HOT PSP Accessories

PSP Accessories Griffin Technology Rolls Out PSP Audio Accessories Griffin Technology has already built a reputation through their line of iPod products so we're excited to see their goodies for the PSP. iTrip PSP - $49.99 FM Transmitter that sends music straight to your (car) radio. iFM PSP - $49.99 Radio and Remote for the PSP. SmartShare PSP - $14.99 Headphone splitter with individual volume controls. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The PSP World according to Sony Sony has opened a store in Aoyama, and they're specialized in PSP accessories. there are plenty of nice things to admire (and purchase), but we do wonder what the added value of a PSP corkscrew or a PSP (wine)glass is... a watch, ok, but all those other gizmos. All the gear looks nice, but we won't even dare to mention any prices... --------------------------------------------------------------------- Sony PSP Bluetooth This is a very cool accessory, the BT450Px (or c). This Bluetooth dongle connects to your PSP and transmits all audio to Bluetooth headphones. The dongle is BT v1.2 and A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) compliant Bluetake BT450PX i-PHONO mini Bluetooth Stereo Audio Transmitter - Product Code: HDW11X0042-001Manufacturer: BluetakeMfr part #: BT450PX The i-PHONO mini Bluetooth Stereo Pod Transmitter (P/N: BT450Px) allows the SONY PSP to transmit the CD quality stereo music wirelessly to the i-PHONO mini Bluetooth Stereo Headphone (P/N: BT450Rx) or the i-PHONO PLUS Bluetooth Stereo Headphone (P/N: BT420Rx) while you are enjoying the games, music and movies with the PSP. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 new Sony Media Recorders Sony has announced 3 new HDD and DVD Media Recorders today: the RDZ-D97A (400GB), the 77A (250GB) and the 87 (250GB). The 97A and 77A have a digital and analog TV tuner that allow you to record 3 shows simultaneously (1 digital and 2 analog). you can also connect your PSP to these Media Recorders and record straight onto the gaming console. The 3 models are DLNA compliant so you can connect these babies to your local network and share videos and pictures on other products. --------------------------------------------------------------- Rokuraku medialess Media Recorder Rokuraku has been selling Media Recorders with a HDD (max 300 GB) for a while now, and they were quality products. Here's a new version, without HDD this time, but with a USB port, so you can use an external HDD, a USB key or another media to store your videos in 480 at 6Mbps (DVD) and you can choose PSP and iPOD Video formats too. The design isn't quite there yet, but I remember that the video encoding works flawless. -------------------------------------------- MS recorder for PSP by Sony This is one for all the PSP lovers... Sony has announced a new video recorder. No HD, no HDMI, no DVD or BR... only the MS (MemoryStick)! This MSVR-A10 is a Mr reader/recorder that supports the MPEG-4 AVC(H.264) format and encodes the video straight onto the MS in 320x240, which gives you between 2h20 and 4h10 of video on a 1GB MS (depending on the compression). This little toy will cost less than 180 EUR. ----------------------------------------------------- Alu casing for PSP with battery, stand and speaker Green-House presents its GH-PSP-SA21C in Japan. It's a casing/pouch for the PSP made out of aluminium and it incorporates a stand , 2x1W speakers amd battery that should last for 10 hours. ------------------------------------------------- AKIBA TV : Test of the Rapsody S25 (HD Video Included) As you all know, the S25 is the perfect companion for your PSP, and thanks to this device, you can have an extremely large number of videos, MP3's and pictures (or even more for the smart ones) on your PSP!We had one of these in our gritty hands, and here's a review. The videos are definitely worth watching, and they're available in Flash or HD 720p. One of the things we'll show you is how to transfer a movie from the S25 to a PSP Rapsody S25 the review OR The PSP compatible 2.5" OTG HDD case is here! It seems that the S25 was very popular (considering the amount of emails we got about it), and here it is, FINALLY available via GeekStuff4U.com. A small recap for those of you who have the memory of a goldfish (approximately 3 seconds):"Our Korean partner SavitMicro has announced the official release of the S25, a casing for 2.5" HDD that offers OTG and USB2 functionalities and that allows you to copy your files from your digital camera or even your PSP. If you think your 1GB Duo Pro card is a bit on the small side, you'll have no space problems anymore with this box. "Here's a link straight to the product on GeekStuff4U " -------------------------------------------------- Sound day at Elecom Elecom presents 4 new audio products today: 2 headphones, 1 earphone and an external speaker set for TV or PSP. ------------------------------------------------ All-in-1 battery charger This is the BQ-X, a battery charger that is compatible with a whole range of products and that has a bunch of connectors. First of all it powers a lot of products that use the USB port to be recharged (PDA's for example), but also the iPOD, PSP,video recorder that store their video on memory cards in a mobile phone-compatible format in Japan, and this VRX-02 is now capable of recording video in a PSP-compatible format. ------------------------------------------- Record TV-DVD and watch it on your PSP You will be able to record from your video source onto CF or MemoryStick amd watch your favourite shows on your PSP, PDA, ... 