[READ BEFORE you post] Sony PSP FAQ (ver.2)

Update: [color=white]Security update 2.60 is out, it's usually around 14megs. Download it and install it. Then delete the patch after its done by going to the games section in the PSP menu. Don't have a wireless connection to receive these updates? See question #35 for the answer.[/color]

_________________________________________________________________________

1. Can I put a custom picture as my background? Can I change the colors?

• You can change it by going to the "themes" section and enabling "wallpaper." Then go to "photos" and select the picture you want to use and apply it.
  
• The color changes with the different months of the year. You can also just pick the color you want by going to the "themes" section.
  

2.How do I put a screen protector on?

• Peel off the film ever so slightly, then lay it on top of the screen. Take a credit card or hard piece of plastic and gently rake it across as you peel the remaining film off of the protector. If you have a few air bubbles, don't worry. They usually go away in 24 hours... if you have a lot, re-do it.

3. I keep getting "WLAN switch is turned off" whenever I'm trying to setup my internet connection.. what am I doing wrong?

• You need to turn on the wireless function of your PSP. The switch is on the left, bottom side of your PSP. When correctly switched on, the green LED will light up when you get a signal (ie a connection). It will not stay green from the minute you turn it on... only when a signal is sent and recieved.

4. I have some white spots on my PSP and they won't go away!

• These are stuck pixels and they might eventually take care of themselves

5. I'm listening to music, but I keep hitting other buttons.. how do I stop this?

• Put your PSP on "hold." It's the same button as the power button (right, bottom side). Just slide it down.

6. How do I put pictures on my PSP?

• Two ways: Format your Memory stick Duo and the PSP will automatically create the folders for you. Then plug your PSP into a PC using a USB cable. Make sure you put the PSP in "USB mode." USB mode is in the main menu. Then drag and drop the photos from your PC to your PSP's "photo" folder.
• Connect your PSP to a PC via a USB cable. Go to My Computer > F Drive (could be named a different letter) > Create a folder called "Photo"

7.How do I get rid of scratches on my PSP?

• http://www.displex.de/

8. How do I put videos on my PSP?

• http://www.pspvideo9.com/
  

9. Any info on the PSP?

• http://hardware.gamespot.com/Story-ST-11721-1480-x-x-x

10. Ok my PSP has dead pixels, what next?

• Relax. Breathe. A lot of PSP's will have 1-2 dead pixels... they're hardly noticable. If you have 4 ore more, then it's time to return it.
• If you bought it from Wal-mart, Best Buy or any other major retailer, chances are they will let you return it for another one. It doesn't hurt to try.
• If you bought it from EBgames and Gamestop, good luck.
• *Update* Sony does cover them now, so call (1-800-345-7669) http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/03/25/news_6121092.html
• Buy the Best Buy PRP if you haven't bought one yet, it's $39.99 and it covers dead pixels and other malfunctions for 2 years

11. Why should I get a PSP? Convince me!

• Make up your own mind and research the product before you plop down $250

12. How do I prevent finger prints on my PSP?

• Don't touch it
• Wipe it with the provided cloth
• Buy a screen protector that covers the whole PSP

13. Does anyone else notice ghosting?

• Yes. These LCDs are very nice, but they do appear to have ghosting, or "trailing." It's when the colors tend to bleed and you can see trails of say a race car's tail lights as it moves in and out of lanes.

14. My brother says the PSP isn't out, is he lying?

• Yes

15. How do I setup my internet connection?

• Go to network settings and create new. SSID is the name of your network... you can either type it in or just hit "scan"
• Make sure your WLAN switch is on
• "Scanning" will bring up all the wireless connections available to you, pick your network.
• WEP is a security feature on wireless networks and it will require you to have your WEP key ready if your network is secured.
• Test connection after your done and you should be all set

16. There is dust under my screen!

• Either take it apart and clean it, or return it if it bothers you that much. Good luck.

