While I have not had the pleasure of seeing the PSN movie downloads as I live in Canada and the service hasn't been offered here, I've heard good things about it on the forums.

However I've been thinking that if they are starting  to offer digital distribution for the ONLY medium that their bluray is trying to capture (movies), aren't they admitting that maybe bluray is not the great format of the future?

If Microsoft was to add bluray to their machine I'm sure most of you would ridicule them for giving in and admitting they were wrong. So why doesn't Sony adding digital distribution for movies mean they were wrong about bluray?

My Xbox 360 has had a movie service for quite a while now, and with addition of netflix partnership and pretty much all movie studios(except Sony studios) it sounds like it has been very profitable... so its understandable why Sony wants to capture some of that market...as well as please their existing fans who may want a 360 for movie downloads.

But if they do decide to develop the movie service on the ps3 and in the future try to bring it to the same level that xbox 360 will shortly have (with netflix)...shouldn't they stop telling people to buy bluray players?

Erm. no.

Seeing as that you can't buy HD movies. they're fine. They make money off of sales. Not selling movies in HD keeps that in check. They can buy movies in SD which would be like buying DVDs. Renting Blu-Ray movies doesn't make them money, but renting HD movies on the PS3 does. What they're doing is making money from "Renters" and from "buyers" at the same time.

Ingenious.

i hadnt considered this ..hmmmmm....very interesting...


digital distribution can not replace physical media for a while...just not gonna happen. so bluray for some, downloads for others. you dont need to have just 1 option.

I agree...but this is the first step...next step will be buying of the movies. If microsoft introduces this, sony may (or may not) decide to follow.

Sony is kind of sitting on the fence if you ask me...they are trying to see what may be more profitable...and will fully go the digital distribution way if it becomes a success or may keep beating their chest and yelling Bluray! otherwise.

I don't think Sony will follow.  But they are playing on the fence, and pushing both formats.

While I agree people would be hypocritical to be happy about the download service and criticize Microsoft for adding Blu-ray (if they do), I still see Sony supporting Blu-ray as the next movie medium. Just because they offer video downloads doesn't mean they're acknowledging that it's better. Just like offering HDDs on consoles isn't acknowledging that PC gaming is the future.

I see it more like the optional full-game installs announced for the 360. Microsoft isn't acknowledging that mandatory installs are the way to go but rather giving the choice to those people that want to while still letting the people that just want to play instantly do so.

Instead of forcing downloads on the consumer they give the option to those who want to while giving the option to use physical media to the large number of people that would rather have it. Not everybody is going to have the type of connection to download an HD movie quickly. So giving the option for those people that do while still appealing to those who want physical media is good.

what was the point in this thread, how is adding downloaded movies copying 360, meh

I agree that it looks like ithey are trying to give the best of both worlds...however to me it jsut seems that these companies are crossing lines left and right.

Only nintendo seems to be sticking to their vision and is creaming the competition...just food for thought.

Its pretty obvious that digital distribution is the future. BR will probably come into prominance but after BR its all going to be digital. Sony are obviously just testing the waters.

SOny is more giving customers options. Franky I own all DVDs of Burst Angel but if they offered an HD version I'd rent all eps again to watch in HD and even then if they released BR versions I'd buy them.