Misery Likes Company - UMD Movies a Bust

Not to gloat, but it seems that Sony's UMD movie format is quietly imploding. Despite tactics such as DVD/UMD bundles and cherrypicking titles targeted at the PlayStation Portable's base (comedies, thrillers, sci-fi, anime), the discs just aren't selling enough to justify their expense. To date, the announced title list is at 463, but Paramount and Universal appear to be abandoning UMD while Warner Bros. and even Sony itself have cut back on new releases. Rumor has it that Sony is devising a solution to play UMD movies in the living room, but even this is likely to fail due to the format's reduced quality: The discs can't compete with similarly priced DVDs, which videophiles have already stopped buying in anticipation of the forthcoming HD formats. A year ago tomorrow, we reported on a better PSP movie solution that, alas, has never materialized...