wraggster
July 13th, 2006, 19:16
From Joystiq (http://www.joystiq.com/2006/07/13/sony-sells-memory-sticks-with-movies-so-it-does-work-then/)
UMD movies aren't doing so hot nowadays, so why don't we experiment with movie playback from MemoryStick ... y'know, the way people have wanted it since day one? Sony, in their infinite wisdom, crippled video playback from MemoryStick on the PSP by barring playback at the handheld's scrumptious native resolution of 480*272 and instead maxing it out at 320*240 (QVGA). So instead of building an iTunes-like store where we could download movies and TV shows right into our little players, they asked us to pay for their proprietary and overpriced (but full resolution) UMD movies.
Fine, so they screwed up. But here's their big chance to make it all up. They've created these simple, easy-to-use 1 and 2GB MemoryStick Entertainment Packs. It's simple, really:
Buy the MSX-M1GSTEP or MSX-M2GSEP MemoryStick Entertainment Packs for $60 or $100, respectively at your local retailer.
Load up the enclosed DVD into your (Windows-only?) computer and select one of four (pretty lousy) Sony Pictures movies.
Use the enclosed code to unlock one (just one) of these movies, which can then be transferred to your PSP. Oooh, what to choose?
Figure out how to transfer your movie using the PSP's arcane file system, since they still don't include the mediocre (but nevertheless shockingly absent) Media Manager software.
Watch your movie straight from your Memory Stick in (what we assume is) delicious 480*272 resolution. You're happy, your battery is happy!
Alright, so it's not iTunes simple, but they're trying. Next step: let us play our own movies on the damned thing in full-res. Do that, and I'll be whistling PSP all day long.
UMD movies aren't doing so hot nowadays, so why don't we experiment with movie playback from MemoryStick ... y'know, the way people have wanted it since day one? Sony, in their infinite wisdom, crippled video playback from MemoryStick on the PSP by barring playback at the handheld's scrumptious native resolution of 480*272 and instead maxing it out at 320*240 (QVGA). So instead of building an iTunes-like store where we could download movies and TV shows right into our little players, they asked us to pay for their proprietary and overpriced (but full resolution) UMD movies.
Fine, so they screwed up. But here's their big chance to make it all up. They've created these simple, easy-to-use 1 and 2GB MemoryStick Entertainment Packs. It's simple, really:
Buy the MSX-M1GSTEP or MSX-M2GSEP MemoryStick Entertainment Packs for $60 or $100, respectively at your local retailer.
Load up the enclosed DVD into your (Windows-only?) computer and select one of four (pretty lousy) Sony Pictures movies.
Use the enclosed code to unlock one (just one) of these movies, which can then be transferred to your PSP. Oooh, what to choose?
Figure out how to transfer your movie using the PSP's arcane file system, since they still don't include the mediocre (but nevertheless shockingly absent) Media Manager software.
Watch your movie straight from your Memory Stick in (what we assume is) delicious 480*272 resolution. You're happy, your battery is happy!
Alright, so it's not iTunes simple, but they're trying. Next step: let us play our own movies on the damned thing in full-res. Do that, and I'll be whistling PSP all day long.