Sony Cutting Back on UMD Sales

[wraggster]

An article in Variety claims that Sony is cutting back on UMD releases. While comedies are doing well, other genres simply aren't getting much traction." From the article: "Some have reasoned that sales may have slowed recently because of a shortage of new titles in the last month and because users may be illegally copying films from DVDs onto a memory chip the PSPs can read. Sony is hoping to combat online piracy starting in March when it begins selling movies online via its Connect digital media store. Users will be able to download a pic and watch it on PSP without a disc.

Via Slashdot (http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/02/16/1431221)

[Festizzio]

Omg, is Sony retarded? The reason people rip their DVDs to the memory stick is because it's ridiculous to buy both the dvd and the UMD version of the movie; this is the same thing, just because it doesn't need a disc, doesn't mean people are going to pay for it.
Okay, I just thought of a comparison between this and ordering at a restaurant:
Me: "Hi, can I have...UMD movies at an affordable price?"
Waiter aka Sony: "How about I just give you a watered down DVD for more money?"
Me: "No, I want my UMD movies at an affordable price."
Sony waiter: "I'll just give you downloads of movies that you still have to pay for, that'll satisfy you."
Me: "NO, I want what I ask for, are you deaf?"
Retard waiter: "..."

[slayer2psp]

lol sony is so dumb why would i buy a umd of something i already own plus all i really watch on my psp is tv shows which are free and i use the pmp player if you buy umds movies your either very rich or very stupied one or the other.

[uranidiot]

"users may be illegally copying films from DVDs onto a memory chip the PSPs can read"

DUH! UMD MOVIES SHOULD BE $5.00. THEN MORE PEOPLE WOULD BUY IT

[Pumped'Up]

I agree - Sony's f*kn up on this, freakn morons....

Like other companies that make portable media players, Sony should be the EXACT same and embrace other media formats i.e. avi, pmp, etc.

This kind of shit is why people detest Sony.

[Voltron]

Actually I was under the impression that under the fair use section of the U.S. copyright act, owners of a DVD are legally within their rights to make a "back up" for playback on the PSP, etc. as long as they own the original. This constitutes fair use in my eyes. Whoever made the comment about people illegally converting their legally owned DVD's to memory stick was just taking a cheap stab at people with some technical know-how.

About UMD's, I only own 2 and have never watched them all the way through. DVD's should be packaged WITH UMD's as an option for PSP owners at little or no extra cost.

[loony28]

Actually I was under the impression that under the fair use section of the U.S. copyright act, owners of a DVD are legally within their rights to make a "back up" for playback on the PSP, etc. as long as they own the original. This constitutes fair use in my eyes. Whoever made the comment about people illegally converting their legally owned DVD's to memory stick was just taking a cheap stab at people with some technical know-how.

About UMD's, I only own 2 and have never watched them all the way through. DVD's should be packaged WITH UMD's as an option for PSP owners at little or no extra cost.

I know I wouldn't buy a UMD of a movie I already own on DVD. Not at the prices I've seen. Sony made the PSP so you could play clips, tv shows, and movies from the memory stick. If you ask me, Sony must have had their collective brains scrambled if they actually thought people would buy UMDs of movies they already own. There have been DVD rippers out for a few years now and it doesn't cost any extra to rip movies you already own to watch on your PSP.

As for your second comment, I also have two UMDs and I have watched them all the way through. I can't remember where I read this but I read that Sony is considering or going to package UMDs in with DVDs for a few bucks more.

[Voltron]

I read this but I read that Sony is considering or going to package UMDs in with DVDs for a few bucks more.

Yes, I read that also. And for just a few bucks more that would make the most sense and increase market share. People with just DVD players can opt for the DVD version and people with both DVD players and a PSP can go for the bundle. Moreover, the bundles may entice more people to purchase a PSP. Its a WIN WIN for sony I would think.

[lilvietquoc]

Yes, I read that also. And for just a few bucks more that would make the most sense and increase market share. People with just DVD players can opt for the DVD version and people with both DVD players and a PSP can go for the bundle. Moreover, the bundles may entice more people to purchase a PSP. Its a WIN WIN for sony I would think.

do people at sony even read any of these posts?
some of these are actually good ideas and can really raise there profits...
but i guess they're just too retarded to do it

[Voltron]

do people at sony even read any of these posts?


Theres no doubt that Sony has most likely assigned a small team to regularly keep tabs on the PSP homebrew scene and forums. And since psp-news.dcemu.co.uk is one of the most popular sites, I'm sure it is monitored. It is indeed a valuable source of info and insight.

