Video on a PSP

[Generic Eric]

How does video on a PSP rate compared to an iPod?  Seems its got a bigger screen and can play more games.  Any thoughts?

[SNAAKE]

videos on psp is great. now it can play the full resolution files too. 420x272(I think).  www.winnydows.com

[ark_ader]

I love watching movies on my PSP, and as Snaake says full resolution too.

I still buy the UMDs, and the memory sticks have dropped, but I run a dedicated server for the PSP, and it all streams to it.

IR Shell allows me to play games and movies direct from my server and from any outside link.

PSP Player is a cool player which allows playback for a multitude of formats.

I don't know if you can accomplish all that on the DS.

[DJ_Izumi]

The PSPs only flaw is that it's anal as hell about video support.  In terms of settings you use when encoding your content for the PSP, you gotta get all your settings right or it's like 'HA HA.  I DON'T LIKE THIS FILE!  UNSUPPORTED DATA! NYA NYA'.  But I finally sorted out EVERY nuance to getting video right for the PSP in PSP Video 9 and now it's pretty useful.

The PSP itself can actually do up to 720x480 for video but that's really only useful if you're goign to watch the video on the TV out cables.

[SNAAKE]

^ what the heck are you using? xvid4psp(winnydows.com) has simple 1 click preset profiles to convert the videos and it works perfect AND faster than anything Ive used before. 

[DJ_Izumi]

I'm using PSP Video 9.  The main issue is that it can be used to encode video for other devices as well and you need to ensure all the settings are right, the biggest hitch the PSP has is in reguards to framerate.  Sometimes it decides that 23.976fps just isn't 23.976ish enough for it's standards.  If that makes any sense at all.  Mostly I just had to ensure the profiles forced specific frame rates as tagged when encoding so encodes that were 0.0001fps off or so didn't cause issues.

[SithMaster]

I love watching movies on my PSP, and as Snaake says full resolution too.

I still buy the UMDs, and the memory sticks have dropped, but I run a dedicated server for the PSP, and it all streams to it.

IR Shell allows me to play games and movies direct from my server and from any outside link.

PSP Player is a cool player which allows playback for a multitude of formats.

I don't know if you can accomplish all that on the DS.

If they had some umds I actually enjoyed watching I wouldnt mind getting one for when I don't feel like playing a game.  Right now though nothing interests me though I will say the video looks good playing on it though I would prefer the ipod over it for its larger memory capacity.

[Generic Eric]

I love watching movies on my PSP, and as Snaake says full resolution too.

I still buy the UMDs, and the memory sticks have dropped, but I run a dedicated server for the PSP, and it all streams to it.

IR Shell allows me to play games and movies direct from my server and from any outside link.

PSP Player is a cool player which allows playback for a multitude of formats.

I don't know if you can accomplish all that on the DS.

Thats the second time I have seen the IR Shell mentioned, I'll need to read up on that.

The PSP itself can actually do up to 720x480 for video but that's really only useful if you're goign to watch the video on the TV out cables.

Thanks, I hadn't found that out yet.



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All in all it seems the consensus is that the PSP does video well.   Now I'll have to find some magic beans to trade for a PSP slim.  Thanks all!

[DJ_Izumi]

Yeah, actually all UMD discs are encoded at 720x480, the PSP scales them DOWN during playback.

This of course suggests that Sony had other plans for the UMD format, probably as a hand held or portable dedicated media player.  Like those portable DVD players only reading UMDs instead.  That and some early prototype images of the PS3 featured a UMD slot.  But of course these are EARLY prototypes.