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Unsure how to get Movies on
Your PSP - Heres How
H ow Do I get Started?
First
thing is first, Start by installing 3GP Converter. Its
available from the following:
Japanese site.
Once downloaded just unzip the file to any directory,
but you'll also need
Apple QuickTime installed to make it work. 3G
Converter doesn't have a proper install program, but
there is a setup program (setup.exe) that you'll need to
run first.
When
you first run the program you'll be confronted with a
bunch of gobbledeegook. That's because the program
defaults to Japanese! So the first step is to select
"English" from the drop-down menu at the bottom of
the setup window. That will change all of the program's
settings and dialog boxes to a language that you can
read.
From
there, you'll need to pick a PSP-ready preset for the
program. That upper box the one that just magically
transformed into English--has two PSP settings: "Model:
MP4, for PSP" and "Model: MP4, for PSP (Direct,
renamed)."
The
only difference in the two settings is that the
direct/renamed setting is for pointing this encoder
directly at your PSP's memory stick, if that's what you
want. It will properly name the files for you and place
them on the stick. But we're going to do this the long
way. Why? Because chances are, you're going to want to
keep backup copies of your PSP-ready movies on your PC
so you can move them off and onto the unit. You'll want
to keep the original file names, because otherwise
you'll have no idea what's what. So
pick the first "Model:
MP4, for PSP" option and click "apply."
How To Use The Video Encoder
The
converter should now launch. The first step is to
click the select box and choose the directory for your
PSP-ready files to go in.
First time I selected the desktop, but that's just
because Im messy. Just choose a location that you won't
forget.
Once
you've set that, you'll need to set your video and
audio quality using the drop-down box in the middle
of the program. Generally speaking, higher numbers for
video bit rates mean better quality, but it also means
the video file will take up more space on your memory
stick. If you're encoding some fast-moving action, you
might want to spring for the higher settings to improve
frame rates. But if you're just trying to encode some
comedies, we've found that 15 frames per second and
384kbps seem to work just fine for video. But, really,
this is all about your tolerance for viewing
compression. You can go all the way up to 1500kbps, if
that's your thing, but you'll probably need a pretty big
memory stick to fit anything of substance in that high
of a rate.
Once
you've made your decision, take your source video
file and drag it onto the converter. It will then
start going. Once the processing meter has worked its
way across, your file is in the proper format. But
you'll still have to make sure it's named properly
before moving it onto the PSP.
OK, I Have My Videos Encoded Properly. How Do I Get
Them On The PSP?
The PSP
requires a very specific format for its video file
names. It's much stricter than, say, the process for
putting MP3s onto the memory stick. You'll need to
connect your PSP to the PC via USB and open up the
memory stick file directory. Your PC will treat the
memory stick like any other removable storage device, so
just double click on the icon to open up the memory
stick. You'll see a directory labeled "PSP." That's
where all your saved games, music, and photos live. But
for some reason, the video doesn't go there.
First,
you'll need to create a new directory in the root
folder of your memory stick called "MP_ROOT." You'll
then need to create a "100MNV01" directory inside the
MP_ROOT directory. You'll put your video files in
this 100MNV01 directory.
But
wait, before you go copying over files, they need to be
named properly! Video files must be named in the
format of M4Vxxxxx.MP4 where "xxxxx" is any five-digit
number, like 00001 or 01323. The converter will also
create a file with the extension THM. The THM file is a
thumbnail image of your video that will show up in the
PSP's menu to make it easier to browse videos, but you
have to name the THM file to match your newly renamed
video file. So if you're renaming "that guy gets kicked
down the stairs and falls on his face.MP4" to
"M4V00006.MP4," you'll also need to rename "that guy
gets kicked down the stairs and falls on his face.THM"
to "M4V00006.THM" for it to still work.
Once
you're done with that, disconnect your PSP from the PC,
go over to the video menu in the PSP, and hit play on
your files. Happy viewing!
Interested in
Homebrew for the PSP? - Email me:
martin@yesitshelpful.com
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