17. When charging my PSP, the orange light turned off... what does that mean?

• It's done charging

18. How long does it take to charge my PSP?

• 2 hours and 20 minutes
  

19. Does the sampler disc contain free music?

• Yes/No. There are some music videos

20. Does Ridge Racer play online (as in with people across the world?)

• Nope, only PSP to PSP. Scroll to the bottom of this FAQ to see some more info on this matter.

21. Is Twisted Metal: Head On, online (as in I can play with anyone across the world)?

• Yep!

22. What type of memory stick should I buy?

• Sony or Sandisk "Memory Stick Duo or Pro Duo"

23. Any stores not selling "Bundles" ?

• If you mean the value packs, no. If you mean bundles like "PSP + 2 games that you have no choice over" yes.
• Best Buy, Circuit City, Ebgames (actual stores, not online) and gamestop sell just the value packs.

24. What USB cable can I use?

• USB mini B, 5 pin
• I was able to use my digital camera's USB cable, so try that if you have one
• Datel and other 3rd party companies are going to release PSP specific cables very soon, if not already.

25. If I already have a USB card reader, do I need a USB cable for the PSP?

• As long as it reads memory stick pro duo's, I don't see why you would.

26. Does the Value Pack include the USB cable?

• Nope

27. What are some cheap places to get memory sticks?

• Google
  
• Froogle
• Amazon.com
• zipzoomfly.com
• newegg.com
• mysimon.com
• pricewatch.com

28. USB 1.1 or 2.0?

• 2.0, it's backwards compatible with 1.1 devices

29. How do I add music to my PSP?

• Two ways: Format your Memory stick Duo and the PSP will automatically create the folders for you. Then plug your PSP into a PC using a USB cable. Make sure you put the PSP in "USB mode." USB mode is in the main menu. Then drag and drop the songs from your PC to your PSP's "Music" folder.
• Connect your PSP to a PC via a USB cable. Go to My Computer > F Drive (could be named a different letter) > Create a folder called "Music"
• If you need to convert your songs to MP3, google "MP3 converter"

30. What comes in the Value Pack?

• PSP system
• 32mb memory stick Pro Duo
• Spiderman 2 UMD (First 1 million units)
• Strap
• Headphones w/ remote
• Demo UMD
• Soft Case
• Battery and AC adapter
• Cleaning Cloth

31. How much does it cost?

• $249.99 for the value pack
• Tax depends on your area, so don't ask...it's probably like $20 on top of that

32. "Where Can I Download Free, Legal Videos That Work On My PSP?" (Thanks to BobC)

Answer: Right here on GameSpot

• http://www.gamespot.com/features/pspresourcecenter/index.html
• We have a select number of video reviews, previews, and features that are encoded in PSP format. Check the page (which automatically updates with the latest PSP-ready videos) for them, and let us know what you think.

33. I want to use my PSP as an xbox memory card.... can I?

• Yes, http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/7999/Save-Xbox-Games-on-a-PSP/

34. Can I add customize my Logitech playgear pocketcase with pictures?

• Yes, the design template to cut out the pictues is at the bottom, thanks to Shtinky
• http://img28.echo.cx/img28/8381/templatecopy6ww.jpg <--- There you go

35. Can I receive the security updates, even if I don't have my PSP connected via wireless internet?

• Yes! Head over to http://www.us.playstation.com/psp.aspx?id=softwareupdate to download the update to your computer.
• Unzip the .zip file and transfer it to your PSP using the USB cable (by going to USB mode).
• If you need more detail instructions, they're available in the link provided.
• Special thanks to snakelda for mentioning this.

36. Can I burn some songs and movies to a UMD, instead of using my memory stick?

• Nope, UMD burners do not exist at this point. The only way to get media on to your psp is through a USB cable and a memory stick.

37. I think my memory stick is messed up, I bought a 512mb memory stick and it only reads as 468mb.... should I take it back?

