Sony PlayStation Portable: software and content ABC
Software & Content for Sony PSP
Cool Google search for PSP content & software
Important:
To come to this web site you probable used the sponsored link section
at Google search results screen. If so, it means we pay a little to
Google to bring you to PSPsoftware.net. As a non-profit web site we
would like this spending come back to us, especially in case you find
the info below helpful. This is why we would like to remind you that
when someone follows links within ad blocks on a web site, or is using
that web site built-in search box, this web site is earning money. We
therefore encourage you to explore this type of links at
www.PSPsoftware.net and visit them in case of your true interest.
Introduction
Sony PSP: Just Multimedia Fun or a Productivity Center?
The globally popular PSP system has lots of enhanced
features, essential not only for gaming, but also for communication and
office applications: enhanced 3D graphics, a large widescreen LCD and
more dynamic stereo sound make all games more fun. But the PSP system
equipped with a flash memory card called Memory Stick Duo media
does much more, letting users to view viedo, listen musci, watch
digital photos, read books and offic edocuments on the same portable
package.
Sony PSP in fact is a great multimedia system, that can be used not just for games. Using a flash memory card called Memory Stick DuoTM (ranging 1-4 Gb these days) you can load to your PSP your favorite music, video, books (in HTML format).
Coupled with Wi-Fi Internet browsing, your PSP system can be a valuable
communication center while away from home, be it a hotel, an airport or
a cafe with a Wi-Fi network access hotpoint.
What is still missed in PSP is an
Internet telephony software, that surely will become a reality
one day. Yet, even without it, PSP deserves to be in a pocket (or a
case) of every educated user. PSP worth it. You just have to know how
to use it for hundreds of application, that your PSP can carry
easily. Some of them are explained below. Others are linked to
from within this page.
Targeted audience of this web site are parents of young PSP owners
The targeted audience of this web site
are not just kids, playing their PSP UMD games, and asking parents for
yet another game... as a birthday, Easter or next Christmas gift. Our
targeted audience are parents, and all those who want to learn how to
use your (or your kids) PSP smart.
Be honest! You though of something like
PSP in the past. When, say, you planed your trip, and wanted to take
with you all those things that finally did not fit your suitecase, ex.,
family photo albums, favorite videos, a book you read and the one you'd
like to read next.
All these items can be easily carried by
your PSP system. A tiny Sony PlayStation Portable, that has approx.
width x height x depth dimensions of 170 x 23 x 74 mm (or 6 3/4 x 1 x 3 in) and a weight of just 280 g (10 oz) including battery. This is cool, isn't it?
So, read on, and stay tuned, as we let
you know more excited features about your (or your kid) PSP.
You'll love it pretty soon.
For the titles of UMD Videos available
from
different sources, please explore web links at length of this web site.
To view the collection of UMD video titles from Sony, use this link and/or make targeted Google search for authoritative trusted info by Sony.
PSP Music
Listening music
You can listen to UMDTM Music and music saved on a Memory Stick DuoTM.
To start playback, under the MUSIC icon of your PSP home menu, select UMDTM or Memory Stick DuoTM icon, and then press the execution button of your PSP.
Please note that in order to play .WMA files you must activate "Enable WMA Playback" under your PSP settings section.
Where to save music data?
Unless you have Memory Stick DuoTM
card reader/writer, connect your PSP to your PC using standard USB
cable, and activate your PSP USB connection by pressing right
execution button (circuled cross) when "USB CONNECTION" menu icon
is selected. Then, go to an Explorer (or My Computer folder) of your
PC, and navigate to a drive letter, corresponding to your PSP Memory
Stick. It should be listed as a "removable disk" (Removable Disk
(H:) at a sample image below).
Create a folder named "PSP" directly on the Memory Stick DuoTM
(in case it is not yet in place), and then create a folder named
"MUSIC" in the "PSP" folder. Save your music data in the "MUSIC"
folder. Your PSP operating system will not recognize music files saved
anywhere other than in this folder. See the image below for an example.
Please note, that you can create folders
within the "MUSIC" folder (correspondeing, for example, to an artist
or certain music album data files). However, folders created within
subfolders will not be recognised by your PSPTM system.
