference to make it worthwhile.
moclippa's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2006 14:05
moclippa
What they need to be doing is working on talks with the various companies to get a standard format that works between all the systems... till they do that, I'm happy enough working subtle hacks to get my Divx running on the systems.

I am not at all appealed by the prospect of loosing all my movie downloads when I shelf a system.
Hamza CTZ Aziz's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2006 14:21
Hamza CTZ Aziz
HOLOGRAPHIC CDS IS WHERE IT'S AT BITCHES!!
Zero Iscariot's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2006 15:28
Zero Iscariot
good riddance. solid state ftw.
cavapower's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2006 17:47
cavapower
PS2 with mini-blueray in mini high definition
Krakn3Dfx's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2006 18:21
Krakn3Dfx
"How long until Blu-ray suffers the same fate?"

Quite the dig, I think if anything, both formats are doomed to failure considering the sorely lacking number of HD sets in U.S. homes currently. In 3-4 years, we may see a format that people are willing to dump their current DVD collections for, but right now I put my money on HD upconverting DVD players which will improvement the look of the movies people currently own more than any overpriced, underperforming HD format that is trickling out movies at a snail's pace.
NickiToid's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/08/2007 03:56
NickiToid
i saw "UMD ready to go die now", and i cant stop laughing! i just cant! *still lmao*
dprime's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/13/2007 23:00
dprime
Sony has cornered the market on hardware running formats that are about to die.
prev next

Comment with Facebook





Click connect and comment instantly!

Comment with Dtoid





New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds

Comments policy

Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just speak your mind. We respect differing opinions on the site, so have at it. Be smart, funny, insightful, clueless, or cute -- but back it up with substance. Keep your cool, keep it fun. We only ask that you act respectfully and above all: don't be a troll and ruin it for everyone else. Don't bring down gamers or we'll, you know, gently shoot you in the face and stuff you into a flaming mailbox. Each comment is your opportuntity to make this community awesomer. Is that even a word?

Avoiding the banhammer only requires common sense: spamming, trolling, racism, NSFW stuff, and other forms of sucking will not be tolerated. If anyone is griefing please report abuse. Be good. Don't suck!

 

   Got news?   tips@destructoid.com   |   Dtoid Twitter

New Videos

more videos


Reviews & Previews
BioShock 2 review
Dante's Inferno review
Chime review
Hustle Kings review
iPhone Review Round-up: January review
more reviews
Dawn of War II Chaos Rising
Metro 2033
A trip to the racetracks Days of Thunder Arcade
Double the pleasure, double the fun with Darwinia+
Wizarding world in plastic Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4
more previews


- The Dtoid Army is 56745 strong -

Showing Cblogs with 3+ faps   show all

Call for entries: the Areas of my Expertise
New to Dtoid? Read the survival guide


 Originals
Jim Sterling: How Aliens are blatantly better than Predators





















More Destructoid Originals



We are Destructoid   tips@destructoid.com
Nick Chester
Editor-in-Chief		 Niero
Founder, Big Boss
Jim Sterling
Reviews Editor		 Hamza Aziz
Community Manager
Dale North
News Editor		 Rey Gutierrez
Destructoid Video EIC
Anthony Burch
Features Editor		 Brad Nicholson
Managing Editor
Tom Fronczak Colette Bennett
Ashley Davis Ben Perlee
Conrad
Zimmerman		 Chad Concelmo
Jonathan Holmes Jonathan Ross
Brad Rice Jordan Devore
Will Maddock Matthew Razak
Josh Tolentino
 Joseph Leray
Topher Cantler Samit Sarkar
     
  Adam Dork
Daniel Lingen
Hollie Bennett
 		Joe Burling
Mikey Turvey






 
 
  get involved

register or login
post a blog
post a forum
enter a contest
contribute a news tip
suggest a feature
be a guest editor
 support

new member's guide
login assistance
tech support
report abuse
email our editors
read our dev blog
nuclear crisis?
 keep in touch

RSS feed
Twitter
Facebook
Myspace
Flickr
Game nights
Meetup+play online 		seriously

about Destructoid
advertising
terms of use
privacy policy
jobs at MM
buy our crap 		our network

Tomopop
Japanator
Despingation?



Destructoid is an independently-run publication forged by our love of video games and the gaming community's need of accountable enthusiast press
living the dream since March 16, 2006