Sony to Standardize UMD Format

PSP411 writes "It was announced today that Sony has decided to open up the UMD format in a limited fashion as a formal standard. According to a PC World article, companies interested in releasing movies and music on UMD may soon be able to do so. Those interested in developing games and software are still out of luck, however, as the format for 3rd parties is still being limited to movies and music." UMD stands for Universal Media Disc, the media format used for Sony's new handheld gaming console (the PSP).

Comments

In other words...

[xaqar]

Sony says "Pleeeeeeeeease put movies and stuff on our console...*sniffle*"

tv on the go

[nadadogg]

If it gets opened to the big guys, it's only a matter of time before the little guys(us) get a crack at it too.
If I could pop a few episodes of scrubs or iron chef america on it, then have something to do while waiting for my calc2 teacher to show up, I'd be more inclined to buy one. As of right now, my newest portable is an old-school gameboy, but I'm open to change.

Re:tv on the go

[moonbender]

You could have been doing this for years with many PDAs, and without resorting to odd UMDs. There are also plenty of standalone portable video players, think iPod with mpeg video instead of audio.

Re:tv on the go

[nadadogg]

I do have a pocketpc from work, but I'd prefer something that was less geek, and more chic. Besides, PDA's dont have any games that I wanna play.

Re:tv on the go

[Deliveranc3]

Dude you should get ribbon or a derivitive...

It's great for picking up women they love that game. :P

Re:tv on the go

[nadadogg]

Eh, I've got a math major girlfriend already, and hopefully I'll have a sixpack(non-beer) by spring break. I just like showing off tech stuff to random people, it's my inner geek.

Re:tv on the go

[TLSPRWR]

More than likely this is just going to go the way of the Minidisk. Well, that's a bad example. Some people actually use Minidisks (myself included) because they have a few good uses, but on in the real market they have failed. Unless some players/drives (read: burners) aside from the PSP are released, no one is going to take it seriously except for the Sony obsessed.

Interesting

[Pan T. Hose]

It certainly provides a new context to their recent decisions, doesn't it?

Major Change?

[Prien715]

Along with the other story today, found here does this signal a major shift in Sony's actual strategy with respect to formats or is this merely for PR benefit and marketing? Thoughts?

Re:Major Change?

[doofusclam]

You're right. Standardise my arse, it's more they want other companies to fill the gaps in their content.

Re:Major Change?

[SetupWeasel]

If they ever wanted non-Sony movies and music to be released, they had to allow other companies to use the format. Movie studios and record labels wouldn't have stood for a video game type licensing scheme.

Unless other appliances use the format I don't think any major label will bother with UMD. Sony might be hoping that someone else thinks the UMD is a good idea, and make their own UMD players.

Good luck with that, Sony.

UMD-+R/RW

[roseblood]

When will these show up at your local computer store?

UMD and MD

[bugbeak]

I wonder if anyone has tried to pop in a regular MD into one of these. Seriously, if they fit, then Sony could try to make a cheap-enough MD burner for smaller stuff, no?

Re:UMD and MD

[SimplePaul]

I have just tried and no it does not fit. The UMD slot is just big enough for a UMD and by placing a UMD on top of an MD, it is clear the MD is longer and wider.

WAHOOOO!!!!

[TJ_Phazerhacki]

Sony licensing the UMD means UMD drives are inevitable. Plugging anything into a computer means hacking is inevitable. The only thing sony could do now is announce: 1. UMD support on the PS3, ergo... 2. UMD Burners. If the PS3 is really a total integration device, well....

Re:WAHOOOO!!!!

[MilenCent]

Sony licensing the UMD means UMD drives are inevitable.

I'm not so sure. The format is basically a smaller DVD that holds less. It's only benefit at the moment is that PSPs can read it... ...and if you think Sony will leave open a path that allows arbitrary content, even just video files, to be played on their system then I've got a bridge to sell you. They want DVD-like license fees from this thing, not to allow Joe Consumer to use the device for their own purposes.

I see a long road towards widespread adoption for UMD. If the PSP does really well, then that could be a good first step towards getting it adopted, but that's not a sure thing yet.

(Un)fortunately, never.

[GerbilSoft]

Not even the developers have access to UMD writers. They have to send their games to Sony on DVD-Rs, and Sony then burns them to UMDs.

When will Microsoft be adapting the format?

[Cabriel]

I assume they'll modify it into a new standard and call it Windows Media Disc. Pretty soon, civilians around the globe will have untold numbers of WMDs.

Re:Why?

[polyp2000]

UMDs are 2.4-inch optical discs in protective cases that have a data storage capacity of 1.8GB. :: (from the article)

Why
would anyone want to do that when it can play a TINY selections of
music and movies from a single company.

1.8gb ? Thats 2 or 3 divX movies of easily good enough quality to view on the PSP's screen. Its also enough for roughly about 15-20 albums in mp3 format. Couple that with the fact that its a removable media. I think its actually quite a decent and useful capacity - certainly not tiny - as you describe it.

Nick ...

UMD: Usual Marketing Dishonesty

[2TecTom]

Universal? howabout that eh?

Heya Sony, why should I buy anything from a liar?