Importing tracks from an Audio CD in .MP3 or .WMA file format
A PC and compatible software are
required to import CD audio tracks (from an audio CD) in mp3 or
.wma files. First natural place to explore (in case you are not sure
you have such software) is to review option of your CD/DVD burning
software. Nero Burning Rom (even a bundled software for many CD and DVD
recordable burners, for example, has built-in feature for Audio
CD-to-.WMA or CD-to-.MP3 conversion. This will be a great solution
that will help you to enjoy PSP ausio in minutes!
Important
Please note, that you can create folders
within the "MUSIC" folder (correspondeing, for example, to an artist
or certain music album data files). However, folders created within
subfolders will not be recognised by your PSPTM system.
Also note, that music files in MP4
(AAC), WAV (linear PCM) and noted above .WMA formats will be recognised
by your PSP an the same way as MP3 file formats. However, other
file formats will not be recognized by the PSP operating system.
You can watch UMDTM VIDEO and videos saved on a Memory Stick DuoTM .
To start playback, select VIDEO icon from your PSP home menu. Then, select UMDTM or Memory Stick DuoTM icon, and press the execution button (right circuled cross) of your PSP. Note, that an icon for the inserted media is displayed only when UMD or Memory Stick Duo card is inserted.
For detailed instructions on using your PSP video feature, refer to the Using Movie/video control of the PSP system support online resources.
Saving videos on a Memory Stick DuoTM
To save video on a Memory Stick DuoTM
Sony Manual for PSP suggests to visit web resources devoted to Memory Stick DuoTM and its' usage.
However, this web site does not present the detailed protocol on how to
make your PSP video yourself. Instead, it refers to a number of PSP
multimedia software titles, noted below.
It is possible, that if you have a
device that records video in a format that can be played on the PSP
system, you can play the video simply by inserting the Memory Stick Duo
from the compatible device into your PSP system.
What Video file formats can be played
You can view the following types of Video files on your PSPTM system: MPEG-4 SP (AAC)
PH.264.MPEG-4 AVC Main Profile (AAC)
Where to save video data?
Unless you have Memory Stick DuoTM
card reader/writer, connect your PSP to your PC using standard USB
cable, and activate your PSP USB connection by pressing right
execution button (circuled cross) when "USB CONNECTION" menu icon
is selected. Then, go to an Explorer (or My Computer folder) of your
PC, and navigate to a drive letter, corresponding to your PSP Memory
Stick. It should be listed as a "removable disk" (Removable Disk
(H:) at a sample image below).
PSP video files are stored in subfolders of a folder named "MP_ROOT" directly on the Memory Stick DuoTM.
Each video files (generally two files) use its' own folder within
"MP_ROOT" folder of your PSP Memory Stick. Your PSP operating system
will not recognize video files saved
anywhere other than in this folder. See the image below for an
example.
Sadly, file naming is not easy to understand and run routinely. We will
post additional info here as we research this subject to yield simple
and reliable outcome.
However, there are free PSP video conversion and
management software titles, that help non experienced users to make video conversion to meet PSP system video file specifications. These programs can convert regular PC video
files (avi, mpeg, etc) into PSP video files, as well as manage/copy
these PSP video files between your PC and PSP.
Most natural seems using authentic Sony's Media manager for PSP persently moderately priced at $16.99, that will also help you to easy accomplish the majority of PSP content management tasks described at this web site.
Please note, thst when combined with some other applications, PSP video conversion
tools may allow you to download, convert and copy video to your PSP,
automatically using BitTorrent and RSS technology.
PSP TV
You can watch TV or videos by using the wireless networking
feature to connect to a LocationFree Base station (a Sony product sold
separately). For details visit www.sony.com resources on Location Free base station.
Portable Media Player ( PMP ) PSP Video
Coming soon
Please check back shortly.
PSP WiFi Radio
PSPRadio
is a homebrew software that uses wireless WiFi broadband internet
communication (of a public or your home Wi-Fi Hot Spot) to read a radio
station of your choice using your PSP unit running the custom firmware.
First, download PSP Radio software. The file that we tested is PSPRadio0.37-Final.zip located under this link
. (4.33 Mb, 100,000+ downloads by January 2007). There is a newer
version of the software, PSPRadio V1.18.400 by Raf (released 31
December 2007). The file called PSP_Radio_v1.18.1400.rar (<2
Mb4,000+ downloads in just 5 days) is available here. All available versions of PSPRadio are listed here.
After opening downloaded archive file (.RAR or .ZIP), drag the
"pspradio" and the "pspradio%" folders to your PSP's "game" folder.
