Recently my friend bought me a PSP 2000 with a Component AV cable (PSP-S180) from Japan. The USB cable in the picture is not the original, and this one is only a USB cable.

Note:
The new version PSP has so many features, such as game, picture, audio, video, and so on. This article only concerns Sony’s official PSP video format, while the unofficial video format, such as PMP, PMP_AVC, we will talk about later.
Here come several stages of my experience in researching the new version PSP, and hope this will do beginners a favor.

Data collection stage
Read the related video explanation in the manual
Import:
Import movies/videos to a PC
Convert/copy:
Use compatible software to convert the video to the file format that can be played on the PSP. Then, create a folder named ‘VIDEO’ on the Memory Stick Duo media and save the video files to the folder.
Understand:
After viewing the explanation above, PSP video format files should be uploaded to the ‘VIDEO’ folder on the PSP. The operation between new version and old one are quite different.
Puzzled:
The only point that I still feel unclear is which video file formats and encoding formats the new version PSP can support, since there is no any explanation in the manual. Well, go to Sony’s web site for a help.

Go to Sony’s website for a help
The explanation for new version PSP video from Sony website:
Supported formats on the Memory Stick Duo
Sony Web site in the following video on Memory Stick format of the content support
• Video format
-MPEG-4 Simple Profile (AAC LC)
-H.264/MPEG-4 AVC Main Profile (AAC LC)
• MP4 File Format
• MPEG-4 Simple Profile (AAC LC)
• H.264/MPEG-4 AVC Main Profile - CABAC (AAC LC)
And Baseline Profile (AAC LC)
• AVI
- Motion JPEG (Linear PCM or μ-Lau)
Understand:
1. Supported video file formats are MP4 and AVI and video file extensions must be .mp4 or .avi.
2. Support encoding format for H.264/MPEG-4 AVC (AVC), MPEG-4, AVI (Linear PCM).
Puzzled:
What’s the limitation of the resolution, bit rate, and frame-rate? Let’s go to those relevant professional forums to find the relevant information.

Go to PSP professional website for a help
After viewing some seniors’ posts in many professional forums, just summarized as following:
1. PSP built-in player has the following restrictions on the support of MPEG-4 encoding format:
* The product of width and height cannot exceed 76,800
* The height and the width of video must be 16 multiples
Thus the resolution of video file encoded with MPEG-4 format has the following restrictions:
* Aspect ratio 4:3 image, the maximum resolution cannot exceed 320 * 240.
* Aspect ratio 16:9 image, the maximum resolution cannot exceed 368 * 208.
2. PSP built-in player has the following restrictions on the support of h.264 encoding
* The height and the width of video must be 16 multiples
* Memory Stick Duo supports the maximum resolution of 720 * 480,720 * 576.

Requirements
1. Enjoy videos on PSP
Since the screen resolution of PSP 2000 is 480 * 272, the resolution of importing video greater than 480*272 would be meaningless. To get high-quality video screen should heighten the video bit rate. The frame-rate can be same as that of source video, coz higher than the source file is also meaningless, as well as increases the storage space; the other way around, lower the frame rate would decrease the video quality.
2. Enjoy videos on HDTV
Only when the video resolution is not under 480p (720 * 480 progressive scan), can the advantages of HDTV play. With the permitted condition in the storage space, the bit rate is naturally the higher the better, of course, it cannot be higher than that of the source video bit rate. As for the frame-rate same as source file will be okay.

Practice stage
Well, thru the in-depth summing up previously, we have possessed the theoretical knowledge. It¡¦s time to hunt a related video to PSP converter program online for practice. The one first pops into my mind is ImTOO PSP Video Converter, and it is only the personal preferences, honestly speaking, many other programs are also able to meet the needs of practice.

Download, install and run
If having troubles using such video to PSP converter, you can download various videos to be tested from those related PSP video downloading websites directly.

Evaluation:
The interface is quite simple, lively, and somewhat translucent of feeling. Designers must grasp the design essence of Vista.
I would not present something more about this software¡¦s function here, and friends with interests could see the 'Help' file.

