Sony announces "UMD Composer" for UMD-Video creation

[wraggster]

News from PSP Vault (http://www.psp-vault.com/Article585.psp)


Sony Computer Entertainment has announced new UMD-Video authoring software called "UMD Composer." It creates UMD disc images, and consists of the following components:

Stream Composer: Audio/video/subtitle encoding, multiplexing, Clip Info creation (Multipass encoding support)

Stream Viewer: A viewer for stream files

Playlist Composer: For creating Playlist files

Script Compiler: For compiling UMD Video Script

Resource Compiler: Create resource files from source XML, compiled scripts, PNG still images, etc.

Interactive System Viewer: Emulation of interactive menus and such in a PC environment

PSMF Composer/AT3 Tool: Creation of video and sound displayed in the PSP's Cross Media Bar (XMB)

Image Generator: Creates UMD disc image

Image Checker: Verification of created UMD disc image


UMD Composer can also create interactive members using a script language based on JavaScript.

Using this tool, authors can author, encode, and even create disc images for UMD-Video. Images can be recorded to a DVD-R, and playback can be verified using an emulator. The DVD-R can be sent to a press factory, where a UMD-Video will be created. Sony Computer Entertainment estimates UMD Composer to be around 200,000 yen, and the emulator software to be around 15,000 yen.

At the "Movie TV Technology 2006" convention, Sony held a demonstration of the new software. Impress Watch was on hand at the event, and took pictures. At the demonstration, Sony played a H.264 video with a resolution of 720 x 480 that was created with Stream Composer. Sony also stated that most UMD-Video titles currently on the market are recorded in H.264/MPEG-4 AVC with a resolution of 720 x 480.

The official website for UMD Composer is here:
https://www.universalmediadisc.com/umdcomposer/

[nigelrigel]

huh- i guess the next step would be creating a umd burner

[acn010]

huh- i guess the next step would be creating a umd burner
lol, true.:p
but if the company is givingumd code. this could be a new homebrew storage on a umd?
now that the modchip is coming out?
omg, i imagine now!

[acn010]

too bad that the program is not free

[J sims]

I smell a version of Drakonite's UmUMD being cooked up.

[PsychoSync]

If we could put homebrews on UMDs, that would also mean BETTER transfer rates... Anyway that would be so great to put a UMD inside the PSP and load Snes9X TYL from it with tons of "owned" roms.

[emuking]

wow they sure helped homebrew what bunch of idiots

[felonyr301]

actually the transfer rates is faster by memory stick umds are sloww why you think people back up their games and play off the memory stick and yes im talking about the honest people who own their games because of speed...

[Pedal Bike Pete]

yea its true, memory sticks are ALOT faster, plus they save power compaired to using UMD drive.

[gsyph0]

Memory sticks save power? After I've been running a lot of homebrew the area under where the stick is starts getting a little warm. I always imagine that thing sucking in battery...but I guess it makes sense when compared with UMDs...HUGE FRIGGING MOTOR.

[MadMonkee]

umd all together was a dumb idea. They should have just made downloading ports in stores where you plug in your psp and dl games specifically signed for that peticular psp. That way you wouldnt ever lose or break games, go back to the store and dl again. MS sales would improve, psp would be lighter and more slick, since part price goes down along with the extra money from adding the sample umd, psp would come with 10gb built in hd even, not to mention more battery life due to lesser power consumption.

[mr_nick666]

Ive always thought a mini built-in hard drive would be good for the PSP :) Shame you cant remove the UMD and fit one in..! :rolleyes:

[cloud_952]

Did anyone stop and realize that you need to SUBMIT the UMD image to Sony to get it to burnt onto a disk? Sony, at that point, can check your image (though this is impractical due to sheer volume) or at least put locks or protection in place to stop you from running programs. Odds are it won't be able to access kernal mode, which is the same boat everyone's in right now anyway. I don't think Sony is half as stupid as people are guessing.

