PS3 2.20 update to offer portable copy of Blu-ray films to PSP?

If PCWorld is correct, then it looks like Sony's pending, PS3 2.20 firmware will have at least one little surprise for movie buffs. As if the inclusion of Blu-ray's BD-Live interactivity and the removal of the 2GB DivX and WMV file-size cap wasn't enough, PCWorld says that you can also expect the introduction of portable copy. With it, users will be able to copy a PSP formatted (and DRM'd) version of the film directly to their PSP -- no UMD required. Right, just like we saw demonstrated live back at CES in January.

Update: There's a rumor that Sony's portable copy would transcode any Blu-ray film into a PSP version. That's not how we understand it. The firmware update would just allow the PS3 to "see" the portable copy already burned into some Blu-ray discs and then make it available for transfer to your PSP. Think Digital Copy for Sony's gear, not Apple's.

Update 2: Sony just pinged us to say that Portable Copy won't be coming with the 2.20 release -- bummer. We'll be waiting, guys.

[Via QJ.net]

[Evan @ Mar 24th 2008 2:13AM]

amen to that.

[Flashpoint @ Mar 24th 2008 8:24AM]

I'ts suprising, but, not so unexpected that Sony is basically dropping its support of UMD.

Now that flash memory is cheaper (4 GB for $50) and Solid State drives are slowly working their way down the foodchain from PC's to laptops to game systems, I expect to see the next generation of handhelds with no less than 20GB of Flash memory - no moving parts - and better battery life.

The next PSP should be SSD drive based and should feature primarily downloadable media.

[greatslack @ Mar 24th 2008 9:24AM]

@Flashpoint:

Well, if Sony was going to wait 5+ years for the next PSP to come out, or wanted it to cost more than the PS3, then I might be inclined to agree with you.

[fanman @ Mar 24th 2008 9:52AM]

I can't be the only one that thinks this is a load of bull? We should be able to do this anyway, on as many players as we like. I should be able to rip a blu ray disk bought from sony and put it on my iPod, or have the ability to rip DVD's in itunes and use them on my PSP. This would be perfectly legal in the UK and feasible if everyone wasn't so frikkin short sighted and greedy.

I'm going to get low ranked aren't I... :(

[Frankenstein Black @ Mar 24th 2008 12:08PM]

@fanman
The problem is when you say (since we’re all into social networking these days), “hey Face Book or My Space friend, check this out. I’ll send it to you”. Listen, I’m all for “fare use” and if Sony wants to imbed (with out additional cost) a PSP version of a flick on a single Blue-Ray Disc for me to transfer to the PSP for portable viewing, then I’m all for it. Really it’s the new generation equivalent of what they should have done with UMDs and that is BUY A DVD ($19.99) AND IN THE SAME BOX YOU GET THE SAME MOVIE INCLUDED ON UMD! UMD would have survived using this model! But that’s yesterday’s news. Now hurry up and start embedding those PSP flicks into the Blue-Ray package!

[Curtis the Claw: Brawl Code 1075-0441-3284 @ Mar 24th 2008 3:37PM]

"BUY A DVD ($19.99) AND IN THE SAME BOX YOU GET THE SAME MOVIE INCLUDED ON UMD!"

That would be a bad idea for Sony. The amount of people that have PSP's compared to the amount of people that buy DVD's is insane. There would be millions of people that have no use for their UMD so they would just give it to a friend.

[X820 @ Mar 24th 2008 2:13AM]

Nice!

[Aguiluz @ Mar 24th 2008 2:18AM]

Portable Movies? = Nice!

Cost of memory sticks to hold data? = Not so nice!

[X820 @ Mar 24th 2008 2:39AM]

Well I bought my 4gb pro duo for only 39.99. I think that's nice.

[caramelzappa @ Mar 24th 2008 3:05AM]

Flash memory is actually pretty cheap now.

[Jamesology @ Mar 24th 2008 3:52AM]

But no matter how cheap it is, for some ppl it is still expensive b/c it has a Sony brand on it.

Yeah the 8gb MS is 89.99 now.

