PSP UMDs get music industry support
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Mar 4th 2005 at 3:13PM }
On April 13th Sony will release the first batch of UMD movies for the PSP (in Japan). Along
with the films there will be a series of music video UMDs featuring Japanese Pop Stars, like the Asian Kung-Fu
Generation (see right). The price is a bit steep however, when converted, we're talking $23-47. Several
major Japanese labels have also agreed to start supporting the UMD format for standard album releases. It will be
interesting to see if this trend follows in the US/European market.
[Thanks, Chris]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Kamalot @ Dec 18th 2005 9:58PM
This is downright silly. Who would pay $23-$47 for music or video when you can buy it on CD/DVD and encode it yourself?
Am I the only one who thinks that, in this day and age, the whole idea of swapping discs to change the artist I am listening to is incredibly old-fashioned? Maybe I've been spoiled by hard-drive players.
vj @ Dec 18th 2005 9:58PM
That's a normal price range for music CDs or minidiscs in Japan (and what you'd pay if you try to import a CD from Japan, including releases available in America or Europe but which have extra tracks in the Japan-only release.) You can rent CDs and minidiscs in Japan just like movies, which is probably why the purchase price is higher.
Wobble @ Dec 18th 2005 9:58PM
VJ is right, the prices seem super high when you compare them to what you would pay for a CD or a music video DVD collection here in the states. But they are totally in line with Japanese music prices, they really get screwed over there (even when you consider all of the extras thrown in). The only problem I have with the UMD releases is that they should be cheaper than their DVD counterparts, since they are more limited in use.
I hope they get Avex signed up for UMD releases.
Joey Geraci @ Dec 18th 2005 9:58PM
That's actually what I was saying, these should be, at the very most, 50% of their dvd or cd counterpart. There is only one thing you can do with these little disks, view them on the small but admittedly beautiful screen. That lack of use dictates a much smaller price. They better not try to sell those umd movies for more than maybe $9 and the umd music for more than $8, max. Otherwise, they will stay on the shelf where they belong.