The UMD (Universal Media Disc) is taking hold as just about every major studio signs up to release day and date DVD/UMD discs. Also on board is Anchor Bay with (from what I can tell) their second batch of titles. Now available to take with you wherever you go (for use on your Playstation Portable - PSP) are successful Anchor Bay releases Dawn of the Dead, Hellraiser and Children of the Corn. The image is a little smaller (and so is the disc's capacity, just under 2 gigs) but the image quality and 'wow' factor are pretty high up there. I had no idea what to expect, these were my first UMD film experiences. But I was surprised that I found the technology to be pretty damn cool

With smaller capacity discs (espevially when you factor in what a dual layered DVD can hold), you're not going to find much in the way of extras. As a matter of fact, these UMD's from Anchor Bay feature no extras at all. Chapter stops, but no chapter listings. Only a basic menu screen and the word 'Play.' The actual discs come housed in a plastic case and the whole thing pops right into the back of the PSP. From what I've been told, PSP game developers have already been pushing the limits of these little discs and DVD distributors can't be too far behind. While these three titles from Anchor Bay are bare bones releases, I've seen some upcoming titles advertised (from other studios) that include commentaries, deleted scenes and more.

Dawn of the Dead easily looks the best here, which makes sense since this is probably the title that received the most care in its recent DVD releases. Following close behind is Hellraiser (I was actually shocked at how good this one looked) with Children of the Corn at a not too distant third. All three films feature solid stereo tracks, but you'll have to wear your headphones to truly appreciate the audio. Only Children of the Corn exhibited some minor audio problems with some distorted/scratchy dialogue at times.

Image quality is quite respectable. Sharp, vibrant colors on a nifty 'mini' (approx. 1.78:1 ratio) screen. There was some slight artifacting I noticed during the darker scenes. Also, during scenes that exhibit more motion a hint of ghosting is evident. But I'll admit that watching these titles on the portable PSP was actually quite enjoyable despite these minor flaws.

The price is a bit steep, all three of these discs MSRP for $19.98 which may be a bit tough to swallow for some. Although many discount online retailers sell them for less than $15. Id love to see distributors offer bundle packs in the not so distant future. Maybe for $3-$5 more, you can have the UMD along with your DVD. Create some sort of combined packaging? ::hint:: ::hint:: Something to look forward to I would hope. In the mean time, the UMD's are pretty nifty portable ports of some of your favorite films, that could have an interesting future.