Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Sony To Bundle UMDs With DVDs

Posted by Zonk on from the getting-the-format-out-there dept.

Eurogamer has the word that Sony is planning to bundle UMD versions of movies with DVDs in order to increase the public's exposure to the PSP-specific format. From the article: "From March 28th, PlayStation Portable owners will be able to purchase DVD-UMD bundles for movies The Grudge, Resident Evil, Underworld, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and The Terminator. April 25th will see the arrival of Ghostbusters, Mad Max, The Fifth Element and Snatch, and more bundles will follow in May."

12 of 93 comments (clear)

  1. Finally! by Digital+Vomit · · Score: 3, Funny

    Finally! Coasters for my shot glasses!

    --
    Modern copyright is theft of culture from everyone and it retards the progress of the useful arts and sciences.
  2. Will they ever uncripple the video? by antifoidulus · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This is all well and good, but it still doesn't make the psp an attractive video player, to steal from a comment I made earlier:
    Multimedia:Theoretically, this is where the PSP should really shine what with that oh so sexy screen. However, there are tons of devices that do it better, not the least of which is the iPod video. How can the iPod video do it better? Simple, unless you are watching UMDs Sony limits you to 320x240 for your movies, the exact same as resolution as an iPod. And if you are watching movies it makes no sense not to buy the giga-pack, priced at $299, the same price as the 40 gigabyte iPod. Now granted the battery life while watching movies is short on the iPod, but for most commuters 2 hours a charge is more than enough. And if you don't want to watch movies, you can still store a ton of music on the iPod. I would love to watch "Kill Bill" on that sexy psp screen, but I have already paid $50 to watch Kill Bill in other formats: $12.50 to see the first one in Japan, $7.50 for a matinee to see the 2nd one, and about $15 for the DVDs. I refuse to spend another $50($25 a UMD) just so I can watch the same content again. Sony artificially limiting the movie playback on the device killed it for me. I'm willing to buy a movie once, but I refuse to buy it multiple times just so I can watch it in different formats.

    --
    Monstar L
    1. Re:Will they ever uncripple the video? by Claws+Of+Doom · · Score: 4, Informative

      While accepting that there's no good reason except pushing the UMD format for crippling the video, there's plenty of good software out there to convert from DVD to a format suitable (and eminently watchable) for the PSP. Sounds like you need DVD Decrypter and PSP Video 9. These might help: http://seamonkey420.tech-recipes.com/psp/dvd_to_ps p.html http://www.pspvideo9.com/ I live in a country that allows me to view the video as I please, having bought a copy of it. Just make sure you do to... (And yes, I advocate emigrating)

  3. Is it just me... by AKAImBatman · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ...or does that list sound suspiciously close to the list of first-release Bluray discs? How many times does Sony expect customers to buy these movies? Especially the Fifth Element. I mean, it was an 'okay' movie the first time. It's still an 'okay' movie, but now it looks dated. So why do I want to rush out to buy it on VHS/DVD/DVD-UMD/Bluray? Just so I can reach five copies so that I can call them my "five elements"?

    --
    Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
    1. Re:Is it just me... by generic-man · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Why do you assume that someone will go out and buy every edition of a movie? If someone owns a PSP and a DVD player but doesn't have a hi-def TV, then the DVD-UMD bundle might be a good buy. For a PS3 owner, the Blu-Ray disc is the better buy. Sony's movie studio owns the rights to that "suspicious" list of movies and it can milk them for all they're worth. You don't have to buy them.

      I don't own the Fifth Element on any media, so I for one appreciate the fact that my patience is going to be rewarded with a higher-definition copy of the movie.

      --
      For more information, click here.
  4. UMDs With DVDs by Rapsey · · Score: 5, Funny

    I have no idea what this means, but it sounds dangerous.

  5. It's kind of like a rebate... by PFI_Optix · · Score: 3, Insightful

    You buy the DVD, sell the UMD on eBay to someone who doesn't want/need the DVD, and you both get a discount.

    --
    120 characters for a sig? That's bloody useless.
  6. What? by Universal+Nerd · · Score: 3, Funny

    UMD???

    Ueapons of Mass Destruction?

    I kid of course, UMDs are Universal Media Discs, in case, like me, you had no ideia what UMDs are.

    --
    Ash nazg durbatuluk, ash nazg gimbatul Ash nazg thrakatuluk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul
  7. Re:oh noes by generic-man · · Score: 3, Funny

    Then don't buy the bundle. You can buy The Fifth Element, The Fifth Element Superbit Edition, The Fifth Element Special Edition With Limited Edition Foil Packaging, and the new Fifth Element DVD-UMD bundle. Gas up the SUV and head down to Best Buy -- there's media to buy!

    --
    For more information, click here.
  8. Overall goal? by RyoShin · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So, if I understand this correctly, Sony is bundling the UMDs with the regular DVDs to try and get the regular public more interested in the PSP, right?

    But, from the article, the bundles will cost around US$25. Most, if not all, of the movies listed are already available for $15 or so. Why would the average consumer spend an extra $10 to get another copy of a movie that they wouldn't be able to use? The only time I can see them buying this is that they either don't know what they're getting, or they have a relative with a PSP and want to get a cheap gift.

    All this will accomplish will be increasing the amount of UMDs sold, as those with both a PSP and DVD player will be more inclined to get the bundle, so he can choose when, where, and how to watch the movie. I don't see anyone buying a $200 portable gaming system because they paid an extra $10 for media for it.

    Sony can, of course, spin the result, saying that there is a higher UMD saturation in the market after the fact, or there is now a bigger system:UMD ratio.

    1. Re:Overall goal? by damsa · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Sony was selling the UMDs for 20 bucks stand alone. So consumers can spend 25 bucks for a DVD and UMD, meaning that DVD costs 5 bucks. It makes more sense if you look at it from that perspective.

  9. Only if... by djward · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...you want a rootkit in your whiskey...