Advancement in UMD technology?

[BlackJack23]

I was just thinking that UMD movies would be alot more popular if they had special features and bonus content. This could possibly even save the UMD.

Ok so we all know about single and dual layer DVDs which hold 4.7 and 8.? gigs respectively but can both be read by the same device. Also, we know of the 700mb CD-Rom and the elusive 800mb one that came later. These could also both be read by the same laser, even though companies hadn't planned for their devices to read anything bigger than 700mb. All they had to do was to base this new 800mb disk around existing disk drive technology right?

Now I'm asking: couldn't the same be done for the UMD format? Even a small increase of 100mb on the CD-Rom, relative to a UMD is 250 mbs more data. Games could be longer. UMD Movies would give you your money's worth etc.

Surely such a thing is possible?

[salomon st]

They could be working on it as we speak.....

[Gizmo356]

good idea

[cloud_952]

It should be noted that Dual-Layer DVDs don't work on all players, especially the first-run ones that came out. While this is a minor issue, it still shows that it's not always absolute that all disc media can be easily upgradable.

[F9zDark]

You know what would save the UMD? Sony actually using it on more than just the damned PSP. Why should movie studios and music studios opt to putting their content on UMDs when Sony has such little faith in the medium to not make it widespread?

The instant the PSP came out Sony should have started equipping UMD drives on everything they make, DVD players, Vaio computers, Handycams, PS3, etc.

By limiting UMD to only the PSP means that the audience base is limited as well; making UMD drives standard equipment on most other Sony made devices would create a much larger base market.

Throw it in a handycam-digital camera device that can record to UMD and allow people to create videos and take photos that can be viewed from the PSP or stored onto computers equipped with UMD drives or on a UMD player hooked up to the tv.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist...

[BL4Z3D247]

You know what would save the UMD? Sony actually using it on more than just the damned PSP. Why should movie studios and music studios opt to putting their content on UMDs when Sony has such little faith in the medium to not make it widespread?

The instant the PSP came out Sony should have started equipping UMD drives on everything they make, DVD players, Vaio computers, Handycams, PS3, etc.

By limiting UMD to only the PSP means that the audience base is limited as well; making UMD drives standard equipment on most other Sony made devices would create a much larger base market.

Throw it in a handycam-digital camera device that can record to UMD and allow people to create videos and take photos that can be viewed from the PSP or stored onto computers equipped with UMD drives or on a UMD player hooked up to the tv.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist...
good point i agree 100%, then people would beable to use UMDs for everything instead of bein limited to just usin them on the psp

[NoQuarter]

Yes a burner would make umd format much more usable, although this might create a rash of bootleg discs

[Accordion]

a umd video camera would work really well, they already have a miniv dvd camera.

the size is a real problem though, i saw king kong in the shop the other day, its a 2 disc UMD set with no extras! they had to split the film in to 2 UMDs to get it to fit!

[BlackJack23]

LOL accordian_boy I dont believe you.
How could they do that? I mean for Christ's sake.

Anyway, don't get you hopes up folks.
Maybe in 40-60 years when we have grandchildren Sony will release a UMD writer, not before then. Sony is wise to the fact that piracy would not make such writers worth their while. I commend Sony for being the first company to take this so seriously and actually make a propietary format for just this reason. Although there are ISO's, memory is limited and I can bet as someone said previously there would be a wealth of bootleg disks.

Anyway back to UMD movies. (I still don't believe you accordian_boy :P) I don't see any benefit in making UMDs multiplatform. Imagine seeing UMDs on a bigger screen *shivers* I really think they should start 2 UMD box-sets(but not 2 for the just the movie!) so one disk can hold the movie and the other special features and trailers. Maybe they could produce 900mb disks for just the purpose of being special features disks and thus retain almost the same price as single disk UMD movies. I don't know, just a thought. After all, most money gets spent on licensing and red tape while it costs next to nothing for the actual disks.

[Accordion]

im very serious, it says 2 disc special addition, HA

heres a link to amazons info page
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000ELL1X0/202-0189941-4898262?v=glance&n=283926

but it would probably cost more to produce extra 900mb discs as well because most of the cost in UMD production goes into the casing and asembly, and extra process for smaller discs would increase cost!

[motormaniac]

That would be pretty cool to be able to rip and burn umds lol

[Accordion]

perhaps if the umds gave excusive links to special content to download to psp it might add some value...
but perhaps it is too late now

[F9zDark]

Anyway, don't get you hopes up folks.
Maybe in 40-60 years when we have grandchildren Sony will release a UMD writer, not before then. Sony is wise to the fact that piracy would not make such writers worth their while. I commend Sony for being the first company to take this so seriously and actually make a propietary format for just this reason. Although there are ISO's, memory is limited and I can bet as someone said previously there would be a wealth of bootleg disks.


Since the game UMDs need to have the AES signatures intact (which, I believe, are lost when its dumped into ISO format) how is piracy going to be an issue? For UMD movies, yeah, but UMD games is what makes Sony money...


