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[DCharlie]

I went to preorder some extra PSP stuff today, and it struck me as i scanned the list (FF:AC some time in 2005) that .... HEY, where the hell are the UMD movies???

I didn't expect a massive launch of movies, but you'd have thought they would have had something given it's an important facet of the machine. You'd have thought there would have been at least something at launch to watch and see the capability of the unit? Even a small compilation of Sony music videos, but there appears to be nothing at launch. Is anything actually planned beyond FF:AC?

What is the deal here : Are Sony dropping the ball on not leveraging the launch? Bad organisation? Battery life concerns?

Anyone know anything official?

 

[Kon Tiki]

Bandai to release Gundam movies on UMD
In addition to its PSP game lineup, the multimedia company will release Mobile Suit Gundam movies on Sony's proprietary portable media disc.

TOKYO--Bandai announced today that it plans to release a lineup of movies in the Universal Media Disc (UMD) format, for use on the Sony PSP. The first title, in the Mobile Suit Gundam series, will be released in Japan in the spring.

The line of UMD movie discs, which Bandai calls the "New Concept Movie Disc Series," will include not only video, but also rough draft sketches, scripts, and producer interviews.

I remember somone else commiting also.

 

[Jonnyram]

You can keep watching the Ridge Racers intro until your battery runs out.

 

[DCharlie]

thanks.

One Piece and other animes on UMD at lower than JPN DVD costs would be awesome.

Just weird no one tried to put something out at launch. Just seems like a massive opportunity lost.

 

[levious]

I thought Spider-Man was sort of announced... or it's probably at least a given.

 

[Meier]

You can keep watching the Ridge Racers intro until your battery runs out.

Who could watch an intro movie 5 times in a row? Hyuk, hyuk.

 

[Kon Tiki]

I thought Spider-Man was sort of announced... or it's probably at least a given.

I think Sony Pictures is a given. Spiderman 2 was shown at e3. (I think)

 

[Defensor]

 

[DCharlie]

"I thought Spider-Man was sort of announced... or it's probably at least a given."

i agree - but i'd have thought they'd have put something like this out at launch to play up the multimedia capabilities of the machine.

Spiderman 2 on UMD would have been a great start.

 

[Kon Tiki]

Sony Pictures and Sony Music

 

[kaching]

Anyone know anything official?

What? You're the one with the phenomenal sources on PSP pricing and the like, you tell us!

 

[seanoff]

What? You're the one with the phenomenal sources on PSP pricing and the like, you tell us!

ouch :lol

 

[Rhindle]

If they really want to sell the format, they need to get their act together and roll out multiple home players and portable products that support it. I can't imagine too many people will pay full price for a movie/album they can only play back on the PSP.

And I can't see a lot of support coming from the non-Sony studios/labels, if Sony is half-assing support from its own labels.

 

[DCharlie]

"What? You're the one with the phenomenal sources on PSP pricing and the like, you tell us!"

I don't know anyone in Pictures or Music.

No pearls of wisdom as to why they aren't bothering with trying to push one of the main features of the unit from launch?

 

[Jonnyram]

If UMD only supports movies up to 480 x 272, you're not going to want to watch them on home screens. I wonder how the music will shape up. There's a few music packages in that photo - will they use surround? how much will they cost?

 

[kaching]

No pearls of wisdom as to why they aren't bothering with trying to push one of the main features of the unit from launch?

From me? I've never touted myself as having connections or being an industry insider. I assumed the question was aimed at such types. I just couldn't resist the opening

But, since you asked, the first possibility that comes to mind is the fact that this is a bit of a soft launch with limited supplies in the first place. But I'd wager it has more to do with appeasing traditional game publishing partners as to the "focus" of the device. The PS2 and the PSP have both drawn flack during their inceptions by traditional game publishing partners to the effect that these devices have been too unfocused as to which audience they serve, gamers or movie watchers. Warranted concern or not, its probably best to make sure that the game content publishers, who have the most work ahead of them to provide content, are solidly on board first.

