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The PSP has to be the most practical gadget ever.

AlphaSnake

...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
You know, I don't game anymore. I don't write about videogames anymore, play them or even talk about them today. I sold off 90% of what I owned and kept a PStwo (that I haven't touched since May) and my PSP...I don't even use the PSP to play videogames. Nope, I sold those off too. Often times, the PSP is mounted in my car -- be it me using it for directions, or a guide to installing something. Two weeks ago, I started working on the sound system in my car, which requires me removing the stock subwoofer, taking apart the center console to remove the stock 6-disc head unit and etc. So what did I have handy next to me, displaying pictures with pieces of text beneath them? My PSP.

Or hey, I had to drive out 150 miles somewhere earlier this week, but I didn't want to carry around a piece of paper with me that could possibly blow out of the car when the windows are down...here comes the PSP.

It was an incredibly pleasant night in NYC a few days ago so me and the woman wanted to do something nice, but be outside. Since we both didn't have any money at the time, I told her I had an idea. I loaded up a few Dave Chappelle episodes (she loooves Dave) onto the PSP, plugged it into my Eclipse head unit and watched it though my car's 8-speakers. Same concept goes for watching movies/UMD, as well - but the sound quality was a lot more precise, obviously (watching movies is especially cool in the car).

In my car, my PSP is my navigation unit, my movie player, my MP3 player and it even plays games. It does all of that and best of all, it looks absolutely gorgeous, as well (and it fits with the design of my interior overall). It's the all-in-one gadget for a car, where as all of that seperately costs hundreds and thousands of dollars.

I'll actually be purchasing two more PSPs, and custom fiting them into my rear arm rest sometime soon. They'll be covered by a plexiglass slide, I just hope I don't screw the project up, 'cuz I'll be cutting leather. :p

*sigh* God I love this little thing.
 

Miburou

Member
I used my PSP (with a 512MB Mem stick) to transfer 26GB worth of video from my friend's laptop to my PC. That was pretty tedious, though.
 

Wario64

works for Gamestop (lol)
my 1.50 psp says otherwise. hello snes/nes/neogeo/gameboy/genesis/nethack/doom/quake/hexen/heretic/etc. gaming
 

Ponn

Banned
gamewhooper said:
It's pretty good for a gadget/multi-media device, but as a game system right now it isn't really much to brag about.

Lumines, Wipeout Pure, Ridge Racer and Hot Shot Golf would disagree with you. And so do I.
 

btrboyev

Member
Sorry but putting videos on psp and the mp3 playback(interface) is pretty impractical of you ask me. I haven't tried any homebrew media players but I'm willing to bet even the simplest media player is better than the psp's stock options.
 

Agent Icebeezy

Welcome beautful toddler, Madison Elizabeth, to the horde!
Miburou said:
I used my PSP (with a 512MB Mem stick) to transfer 26GB worth of video from my friend's laptop to my PC. That was pretty tedious, though.

No ethernet cord laying around? 26GB is rough

I've used mine as a E-book reader the past 2 weeks. I show people the games, then go back to reading. I 've invested 400 bucks for an E-book reader. It's cool though
 

Ponn

Banned
btrboyev said:
Sorry but putting videos on psp and the mp3 playback(interface) is pretty impractical of you ask me. I haven't tried any homebrew media players but I'm willing to bet even the simplest media player is better than the psp's stock options.

Hey that's also funny since I just ripped the whole first season of Airwolf from my dvd's and encoded them today. All just by drag and drop. Also a couple of the newer episodes of bleach.
 

Tarazet

Member
gamewhooper said:
It's pretty good for a gadget/multi-media device, but as a game system right now it isn't really much to brag about.

