Playstation Network gets movie / TV download service, single sign-on across devices

Sony just announced at E3 that Playstation Network users now have the ability to rent and purchase moves and TV shows. Like, immediately -- the service is getting flipped on tonight. It's not just Sony content, either: Fox, MGM, Lions Gate, Warner, Disney, Paramount, Turner, and something called Funimation are signed up from the get-go. Video will be available in both SD and HD, and TV pricing starts at $1.99. Movie purchases will run $9.99 - $14.99, while rentals will be $2.99 - $5.99. What's more, the content is "portable," meaning that videos downloaded on your PS3 can be watched on multiple PSPs. It doesn't look like movies can be purchased in HD, but downloads are progressive so content starts playing a minute after you hit begin the download.

PSN users will also get a single persistent sign-on across every device that can access the network: PS3, PSP, PC. It's not clear whether those aliases will carry over into games themselves or if friends lists will start working across devices as well, however. The integration is scheduled to happen for this fall, though, so you might want to go and grab your handle of choice relatively soon.

[AN @ Jul 15th 2008 3:18PM]

WOOOOT!

[UK31337 @ Jul 15th 2008 3:23PM]

Yeah, fantastic isn't it? Pffft, I'll reserve judgment until I see what else Sony come out with, but this isn't really a big whoop at all. It's kinda standard elsewhere.

[Mp3 @ Jul 15th 2008 7:31PM]

Kinda standard elsewhere? Where else can I d/l content in HD to watch on my TV and take it with me on a portable device for the same price? Nowhere. Apple comes closest with the Apple TV unit, but I'm not gonna buy one of those. I already have a PS3 and PSP so looks like all I need otherwise is $15.

[M3Ls @ Jul 15th 2008 3:23PM]

HOT DAMN :-D

[Dusty Nipples @ Jul 15th 2008 3:32PM]

If Sony is any indications, the Japanese will win a lot of Silver medals in Beijing this Summer.

[rotinoma @ Jul 15th 2008 3:34PM]

Funimation = American anime licensee/publisher.

[madgamer @ Jul 15th 2008 3:45PM]

Probably most recognisible for dragon ball Z.

[Tejas @ Jul 15th 2008 6:59PM]

And also, "Witchblade" and the "Robotech: Shadow Chonicles" movie

[Sam Zebian @ Jul 15th 2008 3:36PM]

they seem a little late to the game when it comes to digital downloads... they probably will start out with under 100 movies, they almost all do, and that's why it's better to have started 1-2 years ago, that way their library would be nice and large like everyone else's but it will probably be puny.

[Ethan @ Jul 15th 2008 4:33PM]

They OWN a movie studio.

[Sam Zebian @ Jul 15th 2008 4:37PM]

That means they will mostly have sony pictures movies, and everything else will still be puny. It's like having a blu-ray player back when they first came out, very few movies were out on it, and most of them were from sony pictures anyways.

[Chaitanya Ramaram @ Jul 15th 2008 6:38PM]

now only if PS3 adds NetFlix viewing support.

[haX0r @ Jul 15th 2008 3:36PM]

Sony has not said anything great that is new for the PS3. MS and Wii have both come up with better stuff for their respective gaming consoles. My friend at work just said "he returning his back to the store on Wednesday".

Sony = You lose

[required @ Jul 15th 2008 4:47PM]

Interesting. My friends always say those sort of things about Microsoft. A couple of them even returned their XBox 360s at BestBuy today. Apparently they want the PS3 now.

[JC Ambassador @ Jul 16th 2008 1:48AM]

Are you serious?? Have you even played a PS3 before? Obviously not.

Microsoft and Nintendo needs to retire.
SONY RULES!!
BTW.. stay tuned to the new Apple console...

[Bubba @ Jul 16th 2008 4:42PM]

XBOX360 vs PS3 Streaming Battle is going to get really interesting... PS3 FTW... since I own one.

