The Problems With Nintendo DS Movies:
The PSP is often looked at as a media player, while the Nintendo DS is more considered to be a game player only, yet there is very little reason that the Nintendo DS couldn't play movies as well or better than the PSP. The number one obstacle to this is storage capacity. The PSP uses mini-DVD style technology, which allows up to 1.8 gigs of storage space, while the DS uses memory cards that carry roughly 128 megabytes.- Sony PSP: UMD media capable of storing 1800 megabytes.
- Nintendo DS: Memory cards capable of storing 128 megabytes (14X smaller than the UMD).
- Traditional Movie DVD: DVD media capable of storing up to 4000 or more megabytes.
Can a Nintendo DS Media Card Store a Full Length Movie?
In short, yes. The PSP is considered a more powerful movie player because the screen is larger, and because the discs hold more. However, with modern movie formats, there's no need for a full length movie to be 4000 megabytes big. With DivX or Windows Media 9 formats, DVD quality movies can be made small enough to fit on a single 700 megabyte CD.But That's Too Big, Isn't It?
Unto itself, it is. A 700 megabyte movie won't fit on a 128 megabyte Nintendo DS memory card. However, you don't need a DVD quality movie to look good on a handheld device. Where-as 700 megabytes will give you a good looking movie on almost any size screen you're likely to find in a living room, the Nintendo DS and PSP screens are much smaller. As a good comparison, PDA's have been capable of playing movies for some time using memory cards for storage. In fact, programs already exist that convert full length feature films into sizes that can fit on a 128 megabyte memory card at good quality. They're designed to be used with current generation PDAs, which have much in common with the Nintendo DS.What Does the PSP Do Better?
The PSP has two advantages over the Nintendo DS in terms of playing movies. First, it has a larger screen, which, for obvious reasons, is good for watching movies. Second, the Sony uses re-writable forms of memory in conjunction with their UMD media format. This means that, while you'll be buying pre-packaged movies on UMD, you can use software to convert your current DVD collection into a form that's playable on your PSP. While this can be done on the Nintendo DS, technically, Nintendo's little handheld does not use any form of media that the average user is going to be able to write data to and from. The advantage on this one? Sony, but it will probably only matter to a relatively small, technical area of the population that capable of converting their own DVDs.What Does the Nintendo DS Do Better?
The Nintendo DS has one significant advantage over the PSP, and that's in battery life. Since it uses memory card technology, which draws less power than the UMD, you should be capable of watching movies for much longer on the DS than you can on the PSP.So Why is Nintendo Silent About Movies on the Nintendo DS?
This is a good question. Sony has been very vocal about the PSP's ability to play movies, audio, and games. Nintendo, though the DS is equally capable of playing movies, has stayed relatively quiet about the system's movie playing capabilities. It's possible that Sony, connected to the music and movie industry in ways that Nintendo is not, is in a better position to acquire the rights to movies for release. However, it would be very surprising if E3 2005 slips by without us seeing some sort of media ability show up on the Nintendo DS. Pixar on the go? Who knows, but the PSP doesn't own the world in terms of movies on handheld systems.Discuss these steps in our forums:
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