Sony now offers Australian PlayStation 3 owners free music videos, but what happened to movie downloads and the TV tuner?

Sony's VidZone provides over 10,000 free music videos on demand for PS3 owners, letting them watch single videos or create playlists. Sure that's handy, but what about the proper movie download service that US users have enjoyed for a while? And what about the PlayTV television tuner that's been promised for some time?

Australians who paid top dollar for the mother of all gaming consoles, in the belief that these other services would come soon, are entitled to be annoyed. Sony is also missing a golden opportunity to lock loyal PS3 owners into its own content services before more competitors like TiVo come along to challenge Apple's impressive movie download service.

We might see movie downloads on the PS3 in Australia by the end of the year but, judging from Sony's recent comments, it's looking more like next year.

Don't talk to me about broadband speeds, download limits, rights management or licensing issues - Apple and TiVo can offer decent movie download services in Australia and so could Sony if it felt Australia was a priority. The grass is looking greener on the other side of the fence for loyal PS3 owners and, if Sony doesn't give them what they want, they'll take their entertainment needs elsewhere.