Are you kidding? Look at the PS2's library at the same point during its life (with GS scores):

Gungriffon Blaze 7.6 31-Aug-'00
Ephemeral Fantasia 5.7 18-Aug-'00
Dynasty Warriors 2 7.8 16-Aug-'00
Hresvelgr 3.5 14-Jul-'00
All Star Pro-Wrestling 4.0 21-Jun-'00
Evergrace 5.2 13-Jun-'00
Ultimate Sky Surfer 3.9 13-Jun-'00
FIFA 2001 9.0 7-Jun-'00
0 Story Action 5.8 4-May-'00
Q-Ball Billiards Master 6.6 18-Apr-'00
Fantavision 6.6 18-Apr-'00
I.Q. Remix+: Intelligent Qube 6.0 17-Apr-'00
Swing Away Golf Sports 8.7 14-Apr-'00
Driving Emotion Type-S 7.3 12-Apr-'00
Tekken Tag Tournament 9.6 6-Apr-'00
Stepping Selection 7.0 15-Mar-'00
Kessen 7.4 14-Mar-'00
Eternal Ring 6.3 13-Mar-'00
Ridge Racer V 7.6 10-Mar-'00
DrumMania 7.7 9-Mar-'00
Street Fighter EX3 7.4 8-Mar-'00

Notice any similarities? Hmm?

I think anyone writing off the PSP this early has got to be out of his mind.
 

Juice

Member
I use mine all the time but the amount of time it takes to throw videos on the mem stick combined with the fact that 1GB can only hold so many hours of video makes me think the PSP is one of the coolest, but one of the least realized platforms of all time.

I mean, if it had a hard drive, it'd be the greatest device ever made.

Without, it's just a good device with obvious shortcomings that show how much potential it could have had, which is just frustrating when you run out of movies halfway through your trip.
 

btrboyev

Member
Hey that's also funny since I just ripped the whole first season of Airwolf from my dvd's and encoded them today. All just by drag and drop. Also a couple of the newer episodes of bleach.

hey good for you (airwolf?? lol) but honestly..I shouldn't have to encode any video and at shitty resolutions no less..it should be multi format compatible.
 

Miburou

Member
Agent Icebeezy said:
No ethernet cord laying around? 26GB is rough

A regular one doesn't cut it, you need a crossover cable. What made it even worse is that most of the files had to be split in smaller chunks. I think I ended up with 70+ files. Well, I did it over the course of a week, so it wasn't that bad.
 

Juice

Member
sonarrat said:
I think anyone writing off the PSP this early has got to be out of his mind.

While I agree with you, keep in mind that even with those shit titles, PS2 was selling out across america for months on end. That encouraged developers to really put out that second generation of software (which was mostly already in the works), but more importantyly provided a hungry audience for quality software.

PSP doesn't have the instantly huge install base, and it doesn't have the luxury of being the only viable platform in it's "generation." When PSP faulters, there's nothing keeping DS from selling.

So yeah, no one should write it off, but no one should expect it to reach PS2 sales levels either.
 

Ponn

Banned
btrboyev said:
hey good for you (airwolf?? lol) but honestly..I shouldn't have to encode any video and at shitty resolutions no less..it should be multi format compatible.

Well, until a company makes a gaming portable handheld device to your exact specifications and under $250 let me know. Until then i'm not so lazy and impatient to drop a file into 3gp and wait a couple minutes for it to re-encode. It also helps to have a nice clean PSP folder on my computer nicely organzed with all kinds of stuff ready to go and transfer.
 
I wasn't writing the PSP off. There just hasn't really been a good game since Hot Shots Golf: Open-Tee and that will probably continue into September.

It was the same way with the DS but it was the only one out at the time. Plus, it still kicked the most ass by far at E3.
 

Tarazet

Member
Juice said:
While I agree with you, keep in mind that even with those shit titles, PS2 was selling out across america for months on end. That encouraged developers to really put out that second generation of software (which was mostly already in the works), but more importantyly provided a hungry audience for quality software.

PSP doesn't have the instantly huge install base, and it doesn't have the luxury of being the only viable platform in it's "generation." When PSP faulters, there's nothing keeping DS from selling.

So yeah, no one should write it off, but no one should expect it to reach PS2 sales levels either.

The PSP does have the disadvantage of launching without the backwards compatibility the PS2 had, which explains why it hasn't sold quite as explosively. There was also no hardware shortage, so most people were able to get one at a store. But in spite of those slight weaknesses, if you can even call them that, PSP still has the potential to become a powerhouse with as much breadth and depth in its library as its console cousin.
 