[Tony Rayo @ Mar 24th 2008 4:40AM]

Personally I like San Disk's Memory Stick Duos. I've never had a problem with them in any device (one Sony DSLR, one Sony PS3, two Sony PSPs, two Sony Vaio laptops and one non-Sony built in multi-card reader in a Sager laptop). They are often cheaper and when Sony sticks have been low in supply, instead of paying more for importing, San Disk has been a-plenty.

[Mr. Vage @ Mar 24th 2008 5:46AM]

Cheapest 8GB MS Pro Duo from Newegg: $85.99
Cheapest 8GB SDHC from Newegg: $27.99
Realizing that you're getting ripped off by Sony: Priceless

[James @ Mar 24th 2008 8:59AM]

Sure you're getting ripped off a bit for the proprietary technology, but it's still not *expensive* in any absolute sense. You can get a 4GB stick for 40 bucks shipped. It may not be nearly as cheap as SD, but SD "won" the format war, so of course it's not going to cost as much. 10 bucks a gig for fast, re-writable, portable memory would have been a pipe dream even a year after the PSP launched. I wish the PSP used SD, don't get me wrong, but to act like it's some big burden to shell out for a memory stick? Give me a break.

[Mr. Gremlin @ Mar 24th 2008 2:19AM]

I don't understand the removal of the file size cap. PS3 can currently play DivX files that are burned to a dual-layer dvd that are up to 8GB in size and it can play any sized file over DLNA (network). You cannot play files larger than 2GB via hard drive, but thats only because it only supports FAT32... are they gonna support NTFS or what?

[LegendZ28 @ Mar 24th 2008 4:28AM]

Pfft, you nerd! :)

[ethana2 @ Mar 24th 2008 4:41AM]

ext4 or zfs, please.

Goodness, at least use something documented.

...so If I have a PS3 running Ubuntu and a PSP running debian, where does this put me?

[Tony Rayo @ Mar 24th 2008 4:50AM]

The PS3 is not Windows based, so I highly doubt this. However as you've said the PS3 can support large files than 2GB (so can FAT32 btw) so I believe this was just an arbitrary limit placed early on for who knows why.

[KC @ Mar 24th 2008 4:58AM]

Isn't 4GB the max file size for FAT32?

Anyway, that's quite an interesting thought with zfs or ntfs. The problem is that whatever filesystem that they end up using will need to be "universal", and be used easily on either a PC or MAC. The problem does not apply to just the PSP/PS3, but all other media devices. How would they get around the 4GB limit but yet keep it simple for the (non-geek) consumer?

[Paris @ Mar 24th 2008 9:48AM]

2^32 = 4 294 967 296

[Mr. Gremlin @ Mar 24th 2008 10:37AM]

Yeah, its a 4GB cap on FAT32, and I don't remember whether 2-4GB files are supported via hard drive. My point still stands though... you can play DivX files that are over 2GB currently (by disc or network), so its unclear as to what cap they are actually removing.

[Tony Rayo @ Mar 24th 2008 12:48PM]

There was a cap on the internal hard-drive. Also PS3 is likely using a linux fs, but it can already support multiple fs (wow, just like Linux), so I don't see an issue.

[Tony Rayo @ Mar 24th 2008 1:00PM]

There was a cap on the internal hard-drive. Also PS3 is likely using a linux fs, but it can already support multiple fs (wow, just like Linux), so I don't see an issue.

[Tony Rayo @ Mar 24th 2008 1:00PM]

There was a cap on the internal hard-drive. Also PS3 is likely using a linux fs, but it can already support multiple fs (wow, just like Linux), so I don't see an issue.

[Tony Rayo @ Mar 24th 2008 1:00PM]

There was a cap on the internal hard-drive. Also PS3 is likely using a linux fs, but it can already support multiple fs (wow, just like Linux), so I don't see an issue.

[echoelman @ Mar 24th 2008 2:30AM]

Sony should announce the PSP2 at E3 2009, sans UMD drive, plus 64 GB minimum flash drive.

(And if we're lucky, a nice OLED screen!)

[prateeko @ Mar 24th 2008 2:48AM]

Oh, and while we're wishing for ridiculous things that will never happen (well, not for a reasonable price anyways) - God, can you please drop Adriana Lima off in my bed?