It also remains to be seen what can be done with a PSP and a Memorystick, out of the box. They may not have to push UMD movies/music heavily at first if there's a viable way to play movies and music on the PSP via MS right from the start, which seems to be what they've been indicating.

 

[Sho Nuff]

They can't make enough UMD's.

 

[mrklaw]

I imagine its trying to focus on the games first, as the initial buyers will be gamers most likely. Then when stocks pick up, they'll do another push with movies/music.


Hey DCharlie, you said you went in to preorder some *more* stuff. You got some stores taking preorders now? Care to share?

 

[DCharlie]

"From me? I've never touted myself as having connections or being an industry insider. I assumed the question was aimed at such types. I just couldn't resist the opening "

ha ha. It was a good one, for sure. Hats off.
But who knows? it might well be all bollox.

"But, since you asked, the first possibility that comes to mind is the fact that this is a bit of a soft launch with limited supplies in the first place. But I'd wager it has more to do with appeasing traditional game publishing partners as to the "focus" of the device. The PS2 and the PSP have both drawn flack during their inceptions by traditional game publishing partners to the effect that these devices have been too unfocused as to which audience they serve, gamers or movie watchers. Warranted concern or not, its probably best to make sure that the game content publishers, who have the most work ahead of them to provide content, are solidly on board first."

that's what i think it going on, but i'd have thought just something like a low cost demo disk , or at least 1 or 2 series of some sort would have been included.

I'm not personally convinced in regards to watching full movies on the unit, but for anime, tv shows, and what not, i think it's an ideal machine for it.

"It also remains to be seen what can be done with a PSP and a Memorystick, out of the box. They may not have to push UMD movies/music heavily at first if there's a viable way to play movies and music on the PSP via MS right from the start, which seems to be what they've been indicating."

If so, they aren't pushing it either. It could be like you say , they'll focus on the gamers first. I know when i was in the UK that a member of SCEE came out and said they wanted to distance themselves from the "Walkman of the 21st century" tag. Perhaps initially that is the plan at least.

Klaw - yeah, the Hardware preorders are long gone, but i need to preorder a few extra games (Nintendoctor DS, Vampire Chronicles, Armoured Core, and Tower of Purgatory (which Jonnyram tells me has been "indefinitely delayed"... ouch).

Tsutaya was the place, Bic Camera have yet to start preorders, that would be the next best bet.

 

[Amir0x]

It would be nice to have one major thing from each of the systems points to show off at the system launch. I'd like to be able to purchase Spider-Man 2 and Lumines at USA launch at least.

 

[DCharlie]

i think the US launch will be a different kettle of fish. All the kinks and mistakes and observations will be made here, and straightened out for the US.

 

[lexy]

As much as I love the PSP, there's one major concern about music/ movies that I can't seem to get past. Isn't UMD only available on PSP? Meaning you need a PSP to use a UMD disc? If so, why would I want to buy a record or movie on UMD when I can get the same thing for (probably) around the same price on regular CD or DVD and use it on a variety of devices?

Does anyone understand what I'm trying to say here? IMHO, I don't think this whole music and movies thing will work unless Sony includes a way for the PSP to play music and movies (in mp3/wma and mpeg/avi formats respectively) off a memory stick or something like that.

 

[john tv]

I dunno if this is old news or what, but I confirmed today (after hearing about this a day or two ago from a friend) that you can watch video on a PSP off of a Memory Stick, if you so desire. All of the display units set up in the train stations in Tokyo are running videos off of Memory Stick. (They're all running off real PSP battery packs, too -- roughly six hours a pop before the attendants swap them out in the displays.) I asked the Sony guy at the Shibuya display and he said it's possible to stick videos on a Memory Stick and watch them on PSP, though obviously you won't be able to fit all that much video on one stick (unless you spring for a 1GB stick, which is pretty expensive).

