PS3 movie downloads coming to US this summer

by Ross Miller { Jun 26th 2008 at 8:45AM }

Sony PlayStation executive Kaz Hirai has announced a movie download service is coming to the PS3 this summer for the US, with similar service for Europe and Japan at a later date. Hirai told reporters (via TMC) that more details will be announced month, presumably at E3. The first images of the program were found via Hirai's presentation on the Sony's corporate site (PDF file via PS Beyond).

Sony has already launched a video on demand service with the Korean PS3. The service would compete with, among others, Microsoft's Xbox Live Video Marketplace, which launched November 2006. We can't help but wonder, given rumors and advertisements, if "movie downloads" translates to general video downloads (TV, movie, etc.). We'll find out more next month.

[Via Engadget]

Tags: BreakingNews, kaz-hirai, movie-downloads, sony, video-on-demand, vod

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Jcarpio @ Jun 26th 2008 8:50AM

I wonder what kind of studio support they'll have at launch. also will it be on demand or purchase in the US?

but it's also curious that they're doing this since the PS3 is a blu ray trojan horse..

The Dom @ Jun 26th 2008 10:44AM

I'm guessing at least Columbia Pictures...

SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread) @ Jun 26th 2008 11:23AM

...and Sony Pictures

Phranctoast @ Jun 26th 2008 5:24PM

MGM?

Makoto99 @ Jun 26th 2008 9:01AM

So they launch a new video-download service, and clearly visible on the screenshots and such are such breadwinners as Resident Evil: Extinction, and Benchwarmers.

If we're lucky, we'll get Howard the Duck and Gigli next.

FOXHOUND @ Jun 26th 2008 9:53AM

On the right screencap, it looks like they've got HELLBOY and CLICK available too. I'm not going to strain my eyes to view & guess the rest.

bobeotm @ Jun 26th 2008 11:26AM

Well this is always the strategy for movie companies when trying a new format or distribution method. They do it first with their b and c list stuff and then as the service proves its worth, the better movies come along. Remember DVD started with crap too. So did Blu-Ray and then better movies started to make the jump.

Jack @ Jun 26th 2008 11:34AM

Superbad and Spiderman are in the thumbnails. Looks good to me.

Sheppy (of the Fidlious Clan of Wong) @ Jun 26th 2008 12:53PM

See, I don't know. I'm kind of torn on this aspect. Let's put it this way. I will NEVER pay full price for something like Benchwarmers... ever. But put that fucker as a $2 digital download and it enters into the realm of consideration.

So while I don't see the worth of Click and Benchwarmers as permanent additions to my collection, cheapo download rentals are a whole other thing.

But that also calls something else into question, what are the rates? Because the idea of 360's video service has merit to me but the prices are ridiculous. If Sony can deliver this in an affordable fashion, I'm interested. But THESE are my terms.

1. Rentals should be competitively priced with other rental channels. A premium for convenience is fine, however when I can do a 24hr rental from a vending machine for a buck and they want $6, fuck that.

2. The ability to purchase the full version if I like it for an additional cost but do not penalize me if I try before I buy. Like if they rent them for $2, and sell for $15, give me the option of buying a movie I rented for $13.

3. Discount on the hard copy version. If I rent a movie or buy a movie, it would be nice to see that money spent go towards traditional media copy. Give me a coupon code that IU can print and take into a store. Cross promotions with BluRay would especially be appreciated.

NATO_Duke @ Jun 26th 2008 1:48PM

Sheppy, me thinks you demand way too much. Good luck with those.

Phranctoast @ Jun 26th 2008 5:28PM

good Idea Sheppy!

I would like a subscription service for it. $15-20 a month and have it be unlimited DL's. Kind of how rhapsody or napster work for music.

DarthDavid @ Jun 26th 2008 9:02AM

Will this be rentals? Can I view them on my PSP? What happened to the Blu-ray/copy option for PSP?......why am I asking questions in such a creepy manner?

PojoMofo @ Jun 26th 2008 10:55AM

Last I heard those are all still in the works. I hope they dont scrap it

SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread) @ Jun 26th 2008 11:31AM

"The presentation also states that the video store will launch this summer for both PSN and PSP"

it said that on that PSBeyond link. so i guess at least PSP is covered, no word on how that Blu-ray/PSP copy thing is coming along though.

Martez @ Jun 26th 2008 11:43AM

The Bluray/PSP copy thing is already out (I believe Juno has it), but nobody's doing it. I think it's also an extra disc that you put in your PC to get the PSP file and copy onto it.

