Ever since the PlayStation Portable (PSP) was launched, people have been interested in much more than the games that could be played on it. There was also a lot of demand for the PSP UMD movies that it could play. It seems like there are many more movies that can be played on these systems than there are games and other PSP stuff. And the spin-off has been software programs that can convert movies into a format that is playable on these systems, such as PSP Movie Creator.
However by early 2006, sales of PSP UMD movies and other similar products had decreased so much that the big manufacturers were slashing their production, selling the movies at a lower cost and even giving them away. What was the explanation for this sudden drop in sales? The reason is quite obvious actually. It's just like the circumstances the CD and DVD industries are facing, where folks download music and movies rather than purchasing a physical product. It seems silly to spend money on something you can get at no cost.
Unfortunately for the makers of PSP UMD movies, this is a situation they probably didn't foresee. The same thing occurred in the music industry when individuals started downloading songs, for which there were lots of free sources. So the PSP UMD movie industry has nearly ground to a halt caused by the great number of internet sites where you can download illegal copies of movies to play on your console.
Manufacturers tried to counter the problem by promoting special editions and lowering their prices. Several producers even tried to set up sites where they charge a modest fee for streaming these movies. However there are still many individuals who will find a way to make the movies freely available.
There are innumerable websites where you can get a movie converted into a format that can be played on your PSP, and then download it. And it's not just online that you can get these movies free of charge. You can buy a software program that will easily convert your regular movie files to PSP UMD format. Even though this is theoretically illegal, it's still a popular practice. Then they can upload their converted file and distribute it to anyone else who's interested. There are so many options to purchasing a movie that it almost seems crazy to do so.
It is not easy to dream up a solution to this situation, but any measures to change things would have to involve some sort of law enforcement effort to search out and shut down these sites. This could be something that the big manufacturers would like to be involved in. Additionally, it's important that the laws against piracy are implemented more forcefully with wider coverage. But certainly, all of this is much easier said than done, so for those of us who enjoy watching a PSP UMD movie, we can help the industry by buying them instead of watching them free of charge.
However by early 2006, sales of PSP UMD movies and other similar products had decreased so much that the big manufacturers were slashing their production, selling the movies at a lower cost and even giving them away. What was the explanation for this sudden drop in sales? The reason is quite obvious actually. It's just like the circumstances the CD and DVD industries are facing, where folks download music and movies rather than purchasing a physical product. It seems silly to spend money on something you can get at no cost.
Unfortunately for the makers of PSP UMD movies, this is a situation they probably didn't foresee. The same thing occurred in the music industry when individuals started downloading songs, for which there were lots of free sources. So the PSP UMD movie industry has nearly ground to a halt caused by the great number of internet sites where you can download illegal copies of movies to play on your console.
Manufacturers tried to counter the problem by promoting special editions and lowering their prices. Several producers even tried to set up sites where they charge a modest fee for streaming these movies. However there are still many individuals who will find a way to make the movies freely available.
There are innumerable websites where you can get a movie converted into a format that can be played on your PSP, and then download it. And it's not just online that you can get these movies free of charge. You can buy a software program that will easily convert your regular movie files to PSP UMD format. Even though this is theoretically illegal, it's still a popular practice. Then they can upload their converted file and distribute it to anyone else who's interested. There are so many options to purchasing a movie that it almost seems crazy to do so.
It is not easy to dream up a solution to this situation, but any measures to change things would have to involve some sort of law enforcement effort to search out and shut down these sites. This could be something that the big manufacturers would like to be involved in. Additionally, it's important that the laws against piracy are implemented more forcefully with wider coverage. But certainly, all of this is much easier said than done, so for those of us who enjoy watching a PSP UMD movie, we can help the industry by buying them instead of watching them free of charge.
About the Author:
The Portable PlayStation (PSP) is so much more than a gaming system. From movies to web browsing, it seems like it does it all! Find out more about fun PSP stuff at Gizmos, Gadgets and Toys.
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