PSP Movies Sputter Out
03-31-06, 03:47 PM
#1
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Thread Starter
PSP Movies Sputter Out
http://www.fool.com/News/mft/2006/mf...gvisit=y&npu=y
excerpt:
If anyone has access to the original 3/30/06 Hollywood Reporter story, could you post the gist of it here (so as not to violate any copyright laws)
excerpt:
According to The Hollywood Reporter, movie sales to PSP users really haven't done much of anything. Although no official word has been issued, the fate of UMD films appears increasingly dim, considering that Wal-Mart has reportedly trimmed back its UMD inventory. Movie studios owned by conglomerates Viacom General Electric, News Corp., and Disney seem to have pretty much abandoned the UMD format as a viable ancillary channel for their respective libraries.
03-31-06, 04:33 PM
#2
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
I've been shocked that UMD movies got as far as they did. They also seemed like an overpriced gimmick to me, but yet I'd go into Wal-Mart and there would be more UMD movies than there would be games.
03-31-06, 04:46 PM
#3
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: PDX
Posts: 2,388
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
This is old news.... this was floating about the first of this month. Sony has been canceling some of their pending UMD releases due to poor sales. This doesn't look to bode well for Blu-ray either, since Sony is hoping to wed Blu-ray with their new PSP.
Content may be King, but the kingdom vaults are empty March 8, 2006 ... Sony believed that customers would buy movies to watch on their PSP (Playstation Portable), and worked with several studios to make sure a range of content was available, but sales have been so disappointing that even Sony Pictures themselves are “scaling back” production of the proprietary UMD (Universal Media Disk) content. Sony have blamed piracy for the disappointing sales, and given the availability of various utilities for copying DVDs onto a PSP it seems likely that users have baulked at paying for content they already own, just to be able to watch it on the move.
Last edited by mcarver; 03-31-06 at 04:50 PM.
03-31-06, 04:49 PM
#4
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: PDX
Posts: 2,388
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Here's the link to the Hollywood Reporter story
Originally Posted by Quatermass
http://www.fool.com/News/mft/2006/mf...gvisit=y&npu=y
excerpt:
If anyone has access to the original 3/30/06 Hollywood Reporter story, could you post the gist of it here (so as not to violate any copyright laws)
excerpt:
If anyone has access to the original 3/30/06 Hollywood Reporter story, could you post the gist of it here (so as not to violate any copyright laws)
03-31-06, 04:59 PM
#5
DVD Talk Special Edition
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Portland OR
Posts: 1,747
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
This is a complete shock to me. A shock I tell you. How is it already March and these are just now dying off? I expected this announcement months ago. 
03-31-06, 05:11 PM
#6
DVD Talk Legend
Despite all the naysayers, I still think it could have been a viable, but niche format. They mention having a large range of products, but I don't think that was the right approach. There should have been more tie-in type releases, like say the upcoming Final Fantasy VII movie, or game based anime shows. I've got my PSP up on eBay anyways, but I did think it was a pretty neat feature, I watched Endless Summer last fall on a flight to VA, but I admit that's probably a *really* niche title.
03-31-06, 05:35 PM
#7
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Sitting on a beach, earning 20%
Posts: 9,917
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes
on
3 Posts
"Sony have blamed piracy".
The real world blames the fact that they were more expensive than DVDs, had less quality than DVDs, had less space for extras than DVDs, and could only be played on ONE very expensive player.
The real world blames the fact that they were more expensive than DVDs, had less quality than DVDs, had less space for extras than DVDs, and could only be played on ONE very expensive player.
03-31-06, 06:19 PM
#8
DVD Talk Special Edition
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Central Jersey
Posts: 1,195
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by DonnachaOne
"Sony have blamed piracy".
The real world blames the fact that they were more expensive than DVDs, had less quality than DVDs, had less space for extras than DVDs, and could only be played on ONE very expensive player.
The real world blames the fact that they were more expensive than DVDs, had less quality than DVDs, had less space for extras than DVDs, and could only be played on ONE very expensive player.
03-31-06, 08:05 PM
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 595
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It doesn't take a genius to realize that selling a movie for $25 to someone so they can watch it on a 4" screen isn't going to sell. Sorry Sony but you're a total frickin' retard.
