PlayStation Video Store to Counter Netflix on Xbox LIVE

Not to be outdone by Microsoft’s recent announcement that it’s teaming up with Netflix on LIVE for streaming movie downloads – Sony has a movie announcement of its own. Sony one-ups the Washington based software empire with high-def downloads instead of simply streaming older sub-DVD quality movies. 

Sony launched the PlayStation Video Store this week where users can already download movies and TV shows, some are even in high definition. There are in fact over 300 films and 1,200 TV episodes currently available. To get in on the entertainment all you need is the latest firmware 2.41 installed on your PlayStation 3. Sony’s new video store even gives users the option of buying or renting certain entertainment titles. 

The store is easily accessible from your XMB under the PlayStation Store icon. You’ll find standard def movies rentals cost $3 or $4, HD rentals are $6. If you’re downloading HD movies you better have plenty of extra space on your console’s drive. Each film downloaded will take up to 8GB of storage. Standard-def movies will take up to 2GB. 

Doing some quick math, a 60GB PS3 will hold about 30 SD movies. The same PS3 will only hold about 8HD. TV show browsing on PlayStation Video Store features a smart option of browsing by network. You’ll find A&E, History Channel, Adult Swim, Discovery and more. One sad thing about the video store so far is that there simply aren’t any movies for purchase in HD. Users have also complained that the interface is a little buggy and will need a bit of ironing-out from this early stage of the service’s development.   

There are some other minor annoyances too, like mysteriously missing episodes. No, we’re not talking Fox Mulder and the X-Files here. The service boasts all three seasons of Arrested Development, for instance. However, if you’re interested in getting up to speed on the adventures of the dysfunctional Bluth family, you’ll be disappointed. Inexplicably missing from the Arrested Development library are episodes 1 and 3 from the first season. There are probably many more such inconsistencies so until Sony can fix this issue, it’s not the most reliable way to keep up with your favorite shows. 

A very cool feature for travelers is the option to transfer content to your PSP for viewing on the go. The PlayStation Video Store is even accessible from your PC. Considering how easy PlayStation 3 Hard Drive upgrades can be with any affordable PC HDD, archiving purchased content becomes an attractive option. 

Sony’s Video Store compared to Xbox LIVE - Netflix alliance still represents a trade off. Sure you’ll get better quality audio and video. But, you’ll get a much smaller library of films than what’s offered by Netflix. Not all studios are on board yet for Sony’s video store. There is also a matter of cost, it costs LIVE subscribers nothing extra to stream Netflix movies but Sony’s video store requires purchase or rental of each movie. I guess it’s true what they say about quality, you pay for what you get.