[Das Boot @ Jul 15th 2008 3:42PM]

is it me or does it take forever to download demos or trailers on the PSN? So i ask this, how am i going to be inclined to rent a movie which i know will take me an hour to download? i want instant gratification but i guess for that I can play with myself.

[Mark @ Jul 15th 2008 4:10PM]

Rentals and Downloads will start streaming after about a minute. Make sure to check thing out before you post.

[jiimayy @ Jul 15th 2008 9:21PM]

Wouldn't it depend on your internet connection speed? Also, I had a friend with an Xbox 360 and he downloaded movies to rent and it took HOURS on an Ethernet connection. Like, more than 2. or 3 maybe. Can't remember. But since it said SD movies were like 1.5 GB in the post and it takes not a long time for a demo that size to download, I don't know how it would all work out.

[paul @ Jul 16th 2008 2:57PM]

I've also been concerned with the speed of downloads, especially during peak hours. It just always seems ungodly slow, even though my internet speed is 10M/sec.

[iansilv @ Jul 15th 2008 3:44PM]

I'm happy they are getting some competition from each other, and itunes will be getting some competition. I am so sick of crappy quality digital downloads I won't use any of them- give me a higher bit rate 1080P picture than bluray, and dolby truehd audio, and We will have a winner. Until then, I will buy dvds and blu rays, thank you very much.

[Ex @ Jul 15th 2008 3:45PM]

Sorry to be that guy but... "moves"

[apeguero @ Jul 15th 2008 3:48PM]

Nilay Patel, I'm sure you are a very intelligent person since in many of your post you say you are an attorney. However though, and I no dis-respect intended: there, their, and they're.

[Carmen Vj @ Jul 15th 2008 3:48PM]

Wow awesome. I hope they will hurry and get these movies in HD. That's my prefer choice. I will be waiting.

[radiohead1 @ Jul 15th 2008 8:20PM]

too bad their network is so slow... Hopefully they'll upgrade their speeds a bit.

[Steve @ Jul 15th 2008 3:52PM]

I am guessing this is just for the US store... can anyone confirm?

[StephenD @ Jul 15th 2008 4:10PM]

Yes - clarification please. Rumour has it this blog is read outside the US as well...

[theefman @ Jul 15th 2008 3:58PM]

How come no one is screaming Sony copied MS's download service, there were plenty such claims of MS copying both Nintendo and Sony when MS introduced their Avatars.

I guess since its the almighty, br packing George Foreman grille everything is gravy.....

[Jon @ Jul 15th 2008 4:15PM]

their too busy searching for torrent sharing applications.... pirates

[Tim @ Jul 16th 2008 9:25AM]

Because they all copied AppleTV

[nathan.wong @ Jul 15th 2008 4:02PM]

I know the author was excited, but damn, use a spell check. " puchase moves and TV shows. Like, immediately -- the sevice is getting flipped on tonight."

[eleazar123 @ Jul 15th 2008 7:01PM]

That is not a spell check issue. That is a proofreading error.

[eleazar123 @ Jul 15th 2008 7:02PM]

Hm.. apparently it's spellcheck and proofreading. Ha, I only noticed the "moves" instead of movies. My bad.

[hiko36 @ Jul 15th 2008 7:17PM]

Spell check wouldn't have fixed that problem... Moves is a word...

[Andrew @ Jul 15th 2008 4:14PM]

Does this apply to Canada? I can't find any info about that. Otherwise there would be nothing interesting left in that keynote (i.e. nothing really unexpected or at lest immediate).

[OddyOh @ Jul 15th 2008 4:58PM]

I assume we Canadians will be shut out for at least a year, standard practice these days...but yeah, some official word would be nice!