2 days before the rest of the world thanks to GeekStuff4U! The Movie Recorder for PSP will be released on November 26th in Japan, and GeekStuff4U.com has managed to get hold of a batch of these devices before everybody else. So if you're looking for a solution thaay-trip from home to the office, here's what you need, here on GeekStuff4U! ------------------------------------------------------------------- PSP Giga Packet but ultra small stand After showing Totoro how I killed time in the subway by watching movies (Futurama and Cowboy Bebop), he finally gave in and got himself a PSP Giga Pack, and here are the pictures...What cracked me up was the stand that's worth like 2 yen... seriously, they should have omitted that plastic thing... other than that, the pack is really interesting if you need a 1GB MS. --------------------------------------------------- A new remote control for the PSP If you have a (black) PSP and you REALLY do not want to be mistaken for an iPOD user, you definitely have to get other headphones and another remote control for your beloved console, not the white ones but black ones this time around. The white iPOD headphones are considered classy by some but totally disliked by others. In any case, this is a solution if you're a part of the last category: headphones and a remote control for the PSP... in black! They're not manufactured by Sony though. So if the kids stop throwing rocks at you in the street from now on, you know who to thank for this, right? --------------------------------------------------- PSP and iPOD Video compatible video capture card IO-DATA has a video capture card that supports not only Mpeg2 but also Mpeg4 and it also offers recording formats tailored for the PSP or iPOD Video thanks to the GVencoder and a ULead software called Video ToolBox 2 for MemoryStick (that is also iPOD compatible).These are the GV-MVP/GX2W amd GV-MVP/GX2 cards. For those of you who ran out of free PCI slots or those that have a laptop, there is also an external version called GV-MVP/RZ3. ---------------------------------------------------- Bluetooth telephone, MP3 and PSP kit Japan is in the process of discovering Bluetooth and day by day more accessories are released into the wild, like this Bluetooth kit from a company called Try Electronics that connects to everything that has a line out, and available in 2 colours (black and white). The ideal tool for a phone, granted, but also for a MP3 player like the iPOD or a black or white PSP. ------------------------------------------------------ Location Free TV, free your PSP !!! Today's hot topic is the 2.5 firmware version of the PSP and everybody's showing off their tricked out PSP v2.5... but the most important aspect is the LF-PK1, a Wireless a/b/g access point that, once it is hooked up to the TV antenna, can stream video to a PC... or PSP! The PSP has become the IDEAL tool to walk around the house and never miss any of the TV shows. One problem remains though: it doesn't change the fact that there's nothing interesting showing on TV lately... ---------------------------------------------- Memory Card Video Recorder Record video onto a MemoryStick DUO for a PSP is very fashionable nowadays, and here's ANOTHER product that will be available soon in Japan, the HNT-MDR. There are 3 recording modes (Low, Medium and High) and at 798Kbps and 30fps you can put 150 minutes of video onto a 1Gb cars, all in QVGA 320x240 (NTSC only) . ---------------------------------------------------- PSP Wireless Headset Thanko presents yet another product that will destroy everything in sight... with its strange, big, ugly looks and horrible antenna... The concept of these wireless headphones is cool, but God, is this ugly or what?! ------------------------------------------------------- Pvralex, the video recorder for PSP at CEATEC 2005 We already talked about this product, but at CEATEC we had a real look at it. This video recorder stores its video on MemoryStick DUO cards in H.264 so that they can be read/played back on the PSP. there is even a USB port to store video onto an external HDD. The quality of the recording is excellent and even better than Mpeg2 at the same compression (Mbps). --------------------------------------------------- The Ceramic PSP is on sale NOW! Totoro was queuing this morning, just like 100 other crazy guys, in order to buy this beauty for his sister and he is sharing his pictures with