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View Full Version : UMD (Universal Media Disc): 'Another Sony Bomb'

Brian
03-30-2006, 11:24 AM
UMD (Universal Media Disc): 'Another Sony Bomb' (http://www.thetechlounge.com/news/9627/UMD+Universal+Media+Disc+Another+Sony+Bomb/)

"Exactly a year after it was launched in the United States, the Sony PlayStation Portable's days as a handheld movie-viewing device might be numbered.

Disappointing sales have slowed the flow of movies on the proprietary Universal Media Disc to a mere trickle. At least two major studios have completely stopped releasing movies on UMD, while others are drastically cutting back.

And retailers also are cutting the amount of shelf space they've been devoting to UMD movies, amid talk that Wal-Mart Stores is about to dump the category entirely.

Wal-Mart representative Jolanda Stewart declined comment on reports that the retailer is getting out of the UMD business. But studio sources say such a move is imminent, and a check Wednesday of a Wal-Mart store in Santa Ana, Calif., revealed a drastic shrinkage of UMD inventory. Several shelves of movies in the PSP section were gone; all that remained were seven UMD titles sitting bookshelf-style on the top of the PSP section, with no prices or other information.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has completely stopped producing UMD movies, according to executives who asked not to be identified. Said one high-ranking executive: "It's awful. Sales are near zilch. It's another Sony bomb--like Blu-ray.""

Read full story here (http://news.com.com/Universal+Media+Disc+another+Sony+bomb/2100-1026_3-6055948.html?tag=nefd.top)
Kurtis
03-30-2006, 11:24 AM
The reason that UMD movies didn't work with consumers is simple... Why would anybody in their right mind purchase a movie on a disc that they can ONLY use on their PSP? Sony needs to stop being so damn greedy and realize that people are not stupid and don't buy into their proprietary crap. When the PSP was launched and I heard about the UMD discs, I just laughed. It's fine for games, but for movies... come on, be serious.
Rich
03-30-2006, 01:12 PM
... and realize that people are not stupid and don't buy into their proprietary crap...

It seems to be working for Apple right now......
Kurtis
03-30-2006, 04:51 PM
lol, i knew someone was going to bring apple up.

i don't know exactly what sets apple apart from sony in terms of success (probably much to do with marketing...), but that is interesting isn't it? maybe it's because mp3 players appeal to more people than portable game players? (i duno if that's necessarily true, but i see way more ipods than i do PSPs...)
blackjet
03-31-2006, 05:33 AM
I thought the reason is that ppl can just watch moves from the memory card ;-) a much more "cost effective" strategy than buying movies on UMD that you may already have!
Nick
03-31-2006, 09:15 AM
Does this mean i can buy all the unsold movies for a buck each from Big Lots or some other 'excess inventory liquidation' store?
Brian
03-31-2006, 10:59 AM
Well Apple already has their market covered. Pairing an easy to use MP3 player with fast and relatively cheap downloads is what makes it appealing. I wouldn't get movies for either, but I would much rather download it from iTunes than go to the store to pick up a little disk. But I think more people would watch the iTunes movies on their computer, not their iPod (although crazier things have happened).
handrail
03-31-2006, 11:25 AM
you can also watch DVDs on an iMac without having to buy special little mac discs. i agree with kurtis, why would you buy a movie that you can only watch on a PSP? downloading movies to an iPod is also cheaper and easier than buying a non-recordable disc for a PSP. why you would want to watch movies on an iPod's dinkus little screen is beyond me though.

Sony should just start doing movie, music and TV downloads for the PSP. make it so that you can actually get some decent storage on the PSP and i think they would do better.

we can sum Sony's hubris up in one word, really...BetaMax.

and where do they get off calling it a 'Universal Media Disc'??? universal implies that you can actually use it universally! or maybe they assumed that you can only use the disc in this universe, therefore it is universal. kind of like saying that your house is an "all-weather home". you'd better hope your house can be used in all sorts of weather. it would suck if you house melted when it got wet. so maybe the UMDs are useless when transported to an alternate universe.