Blu-ray films allow PSP transfer

By Robert Purchese Published 1 October, 2009

Decision is down to individual studios.

Sony has told Eurogamer that whether a Blu-ray film can be transferred to PSP remains a decision for Hollywood studios and not the platform holder.

A spokesperson for Sony pointed out that Blu-ray releases Tropic Thunder and RocknRolla already support the feature, enabling those titles to be watched on the go, albeit at reduced quality.

Sony spoke after reports of US Blu-ray films containing the feature appeared on the internet. Those films are The Ugly Truth and Godzilla, however, both of which are rubbish [nonsense, Godzilla is Matthew Broderick's finest work - Ed].

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (35) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • StooMonster #1 2 years ago

    They should use the space on Blu-ray discs for higher picture quality and better audio fidelity; rather than filling discs with shite "value-added" extras.

  • drumbaby #2 2 years ago

    Didn't Watchmen have it on a separate disc?

  • KayJay #3 2 years ago

    StooMonster there is plenty of room for the lot...

  • StooMonster #4 2 years ago

    Really? So how much space is consumed by them?

    We are lucky HD-DVD existed and drove picture quality upwards, otherwise we would've had MPEG2 encodes on 25GB single-layer Blu-rays like the shockingly poor original releases.

    So maybe if movie disc is two layer 50GB Blu-ray then there is enough room, but if it's only a 25GB one ... I don't think so.

  • StooMonster #5 2 years ago

    Receiving a huge minus ... I am failing to understand why people prefer PSP / iTunes transfers on the Blu-ray disc and not on a separate DVD that other studios do.

    If it's on a separate DVD: 1) it works in all computers as easy transfer mechanism to PSP or iTunes, doesn't require a computer with a Blu-ray drive in it to work; 2) doesn't use space on main disc and potentially remove options for loss-less audio etc.

    The only reason studios would do this is to reduce costs and make more profit, or make you buy Blu-ray drives for your computer.

  • StooMonster #6 2 years ago

    Is the article about Digital copies?

    It is about Digital Copies being on the Blu-ray disc itself, rather than on a separate DVD.

  • NorUraeus #7 2 years ago

    @EarlBassett : Digital copies have been around, but most of them have been tied to Windows Media DRM based devices, so no luck for PSP owners.

  • GreyBeard #8 2 years ago

    @StooMonster
    Blu-Ray is a storage medium, with a higher capacity than HD-DVD.

    Blu-Ray capable players support a variety of encoding formats from MPEG-2 (legacy for DVD mainly) and VC-1 and AVC/H264.

    So if the transfer isn't up to scratch, complain at the content provider, because its their fault not that of the standard/format.

  • KayJay #9 2 years ago

    Most bluray movie releases are 50gb now arent they?
    Movie & sound on average takes up around 30 odd GB leaving plenty for your extra features and the rather nice Digital Copy to pop on your PSP or iPod.

  • bad09 #10 2 years ago

    Quite frankly I am digusted that I spent £20 on Watchmen blu (high street, I know it was a impulse buy) only to find I needed to join the "stealing" file sharers to get a copy for my PSP, it's no wonder I spend so little on movies these days. Blu-ray is a huge disc. Stick a DRM FREE digital copy on each disc....everyone's a winner baby...

    *Cough*MOVIE & GAME INDUSTRIES LOOK TO MR MUSIC FOR YOUR DIGITAL MODEL, DO THE WORDS DRM FREE SINK IN YET????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ????????..................*Cough*
    Edited by 2 at 01/10/09 @ 15:45

  • JahB #11 2 years ago

    @bad09

    yeah, because nobody's downloading free mp3's anymore...

  • jonthepymm #12 2 years ago

    "Godzilla is Matthew Broderick's finest work - Ed"

    Well I preferred Wargames but surely even better is Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

  • StooMonster #13 2 years ago

    GreyBeard:

    When Blu-ray launched almost all of the encodes were single-layer 25GB discs in MPEG2 codec, whereas HD-DVD movies were on dual-layer 30GB using either VC1 or H.264 encodes -- they had more efficient codecs on optical discs with larger capacity.

    Some of the original Blu-rays encodes did not look very good, for example the original 'Fifth Element' which was withdrawn and reissued, macro-blocking was an issue, etc. So, it was good to have a benchmark comparison for quality.

    Most bluray movie releases are 50gb now arent they?

