Sony's PS3 movie download service rolling out Stateside this summer
By Thomas Ricker 
posted Jun 26th 2008 4:12AM
posted Jun 26th 2008 4:12AM
Sony just released a rambling update to it corporate strategy through fiscal year 2010. An interesting read for fans and competitors alike as Sony lays bare initiatives intent on moving Sony from recovery to the "leading global provider of networked consumer electronics and entertainment." Most notable in the near-term however, is word from Kazuo Hirai, chieftain of Sony Computer Entertainment, that Sony will make a movie download service available to US PlayStation 3 owners this summer -- Japan and Europe at later dates with details coming "next month," presumably at E3. Moreover, Sony expects its gaming business to achieve profitability by March 2009, the end of the current fiscal year. Of course, we already knew that Sony was prepped to deliver full-length TV shows and movies sometime in 2008 via its North American PLAYSTATION Network. But summer, eh? Judging by the increased molecular agitation of sidewalk effluence, we'd say that Sony's season of movie downloads is already upon us. Read -- 2010 plan
Read -- US summer launch
They took their sweet time about it. The PS3 is very well suited to video rentals (by virtue of having an HDD in every model) and Sony itself owns a studio. Personally I wonder if they'd be better off outsourcing to Amazon to extricate themselves from the contractual hell that it must be to run such a service.
I am sure it was the contracts that made it take so long. If they are launching this summer then the contracts (or enough of the contracts) are signed to go forward with the service.
Might be the thing that triggers me purchasing a 2nd Playstation 3 to hook to the new Panasonic Plasma in the bedroom.
The PS3 is really coming into it's own this year and it is a nearly-perfect Living Room device.
Profile 2.0 Blu-Ray Player
Upconverting DVD Player
Excellent DLNA Client
Now a Movie Download service...
And it also plays video games...as my Wife and I really enjoy Scene It L.C.A. on our XBOX 360, I am looking forward to Buzz for the PS 3.
Two things that would make it perfect.
1.) A IR port so I wouldn't need that PS3 remote for watching movies / videos.
2.) A multistream CableCard tuner with the ability to record at least two programs at once and the ability to watch recorded programs on any other PS3 in the home.
This would be a killer competitor to Vista Media Center (probably a cheaper alternative as well).
I have always knocked the PS3 for not having an IR port and till this day think it was a really stupid move on their part. However, there still is one last solution for a number of folks (other than the BT to IR device. If sony updates the PS3 via firmware to support BRAVIA THEATER SYNC (Sony's version of HDMI-CEC), it is possible to control the playback and power functions of the PS3 via HDMI by your TV.
Many receivers and TV's are incorporating this feature, and although they all name it differently, it's all the same thing. I already have this feature on my Panny plasma and Onkyo receiver.
Ever since I added a tuner for my Media Center I have not bought anything off of live so I doubt I will use this much. Its great to have the option though.
Depending on the cost, but most especially the quality, I might finally have to upgrade the hard drive in my PS3 to a 300+ GB model. I have medium-high hopes for quality, since Sony generally seems to make an effort to give us their trailer downloads in 1080p.
I never bought any movies from the XBL Marketplace, for the following reasons:
1. Downloads are only available in overcompressed 720p
2. There's no supported drive upgrade method other than buying the ridiculously priced Microsoft 120 GB drive.
3. I hate the "points" system for purchasing downloads
hilarious..
In-game control panels, a game goal system, break-apart motion controllers, and now a movie download service...all of Sony's recent announcements regarding the PS3 have a distinct "me too" flavor to them. And the one feature they're working on that's semi-original -- Home -- languishes with delay after delay.
Yeah, I hate when companies look at what customers like in other products and then give them to their customers.
Pick up the Blinders Sony, MC kids gotta eat!
Ooops, er MS kids, don't know how that happened, but if that's my only F'up today I'll be feeling pretty good :)
Yes Mr_Fizzlepop, they have to do it to compete, but that doesn't mean I have to respect them for always being behind the curve. Usually, there's an exchange of ideas and concepts, whereas the flow is mostly one way between the PS3 and the competition.
One thing I'll give Sony is that so far, they've been behind but managed to make almost everything better when they've finally implemented it. The two areas they still lag in are the online multiplayer experience and some sort of uniform "achievements"-like system.
beat the price of movies on XboxLive by a dollar and you will have me hook line and stinker.
I guess this must mean Sony aren't committed to Blu-ray anymore...
I just hope they get a better network than the PSN network --- it can be painfully slow at times. Nobody will be willing to wait a week to download a movie -- Renting DVD's from Netflix is faster than that.