DarthDavid @ Jun 26th 2008 9:03AM

Will this be rentals? Can I view them on my PSP? What happened to the Blu-ray/copy option for PSP?......why am I asking questions in such a creepy manner?

WRE (PSN: WorstReviewEver; Gamertag: HaloKissesBoys; Wii Friend Code: 4204-4590-6106-3583) @ Jun 26th 2008 10:05AM

I have a question. Can I download movies to have "forever ever" or just rent them off of Marketplace? Will THIS let me keep my movies forever? If not, why the hell not?

borland502 (SDF - Macross Ring) @ Jun 26th 2008 10:55AM

Because renting is not a purchase and the market hasn't all adjusted to a "rent-to-own" concept (Buy eps and make your own season, etc). Much of it is greed, but some is just old fashioned thinking on rentals. You don't *keep* a rental, you eventually give it back. In their thinking, that's why they are giving you a movie or an episode for less than at retail.

Deletion is just a means of dropping the movie off at Blockbuster.

PojoMofo @ Jun 26th 2008 10:57AM

well, if it is like Marketplace, Then its a rental, probably $5-$6 dollars, which is way under what they would charge if they were actually selling you the movie.

Shagittarius @ Jun 26th 2008 11:44AM

I believe the thinking is "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free". Only in this case, the cash cow is rental fees and the free milk is traditional sales.

They are pretty sure you'll want to watch these movies at least 2 times in your life and probably more, they stand to make way more money is they keep you buying items over and over again.

Heck, this gives em a way to sell you the same thing over and over again without costly format changes.

Welcome to the future where everything is leased.

Rodrigo @ Jun 26th 2008 10:27AM

i have been downloading movies for free since last year directly to my ps3 using my ps3 browser.

deaftly @ Jun 26th 2008 10:31AM

HAX!

j.howlett @ Jun 26th 2008 11:43AM

i was also doing that but joox changed when stage 6 went down. where do you go?

Evan @ Jun 26th 2008 10:44AM

Canada will probably be left out, as usual, forcing Canadians to pirate movies. (I'm serious about the piracy bit - U.S. corporations complain about piracy in Canada, but don't offer any legal download alternative to piracy.)

ammar91994 @ Jun 26th 2008 11:25AM

Looks like there will be TV aswell, if you look closely at the left side of the first image you can see different sections, one of which is called "Television"

kcha295 @ Jun 26th 2008 11:23AM

thats cool... theyre also adding a new icon for (im guessin) just the downloads (look at the slide with the ps3 and the icons theres one between video and network)

SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread) @ Jun 26th 2008 11:39AM

i think thats the icon for the (everywhere but in the US) PlayTV DVR service. people can watch over the air digital broadcast and record them to their hard drives.

dont quote me, but i believe thats what that is. i would expect the Video store would probably go under the Playstation Network icon.

SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread) @ Jun 26th 2008 11:28AM

"The service would compete with, among others, Microsoft's Xbox Live Video Marketplace.....which launched November 2006."

*sigh* you just gotta put that in there huh? lol

Ninjakamster (PS360 FTW!) @ Jun 26th 2008 11:36AM

LOL, in case we ever forget, Joystiq will always kindly remind us that Sony rips off of other companies, implements ideas way after the competition has done so, etc.

At least we can swap out the hard drive for a much larger one unlike the 360.

Most 360 users only have the 20gb and there's not going to be much room for all the video downloads they have on the Xbox Live Marketplace.

Dang, Sony's the only one thats so open with storage, put any 2.5" HDD you want and the 360 is stuck with a proprietary 2.5" HDD and the Wii with SD cards.

NATO_Duke @ Jun 26th 2008 1:52PM

Damn you guys are oversensitive. Chevy releases a car to compete with the new Pontiac. Target installs Green Lights to compete with Kmart.

Welcome to how things are announced. It’s just placing the service in a mental picture frame for you. So relax with your joystiq is so biased b.s.

SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread) @ Jun 27th 2008 12:29AM

well what im saying is, the "this will compete with the Xbox Live Video Marketplace" part is all that was needed to create said mental picture. the "which launched in 2006" part was just flame bait.

i probably am just being over sensitive but stuff like that irks me for some reason. it's like saying "ok we're giving you your props for doing something good but we're going to tell everyone you wet the bed to keep you in your place". im not mad, just irked.

browntown @ Jun 26th 2008 11:42AM

Don't care about this, i will just drive 2 mins and rent a movie for 2 bucks. It won't be in hd, but if i rent a bunch of hd movies on psn i could buy a game.

