In case you missed it: Sony Pictures is going DivX

It's been hard enough to keep up with the CES onslaught of news over here on Engadget, so it's understandable if you missed the news over on Engadget HD that Sony Pictures Television is going to start releasing download-to-own but entirely DRM'd DivX content to DivX-certified products like the PS3 and DSM-330. Sadly, 360 owners will be left out in the cold thanks to that unit's lack of proper DivX certification. Otherwise Sony is short on details of actual distribution, so hopefully we'll be learning more soon.

[Via Engadget HD]

[Jakob @ Jan 11th 2008 1:48PM]

This would be perfect for the Playstation 3?

Imagine these stores: Music Store, Video Store and Playstation Store, all with a very slick interface (maybe like SingStar) under the Playstation Network category.

I just love my PS3 more and more.. Huh? Aaah it's not even announced, just a wet dream!! :P

[James Ollier @ Jan 11th 2008 1:48PM]

I genuinely feel sorry for 360 Fanboys. Every day.

[andyg8180 @ Jan 11th 2008 2:02PM]

Why do you feel sorry? Half the people download Divx from Torrents and play it on their 360... Plus its sony pictures... Theres still Universal (on the 360) Warner (on the 360) All major TV channels (on the 360)... We already have TV shows to own on our 360... And you have... oh wait thats right, nothing...

I feel sorry for YOU because you dont have shit for games... Uncharted and R&K... Pfff, some library you have there buddy... Feel sorry for you because you got wallet raped for a system that barely does anything special... OH WAIT, you have folding @home... I'm sorry, youre right... much better than anything the 360 has....

[Jakob @ Jan 11th 2008 2:10PM]

andyg8180: I feel sorry for fanboys. Please just enjoy your console, thank you.

[tom @ Jan 11th 2008 2:23PM]

PS3 is certainly cool now in the multimedia category, but not as fun as 360. PS3 game lineup still SUCK!

[goldcd @ Jan 11th 2008 2:50PM]

Please don't feel sorry for us. MS has already kindly provided us a way of renting DRM'd-to-the-hilt WMV movies on our console.
More to my personal point, is the ability to play play erm 'accidentally downloaded' 1080p-VC1-WMV files on my 360. I don't believe divx provides that amount of 'data-squidge' (technical term my own) so we win..
..sorry, I really didn't mean to be fan-boy as I started typing...

[ethana2 @ Jan 11th 2008 4:07PM]

Microsoft made that machine worthless to me. Down with efuses!
I'll consider buying a ps3 if sony unlocks the RSX again.

[SimbaDogg @ Jan 11th 2008 8:37PM]

anybody that says that the game lineup sucks for the PS3 really hasn't been paying attention the last two months.

[tekdemon @ Jan 12th 2008 6:02AM]

Simbadog, I've been paying attention (and so have my buddies with PS3's) and it still sucks. Yes, there's like one more good game out now that's not already on the 360, although I'm not a big of Tomb Raider style gaming so I personally thought Uncharted was boring. The situation is getting better, but it's still pretty pathetic considering how long the PS3 has been out-half the games my PS3 owning buddies play are PS2 games, lol.

[James Ollier @ Jan 11th 2008 1:49PM]

I genuinely feel sorry for 360 Fanboys. Every day.

[James Ollier @ Jan 11th 2008 1:49PM]

Firewalls on the blink again.. Sorry

[OneLove @ Jan 11th 2008 2:41PM]

am having the same problem

[Josef @ Jan 11th 2008 2:46PM]

Don't apologize for the double post. If you're going to apologize for anything, do so for the idiotic content.

[ethana2 @ Jan 11th 2008 4:08PM]

...or the lack of post edits that persists to this day... but that's somebody else.

[umm....hello??? @ Jan 11th 2008 1:49PM]

so will it be like MS's DRM'd XBLA games where you have to hook up to the internet and login just to play/watch things I own?? If so...totally pass...

[wysiwyg @ Jan 12th 2008 3:25AM]

DRM'ed? um....no thanks.

[Marcin @ Jan 11th 2008 2:03PM]

why are you sorry for xbox 360 fanboys?

xbox 360 already has divx support and this story just seems like its about divx content you have to purchase.

[bry @ Jan 11th 2008 2:04PM]

a drm'd divx file. Thanks but no thanks.

