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| Media type | Optical disc |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 900 MB (single layer), 1.8 GB (dual layer) |
| Read mechanism | 660 nmlaser diode |
| Developed by | Sony |
| Usage | Games,movies,music |
| Released | December 12, 2004; 20 years ago (2004-12-12) |
| Discontinued | 2017[1] |
TheUniversal Media Disc (UMD) is a discontinuedoptical disc medium developed bySony for use on itsPlayStation Portable handheldgaming andmultimedia platform. It can hold up to 1.8 gigabytes of data and is capable of storing video games, feature-length films, and music. UMD is thetrademark ofSony Computer Entertainment for their optical disk cartridge (ODC).[2][3]
While the primary application for UMD discs is as a storage medium for PSP games, the format is also used for the storage ofmotion pictures and, to a lesser degree,television shows for playback on the PSP. The video is encoded in theH.264/MPEG-4 AVC format, with the audio inATRAC3plus orPCM. Video stored on UMD is typically encoded in 720×480 resolution, but is scaled down when displayed on the PSP. To date, there are around 1,500 films released on UMD (around 1,000 are common for allregions and around 500 areregion exclusives).The American punk rock bandThe Offspring released theirComplete Music Video Collection on the format.[4] TheBBC released a number of its programmes on UMD in the UK, includingThe Office,The Mighty Boosh,Doctor Who, andLittle Britain.WWE also released some wrestler highlights and documentary content on UMD format, such as theMonday Night War,Jake "The Snake" Roberts: Pick Your Poison, andWWE Raw Homecoming (a special episode ofWWE Raw celebrating the return toUSA Network); the only WWEpay-per-view released on UMD format wasWrestleMania XXIV.[5]
Tupac's performance,Live at the House of Blues, was also released on the UMD, which also included several music videos, includingHit 'Em Up.[6][7]
Someadult films have been released on UMD in Japan.[8] Sony reportedly took offence at adult film studios publishing pornography on the medium, but claimed that they were unable to restrict films on UMD like with games and other software for the PSP.[9]
ECMA-365: Data Interchange on 60 mm Read-Only ODC – Capacity: 1.8 GB (UMD)[2]
The case dimensions for UMD discs are 177×104×14mm.[10]
According to the official ECMA specification Sony designed the UMD to support two possible future enhancements and products.[2]
DVD region coding has been applied to most UMD movies and music. However, all PSP games are region-free, although some require pay-to-continue.[clarification needed]
UMD offered large capacity and the capability to store quality audio/video content; however, the format's proprietary nature, the lack of writers and accompanying blank media, made adoption difficult. The UMD format never saw implementation on any device other than thePlayStation Portable, and as a result the market was very limited compared to those of other optical media formats. The high price of UMD movie releases were another contributing factor: they often retailed at comparable prices toDVD, but lacked extra content. Poor sales of UMD movies early in the format's life caused major studios likeUniversal andParamount to rescind their support.[11][12] Retail support of the format experienced similar troubles, and in 2006,Wal-Mart began phasing out shelf space devoted to UMD movies.[13]
In late 2009, Sony began pushing developers away from the UMD format and towardsdigital distribution on thePlayStation Network in preparation for the launch of the digital-download-onlyPSP Go, which was the first (and only) PSP model to not include a UMD drive.[13] However, the system experienced lackluster sales compared to previous models, with most consumers still choosing the UMD-compatiblePSP-3000 model, which continued to be sold alongside the PSP Go.[14][15] Despite the earlier push for PlayStation Network releases around the PSP Go's launch, over half of the PSP's library was only made available in UMD format includingCrisis Core: Final Fantasy VII andKingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, as well as the US releases ofFinal Fantasy andFinal Fantasy II. There have been a few PlayStation Network exclusive releases since the PSP Go's launch, such asLocoRoco Midnight Carnival and the international release ofFinal Fantasy III. Still, most new games continued to be distributed via UMD, and, aside from those published bySCE, not all have been released on PlayStation Network.
The successor of the PlayStation Portable, the PlayStation Vita, did not include UMD support, nor was it added throughout its lifespan. In a move similar to the PSP Go, Sony focused on digital downloads and opted for low-profile flash-based cartridges as the system's main media format. UMD releases of films ended in 2011. Games were published on UMD up until 2013. Production of UMDs ended when the last Japanese factory producing them closed in late 2016.
UMD can be dumped into disc image files (.iso or .cso), using amodified PSP. This file can be loaded by a modified PSP through theMemory Stick, similar to titles that were distributed through the PlayStation Network.
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Standards ofEcma International | ||
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List of Ecma standards (1961 – present) | ||
