When Does Sony Go This Way?
MGM announced today that they would have their very own HD channel on DirecTV this fall, following in the footsteps of Universal, whose Universal HD channel combines movies and TV shows from the studio catalog with some NBC sports programming, all in HD, supported by ad sales. The studio already has the ad-supported Sleuth channel, which is loaded with the studio’s decades old catalog of cop shows and thrillers.
Disney, Fox, and Paramount already have a load of channels in the cable space, branded in various ways, though aside from FX, which uses the Fox catalog a but like used goods in combination with new shows, and Disney, which is kid branded, the studios are not the brands.
As the only major with no network, cable or broadcast, Sony needs to start heading in this direction sooner than later. Television is the next step for internal use of libraries, which are losing value due daily to limited distribution options on cable and a DVD glut. And really, so people who like Wheel of Fortune worry that they might be watching an hour of 20 year old episodes each day… or does that excite them even more?
Also – I must admit that my “giant DVR” comments in the past have been bouyed farther by my own experience of the last couple of days. On returning to L.A. and my new-ish HD DVR, which has a frustratingly small amount of space for programs in HD, it took all of a $200 external hard drive and a wire from the back of the DirecTV DVR to make over 100 hours of space available for my use. And if I had spent a couple hundred more, it could just as easily have been 200 hours. And the drive? It’s the size of a quality paperback and makes no drive noise at all.
I know that most people are too intimidated to even figure out what an eSata cord it. But the outlet was on my DVR for a reason. The future is coming. And when I can watch The Bourne Ultimatum at home in HD in November (or whenever 3 months after release is) for an extra $10 a month on the satellite bill, it will be here.
Yes; let us all go and spend 2 bills on a freakin external hdd to record HD content. For that money; you could have freakin bought one of those crap Toshiba players and freakin RENTED the HD-DVD release of Bourne in December.
Oddly enough; Direct TV did have a 500 hour HD-DVR on display at CEDIA recently. However, it was not for consumer use, but it may be in a few years. Which will lead to Heat proclaiming he was right on with the BIG HDD BOX OF POP-CULTURE STUFF. Yeah. That will happen. Let us see what sells more… the 160g Ipod or the new Nano… then tell me if the world is read for a bhbpc.
With that Sony thing; they do not need a network especially a cable network. They clearly see the PS3 and the future PSs as the portal into homes and possibly the use of their libraries. Libraries that will be accessed through a game system that’s more powerful than most computers and attached to a lot of high-resolution HD televisions. Why do you even need a cable network — or a network — when you have that sort of gateway into people’s homes?
Sony CAN’T go that way–FCC regulations forbid foreign-owned companies to own TV networks.
Not cable nets, Cad?
Is not Fox a foreign-owned company?
Heat; why would they want to own a freakin cable network? Especially in light of the FCC wanting to change the way people pay for cable via
Does anyone know why IOIOIOI calls Poland Heat or Miami Heat? It was slightly humorous at first, but now it’s just annoying. Is it an inside joke between the men that we’re just not aware of? While I’ve never met IOIOIOI, I’m thinking of starting to refer to him as Alabama Cracker or just Cracker.
it started before my time too. was always wondering
David: Nope, nothing. It’s the reason why Sony entered into a partnership wih Comcast to buy MGM.
Jeff: Murdoch became an American citizen several years ago precisely because NewsCorp would thus no longer be foreign-owned.
Jimmy; I will forever call him HEAT. Why? Top two buttons up, revealing chest hair, and rocking a gold chain. If he’s going to be fly. He gets a fly nickname. He also did the Miami film festival that year as well as him coming from down that way. So… that explains… Miami Heat for like the 10th time. Let a brother have his bit of business, damn it! Nevertheless; Sony are not that heavy into the whole TV game. FOX, Warners, NBC, Disney, and CBS have been into this game for years. This would require Sony to enter into TV production. TV production being something they only do half-heartedly at the moment, and do not seem that interested in doing at an adequate level.
Sony got pushed out of pretty strong position in TV much as DreamWorks did… but the shows they own are still shoring up a lot of the bottom line.
And for the record, I haven’t owned a gold chain since I was 14. I do, however, own a fair amount of chest hair. But mostly, I find it fascinating that anyone cares about a nickname in a commenting space filled with them.
it’s not like knowing 42. i was just curious
Heat; I saw you wearing a chain in something maybe 3 years ago and the image has stayed with me. Nevertheless; Sony do have some shows that make a pretty penny, but they are more focused on putting PS3s in home then producing TV shows. They would have to shift their entire paradigm in order to make a TV network… work.
You were having an acid flashback, IO… maybe you saw me with a festival badge around my neck.
Heat; there was no acid. I remember seeing you with this chain because it led to a discussion between myself and former friend. Due in large part to us being shocked that you were rocking that gold chain with the shirt open. This led to us both agreeing, that we would bow down to your astonishing manliness in terms of rocking the top two buttons open and showing off a gold chain. That’s ballsy. That’s Fernando Alonso level of ballsiness.
