This September, Sony will be unleashing the first ever revision of the PlayStation Portable. Codenamed PSP-2000, the system sports a new slimmer design, and the ability to display content on a television. There are a lot of mysteries surrounding the new system -- but tonight, we're going to clear things up. We asked the readers of PSP Fanboy to submit their questions and received about a hundred responses. That's a lot of ground to cover, so we're going to spend the next few days answering as many as we can. Let's begin.
The PSP-1000's volume wasn't that loud. Did they increase the volume? Submitted by: dapurplebyrd
As you can see, the speakers on the new PSP (right) are not louder than the old PSP (left). With headphones on, the volume output is identical as well. What firmware is shipped with the PSP? Submitted by: mike
The system includes firmware 3.60. Some new features of the firmware include: USB Charge, new background colors (27 in all!), and Connected Display Settings (for TV output).
What video sizes does it play? Hopefully 640x480. Submitted by: Surtur
Nope. PSP 3.60 still does not support 640x480 video, which means many iPod-compatible video podcasts still don't work on the PSP.
Is the system quieter when loading data from the UMD? Submitted by: Brandon
In some ways. The PSP will still make that scratching noise when loading data from a UMD. However, it does seem to happen slightly less often. Listen to the video, though. You'll notice that both systems will make the same disc loading noise.
Do files open faster on XMB? Submitted by: TheHood
We loaded up our 4GB Memory Stick Duo with tons of 1080p images and had the PSP generate thumbnails. In our test, we noticed one thing: the two systems performed identically.
Is ghosting still noticeable? Submitted by: Saigon
Yes, ghosting is still noticeable on the screen, particularly in scenes involving bright whites. The screen isn't bad -- let's not forget that the original PSP screen still produces fantastic video.
Does the web browser take advantage of the added memory? For instance, can web sites that cause the old PSP's memory to run out work on the Slim? Submitted by: J@F
We were trying to read our favorite gaming blog when this error message struck. Seemingly, the browser is another thing that hasn't been improved in the new PSP.
What happens if you press the screen button long enough to start video out if it isn't plugged in? Submitted by: Don The screen simply turns off, just as it did before. This will help you conserve battery.
Is it possible to play music while viewing a slideshow on the PSP with this new release? Submitted by: Sai No. When you enter a different part of the XMB, your music will stop just like before.
How is the Wi-Fi connection? Can you test the range? Submitted by: Makiyura
The range for both PSP-1000 and PSP-2000 seem nearly identical. For us, the system lost a signal once more than 30 feet away from our wireless router. In terms of download speeds, we saw that the PSP-2000 had only a marginal advantage, one that could have been caused by random network speeds, rather than an inherent system design. Regardless, PSP-2000 constantly outperformed the original PSP in our RSS download tests.
Do the buttons actually have a better response/feel to them? Submitted by: Dennis Yes. The buttons have slightly more resistance, which makes it much better to the touch.
I heard that when you output games to your HDTV (through component), the picture is framed. Is it true? Submitted by: Sephiroth_FF
Yes it is true. On our 61" TV, the image produced by the PSP was 42" on our TV. That means, in diagonal terms, less than 70% of your screen will be devoted to the game. The XMB, however, will appear in full screen, as will movies and everything else accessed from there:
The image quality of games is particularly impressive. Ignoring the somewhat significant borders, the games we played looked like they were being output by a PS2. Movies, on the other hand, fared worse. Our Spider-man 2 UMD looked good, but didn't match the quality of a properly upscaled DVD running on the PS3.
===== There are still a lot more questions to answer. However, we need to spend a little more time with the system. Expect answers to burning questions on PSP-2000's load times, battery life, TV out functionality, and more in the next few days.
Yeah so I went out and purchased the 2000 version of the PSP, and lemme tell ya...it's a piece of sh*t. I'm a stickler when it comes to things like build quality, performance, etc. I did side by side comparison and it's quite evident Sony tightened their wallets when they designed this pile of crap. When it comes to electronics weight usually means quality. The PSP is significantly lighter than it's original version. It felt very cheap holding it in my hands. One very noteworthy change came to the UMD disk door. There is no longer a button to release it, you now pull the door out manually. The plastic on the door is almost paper thin. The buttons feel cheap, and mushy, in general, it's a pile of shit. I'm absolutely disgusted with this thing. And by the way...Anyone that complains about the weight of the original PSP is an EMO! Sony went el-cheapo on the consumers, added video out (pretty lame considering the PSP's entire purpose is for portability) and called this thing improved? My advice to everyone is to get the original PSP 1001. I'm no stranger to quality, and I've always understood that with electronics, weight usually means quality. But hey, don't let me stop you, RUN EMO's RUN, get your new & improved PSP haha...morons
For me, this is too little too late. If the PSP had this UMD-displaying-on-TV-feature, maybe the UMD MIGHT have survived a bit longer. Why? Because it bites nuts having to pay extra for a movie just to be watched on a smaller portable screen with lower battery life (sure you could keep it plugged in, but it's not worth a real TV screen).
Honestly, it's a great feature, but it's just way too late for a UMD-movie viewing device. But it's a great touch for gaming whenever you're at home (and don't get me started with "the PSP has no games" or "the DS should have done this" crap, because the PSP DOES have a few games and playing with a touchscreen while displaying it on big screen is retarded).
"As you can see, the speakers on the new PSP (right) are not louder than the old PSP (left). With headphones on, the volume output is identical as well."
uhhhh...how am i supposed to "see" how the volumes are identical?
"Yes, ghosting is still noticeable on the screen, particularly in scenes involving bright whites. "
It's unbelievable that Sony couldn't get this right, even years later. Hopefully future games will be designed to minimize ghosting (even if that means a less vibrant color palette); as it is, many games are unplayable. :(
Ghosting is when the image blurs from something moving fast onscreen. Not like a motion blur effect to give the viewer the impression of speed, but a distortion effect.
I'm not happy about the ghosting either, but I wouldn't go as far to say it makes games unplayable... It is annoying, yes, but an annoyance does not make a game unplayable.
What game is unplayable due to slight ghosting? I've play a good chunk of PSP games, and I have yet to find one.
WRONG...Games have nothing to do with ghosting. It's the hardware that renders it. Ghosting occurs as a result of slow response times from the LCD. Response time refers to the speed at which pixels turn on and off. The slower the response time, the longer it takes to switch the pixels ie; ghosting. These days, LCD's are getting cheaper and faster with response times ranging from 8ms to 2 ms. (MS = milliseconds) The psp LCD is probably around 12ms. Hope this cleared everything up.
You answered the question of if the speakers are truly louder, but, does it seem louder with your hands on the system playing a game since the new placement of them? That would be a good video to show the difference between the two.
It sounds interesting, but this new PSP-Slim(Lite) is now available in Hong Kong Store! Every one can buy one, and this is an official release. Although, I don't know why Hong Kong got this new baby before US and even JP!!! Beside, there was no huge promotion on the release of this little baby, strange. This PSP actually in stock on yesterday. (30/8) But some shop got some early stock and sold them on 29/8!!! We only got three colors, black, white and silver. And the price is around HK$1280 (~=US$164)
