PSP, iPod Video, or Portable DVD player?

[McManus]

Quick background, my girlfriend wants something along the lines of a portable media player. These three items crossed my mind. What are the pros/cons of each? My biggest concern is that she has a lot of DivX/Mpeg/Avi/whatever format videos, so I want something that can play them all. Plus battery life is a concern, and I guess cost, too.

Vote, and post suggestions if [other] !

 

[CKent]

Sony, Apple, or _____? Blank ftw...

 

[Ktulu]

Creative Zen Vision

This one is also really nice

 

[Kelvrick]

Iriver also makes a nice one.

 

[God On Alcohol]

Creative

 

[Schadenfroh]

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=40&threadid=1708726&enterthread=y

 

[Exsomnis]

PSP without a doubt. It's practically all three in one.

 

[effowe]

Originally posted by: Exsomnis
PSP without a doubt. It's practically all three in one.

Exactly, this is why I'm also asking for a psp.

 

[Exsomnis]

Originally posted by: effowe

Originally posted by: Exsomnis
PSP without a doubt. It's practically all three in one.

Exactly, this is why I'm also asking for a psp.

Not to mention old console emulation, wewt.

 

[ElFenix]

i'm guessing psp will be a decent ebay seller this year.

 

[mercanucaribe]

PSP shouldn't even be an option. Memory Sticks are expensive, and very limited. I'd imagine battery life would suck too. If it's for personal use an iPod video's screen is probably big enough.

 

[hevnsnt]

Problem with the psp is storage.. a 2gb MS Duo is as much as the psp

 

[mercanucaribe]

Originally posted by: Exsomnis
PSP without a doubt. It's practically all three in one.

How is it all three in one? It can't play DVDs and is a lot bigger than an iPod.

 

[DragonMasterAlex]

The LAST one I'd touch is PSP. Proprietary movie format for UMD, where they charge you twice what a DVD version would cost you. In addition to that you can't use the full resolution of the screen (480x272, substantially lower than even *Standard definition* TV, for chrissakes!) when ripping movies in MP4 format to play back. It doesn't play back DivX, Xvid, etc., and as far as I'm aware there are NO codec downloads available. Memory sticks are *absurdly* overpriced and have very little space available. There's a 3rd party hard drive addon, but it turns the PSP into an ugly, bulky monstrosity.

If she's interested in movies primarily, get her a portable DVD player or one of those portable media centers. Either one will meet her needs MUCH better than a PSP. PSP is basically a portable PS2 with half-assed movie and MP3 playback integrated. Even at games it's got all of *two* decent titles out (Lumines and GTA:LCS).

PSP is overpriced and undercapable, period.

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: mercanucaribe

Originally posted by: Exsomnis
PSP without a doubt. It's practically all three in one.

How is it all three in one? It can't play DVDs and is a lot bigger than an iPod.

The screen blows the iPod's out of the water, and you can buy UMD movies or convert your DVD movies.

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: DragonMasterAlex
The LAST one I'd touch is PSP. Proprietary movie format for UMD, where they charge you twice what a DVD version would cost you.

UMDs do not cost twice as much as DVDs. I still wouldn't buy a UMD movie, but that's a falsehood.

 

[DragonMasterAlex]

Originally posted by: hevnsnt
Problem with the psp is storage.. a 2gb MS Duo is as much as the psp

No sh1t, too. If you're gonna drop $500 on a device to playback movies, you're much better off with one of those portable Media Center devices that nets you 40-60GB and a better screen for the same price.

I'd NEVER recommend PSP to someone who's looking for *movie* functionality. Fvck Sony's proprietary UMD bvllshit format.

Jason

 

[thecrecarc]

gmini 400, its only 200$, plays video, and if u loook around the web u can find a sms/gamegear emualltor for it. and if u look harder, u can also find a text veiwer

 

[DragonMasterAlex]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: DragonMasterAlex
The LAST one I'd touch is PSP. Proprietary movie format for UMD, where they charge you twice what a DVD version would cost you.

UMDs do not cost twice as much as DVDs. I still wouldn't buy a UMD movie, but that's a falsehood.