• Nope, it's fine. Disk drive companies such as SanDisk define 1 megabyte as 1,000,000 bytes. Operating systems define 1 megabyte as 1,048,576 bytes (1024K X 1024K or 2 to the 20th power)

1. 32mb stick = 30.9 mb
2. 512mb stick = 468 mb
3. 1GB stick = 969 mb

Pixel Test:

Drag and drop these pictures into your PSP "Photo" folder and view them to see if you have any dropped/stuck pixels.

PSP Web Browsing (Ghetto way)*

*If you refuse to update your PSP to past 2.0, then this is for you. If you have 2.0 and beyond, Sony has released an official web browser for you to use. Just go to "Web browser" icon in the main menu.

Using Kanokm's post on browsing the internet with a PSP I've made a simple step-by-step guide for browsing online using Wipeout Pure:

1. Goto Settings ---> Network Settings ---> Infrastructure Mode ---> New Connection (you want to make a new connection so you can still use your default connection for regular game use).

2. Create a new connection and after you've set the SSID and WEP (if you use it):

• in Address Settings goto Custom
• In IP Address Settings go to Automatic
• In DNS Setting go to Manual and set the Primary DNS to 67.171.70.72 (this is what will let you get onling browsing). Leave the Seconday DNS as it is.
• Set Proxy Server as Do Not Use if you are not using one.
• Confirm the setting list and Save the settings.
• To make the browser faster; go to Power Save Settings, and turn of the WLAN Power save function, and the PSP browser goes much more faster (Thanks RyuHayabusaX)

3. Put in Wipeout Pure and go to the Downloads section. When it asks what connection to use select the connection you just set up and viola, your online!

You can navigate the pages using the D-pad, select links with the X button, go back a page using the L button, go forward a page using the R button and you can also enter text into text boxes by highlighting the box and pressing X.

Getting Word Documents on PSP(Credit to Killer0808 ):
A guide to putting word documents on the PSP

1.Go to http://www.fumi2kick.com/jpegbook/
-about 1/2 down the page, there is Window with 2 links, and mac osx with 2 links.Click on ver 1.1 for windows.
2. Save the file and unzip it.
3.Double click on jpegbook_050302
4.Double click on jpegbook.exe(this will bring up jpeg book)
5.I found that this program works best with Microsoft wordpad documents without pictures(transfer your document to wordpad and save)
6.On the jpegbook program, under text file, to the right of the text box, click the folder and find your wordpad document.
7.Background lets you choose a picture for your background
8. the default margins are fine
9. For output, plug in your psp, and go to usb connect. On the jpegbook, Click on the folder on the right side of the "output dir" box. Above the ok button on this box, click the drop down button on the drop down box and choose your psp drive.
10. Double click on psp, then PHOTO. Then click ok.
11. Click start on jpeg book
12. After it's done, the file is under pictures on your psp
Enjoy!:D

THM Files (credit to LiquidRhino)
Creating Sony Thumbnail Files (.THM extension)
author: Liquid Rhino

Alright, after seeing a lot of posts in forums and feeds on Sony-compatible THM files with no replies or links, I'd figure I'd set the record straight for the few of you out there who would like to be able to create these files, for whatever reason.

1. First off, you're gonna need some sort of image-editing program & some basic understanding of how to use whichever one you prefer.

2. Second, you'll need to know what device you're gonna be writing the file to, as there are 2 different sizes I've seen to date; one of which is a larger size and works with most Sony DV camcorders and a second, smaller size which is compatible with most Sony digital cameras, DV camcorders, as well as the PSP. Obviously the second choice is much more compatible and that's what I'll be showing you.

3. Find an appropriate image for the thumbnail you'll be creating to accompany the movie it's attached to, and open it in your image editor. You may either wish to select a frame of the movie you like best using Quicktime or any other viewer and simply using 'copy & paste' to your editor, or you may make an image from scratch, say a logo or something.

4. You'll need to open a new file, sized 160x120 (pixels; w x h). Paste the image you chose in the above step and size it accordingly with your image editor, possibly even sharpening it for added clarity. Make sure it's a flattened image and save it using JPEG format (compression 4-6 works best) with the exact same filename as the video you wish to make the thumbnail for, only instead of adding the .JPG extension, make sure you use '.THM' instead.