This will result in your seeing PSP Radio software under your PSP
menu's "game section". There is a number of simple configuration steps
to make PSP Radio pick up your WiFi Hot Spot, and to select one or
another radio station.
It is important to note that PSP Radio takes radio stations
broadcasting (over the Internet) a so called "streaming mp3" with a
help of a third party provider, called www.ShoutCast.com.
There is a great number of station to select from (that you may choose
to select using your PC/MAC) and then add to your PSPRadio playlist.
We found it is difficult to locate certain national Radio stations
using ShoutCast web site. We therefore explored the Internet for Radio
Stations broadcasting in the format of streaming mp3. After locating
such stations, and viewing sample PlayList file of the PSP Radio we
managed to manually incorporate such stations of interest into the
active PSP Radio Play List file using Windows Notepad. New version of
the PSP Radio, as the program description says at the bottom of the
quoted download web page, has a built in feature of PlayList management.
PSP Images & Photoalbums
Viewing images
When you insert a Memory Stick DuoTM and select Memory StickTM under "Photo" section of the menu, you will see displayed digital images and folders previously saved on the Memory Stick DuoTM.
Scroll down or up and select the icon of your choice by pressing the
PSP execution button (circuled cross) ainto your PSPou take advantage
of our extensive experience in the
efficient Google advertising.
Where to save image data?
Create a folder named "PSP" directly on the Memory Stick DuoTM
(in case it is not yet in place), and then create a folder named
"PHOTO" in the "PSP" folder. Save your image files in the "PHOTO"
folder. Your PSP operating system will not recognize image files saved
anywhere other than in this folder.
Creating Photo Albums
Please note, that you can create folders
(photoalbums) within the "PHOTO" folder (see image above for an example, photolalbums named vacation2007 and mikebday2006). However, folders created within
subfolders will not be recognised by your PSPTM system.
What photo/image file formats can be played
You can view the following types of image files on your PSPTM system:
JPEG ( .jpg )
TIFF ( .tif )
BMP ( .bmp )
GIF ( .gif )
PNG ( .png )
Please note that certain images edited using a PC may not be viewable on your PSP.
PSP Camera
This section is coming soon.
PSP Browser
PSP Wireless networking
The PlayStation Portable can connect to a wireless network through Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11b. First, this allows two (or more) players with PlayStation portables to create a local, ad-hoc network for multiplayer gameplay. Second,
it allows a PSP user to connect to the Internet via an
Internet-connected Wi-Fi router or Wi-Fi hot spot. By connecting to the
Internet, players can compete against other players also connected to
the Internet, or browse the web using PSP built-in browser, and
download files to the Memory Stick via the built-in Access Co. NetFront
browser. Note that you must be within range of a Wi-Fi wireless
access point (or hotspot) that allows an Internet connection.
Important: Use of wireless network features, however, increases the power consumption and results in a lower battery life.
PSP Infrared communication
The PlayStation Portable features a standard IrDA port
located on the top left of the device. To date, the only games or
applications to leverage this wireless communication feature have been homebrew software. This can be
used, for example, to control many TVs as well as other iR devices.
Surfing the web and offline browsing
You can connect to the Internet to view web pages using PSP Web browser. First, check that you have completed network settings and save a connection for infrastructure mode. Second,
select WWW icon under THE GLOBE icon of your PSP home menu,
and then press the execution (circuled cross) icon.
Third, using the up button, select the address bar, and then
press the execution button. As a result, the on-screen keyboard is
displayed Fourth,
enter the address for the web page using the on-screen keyboard. After
you've entered the address, your PSP will connect to the Internet. When
a connection is successfully established, the web page will be
displayed. Once the web page is displayed, press the right triangle
button to hide the menu, and to increase the effective size of the
screen.
For a tutorial on using the RSS Channel feature of the PSP Web browser, visit playstation.com web site.
Hint:
To avoid complicated input of a web address of your choice using PSP
onscreen keyboard, always add your favorite web addresses to Favorites
of your PSP web browser. It is always faster to delete not necessary
web address from your PSP favorites, then to type it again using
an on-screen keyboard.
Importantly, PSP browser can be used to view content saved on Memory Stick DuoTM. This is most useful for reading books offline. This is detailed below.