    Are they? Does anyone know of a site where one can find out such info?

  • StooMonster #14 2 years ago

    Blu-ray is a huge disc. Stick a DRM FREE digital copy on each disc....everyone's a winner baby...

    If you have a Blu-ray drive in your PC or Mac, why can't they use a separate DVD with PSP and iTunes and Windows or DRM free version on, then we could all take advantage of it?

  • Cujo #15 2 years ago

    Ferris rules!

  • bad09 #16 2 years ago

    @ JahB

    No but I am 100% sure download sales have also increased thanks to DRM/restriction free music files. Look lets not turn this into a piracy argument anyway. There are a lot of silly short sighted and small minded views on piracy and file sharing and it's REAL impact on industries that we really don't need to get into.

    What I am saying is Mr Music Industry is taking consumers at bit more seriously and treating them with a bit more respect offering files YOU BUY. Now Mr movie industry needs to understand our viewing hardware is larger than a player in the home. Adapt or piss off, music adapted to what we needed so I invest in their product. I couldn't care less about pirates or lost sale, I care about what I SPEND MY MONEY ON and the restrictions they apply to ME a PAYING customer.

    I download many movies from these "illegal" channels but also pay my money, this is not about "stealing" this about RESTRICTING how you use what you buy, something I despise, I pay my pound of flesh it's mine so piss off. Why should I repay again and again?

  • StooMonster #17 2 years ago

    Or is it because you can transfer to PSP from PlayStation 3's Blu-ray drive and not on PC/Mac and that is the point?

  • KayJay #18 2 years ago

    This is where I read my BluRay reviews...
    [link url=http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/list.php?reviewType=Blu -ray
    ]http://ww w.dvdtalk.com/reviews/list.php?...[/link]

    Typical, I clicked on the first one to see what disk is used and its a Single Layer 25GB. There goes my theory...
    I think there was a thread on AVForums and they we banging on about the Studio preference for the 50GB.

    EDIT: Although they do say... "Though presented on a 25GB single-layer disc" which is kind of saying they would have expected it to release on 50.

    Edit 2: Direct link to review... http://ww w.dvdtalk.com/reviews/38533/new...
    Edited by 2 at 01/10/09 @ 16:09

  • bivith #19 2 years ago

    The "digital copies" are supplied on a separate DVD in the box anyway, so it's got bugger all to do with it being blu-ray. They could do the same with regular DVDs.

  • StooMonster #20 2 years ago

    The "digital copies" are supplied on a separate DVD in the box anyway, so it's got bugger all to do with it being blu-ray.

    "Digital copies" are currently supplied on a separate DVD in the box, Sony Pictures are pioneering a switch so that "digital copies" are on the Blu-ray disc instead -- and also include PSP version as well as iTunes and Windows DRM versions -- and decision to do the same is down to individual studio.

    Sigh, I give in... seems EG readers prefer the idea of "digital copies" on the Blu-ray rather than an additional DVD.

  • kangarootoo #21 2 years ago

    @StooMonster

    "So maybe if movie disc is two layer 50GB Blu-ray then there is enough room, but if it's only a 25GB one ... I don't think so. "

    You don't think so eh?

    What on earth are you basing your supposing on, given that none of us have any idea how much space a PSP version of a film takes up? Do we even know if the movie is carried on the disc (rather than being exported from the original source)?

  • bad09 #22 2 years ago

    "Or is it because you can transfer to PSP from PlayStation 3's Blu-ray drive and not on PC/Mac and that is the point? "

    That sounds backward as PC is better than PS3 at movies on PSP?? I use my PC for all my PSP movies anyway - if it's on blu I merely download a PSP copy through "illegal" channels. I shall give some examples.

    1. Watchmen - in the fine print no PSP or Zune so I buy a product useless to my PSP. Now fair enough if I had a blu drive in my PC I could convert, but I don't, so I download through file sharing. I am then branded a thief by the very industry which pushed me to use "illegal" channels.

    2. My Mrs got Hancock on Blu the one with a digital copy, nice. Problem being I downloaded the copy to my PSP. Now when My Mrs wants to watch it again when on holiday guess what "wah wah wah, we think you are stealing c**ts so you only get one download". Now after SPENDING £20 where do you think I head.

