Sony Pictures unleashes digital downloads for PS3, other devices
While Sony hasn’t announced an official service for PS3 and PSP digital downloads, today Sony announced an agreement that’ll let online stores sell DivX versions of Sony Pictures movies.
The downloadable files are playable on DivX certified devices including the Sony PS3 and various set-top-boxes, but this doesn’t include the Xbox 360 as it’s not DivX certified.
"This milestone agreement lays the foundation for Sony," said Kevin Hell, CEO of DivX, "to offer high quality video content in the DivX format to its retail partners for playback on next-generation DivX Certified devices." Unfortunately, this means we won’t get to buy or rent movies and TV shows off the PS store, but at least the only consequence is consumer freedom.
Without a PS movie store, the process will likey involve your personal computer and either a flash drive or some decent home networking. With Blu-ray finally "winning" the HD disc format war, don’t expect Sony to release a video-on-demand service (like the Xbox 360′s) for the PS3 or PSP.
Like Microsoft, which currently backs HD-DVD, it looks like Sony’s trying to put its eggs in multiple baskets. Not that it’s anything new to Sony as the company’s products and services vary widely, but, like Microsoft, Sony will now support digital downloads and physical discs at the same time.
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January 12th, 2008
I’m not an x360 owner (I actually own the PS3) but I thought the x360 could play DivX too since the last update?
January 12th, 2008
Who cares about divx, it’s just another format. Sony knows that its bluray will have to compete with its own digital download service, on demand cable, satallite on demand, HDDVD, and XBOX downloadable content. Like Bill Gates said, we have seen the last of hard media content…