PSP Books
Offline reading PSP books can be most easily achived by puting your saved from
the Internet books text onto your PSP. We will update this section in a day or so. Please check back
PSP Software (PC and MAC)
The easiest way to move music, movies, and other content items to your PSP® system (PlayStation®Portable) is to use software titles that serve this great mission.
Maximize the Power of your PSP System with Sony's Media Manager
Most natural seems using authentic Sony's Media manager for PSP persently moderately priced at $16.99 . Media Manager for PSP software lets you experience the rich
capabilities of your PSP system easily. This software will help you to realize that your PSP system is much more than
a game console, that your PSP system is a multifunctional entertainment
and communication device. Media Manager for PSP® software
is easy to use - just drag and drop to move files to or from your PSP®
system or to back up game saves to your computer.
With Media Manager for PSP you can more easily:
1. Transfer videos, photos, music, and documents to or from your PSP® system; 2. Subscribe to feeds such as podcasts and video blogs, and automatically get new episodes on your PSP® system; 3. Prepare files for conversion even when your PSP® system isn’t connected to your PC; 4. Extract songs from your own CDs and transfer them to your PSP® system
Transfer video from DVD home movies or DVD camcorders to your PSP® system.
Simple Drag and Drop
First, you can use Media Manager for PSP® software to preview photos,
videos, and music on your PC. To transfer files to your PSP® system,
simply drag them to the My PSP® pane. There's no need to worry about
folder creation and no need to worry about file formats. Media Manager
for PSP® software does all the work for you! You can even prepare files
for transfer if your PSP® system is not connected to your computer.
Other PC to PSP and MAC to PSP conversion sowtware titles
There are number of software programs that
may help you to transfer easily certain content type from your personal
(or a macintosh) computer to your PSP system. Some of them are listed
at PC & Peripherals page and More Fun with the PSP sections of www.MemoryStick.com .
In case you would like your software title listing here, pleas let us know.
PSP Homebrew software
In May 2005, it was found that PlayStation
Portables using the 1.00 version of the PSP Operating system also
called a firmware (meaning original, first launch Japanese-only
PlayStation Portables) could execute unsigned code. What this meant in
practice was that these PSPs could run homebrew software, as the
mechanism for checking to make sure that software has been approved by
Sony had not yet been activated.
Later exploits have allowed for PSPs
using later versions of the firmware to run homebrew applications, and
development of both new exploits to bypass restrictions and new
restrictions to limit unauthorized programs is ongoing.
While not all versions of the
PlayStation Portable firmware have an exploit at any given time, the
versions have been quickly decrypted and rewritten by programmers,
allowing for the creation of custom firmware that lacks the prohibition
on running unsigned code. Not all firmwares need an exploit, since then
can be upgraded to the next firmware.
Recent firmware (3.40) was cracked
within hours of it being released in South Korea. Since the development
of homebrew, thousands of websites have been opened containing free
downloads for the PSP, including games and movies. This has upset Sony,
as it is taking away their revenue as people with a homebrew PSP can
download games and play them.
Homebrew software allow PSP users to tke
most of their PSP systems. Imagine you got a new PC with Windows XP or
Windows Vista. And in a day you find you can not run non-Microsoft
software titles? Sounds ridiculous? Well. This is the situtation
with perhaps 99 % of PSP users all around the world. This is because
vast majority of PSP users simply do not know how to make PSP working
for them. This is where wwwPSPSoftware.net development will be of help,
once the basic site is developed.
There
are many software and game titles available for downloads by those PSP
owners, who installed custom firmware onto their Playstation portables.
Usually, after downloading a game or a software to a PC or a MAC
computer, one needs to open an archive file, and copy a resulting
file(s) to a certain location of a PSP (see above exampels with PSP Radio and PMP Video player for PSP).
Likewise, video or music files, uploaded onto the Memory
Card of your PSP can consume significant "disk space". It is
therefore important to have a Memory Stick Duo Card of sufficient
capacity (preferably 2 or 4 GB).
While we plan to make an easy-to-follow guide on how to install custom
firmware onto your PSP, we currently can not give you an advise on this
matter. Please research the web for a relevant information using
PSPsoftware.net search box by Google at the top of this page.
Alternatively, you may wish to start with a PSP Firmware Discussion at one of the related web sites.
Interested?
Need more info?
Need more info? First, try to perform targeted Google search for authoritative trusted info by Sony. Also, consider writing to us for an info you missed, use the form below.
Please note: the information that you provide below
is confidential and is not shared with anyone.
.
