What could UMD have been - Blu-ray Forum

Mikeblu · 05-08-2008, 06:36 PM

I don't know what anyone else thinks but, if Sony would have marketed it right and given it standalone and UMD/DVD combo players UMD video/music could have been very succesful.

The reasons are UMD's are small which is always good for electronics the smaller the better (except on TVs) 2) theres a scratch guard and my UMDs wouldnt last anywhere near as long if there wasn't also normal music CDs can only hold 700mbs and after the falure of SACD&DVD-A it could fill in a gap and unlike those 2 people would buy it cos there UMD player also does video and of coarse the PSP enables movies on the go as well as if Sony alowed UMD slots in other portable devices like MP4 players or an ipodUMD for example.

I don't think the UMD as a video/audio format can be salvaged now but if they had done it right it could be the DVD of the portable world and a succesor to CD.

ckenisell · 05-08-2008, 06:51 PM

It's my opinion that price killed UMD.

Mikeblu · 05-08-2008, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ckenisell

It's my opinion that price killed UMD.

really? I've found that on average UMds are cheaper than the DVD realese for example when i got it the UMD realease of little britain was 9.99 while DVD was 19.99 at the same time from the same store.

WickyWoo · 05-08-2008, 07:02 PM

Quote:

really? I've found that on average UMds are cheaper than the DVD realese for example when i got it the UMD realease of little britain was 9.99 while DVD was 19.99 at the same time from the same store.

Because they're trying to get rid of UMDs, everyone is. I don't think even Sony is releasing most things on UMD these days

fronn · 05-08-2008, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikeblu

really? I've found that on average UMds are cheaper than the DVD realese for example when i got it the UMD realease of little britain was 9.99 while DVD was 19.99 at the same time from the same store.

While UMD was actually alive, the prices were often more for the UMD (19.99 usually... where release week DVDs were often less).

Price and the fact that you could only play them on the PSP killed it before it really had a chance, if you ask me -- if PSP had video outs from the start, that may have helped things... who knows.

It didn't really offer anything better or more convenient than just getting a portable DVD player (which are typically half the cost of a PSP) and just using your normal collection of DVDs. UMD really was a format that had no real justifiable market.

cathexist · 05-08-2008, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WickyWoo

Because they're trying to get rid of UMDs, everyone is. I don't think even Sony is releasing most things on UMD these days

A few new releases, Spiderman 3, Superbad...those recent MTV releases (woo-hoo...)

But yeah, a lot of UMDs are basically on clearance because nobody wants to sell them anymore.

The price of newly released UMDs is still really bad, Superbad is super expensive. I would have bought a lot more UMD movies if the price had been better (I only buy them when they are $5 or less now...)

I was hoping that UMDs would survive, especially for TV shows and such that are great for flights and such...but without the ability to record your own information to them, and the high price tag...it just wasn't/isn't going to happen.

cathexist · 05-08-2008, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fronn

-- if PSP had video outs from the start, that may have helped things... who knows.

I definitely agree with that as well...I hated the fact that it didn't have video out for so long.

bhampton · 05-08-2008, 07:08 PM

Hey,

I always figured the "this new gizmo is almost as good as DVD" approach is what took all the appeal away.

-Brian

helius · 05-08-2008, 07:56 PM

The problem with UMD is that nobody wanted it, really at any price. The average person doesn't want to buy a DVD to watch at home AND a UMD to watch on the go. People also don't want to buy just a UMD, because there was basically no way to play it except on the PSP. The bottom line is UMD was a terrible idea, and it died the painful death it deserved.

helius · 05-08-2008, 08:00 PM

Also, I strongly believe that no format will ever succeed with just one manufacturer supporting it. That is, after all, one of the major reasons HD-DVD went south.

Nerdkiller likes BD · 05-08-2008, 08:03 PM

They should've made external read/write UMD drives for the PC and have the price of blank UMD's for around $10 for a five pack. That idea might've worked.

CptGreedle · 05-08-2008, 08:05 PM

I think that since it was limited to the PSP, it was doomed from the beginning.
IF they made stand along players, it could have been more successful. If there were more studios and manufacturers it could have gained a following. But I think it is also going to die due to digital downloads, since you can fit those on a memory card and put that in the PSP as well.
Like the minidisc, it is a great idea, but poorly timed and poorly executed.
For portable devices, memory cards and digital files are the future and discs are dying out. But for home media, discs will still reign supreme.

kknight · 05-08-2008, 08:19 PM

I hear ya man!! I watch UMD movies all the time, I feel like I'm watching a mini HD on my PSP cause the Picture Quality is so clearly detailed and vivid. It sold pretty well at the beginning and slowly died off. Here's the mistakes that I think Sony did:

1. Sony should of priced UMDs $5 - $10 cheaper then DVDs. I know friends who would of bought it if it were at that price point.

