RSSUsers find PlayStation Network movie downloads are one-time only
By Tim Conneally | Published September 22, 2008, 6:29 PM
A PlayStation 3 owner has brought to attention Sony's policies regarding movies purchased from the PlayStation Network: if one is deleted, it is rather difficult to obtain again.
According to Sony's licensing agreement: "Content cannot be redownloaded once it has been downloaded to either a PLAYSTATION 3 or PSP system. Content cannot be redownloaded once it has been downloaded to either a PLAYSTATION 3 or PSP system."
One PS3 network user posted his story on the official PlayStation message board. As he describes, he deleted movies he had downloaded to free up space on his hard drive, but when he tried to re-download them, he found that he could not.
In order to get the content back, a user has to go through SCEA customer service to be given courtesy access to content labeled "downloaded" on his downloads list. This can be done only once.
Since other consoles do not offer movie purchases, the closest PlayStation Network parallel that can be drawn with respect to Nintendo's Wii is its downloadable WiiWare and Virtual Console content, which Nintendo allows to be deleted and re-downloaded unlimited times. Of course, with only a 512 MB (yes, that's an "M") hard drive, to not have that feature would be unacceptable. Likewise, content downloaded from Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade -- even titles that have been de-listed -- are at the user's disposal forever. The Xbox 360 only features Netflix-powered movie rentals.
Where the PlayStation Network's 24-hour movie rental system has generally been met with praise, the single download rule for movie purchases is a harsh deterrent. Users on the message board shared the opinion that the console has "what it needs" elsewhere, with an adequate rental system, and the ability to play DVDs and Blu-ray discs, as well as stream media from a home server or access content remotely via the system's browser and Winamp Remote.
Another reason to go with xblive!
Congrats Sony.. lets just help open more positives for the xbox
I think ive been on PS network once. I was impressed by the layout but feel that the live has better organization. I have friends who were busting nuts over the fact that it did have a browser but really im not using the console for that.
Score: 0
|This almost seems like a DUH! type of story. its what the industry wants after all. They do not care how many times you download it as long as you pay them each time you do so. We are just lucky they do not charge for the failed downloads too...
IMHO movie downloads are not what the machine is for. If you want to retain them transfer them to a PC or record them to a DVDR through playback to retain. Then delete. Personally I wouldn't waste my time on such a venue for movies. Just seems a waste of both time and bandwidth, as well as precious space on the sony HD.
Score: 0
|On the 360 You can Buy Movies, Delete and Redownload without a problem. Netflix has not kicked into affect on the Xbox 360. Netflix does not power the 360 downloads yet. The Xbox 360 media available will also be seperate downloads using the MS points from the Pay per month basis of netflix. The 360 live media is purchased and downloaded into your hard drive.The netflix movies are rented and Streamed into your 360 to watch. They are not downloaded and do not cost Points to watch. the Netflix movies also require a seperate Subscription to rent from Xbox Live.
Score: 0
|What do people expect? It is Sony we are talking about here, after all.
Score: 0
|This is why I'd rather pay for 360 Live. Netflix is joining the MS party shortly and I will be able to watch as many of thier free movies & shows as I like.
Score: 0
|You don't have to pay for Live to purchase content from the Xbox Live Marketplace, but I'm sure that Microsoft likes that you think that way because it nets them another $50 a year.
Score: 0
|I knew you could do that without joining Live but how many people who own a 360 don't have Live accounts?
I don't know a single person who owns a 360 that doesn't have a hard drive or doesn't play online.
Score: 0
|Good thing he didn't buy a game/movie while on vacation over sea's then it wouldn't even work..
Score: 0
|the time duration doesnt start until after first playback. Kinda sucks cause I watched 5 mins of a movie then had to go out, like a day later went to watch it and the time period had expired. But its a great service and well worth the 2 ours to download a flic, especially in HD :)g
Score: 0
|