Blu-ray to PSP movies about 1GB in size, DRM protected

by Andrew Yoon { Jan 10th 2008 at 1:00AM }

Want some more details on the upcoming ability to transfer movies from Blu-ray? Gizmodo got some. According to the site, "the movies are around 1GB (standard def and PSP-optimized) and take about 3-5 minutes to download via USB to the Memory Stick Duo in your PSP." Obviously, DRM will be utilized when a movie is copied to the system, although exact details haven't been worked out yet. We're assuming it'll work similarly to the DRM used for downloadable games from the PLAYSTATION Store.

Unfortunately, there isn't an exact timeframe set for this feature. It's some time this year -- and that's all we get. [Update: More images can be found at Watch Impress.]

[Via Digg]

Tags: blu-ray, drm, psp

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Charizard @ Jan 10th 2008 1:19AM

Well, it turns out the file size isn't nearly as big as I had previously thought (I was guessing about 2-3GB).

I guess it means I should think about upgrading my 2GB stick, though...

NeoRaiden @ Jan 10th 2008 1:33AM

1gb? What the hell. It should be at most 500mb. Illegally downloaded movies are around 700mb and those use the old crappy Divx/Xvid encoder and they still look good on a HD moniter. With AVC 500 MB is plenty for a low res screen the PSP has. I converted a DVD I had at 300 mb and it looked pretty darn good. 500 is plenty...

Two reasons why I hate this idea.
1. Will take up to much space on my memory stick.
2. That 1gb could be used to increase the bitrate on the blu-ray disc. Especially with people screwing up the encodes on our blu-ray discs today.

Brendan Brown @ Jan 10th 2008 1:51PM

I'd rather have an encode be bit-rich than bit-starved.

Plus, are you really that concerned over a loss of 2% worth of disc space? Are you aware how much a PCM track takes up?

Trekster_Gamer @ Jan 10th 2008 1:47AM

Best way I have found.

Take my hand dandy DVD
Pop it into dvdrom
Run PC Application DVDfab Platinum
Select output as PSP
after it completes
whala! 700 megs or less you have the movie :)

Hashbrown_Hunter @ Jan 10th 2008 1:59AM

haha yeah I definitely agree with that. 1GB seems a little too big, but that 16GB Memory Stick would come in handy for that. Too bad I don't have $300 lying around.

trystero @ Jan 10th 2008 11:53AM

Hmm, just downloaded the evaluation copy from their site. Surprisingly easy to use. I'll have to take a closer look at this app.

- trystero

Shinogu @ Jan 10th 2008 2:18AM

Very interesting. 1 GB with no visual compromises, or 368x208 resolution again? I'd hope for full screen with no loss in quality, but that's gotta be some haxx magic they're doing if it can go a to b with nothing lost and still be 1 gig.

Shinogu @ Jan 10th 2008 2:19AM

Very interesting. 1 GB with no visual compromises, or 368x208 resolution again? I'd hope for full screen with no loss in quality, but that's gotta be some crazy stuff they're rockin' if it can go a to b with nothing lost and still be 1 gig.

Brad @ Jan 10th 2008 3:06AM

The really unfortunate thing is that we'll probably almost NEVER get to use this feature. The publisher of each individual movie must decide to offer this feature and pre-load a PSP version of the movie on the Blu-Ray disc. It'll probably happen on 1 or 2 Sony releases, and then the feature will be forgotten.

(This is obviously not a transcoding performed by the PS3 - no way it would be done in 4-5 minutes...)

benzitor @ Jan 10th 2008 3:50AM

I think this is somehow, one of the coolest feature of this CES. But i agree, it will not happen often. Like the DVD/UMD combo....i can count the number of those on a single hand.

Sad but true.

Regarding the resolution, it is native dvd ( like umds ) and mpeg4 codec. The only unknown part is about the languages and subtitles...because the good point of umd movies over files, is the possibility to choose language and subtitle.

Lets hope it will happened, like the relaunch of umds videos for 10$ max...

PSP rules....

Halifirien @ Jan 10th 2008 5:01AM

This gets a big *yawn* from me. Most of the movies I've converted to play on my PSP or iPod are 250-350 MB. I don't need a DVD-quality image for most of this stuff.

Halifirien @ Jan 10th 2008 5:03AM

This gets a big *yawn* from me. Most of the movies I've converted to play on my PSP or iPod are 250-350 MB. I don't need a DVD-quality image for most of this stuff.

Alien @ Jan 10th 2008 9:17AM

Well its not that much IMO ... you can easily put up half a dozen movies on an 8 gb card ...

Chaunches @ Jan 10th 2008 9:46AM

I wonder how long it will take to compress a 25-50gb disc
hmm...

Brad @ Jan 11th 2008 2:42AM

The way this feature is described, the PSP version would already have to be pre-rendered and on the disc. The file is simply being transferred to the PSP in 4-5 minutes.

If the transcoding was done by the PS3, which I doubt studios would allow to happen for most movies, it'd take hours and hours...

drdre74 @ Jan 10th 2008 10:44AM

yeah Pretty much useless. Better off just making your own movie and putting it on your psp. Save yourself a few 100MB's

Noshino @ Jan 10th 2008 11:15AM

sigh, Im still hoping in later updates it becomes compatible with Remote Play, that would have been awesome...

dave @ Jan 10th 2008 11:25AM

480x272 means its then watchable on the TV out if you wanted to take your PSP to somewhere where the blu-ray isnt. Sure it looks good on your PSP, but if you dont throw loads of bit rate at the file, the output on large TV's can look shoddy.

if only blu ray wasn't so wrapped up in god awful DRM we could just convert the film ourselves, you know, like we have been doing just fine with DVD's for years....

required @ Jan 10th 2008 3:19PM

I really doubt they are at the 480x272 game resolution.

I bet they are the same ratio as UMD movies which are encoded at 720x480. This is a great service, especially since the PSP has video output. Play game, plugin to TV, watch movie, have cake and eat it too.

redbrick @ Jan 10th 2008 4:55PM

Wow...look at all the pessimism.... I don't blame you guys...Sony has been dissappointing with the movie side of the PSP and I'm with the crowd. I'm not optimistic about this either. I agree with the comments...its going to be forgotten after a couple of uses by individual studios. The PSP version is probably a 368 version. If this weren't true, movies on the PSP still suck. With letterbox format, it's so small...you can barely see it. At full screen, the movie is chopped up aka pan-scan for 402...which sucks too. Go ahead use DRM on the PSP version...who cares....

Andy @ Jan 10th 2008 5:46PM

We all know someone will figure out a crack for the DRM within days of release....

James @ Jan 12th 2008 9:53AM

Why would anyone bother? It's much easier to just rip the DVD-video release of the same movie...

Dan @ Jan 11th 2008 6:05PM

Does this mean we'll see 480x272 resolution video off of the memory stick???? I hope so.

Or am I late to the party?... is there already a way to watch 480x272 resolution on the memstick?

It's too bad... i really liked the UMD format. It was cool... like the miniDisc.

James @ Jan 12th 2008 9:52AM

Interesting point: if it's "DVD resolution" (e.g. bigger than the PSP screen res), does that mean it will work at full 480p over the PSP-2000's TV out? Would have semi-interesting DRM implications, I guess...