 

[mrklaw]

I dunno if this is old news or what, but I confirmed today (after hearing about this a day or two ago from a friend) that you can watch video on a PSP off of a Memory Stick, if you so desire. All of the display units set up in the train stations in Tokyo are running videos off of Memory Stick. (They're all running off real PSP battery packs, too -- roughly six hours a pop before the attendants swap them out in the displays.) I asked the Sony guy at the Shibuya display and he said it's possible to stick videos on a Memory Stick and watch them on PSP, though obviously you won't be able to fit all that much video on one stick (unless you spring for a 1GB stick, which is pretty expensive).

I expect Sony to be ready with a Sony Connect service for downloading movies for US launch or thereabouts. Maybe they abort movies on UMD because of that, or at least delay them to try and sell the online?

 

[Marty Chinn]

I hope it plays Xvid which would rock cuz then it's 175 megs for 30 min shows, 350 megs for an hour show, and 700 megs for a complete 2 hour movie. Any word on the supported formats?

 

[Belfast]

Video on a mem. stick would be good enough for me. I could just download it off the net and then watch it when I have time later. I admit the UMD movie thing isn't terribly appealing, but the ability to "bring your own video" so to speak is very, very promising.

 

[Gregory]

I have a stupid question, since I know nothing about handhelds.

Do they come with power cords? So when you`re home you can plug it into a socket instead of using batteries?

 

[Saki]

The PSP is expected to be a strategic client device for Sony's online music and video download service, Sony Connect. While the Universal Media Disc — which can store up to 1.8 Gbytes — appears to be key to delivering prerecorded films for the PSP, Sony is still wooing potential partners for a proposed UMD alliance. In addition, the UMD spec still must be submitted to a standards body and must pass muster with the gods of content in Hollywood.

Oh well

 

[Marty Chinn]

I'm not totally interested in a UMD movie, but I do want at least one to see what it's like. I would figure Spider-Man 2 would have been great to launch with since the DVD is coming out two weeks earlier.

 

[jiggle]

Do they come with power cords? So when you`re home you can plug it into a socket instead of using batteries?

It comes with an ac adapter that charges the rechargeable lithium(?) battery in the PSP while you play.

 

[mrklaw]

An ITunes store type service for movies would be a brave move by Sony, and potentially a lucrative one. They just have to get the protection right.

 

[Belfast]

And region encoding is still unlocked for games, right?

As per this IGN article?

http://psp.ign.com/articles/561/561098p1.html

I know the question's been asked a million times, but I'm becoming more and more interested in perhaps importing one with the promise of these features. Plus, I've wet my feet with the import gaming scene with the PS2, so I wouldn't have a problem adjusting to foreign games at all.

I don't know what the prospects of getting one, even imported, are for Xmas, though. Even with the fastest shipping, would they even be available to sites like Play-Asia in time? Or would their pre-orders already be full?

Ugh, so many questions, and so many concerns, but I'm really, really itching to get one of these. It'd make a much nicer present than, say, a DS with Mario 64 or something. Plus, there's always the whole showing-off-to-friends thing.

 

[tetsuoxb]

I dunno if this is old news or what, but I confirmed today (after hearing about this a day or two ago from a friend) that you can watch video on a PSP off of a Memory Stick, if you so desire. All of the display units set up in the train stations in Tokyo are running videos off of Memory Stick. (They're all running off real PSP battery packs, too -- roughly six hours a pop before the attendants swap them out in the displays.) I asked the Sony guy at the Shibuya display and he said it's possible to stick videos on a Memory Stick and watch them on PSP, though obviously you won't be able to fit all that much video on one stick (unless you spring for a 1GB stick, which is pretty expensive).

So they told you 6 hours as well. I wonder if that is really true. Obviously I am not nearly interested enough to spend 6 hours in a train station watching a video loop to find out, but now that you have heard that in Tokyo and I have heard it in Osaka then there might be some truth to it.

Also, being the friend that told john about this the other day, it takes 3 button presses to get to play a movie of MSDuo. The XMB (Cross Media Bar) interface is really sweet and super elegant.

