PSP World

Editorial: Video iPod a threat to PSP?

Before it was really never even a question, but now that it is finally official and the real specs are out, it’s time to take a look at the new video-capable iPod as a competitor to the PSP. Although they aren’t necessarily positioned against each other in the marketplace, the fact is that with the holiday season coming up, and their price points being so similar, they will be competing for buyer’s dollars. Many factors will go into making purchasing decisions, from content to features to price.

Video
Both machines are highly video-capable, although the 320x240 resolution of the video iPod’s 2.5” screen can’t really match the 480x272 4.3” widescreen of the PSP. Unfortunately for Sony and for buyers, it’s not that simple. Video on the iPod is stored on its built-in hard drive, compared to the rather expensive — and not included — Memory Stick media the PSP uses. They play very similar video formats, but the integration/transfer process of the iPod through iTunes is much more user-friendly than the DIY nature of transferring video to the PSP. Battery life is also an issue, and the iPod wins the battle here by a couple of hours, partly due to its smaller screen.

The bigger issue with video, however, is content. Sony is doing a great job of getting the big movie studios behind the PSP’s UMD format — but that doesn’t mean that Apple isn’t thinking of doing the same with digital downloads from the iTunes Music (Media?) Store. As of the launch today, over 2,000 music videos and some ABC television episodes are available for direct download for only $1.99 a piece — a far cry from the $19.99 - $29.99 you are going to pay for a UMD.

Supposing that Apple is able to keep future movie downloads in the $9.99 range, this could be a huge advantage. That, and the fact that the user doesn’t have to carry a huge stack of UMDs everywhere — it’s all inside the tiny iPod. Then again, the iPod’s smaller screen negates some of the device’s advantage here, but in the end, Sony really needs to consider a more seamless manner in which to offer video content for the PSP at a reasonable price and with a better method of managing the movies once they are on the user’s computer.

Music
Once again, both devices are highly-capable music players, and again the same basic problems arise. Sony doesn’t have anything that even closely resembles an answer to the iTunes Music Store (nor can the PSP natively play songs purchased there), and any music a user wants to listen to must be stored on a Memory Stick card, costing extra on top of the PSP’s $299 price, while the iPod has storage for roughly 10,000 songs built-in. The battery life argument just doesn’t exist — the iPod wins, hands down. Also, the iPod has the PSP beaten again in the transferring/organizing department, and there is no comparison between the user interfaces of the two players — the iPod’s simplicity is simply unmatched.

Pictures
For pictures, much like for video, it would at first seem that the device with the largest screen wins — but again, there are some other issues. Transfer and storage again become hang-ups in the PSP’s argument when it comes to digital photos — never-mind the fact that with a $30 accessory you can actually upload pictures directly from a camera to an iPod and view them on its screen, a feat that is simply impossible on the PSP. Sure, users can remove a Memory Stick from a Sony digital camera and view the pictures on the PSP’s screen, but there is no way to transfer them off, leaving you room to take more pictures. The pics may look better on the PSP’s screen, but there is a price to pay in the way of Memory Cards, transfer hassles, and compatibility. Plus, the iPod natively supports the viewing of stored photos on a TV through video out — something the PSP can’t claim.

Games
Finally, somewhere where the PSP has no competition. The iPod’s paltry offering of Music Quiz, Solitaire, Brick and Parachute are no match for the PSP’s growing library of excellent titles — not to mention the fact that the click wheel is far from an ideal game controller. At nearly $50 a pop, the PSP’s games don’t come cheap, but they are something the iPod simply can’t offer, and will make the difference in a lot of purchasing decisions.

Intangibles
Yes, the PSP does have the really handy feature of having a Wi-Fi browser — but that browser comes at the expense of battery life, and the PSP doesn’t have an answer to the iPod’s tight integration of Contacts, Calendars, and Alarms. The iPod’s PDA functionality almost negates the PSP’s browser — but not quite. If I need to check my email, I need my PSP — if I need a contact, sure, I can check it on my iPod with ease — but I can also find it online with the PSP.

Overall
Although this really isn’t a fair comparison due to the PSP being a game machine, there are some people out there considering the multimedia capabilities of these two devices as strongly if not more strongly than they are their gaming capabilities. Sony needs a strategic plan that includes easy-to-use, cross-platform media organization and transfer software, reduced storage pricing, and an easier way for PSP owners to access digital content. UMD movies are great, but it would help if they would give owners somewhere to play them at home — no one really wants to pay $30.00 for a movie they can only watch on a 4.3” screen when they can get the DVD for $5 cheaper — or more. Start packaging UMDs with DVDs, make a UMD player for the home — or better yet build it into the PS3 — and lower the cost of stand alone discs.

The PSP is a wonderful game machine, and it is a joy to own — but if Sony doesn’t pull together and start taking advantage of the PSP’s multimedia capabilities, they are going to lose sales of PSPs to the video iPod. It’s just that simple.

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