5. Upload movie & thumbnail as necessary to your memory card or stick.

6. Enjoy your custom thumbnails!

Play AD-HOC with a single game disc(Credit: Slydoggy2425)

Here is how to play two-player ad-hoc games with a single disc:

• Place the game into the 1st PSP. Start the game. Start a Multiplayer Ad-Hoc game. (Set the time to unlimited because moving the game between the units takes a while.) Enter the game.
• Once you are in the game, remove the game from the unit. A message will appear asking whether you want to exit the game, say NO! The game should resume.
• Now take the game and place it into the 2nd PSP. Start the game. Now go to Ad-Hoc games and find the server that the other PSP has already started. Enter the game.
• And now you are playing each other on two PSPs with only one copy of the game.

To be on the safe side remove the memory stick to prevent any possible data loss if the unit freezes. When you want to exit the game, it might freeze. But trying to power off the unit might not work. To solve this problem, just place the game into the frozen PSP and it will do some loading and then resume normally.

This may or may not work with all games as there have been no real confirmation whether or not work

source: mobiledeviant.com

Dumb postDBone420

he only did it because he ran out of space on the other faq, but good job XSF, keep up the good work

[QUOTE="DBone420"]Dumb postTHE_OLD_KNIGHT_

he only did it because he ran out of space on the other faq, but good job XSF, keep up the good work

Thanks. I never made a FAQ before, so I forgot to reserve the space when I initially did the original one (day of the PSP launch).

I'll go ahead and ask Donutta or RagingGamer to put this up.RyuHayabusaX

thanks, I appreciate it. I made a thread in the mode lounge.

I'll go ahead and ask Donutta or RagingGamer to put this up.RyuHayabusaX

and tell em to unsticky the other one

Sticky.TheRagingGamer

Thanks TRG, I appreciate it. :)

And for owning the troll :)

Good job..... keep it coming.

[QUOTE="THE_OLD_KNIGHT_"]

[QUOTE="DBone420"]Dumb postXSF

he only did it because he ran out of space on the other faq, but good job XSF, keep up the good work

Thanks. I never made a FAQ before, so I forgot to reserve the space when I initially did the original one (day of the PSP launch).

I only said that because there was nothing new in that post that wasn't in the original FAQ.

[QUOTE="XSF"][QUOTE="THE_OLD_KNIGHT_"]

[QUOTE="DBone420"]Dumb postDBone420

he only did it because he ran out of space on the other faq, but good job XSF, keep up the good work

Thanks. I never made a FAQ before, so I forgot to reserve the space when I initially did the original one (day of the PSP launch).

I only said that because there was nothing new in that post that wasn't in the original FAQ.

If you would have read the thread without posting a useless comment, you would have realized I did this because I hit the max 2,000 message limit for a single post, therefore no more information could have been added.... hence the reason for a new thread.

Good day sir

[QUOTE="DBone420"][QUOTE="XSF"][QUOTE="THE_OLD_KNIGHT_"]

[QUOTE="DBone420"]Dumb postXSF

he only did it because he ran out of space on the other faq, but good job XSF, keep up the good work

Thanks. I never made a FAQ before, so I forgot to reserve the space when I initially did the original one (day of the PSP launch).

I only said that because there was nothing new in that post that wasn't in the original FAQ.

If you would have read the thread without posting a useless comment, you would have realized I did this because I hit the max 2,000 message limit for a single post, therefore no more information could have been added.... hence the reason for a new thread.

Good day sir

I did read it. I guess I just didn't understand what you were trying to say. My bad.

WHO IS NO SLEEPING???

Pixel Test:

Drag and drop these pictures into your PSP "Photo" folder and view them to see if you have any dropped/stuck pixels.