I think you were mistaking an aging Erik Estrada for me.
This is a silly argument to be having, but…
And I could have swore that was John Rhys-Davies in full bling.
Sony is just confused these days. The PS3 has bombed, their idea of using it as a gateway to Blue Ray just didn’t happen because it was far too expensive.
Sony has to recover from getting walloped by the Wii before it expands into new mediums.
We are not having an argument. We were having an argument? Really? Who knew? Nevertheless; if you do not rock a chain, then you do not rock a change. This does not change that you are… MIAMI… HEAT!
Now onto this; “Sony is just confused these days. The PS3 has bombed, their idea of using it as a gateway to Blue Ray just didn’t happen because it was far too expensive.” Say it for me Mr. Luthor; “WRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOONNNNNNNNGGGGGGGG!!!!” The PS3 has been outselling the XBOX ever since the price cut. While the WII really does not count because it’s not a next-gen console. It’s a Nintendo console that sells cheap, looks slightly better then a PS2, and will not last in the long run. It will be a niche machine because 2008 has always been the year that Sony had marked as the real start of the PS3 kicking ass and taking names. So they have not failed at all. All they had to do was knock down the price and get better games. GTA4 can go on and on about being on XBOX but it’s as much a PS game as HALO is an XBOX game. Nevertheless; the PS3 is still the cheapest Blu-Ray player, and it’s a pretty good one as well.
Your outlook on Sony, IO, is much different than Sony’s, who is in a panic because of the failure of PS3 to take off the way PS2 did. The PS3 sales were a huge failure for Sony and they have yet to figure out how to recover from it.
Just because the PS3 is the cheapest Blu-Ray player doesn’t mean much, because there simply isn’t a large market for Blu-Ray players right now, and being ahead of the curve technology-wise is not very good for the bottom line of a company like Sony.
And as to the Wii being a different kind of console, again, technology is one thing, but the bottom line is what matters for Sony, and the bottom line is that Nintendo is kicking their ass right now.
Anyway, while some niche consumers might like what Sony’s doing, but Sony seems to have finally realized that having the cheapest Blu-ray player isn’t a real business yet, and has caused them to lose ground and dap to their competitors.
As for 2008, maybe that was the goal back then, but right now Sony itself doesn’t even know how it’s going to play it’s hand in 2008, because the plan they thought they had with PS3 blew up in their face and now they have to decide if they want to change course or not.
Carpet; BLU-RAY sales are not out selling HD-DVD without the PS3. The PS3 is working as a BLU-RAY player. It’s making BLU-RAY work all on it’s own. Do not even get me started on FOLDING AT HOME and how the PS3 is helping unlock protein sequences.
That aside; Nintendo has been selling a lot for years. They sell a ton of games and a ton of handheld systems. The only reason that the WII is selling hinges solely on the WII selling mostly for kids. Like every other Nintendo console of the last 10 years. This console is for kids as well and it will come back and bite Nintendo on the ass. It’s not like the 64 or the GC sucked, but those consoles died due to not capturing the mature gamers. The mature gamers drive this industry now and Nintendo is never going to have one game that moves like HALO, GEARS, FF, or GTA on the XBOX and PS3. I should mention that XBOX are pretty much shooting themselves in the foot with all of their technical problems. So… who does that leave the mature gamer to choose? Hmmm… makes me wonder.
Finally; the sales failed in the US. Elsewhere it’s doing fine. It failed in the US because of the release titles. Also… gamers are more savvy then IPHONE buyers. Everyone knew that this console would go down in price in a year. Everyone knew about GTA and other games being this systems KILLER AP A YEAR AGO! Sony are not in a panic because everyone knew what you think they were panicking about a YEAR AGO! I would agree with you. If your argument took into account these factours that have been known for a year.
IO, from a gamer’s perspective, what you say may very well be true, but you’re lacking perspective on Sony’s issues which are bottom line.
And you are wrong that the PS3 has been selling great everywhere else. Check it:
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUST27720420070903
“TOKYO (Reuters) – Nintendo Co Ltd’s video game console Wii outsold Sony Corp’s PlayStation 3 by a ratio of three to one in Japan in August, but Nintendo’s overwhelming lead in the market narrowed for the second consecutive month.
Nintendo sold 245,653 units of the Wii in the four weeks ending August 26, compared with 81,541 units of Sony’s PS3, game magazine publisher Enterbrain said. The ratio was more than four to one in favor of the Wii in July and six to one in June.
Sony’s PS3, packed with cutting-edge technology such as a Blu-ray high-definition DVD player, has been trailing the Wii in sales since the consoles were introduced late last year, due to the PS3’s high price and a scarcity of strong game titles.”