[UltimaPrime @ Jul 15th 2008 11:12PM]

As per the new User agreement that Sony emailed me that we have to agree to, this is USA only! Once again, Canadians get shafted:

9. VIDEO CONTENT

Subject to the terms of this Agreement and any additional terms and conditions for the particular content, SCEA licenses digitalized content of programs, including television shows and movies (“Video Content”) to you for your personal, private, non-commercial viewing in the United States only on a limited number of activated PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment systems and/or PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system(s) (“Authorized Device”) during the authorized viewing period (“Authorized Term”).

[Roy Anderson @ Jul 15th 2008 4:34PM]

Awesome!!

[inteller @ Jul 15th 2008 4:33PM]

but wait, I thought the PS3 was supposed to be the most awesomeness blu ray player!?! why would Sony be so quick to give up plastic substrate media technology from the 1990s? Oh wait, Netflix and Xbox 360...

[DeathroW @ Jul 16th 2008 1:13AM]

They announced a video service last year, before netflix. Oh whoever said they will be starting with less than 100 bits of content, fyi there is over 300. Thats pretty good for launch.

[Joe T. @ Jul 16th 2008 9:03AM]

Who says they're giving up on physical media? The PS3 is a multi-function device. Renting a movie on it isn't going to make the drive stop working.

[xB Owner @ Jul 15th 2008 4:40PM]

Yes, I know with this and the Netflix/360 announcement we are all winners.

I'm just curious to see which of the two services will turn out to be a real winner.

The way I see it...

MS already has a service similar to the new Playstation Network movies inside of Xbox LIVE. When you combine this with the Netflix offerings I think they'll probably come out on top. Even at only $2.99 for the cheapest rentals, it doesn't take much for PSN to be bested by Netflix on the 360.

I think it is great that Sony is offering this for PSN. I just think MS/Netflix are offering the sweeter of the two deals.

And before someone starts scream about XBL subscription, I still think that MSN/Netflix come out on top. Say you average renting one movie a week for a year. On PSN the best case scenario is $2.99 x 52 = $155.48. With XBL you need a gold subscription for $50 plus the Netflix subscription of $8.99/month for a year. So ($8.99 x 12) + $50 = $157.88. Pricing difference is negligible, if you only rent the cheapest movies on PSN. And with Netflix you get as many home deliveries as you want (one at a time) and as many downloads as you want.

[required @ Jul 15th 2008 4:49PM]

I see no reason to keep my Netflix account. As of today it's antiquated.

[TrueDis @ Jul 15th 2008 4:40PM]

So why isn't the PS3 store widescreen? It boggles the mind... Look at all of the wasted screen real estate!

[andreykireev @ Jul 16th 2008 7:57AM]

Because not all PS3 owners have HDTV, some still play PS3 on SDTV.. Why? Boggles my mind too, but its the fact. Sony just have to make sure that all consumers with all kinds of TVs can use this service.

[Jose @ Jul 15th 2008 4:50PM]

$5.99 for an HD rental doesn't sound so good, particularly since the Apple TV and DirecTV both had HD rentals for $4.99. What am I missing?

[required @ Jul 15th 2008 4:56PM]

a lot. for example, "videos downloaded on your PS3 can be watched on multiple PSPs"

[Jose @ Jul 15th 2008 5:22PM]

...and the Apple rentals can be watched on iPods and Macs. I am just bummed Sony decided to price these rentals so high.

[Kaiser-Machead @ Jul 15th 2008 5:49PM]

Yeah the integration is a bit tighter in that regard. However, if you don't have a PSP, then the price is not as attractive anymore. Personally, I don't rent THAT often, since I've seen so many movies, and I hate so many more, so $6 is not so bad, at least compared to our cruddy prices in NYC to watch a movie in theaters ($12.50 WTF)

[Harry @ Jul 16th 2008 1:43PM]

I agree - the $5.99 pricing for most of the HD content was a complete downer and ruins this feature for me. $2 for a rental is fabulous, but I would be completely miserable to watch SD content on my 1080p set, so that's not an acceptable option either.

I'll stick to netflix for now...