In all honesty I believe there are Sony employees who use their PSP's for homebrew just as well. Too bad the top execs. don't open their minds to the idea.

[BurningRanger Sho]

"illegally copying films from DVDs onto a memory chip"? What the hell? If I've LEGITIMATELY bought my DVDs or LEGITIMATELY copied a television show from an on-air broadcast then its NOT ILLEGAL for me to transfer that copy to any medium I so choose for my personal use. Period, end of story. This is the legal decision Sony itself won for their Betamax in the early 80's. Now they're grousing about it when it bites them in the shorts? Here's an idea: Try not making YET ANOTHER proprietary memory/information storage format that no one will buy, Sony! Selling lots of those MiniDisks? Still waiting for the big Digital8 video surge? Still bitter over Beta?

As it has been said by the rest of you, it makes absolutely no sense to buy a UMD version of a movie or TV series collection when the DVD is cheaper and more universal than the "Universal" Media Disk. Their new tactic of DVD/UMD bundle may not do too well either. I just saw this the other day for Ghostbusters. The combo was US$25.00 but the non combo was just $14. Can't say I was too interested. I believe the ultimate upshot of this will be bins and bins of 2 for $10 UMD movies at your local bigbox electronics/computer/video stores. See you there, bargain hunters! ;)

[MadMonkee]

fellas.

It ALL boils down to money. Sony KNOWS homebrew is a great idea but they want to control it. You getting games on your psp for free is bad for them. I for one only own say 3 games because I enjoy SNES and NEO GEO CD emulators on my PSP. Well, sony needs to make money. They want you to be able to purchase your fun ONLY through them. Same shit Microsoft came up with called Genuine Windows.

Homebrew would probably hurt their profits around an 18% - 25% Insignificant, but it's extra profit.

They want ALL the juice they can squeeze out of this machine as profit, even if it is just 18%.

Now UMD movies are just ****ing retarded of an idea. DVD can be clearly waaaaay more quality because it can store more pixels and DVD in general holds more data. UMDs need to be around 51% cheaper because that's exactly the quality it can hold compared to a DVD movie.

It costs them less to make a UMD, costs them less to put in JUST the movie with no special features. Why would ANYONE with the right mind buy a UMD when you can buy the DVD for the same price and just rip it to your Memory Stick. It's a win win situation for the buyer, Sony needs to be smarter than this.

Either come up with Double Layer UMDs, and squeeze more quality plus special features or simply cut the price in half so people would be NOT only attracted to buy the UMD but non PSP users will also start buying PSPs because movies would be half price.

[nexus one]

So basically, here's the reasons why UMD is failing.

- It's too expensive.
- DVD's are cheaper, and contain more features.
- DVD's are actually guaranteed a scene selection feature, of all things.
- If we already own the DVD, then we're not stupid enough to buy the movie again. For more money. In a crappier format. No matter what your 'law' says. I'm breaking the law converting my DVD's? Try and catch me. It's legally and technically impossible. Try another threat next time.
- UMD movies have been seen by the customer as an exercise in overcharging.
- Sony uses the piracy argument as an excuse for its poor business model, blaming the customer. This decreases our desire to buy UMD's. Not the opposite.
- We're sick of Sony and their lame media formats. Learn the lesson. No one else adopts them. You're not the industry leader you were 10 years ago now.
- Most of the movies on UMD aren't exactly classics. It often seems like a dumping ground for your low earning movies. Give them to the content starved market and the consumers JUST MIGHT be bored enough to buy this crap. Case in point - Stealth. Sorry, No.
- Sony are greedy. They expected us all to spend all our cash on a format which is as bulky as a game to carry around (not a wise idea for a handheld), when a reasonably good, free option was available, via the memory stick. However, Sony, in it's greed, restricted the AVC/MP4 format's resolution to force us to buy UMD's. Of course the homebrew community found a way (PMP) to beat this, and we now have full screen UMD quality video off the memory stick. I would have upgraded my firmware as soon as Sony released one with full resolution video, but instead I will be staying with 1.50. You're greed causes unhappy consumers and unhappy consumers lead to us biting you in the ass, Sony.
- Finally, Sony, you aren't as 'cool' as you think you are. Your products of late have been low quality and tend to break easily. The world has changed since you had the power to tell us what to do, like it or not.

[AtariFreek]

I Agree With uranidot If UMDs Were $5-$10 Then More People Would Buy Them