Sony's Playstation portable is first and foremost a games machine, with video playback coming second in the pecking order.
However, with its own UMD disc format, Sony is obviously serious about video on the PSP. That said, the failure of UMD to grab the public's attention means most people will watch MPEG-4 movies on a PSP via MemoryStick Duo. And with 8GB cards costing as little as £80, it offers a good-value storage option.
This new slimmed-down PSP is better than its predecessor for extended viewing, as the weight it has shed means less effort is needed to hold it in place for the 90-odd minutes it takes to watch the average film.
Free software lets you make video PSP friendly
Like the iTouch, the PSP is picky about what files it accepts, but with plenty of freeware available to transform your video files into PSP-friendly ones (we like PSP Video – just Google it) that's not a massive hurdle.
The results are first rate, with impressively blur-free viewing on the 4.3inch screen. Colours are bright but never overly in your face, and fast motion runs as smoothly as balls on a billiard table.
In terms of picture quality it's top-notch, which coupled with the affordable price means it gets the full five stars even though storage is an optional extra.
Sony PSP Slim & Lite review
Slimmed down but beefed up on specs and quality Tested at £130.00
What Hi-Fi? Verdict
This second generation PSP may have slimmed down, but it has beefed up on features and quality, and offers excellent value for money
Pros
- +
Excellent video quality
- +
good value for money
- +
and think about the games
Cons
- -
No on-board memory
- -
still pretty large
- -
UMD is dead
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