PSP Web Browsing (Ghetto way)

Using Kanokm's post on browsing the internet with a PSP I've made a simple step-by-step guide for browsing online using Wipeout Pure:

1. Goto Settings ---> Network Settings ---> Infrastructure Mode ---> New Connection (you want to make a new connection so you can still use your default connection for regular game use).

2. Create a new connection and after you've set the SSID and WEP (if you use it):

• in Address Settings goto Custom
• In IP Address Settings go to Automatic
• In DNS Setting go to Manual and set the Primary DNS to 67.171.70.72 (this is what will let you get onling browsing). Leave the Seconday DNS as it is.
• Set Proxy Server as Do Not Use if you are not using one.
• Confirm the setting list and Save the settings.
• To make the browser faster; go to Power Save Settings, and turn of the WLAN Power save function, and the PSP browser goes much more faster (Thanks RyuHayabusaX)

3. Put in Wipeout Pure and go to the Downloads section. When it asks what connection to use select the connection you just set up and viola, your online!

You can navigate the pages using the D-pad, select links with the X button, go back a page using the L button, go forward a page using the R button and you can also enter text into text boxes by highlighting the box and pressing X.

Getting Word Documents on PSP(Credit to Killer0808 ):
A guide to putting word documents on the PSP

1.Go to http://www.fumi2kick.com/jpegbook/
-about 1/2 down the page, there is Window with 2 links, and mac osx with 2 links.Click on ver 1.1 for windows.
2. Save the file and unzip it.
3.Double click on jpegbook_050302
4.Double click on jpegbook.exe(this will bring up jpeg book)
5.I found that this program works best with Microsoft wordpad documents without pictures(transfer your document to wordpad and save)
6.On the jpegbook program, under text file, to the right of the text box, click the folder and find your wordpad document.
7.Background lets you choose a picture for your background
8. the default margins are fine
9. For output, plug in your psp, and go to usb connect. On the jpegbook, Click on the folder on the right side of the "output dir" box. Above the ok button on this box, click the drop down button on the drop down box and choose your psp drive.
10. Double click on psp, then PHOTO. Then click ok.
11. Click start on jpeg book
12. After it's done, the file is under pictures on your psp
Enjoy!:D

THM Files (credit to LiquidRhino)
Creating Sony Thumbnail Files (.THM extension)
author: Liquid Rhino

Alright, after seeing a lot of posts in forums and feeds on Sony-compatible THM files with no replies or links, I'd figure I'd set the record straight for the few of you out there who would like to be able to create these files, for whatever reason.

1. First off, you're gonna need some sort of image-editing program & some basic understanding of how to use whichever one you prefer.

2. Second, you'll need to know what device you're gonna be writing the file to, as there are 2 different sizes I've seen to date; one of which is a larger size and works with most Sony DV camcorders and a second, smaller size which is compatible with most Sony digital cameras, DV camcorders, as well as the PSP. Obviously the second choice is much more compatible and that's what I'll be showing you.

3. Find an appropriate image for the thumbnail you'll be creating to accompany the movie it's attached to, and open it in your image editor. You may either wish to select a frame of the movie you like best using Quicktime or any other viewer and simply using 'copy & paste' to your editor, or you may make an image from scratch, say a logo or something.

4. You'll need to open a new file, sized 160x120 (pixels; w x h). Paste the image you chose in the above step and size it accordingly with your image editor, possibly even sharpening it for added clarity. Make sure it's a flattened image and save it using JPEG format (compression 4-6 works best) with the exact same filename as the video you wish to make the thumbnail for, only instead of adding the .JPG extension, make sure you use '.THM' instead.

5. Upload movie & thumbnail as necessary to your memory card or stick.

6. Enjoy your custom thumbnails!

Play AD-HOC with a single game disc(Credit: Slydoggy2425)

Here is how to play two-player ad-hoc games with a single disc:

• Place the game into the 1st PSP. Start the game. Start a Multiplayer Ad-Hoc game. (Set the time to unlimited because moving the game between the units takes a while.) Enter the game.
• Once you are in the game, remove the game from the unit. A message will appear asking whether you want to exit the game, say NO! The game should resume.
• Now take the game and place it into the 2nd PSP. Start the game. Now go to Ad-Hoc games and find the server that the other PSP has already started. Enter the game.
• And now you are playing each other on two PSPs with only one copy of the game.

