E3 '08: Sony Announces Video Delivery For PS3, Live Today
Sony handily won the "press conference war" this year with a showy spectacle at their usual Culver City Studio digs - replete with plenty of substance to back it up. Firstly, beginning today the PS3's PlayStation Store will offer video content for download: nearly 300 films and over 1,200 TV episodes in both HD and SD, available for both renting and purchasing.
There's no question about it: Sony is keeping up with the Joneses Xboxes.
All of the video will be completely portable by means of the PSP, and there won't be inter-platform restrictions - in other words, you can move your media to the PSP without worrying about managing DRM.
Studios at launch are impressive, including Disney, Paramount, MGM, Sony Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Lionsgate and Warner Bros.
You'll find the new video store via two new buttons on the top left of the PlayStation Store: "Games" and "Video." Step into the video store and sort by alphabet, studio, genre, etc - each studio has its own branded page, if you sort in that manner, so it looks slick. You'll also be able to begin watching your video virtually the moment you begin downloading.
Rent a movie and you'll have 14 days to begin watching it (sound familiar?) and 24 hours to watch once you've begun; prices range from $2.99 to $5.99, and from what I could see during the presentation, that largely depends on whether you choose SD or HD. I also noticed that SD movies appeared to be the only kind available for purchase - presumably for storage reasons. Those purchased movies will run you $9.99 to $14.99 (not sure about TV episode pricing) and will use Marlin Digital Rights Management, which sounds like it works not unlike iTunes - flexible use rights on activated devices.
That assumption puts the PSP in the role of the iPod, giving you twice the watchability for your purchase, in theory. The push-through of video content from the PS3 to the PSP has been resoundingly touted as a great feature, and while I'm not so sure that it will revitalize the PSP, it's certainly handy.
It's also a lot better sounding than Sony's other video-related announcement today - that of "Gran Turismo TV," a car-enthusiast channel that you'll "enjoy" through Gran Turismo 5 Prologue somehow. I won't be there with you, but I might be next door watching 3:10 to Yuma on my dazzling PSP screen.
tiny dancer
Posted to E3, Hot Stuff on 15 July 2008
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