Sony to launch PSP VOD in the UK

UK and Ireland to get video-on-demand service provided by Sky on PSPs.

It's not just Japanese PlayStation Portable owners who will shortly be able to watch TV with relative ease on their PSPs. Following Sony Computer Entertainment's E3 launch of a TV tuner for Japan, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has made an announcement in the same vein.

SCEE today confirmed a partnership with the News Corp-owned Sky to bring a video-on-demand service to PSP owners in the UK and Ireland.

A joint-venture company is being formed with equal board-level representation from both SCEE and Sky to "draw on the unrivalled entertainment aggregation expertise and technical leadership of Sky, and the handheld entertainment knowledge and brand power of PlayStation," according to a SCEE release.

The new firm's aim is, according to Sony, to "establish PSP and [Sky's] new ground-breaking video download service as the natural partners for those seeking the ultimate choice of portable entertainment content."

Sony also claimed that discussions were ongoing across Europe to roll out similar services in continental markets, but made no mention of American or Australian plans.

Sky has been offering an on-demand video service since the end of March of this year, which allows users to watch programmes from channels such as MTV Trax, E!, Extreme Sports, and CNN on their 3G-capable mobile phones.

Details on exactly what the service will entail, and how it will relate to the Sky Anytime mobile service, are scant at present, but more details are set to be released at the Games Convention in Leipzig on Wednesday, August 22.

73 Comments

  • RockaWuzHur

    Posted Oct 31, 2007 7:22 am PT

    Sony seems to be doing more and more for other countries besides the US because the US is still in its Wii fad craze. As soon as people see the Wii for what it truly is (a fad designed to draw in families and young children) Sony will rise back up with Microsoft and the REAL console war will begin.

  • RockaWuzHur

    Posted Oct 31, 2007 7:12 am PT

    I wish they would bring this stuff to the states. I really would like to have a place where I could just download video without having to convert it or rip it off youtube (along with the crappy streaming quality) A VOD service for the PSP in Americal would be awsome.

  • jamesjjjjj

    Posted Sep 16, 2007 10:07 pm PT

    why don't they do it here. I want it all in one. Right now I have a PSP, Blackberry, and I Pod and a camera. I don't want the iphone. I want a PSP that does it all. I don't even care about the camera thing or the phone part. I just think it would be hot to be able to watch tv easily on it.

  • nev70

    Posted Jul 30, 2007 5:48 am PT

    It makes perfect sense for Sony to do this as a games player it just cant compete with the DS even though it has a few good games but thats the problem lack of games. One last thing what the F**K is the point in Sony releasing a 1.3 m camera for the PSP , most people i know have a bigger one on their phone,it seems such a crying shame considering how great the screen is on the PSP , or should i just buy it cause its got Sony written on it .

  • X-7

    Posted Jul 29, 2007 12:47 pm PT

    ragin_mesiah
    There are a lot of good games on the PSP. SOCOM, Killzone, and (although I don't like it) God of War.

    And don't embarass yourself. You can hook up certain cameras and view photos as well as tranfer. So you don't need a PC.

  • Kenkajin

    Posted Jul 29, 2007 6:49 am PT

    And there is a service that allows people to make phone calls.

  • tbcp

    Posted Jul 28, 2007 6:48 pm PT

    There is a camera attatchment. Ha ha.

  • ragin_massaih

    Posted Jul 28, 2007 2:55 pm PT

    The sad thing is people will buy it in UK. People these days want their media devices to do anything - Sony see it as priority to ignore the fact they have no good games, and instead concentrate on competing with the mobile phone / media player market. Just you wait and see - next there will be a camera attachment and then, oh yes, you will be able to make phone calls from ur psp, whoop de whoop! So what am I saying? I'm saying Sony are marketing their psp as a "media" device rather than a "gaming device". DS keeps going strong as it delivers purely and soley on the gaming front and true gamers want it to stay that way. peace

  • diamond2d

    Posted Jul 28, 2007 7:21 am PT

    Col-Neil - "Thats all fine but they need to come out with some better games if they want ppl to buy a psp"

    That is true, the game that made me buy 1 was GTA: Liberty City Stories. As soon as GOW: Chains of Olympus come out sales will rise.