To be on the safe side remove the memory stick to prevent any possible data loss if the unit freezes. When you want to exit the game, it might freeze. But trying to power off the unit might not work. To solve this problem, just place the game into the frozen PSP and it will do some loading and then resume normally.

This may or may not work with all games as there have been no real confirmation whether or not work

source: mobiledeviant.com

Coded Arms control setup:

Analog: look around

L-button: move foward

Square and Circle: Move left and right

X: Move back

Triangle: Jump

R button: shoot

XSF

[QUOTE="THE_OLD_KNIGHT_"]

[QUOTE="DBone420"]Dumb postXSF

he only did it because he ran out of space on the other faq, but good job XSF, keep up the good work

Thanks. I never made a FAQ before, so I forgot to reserve the space when I initially did the original one (day of the PSP launch).

use windows media player and change the format to "MPEG LAYER 3 (MP3)" .

I'm a little confused about putting music on my Memory stick. So do I just created a file called "Music" in the F drive(or whatever drive it is) and save my Mp3 from windows media player( or from someother place) in the folder.........then what do i do or does it automatically put it on my Memory stick????? Please help me!FLCLAtomsk

format your memory stick, that creates automatically a folder on ur computer called 'PSP'. then plug in the psp via usb, put the psp in usb mode, go to my computer, removeable "something" (like drive or disc, watever), then copy and paste your MP3's into the "music" sub folder located under the main "psp" folder. feel free to ask more questions

THanks for the Coded Arms controls, i might get it, but the controls seem weird, ill rent it first

does the PSP Video 9 software work with .WMV video files?Legizzo

yes it does.

awesome links, i just spent 30 min putting vids and car pics on my psp, good job!!mikey050591

Xx

i have a question can a psp go online with a cable modem with usb cable cuz i dont have a wireless mobem

Xx

i have a question can a psp go online with a cable modem with usb cable cuz i dont have a wireless mobem

DanMen1987

Greetings,

I still have a question and though this would be a great place to ask it ;)

1) Does the PSP has build in memory?- yes but not for saving music and videos. Even the GBA had internal memory I think.. A) If not then do you need to use Memory stick all the time when you want to listen to music and save the games?-yes
B) If yes then how much?-how much do they cost? Depends where you buy them. I got my 512 MB for $90CD. <<I think thats a deal and 512 MB is a good size.

2) What kind of memory stick are there (the three mentioned in the FAQ?)?-You mean sizes? Thers a 32 MB (small), 128 MB(small), 256 MB(small), 512 MB(good size, holds 1 full length movie or a ton of songs), 1G(Big but expensive and hard to find), 2G(More $$$$$ than the PSP... Don't bother until they are cheaper.)

If you wanted to know what brands of memory sticks there are, read this- http://hardware.gamespot.com/Story-ST-x-2229-x-x-x
I need this information becouse i want to buy an MP3 player, but if i can use the PSP for that function (and have a lot of MP3 on it) then i would love to use that. I will go on a long bus trip (more then 12 hours) so i need something to do :)
darkmawl

just testing if my signeture works :) gggrrrwillsk8forfood

7.How do I get rid of scratches on my PSP?

• http://www.displex.de/

XSF

THANKS!!! I was devistated when I found scratches on my screen. Now, I can feel at ease. :D

[QUOTE="XSF"]

7.How do I get rid of scratches on my PSP?

• http://www.displex.de/

thunderbone

THANKS!!! I was devistated when I found scratches on my screen. Now, I can feel at ease. :D

[QUOTE="XSF"]

7.How do I get rid of scratches on my PSP?

• http://www.displex.de/

thunderbone

THANKS!!! I was devistated when I found scratches on my screen. Now, I can feel at ease. :D

is displex safe?