PSP Video-on-Demand Service Revealed for the UK
Posted by signup
The PSP, with its large, wide aspect-ratio screen and Wi-Fi support, appears to be a good combination for some sort of a video download service. Sony is finally fulfilling some of the PSP’s potential with the announcement of a special video-on-demand (VOD) service for the handheld.
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe revealed at the Leipzig Games Convention its joint venture with Sky Broadcasting to provide the PSP in the UK and Ireland downloadable video. The joint venture between the two companies will be branded as “Go!”
Go! will offer similar content to that which is available through Sky Broadcasting, such as sports, entertainment, movies, music, animation and content from third-party channel brands. Also a part of the VOD system will be pay-per-view movies.
Users of the Go! system will be able to choose between downloading content directly onto their PSPs with the Wi-Fi connection or to download first to PC and then transfer onto the handheld.
“Sky and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe have complementary strengths in content, marketing and technology. Together, we’re ideally placed to make portable, on-demand TV a reality,” said James Murdoch, CEO of Sky. “Alongside our existing services for PCs and mobile phones, this is another example of how we’re working to give more choice, flexibility and control to customers. The quality of the PSP’s screen and its substantial reach among 2 million users in the UK and Ireland makes it a natural extension to our multi-platform strategy.”
Just as with the PlayStation 3 PlayTV DVR system, such a VOD feature for the PSP may never make it to North American shores. Phil Harrison of Sony Worldwide explained to Kotaku that PSP VOD would not be possible in the U.S. due to the lack of content delivered over-the-air via subscription.