2. Sony should of offered a direct output connection from PSP to TV the day PSP came out... introducing this with the new PSP slim is too late since UMD has slowly died off...

I'm pissed that I didn't get a chance to get the whole collection of Samurai Champoo on UMD, I got the first 4 voumes, I loved watching it on my PSP!

DutchBoy · 05-08-2008, 08:20 PM

I never owned a PSP, but to me it always seems too gimmicky. Sometimes those things pay off, but often times they don't.

atomik kinder · 05-08-2008, 09:01 PM

I've had a PSP from the beginning and I never saw the UMDs as anything more than media for the games. I did buy one movie and got Spider-man 2 free with it, but when you can only play the things on a PSP, you are kind of limiting yourself. I think it would be better if Sony included a PSP version of their movies with their DVDs or Blu-rays. I don't know if they could convince other studios to do the same.

alphapyro · 05-08-2008, 09:49 PM

UMD went by the way of the MiniDisk - straight down in a fiery crash.

Alright so MiniDisk didn't competely bite the dust, but nobody en masse gives a crap about them.

I think any mini-optical medium is doomed to fail.

I agree with above though, I never saw UMD as anything but the media used for PSP games.

WickyWoo · 05-08-2008, 09:57 PM

People keep saying that they should have been writeable

That's what the memory stick is for

UMD was doomed by the fact that you can rip and compress a DVD in under an hour for it, play the DVD anywhere else and still have it on your PSP. No one wants to carry that around when you can fit a TV episode down to 200MB and have it be perfectly fine on a 4 inch screen on a card plugged into your system

Clark Kent · 05-08-2008, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WickyWoo

UMD was doomed by the fact that you can rip and compress a DVD in under an hour for it, play the DVD anywhere else and still have it on your PSP. No one wants to carry that around when you can fit a TV episode down to 200MB and have it be perfectly fine on a 4 inch screen on a card plugged into your system

That's exactly it. UMD filled a niche that had a better free alternative. The UMD really had no added value over what you describe. Free wins...

Zyclone · 05-09-2008, 01:28 AM

i was looking at a spanish site at the blu ray release of REC and down the bottom it had a link to a dvd copy of rec and then below that a link to UMD of REC.

cajun1975 · 05-09-2008, 01:41 AM

I had a PSP since just about launch day and have only bought and watched one UMD on it. I would have purchased more if you could have connected the frist ones(PSP's) to a T.V like you can with the slim now. (An oversite on Sonys part I think) and if the disks were cheeper then DVD's at least somewhat. A good idea that could have been alot better.

05-08-2008, 06:36 PM	#1
Mikeblu Special Member Member since:Oct 2007 Trading Score:1	What could UMD have been I don't know what anyone else thinks but, if Sony would have marketed it right and given it standalone and UMD/DVD combo players UMD video/music could have been very succesful. The reasons are UMD's are small which is always good for electronics the smaller the better (except on TVs) 2) theres a scratch guard and my UMDs wouldnt last anywhere near as long if there wasn't also normal music CDs can only hold 700mbs and after the falure of SACD&DVD-A it could fill in a gap and unlike those 2 people would buy it cos there UMD player also does video and of coarse the PSP enables movies on the go as well as if Sony alowed UMD slots in other portable devices like MP4 players or an ipodUMD for example. I don't think the UMD as a video/audio format can be salvaged now but if they had done it right it could be the DVD of the portable world and a succesor to CD.

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05-08-2008, 06:51 PM	#2
ckenisell Blu-ray Samurai Top contributor Member since:Jun 2007 Location:Round Rock, TX Blu-ray collection:368 Blu-ray reviews:3	It's my opinion that price killed UMD.

05-08-2008, 07:08 PM	#8
bhampton Blu-ray Count Member since:Aug 2007 4K collection:981 Blu-ray collection:2537 DVD collection:67 Blu-ray reviews: 6 Trading Score:18	Hey, I always figured the "this new gizmo is almost as good as DVD" approach is what took all the appeal away. -Brian

05-08-2008, 07:56 PM	#9
helius Active Member Member since:Apr 2008 Location:Colorado	The problem with UMD is that nobody wanted it, really at any price. The average person doesn't want to buy a DVD to watch at home AND a UMD to watch on the go. People also don't want to buy just a UMD, because there was basically no way to play it except on the PSP. The bottom line is UMD was a terrible idea, and it died the painful death it deserved.

