Sony PSP - How Well Does the Playstation Portable Play Music*
When Sony's new PSP was released in early 2005, Sony was touting the PSP as "the first truly integrated portable entertainment system." So not only is the PSP meant to be a bleeding edge portable gaming device, but it's also intended to handle the rest of your multimedia needs, including music.
To test this claim, I spent some time with the PSP in order to see for myself if the PSP could, in fact, replace my MP3 player. Here's what I found:
Shiny, black, and slim, with a gorgeous 4.3" widescreen display (480 x 272 pixels, 16.77 million colors), the PSP is a beautiful device to look at. Additionally, games for the PSP are great, UMD movies are crisp and very attractive (Spiderman 2, included in the retail value pack looks incredible); photos look great, etc., etc.
But let's look specifically at the PSP as a digital audio player and see what it's got to offer.
Can the PSP Handle Your Music?
Getting music onto your Sony PSP is simple enough. After connecting the PSP to your computer via USB 2.0, you simply use Windows Explorer to navigate to the Music folder and drag and drop your files onto your Sony PSP. This isn't as simple as, say, an auto-sync feature, but all-in-all it's pretty good, especially since the PSP is a device you won't be fitting your entire music library on anyway (more on this later).
Playing and navigating through music on the Sony PSP is simple, as well. The controls are intuitive (especially if you're familiar with the Playstation or PS2), and as of the latest firmware update (2.5), you can navigate through groups or song by song. The PSP supports MP3 and ATRAC3 (Sony's audio format) codec’s, which isn't the best support available, but it's not bad.
It does mean, however, that you're not likely to be able to put purchased music from iTunes or Napster any time soon - not great news, but if you rip most of your music as MP3s, this probably won't be too much of a problem.
Finally, the Sony PSP comes with an in-line remote control that you can plug your headphones into, giving you the ability to control the playback of your music while your PSP is safely tucked away in the case. This is a great feature that would come as an added bonus for any digital audio player (but is rarely included).
Where the PSP Fails
Now for the biggest downside of the Sony PSP, especially if you're hoping to replace your digital audio player. The PSP has no onboard memory for storage, and with the purchase of the value pack you only receive a measly 32MB flash storage card, and as any digital music lover knows, this won't even fit an entire album. So that means that you've got to purchase more flash memory for your Sony PSP if you want to get serious about replacing your player, which can get pricey.
As of the writing of this review, a 4GB storage solution for the PSP has been announced, which is very good and would put the Sony PSP in the same storage tier as the iPod nano. Unfortunately, that storage is currently running at a premium of about $250 (about the price of a 4GB iPod nano).
Another downside of the PSP is that it doesn't display album art, which, though it isn't a necessary feature, is quite a shame considering its beautiful display and ample screen real estate.
Final Thought: Sony PSP May Be Up To the Challenge
There are definitely problems. No support for WMA or AAC codec’s means you won't be playing DRM'd music purchased from a la carte or subscription services any time soon, but if you don't buy music online, this really isn't a problem.
Overall, if you don't have a problem with the storage issues (and having to purchase extra memory), the Sony PSP as a digital audio player is on par with much of its competition; even exceeding them at times (e.g., included in-line remote).
Couple that with the fact that the PSP is a terrific gaming device capable of playing beautiful (if slightly expensive) UMD movies, wirelessly surfing the internet, and viewing photos, the Sony PSP is a formidable device worth considering.
Whether you decide to use your PSP as an MP3 player or purley for gaming, you are going to need to protect it. Northstar Cases offers a waterproof, crushproof, protective Sony PSP case that will keep your PSP no matter where you decide to take it. These protective PSP cases are made out of high impact ABS plastic so can literally park a truck on top of it. This Sony PSP case is also guaranteed to be waterproof up to 100 feet underwater but you will have to drag it down there since it floats! Check out this waterproof, crushproof, protective PSP case today!
*Article from mp3.about.com