[T-2000]

Did anyone stop and realize that you need to SUBMIT the UMD image to Sony to get it to burnt onto a disk? Sony, at that point, can check your image (though this is impractical due to sheer volume) or at least put locks or protection in place to stop you from running programs. Odds are it won't be able to access kernal mode, which is the same boat everyone's in right now anyway. I don't think Sony is half as stupid as people are guessing.

your the only one tht kept on topic... well done, every one else thinks how good an official program will help them pirate...lol

[nigelrigel]

well dude there will always be more hacks- i bet u somehow somebodies going to come up with some discuised file (2.0-1.5 downgrader) then get homebrew games to play, come to think about it that might be good for the 2.7 firmware

[acn010]

ok, but now, hope in the future there will be a re-writable umd's
along with the burner, and lets hope that the umd will cost cheap

[Apoklepz]

I got these from the same exact news it PSPupdates... But it just looks like an Official devlopment kit for the PSP that SONY would only allow licenced developers to use....

Please comment on your thoughts.

[PunishedOne]

If we could put homebrews on UMDs, that would also mean BETTER transfer rates... .

Memory sticks have a MUCH faster transfer rate than UMDs. Kids at my school were amazed how fast my backup of GTA loaded.

[Apoklepz]

Yes, very true. And about the PSP warming up through playing homebrew, that only happens when you're running homebrew at more than 266mhz for at least an hour or more. 16bit+ system Emulators for example demand PSP overclocking to be able to run smoothly. It has also been said that a PSP might suffer from internal structure "deformation" if it's left running at 333mhz like say, as long as a day or two.

It's fine to overclock a PSP to 333mhz, but not for huge periods of time.

I believe somebody in a comic book once said: "With great power, comes greater responsibility". ;)

[cloud_952]

well dude there will always be more hacks- i bet u somehow somebodies going to come up with some discuised file (2.0-1.5 downgrader) then get homebrew games to play, come to think about it that might be good for the 2.7 firmware

Exactly. ^_^ And Sony will probably block any access to kernal mode, firmware, etc through these umds. They're not going to be able to do the same stuff a normal umd could.

Also, once they found out that someone used their service to do this, they'd screen for those files and then block that approach. They do the same thing with firmwares. This is NOT going to be some awesome, "ZOMG Sony iz going to let us pirate!!!" kinda thing.

Best yet: I bet that they're going to put a firmware update on user-made umds. ^_^ I just know they would. And they could, too. It's their software, and they're making sure your PSP is compatible.


Yes, very true. And about the PSP warming up through playing homebrew, that only happens when you're running homebrew at more than 266mhz for at least an hour or more.

That's not true. The PSP naturally gets warm around the memory stick area (left side) for a variety of reasons, one of them being related to wifi. When you're using wifi, that's running even more power through the parts on the left-hand side and starts to heat up. It's not like it gets terribly hot, but it is warm, and you do notice.


I believe somebody in a comic book once said: "With great power, comes greater responsibility". ;)

Uncle Ben, of Spiderman fame.

[Apoklepz]

Hey man, you might have a point there, but that does mean mine isn't true. I never use wifi for more than 10 minutes, but I have experienced the MS area getting awfully warm when playing my SNES or NEOCDZ emulators on 333mhz for more than an hour... So please don't deny what for a fact I know to be true and confirmed.

[SSaxdude]

The PSP was made to run at 333 mhz so it can't be extremely overheating. And yes, memory sticks do have much greater load speeds.

[cloud_952]

Hey man, you might have a point there, but that does mean mine isn't true .... So please don't deny what for a fact I know to be true and confirmed.

I'm not denying what you said was true. ^_^ I said you're wrong because you stated that it only happens because of homebrew. "Only" is not true. =p So, hey, I never denied what you said. Just that what you said wasn't totally accurate.

[nakko]

At the demonstration, Sony played a H.264 video with a resolution of 720 x 480 that was created with Stream Composer. Sony also stated that most UMD-Video titles currently on the market are recorded in H.264/MPEG-4 AVC with a resolution of 720 x 480.

Um, isn't this bogus? I thought the PMF's on a UMD were at 480x272. Since that's. You know, its native & maximum resolution. Unless they just mean this is how they are edited or composed internally in their softare before being finalized at PSP res.

Or am I missing something?

[Apoklepz]

I too think they messed up there. That resolution doesn't make sense for the PSP.

[DPyro]

THIS GOT LEAKED :eek:

[motormaniac]

this sounds sweet , but they need a umd burner