03-31-06, 08:28 PM
#12
DVD Talk Godfather
Originally Posted by Quatermass
If anyone has access to the original 3/30/06 Hollywood Reporter story, could you post the gist of it here (so as not to violate any copyright laws)
03-31-06, 10:09 PM
#13
DVD Talk Legend
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Somewhere Hot Scoville Units: 9,999,999 Zodiac Sign: Capricorn
Posts: 12,259
Received 811 Likes
on
316 Posts
Well, that announcement was bound to come sometime or another. Honestly, I love my PSP, but why in the hell would anyone want to watch movies abroad on a 4-inch screen when a laptop is just as sufficient (and doesn't require a special format)? The same goes for the video iPods.
04-01-06, 01:44 AM
#17
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Originally Posted by DonnachaOne
"Sony have blamed piracy".
The real world blames the fact that they were more expensive than DVDs, had less quality than DVDs, had less space for extras than DVDs, and could only be played on ONE very expensive player.
The real world blames the fact that they were more expensive than DVDs, had less quality than DVDs, had less space for extras than DVDs, and could only be played on ONE very expensive player.
So is this the scapegoat for everything when things go bad?
I'm sure piracy will be to blame for the Presidents declining approval rating!
04-01-06, 01:45 AM
#18
DVD Talk Special Edition
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Portland OR
Posts: 1,747
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Vandelay_Inds
The scary thing is, these apes are the gatekeepers to the movies we all love.
Not according to my collection. Fox and WB have Sony beat by a long shot. It's been ages since I've picked up a Sony release. Of course it's been ages since they've released something other then a double or tripple dip. As long as there continues to be more good releases than I can keep up with, I don't really care if Sony wants to screw themselves out of my money. If everyone but WB just stopped releasing movies, I don't think I'd hardly notice.
04-02-06, 03:04 PM
#21
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: PDX
Posts: 2,388
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sorry, should have said PS3...
AME Info
Blu-Ray was then thought to have the edge by being included in the new Playstation3 gaming consoles. But the PS3 launch date has moved back from Spring 2006 to November at the earliest, by which time a second generation of Xbox360s featuring in-built HD DVD may be around.
joystiq
* "[UMD is] awful. Sales are near zilch. It's another Sony bomb — like Blu-ray" [Universal]
Comparing the current state of the UMD format to a hypothetical forecast of Blu-ray's success is dangerous. For one, UMD is only supported by the PSP (for now), while a range of compatible players will back the PS3's Blu-ray format. However, the statement from Universal could be indicative of Hollywood's general paranoia about the "HD era," which has already forced the delay of the launch of Blu-ray products. Still, Sony would do well to learn from the UMD-Hollywood debacle and focus on what the PS3's core audience is interested in, indeed, "a game player."
Blu-Ray was then thought to have the edge by being included in the new Playstation3 gaming consoles. But the PS3 launch date has moved back from Spring 2006 to November at the earliest, by which time a second generation of Xbox360s featuring in-built HD DVD may be around.
joystiq
* "[UMD is] awful. Sales are near zilch. It's another Sony bomb — like Blu-ray" [Universal]
Comparing the current state of the UMD format to a hypothetical forecast of Blu-ray's success is dangerous. For one, UMD is only supported by the PSP (for now), while a range of compatible players will back the PS3's Blu-ray format. However, the statement from Universal could be indicative of Hollywood's general paranoia about the "HD era," which has already forced the delay of the launch of Blu-ray products. Still, Sony would do well to learn from the UMD-Hollywood debacle and focus on what the PS3's core audience is interested in, indeed, "a game player."
Originally Posted by Peep
Really? On what planet was that?
04-03-06, 10:00 AM
#22
DVD Talk Special Edition
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,099
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by surfingelectrod
I usually rip movies onto my memory stick from my DVDs, but I liked the idea of including the UMDs as pack-ins for some DVDs.
04-03-06, 11:32 AM
#25
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Honolulu, HI
Posts: 2,394
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by DJ_Longfellow
I'm glad they are sputtering out....I hope they clearance them out eventually. I MIGHT pay $5 or so for a UMD movie.