Also, if you are interested, the start up sequence shows and orangeish red screen with whiteish sine waves rolling in the background. Overlaid is white sony computer entertainment text. It then drops directly into XMB with all the logos on the far left side of the screen. Movies was two button presses down, one button press to confirm. Playing games (which if I remember correctly uses a Dual Shock 2 outline as an icon) is the first option above the home position on XMB.

 

[Sho Nuff]

I wonder if I can convert XViDs to PSP movie format quickly? I watch a ton of movies/TV on my iPaq by converting through Windows Media 9.

I throw the files on a 512MB CF card -- I can fit a full-length movie into about 150-180mb too. It kind of rocks. Compression is really good. PSP offers a nicer screen and a more constant frame rate but I wonder if there is any DRM crap preventing me from watching my media.

 

[Kiriku]

I hope it plays Xvid which would rock cuz then it's 175 megs for 30 min shows, 350 megs for an hour show, and 700 megs for a complete 2 hour movie. Any word on the supported formats?

If not smaller, because of the lower resolution and that compression artifacts probably won't be as visible on a small screen like that.

 

[mrklaw]

I wonder if I can convert XViDs to PSP movie format quickly? I watch a ton of movies/TV on my iPaq by converting through Windows Media 9.

I throw the files on a 512MB CF card -- I can fit a full-length movie into about 150-180mb too. It kind of rocks. Compression is really good. PSP offers a nicer screen and a more constant frame rate but I wonder if there is any DRM crap preventing me from watching my media.

First, do we know that Sony let *you* play movies from a memory stick? i.e. its not just for demo units.

Secondly, if they are smart they'll support divx/xvid, but it is Sony :/ . No reason not to support other resolutions too like 640x480 or whatever and just shrink it. Whatever makes for the best consumer experience.

As for DRM - I imagine there is stuff to stop you watching / transferring DRM'd stuff onto PSP, but they'd be daft not to let you watch un DRM'd stuff - you know, your home movies etc

 

[Panajev2001a]

If UMD only supports movies up to 480 x 272, you're not going to want to watch them on home screens. I wonder how the music will shape up. There's a few music packages in that photo - will they use surround? how much will they cost?

UMD movies are recorded on the UMD at 720x480 which is more than ok for 480p (I think the movies are recorded in progressive format with the PSP having a progressive scan type of display).

Did you think that they could only fit 2 hours of high-quality and 4 hours of normal quality video if the video resolution were 480x272 and the video were compressed with MPEG4 AVC and the audio with ATRAC3+ ?

http://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/2004/0907/kaigai117.htm

 

[Panajev2001a]

I dunno if this is old news or what, but I confirmed today (after hearing about this a day or two ago from a friend) that you can watch video on a PSP off of a Memory Stick, if you so desire. All of the display units set up in the train stations in Tokyo are running videos off of Memory Stick. (They're all running off real PSP battery packs, too -- roughly six hours a pop before the attendants swap them out in the displays.) I asked the Sony guy at the Shibuya display and he said it's possible to stick videos on a Memory Stick and watch them on PSP, though obviously you won't be able to fit all that much video on one stick (unless you spring for a 1GB stick, which is pretty expensive).

Great news .

 

[Amir0x]

I just really hope that now with the PSP and Sony ramping up production of Memory Stick Duo format that the prices on some of the higher end storage sizes will go down. I mean, you have to pay like $350 for 512MB, and $700 for 1GB Memory Stick Duos. That's insane. I hope that the price on the 512MB stick will go down to at least 150 by the time PSP comes to USA

 

[sonycowboy]

With the extremely small number of units that will be available, I wouldn't be expecting many UMD movies for a little while.

1) They would compete with extremely limited dollars for the launch games.

2) The extremely small installed base guarantees miniscule sales for the UMD movies. I think the targeted approach currently will carry over the US launch and I wouldn't expect much in the way of UMD movies until at least fall of 2005.