KTHXBYE

[MasterCKO @ Mar 24th 2008 3:04AM]

amen prateeko!

[Jamesology @ Mar 24th 2008 3:58AM]

WOW honestly I spent the same amount for all the systems. The PS3 one system since most games are single player and fun that way; the 360 with HD and Wifi adapter also do not need more controllers since most games are fun single but XBL monthly fees; the Wii only fun with other ppl and had to buy the Wifi adapter extra Wiimotes and nunchucks.

I only with the 360 since it has the games in my preference and the least bugs. So it's more worthwhile investing in the 360 for now.

[Reader @ Mar 24th 2008 4:16AM]

Ahh yes, how I desire the day when a PSP costs 2 grand...

[SKI @ Mar 24th 2008 8:02AM]

Did anyone understand Jamesology?

[KC @ Mar 24th 2008 1:04PM]

I didn't understand the part where he had to buy wifi for his Wii.

[mushrooshi @ Mar 24th 2008 2:42AM]

That pic looks really nice?

Photo, Photoshop, or Cel-shading creativity?

As for this, GO PIRATES!

[ethana2 @ Mar 24th 2008 4:42AM]

Blender + GIMP.

As for pirates-- pick a side, dang you!

[prateeko @ Mar 24th 2008 2:47AM]

Good to hear, but doesn't this only apply to Blu-ray movies that have the feature built in (and thus probably excludes 99% of the flicks out there)?

[X820 @ Mar 24th 2008 2:54AM]

Not all BD movies?

[Tony Rayo @ Mar 24th 2008 4:57AM]

I'm fairly sure it would have to be a part of the Blu-ray disc itself, as the only other possible way with current discs would be for the PS3 to rip and encode the Blu-ray movie for the PSP and I don't see that happening. Sadly Blu-ray specs for this kind of stuff were not finished before production begun. However there are still numerous ways to get the movies onto the PSP.

What I would like to see is streaming of DVDs and BDs over Remote Play. Then I wouldn't have to resort to illegal means of converting/downloading a movie in another format that I already own.

[Taylor @ Mar 24th 2008 2:57AM]

This is the kind of thing that would bring me back to using my PSP for movies.

... that is, if I had a PS3.

[MasterCKO @ Mar 24th 2008 3:05AM]

wow, that's some pretty monster functionality to include in a free update. Nice. Way to value-add, Sony. 8^)

[caramelzappa @ Mar 24th 2008 3:06AM]

Sweet, now all I need is a psp, and a ps3!

[stiltskin @ Mar 24th 2008 3:22AM]

I have a PS3 but frankly think the PSP is outdated even when they made it thinner.

[Eric YJ Chiu @ Mar 24th 2008 3:32AM]

What's the point.

Movie - 3 months - DVD - 6 months - Blue-ray

no one will want to watch a 9 month old movie on the go

[stiltskin @ Mar 24th 2008 3:47AM]

Excuse? you...HUH?

[Will @ Mar 24th 2008 4:01AM]

I think you need to pay attention on Tuesdays.

[mymaclife @ Mar 24th 2008 5:14AM]

@ Eric

Do movies have use-by-dates?

Shit I've hundreds of old DVDs on my shelves, I could have really caught something bad by watching on of them, and think of the rats?

[X820 @ Mar 24th 2008 5:49AM]

Silliest logic ever.

[mymaclife @ Mar 24th 2008 5:02AM]

It can't be a surprise if people know about it, unless you were the baddies to spoil the surprise... shame on you Engadget.

Now if they installed the update and something completely unannounced or unexpected happened, then that would be a surprise, even more of one of Sony didn't know about either! :)

[EdgeOne @ Mar 24th 2008 8:03AM]

Sony has done so many things wrong lately, its just hard for me to believe they could something this right!

[spw @ Mar 24th 2008 8:07AM]

I would suppose it will work with any PMP that supports that standard, with PSP being the first one.

Yes, it is pretty cool.

[Andy @ Mar 24th 2008 12:21PM]

Now that would be a great Bluray selling feature if other manufactrers were allowed to include the spec (think Ipod, Creative... essentially all video devices).