Why is it so expensive to buy HD movies from PSN?

WatchTower · 5 Apr 2010 at 13:49

They seem to cost more than what I pay for BluRay movies. Which seems odd seen as the picture qualify isn't as high. The most I've spent on a BluRay movie is around £15. The other day I bought Terminator 2 Sky-net Edition for a £10 and Terminator Salvation T-600 Limited Edition new for only £12.

There doesn't seem to be many HD movies to buy on PSN and what are available cost £15. I was bored a few days and felt like watching a movie and was shocked to see how expensive they were. :eek:

Memphis · 5 Apr 2010 at 14:14

Because these major companies haven't worked out that digital distribution should mean lower purchase costs for the consumer, not higher.

Streeteh · 5 Apr 2010 at 14:31

Memphis said:
Because these major companies haven't worked out that digital distribution should mean lower purchase costs for the consumer, not higher.

I think it's more to do with the fact that Sony don't want to discourage highstreet retailers from stocking blurays in their stores. If it was cheaper to buy HD content online via DD, highstreet retailers would protest as it would impact their sales. Blurays being withdrawn from major highstreet stores due to lack of sales would be a disaster for Sony.

WatchTower · 5 Apr 2010 at 14:33

Memphis said:
Because these major companies haven't worked out that digital distribution should mean lower purchase costs for the consumer, not higher.

Aren't they dooming them selves to fail then?

Streeteh said:
I think it's more to do with the fact that Sony don't want to discourage highstreet retailers from stocking blurays in their stores. If it was cheaper to buy HD content online via DD, highstreet retailers would protest as it would impact their sales. Blurays being withdrawn from major highstreet stores due to lack of sales would be a disaster for Sony.

Isn't BluRay a lot better quality anyway compare to the HD downloads? If the's a movie I've really been looking forward too I'd buy it on BluRay even if is available to download.

ZG002 · 5 Apr 2010 at 14:41

biggest problem with the sony hd download stuff is the sound is stereo and not in 5.1, The main reason I've never even just tired it.

Streeteh · 5 Apr 2010 at 16:01

WatchTower said:
Isn't BluRay a lot better quality anyway compare to the HD downloads? If the's a movie I've really been looking forward too I'd buy it on BluRay even if is available to download.

Yes the DD is inferior to bluray, doesn't mean most people can tell the difference/care.

Meatball · 5 Apr 2010 at 16:22

ZG002 said:
biggest problem with the sony hd download stuff is the sound is stereo and not in 5.1, The main reason I've never even just tired it.

WHAT! Not even DTS or DD? Utter madness :eek:

.

Nanoman · 5 Apr 2010 at 17:11

They're matched to retail prices so Sony aren't competing with themselves.

wannabedamned · 5 Apr 2010 at 17:21

It shows how marketting works doesnt it. HD as a word carries movies miles.

People spend the same money on PSN buying HD movies as they do buying Bluray movies. Both of which play on the PS3, 1 of which has inferior sound and picture quality.

Surfer · 5 Apr 2010 at 19:27

Very rarely buy blurays now unless its something i want to keep in a collection or smt. Much easier and simpler watching movies online.(streaming)

TheVoice · 5 Apr 2010 at 20:19

ZG002 said:
biggest problem with the sony hd download stuff is the sound is stereo and not in 5.1, The main reason I've never even just tired it.

Some are 5.1.

ZG002 · 5 Apr 2010 at 22:40

Ain't looked in a while. Wonder what that does to the file sizes

chimaera · 6 Apr 2010 at 07:22

This is exactly why i think digital distribution is a bad idea unless there's a lot of competition, just look at the cost to download games on the PSP Go compared to UMD disks. It's a market with a single distributor who can fix the prices because of outside influences, in this case retail sales.

Digital downloads were meant to be the future, but companies like Sony are killing it before it's even left the ground.

Yungstar 2006 · 6 Apr 2010 at 15:12

Memphis said:
Because these major companies haven't worked out that digital distribution should mean lower purchase costs for the consumer, not higher.

while i'm all for paying as little as possible, where is it written that DD should mean lower prices and not higher profits for the company's that supply the digital media?

WatchTower · 7 Apr 2010 at 13:46

Yungstar 2006 said:
while i'm all for paying as little as possible, where is it written that DD should mean lower prices and not higher profits for the company's that supply the digital media?

It cost less to distributed, no packaging, no booklets or extra content. They're saving loads and are not passing any of the savings on to the customers. :mad:

Solaris · 7 Apr 2010 at 13:51

Xbox 360 is much better for this

mame · 7 Apr 2010 at 17:40

Solaris said:
Xbox 360 is much better for this

And there's always the HD-DVD external drive!