So, why isn't the PSP the de facto portable multimedia device?

[Felon]

I bought a Creative Labs Zen yesterday. I'm very pleased with its performance. It's a good deal bigger than a Nano or similar handheld device, but that's always the catch-22 with such a gadget: smallness is only an asset until you try to play a video.

My only regret? Well, as I understand it, the PSP is also a multimedia player, and it's a wireless internet-capable device, and its price has dropped dramatically, and on top of all that you can play games on it. The only downside I'm aware of is that there's not much in the way of file storage. A 4 gig hard drive accessory is about as much space as you'll get.

So, what else am I missing out on here? Does the PSP only play those UMD movies, or can it play DivX and Xvid files as well?

 

[John Crichton]

I bought a Creative Labs Zen yesterday. I'm very pleased with its performance. It's a good deal bigger than a Nano or similar handheld device, but that's always the catch-22 with such a gadget: smallness is only an asset until you try to play a video.

My only regret? Well, as I understand it, the PSP is also a multimedia player, and it's a wireless internet-capable device, and its price has dropped dramatically, and on top of all that you can play games on it. The only downside I'm aware of is that there's not much in the way of file storage. A 4 gig hard drive accessory is about as much space as you'll get.

So, what else am I missing out on here? Does the PSP only play those UMD movies, or can it play DivX and Xvid files as well?

Yeah, you can certainly rip movies to it and the 1 gig memory cards hold quite a bit. I wouldn't use it for all my multimedia because it's too big for a music player. It is a nice game machine (and will only get better) and the movies look decent on it. But then again, if I want to watch a movie on the go I'll watch it on my laptop.

 

[trancejeremy]

File storage is something of a problem. Until the last year or so, high capacity memory sticks were expensive. Now they are pretty cheap, actually. I have a 2 gig stick which I got earlier this year for $40, I think, from Amazon.com, and if you look you can occasionally find a 4 gig for really cheap. Hopefully memory sticks will just keep on getting bigger and bigger, but there might be a limit.

It doesn't play DivX or Xvid, but does play Mpeg-4 (I'm not sure of the codec, since I let software convert it). Until the most recent firmware update, they had gimped the resolution of that playback a little, I guess to try to sell UMD movies, but now you can have the same resolution as the screen.

Battery life isn't great. Running a game, you get about 5 hours a so. Running a movie from a memory stick would probably make that about 8-9. You can buy improved batteries.

I'm personally baffled why it hasn't sold better, but a lot of people seem to hate Sony these days.

 

[Ranger REG]

I'm personally baffled why it hasn't sold better, but a lot of people seem to hate Sony these days.

Well, I did come across an article that reads more women prefers the DS over PSP. Probably has to do with cellphone having new features to play video as well as audio, so who needs a bulky PSP to do all that?

The DS Lite is easier to carry and conceal. The PSP needs a holster or one of them deep pockets. Despite the price drop on PSP recently, DS is still the affordable handheld console.

But yeah, a lot of people hate Sony for being a zealot supporter of DRM. They're also waiting on a UMD burner and recordable media. They also want a price drop on UMD videos, which is the same price as DVD, but DVD has more features and extras while UMD only have enough room for just the film.

 

[drothgery]

So, what else am I missing out on here?

The PSP is a portable video game system made by someone other than Nintendo. Ergo, it'll never be more than a niche device.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

The PSP was ungodly priced for way too long...and its a bit late for a price drop, really.

Sure, it can do a lot, but if you want to buy the movies, you have to buy the UMDs and its even worse if you already have it on DVD(not counting if you rip things and such, which most people don't).

Of course, it also comes down to the DS just having so many better games. Sure, there's some good ones for the PSP, but the few there are aren't worth the hefty price. And even with the price drop that's in now...the DS is still a better deal for your money.

In the end, though, its the price that killed it more than anything else.

 

[Vigilance]

I think it comes down to the games.

I hear a lot of claims that people "hate" Sony, and really, it's hard to feel sorry for the clowns that gave us the rootkit and several other wonderful DRM innovations, but it's about the games.

The PSP and the PS3 have suffered because they are overpriced gaming systems trying to lean on a variety of entertainment functions to carry them.

But people have never bought a game system because it does other things. Sony seems to think that people really bought the PS1 because it played CDs and the PS2 because it played DVDs.

