Atleast their PS3 sales are up, as they've decided to make some good titles for it and price it slightly below extreme insanity. God that console was over priced at launch no wonder no one bought it. Give me GT5, and I'll buy a PS3.
Yawn, I used to love Sony stuff, they're just rudderless now. Good luck to them though, honestly.
We keep hearing that various players intend to do something to compete with Apple.
How about Sony, Nintendo, Dell and others restrict their announcments to actual product launches, rather than desparately thinking out loud in front of journalists.
We keep hearing that various players intend to do something to compete with Apple.
How about Sony, Nintendo, Dell and others restrict their announcments to actual product launches, rather than desparately thinking out loud in front of journalists.
Yeah. Even launches have become so..... [yawn].....
I'd like to see a launch become a success that pushes Apple to get to the next level. At the rate it's going, they don't even really seem to be trying hard.
Too little, too late. Sony needs to offer something really compelling to get all those people to switch from iTunes. Because at this point in time most of those people who aren't on iTunes now --are never ever going to sign up to any media download service. Okay, maybe not in the third world but that's a long term play and really only a handful of third world countries have a decent chance of rising to near first-world consumption levels (in 25 years).
Better than start their own, I would suggest Sony stockholders demand that Sony Consumer Electronics be sold to Apple (in exchange for AAPL stock). Or at the very least a strategic partnership with Apple calling the shots. Anything to get Sony products inside the iTunes walled garden. I would love to be able to manage my HD camcorder through iTunes.
what Sony is really attempting to do is create a complete on-line media store that would be directly accessed via all their consumer hardware products. in other words, to create a Sony "ecosystem" around its hardware like Apple did with iTunes for Apple products. Sony has been adding these on line features to its new TV's as well as the PS3 and no doubt will add the PSPGo and other A/V gear to it as well. anyone paying attention to Sony's A/V products these days would have noticed this is what is going on there (AI didn't).
now that may or may not work. but it is not really about competing directly with iTunes in the general digital media marketplace as AI assumes. that would also take stand-alone multi-function multi-platform front-end software just like iTunes/Quicktime. which Sony ain't got. it just has a website.
one problem is other OEM's have similar "ecosystem" ideas including media stores, like Nokia's Ovi. but consumer don't want to mess with two or three, they want one that "just works" on all their gear - and all gear has already been forced by the market to interface with iTunes somehow (DLNA etc).
another is Sony's dependence on Windows OS for its line of computers always puts them behind default MS media programs/services, even on the desktop of Sony VAIO's.
last, Sony products GUI's just can't escape that 1990's feel - the cursor controlled by arrow buttons.
If you are going to download the movies directly from Sony, why would you need the Blue-ray machines?
For artifact-free FULL-HD?
It's too bad Sony's classical music catalogue is so stagnant... except for a few Esa-Pekka Salonen recordings and the latest flavor slinky violinist. Seriously, how many times can you re-re-re-re-re-release the same Vladimir Horowitz, Leonard Bernstein or Glenn Gould recordings with new cover art and get away with it?
Maybe Microsoft is taking a cue from Sony Classical for Windows 7? Vista with new graphics and skin...
It seems like Sony is being smart this time around linking it to their hardware as a value-added service. if it were just going to be an iTunes wannabe trying to compete directly? No way.
maybe because the quality of downloads is very poor compared to blu-ray?
Poor compared to Blu-ray doesn?t mean that a market can?t be had. Apple?s iTMS music is poor compared to CD audio yet the iTMS was able to become the largest music store in the world. Sometimes good enough + more convenience trumps higher quality + less convenient. To use troll boy?s example, I don?t need to wait to get Netflix to send me Rachel Getting Married on Blu-ray in the mail when a digital version is SD or 720p HD is good enough.
If these idiots intend to let you download to own movies in a quality that is SUPERIOR to bluray, not "comparable" or "bluray quality" or whatever bulshit they come up with, I might be interested. Otherwise, why the hell would I buy something tied down to a proprietary company's system that is historically known for inventing the worst copyright management programs known to man (rootkit scandal anyone) and is additionally-at best- on really shitty financial ground?
Poor compared to Blu-ray doesn?t mean that a market can?t be had. Apple?s iTMS music is poor compared to CD audio yet the iTMS was able to become the largest music store in the world. Sometimes good enough + more convenience trumps higher quality + less convenient. To use troll boy?s example, I don?t need to wait to get Netflix to send me Rachel Getting Married on Blu-ray in the mail when a digital version is SD or 720p HD is good enough.
If you're renting Rachel Getting Married, you're problems extend way beyond debates about image quality and video refresh rates.
Microsoft and McDonald's have done alright ruling the just barely passable quality department.
Didn't they have an online music store that failed once before? The difference is now they have PSN users - 22 million to be exact. Good luck to them. iTunes could use the competition.
Comments
Yawn, I used to love Sony stuff, they're just rudderless now. Good luck to them though, honestly.
