PS3 video service to 'embrace open standards,' support PSP

[xtop]

http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/04/21/...s-support-psp/

PS3 video service to 'embrace open standards,' support PSP
4/21/2008 1:30PM by Andrew Yoon
PS3's long-awaited video service may debut this summer, according to the LA Times. The newspaper has been in touch with a variety of executives, who have been in negotiations over the past few weeks. Due to the "sensitivity" of continuing negotiations, the executives had to remain anonymous.

Unlike previous efforts of Sony's, the upcoming service is looking towards using "open standards" and will work on a number of computers and portable devices, PSP included. Primary competitors, such as Apple's iTunes service and Microsoft's Xbox Live Video Marketplace, both adopt fairly restrictive DRM policies.

Sony's video service has been a long time coming, as it was originally planned for PSP many years ago. However, mismanagement at the company had pretty much stalled development until recently. PS3 has been vital to the success of Blu-ray -- if implemented correctly, PS3 can be the starting point of a very successful video downloads service.


well..now we know how their service will be different. very

[Shin-Ra]

I could see myself renting/buying tv shows so I hope there's a good selection of them but Blu-ray's where it's at for movies.

[alphapyro]

sounds good... let's see it.

[Proteus]

If they drop all the DRM and go fully open, they could really step up. They may not catch iTunes but shutting down Xbox Live Marketplace should be easy as pie considering what a failure it has been so far on it's own.

I would actually consider their service if it was 'open standards' and I could move my media where ever I wanted it to be.

[xtop]

lets hope sonys service forces other services to lose drm. and hopefully sony brings a bunch of content to the table right off the bat

heres a funny take from joystiq

Despite a hard-won victory for its Blu-ray optical format, Sony can't simply ignore online video distribution forever (though it's been doing a pretty impressive job thus far). While the company has been referring to plans for an online video service for awhile (remember this?), last week Peter Dille – Senior Vice President for PlayStation Network – more or less promised a service was in the works. So, while the LA Times revelation "Sony to launch online video service for PlayStation 3" isn't much of a shocker, their timetable is noteworthy: "as early as this summer, studio executives familiar with the plan say."

Of course, "summer" is industry code for "wait until E3" but there are a couple of other details these studio executives apparently let slip. Apparently, in a decidedly un-Sony way, the company "plans to embrace open standards that would make its offering compatible with a range of computers and hand-held devices" including, unsurprisingly, its very own PSP handheld. Dille did promise that Sony would offer a service that's different "from others you've seen or used"; however, with the balkanization of file formats and DRM schemes present in today's online marketplaces, we're skeptical of any widespread support outside of Sony's ecosystem. Sounds like we'll find out more "this summer." Wink.

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/21/la...dards-psp-sup/

[caliminius]

I can't imagine that the service will drop DRM, not if Sony expects to sign up any studios other than Sony Pictures and even getting Sony Pictures on board might be a stretch.

What I could maybe see them doing is providing a device-specific version, sort of the like the illegal Russian mp3 sites offered the music in whatever format you wanted. So if you have a PSP, you get an mp4 file and DRM is applied when it's moved to the PSP. If you have an iPod, you get maybe get a DRM-free mp4 file at a lowly 320x240 resolution and 128kp/s stereo audio. There might be a higher quality 720p file that stays on the PS3.

Or maybe the PS3 would transcode the file to the appropriate format for the particular device attached. Either way, the files would end up with DRM or be of such low quality it wouldn't be worth pirating.

[PS3-Playb3yond]

What we really need is PlayTV.

[Malosch78]

I like the sounds of that. TV-shows for download to your PSP
Movies should stay on blu-ray

[partridge]

Sony should offer a discount for renting a movie that you then go out and buy on blu-ray!

I've nothing really against on demand video downloads, but I do get irritated at the HD claims that MS and Apple throw around - the stuff they are offering is not HD, it may fit the 720p resolution but the data behind it is barely up to DVD levels. Grrrrrrr.

[Lord_Stewie]

looking forward to that. However, would there be a competition to Bluray disc? and how much would it affect it?

[JonD7]

very cool! I want Garth Marengi's Darkplace in HD!!! haha