San Diego — Sony is hoping to spur use of its Memory Stick Duo media by bundling new cards with DVDs capable of transferring full-length movies to Sony’s flash-memory card for viewing on the PlayStation Portable (PSP).
While Sony PSP users have had access to portable movies through the company’s Universal Media Disc, it is the first time such capability has been offered on its Memory Stick Duo media. Memory Stick Duo Entertainment Packs will bundle a 1GB or 2GB card with an installer DVD that a user loads onto a PC. Once loaded, a movie can be unlocked and transferred from the DVD to the memory card in a format capable of being viewed on the PSP.
The DVD will contain four movies from Sony Pictures Entertainment — “Hitch,” “S.W.A.T,” “The Grudge” or “XXX: State of the Union.” Consumers can only unlock one of the four movies.
The Memory Stick Duo cards can also be used in other compatible devices, such as cameras and camcorders, but the movies are only viewable on the PSP, Sony said.
The 1GB and 2GB cards will ship next month for a suggested $60 and $100, respectively. The bundled DVD will not add to the cost of the media but instead is a value-added product for the consumers, a Sony spokesperson said.