[b @ Jan 11th 2008 2:04PM]

test

[a ham sandwich @ Jan 11th 2008 2:05PM]

DRM + divX = the most ewest ew ive ever heard of

[heffeque @ Jan 11th 2008 3:13PM]

H.264/x264 FTW!

[SireB @ Jan 11th 2008 2:28PM]

Fanboy'dom aside, I don't think this news really matters. This will just be another DRM'ed failure in a long list of them.

Oh, and btw, ps3 sucks ;)

[ethana2 @ Jan 11th 2008 4:11PM]

ps3 sucks? compare with me please:
www.psubuntu.com
www.free60.org
One of those consoles is a pain in the butt. Guess which one! You can't even /buy/ a new 360 and expect to use it for something productive. You just can't.

[SireB @ Jan 11th 2008 4:28PM]

ethana2: Ok, as light-hearted as that comment was meant to be, I don't think the ability to hack your ps3 into submission enough to run Ubuntu is really a great asset to it.

But if you meant just compare the websites, then yes, psubuntu has has a better designed site I suppose.

Here is a guide of things to think about when comparing Xbox 360 to ps3:

1. 99%+ of ps3 or 360 owners will never use linux hacks.
2. Xbox 360 doesn't need hacks to be an all-in-one media center, it works that way out the box.
3. Xbox LIVE has many times the amount of users (even when it doesn't work).

Things I will concede are, if you don't have any friends that play online, are sitting financially comfortable enough to buy Blu-ray discs, and like folding@home, then I think the ps3 is probably better suited for you. Enjoy it.

[Andir3.0 @ Jan 11th 2008 5:20PM]

1. true
2. Neither does the PS3... I can stream from my PC just like the 360, I can even watch HD movies (without add ons.. well, maybe a $7 cable from monoprice)
3. I could say PSN has up to 8.x million users, because it's free... for everything... and not some things. How many of those "supposed" 10 million 360 users are actually Gold members?

[Andir3.0 @ Jan 11th 2008 5:20PM]

1. true
2. Neither does the PS3... I can stream from my PC just like the 360, I can even watch HD movies (without add ons.. well, maybe a $7 cable from monoprice)
3. I could say PSN has up to 8.x million users, because it's free... for everything... and not some things. How many of those "supposed" 10 million 360 users are actually Gold members?

[Andir3.0 @ Jan 11th 2008 5:20PM]

1. true
2. Neither does the PS3... I can stream from my PC just like the 360, I can even watch HD movies (without add ons.. well, maybe a $7 cable from monoprice)
3. I could say PSN has up to 8.x million users, because it's free... for everything... and not some things. How many of those "supposed" 10 million 360 users are actually Gold members?

[Andir3.0 @ Jan 11th 2008 5:20PM]

1. true
2. Neither does the PS3... I can stream from my PC just like the 360, I can even watch HD movies (without add ons.. well, maybe a $7 cable from monoprice)
3. I could say PSN has up to 8.x million users, because it's free... for everything... and not some things. How many of those "supposed" 10 million 360 users are actually Gold members?

[Andir3.0 @ Jan 11th 2008 5:20PM]

1. true
2. Neither does the PS3... I can stream from my PC just like the 360, I can even watch HD movies (without add ons.. well, maybe a $7 cable from monoprice)
3. I could say PSN has up to 8.x million users, because it's free... for everything... and not some things. How many of those "supposed" 10 million 360 users are actually Gold members?

[Andir3.0 @ Jan 11th 2008 5:23PM]

damnit

[computer.dude.28 @ Jan 11th 2008 5:40PM]

Oh my god. You are officially the biggest idiot of the multi-posting crowd.

[Andir3.0 @ Jan 11th 2008 6:28PM]

Believe it or not, I actually attempted to not double post. I've found that if you post and are faced with a blank white page, simply refreshing will double post. So, I hit back on Firefox, copied the text, closed the browser, reopened it to the page, and commented. It somehow clocked up 6 posts from that action.

The site has a serious problem.

[markw @ Jan 11th 2008 2:42PM]

yeah, so is this more like amazon unbox where movies are stored on a pc and can be streamed to a 360, or like the video marketplace where they are downloaded to the 360? either way, nothings really new here, and drm videos that aren't rentals just suck. period.

[Alan Strangis @ Jan 11th 2008 2:54PM]

Gotta agree. Saw Unbox working on a friend's 360 last weekend in NYC. Now I just wish they'd bring it to Canada.

[Alan Strangis @ Jan 11th 2008 2:55PM]

Gotta agree. Saw Unbox working on a friend's 360 last weekend in NYC. Now I just wish they'd bring it to Canada.

