It hoped to turn the gaming handheld into a portable entertainment unit, but those prospects are fading. Plus: Korea goes open-source.
SAN FRANCISCO (Business 20) - Sony (Research) hoped to turn its PSP handheld gaming console into the next big portable entertainment gadget by getting studios to release - generous compared to the Apple (Research) iPod's 2.5" screen. But the PSP can only work with movies released in Sony's obscure UMD disc format, or with movies downloaded online. However, the fare online is very limited, and consumers don't want to buy both a UMD copy of a movie and a normal DVD that they can play on other systems. Indeed, Engadget notes that Warner Brothers' decision to cancel six scheduled releases for the UMD format highlights the problematic nature of Sony's unpopular, proprietary format. In fact, there are now rumors that Sony may create an adaptor that lets users play UMD movies on home entertainment systems in a bid to save the market.
http://money.cnn.com/2006/02/13/tech...0213/index.htm
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