  • Riorio99

    Posted Jul 28, 2007 4:07 am PT

    This isn't going to make people buy a psp, but it will be a nice extra for those who already own one, and just happen to also have Sky. Bye the way, what happened to the DS TV tuner thingy that was announced last year?

  • Col-Neil

    Posted Jul 28, 2007 1:31 am PT

    Thats all fine but they need to come out with some better games if they want ppl to buy a psp

  • webby1

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 7:23 pm PT

    Cool...but probably wont bother with it anyway

  • StanBlocker

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 5:11 pm PT

    might get a psp then?

  • xatman911

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 4:59 pm PT

    That is good news. I can't wait to watch such things on my PSP. Hope Sony also releases the TV out something port that connects to 5 pin connector Type B of the old PSP to give it TV out capability and also add in memory boost like laptop on Vista which can boost ram by using cards. That would totally rock.

  • fjgamespot

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 4:40 pm PT

    I think Sony is making a mistake releasing exclusive content and price reductions depending on the territory. This news has been announced by SCEE (Sony Computer Entertainment EUROPE) yet it only applies to UK and Ireland. Europe, instead of getting a real price reduction on the PS3, gets a stupid pack (Motorstorm, Fall of Man and 2 sixaxis), which is not bad if you want those 2 games, but most of us want a PS3 because of the exclusive titles. And whats with the color exclusives?! They announce exclusive colors for Europe or North America as if color mattered more than anything.

    I own a PSP and I plan to buy a PS3, but they better start changing their strategy. I hope they announce something decent at Leipzig.

  • rokkuman09

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 4:24 pm PT

    Cool, but the PSP needs better games, it really doesn't have many good games.. Which is quite the problem since it's main purpose is for gaming.

  • Pete5506

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 4:22 pm PT

    ok cool, but I don't live there

  • killed-bill

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 3:53 pm PT

    That's awesome. I hope they bring out a subscription service or a combo package - I already pay almost £50.00 a month on Sky channels!

  • wizardps2

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 3:23 pm PT

    AND NORTH AMERICA????
    PS3 Rules
    PSPRocks!!

  • justdenied

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 1:20 pm PT

    yea same
    but hey at least christmas this year should be a good haul

  • zero-G1080

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 1:13 pm PT

    i still think sony are not addressing the real problem with the psp and that are the games. My last game for it was tekken:dr and i havent played that in months

  • A7Xfan

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 1:01 pm PT

    Well this means nothing for me... My PSP hasn't seen action in months. (and I only got it this past March) The only great games I played for it were Tekken Dark Ressurection and Syphon Filter. Crush and Locco Rocco looked cool (I loved the Locco Rocco demo) so add those too I guess. But I have a DS Lite soo why play anything else (at least for the time being) right?

  • gamenux

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 12:47 pm PT

    Games and Media on one portable.... Since movies is common among the masses. Sony sees games as just another form of media entertainment like movies. Interesting..... I am still waiting for an announcement for USA

  • maxsteel86

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 12:05 pm PT

    I doubt this is a free service, if its like Sky Anytime, it'll cost
    But maybe if you already have a subscription to Sky, they'll offer you this for free? Here's hoping!

  • SapSacPrime

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 12:04 pm PT

    Sony need to stop competing with this sort of mobile phone add on stuff and focus on the games, which is surely the reason to buy a psp. The only game attracting me atm (however its very attractive in my eyes) is Silent Hill origins, but I wonder if a PS2 release is likely to follow shortly after poor psp sales.

  • lrsp

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 11:58 am PT

    I play GTA on PSP and it rocks! I don't know if I would watch too much tv on such a small screen. My eyes already hurt.

  • hellrazor06

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 11:54 am PT

    in your opinion snowman99991 in your opinion

  • hesel

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 11:54 am PT

    I rather have games which are not mostly ports, than some Video on Demand, oh well Sony must know what there doing >_>

  • snoman99991

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 11:37 am PT

    Seems pretty lame to me. Sure, it's nice to get TV wherever, but why don't we focus on games first? The PSP hasn't proven to us that it's worth buying over the DS. If I wanted a full-fledged action game, I'd pick up a real controller and play it on a console. Who plays GTA with that piece of crap control scheme?

  • RaiKageRyu

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 11:28 am PT

    Ok, lah.

  • jw_burrell

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 11:24 am PT

    Sounds interesting. Can't wait to hear more.