us. --------------------------------------------------- TG gives you PSP when you buy a PC If your Geek Budget is quite limited and you hesitate between a PSP and a PC, look at this offer to get a PSP for nothing. Hop on a plane to Seoul, go and see a TRIGEM shop and they will offer you a PSP when you get a LLUON PC. Hurry up though, cuz this is a limited offer. And if you don't like to get a PSP, you can get a CoolPix instead of the game console... quite cool eh? --------------------------------------------------------- PSP speakers A 2.1 speaker set for the PSP. You can insert 3 alcaline batteries in them to avoid discharging the PSP battery and the device lasts up to 10 hours on those batteries. Dimensions: 280x38x102mm, weight: 430gr and a price of 70 EUR. ----------------------------------------------------- The all-in-1 PSP casing Princeton Japan presents a casing called PSP-MSHHS to protect your PSP (by adding a plexi casing of the same brand) and boost the speakers of your console. There's also a cradle in which you can charge the device and that connects the speakers. Quite... errrmm, no, very ugly in our opinion, but anyway... ------------------------------------------------------ The PSP video recorder Fuji Work's PvrAlex is a video recorder unlike any other recorder, with a sole purpose of recording in the H.264/MPEG-4 format in real time, which is the video format for the PSP. More surprising even is that this video recorder only has a MS DUO port, so it will record video only onto that card (61 minutes on a 256Mb card). There is a USB port on the device that will allow you to connect an external HDD to store the videos though.This product has potential, but there are several problems:1) it will cost as much as a HDD/DVD burner video recorder2) it is bigger than a HDD/DVD burner video recorder (280x45x220mm for 1.4kg)3) it only supports standard MS sticks4) EPG functions are not supported (so you can't program it from your phone or the Internet)So the concept is good, but they should at least include a HDD. ----------------------------------------------------- CardBus PCMCIA TV Tuner ELSA presents a CardBus card (PCMCIA format) called EX-VISION, which is a NTSC TV tuner with the possibility to capture video in Mpeg2/VMV, DivX or straight into the PSP-compatible format. --------------------------------------------------- The PSP Cradle You love your PSP and want to offer it a worthy throne? Well, here's the PSP Cradle, which is a charging cradle and it also has a connector to hook it up to some speakers. A perfect accessory that will allow you to look at some movies without holding the PSP in your hands. Very interesting indeed, but it lacks a Video-Out connector to view films and games on a big screen. -------------------------------------- The MPEG 4 video recorder A company called Taxane will start selling this video recorder in Japan. It records videos in MPEG4 straight onto Secure Digital and Stick memory cards, rendering the content compatible with the PSP, and DS. The machine will offer 2 quality levels: 320x240 15fps or 210x145 15fps. 320x240 seems to be acceptable, but what's with the 15fps? This is really not enough.You can expect a price below 130 EUR for this device -------------------------------------- Waterproof PSP? Our colleagues from the Japanese site Impress published a that will appeal to the lovers... especially those that cannot take their hands off it even when it rains, or when they take a shower, or when they go scuba diving... the company div presents this waterproof casing for the PSP. -------------------------------- 4GB Hard Drive + X2 Battery Pack (Datel) For Sony PSP Product Features 4 GB HDD built-in Provides 4 gigabytes of storage space for your PSP saves and files Effectively doubles the capacity of the standard PSP battery 3.6 volts - 3600 mAh Lithium-polymer battery technology Plugs at the back of your PSP Adds only 125 grams of weight The X2 Battery is a direct replacement for your PSP's rechargeable battery, but offers double the capacity of the standard model. Now bundled with a 4GB HDD, it gives you plenty of space for your saves and files on the go. The 4GB HD uses ultra-reliable Micro-Drive technology. The HD interfaces with the PSP by means of a flexible Memory Stick™ adapter which is plugged into the Memory Stick™ slot on the PSP. Once connected, the body of the HD attaches snugly to the back of the PSP by means of two location posts which slot into corresponding holes on the back of the PSP. When used in conjunction with the X-2 double capacity battery the 4GB HD forms an ergonomic extension to the PSP which follows the neat lines of the handheld, fitting snugly in your palms. Once connected, you use the 4GB HD just as you would a normal Memory Stick™; you can playback video, MP3s, movies and images and save from inside your PSP games. Technical Note: If you are experiencing a video-lag or out-of-sync problem, please update your PSP's Firmware. This problem doesn't occur with PSP Firmware 2.00 or above.

