E3 2008: Sony Launches Video Service

[Susan Arendt]

E3 2008: Sony Launches Video Service

Sony's video delivery service, which not only lets you rent and buy movies but also put them on your PSP, launches tonight.

Sony's video delivery service will offer television programming and movies for rental at prices ranging from $1.99 for tv shows up to $5.99 for movies. You can even purchase movies to keep on your PS3's hard drive, if you like, for $14.99. Programs from partners like Fox, MGM, Lionsgate and of course Sony Pictures will be available in either high or standard def.

You can also transfer the content you purchase to your PSP, either via your PS3 or PC. Even if this option is limited to the content you purchase to own - which seems likely - it's still a phenomenal feature. (Are you listening, Microsoft?)

Sony's Eric Lempel walked us through a quick demonstration of how you would go about actually purchasing the video content from the PlayStation Network, and it's really pretty easy. Just go to the store the same as you would if you were purchasing game content, hit the new "Video" tab, and voila - you're in the video store.

I'm several thousand miles away from my PS3 so I won't be able to give this a try tonight. If any of you give it a go, please let us know how well it worked for you.

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[Jumplion]

Seems interesting. Though i won't be buying movies off the PSN store anytime soon, it's still nice to know that it's there.

 

[Virgil]

Can you transfer them to your PC and play them back there, or just to the PSP using the PC as a transport mechanism?

If the former, that's a very nice step in the right direction. If the latter, while much better than their last botched push for portable video [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UMD], it's not nearly as impressive. It's not like they're really making an effort to make my PSP more than a portable Disgaea device anyway, but I guess anything helps.

 

[xMacx]

Due to the Psp easily syncing with your ps3, it would make no sense to add the PC aspect, and as such we can assume you can play it on your PC.

?Huh?

So it would make no sense to add syncing with the PC, hence, we can assume it syncs with the PC?

 

[SinisterDeath]

I turned on my ps3 earlier, and the sevice wasn't available yet. (should be later though)

Anyways, it seems obvious that the videos only work on the PS3, or the PSP.
The PC aspect, is like the Psn Store on the pc, you can only transfter the games to your PSP, from your PC. But you can't 'play' the games, nor the 'movies' on the PC.
I believe one obvious reason why you can't watch the movies on your PC is quite simply a 'copyright' issue.

Though, its entirelly possible that they 'may' allow the videos to be played on the pc, if they require you to 'sign in' before you can watch the said videos.

 

[SinisterDeath]

The PSN is currently down I guess... Because I can't log in. So it's possible they are adding this service.

 

[Susan Arendt]

Can you transfer them to your PC and play them back there, or just to the PSP using the PC as a transport mechanism?

If the former, that's a very nice step in the right direction. If the latter, while much better than their last botched push for portable video [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UMD], it's not nearly as impressive. It's not like they're really making an effort to make my PSP more than a portable Disgaea device anyway, but I guess anything helps.

Not entirely sure, but I shall make an effort to find out. Sitting in with Sony tomorrow.

 

[bib12342004]

Not a bad service, I check it out and it pretty cool. Too bad I want ever use it.
I don?t rent movies I cant burn. Plus there is Limewire so I can get a download a movie for free. It's common logic, ..... play $5 to rent a movie for 24 hr, or sign up to netflix and rent as many as I want and burn them and have actually copies of the movies. plus there is no diff in the movie Quality,
It?s a no brainier

Oh YEAH!!!

 

[BallPtPenTheif]

tv episodes are too expensive at $1.99 for an episode wether it's 45 minutes or 24 minutes long. so to watch a full season of Astro Boy would cost around $50 for almost 10 hours of cartoons.

they need to reassess the pricing rather than just blindly applying general price structures

the HD movie prices are comparable to On Demand services through my cable company so i'm happy about those.

 

[ratix2]

i dont know, how about actually adding some GAMES to the bloody thing?