Sony Opens Movie Site for PSP Owners

[wraggster]

Sony has opened their site, MovieSquare, a site designed for buying and downloading music, movies, and other media for the PSP. Currently, there are 268 titles on the site, with more content being added every month. Downloading a movie costs 1029 yen (~$9 USD) while merely streaming the movie costs 315 yen (~$2.70 USD).

Currently, there spans 268 titles over 12 genres, and while the downloads and streaming of said titles will cost money, if a PSP owner just wants to see a trailer, then it won't cost them a single penny (or yen). The media for this site is downloaded directly to the PC in a compressed file format, and once unzipped can be transferred to the PSP through a USB cable; no extra equipment is required to access this feature.

There is currently no news on whether a feature like this will make it Stateside, but who knows? Anything can happen...

Check it out here --> http://www.jp.sonystyle.com/Nws/Movie/index2.html

[MaxSMoke]

Ya. I got a Comment...

Who the **** would pay $10 for a downloaded movie (Or even worse, Streaming!) when you could just buy and rip a REAL DVD for the same price?? Given, there aren't many free DVD Ripping programs (I personally like Xilisoft's DVD Ripper, cost $35) but paying for the Ripper once sounds a WHOLE lot better then paying for a money I can only watch on my PSP.

(Which is, btw, the main reason I think UMD movies are kinda lame as well, but at least you get a disk!)

I love Sony Electronics, but Sony Pictures are a bunch of crooks, pure and simple. They have been hosing Sony electronics down with ridiculous copy right protection for years, fighting against MP3's every step of the way, and now they don't even want people to use their PSP's video playing function unless it's playing a "protected" film. Do you feel "Protected"? Does your PSP feel "Protected"? NO! The only thing "protected" here is the fat, inflated wallets of greedy TV and Movie industry types trying to lock down on culture around the world.

I have a prediction, color me your very own Psychic Friend's Network:

I predict that in Firmware 3.5, you're going to see a new little "Feature" designed to "Protect" the PSP against playing any encoded video that contains any trace of some hidden sub-carrier in the image that can be matched to any current Movie and TV Show in the Sony Library. In Laymen's terms, I mean that all Future TV Shows and Movies that are connected to Sony Pictures will be able to tell the PSP who they are, and turn off the PSP's video playing function so you can't watch them!

It's just further proof that Sony Pictures is still running Sony Electronics, and is now busy patching up all of the "Holes" in the PSP's "Security". Tell me; How Secure do you Feel??

[echel0n]

seems like a japanese video itunes store...

theoretically, (without regard as to or who would want to or not and that they all appear to be in japanese), why wouldnt this work on a a non-japanese psp? if its just a downloaded file, i would imagine it would be just an .mp4.. therefore it would be able to play on any psp, no? unless the file is encoded with some sort of region restricter..either way if it is restricted by region, both these films and a way to play them worldwide would probably end up available online somewhere anyway, eventually..

[PSP_Newbie]

it would work...but im guessing a japense video "itunes-like" service would sell japanese videos, which would kinda suck if you cant understand the language

[echel0n]

yeah, that sucks. although a handful of films are worth watching even if u cant understnad them..its so funny how apple and sony seem to be going back and forth, seemingly at each other..sony releases umds to view videos on their console, then apple comes out with video ipod, then sony releases "itunes like store" in japan..what will be next? ipod will play real video games? windows entered the video game market with the xbox, id like to see apple's stab at it, although i cant imagine they would go that route..just random thoughts...

[Jdemon]

I think it will be a hit in Japan at least for a short time. but I don't think it would work in the US even if they were American (English speaking) Movies. I think people here will convert their own files or buy a UMD to have the hardcopy.

[vincesecuricor2005]

i certainly wouldnt b usin this its jus the same to buy the damn dvd

[echel0n]

i agree with you, but even so, one could say the same about itunes and look how many people use that, even tho the music quality sucks at only 128kbps and u have to pay the same price for an album and dont even get an actual cd, jewel case or inlay..if people buy that, they would buy this too..

[vincesecuricor2005]

true if it wasnt a winning formula they wouldnt keep doing it hmv and virgin have joined in also oh well