05-08-2008, 08:00 PM	#10
helius Active Member Member since:Apr 2008 Location:Colorado	Also, I strongly believe that no format will ever succeed with just one manufacturer supporting it. That is, after all, one of the major reasons HD-DVD went south.

05-08-2008, 08:03 PM	#11
Nerdkiller likes BD Blu-ray Knight Top contributor Member since:Jan 2008 Location:Wrestling in Ireland. PSNetwork: Nerdkiller316PSN Nerds beaten up: Loads 4K collection:75 Blu-ray collection:880 Trading Score:1	They should've made external read/write UMD drives for the PC and have the price of blank UMD's for around $10 for a five pack. That idea might've worked.

05-08-2008, 08:05 PM	#12
CptGreedle Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Jul 2007 Location:Sworn super-hero now services Atlanta (and suburbs). Blu-ray collection:128 Blu-ray reviews:5	I think that since it was limited to the PSP, it was doomed from the beginning. IF they made stand along players, it could have been more successful. If there were more studios and manufacturers it could have gained a following. But I think it is also going to die due to digital downloads, since you can fit those on a memory card and put that in the PSP as well. Like the minidisc, it is a great idea, but poorly timed and poorly executed. For portable devices, memory cards and digital files are the future and discs are dying out. But for home media, discs will still reign supreme.

05-08-2008, 08:19 PM	#13
kknight Senior Member Member since:Jan 2007 Location:Minnesota Blu-ray reviews:55	I hear ya man!! I watch UMD movies all the time, I feel like I'm watching a mini HD on my PSP cause the Picture Quality is so clearly detailed and vivid. It sold pretty well at the beginning and slowly died off. Here's the mistakes that I think Sony did: 1. Sony should of priced UMDs $5 - $10 cheaper then DVDs. I know friends who would of bought it if it were at that price point. 2. Sony should of offered a direct output connection from PSP to TV the day PSP came out... introducing this with the new PSP slim is too late since UMD has slowly died off... I'm pissed that I didn't get a chance to get the whole collection of Samurai Champoo on UMD, I got the first 4 voumes, I loved watching it on my PSP!

05-08-2008, 08:20 PM	#14
DutchBoy Blu-ray Guru Member since:Mar 2008 Location:R. Cucamonga, CA Blu Ray Steelbooks™: 22 Home Theater Gallery:31 Blu-ray collection:101 Trading Score:12	I never owned a PSP, but to me it always seems too gimmicky. Sometimes those things pay off, but often times they don't.

05-08-2008, 09:01 PM	#15
atomik kinder Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Jun 2007 Location:Omaha NE 4K collection:- Blu-ray collection:- DVD collection:-	I've had a PSP from the beginning and I never saw the UMDs as anything more than media for the games. I did buy one movie and got Spider-man 2 free with it, but when you can only play the things on a PSP, you are kind of limiting yourself. I think it would be better if Sony included a PSP version of their movies with their DVDs or Blu-rays. I don't know if they could convince other studios to do the same.

05-08-2008, 09:49 PM	#16
alphapyro Special Member Member since:Dec 2007 Location:Kansas Home Theater Gallery:4 Blu-ray collection:14	UMD went by the way of the MiniDisk - straight down in a fiery crash. Alright so MiniDisk didn't competely bite the dust, but nobody en masse gives a crap about them. I think any mini-optical medium is doomed to fail. I agree with above though, I never saw UMD as anything but the media used for PSP games.

05-08-2008, 09:57 PM	#17
WickyWoo Blu-ray Champion Member since:May 2007 Trading Score:2	People keep saying that they should have been writeable That's what the memory stick is for UMD was doomed by the fact that you can rip and compress a DVD in under an hour for it, play the DVD anywhere else and still have it on your PSP. No one wants to carry that around when you can fit a TV episode down to 200MB and have it be perfectly fine on a 4 inch screen on a card plugged into your system

05-09-2008, 01:28 AM	#19
Zyclone Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Jun 2007 Location:Somewhere over the rainbow Home Theater Gallery:3 Blu-ray collection:304	i was looking at a spanish site at the blu ray release of REC and down the bottom it had a link to a dvd copy of rec and then below that a link to UMD of REC.

05-09-2008, 01:41 AM	#20
cajun1975 Active Member Member since:Oct 2007	I had a PSP since just about launch day and have only bought and watched one UMD on it. I would have purchased more if you could have connected the frist ones(PSP's) to a T.V like you can with the slim now. (An oversite on Sonys part I think) and if the disks were cheeper then DVD's at least somewhat. A good idea that could have been alot better.

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