Network now...NEWS
PS3 Video Download Store Launching Tonight
Sony has shown off its new video download store at the company’s E3 press conference, and announced that the service will launch tonight.
Importantly, the service will be backed by a host of studios from day one, including Sony Pictures, Fox, MGM, Lions Gate, Warner Brothers and Disney.
Users will be able to preview, rent or purchase TV and movie content, which will be transferable from PS3 to PSP for portable viewing. Content will also be downloadable directly to PSP from the PlayStation PC Store.
PlayStation Network director of operations Eric Lempel took to the stage to demo the service, which will slot into the existing PlayStation Store. Users will be able to access content via a new video tab, while each studio will hold their own content page.
Sony said it will take around an hour to download a two-hour movie, but that users will be able to watch content as it’s filtered down the tubes thanks to progressive downloading.
The company promised weekly content updates.
The only reason I ask is because I have an HDTV, so I'm bound to buy the HD rentals, but it basically means I can't watch them on my PSP, which is the crowning jewel of the service. I was hoping to see Sony somehow let you download the SD version as well, for watching it on the PSP, something akin to what they're doing with the PSP version of movies stored on Blu-Ray discs this fall. The technical problems are of course there, but I was hoping they figured someway to mask them with different options. As of now, I'm stuck buying SD movies if I want to watch them on the go, even though I have a HDTV at home.
I think you are shit out of luck for HD on the PSP. Even if the PSP screen supported HD resolutions, would you really want to shrink even a 720p picture down the the PSP screen? Look at a really nice picture in Photoshop, then zoom it way out...artifacting and tearing become rampant.
Not to mention the size requirement. Most of the flicks I have seen that were squeezed to 720p still end up around 5gb.
Plus, who wants to sit there and wait while 5gb of data moves via USB?
Again, I don't know anything for certain, but these are problems that would need to be overcome. Comparatively, a movie at the resolution Sony used to reserve for UMDs will look fine and take a fraction of the space.
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Brian Woods
www.brianwoods.com
I have some confusion with the download to PSP thing. I'm assuming you can only view SD movies/shows on the PSP? Am I shit out of luck with the HD movies on the PSP, and would I have to rebuy them if I wanted their PSP counterpart? If these are non-issues, then giddy-up, as it's an awesome service. And if they can supply ample content, then my iPod may have to sit out for a little while:)