I can't wait.

Sounds neat.

As psyched as i am for it, i'll hold everything on the inside till Sony mentions something. It is coming, just like an in-shirt XMB. oh and home =/ but i am wanting in-shirt xmb/bluray on psp more.

Well, when the update hits, I'll be sure to give it a test! would love to watch a movie during my lunch break at work or on the train.

Can you believe Gizmodo put a negative spin on this news? This sounds like a truly awesome feature

Here's hoping that PC World is right! I'm anxious to try out this feature.

Anyone know if this will work with all BR movies? Or just future releases? Or just specific titles?

@Zaos:

They officially mentioned it during CES so it's 100% coming. It's more secure than in-game ZMB that's for sure

Moneeeey!!!

Good. I doubt I'd feel the need for it though, even if I had a PSP.

Still miles better than UMDs, this method.

i wonder how long it will take to encode a movie... the power of cell!! i'm going to guess at 1 hour. and that's pretty fast imo.
so when exactly does this firmware hit?

@LittleBigPlaneteer:

XMB* lol

@comedy:

Apparently the movies on the Blu-ray are already encoded for using on the PSP and transfers are only 5 minutes. That also leads me to believe it will not be a feature with all current Blu-rays, but those who from studios who add the "Portable Copy" on the disc.

One thing that everyone is forgetting is that just because it's in the firmware doesn't mean that it will work out of the box.

This method of "downloading" requires you to actually have a previously psp encoded file on the disk, so any movie that you already own in blu-ray will not come with the free portable copy, only future movies that have it listed as an extra will.

I'm psyched at the prospect of this, but I bet it will push up the price of Blu-ray releases in the same way that "Digital Copy" SD DVDs cost 7-10 dollars more than the standard editions do.

Sounds fishy, too good to be true, ppl will be ripping bluray all over, not that they are doing it now, but it will make things easier for them

Oh i know its coming but i ment for the 2.20 update

@LittleBigPlaneteer: oh. well that's a bit crap. mind you i only own 1 bluray : casino royale (free with ps3)... so i'm not terribly fussed. but it would have been an interesting study in the power of the cell for encoding movies.

that's actually a neat feature.

@NfoRcErX: yea it would be for future releases. oh well, i wanted this for "I AM LEGEND"

great idea..I really love the interconnectivity between the PS3 and psp.I just need the BDs to get a little cheaper.I think I have 5.

Sony has apparently convinced themselves that tieing the PSP and PS3 together like this will drive sales of... something. Maybe it will work for them with nerds and gamers but I don't see it on a mass market basis.

If I were to use this feature it would be more for the novelty than anything else. I wish Sony would put a proper in-device store on the PSP and offer compelling content.

nag:
Pretty sure to "Watch Blu-ray" on a PSP would require it to have a blu-ray optical drive. This is a standard def rip/download
/nag

Awesome!

anything to save the psp.

Seriously, wtf is with that short ass release list?

@ManjiKengo: The PSP needs saving?

@OldManGaming:

Not necessarily. The fact that something is "Blu-ray" does not mean it is "High-definition". That's a bad assumption on your part. A Blu-ray could have a standard DVD rip on it for instance. Having a "Portable Copy" of a "Blu-ray" actually works here. If they said Watch 1080P High Definition Blu-ray movies on your PSP then that's a problem.

/NAG

@Candlejack:

Seriously eh, With 31 million+ PSP's sold and more selling than ever, people still believe the PSP is a failure that needs to be desperately saved.

Sony has always had the goal of making their systems interact as much as possible. It has absolutely nothing to do with "saving" the PSP. Sony is all about having a gaming ecosystem.

I'm only curious as to how DRM-filled and legally restricted the Portable Copy process really is... seeing as how it's already legal to "time shift" or "space shift" media you've purchased onto portable players for the purpose of watching it on the go.

Also, I wonder how this will develop on the BluRay retail side. I'll be hard-pressed to purchase any movies that charge EXTRA for Digital Copy or Portable Copy; hopefully that doesn't become the norm.

That said, if it's simple and efficient and FREE - it seems perfect!

@Arttemis:

Completely free, trust me. Blu-ray prices will not increase because of these digital copies.

@LittleBigPlaneteer: Exactly. PSP-not-doing-so-well was like 2005/2006 or something. It's almost blazing at DS standards by now.

@Arttemis: Now, breaking "digital locks" on DVDs/BluRay Discs in order to do the time/space shifting (not via a static warp bubble) is where the completely backwards and freedom-encroaching (read: illegal) laws come into play.

remote play as well? i just want to play PS2 games on the go. that would kick more ass than chuck norris.

@Akmed:

I don't think we'll ever see PS2 remote play on the PSP since it only has one analog nub, while the PS2's DualShock 2 has two, and they're both often used.

I'm going to be attacked badly for even making this statement but I think I heard it on IGN's Podcast Beyond and what was stated that this will be special functionality on some Bluray products. and it would be stated on the box. It's not a blanket functionality... just didn't want people to get carried away with Rumors as they always do.

@Candlejack:

Something is going on candlejack. the current psp may not need saving if sony is gunna throw it away ala xbox.

The release list Gamestop has for the psp is like 1/50ths the size of the other systems.

PSP doesn't need wii like releases with good games once every 6-7 months.

@LittleBigPlaneteer: true re: assumption.
But this is just a smoke and mirrors "feature" of blu-ray - I can get a standard def rip of the game from a DVD, or, if Sony would ever wise up, a digital download from a store. Good for a bullet point presentation, but not a compelling feature that will drive market share.

@Akmed: That would be the most amazing development in handheld gaming since paddle ball.

Awesome!!!!