  • ds360fn

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 11:21 am PT

    Trogeton...most DS are great rpgs, like pokemon and mario and luigi, which i own both. And I can tell you for sure i hve over 100+ hours in both. A few days...I think not.

    I'm not a fanboy either because i do own a psp and i have just as much time as i do with ds games in MGS PO and Socom 2

  • JimmeyBurrows

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 11:07 am PT

    Woohoooo, MTV on the PSP!!! champion... oh and why are the Americans more important? (question aimed at the person below...) you all get a nice price drop on the PS3, for a short while at least, but we get naff all usually!!!

  • blueflamedino

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 10:55 am PT

    is this a free service and more importantly, what about us Americans

  • blancobo

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 10:41 am PT

    THis is kinda cool!. It takes the PSP into the media concept a little deeper. The PSP, different to other portable gaming consoles, is a multimedia provider. I believe the PSP and the PS3 have the capabilities to set a standard in entertainment, as well as gaming. By joining all this features: cross platform connectivity, wireless capabilities, media server connections, breakthrough gaming concepts, and now VOD... the media market can share hands with the gaming market, making it a whole... which in turn provides better, higher quality products. Who has seen a cheeper Blu Ray player than the PS3?, all of us are NOW starting to understand what are the real capabilities of the PS3, and how the PS3 games: LAIR, Killzone, NG Sigma, Resistance, Motorstorm, MGS GOP, Uncharted, R&C TOD, to name a few are demonstrating the capabilities of the system. The quality of the system in itself has not been put to test yet like that of the (repeatedly butchered) 360, while the PSP is still growing, finding new markets and expanding its still young game library/cycle.
    All this facts are now joining these two systems into the MEDIA Manager Concept, which could represent a breakthrough in innovation. Sony may be this huge company of "experts", but I believe their commitment to innovation is genuine. Two thumbs up!

  • xAngelxDustx

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 10:38 am PT

    Sony is BALLIN yet again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • NuttyBanana

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 10:31 am PT

    Just rubbish to try and pull themselves out of the crap for missin us out of their ps3 price drops.

    I can't imagine that it will be a service that works very well or is very cheap.

  • blackadderthe8t

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 10:30 am PT

    Maybe this is sony trying desperatly to make up for screwing us over with the PS3...

    Also, I wonder if you already have sky tv and pay the monthly subsciption, would you get this free, or as an extra charge?

  • Trogeton

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 10:26 am PT

    DUDE.... the DS is already beat.... the only people that mainly buy that thing are Pokemon lovers, and other kids at the age of like 17 and below, the psp is for more of a more mature gamer and has more difficult games that actually takes weeks to beat.... not days So please continue the trash talking you sony hating fanyboys... in the end your the ones coming out look like an idiot so why dont you get off this forum and go on a forum of a company you are rooting for... I mean your life cant be that miserable can it???

  • Neon-Wingz

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 10:23 am PT

    okassar "Cool,Sony followed Microsoft's path...in countries that don't really frikkin' matter lol."

    SO what countries matter? Frikkin ignorant. I dont know what you mean by Sony following Microsoft, but the winner in the end is not who came up with it first, it's who gets it done right. Be it MS or SONY i dont know, but for now, Sony seems to be taking the right steps.

  • elite_ferns1

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 10:21 am PT

    This still won't make it beat the DS. But will make money for them.

  • ryan-666

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 10:07 am PT

    yh skyone would be awesome!!!!!!!!!!

  • Gazza101

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 10:07 am PT

    All Sony can ever think about is trying to get a propietary format out there, so they can monopolize it and charge a fortune.

  • jacky531

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 10:05 am PT

    If this feature comes in North America I will surely buy a PSP

  • commando611

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 10:02 am PT

    i cant get skyone...hopefully it's on the psp.

  • commando611

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 10:00 am PT

    @sanjt: Nice comeback..lol

  • Lionheart_VIII

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 9:59 am PT

    wtf did the we do to sony to not have any cool content

  • assassinX01

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 9:52 am PT

    That's great news. . .for the psp. . . in Europe. But here's a question, Sony: why the hell do you not have a on demand and episode downloads on the PS3? Isn't that a little bit EASIER to do, you know, stockpile media online for a console, especially when you're one of the largest movie companies in the world?

  • PyroSean30

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 9:51 am PT

    i sort of wish Sony could offer more downloadable video/game content here in the US...

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