Miburou

Member
In case some of you are following Densha Otoko, someone converted the episodes to PSP format and uploaded them. Dunno how it works with the subtitle files, though.
 

Ponn

Banned
Wellington said:
Navigation through PSP!? Do tell... do tell...

Pretty damn easy and awesome. I actually see them using the same for PS3 if it does infact have multimedia capabilities.
 

DDayton

(more a nerd than a geek)
So folks are using a PSP as a somewhat crippled Palm/PocketPC?

As far as media viewing goes, what can you get for $250 (or less) from a Palm or PocketPC device that does exactly what folks are using a PSP for, and more?
 

Lyte Edge

All I got for the Vernal Equinox was this stupid tag
M3wThr33 said:
Treo 650 is the winner in this case.

I would definitely agree with that. It would suit Alpha much better for what he'd want to use the Treo for, too, although it is more expensive and you do of course have to pay for the service. :)

Damn, only a week or so more and I have to give up my Treo...I'm so used to always having it in pocket and ready to use wherever I go. I hope they have something similar in Japan...
 

AlphaSnake

...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
Wario64 said:
my 1.50 psp says otherwise. hello snes/nes/neogeo/gameboy/genesis/nethack/doom/quake/hexen/heretic/etc. gaming

My Japanese PSP is still 1.0, biotch. :p

David: But the PSP looks infinitely better and has a much nicer screen, to boot.
 

Zeo

Banned
PSP is best for GAMES (UMD, emulation, or whatever). Everything else is just a "nice extra" that is done MUCH better on other things. If I want to listen to MP3s I'll use a FAR superior iPod or iRiver. If I want to watch movies on the go... I'll get a friggin' portable DVD player. Watching a 2 hour movie on the PSP is not practical or fun.
 

Ponn

Banned
DavidDayton said:
So folks are using a PSP as a somewhat crippled Palm/PocketPC?

As far as media viewing goes, what can you get for $250 (or less) from a Palm or PocketPC device that does exactly what folks are using a PSP for, and more?


I want a handheld system that has a web browser, can play MP3's, plays videos with adjustable settings, display pictures, wifi and can play PSP games and UMD movies for 250 bucks. Can any of them do that?

Zeo said:
PSP is best for GAMES (UMD, emulation, or whatever). Everything else is just a "nice extra" that is done MUCH better on other things. If I want to listen to MP3s I'll use a FAR superior iPod or iRiver. If I want to watch movies on the go... I'll get a friggin' portable DVD player. Watching a 2 hour movie on the PSP is not practical or fun.

And carrying a Portable DVD player around in your pocket with DVD's is practical. Uh huh. Add those MP3 players in your pocket and a gaming machine and you must have some mighty big pockets. Also tell me how much that bill comes to as well.
 

Wario64

works for Gamestop (lol)
Ponn01 said:
I want a handheld system that has a web browser, can play MP3's, plays videos with adjustable settings, display pictures, wifi and can play PSP games and UMD movies for 250 bucks. Can any of them do that?

but in alpha's situation, he isn't playing games. not sure about umd movies, but sounds like he's isn't using anything that involves umds
 

brocke

Banned
Good games will eventually come for the psp. Some are already in the works. Until that happens I'll gladly use mine to watch videos, host my 1000+ and growing Japanese flashcard collection, play the umd's I rent, and surf the web while in hotspots.

Its already well worth the $250 to me, and once more quality games come along it will be that much better.

With all that said, I also plan on buying a DS for the unique games it has. Just like I have a gamecube and ps2 for the same reason. That's the great thing about Nintendo/Sony or Nintendo/MS. Either combo can exist in complete harmony with eachother.
 

AlphaSnake

...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
Wario64 said:
but in alpha's situation, he isn't playing games. not sure about umd movies, but sounds like he's isn't using anything that involves umds

I actually used the Spider-Man 2 UMD just once, just to see what it'd sound like. I absolutely loved it. I plan on showing off the UMDs some more.
 

