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jaw04005

macrumors 601
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Aug 19, 2003
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FOSTER CITY, Calif., March 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) today announced that 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. Digital Distribution will offer high definition (HD) movies for purchase and rental on the PlayStation®Network video delivery service in the United States. PlayStation Network is the first to offer high definition movies for purchase from all of the major movie studios, further establishing PlayStation®3 (PS3®) as the preeminent home entertainment platform for this year's most popular and critically acclaimed high definition movies.

"Securing high definition content from these studios is another significant milestone further validating PlayStation Network as a complete entertainment network in the home. PlayStation Network is the first and only service to deliver high definition home entertainment from all six major studios, directly to consumers for download," said Peter Dille, senior vice president, marketing and PlayStation Network, SCEA.

"PlayStation Network continues to offer the most comprehensive catalogue of HD movies to PlayStation Network members that realize the wide-ranging entertainment power of the PS3 system.”

The PS3 system is the most complete home entertainment solution on the market today, enabling consumers to enjoy high-definition games and movies, as well as listen to music, view photos, browse the Internet and more. Today's announcement joins one of the industry's strongest home entertainment brands with the major media companies that produce and distribute a substantial number of films. At launch, the content will be available in the U.S. only, with plans to launch soon in the U.K., France, Germany, and Spain.

New titles available today on PlayStation Network include:

20th Century Fox – "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian", "Jennifer's Body" and "Fantastic Mr. Fox" (on March 23)

Walt Disney Pictures – Disney Pixar's "Up", Jerry Bruckheimer's "G-Force" and Disney's “Earth”

Paramount Pictures – "Star Trek", "Paranormal Activity" and “Zoolander”

Sony Pictures – "This Is It", "2012", "District 9" and "Zombieland”

Universal – "Inglourious Basterds", "Couples Retreat" and "Public Enemies”

Warner Bros. Digital Distribution - "The Hangover", "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" and "The Wizard of Oz”

SOURCE Sony Computer Entertainment America

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele...ie-studios-in-the-united-states-87117557.html

This is huge considering Sony is in the process of expanding the PlayStation Network to their Bravia TVs and Blu-ray players. Expect more PlayStation Network news tomorrow at Sony’s GDC keynote.
 
Obvious question, but what is "HD"? Press release makes no mention of resolution.
 
Obvious question, but what is "HD"? Press release makes no mention of resolution.

What?

Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) today announced that 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. Digital Distribution will offer high definition (HD) movies for purchase and rental on the PlayStation®Network video delivery service in the United States.
 
What?

Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) today announced that 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. Digital Distribution will offer high definition (HD) movies for purchase and rental on the PlayStation®Network video delivery service in the United States.

I'm thinking that he means the 720p vs. 1080p argument. Hopefully Apple can negotiate more HD purchase content from the rest of the studios soon; I'd really like to just click and buy my movie content like I do with television shows now. Encoding on my own from Blurays takes a lot of time, although I have been pretty impressed with the results.
 
I'm thinking that he means the 720p vs. 1080p argument. Hopefully Apple can negotiate more HD purchase content from the rest of the studios soon; I'd really like to just click and buy my movie content like I do with television shows now. Encoding on my own from Blurays takes a lot of time, although I have been pretty impressed with the results.

Ahhh OK. Right now, everything on the PSN is pretty much just 720p, but the bit rate is higher than the iTunes Store.

As far as I can tell, Apple only has Disney and Paramount (and a few minor studios like Summit) signed up to sell HD movies on the iTunes Store. And those same studios offer HD rentals on iTunes.

But Universal, Fox and Warner Bros also offer HD rentals on the Apple TV only.

Hopefully, Engadget HD or another site will take the time to compare Zune, iTunes, Amazon Unbox and the PSN.
 
Do you know what the bit rate is? I'm somewhat curious.

I want to say the Parks and Recreation episode I downloaded in 720p HD was like 7200 kbps with AVC encoding (H.264). I’m too cheap to download a HD movie. :)
 
My entirely subjective opinion - I couldn't tell the difference between an Apple HD movie rental played on an Apple TV and a Sony HD Movie rental played on PS3. Well, there was 1 difference - $1 more for Sony rentals.

Any difference in purchase prices?
 
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