@ManjiKengo:

Somebody hasn't been looking at their sales numbers have they..shame
It's been beating the Wii/DS in Japan and everybody in the country has a handheld..

@LittleBigPlaneteer: That's a ridiculous reason for it not to be possible at all. If certain games are unplayable with the PSP's controls, then what about the ones that aren't?
Either way, I'm sure there could be a simple addon (or perhaps PS2 controller peripheral) that would allow it... or a redesigned PSP that has the full functionality.

If they're saying they will, then obviously they've cleared the legal hurdles.

I was pretty disappointed that I can't watch a DVD with Remote Play, but I guess that would be an "unauthorized broadcast" if interpreted in a particular way - never mind that it is a transmission specifically to a single display.

Im curious to see how big the files are going to be

I just want to use my PSP as a remote for Blu-ray movies. I still use my controller, because I have a remote that can control every piece of equipmet in the "Bat-cave"... except my PS3. It even turns on my Xbox 360, and sets my stereo, and tv to the proper video/audio settings. It'll do that for my PS3... just not turn it on.

Using my PSP as a remote would be the coolest thing I could think of... sort of. Downloading SD movies to my PSP just means I have to buy more SD cards.

Finally! Movies done right!

Standard "teeny-weenie-eye-strain-o-vision" definition:
The Future of Blu-Ray.

The PSP is starting to warm my heart a little; I almost bought one the other day for Crisis Core. Then I came home and looked at the future release list for the console and I just couldn't justify it.

Also, to whoever said it up there, Sony isn't trying to make a gaming community of any sort it seems, the third parties do that for them. Sony is trying to give us the pleasure of watching over priced movies on hilariously expensive TVs via ludicrously pricey DVD players and then to defeat the purpose of all the terrifyingly expensive stuff by shifting it all (in Standard Definition no less) to my overpriced handheld "gaming" console.

wait, when is the update coming? Last one made my PS3 not read discs, maybe this one will fix that for me so I wont have to send it in

@usfslacker: PSP is much better w/ CFW
PS if you want to QQ about overpriced movies, try getting a job - you can get a BR at Moviestop (used) for about the same price as a regular DVD.

I'll take the wait and see till it's official, but that's a great feature.

The real interesting thing about this is that anyone who got the Blue Harvest DVD or Resident Evil Extinction DVD(at least the Wal Mart versions) has already done this with their PSP.As a matter of fact there is a nice section in the Wal-Mart Value Price DVD's where a digital copy is available when you purchases specific DVD's. So a great concept and feature but not entirely ground breaking.

When/if this is done, it sounds like a great feature.

me likes, now I wonder when my free Blu Ray movies will come in the mail?

@okenny :):
It really sux since many people are confirming it's on a disk to disk basis =/

PS3 already does CD music rip/encoding to atrac and mp3, it's really a waste for the PS3 not to have the ability to encoade movies.

It would be great for me as a PSP owner, but more over it opens up the possibilities for PS3 to encode to a movie size that the Sony Video Walkman could view. I'd rather view stuff on the Walkman since it has even longer battery life than even Ipod, and keep the PSP battery life to play games.

@OldManGaming:
Hello fanboy, obviously you don't own a PS3 =P
Who the hell cares if this would drive PS3 sales or not but for the already PS3/PSP owners this is great news either way.

I spent all this money on the PS3, and I want it to do more than just play games if it has the power to do something else, why the hell would you want to let it goto waste? IF they allow video encoding, that means possibility to encode in different sizes to allow movies to be played on all products that support video playback. Hell, they should support not only to PSP, but even to their cameras or cell phones or anything that has ability for video playback and USB transfer, or bluetooth, or wireless for that matter.

THAT is why Sony SHOULD do a encoding patch instead of just a already encoded wmv transfer from a blu-ray. Fuck that "everything else besides playing video games is a gimmic" mentality, cuz I for one WANT to get the most for my money.

I dunno if this one will pan out... so far as I know, the only thing I can remote play in my BD drive is a PSX game.

when is this update coming? sorry if it was stated earlier

@usfslacker: Same resolution as an SD TV and when it's only a foot away, is relatively larger than then most non-big screens.

How is that "eye-strain-o-vision?"

You are aware that objects closer to you are relatively larger as far as your eyes are concerned, right?

@Dir_en_grey: That will likely be coming with the Managed Copy update to AACS that will be a mandatory part of the spec.

DS has met it's match.

This is obviously going to be used for less than legal purposes, you all know it.

@ZombiePuppy:
The psp is already the relative drug dealer that shows up at the family reunion.Everyone knows somebody going to be using it for illegal means,etc.
I don't see the purpose as I like money to go to developers.

It's tantamount to Apple or Microsoft saying we'll send you a free DVD of the movie you just bought on iTunes or Live. Which isn't going to happen. I suspect it's illustrative of wider corporate agreement on the value of an SD movie copy. The RIAA is entrenched in legal warfare and they're throwing around these hugely inflated figures for mp3 copying damages. The MPAA however, might be taking a different view. Perhaps they don't want to be the guys taking legal action against past, current and future customers? Perhaps they see SD copies as something that will ultimately sell the optical HD version of the same movie...and little more. It remains to be seen how widely implemented the feature will be in the Blu-Ray catalog. (ie)Spiderman 3 will probably work, but will Planet Earth? That's my question.

Recently I was at a Wal-Mart (sorry if someone mentioned this already)…anyhow I noticed several DVD now say "Buy this DVD and get a free digital copy for your PSP". I didn't look too much into it to be honest, so I don't know if these were "Sony Catalog" movies or just a random offer. Anyhow, I think it's a great idea for a Blu-ray or DVD to offer the end user a free digital copy for whatever compatible device they have.