TTP

Have a fun! Enjoy!
PSP is also great to check Game FAQS walktroughs while playing console games far from the PC. You can either save the html on the mem stick or navigate online if you got a wireless router.

yeah, no more printed papers in the living room rocks. And lights off!
 

M3wThr33

Banned
AlphaSnake said:
I actually used the Spider-Man 2 UMD just once, just to see what it'd sound like. I absolutely loved it. I plan on showing off the UMDs some more.
So the only use of the UMD is to show it off? That's hardly a function.
 

AlphaSnake

...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
M3wThr33 said:
So the only use of the UMD is to show it off? That's hardly a function.

I guess I should've mentioned that I frequent car meets where we often show off each others setups. It's just nice to see a PSP running a crisp movie, but instead of the sound coming from its tiny speakers, it's flowing all around my car through 8 speakers and a nice subwoofer.
 

TTP

Have a fun! Enjoy!
I've also used my PSP to buy a sofa. No kiddin. Since I have some difficulties when I have to figure out how something I see at the store would look like in my apartment, I took some pics of the living room, put them in the PSP mem stick and went to the store to get the sofa. I could easly check how it would fit so. I did the same thing for the refrigerator.

Oh, in both cases me and the store clerk ended up talking about how cool the PSP is :lol
 

Zeo

Banned
Ponn01 said:
I want a handheld system that has a web browser, can play MP3's, plays videos with adjustable settings, display pictures, wifi and can play PSP games and UMD movies for 250 bucks. Can any of them do that?



And carrying a Portable DVD player around in your pocket with DVD's is practical. Uh huh. Add those MP3 players in your pocket and a gaming machine and you must have some mighty big pockets. Also tell me how much that bill comes to as well.

Yeah, iPods are pretty big. Huge! I don't know about you, but I have 2 front pockets (maybe more sometimes!) and I have been known to carry my iPod in one and my PSP or DS in the other. Of course, seeing as how I don't think most normal people have the time to sit and play video games or watch a movie while you're out and about, it's pointless to me.

But let's go back to practical. UMD movies are a god damn joke and memory sticks aren't big enough (yet) for a lot of media.
 

AlphaSnake

...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
A PSP is a very attractive piece of equipment, and it's especially nice to have one functioning in your car. I just think for something that costs $250, it does a whooole lot.
 

TTP

Have a fun! Enjoy!
Stinkles said:
They're supposed to have GPS nav add-on later this year too.

Time to get this then
ggl35.jpg
 
My PSP is my manga viewer, as for video I think there's a need for some kind of hardware that transcodes video files into MP4 at PSP's native widescreen format very quickly.
 

Ponn

Banned
Zeo said:
Yeah, iPods are pretty big. Huge! I don't know about you, but I have 2 front pockets (maybe more sometimes!) and I have been known to carry my iPod in one and my PSP or DS in the other. Of course, seeing as how I don't think most normal people have the time to sit and play video games or watch a movie while you're out and about, it's pointless to me.

But let's go back to practical. UMD movies are a god damn joke and memory sticks aren't big enough (yet) for a lot of media.

Nice that you avoided EVERYTHING else i brought up because you know what you said was BS. How's that Portable DVD player fitting in your pocket with the dvds in cases going huh? Get those prices for me yet either?

UMD movies are a joke to you maybe but to alot of people they are useful to have. The fact you and most people don't see that is just being shortsighted and sorely non-objective. But the question I have to ask is if you think it's pointless to watch movies on the go why would you say the memory sticks aren't big enough yet for a lot of media? I can stick 4 episodes of TV programs and about 20 to 30 songs on one 512 stick or a feature length movie and some songs on a 512 stick. What kind of media are you looking to fit on a stick that it isn't big enough?
 

aoi tsuki

Member
How do you use the PSP for navigation?

And you know, i've tried most of the tricks described here with my PSP, but it's just much easier to do these things on my Clie. Having a hardware keyboard in addition to a touchscreen is much, much easier for input, although the large, vibrant PSP screen is beautiful and easy-to-read.
 
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