Comments on: Movies and TV shows coming to the PS3 this summer

Sony has just confirmed the rumor we all heard back in April: video downloads will be available on the PS3 this summer.

[Macajuel]

On the surface, a Netflix tie-in might sound like a good idea but it won't do Sony much good because there just isn't enough compelling content on Netflix's Instant Play service. Sony is not going to want to base it's new service on obscure movies and televsion shows from the 80's and early 90's.

That being said, you can't get away from the fact nearly everyone (and their grandmothers) have Netflix subscriptions or the fact that Netflix will (hopefully) eventually get fresher content on for Instant Playback. Sony should go with a hybrid approach that integrates Neflix support with a Hulu-like "free-for-all" with short (really short) ads.

Given Sony's history though, I'm almost sure that they're going to go with the DRM-laden time-based movie rental model.

[Scopip]

Sony has learned DRM doesn't work for adoption of a product. (Ie. the all important techies)

Yet, Sony also knows most people will probably not pirate, especially if they have access to library of Mp3's, and Movies. Imagine just uploading music to ipod through PS3.

Imagine the day when, sony will release a blockbuster movie first on PS3, before American movie theaters. It has to happen.

[make_or_break]

Imagine the day when, sony will release a blockbuster movie first on PS3, before American movie theaters.

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No...frankly I can't. They'd be leaving too much money on the table by not heading to the movie house first and burning bridges with the theater chains. I can see digital delivery working after the first run sequence, but I can't see ANY bean counter within Sony or on Wall Street allowing a potential movie house blockbuster to go direct-to-digital to their console, especially since the PS3 isn't even close to being the dominant electronic platform (remember Apple?). Besides, Sony sells their OWN MP3/PMP devices, remember?

[RRosal]

Whatever Sony decides to go with, I'm sure they'll have profit margin in mind. I'm all for it, since Microsoft is already touting their movie/tv show availability through the XBox 360, so more choice is better. And if it is indeed a pay-per-view setup, no biggie, that's what I use Hulu for.

[yankeesfanX10]

I really do hope that it is a Hulu inspired tv service, seeing as it is free. Until the Playstation 3 will except paypal as a payment, I will not be able to pay for anything, seeing as I'm a 17 year old without a credit card.

I also wouldn't mind an ASTC tuner add-on for the PS3. That would be a great free alternative to downloads that I'd be happy with.

[mclaren5]

i think people just need to chill out about Sony charging for stuff...

Apple does it all the time and people hardly ever say anything and even when people do notice they are being ripped off by Apple they still buy the crap anyway!!!!

that's just one fanboys opinion though :)

[make_or_break]

So how many more BILLIONS is this going to cost Sony? (I saw the bloody red three biilion-dollar loss headline over on Yahoo! a few minutes ago). And I thought the Xbox 360 business model was broken.

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They couldn't get their ATRAC DRM music eco-system to fly. I doubt they're having a good time over at their proprietary CONNECT e-book store, now that Kindle (yes, another proprietary eco-system) is running amok.

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Us naysayers called it way back when Sony was about to release the PS3...it's a MONSTER money loser. They were bleeding out when it was at $599. They're still bleeding out now and it's even WORSE since the dollar tanked, and they could ill afford to actually raise prices to compensate. There was NO WAY that Blu-ray, the all-new Cell processor and all the other misc. hardware goodies were going to pan out, even in the long run. Especially since the great games are too few and far between. The machine isn't the super easy platform to program for like Sony promised. And SURPRISE...hi-def games cost a TON to produce, especially when compared to a lo-fi platform like the Wii. By giving the 360 the head start, MSFT had plenty of time to turn their thing into a money maker, even WITH the blasted RROD. Heck, MSFT can even afford to drop prices if they want and still turn a quarterly profit. With the massive subsidies that Sony had to swallow, they had to sell a huge amount of games just to break even. It's no wonder that Sony has to roll out other revenue generating schemes for the PS3...it's about the only shot the company has at recovering any part of those monster losses.

[stuntman_mike]

Not that this is even on the topic, but to reply to the above poster/ 360 fanboy. The extended warranty program for the RROD cost MS over 2 Billion dollars right there. All console makers sell their consoles at a loss and make their profits form the games. MS is no different. While they may not lose as much money per console as Sony, they do lose money per console.

Add in the fact that the original XBOX was a huge money loser, which still counts towards Microsoft's game division revenues, and it is pretty logical to assume that MS is just as much in the red as Sony is this generation, even with all of the success that MS has achieved with US sales of the 360.

Nice try.

[RRosal]

"So how many more BILLIONS is this going to cost Sony? (I saw the bloody red three biilion-dollar loss headline over on Yahoo! a few minutes ago). And I thought the Xbox 360 business model was broken."

The report from Yahoo is referring to Sony's Fiscal Year 2007, since Fiscal Year 2008 is still nine months away. And with any console system launch, losses such as this are normal which is made up in software/accessory sales later on as the cost for making a console drops. And Sony is already getting in on the 65nm pressing for their graphics chips, so the amount that Sony will lose for FY2008 will drop even more. Leave it to Yahoo and other sites wanting to issue soundbite-sized news to mislead people and give them grossly inaccurate information.

[mantonx907]

I think I'll stick with trusty Betamax tapes.

[swiggins]

It's a shame that Sony is STILL trying to best the xbox 360, adding feature after feature that came standard with the 360 from day one. There was a time when it was Sony leading the pack with it's innovation and sadly since the xbox 360 has been out longer, it just feels like Sony is in a perpetual state of catch up. I have both consoles for my family so I really couldn't care less who comes out on top, as long as it doesn't require me to buy another console.
I thought it was MS who was making the deal with Netflix, NOT Sony, they have been talking about this for a while now, there is even mods on the market that I saw that allows you to use your 360 as a Roku set top box. I also read that Sony will only be offering Sony based and owned films, which would be kind of useless, . . people don't watch movies based on the studio they come from, and if you do that's taking fanboyism to a whole new weird level.
I do find it interesting however that at not one point in this article do they mention that the xbox 360 already has this feature PERFECTED, and has been doing it well for some time now.