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Bye bye UMD!

Old 07-14-06, 08:58 AM
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Bye bye UMD!

I searched and didn't see this - apologies if it's a repost.

Sony intros Memory Stick movies as Target KO's UMDs
As national retailer pulls UMD movies from shelves, Sony begins to offer very limited selection of direct-to-memory movies for its portable.

By Tor Thorsen, GameSpot
Posted Jul 13, 2006 5:08 pm PT

After getting off to a strong start in the wake of the American PSP launch last March, the Universal Media Disc (UMD) appears to be on its last legs. Sales of movies on the PSP's once-hot proprietary format have slowed to a trickle, causing several major movie studios to cease supporting it. In March, the Hollywood Reporter ran an article claiming that the home-entertainment divisions of Universal Studios and Paramount Pictures have "completely stopped" releasing films on the format, and other studios have been cutting back their release slates.

Perhaps more disturbing for Sony were unconfirmed reports that retail colossi Wal-Mart and Best Buy were scaling back UMD displays in their stores. This week, speculation turned into reality when Target decided to discontinue stocking UMDs entirely. A manager at a San Francisco Bay Area Target outlet told GameSpot, "We no longer carry PSP movies. We stopped carrying them nationwide."

At virtually the same time, Sony announced the forthcoming release of a pair of Memory Stick Entertainment Packs (MSEP). The packages will come in 1GB (MSX-M1GSTEP) and 2GB (MEX-M2GSEP) Memory Stick Duos for about $60 and $100--the standard retail price for both items.

Though tech-savvy PSP owners have been converting their DVDs to the PSP-compatible MPEG-4 files via third-party applications for more than a year, the Entertainment Packs mark the first time Sony has officially released movies for direct download to Memory Stick Duo, the PSP's storage format.

However, the initial batch of Mem-Stick-ready movies are a very limited selection of Sony Pictures titles--all of which received decidedly mixed reviews. Each of the two packs will come bundled with an installer DVD that contains four films--Hitch, S.W.A.T., The Grudge, or XXX: State of the Union. The movies will play in 240x320-pixel resolution, lower than the 480x272-pixel resolution PSPs are capable of.

However, purchasers of the packs will be able to copy only one of the four films onto their new memory sticks--the others will then be locked. "The code given with the MSEP will unlock one of the four movies," a Sony rep told GameSpot. "Through a special Digital Rights Management [solution] designed by Sony Electronics and SCEA, this [movie] is then downloadable for the PSP."

Fortunately, the movie will be automatically converted to MPEG-4 by the unlocking process, and will be easier to load onto a PSP via a USB cable. Unfortunately, the conversion software on the Memory Stick Entertainment Pack installer DVD will only work on the four films on the disc. "If you own other movies that you want on your Memory Stick, you have to have conversion software," said the Sony rep. Also, the film will also be playable solely on the portable, not on the PC it was transferred from, as "it is a special promotion for getting movies on your PSP."

Many will take Sony's introduction of direct-to-Memory Stick movies as an acknowledgment that the UMD format has failed and as a sign it is prepping consumers for digital distribution. Sony, though, refutes such suggestions. "The UMD was never a factor in the development of this product [the Memory Stick Entertainment Pack]," the rep told GameSpot.

Sony also wouldn't comment on the implications that Memory Stick movies had for the future of the UMD format. However, the rep did say that their introduction was primarily about giving more options to consumers. "We're a universal entertainment company and we're able to offer the consumer more choice," said the rep. "Bundling Sony content with Sony hardware is something we can offer that others can't."
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I thought the UMD format was doomed from Day 1. I even owned a PSP, but it made no sense to me that Sony would require you to repurchase your movies on their (once again) proprietary format.

And I read this article three times and I still don't understand how this new delivery system is supposed to work. However, it definitely doesn't sound like something I'd be interested in, even if I did still own a PSP.
Old 07-14-06, 09:13 AM
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So who's going to pay $60-$100 for a memory card with a movie on it? Can you take the movie off of it?
Old 07-14-06, 09:17 AM
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Sony doesn't get it.
Old 07-14-06, 09:17 AM
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Originally Posted by Save Ferris
So who's going to pay $60-$100 for a memory card with a movie on it? Can you take the movie off of it?
I think (and again, I don't understand this at all) they give you a memory stick at retail price with an "installer" DVD that has 4 movies on it. Using a code from the DVD you "unlock" one of the movies and transfer it to the stick. Once you do that, the other movies are locked. If you want to put your own movies on you can but you have to use commerically available conversion software.

If that's accurate, I say...WTF?
Old 07-14-06, 09:21 AM
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Draven: That's what I got out of it. It's like you're buying a memory stick, and getting a 'free' movie [from a selection of 4] to put on it.