 

[Sho Nuff]

UMD movies are recorded on the UMD at 720x480 which is more than ok for 480p (I think the movies are recorded in progressive format with the PSP having a progressive scan type of display).

http://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/2004/0907/kaigai117.htm

WTF!

Sony must be planning some way to spit an UMD movie out to a TV or something else if the movies truly are encoded at that resolution.

Did you think that they could only fit 2 hours of high-quality and 4 hours of normal quality video if the video resolution were 480x272 and the video were compressed with MPEG4 AVC and the audio with ATRAC3+ ?

Do we have any idea as to UMD capacity/expected bitrates at this point?

 

[mrklaw]

UMD movies are recorded on the UMD at 720x480 which is more than ok for 480p (I think the movies are recorded in progressive format with the PSP having a progressive scan type of display).

You sure, pana? Cause that seems like a waste of bandwidth if Sony only plan for PSP usage.

If true, I guess we can look forward to UMD drives in TVs/laptops too? Maybe with PSP functionality built in?

 

[tetsuoxb]

I just really hope that now with the PSP and Sony ramping up production of Memory Stick Duo format that the prices on some of the higher end storage sizes will go down. I mean, you have to pay like $350 for 512MB, and $700 for 1GB Memory Stick Duos. That's insane. I hope that the price on the 512MB stick will go down to at least 150 by the time PSP comes to USA

Umm............. No.

512MB = ~90 USD. http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=10360538&loc=101&hdwt=30421&sp=1

 

[Amir0x]

Umm............. No.

512MB = ~90 USD. http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=10360538&loc=101&hdwt=30421&sp=1

Boy, I was off! I could have sworn we had this discussion before and there was these insane prices for it. I will look to see if I can find an article that I was thinking of.

I guess I was thinking of Sony's official line:

The new 2GB Memory Stick Pro card will ship in November, and is expected to sell for about $700, according to the company. At about the same time Sony ships the higher capacity Memory Stick, it expects to ship a 1GB, $350 Memory Stick Pro Duo card as well. This card is about half the size of a standard Memory Stick Pro, and may be used with an adapter in devices that support the standard-sized Memory Stick Pro.

Sony also plans to revamp its entire line of Memory Stick Pro and Pro Duo media this fall, by boosting read/write speeds above current levels, to up to 10MB per second. The new cards will be identifiable by their red color and the addition of the words "High Speed." The 256MB ($100), 512MB ($170) and 1GB ($350) Memory Stick Pro media, as well as the 256MB ($105) and 512MB ($175) Memory Stick Pro Duo, are scheduled to become available in High Speed in October.

Source

 

[mrklaw]

I think the prices are dropping. Most likely due to Sony intervention. This from a Sandisk press release about the new sizes:

SanDisk Memory 128-512MB $59.99 - $114.99 Now
Stick PRO Duo 1GB $204.99 November

So $200 MSRP for 1GB duo, due in November (just in time!)

 

[Panajev2001a]

WTF!

Sony must be planning some way to spit an UMD movie out to a TV or something else if the movies truly are encoded at that resolution.

You bet. I also think that they might be planning Sony Electronics PSP's with video-out and maybe optional add-onms to the PSP to provide secure video-out as 720x480 is a high-enough resolution for DTVs.

They said that SCE's PSP was not the only device using UMDs, so why lock the UMD video resolution to 480x272 ?

Do we have any idea as to UMD capacity/expected bitrates at this point?

UMD's read-speed is ~11 Mbps and it holds 1.8 GB witha two layers solution. Bit-rates for MPEG4 AVC video range around 1-to-2 Mbps or more (without audio I think).

mrklaw:

- Announcing the summary of the PSP tip/chip at academic society

The SONY computer entertainment (SCEI) portable game machine "PSP (PlayStation Portable)" the summary oven of the tip/chip it is a little it became clear.

