How Well Would UMD Movies Take Off?

[GD|eNSo]

I was just wondering how successful do you think UMDs would be, and in your opinion as a consumer, which approach should Sony take with this?

I definitely think UMD-M's would have to be set at lower price then DVDs, and even then, have something more to offer. Keeping in mind their end-users.


I am a below-average movie fan, but do have a decent size DVD library. One thing is obvious with DVDs is the versatility. Most people have DVD players (and even recorders are coming up there) with which they can enjoy their movies on their big screens.

UMD would not have this advantage. It will be only used for the PSP, until Sony gets serious and release a UMD-M player for TV and such.

For myself there would be two ways I would purchase a UMD-M:

One would be, if it's cheap, like $10 cheap. Which I highly doubt. Second would be if it comes in a bundle. A DVD/UMD-M combo. With the cost be slightly more then the regular DVD.

They can go ahead and fill the UMD's with extra features, but with DVDs already have the same feature, what more can they offer? Also you would have to keep in mind, the battery-life drawback for UMD-M playback, and adjust the UMD-M according to that.

One thing I can see working for UMD-Ms is that it can offer is a soundtrack. Soundtracka re set in adavnce and can easily implemented.You get the Movie and the Soundtrack, but I can see the CD branch not liking that.


At this time, for obvious reasons, only PSP owners would be targets.

Being so, the approach has to be set for a demographic, that is about 13-30. You will meet two factors in this, one would be the (a) 13-18 crowd and a (b) 18-30 crowd.

The first (a) will have less income, but more flexibilty then the second group (b). They would be more adapable for change and new aspects, but the drawback would be the financial position.

The second group (b) will be the opposite: They will have more money to spend, but less willing to adapt to a new format. After all "What can UMD-M offer that I cannot already get" would be a common mindset, for them.

Sony will need to cater for both these group and find a nice balance in between.

I'm not sure how serious this company is about UMD-Ms, but some well thought-out approach has to be initiated, for this take-off.

Your thoughts?

[Black Ops]

IDK but I'd buy them :). Most people have DVD players or a console that allows them to play DVDs. UMDs are just a way to play them on a portable screen with great resolution. I'd think it will do good.

[andr345]

Let's first remember what happened when DVDs first came! At first ppl were hesitating and most of them were insisting into staying into the good old video cassete market but ppl slowly slowly realised the advantages of DVD, such as better quality, the ability for it not to break easily and such, and so the market of DVD and DVD players were uplifted!
I think something similar will happen with the UMD, but the UMDs will concern only PSP owners so the situation will be definetely different(but not greatly different), but the same aproach should be used as in DVDs in order to attract people to buy them... show them that UMDs are useful, for example Sony can take advantage of the fact that you can watch ur favourite movie anywhere u want, or maybe even take advantage of the gaming ability of PSP and within the Special features the viewer can play a game, etc.
I really don't know what to say about the price but definetely it should be cheaper than DVDs because companies would already get great profit from the DVDs so UMD Movies should be quite cheaper, you can also look at it differently. UMD Games have the price of DVDs so UMD Movies should be cheaper!
In general it will be quite a challenge for Sony to release UMD Movies but there is still huge potential to it!

[Rallyracr420]

I really don't see UMD movies ever being a good market unless UMDs are adopted by other players. For now Sony will encourage the use of their Mpeg converter so they can get PSPs spread to as many ppl as possible.

THere's two possible scenerios that could jumpstart UMDs:
1) Put a kiosk in stores where you bring in your DVD movie and the kiosk converts and burns it to UMD.
2) Direct UMD orders straight from Sony for all the movies owned by MGM, Tristar, Sony Pictures, or Colombia.

[HeroreV]

I think UMD movies will sell better than Video Now, Juicebox, or GBA Video at least.

[Black Ops]

I think UMD movies will sell better than Video Now, Juicebox, or GBA Video at least.

Yea. I also think so. Hehe.

[imported_Anonymous]

... show them that UMDs are useful, for example Sony can take advantage of the fact that you can watch ur favourite movie anywhere u want, or maybe even take advantage of the gaming ability of PSP and within the Special features the viewer can play a game, etc.

Well there are already portable DVD players. I also see many people taking advantage of their laptop as a portable player. Promoting the "Take it on the go" will not really work, that well.

As for adding a game, that would be hard, as a game has to be worked on for each movie. I dont know, could be done, but would they go through all that trouble?

I really don't see UMD movies ever being a good market unless UMDs are adopted by other players. For now Sony will encourage the use of their Mpeg converter so they can get PSPs spread to as many ppl as possible.

THere's two possible scenerios that could jumpstart UMDs:
1) Put a kiosk in stores where you bring in your DVD movie and the kiosk converts and burns it to UMD.
2) Direct UMD orders straight from Sony for all the movies owned by MGM, Tristar, Sony Pictures, or Colombia.

Great stuff. UMD's can be adopted by other players, but would Sony want to allow that? They are keeping UMD's locked behing a vault at the moment, and it does not seem like they would want to let them out to other companies.