Wow. Yes, this makes the umd/portable video aspect of the PSP sound even worse.
I don't have a PSP, but if I did, I know I wouldn't be buying UMD movies.
Were UMD movies ever "once-hot".
I like Sony, they helped make gaming and dvds mainstream, and there were tons of great games on the PS1 and PS2, but man, it sure sounds to me that they're making lots of poor decisions the last few years. Just because you're the 800 lb gorilla doesn't mean you don't need to watch out for the banana peels you're leaving behind.
Old 07-14-06, 09:26 AM
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Sony continues to not get it. I did notice that Target and my local Wal-mart had completely pulled UMD movies, but this is their solution? For one thing the assholes at Sony need to unlock the ability to play movies off of the memory stick at full resolution. 320X240 is bullcrap. However, crippling their products is a Sony tradition. The DRM they are using looks really awful.

Sony will start selling downloadable films on their awful Sony Connect site soon, but of course you have to use the Sony Connect software to get it to work. If they actually expect people to pay money for 320X240 resolution movies when the hardware is capable of 480X272 resolution they are insane. Of course I fully expect them to charge the same price as DVDs for these 320X240 downloads when they start offering them.

I'll stick with ripping my own DVDs. Thanks for nothing Sony.
Old 07-14-06, 09:28 AM
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UMD may be done, but they will be collectibles in the future! Wanna bet?
Old 07-14-06, 09:33 AM
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Originally Posted by darkside
Sony will start selling downloadable films on their awful Sony Connect site soon, but of course you have to use the Sony Connect software to get it to work. If they actually expect people to pay money for 320X240 resolution movies when the hardware is capable of 480X272 resolution they are insane. Of course I fully expect them to charge the same price as DVDs for these 320X240 downloads when they start offering them.

I'll stick with ripping my own DVDs. Thanks for nothing Sony.
Yep. really, if you want a movie on your PSP it only makes sense to buy it on DVD and rip it--Then you have more choices. Isnt it perfectly legal to do this?
Old 07-14-06, 09:37 AM
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Originally Posted by Save Ferris
Yep. really, if you want a movie on your PSP it only makes sense to buy it on DVD and rip it--Then you have more choices. Isnt it perfectly legal to do this?
I am not sure about others but I had one hell of a time transfering video onto the PSP memory card. Even music videos were tough to do. As for movies you have to go into the dvd files and convert then transfer, it takes a LONG time to do. Plus the video came out so so and I had alot of audio problems, not worth it to me!
Old 07-14-06, 09:40 AM
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I didnt know it was so hard. I found several bittorrents however that are for PSP movies. I would use that for movies that I legally owned.
Old 07-14-06, 09:49 AM
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Originally Posted by Save Ferris
Yep. really, if you want a movie on your PSP it only makes sense to buy it on DVD and rip it--Then you have more choices. Isnt it perfectly legal to do this?
Yes and no. To rip a DVD you need to defeat copy protection and so it's illegal per the DMCA. However, you do have a legal right to make archival backups, so who knows.
Old 07-14-06, 10:24 AM
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Originally Posted by Save Ferris
Yep. really, if you want a movie on your PSP it only makes sense to buy it on DVD and rip it--Then you have more choices. Isnt it perfectly legal to do this?
Its illegal only because of the DMCA. If not for that it would be perfectly exceptable under fair use. I keep hoping our congressman can stop taking bribes long enough to fix the problems with the DMCA, but that is looking doubtful. The DMCA is so overreaching in the way its written I'm surprised no one has taken it to higher courts to challenge it. Money talks I guess.
Old 07-14-06, 10:27 AM
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Originally Posted by Doeman
UMD may be done, but they will be collectibles in the future! Wanna bet?
I own quite a few that I was able to find used for $5-$10. It was a great idea for a format as long as Sony had priced it correctly. You can not charge more than DVDs cost though for something that is lower quality. Its just bad business.
Old 07-14-06, 10:59 AM
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Originally Posted by darkside
Sony continues to not get it.
That's because they know they don't NEED to "get it". There are still legions of consumers who blindly buy Sony products because of the Sony name. There are some who ARE discerning and end up buying their products because they believe they are superior products, but they aren't the majority.


Originally Posted by darkside
Its illegal only because of the DMCA. If not for that it would be perfectly exceptable under fair use. I keep hoping our congressman can stop taking bribes long enough to fix the problems with the DMCA, but that is looking doubtful. The DMCA is so overreaching in the way its written I'm surprised no one has taken it to higher courts to challenge it. Money talks I guess.
Yep, digital ripping is illegal in the US because of the DMCA.... however analog copying is NOT illegal... it is perfectly acceptable under "fair use".