How can I copy DVD movies to my Sony PSP?

In a nutshell, the biggest problem you face copying your DVDs onto the PSP device is the same problem you have copying a commercial DVD for any other purpose: commercial DVDs have a variety of different protection mechanisms to prevent you from migrating the data from one device to another, making backup copies, or otherwise consuming it as your lifestyle requires.

There are a variety of different programs you can download for your Windows XP computer that will help circumvent these protection mechanisms, but generally they're all illegal to sell in the United States, so you'll find that their authors are all based overseas to avoid any problems. Is it ethical or legit to wantonly copy DVDs that you get from Blockbuster, Netflix or your pals? Of course not. That's a problem and I don't endorse that behavior for a second.

On the other hand, I have at least four different devices that can play movies, including my Sony PSP, an Apple iPod Video, an Archos AV-700 and a Wolverine MVP-100 multimedia device. If I want to take a movie that I already own and push it out to these devices, are organizations like the MPAA really expecting me to dutifully buy five copies of the movie, one for each platform? That's incredibly anti-consumer in my opinion. And so, I am offering up this tutorial on how to copy your movies (read that again: your movies) onto the Sony PSP.

The first, and perhaps most crucial step is to get a software program that removes the encryption and other protections from your DVD player on your PC, and after having tried out a bunch of free and pay solutions, I haven't found anything better than the $24 AnyDVD¹ application from Antigua-based SlySoft. What's particularly nice about their solution is that it's invisible: once you install it, programs that access the data on your DVD drive go through the AnyDVD app and never see any encoding, encryption, CSS, Macrovision, or regional encoding limitations. It's like waving a magic wand over the commercial DVD movies you put in your computer. You can get a sense of how it lets you interface with your DVDs by looking at its settings:

Once you have that set up and running (it requires a reboot and injects itself into the DVD driver, so it looks kinda like spyware, but it's benign and only accomplishes the one task of helping you access your DVD disks), you'll need a program that can read the data on the disk and convert it, compress it, and repackage it for the desired output device, in this case the Sony PSP.

There are lots of solutions in this space, including many commercial applications you can find from mainstream publishers like Roxio, but Slysoft's the winner here again, with its terrific and super easy-to-use CloneDVD Mobile¹ program. Combined, AnyDVD and CloneDVD Mobile will set you back about $50, about the same price as two UMD movies, and it can produce output for just about any modern portable media device.

Let me step you through how I copied a recent movie, The Island from DVD disk to the Sony PSP itself. First step was to get AnyDVD running, then I launched CloneDVD Mobile and selected the output media format:

Notice that it supports producing video for Apple iPod Video devices, Windows smartphones, Creative Labs Zen Vision devices, the Archos AV 700 device and, most importantly, the Sony PSP. In fact, it offers two different PSP video formats: AVC/H264 and MP4. The former takes longer on conversion but should generate smaller movie files, so that's what I choose, and clicked Next. Then I needed to select the DVD disk itself (obviously, you need a DVD reader in your computer for this process to work, by the way!):

Once I'd done that and cilcked on "OK" the CloneDVD Mobile program instantly figured out the disk layout and showed me all the track details and even a tiny preview:

To make a nice icon for the movie, I stepped the preview forward until it was a mnemonic frame, as you can see, rather than just a generic black screen which is how just about every movie starts. Again, I clicked Next to proceed, and:

Most DVDs have more than one audio track: make sure you select the one you want at this point (and some movies, like Hero have a default track that's not English. In the case of Hero the default language is Chinese, in fact) and again click Next:

Just about ready to start up the program. The only step left is to specify the output device, which I've already done here.

A note of warning: you can specify that CloneDVD Mobile should save the output file onto your PC so you can copy it onto the PSP later, but I couldn't get that to work properly. Instead, I recommend that you hook your PSP up to your computer before you start this process, also plug it into the wall, and just let the program write directly to the Sony PSP as it goes along.

The filenames are weird and un-mnemonic (I'm producing MAQ10001.mp4, for example) but they fit the Sony PSP's expectations of video file names, so I would discourage you from changing them. And if I haven't said so before, the PSP is very cranky about video files...

At this point I also recommend you change the label to something friendly and mnemonic too. I changed mine to "THE_ISLAND" as you can see in the screen shot.

You might also move the video quality slider to determine where you want to balance quality against file size. Needless to say, the higher the quality, the bigger the output file: at the very best possible quality level (25) this movie would be 683MB in size, while the worst quality (5) shrinks it down to an unviewable but impressively small 193MB. I always go for the middle value of 15, which in this case is estimated to produce a 438MB output movie file.

And yes, this means that you need that much space on your PSP Memory Stick for this process to work. I highly recommend that you buy at least a 1GB Memory Stick if you're playing with video. I have a 2GB stick, personally, and love having three movies neatly stored on the device for viewing anytime.

Everything looks good, so let's Go!

This is the screen you'll now see while the CloneDVD Mobile program is running. This is not a blindingly fast process: The Island took over two hours on my Pentium WinXP box to convert. That might be dramatically faster or slower than your own computer depending on DVD disk speed, RAM, CPU speed, and various other factors.

After some time passes (I went out for a walk, personally) you'll eventually see this cheery message:

Done! Hurray, finally a very painless way to push your favorite DVD movies onto the Sony PSP and just about any other portable video device.

Even better, it looks great:

It's not much work, but there's a lot of time involved. If you have a big disk, you can certainly create a nice archive of your favorite films in PSP format, then once someone comes out with a decent PSP hard disk (which I can't believe isn't already on the market) you could easily travel with 10, 20, even 100 of your favorites.

Nice!