SONY and SCEI, and Sony LSI Design, the tip/chip industry conference "Hotchips 16" which is held on the August latter half (August 22 - 24th opening) with, announced the summary of the PSP tip/chip. When you look at the presentation with Hotchips, several funny information is made anew clear.

With Hotchips summary of the 3D graphic engine and H.264 (AVC) the video decoder etc. which are core of the PSP tip/chip made clear. In addition, electric power consumption at the time of H.264 video decoding was explained also the fact that it is held down under from 500mW. This PSP has shown the fact that considerable long haul drive is possible.

- It supports the decoder to resolution of the 720×480 dot

PSP the high pressure reduction H.264 which is animated picture compressed technology (AVC) loads decoder unit with high quality. H.264 of the PSP tip/chip which this time is announced (AVC) the PSP tip/chip with the largest 720×480 dot covers the fact that it is interesting with the specifications of the decoder, to Level3 of 30fps.

That when you say, this why is funny, because resolution of the liquid crystal display of PSP with the 480×272 dot, video output does not have for contents protection. In other words, as for the PSP tip/chip, with respect to theory only the over specifications to resolution of the level which cannot be thought it means to have covered.

As for the reason of high resolution support, it is not understood for the present. But, SCE it suggests that you suppose to the 720×480 dot as the video contents of UMD. Actually, the Hisashi of SONY /SCEI 夛 it is good with interview of last year the wooden health person (/SCEI President and CEO SONY vice president)"UMD and PSP those which become independent completely. Therefore naturally UMD in the other machine 挿, the る. As for the format there is no reason which is on UMD, is on PSP ". Because "UMD itself SD in the house (TV) thinks the media for the system, the stationary (deferred type) it spreads to also system naturally. To be possible to insert in being possible and ミニコンポ, to put in TV, perhaps, it is possible to the car to put, "you say.

In other words, as for the format of UMD video, with being made together it is in just PSP of the 480×272 dot and with it means saying. "SD (TV) we would like to carry to UMD from DVD," (Hisashi 夛 it is good the wooden person) for the sake of, even in the UMD video format it is the case that it can include the 720×480 dot.

Though, the tip/chip for PSP that way is loaded onto TV and the home appliance is difficult to think. Hisashi 夛 well wooden person himself "adjusting to the PSP player who is the portable machine makes the specifications itself of LSI of PSP. When we assume, that it carries to stationary system, with that LSI it is useless ", you said. So, when it does, PSP itself needs only output of the 480×272 dot, but in order to be able to play back all formats of UMD video, to do, perhaps the notion that where decoding the 720×480 dot video is needed.

http://babelfish.altavista.com/babe...ch.impress.co.jp/docs/2004/0907/kaigai117.htm

http://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/2004/0907/kaigai117.htm

 

[xsarien]

I went to preorder some extra PSP stuff today, and it struck me as i scanned the list (FF:AC some time in 2005) that .... HEY, where the hell are the UMD movies???

I suspect Sony's having a hard time convincing people in charge why they should make both a DVD and a UMD version of a movie. That, and they'll probably have an equally hard time convincing consumers why they should spend their money on a UMD version instead of, or in addition to a DVD. Unless they're significantly cheaper than DVDs, I can't possibly see the format being successful for anything other than gaming, unless Sony relents and makes consumer-level writers.

 

[Miburou]

Why would someone want to buy a home UMD-movie player? What does it offer over a DVD player (nevermind HD-DVD or Blu-Ray)?

 

[mrklaw]

Why would someone want to buy a home UMD-movie player? What does it offer over a DVD player (nevermind HD-DVD or Blu-Ray)?

Good question. Think of all the different devices that could have a UMD drive put in. Any of them worthwhile? I don't know.

Maybe the lack of movies on UMD is because there really isn't a compelling reason and they will never appear?

 

[cja]

Kuturagi admitted the UMD movie format has yet to be finalised when they announced the Japanese pricepoint.

"The standard for films was still under discussion with several movie studios, and a movie lineup and download services won't be announced for several months, Kutaragi said."
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