What I do is simply attach a DVD player to the audio and SVideo input of my TV Tuner card in my Thinkpad. (PCMCIA tuner cards are only about $50, PCI cards are even cheaper) I can then use Windows Media Encoder to capture the incoming a/v stream and encode on-the-fly into a format that works great on my smartphone. There are other freeware tools that can do the same to record to DivX, mpeg, or whatever.

Take THAT MPAA!!! booyAH!
Old 07-14-06, 11:03 AM
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Originally Posted by darkside
Its illegal only because of the DMCA. If not for that it would be perfectly exceptable under fair use. I keep hoping our congressman can stop taking bribes long enough to fix the problems with the DMCA, but that is looking doubtful. The DMCA is so overreaching in the way its written I'm surprised no one has taken it to higher courts to challenge it. Money talks I guess.
It's been a while since I checked the status of it, but there was a bill that aimed to do this. Check my sig for more details...
Old 07-14-06, 11:39 AM
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So, are these on clearance at TARGET? Just curious. What about games? Will those move to Memory Stick eventually?
Old 07-14-06, 12:15 PM
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Originally Posted by DJ_Longfellow
So, are these on clearance at TARGET?
My Target just pulled them off the shelves one day and I have not seen them anywhere in the store since. I've been checking the clearance racks almost every day. Either someone went in and bought them all up when they hit clearance or they were returned to the company.

Originally Posted by DJ_Longfellow
What about games? Will those move to Memory Stick eventually?
I know they are going this route with the PSone emulator, and there are rumors floating around they will push to this. But frankly this would be the death knell of the system if they went this route. The logic behind it is staggering... software sales aren't down because of the UMD media format. It's the games themselves. I'm not going to pay top price for something that has limited rights management (assuming that if I took the game off my memory card briefly to fill it with movies or other games, I wouldn't be able to put the game back on without rebuying it).
Old 07-14-06, 12:27 PM
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Has anything even been revealed about the PS1 emulation since E3?
Old 07-14-06, 12:34 PM
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Yeah, they would need a NEW one to do games via Memory Stick. Somehow have a code to play or something. They need to implement something like XBOX LIVE Arcade, where if you D/L a game, you CANNOT pass it along
Old 07-14-06, 12:49 PM
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Originally Posted by darkside
It was a great idea for a format as long as Sony had priced it correctly. You can not charge more than DVDs cost though for something that is lower quality. Its just bad business.
Agree totally. The studios just got greedy here. These things should have been selling for a maximum of $14.99 retail, for new releases. They should have had a budget line for catalog titles in the $5.99-$9.99 price point. I think there's a line where people would have been willing to rebuy some of the their favorite movies they already own on DVD just for the convenience factor of not having to go through the ripping/conversion/copying to memory card process.

But Sony was arrogant and greedy... arrogant to believe their format would succeed no matter what, and greedy to try to milk top dollar for it. I mean, there were catalog titles going for $17.99 that could be picked up for under ten bucks on DVD!

They also continue to make odd choices with the movie selections. Of all the movies in their library, they are launching this plan with SWAT, XXX2, The Grudge, and Hitch??? Two so-so action flicks, a horror film with little replay value, and a romantic comedy. They already tried too hard to push the UMDs to the general populace, and the shelves were filled with stuff like Bewitched, Beauty Shop, and Christmas with the Kranks. What PSP owners would feel the need to buy those movies for the system?
Old 07-14-06, 12:57 PM
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<--- Still waiting for GT:Mobile.
Old 07-14-06, 02:13 PM
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Originally Posted by DJ_Longfellow
So, are these on clearance at TARGET? Just curious.
I entered this thread for this exact same question. I've noticed the UMDs gone from the shelves in two local stores, but they didn't go to the clearance rack. My assumption is that they went back to the distributor. I wonder what will happen to them from here? As one of the seemingly few people who like UMD movies (my kids love them), I wouldn't mind adding more to my collection if they were $10 or less.
Old 07-14-06, 02:26 PM
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I said way back in a PSP thread that I couldn't believe they bothered putting "The Gospel" - a movie about gospel singers - out on UMD.

If they had done something like episodes from cult TV shows, old cartoons, kick-ass action flicks, etc. and sold them for under $10, I think they might have had something. It should have never competed with DVD.
Old 07-14-06, 02:30 PM
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Originally Posted by Doeman
UMD may be done, but they will be collectibles in the future! Wanna bet?
I'm still waiting to make my fortune off the collectability of 8 track tapes.


They won't be worth much more than they are now.
Old 07-14-06, 02:52 PM
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Originally Posted by DJ_Longfellow
So, are these on clearance at TARGET? Just curious. What about games? Will those move to Memory Stick eventually?
I was hoping, but apparently they are simply pulled and returned. No clearance deals on them. I'm figuring those discs have to end up somewhere, but really have no idea.

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