Finally answering the question that has been asked since the UMD format was announced -- Why would you want to spend DVD prices on a movie that only plays in a PSP? -- Sony has announced they'll be releasing several movie bundles over the coming few months that will contain both the DVD and UMD version of the film.

On March 28, consumers will be able to buy DVD-UMD movie bundles of The Grudge, Resident Evil, Underworld, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and The Terminator. Ghostbusters, Mad Max, The Fifth Element and Snatch will be available on April 25, followed by more movies in May.

The bundles will sell for $28.95, whereas stand-alone DVD releases can range from $20 to $25 and UMDs alone sell for around $20. The UMD market has done surprisingly well so far, even with the outrageous prices, so this can't do anything but help their expansion.

Sony also announced that Blu-ray format movies will wholesale for $23.45 for new releases, and catalog titles will wholesale for $17.95. Those prices are roughly what the same movies on DVD cost retail. The question is -- much like the UMD situation now -- how long will it be that Blu-ray movies are only playable on a PS3, before Blu-ray players are widely available and priced in a range affordable to the average consumer?

Source: Next Generation