Anyway back to UMD movies. (I still don't believe you accordian_boy :P) I don't see any benefit in making UMDs multiplatform. Imagine seeing UMDs on a bigger screen *shivers* I really think they should start 2 UMD box-sets(but not 2 for the just the movie!) so one disk can hold the movie and the other special features and trailers. Maybe they could produce 900mb disks for just the purpose of being special features disks and thus retain almost the same price as single disk UMD movies. I don't know, just a thought. After all, most money gets spent on licensing and red tape while it costs next to nothing for the actual disks.

How can you not see the benefits? Its the easiest economic model to understand. The more widespread a format is, the more market potential it has.

Haven't you seen any of the posts about the fates of Blu Ray and HD-DVD? Their destiny relies wholly on which one movie studios prefer. Once hollywood adopts it, then other industries will catch on and the more widespread format will reign supreme.

Sony has the ability to inter-link all of their products together (which is something they seemingly like to do). If they added UMD support to their Handycam, imagine the added potential it would give to the PSP.

While you're off at college, mom or dad can send you a UMD of a family trip they took, and look at that, you can load it up on your PSP and watch it and peruse photos from it, etc.

Sony not doing this from the get go is what destroyed UMD as a format. I gurantee you, that if Sony had made UMDs more widespread, you'd see it thriving.

[blackskimmer]

Well in my humble opinon, the UMD failed due to price.

You simply cant justify spending more money on this then you would a DVD.

1)Bundle UMD's with DVD's say for 5dollars more

2)Out source UMD production to other companies dropping the production costs. SONY (from what i know) maintains the mint on these things and its bloody expensive to get them to do a run.

[NiGame]

Why buy a UMD film when you can buy the DVD for cheaper and at a much better quality and still put it on your psp PC or whatever other format you may want

[DessyDago]

The umd vidoes also might only have 2 channel surround, and also could u imagine the resoultion dif to your tv? If a dvd player could some how read it it would have to change the resolution to fit on our screen. Not to hard, but it would be fairly grainy and thats only if your tv isn't hd or trying not to emit in hd.

blackskimmer I think had the best idea with the bundling. I'd spend 20 bucks on a new release if it came with the dvd and the umd. That would be pretty cool.

[Video_freak]

UMDs were a bad idea from the start. that and horrible prices killed them :(

[crait]

F9zDark, 110% agree
i think the reason for the umd discs on psp when the psp came out, and not on other plats was to see how much it would sell
and maybe if they sold well, they could make it multi-plat

and the idea for the camra
omg thats the best idea ever!
sony already has a blueray disc player inside thier newest notebooks, why dont they make a umd drive, and to activate, or even look at the info on it, you would use an app like iTunes, that makes the files unopenable from anywhere else on the computer?
and maybe, they could host a market for media, such as iTunes does
i mean, how could they go wrong?


just to note, i think somewhere i heard that the umd's can have anywere from 900megs to 1.8 gigs

[motz]

F9zDark, 110% agree
i think the reason for the umd discs on psp when the psp came out, and not on other plats was to see how much it would sell
and maybe if they sold well, they could make it multi-plat

and the idea for the camra
omg thats the best idea ever!
sony already has a blueray disc player inside thier newest notebooks, why dont they make a umd drive, and to activate, or even look at the info on it, you would use an app like iTunes, that makes the files unopenable from anywhere else on the computer?
and maybe, they could host a market for media, such as iTunes does
i mean, how could they go wrong?


just to note, i think somewhere i heard that the umd's can have anywere from 900megs to 1.8 gigs
UMD capacity works as follows:

A single layered UMD is 900mbs
A double layer UMD is 1.8GBs.

:D

[crait]

snap

[F9zDark]

Sony may have setup UMDs purposely to fall. When Blue-Ray becomes more accessible, I imagine that Sony will at that time, release a PSP2, probably using Blue Ray Minis or something to that affect.

UMD is probably just a stepping stone to that future, and sadly if its just a product meant to fail, then Sony probably will do nothing more with it.

[crait]

respectfully,
kinda like how nintendo always makes a new system
like every week
lmao

oh and dont get me wrong, i love nintendo, just i hate the ds and dsl sooooo much
and i dont think i will like the wii

[SSaxdude]

I don't think that making UMD more wide spread would keep the UMD format from dying. There is a reason why people don't buy UMD movies, because they don't want to pay more for less.
UMD is more of a novelty. With the rise of HD DVD and Blu Ray, it seems as though every disc format will be replaced.

[kyle2194]

Does anybody think that UMD's are mini blu ray disks?

http://www.futura-sciences.com/img/blu-ray.jpghttp://pspupdates.qj.net/uploads/articles_module/12773_umd_disc-lg.jpg

[Accordion]

no

[Video_freak]

theyre completely different :)

[Accordion]

weird

[crait]

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Freakin Halarious
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