The problem(s) with the umd format

[Kernel Kev]

Movie studios have started to shy away from continued use of the Universal Media Disc (UMD) format, and several have said that they are no longer committed to the production and release of movies in UMD format. This comes after Wal-Mart announced that they would be either removing or greatly reducing the shelf space for UMDs at their stores. This particular bit of news is being reported as a large blow to Sony's PSP, which is billed as more of a multimedia device than a gaming device compared to competing products such and the Nintendo DS.

Sony has a lot of problems with the UMD format that it should have foreseen, and unless they move to fix these problems, the PSP may be delegated to the role of a “cool PS3 accessory”.

The first problem comes with Sony's hard line approach to Digital Rights Management (DRM) through hardware and software combinations. The UMD format, used for games and movies on the PSP, is a proprietary hard disc format similar to the Mini-Disc format. Sony has, thus far, closely guarded the discs, licensing or releasing no UMD for PC devices, and no UMD burners.

While this achieves the purpose of the restriction, namely to prevent pirated movies and games from being playable on your PSP, it vastly limits the capabilities of the hand-held. For instance, I have many DVDs that I have already legitimately purchased, such as Napoleon Dynamite. When I see the Napoleon Dynamite UMD in stores, I think to my self, “Do I really want to pay $26 (USD) for a movie in a lower quality format I already have? No... no I don't.” By refusing to release a burner of any kind, Sony has locked out the world from buying the billions of DVDs that customers around the world have already purchased. No one wants to buy the same product twice when the first product isn't even broken.

Which marginally relates to the second problem: price. I can go to a store and lay down a $20 for a copy of Napoleon Dynamite, and I'll probably even get change back if I shop around. But on UMD? It's more. Depending on the movie, up to $30.

It's not so much that the companies are gouging customers, it's that the products don't have the perceived value. A customer looks at a UMD of TRON and says, “Wait a minute... they want to charge me more than a full tank of gas for a worse copy of something they created over 20 years ago?” Most customers, since UMDs only play on PSPs and DVDs can play on ANY TV with the right hardware, have a perceived devaluation, even if the content is brand new.

In order to combat this, there has to either be a greatly reduced price or additional content which increases the perceived value enough to justify the higher price. If UMDs were between $8-$10 a piece for movies, you would be much more likely to see them flying off the shelves.

It's really a shame though that UMDs have seen such slow adoption. The format is really quite brilliant in my opinion. 1.8 GB of space on such a small disc which loads like a cartridge. For such a small format, the load times are quite bearable, and the amount of game/movie developers and studios have put on so far isn't disappointing in the least. I myself have purchased five games and eight movies for my PSP on UMD, and I don't regret it at all.

This may all be part of a plan on timing however, and we may yet see UMD to PC products released to the public. Even if not, the recent announcement that Sony will begin to bring PS1 games to the PSP will certainly lift the format up off its knees.

However, the PSP at the moment seems to be for enthusiasts. The UMD format has some limitations that prevent it from being a powerhouse multimedia device, and memory cards are too expensive to be a mainstream alternative. Nintendo has a product with comparable graphics that's cheaper and has more games. So for now PSP owners such as myself are stuck in never land: quietly waiting the day the PS3 comes out so that we can wirelessly connect the two and say smugly, “See, it really DOES have lots of content on it.”

[kingster]

i hate sony proprietary! Too expensive! UMDs YUCKS!

[pennysweets_]

I really think sony should lower the price of games and umds.
i can barley even afford to buy the psp, and all the other essentials like, a larger memory card, a decent psp case, plus all the games!!

im definitly investing in loco roco when it comes out though