How about Sony, Nintendo, Dell and others restrict their announcments to actual product launches, rather than desparately thinking out loud in front of journalists.
We keep hearing that various players intend to do something to compete with Apple.
How about Sony, Nintendo, Dell and others restrict their announcments to actual product launches, rather than desparately thinking out loud in front of journalists.
Yeah. Even launches have become so..... [yawn].....
I'd like to see a launch become a success that pushes Apple to get to the next level. At the rate it's going, they don't even really seem to be trying hard.
Better than start their own, I would suggest Sony stockholders demand that Sony Consumer Electronics be sold to Apple (in exchange for AAPL stock). Or at the very least a strategic partnership with Apple calling the shots. Anything to get Sony products inside the iTunes walled garden. I would love to be able to manage my HD camcorder through iTunes.
They're really calling it "SOS"?
I thought Sony had no sense of humor. I was wrong.
First thing I thought.... "Really...??"
might of well called it Custard's last stand. Farewell grand labels, farewell....
If you are going to download the movies directly from Sony, why would you need the Blue-ray machines?
maybe because the quality of downloads is very poor compared to blu-ray?
Isn't this Sony's second attempt? Sony Connect?
Isn't bandit.fm run by Sony as well?
*yawn* . . . mighta cared like 6 years ago.
That was actually funny, and I don't know why.
now that may or may not work. but it is not really about competing directly with iTunes in the general digital media marketplace as AI assumes. that would also take stand-alone multi-function multi-platform front-end software just like iTunes/Quicktime. which Sony ain't got. it just has a website.
one problem is other OEM's have similar "ecosystem" ideas including media stores, like Nokia's Ovi. but consumer don't want to mess with two or three, they want one that "just works" on all their gear - and all gear has already been forced by the market to interface with iTunes somehow (DLNA etc).
another is Sony's dependence on Windows OS for its line of computers always puts them behind default MS media programs/services, even on the desktop of Sony VAIO's.
last, Sony products GUI's just can't escape that 1990's feel - the cursor controlled by arrow buttons.
poor Sony.
maybe because the quality of downloads is very poor compared to blu-ray?
He fails to realize people have always rented in addition to owning.
Do I really need to own Rachel Getting Married?
If you are going to download the movies directly from Sony, why would you need the Blue-ray machines?
For artifact-free FULL-HD?
It's too bad Sony's classical music catalogue is so stagnant... except for a few Esa-Pekka Salonen recordings and the latest flavor slinky violinist. Seriously, how many times can you re-re-re-re-re-release the same Vladimir Horowitz, Leonard Bernstein or Glenn Gould recordings with new cover art and get away with it?
Maybe Microsoft is taking a cue from Sony Classical for Windows 7? Vista with new graphics and skin...
It seems like Sony is being smart this time around linking it to their hardware as a value-added service. if it were just going to be an iTunes wannabe trying to compete directly? No way.
Yawn, I used to love Sony stuff, they're just rudderless now. Good luck to them though, honestly.
Sony still makes a fantastic TV set!
He fails to realize people have always rented in addition to owning.
Do I really need to own Rachel Getting Married?
For some of us, image quality is more important than convenience. When I rent movies, I'd rather wait for the Blu-ray than get the DVD immediately.
maybe in 10 years we'll see instant-access FullHD quality downloads.
But by then it will be 6000 x 2000 (or whatever) resolution for HD.
Blu-ray will seem quaint, DVDs like the wax cylinder.
Sony still makes a fantastic TV set!
Yes they do.
Twice the refresh rate and a glorious matte screen for hours of reflection free viewing.
It's like a theater in your house, all warm and comfy.
The glossy iMac as a TV? Crap!
maybe because the quality of downloads is very poor compared to blu-ray?
Poor compared to Blu-ray doesn?t mean that a market can?t be had. Apple?s iTMS music is poor compared to CD audio yet the iTMS was able to become the largest music store in the world. Sometimes good enough + more convenience trumps higher quality + less convenient. To use troll boy?s example, I don?t need to wait to get Netflix to send me Rachel Getting Married on Blu-ray in the mail when a digital version is SD or 720p HD is good enough.
Poor compared to Blu-ray doesn?t mean that a market can?t be had. Apple?s iTMS music is poor compared to CD audio yet the iTMS was able to become the largest music store in the world. Sometimes good enough + more convenience trumps higher quality + less convenient. To use troll boy?s example, I don?t need to wait to get Netflix to send me Rachel Getting Married on Blu-ray in the mail when a digital version is SD or 720p HD is good enough.
If you're renting Rachel Getting Married, you're problems extend way beyond debates about image quality and video refresh rates.
Microsoft and McDonald's have done alright ruling the just barely passable quality department.
If you are going to download the movies directly from Sony, why would you need the Blue-ray machines?
It's called 'options', and many consumers like having them.
Note: It's Blu-Ray not Blue-Ray