Video killed the games star

Portable Video Players. We love 'em here at Crave -- we can watch The Office on the way to work, show off to our fellow commuters and get cool I-nearly-got- mugged anecodotes, all at the same time. Now we've bought a 1GB Memory Stick Duo, we can do it all on our Sony PSP, with our geek chic credentials set to stun.

Sometimes we have to worry about our craving for new technology turning into an addiction. Not only did we import our PSP to get one before Sony deigned to release it over here, but the 1GB Memory Stick Duos are so rare that we had to go through the same rigmarole to get our grubby hands on one.

Our initial verdict is -- it was only half worth the effort. Converting video files to MP4 format is hard work, but one that's thankfully made a little bit easier by FreeWare programs on the Net. The best is pspvideo9, with which you can convert your DivX videos into various quality settings before exporting them automatically to the console itself. Or, if you fancy taking the commercial route, the newly announced X-OOM software looks even more user-friendly.

At a good quality level, you can fit about two movies on a 1GB stick, or around 8 episodes of a 30-minute TV programme. Our Memory Stick cost £85, which is about double the price of an equivalent size SD card. While movie playback is an enjoyable perk of the PSP, we recommend you don't buy one based on this feature alone -- check out a dedicated portable video player instead. -GC

• Share:
• 
• 
• 

• Tags:
• Sony Computer Entertainment Europe,
• Sony PSP,
• console,
• love,
• video player