An external, UMD-M player would make sense. Also companies will have to deal with royalty fee's, but thats whole different topic.

That kiosk idea is great. Have them in major video stores, Block Buster, etc. Thing is though, Sony would probably bitch about piracy, and then having blank UMD's and a burner out there would drive them nuts.

Direct order seem neat. Would also let Sony control everything.

[andr345]

... show them that UMDs are useful, for example Sony can take advantage of the fact that you can watch ur favourite movie anywhere u want, or maybe even take advantage of the gaming ability of PSP and within the Special features the viewer can play a game, etc.

Well there are already portable DVD players. I also see many people taking advantage of their laptop as a portable player. Promoting the "Take it on the go" will not really work, that well.

As for adding a game, that would be hard, as a game has to be worked on for each movie. I dont know, could be done, but would they go through all that trouble?


About the gaming ability u r right... that's just too much trouble but for the portable DVDs... that didn't even come in mind when I was writing this reply! But generally, I just wanted to point out that Sony should use the same aproach with DVDs.. show the benefits of UMD-M's that no-one else still has!

[Fooly Cooly]

The most sucessful UMD will be FF advent children but others Iam not sure about

[imported_Anonymous]

The most sucessful UMD will be FF advent children but others Iam not sure about
is that a movie or the game?

[imported_Anonymous]

[quote=Fooly Cooly]The most sucessful UMD will be FF advent children but others Iam not sure about
is that a movie or the game?

but i think other movies will do good also im getting the psp because of its media capabilities none of the games have caught my attention so i will definetly be an avid umd movie buyer

[Fooly Cooly]

I was talking about the movie don't double post

[Sephiroth_VII]

[quote=Fooly Cooly]The most sucessful UMD will be FF advent children but others Iam not sure about
is that a movie or the game?

but i think other movies will do good also im getting the psp because of its media capabilities none of the games have caught my attention so i will definetly be an avid umd movie buyer

FF Advent children, is a movie only!
FF Before Crisis(For mobile phones), FF Crisis Core(For PSP) and FF Dirge of Cerberus(PS2), are games.
+ They're all sequels to FF VII.

[andr345]

Emm... what do the letters FF stand for???

[MiThRaZoR]

Final Fantasy

[andr345]

Oops! Should of imagined it! I feel really stupid now! :lol: ! Poor me... still trying to get used of me getting into the gaming world :lol:

[andaris]

The most sucessful UMD will be FF advent children but others Iam not sure about
how can you state that i think that ff advent child is really gonna suck

[thugbug12]

i think the best approach for sony is just to sell them on their website. a kiosk
isnt a horrible idea but once again u have all ur bitchy celebs and movie companys worried about piracy. but u may see a few UMD movies being sold at EB and Gamestop, but the most likely place for sony to sell UMD movies would be at their website.

[PimpTolson]

I was just wondering how successful do you think UMDs would be, and in your opinion as a consumer, which approach should Sony take with this?

I definitely think UMD-M's would have to be set at lower price then DVDs, and even then, have something more to offer. Keeping in mind their end-users.


I am a below-average movie fan, but do have a decent size DVD library. One thing is obvious with DVDs is the versatility. Most people have DVD players (and even recorders are coming up there) with which they can enjoy their movies on their big screens.

UMD would not have this advantage. It will be only used for the PSP, until Sony gets serious and release a UMD-M player for TV and such.

For myself there would be two ways I would purchase a UMD-M:

One would be, if it's cheap, like $10 cheap. Which I highly doubt. Second would be if it comes in a bundle. A DVD/UMD-M combo. With the cost be slightly more then the regular DVD.

They can go ahead and fill the UMD's with extra features, but with DVDs already have the same feature, what more can they offer? Also you would have to keep in mind, the battery-life drawback for UMD-M playback, and adjust the UMD-M according to that.

One thing I can see working for UMD-Ms is that it can offer is a soundtrack. Soundtracka re set in adavnce and can easily implemented.You get the Movie and the Soundtrack, but I can see the CD branch not liking that.


At this time, for obvious reasons, only PSP owners would be targets.

Being so, the approach has to be set for a demographic, that is about 13-30. You will meet two factors in this, one would be the (a) 13-18 crowd and a (b) 18-30 crowd.

The first (a) will have less income, but more flexibilty then the second group (b). They would be more adapable for change and new aspects, but the drawback would be the financial position.

The second group (b) will be the opposite: They will have more money to spend, but less willing to adapt to a new format. After all "What can UMD-M offer that I cannot already get" would be a common mindset, for them.

Sony will need to cater for both these group and find a nice balance in between.

I'm not sure how serious this company is about UMD-Ms, but some well thought-out approach has to be initiated, for this take-off.

Your thoughts?

Personally, I love how you think, you should like work for Sony, you could definetley bring Sony very close to killing Nintendo, then everyone will start buying the PSP.

[gamingmonkey2004]

you think we will start seeing the UMD movies after the US launch? because there arnt any mentioned or announced of a release date..well other then FF:AC