In fact, the "multimedia" options of those systems were gravy. They played the best games of their eras, and they had the most games. Many of those games were exclusive to the consoles.

Now? Has there been an exclusive game on the PS3? The vast majority of games are coming to the X-Box 360 and those that do look comparable to the PS3. Exclusive games are going the way of the dinosaur because the installed user bases of the different systems continues to get closer to parity.

Where Sony has Blue Ray, the X-Box has a true online game experience in XBL that allows you to play classic arcade games multiplayer online.

As for the PSP, it has far fewer good games than the DS and UMD movies are a joke. Someone said above they're as expensive as a DVD. If that's true than prices have dropped. For most of the PSP's life cycle they've been MORE expensive, have lacked special features and have been unwatchable (because of their native resolution) on an actual TV.

But again, imo, it comes down to the games. People want these systems to play games on. They don't want them to play Blue Ray, or DVDs or serve as GPS devices or portable web browsers or anything else.

They want them to play the best games.

X-Box 360 has most of the best next-generation games and has an online service Sony has yet to match.

The DS has far more good games than the PSP.

That's it.

People who talk about "Sony hate" for the company's woes baffle me. Sony has been dominant through two console generations in gaming. People are clearly willing to support Sony products that deliver the goods.

Get good games, get a good online service and customers will buy Sony products.

My .02

 

[John Crichton]

Chuck - I know you like to rant on Sony and especially the PS3, but that's kinda off-topic here.

Felon can correct me if I'm wrong, but he wasn't talking about the PSP vs the DS. He was talking more about the PSP vs the iPod/Zune and their kin.

And yeah, it's all about the games for sure but we are talking about a (now) reasonably priced multimedia machine that has a beautiful screen vs the rest of the pack. Which doesn't include the DS.

That said, I'll say again that I hate the PSP for music playing cuz the thing is too big. And it's too small (just like my iPod) to properly watch movies on. I don't think there is a device out there yet that fits the bill as an awesome movie player/picture viewer/music player/web browser. But the PSP is a cool thing that could (if priced right) be a step in the right direction.

 

[Vigilance]

Right, but I did address why it's not very popular as a multimedia device too.

Pardon me for not slavishly sticking to the topic, but tying the device to overpriced UMDs while going out of your way to make ripping a DVD to the PSP is a big reason why *I* would rather have something else for video and audio, if I were looking for such a thing, to watch movies on.

And of course, again looking at what I said, the reason it's not ideal for audio or video is because that's not it's primary purpose. It's a game machine.

And I don't "like to hate on Sony". I have spent a lot of money on Sony products.

I just dont buy their products if they're not the best choice. Or forget prior bad acts by a company.

Shocking, I know.

 

[John Crichton]

Right, but I did address why it's not very popular as a multimedia device too.

Pardon me for not slavishly sticking to the topic,

Yes, but you brought the 360 and PS3 into the equation. Why bother? Derails are fine but why not just stick to the topic at hand because the console discussion is too derisive.

but tying the device to overpriced UMDs while going out of your way to make ripping a DVD to the PSP is a big reason why *I* would rather have something else for video and audio, if I were looking for such a thing, to watch movies on.

UMDs were DOA. And you didn't talk much at all about what you would rather do for your portable audio and video (non-gaming) needs, if there are any.

And of course, again looking at what I said, the reason it's not ideal for audio or video is because that's not it's primary purpose. It's a game machine.

This is true, but that is not the discussion. It's the one device with a decent enough screen to be used as a portable player for multimedia. Your very first line was "it all comes down to games" but that is missing the point of the OP.

I don't love the PSP as a device for multimedia, but that is because I have tons of options: a laptop, iPod not to mention a digcam & phone capable of viewing pictures. You point is well taken that you think the PSP is not a comparable gaming machine and I agree to a point. But that is to ignore the fact that if one wanted to just use the PSP as a multimedia view, they could do and it's probably the best catch-all option out there at the moment.

And we're not even getting into how customizable the thing is. ROMs, ripping whole DVDs to Memory Stick and so on. I just don't think that the utter failure of UMD is a reason to write the thing off as a gaming machine with tacked on features. Have you used one to watch a movie, view images or listen to music? It ain't bad. I won't be using mine for those things but if it was all I had I would. I'd just be really annoyed about the size compared to a normal MP3 player.