No it's not. DVD's average $5-20 depending on the release. UMD's average $15-30, and they're LOWER than STANDARD DEFINITION resolution.

UMD's are a waste and a ripoff, period.

Jason

 

[Exsomnis]

Originally posted by: mercanucaribe

Originally posted by: Exsomnis
PSP without a doubt. It's practically all three in one.

How is it all three in one? It can't play DVDs and is a lot bigger than an iPod.

Erm... It plays games, it plays music, and it plays movies. That's how.

Surely you knew this.

And of course it's bigger, it has a huge screen (for a hand-held platform.)

Originally posted by: DragonMasterAlex
I'd NEVER recommend PSP to someone who's looking for *movie* functionality. Fvck Sony's proprietary UMD bvllshit format.

Nobody here did recommend it for movie functionality. They reccommended it for game, music, -and- movie functionality.

Fanboys. :roll:

 

[DragonMasterAlex]

Originally posted by: Exsomnis

Originally posted by: mercanucaribe

Originally posted by: Exsomnis
PSP without a doubt. It's practically all three in one.

How is it all three in one? It can't play DVDs and is a lot bigger than an iPod.

Erm... It plays games, it plays music, and it plays movies. That's how.

Surely you knew this.

And of course it's bigger, it has a huge screen (for a hand-held platform.)

Originally posted by: DragonMasterAlex
I'd NEVER recommend PSP to someone who's looking for *movie* functionality. Fvck Sony's proprietary UMD bvllshit format.

Nobody here did recommend it for movie functionality. They reccommended it for game, music, -and- movie functionality.

Fanboys. :roll:

The OP asked for movie player recommendations, jackass, and before you go calling anyone "fanboy" I suggest you take a good look at the piece of crap machine you're hocking to this guy. It's an OK device, but is it the right device for someone interested primarily in movies? NO.

Jason

 

[Exsomnis]

Originally posted by: DragonMasterAlex
The OP asked for movie player recommendations, jackass, and before you go calling anyone "fanboy" I suggest you take a good look at the piece of crap machine you're hocking to this guy. It's an OK device, but is it the right device for someone interested primarily in movies? NO.

Yeah that's why he's considering an iPod, right. :roll:

Your hatred for Sony is obvious here, hell I hate them too, but there's sod all wrong with the PSP it's a nice bit of kit. I wouldn't mind one myself.

 

[LeiZaK]

Originally posted by: DragonMasterAlex

Originally posted by: Exsomnis

Originally posted by: mercanucaribe

Originally posted by: Exsomnis
PSP without a doubt. It's practically all three in one.

How is it all three in one? It can't play DVDs and is a lot bigger than an iPod.

Erm... It plays games, it plays music, and it plays movies. That's how.

Surely you knew this.

And of course it's bigger, it has a huge screen (for a hand-held platform.)

Originally posted by: DragonMasterAlex
I'd NEVER recommend PSP to someone who's looking for *movie* functionality. Fvck Sony's proprietary UMD bvllshit format.

Nobody here did recommend it for movie functionality. They reccommended it for game, music, -and- movie functionality.

Fanboys. :roll:

The OP asked for movie player recommendations, jackass, and before you go calling anyone "fanboy" I suggest you take a good look at the piece of crap machine you're hocking to this guy. It's an OK device, but is it the right device for someone interested primarily in movies? NO.

Jason

from the OP

my girlfriend wants something along the lines of a portable media player

 

[joecool]

Originally posted by: mercanucaribe
PSP shouldn't even be an option. Memory Sticks are expensive, and very limited. I'd imagine battery life would suck too. If it's for personal use an iPod video's screen is probably big enough.

exactly what he said ... psp is pretty and has a great screen, but the lack of internal storage makes it worthless for anything but sony's overpriced games. i just got one at work (xmas present, nice!) and i plan to sell it ... wanna buy ? ;-)

btw, i have an archos gmini 400 and i love it ... highly recommend.

 

[hpkeeper]

I'm thinking about selling my PSP simply because there aren't hardly any games for it, it's ahead of it's time as far as I'm concerned
However I think it got overlooked simply because the PS3 and Xbox 360 are coming out. It got pushed aside.

My vote is for the iPod video.