    3. While I use only a PSP my Mrs use both an Ipod and a PSP, so 3 seperate machines...add PS3s, PCs. Hmmmm DRM and hardware restrictions not such a good idea really, now where to get DRM free?

    People EXPECT to buy a movie once and not everyone has a zune,psp or Ipod, they use desktops, laptops, phones, consoles. DRM FREE is the ONLY WAY.....unless renting of course :)

  • KayJay #23 2 years ago

    "Sigh, I give in... seems EG readers prefer the idea of "digital copies" on the Blu-ray rather than an additional DVD."

    To right... DVD is soooo last gen... ;-)

  • StooMonster #24 2 years ago

    PSP version, iTunes version, Microsoft WMV version, etc. of "digital copies" -- or are Sony proposing only PSP versions?

    No, I have no idea how much space it takes up; but I know it's more than 0 bytes. :)

  • Freek #25 2 years ago

    Even if a film does not support the feature, it will still be pirated on the internet, you can't stop it.

  • bad09 #26 2 years ago

    People are SERIOUSLY marking me down????

    No wonder we get butt fucked constantly, you lot are all for it.......

  • belziah #27 2 years ago

    Stoomonster

    The problem is your having a 2 year old argument with yourself. Get over it, move on. Toshiba/MS have.

  • ChadSexington #28 2 years ago

    Review site DVD Beaver lists the feature and disc size of each Blu-ray it reviews and you'll see that the majority of new releases will come on a 50GB disc.

    Now, HD DVD is dead, so I'm not going to waste my time educating some of the less informed people on here regarding the format war, but I will just say that MPEG-2, as a codec, is fine for HD transfers. Its biggest shortcoming is that it isn't as efficient as the newer codecs, but given enough room, you can get some beautiful films. Examples off the top of my head: Black Hawk Down, Mission Impossible 3, Kingdom Of Heaven, Stranger Than Fiction, Ice Age 2, A Few Good Men, Fantastic 4, Good Night And Good Luck (US version), Big Fish.

  • Dizzy #29 2 years ago

    Hmm nobody screaming monopoly? At the very least they should support iPods and other media players.

  • davisorle #30 2 years ago

    I'd say this is interesting but its not since its on a PSP.... At least ZuneHD has HDoutput. Why would you want BluRays on PSP? Can someone entertain us and let us know whats the use?

  • Dave52 #31 2 years ago

    StooMonster: "If you have a Blu-ray drive in your PC or Mac, why can't they use a separate DVD with PSP and iTunes and Windows or DRM free version on, then we could all take advantage of it?"

    Because Sony want you to buy a PSP Go. And so you should!

  • makeamazing #32 2 years ago

    Quite frankly I am digusted that I spent £20 on Watchmen blu

    To be honest anyone who spent anything on that awful movie cant really blame anyone :D

    The problem with Blu ray isnt being able to transfer it to other mediums, thats generally pretty easy to do, but the quality of some of the lazy transfers some studios seem to do.

  • bad09 #33 2 years ago

    "To be honest anyone who spent anything on that awful movie cant really blame anyone :D"

    Really? I thought it was an excellent movie! :)

    "The problem with Blu ray isnt being able to transfer it to other mediums, thats generally pretty easy to do, but the quality of some of the lazy transfers some studios seem to do."

    Only easy if you have a PC and have converting software or use torrents. It should be a lot easier and less restrictive than it is in this day and age especially as we have the technology. I agree on the transfers of some though you might as well buy a DVD and upscale it for some.

  • bad09 #34 2 years ago

    @ davisorle

    It's less about HD picture really it's more about an accessible digital copy. As it stands you need a PC to convert DVDs and blus. You get the odd digital copy thrown out as a charity gesture (or hardware deal I suspect) with some studios giving a DVD with a digital copy but quite a lot of the time these are pretty useless thanks sales stealing DRM, especially if you use a PSP (or like my house have more than 1 device).

    They moan about "stealing" file sharers yet many of us have to turn to "stealing" file sharers as the industry does not service our needs in a time of multiple formats. It's no longer 1 video or DVD format to view on. We have DVD, blu/HD DVD (yes I still have a few!), digital (with various codecs to). The choices are to large now for selling movies on EVERY piece of kit we have.
    Edited by 1 at 02/10/09 @ 09:37

  • aidey6 #35 2 years ago

    "Godzilla is Matthew Broderick's finest work - Ed"

    better than Inspector Gadget?!