Dralthi @ Jun 26th 2008 11:55AM

So, Sony is going to compete against their own Blu-Ray movie format then???

Seems a little counter-productive, no? They're going to be taking sales away from their Blu-Ray department.

If I had a PS3 I'd much rather download an HD movie for cheaper through PSN instead of going to a store to buy it on Blu-Ray for a higher price.

ill trooper @ Jun 26th 2008 1:44PM

You're looking at it wrong - Either way they make money by covering all bases. And it's very unlikely these downloads will go beyond 720p resolution right now - no legal downloadable movie service offers 1080p yet, so there's still a motivation to go bluray, in addition to the extras on the physical media.

Think of this as more to compete with the cable companies' on-demand services, or LIVE marketplace - the casual 'What shall we watch tonight?" crowd. Fans of a specific movie will likely still buy a disc, or wait for it through Netflix.

born2kill @ Jun 26th 2008 11:57AM

I'm probably not going to use this feature cause of netflix, but thats a beautiful interface they got there.

ill trooper @ Jun 26th 2008 1:52PM

Yes, agreed - great interface. The interface looks better than LIVE's movie/TV zone, which is pretty poor in my opinion (and I design DVD interfaces) but we haven't seen it in action yet. The SingStore interface is good too, but occasionally crashes when accessing info from online.

Chameleon @ Jun 26th 2008 12:14PM

gentlemen i'm at the end of my rope (figuratively speaking). i apologize ahead of time but quite frankly i've exhausted every board i could find and have yet to find an answer.

i just got back my ps3 from sony (it had stopped playing discs; amazing turn-around time from sony by the way) and for some reason now when playing movies the color is for lack of a better word 'off'. all the colors just seems muted, i thought it was just the red/white/yellow cords so i went out and bought sony component cables. this resulted in all the movies having a reddish-pink film on the screen.

now i am using a sd sony trinitron tv (can't afford a hdtv yet), but even when using the red/white/yellow's everything used to work, before i sent it in. the kicker of everything is that all my games (resistance,cod, etc.) all play fine. i mean the colors are all perfect, or as perfect as you can get without hdmi. called sony obviously the next day and they already have another box on the way, which is great but they couldn't figure out the problem either. i went through every setting i could think of (display, bd/dvd playback etc.) and still nothing changed.

i'm hoping that maybe one of you wise fellows (i hear flattery will get me everywhere) might have either experienced this or know of a fix. i'd hate to have to send it back again just to find out that there was something i could've done. thanks very much in advance and i apologize for being off-topic ....

Chameleon @ Jun 26th 2008 12:18PM

ps: i may have double posted this in ps3f as well, in pennance to you all i shall perform hara-kiri

seriously though, i would really appreciate anyone's help ....

Shagittarius @ Jun 26th 2008 12:39PM

I have no real idea, but I'd check the setting like WTW and BTB, thats, Whiter than White and Blacker than Black. Make sure that none of those HDTV settings have been activated when it was sent to Sony.

I'm not sure what those would do on an SDTV but I would start with something like that.

I know there is a setting for an 'expanded color gamut' somewhere in the PS3 menu as well...check that and see. I don't have my PS3 infront of me to tell you exactlly what the options are, but maybe theres a global reset you could try to see if that fixes it?

As I said I really have no sure idea, just some guesses for you.

Ninjakamster (PS360 FTW!) @ Jun 26th 2008 12:43PM

I knew I wasn't the only one having my PS3's Blu-Ray drive conk out, others are having this problem as well.

I'm wondering, did you play MGS4 or GTA4 before the drive died?

I'm going to wait a while before buying a PS3 again, looks like Sony is having drive troubles again like they did with the PS1 and PS2. But I really dislike my 360 as well. Why did you have to be discontinued 60gb PS3? : (

Chameleon @ Jun 26th 2008 6:09PM

@shag
appreciate the thoughts. i tried looking around for such settings, restored the ps3 and even tried using my ps2 cables which someone suggested, but unfortunately still came up empty as far as movies go. i'm probably going to have to just suck it up and wait for the box.

@ninja
nah neither one was out when it stopped working, come to think of it i think i was online with resistance (which like i said still looks fine even over rca cables). i just got caught up with life and didn't get around to returning it until about a week ago.