[Rob @ Jan 11th 2008 2:39PM]

This is not too bad. But, I don't use DivX that much. However, the Torrent community sure seems to love it though. Ironic that the format Sony picks up to serve their video content online is DivX, which is very limited as far as portability go. They should've gone with H.264 instead. That works on the PS3. PSP, iPod, Zune (I think), and many other portable units. But, maybe they wanted to get something that they can slap DRM to. After all, that's the normal practice from all content distributors these days anyway. But, what do I care, I don't buy online videos anyway. I still love my PS3 for more than just games. To 360 owners, I hope you're enjoying/loving your consoles as well.

[bradwjensen @ Jan 11th 2008 2:41PM]

I sure hope no one buys any of it. What garbage.

[bradwjensen @ Jan 11th 2008 2:42PM]

I sure hope no one buys any of it; what garbage.

[Kyle Doris @ Jan 11th 2008 2:51PM]

i've had the 360 for about 2 months now, along with a Wii. I have to say, the 360 live content area is nothing short of awesome; all of the fandom aside.

Simply put, it just works. I love quickly downloading demos, playing some other game and then having the console let me know when the download is complete mid game. There is something seemless about how it all works together. I'm sure the PS3 will someday get close to the 360 in terms of online content and usability, but as long as it's unpaid it's not a priority to them. o well. without the blu-ray player (now that that's over) what game could i play on the PS3 that i can't on the 360? I'd consider it for the blu-ray player though.

[Bootes @ Jan 11th 2008 3:02PM]

The PS3 already does what you are saying is so great about the 360.

[captainamerica @ Jan 11th 2008 3:09PM]

umm the ps3 has done that since it launched

[Mal F4cti0n @ Jan 11th 2008 3:46PM]

Umm, and the 360 had it at launch, which was one year earlier than the PS3, so your point is?

ARe you trying to imply that the 360 is copying the PS3? You do realize that Live was on the original xbox.

[Kyle Doris @ Jan 12th 2008 12:44PM]

what i'm saying is that Xbox Live is just been around for a long time and it works really nicely. I was unaware that the PS3 had such an advanced online content manager... i was under the assumption it's still a 'work-in-progress'... plus i didn't realize you could so easily play online games... again, under the impression the 360 was leading that regard.

[rener @ Jan 11th 2008 3:05PM]

Curious using DivX instead of H.264...?

[Charbax @ Jan 11th 2008 4:41PM]

By releasing DivX they are compatible with over 100 million DVD players that are DivX Certified. The way to play a DivX DRM on a DivX Certified DVD player is by burning the DivX DRM file on a disc in a special way and using the players serial number when burning that disc. Also all DivX Certified players with ethernet or WiFi don't need to burn the movie on a disc.

DivX also owns H264 technology if that should be needed. H264 isn't much better quality, perhaps only 10% better at DVD or HD quality. And requires much more processing power to playback so it's not much worth encoding to h264 today.

[Student Driver @ Jan 11th 2008 3:20PM]

DivX certified and DRM, but will it have 6-channel audio? I hope that it has the AC3 track in it, as I don't believe DivX allows multichannel audio from other codecs. I was thinking of the PS3 to support my h.264 files with 6-channel audio anyway, but I think I'd stick with better compression for HD content with h.264 or VC-1 (meh).

[Charbax @ Jan 11th 2008 4:42PM]

DivX Certified includes AC3 audio support, not only Mp3.

[Student Driver @ Jan 11th 2008 8:13PM]

Right, I thought I indicated that in my comment. What I'm driving at is it would be nice to see DivX support AAC (or even OGG, although unlikely) as a multichannel codec since that would trim down the size of the file. Also, when using the normal converter from DivX they _only_ pass stereo MP3, so it's up to you to either mux in the AC3 track or use other tools.

Yes, before anybody replies you can use other tools, and many are free, but few are easy. I prefer Nero Recode for this reason as I've used MeGUI and other tools and got tired of so many prompts being involved. So, I use Recode for my primary conversion to h.264 with 6-channel AAC, and iriverter for my Insignia Pilot.

[khamel @ Jan 11th 2008 3:22PM]

my old xbox + xbmc + bit torrent work for me

[Mal F4cti0n @ Jan 11th 2008 3:43PM]

I thought that the last update on the 360 came with DIVx support?

Go look that up on 360fanboy or joystiq.com.