Video conversion

1. Click the "Add" button on the top of the main interface to add the original files you want to convert.
2. Select the target output format from ¡¥Profile¡¦ combo-box on the left-bottom of main interface. ImTOO PSP Video Converter provides the following profile:
PS3 Video (480P) MPEG-4 (*.mp4)
MP3-MPEG Layer-3 Audio (*.mp3)
PS3 Video (1080P) MPEG-4 (*.mp4)
PS3 Video (720P) MPEG-4 (*.mp4)
PS3 Video (480P) MPEG-4 Excellent (*.mp4)
PSP-PSP MPEG-4 Video (*.mp4)
PSP AVC Video Format (*.mp4)
PSP AVC Video (480*272) (*.mp4)
PSP MPEG-4 Video ¡V Excellent Quality (*.mp4)
PSP MPEG-4 Video ¡V Minimal Size (*.mp4)
Five among these are PSP video format and four are PS3 video format, and the configuration has been used for testing the resolutions over 720*480. There is still one for audio, and we will not test it here.
3. Next, you can do something about ¡'zoom' and 'split' as u like, or just keep it default.
4. Audio/video related parameters can be modified in the right panel of the main interface.
5. After setting these parameters, click "Encode" button to start the conversion.
Note:
1. I found two bugs by using this video to PSP converter. If the video encoding format at h.264, and the video parameter-¡¥Level¡¦ in the right parameter panel of the main interface must modify to 10. Otherwise, the default value is empty, so that it would be unable to play on the PSP after converted.
2. If the encoding format of source video file is h.264, set ¡¥Profile¡¦ to ¡¥PSP AVC Video (480 * 272)¡¦, however adjust other parameters, the videos converted already could play only a few seconds on PSP. But the source video file of WMV9 encoding video format, it can be played normally after converted.
3. The AVC 480 * 272 video to be used in the following test is converted by setting ¡¥Profile¡¦ to PS3 Video (480p), and then modifying the resolution parameter to 480 * 272.
4. Coz of not providing with AVI profile, this article is not concerning AVI format test.

Test
SOURCE FORMATS
File Name:
PSP2000.mp4
Specific parameters:
Video encoding format: h.264
Audio encoding format: AAC
Video Bit Rate: 1.56 M
Video Resolution: 720 * 480
Frame Rate: 29.97 FPS
Size: 36.3 M
1.Test 1
Copy video files to PSP directly.
Conclusion:
* Video can be played on the PSP normally, and even full-screen play.
* The effect is very perfect
2.Test 2
Video Parameters
* Video coding format: h.264
* Audio coding format: AAC
* Video resolution (Bit Rate): 720 * 480 (2.5 M), 480 * 272 (768k)
* Frame Rate: 29.97 FPS
The purpose of testing:
* The resolution of 720 * 480 ¡V to test the highest resolution that PSP can support theoretically
* The resolution of 480 * 272 ¡V to test the most appropriate resolution that PSP can play, coz the PSP's screen resolution is just 480 * 272;
Conclusion:
* Videos can be normally played on the PSP, but not a full-screen, the width of picture does not occupy the full screen;
* According to the video effects, there is no much obvious distinction between them.
3. Test 3
Video Parameters
* Video coding format: h.264
* Audio coding format: AAC
* Video resolution (Bit Rate): 1280*720(2M)¡A720*576(1M)¡A640*576(1M)
* Frame Rate: 29.97 FPS
The purpose of testing:
It is meaningless to modify the resolution and bit rate higher than that of the source video files, which is just to test whether the PSP support the resolution higher than 720 * 480.
Conclusion:
* PSP could not identify;
* Lower the Bit Rate to 1 M, modify the resolution to 720 * 576 and 640 * 576, it still unable to identify;
* It can be proved that the highest resolution of h.264 video files is 720*480, the maximum value of width is 720, and the maximum value of height is 480
4. Test 4
Video Parameters
* Video coding format: XviD
* Audio coding format: AAC
* Video resolution (Bit Rate): 320*240(768k)¡A368*208(768k)¡A480*272(768k)
* Frame Rate: 29.97 FPS
The purpose of testing:
MPEG-4 encoding files testing; the product of width and height can¡¦t exceed 76800; whether can it be played on PSP
Conclusion:
*The video with resolution of 320*240 can be played normally on PSP; the video quality is lowered obviously and both the width and height of pictures does not occupy the full screen.
*The video with resolution of 368*208 can be played normally on PSP; the video quality is lowered obviously and both the width and height of pictures does not occupy the full screen.
*480*272 could not be identified by PSP;
* It can be proved that if the video file is MPEG-4 encoding format, the product of width and height can¡¦t exceed 76800
5. Test 5
Watching video played by PSP on HD LCD TV
Video Parameters
* Video coding format: h.264
* Audio coding format: AAC
* Video resolution (Bit Rate): 720*480(2.5M)¡A480*272(768k)
* Frame Rate: 29.97 FPS
The purpose of testing:
Compare the playback-effects of two kinds of resolutions on LCD TV
Conclusion:
*If video (720*480) plays on HD LCD TV, the effect will be more clearly.
* Compared with video (720 * 480), the playback effect of video (480 * 272) on HDLCD TV varies a lot with obvious mosaics, which is certainly related with the bit rate, but primarily related with the resolution.
* The effect of video 320 * 240 (xvid) playing on HD LCD TV is even worse video broadcast on the effect is even worse, for instance, the figure in the distant scenery seems to stand in the rain.

Conclusion
1. If the video encoding format is MPEG-4, the following video resolutions will be the best choice:
320 * 240,368 * 208,160 * 112.
2. If the video encoding format is MPEG-4, the following video resolutions will be the best choice:
720 * 480,480 * 272,320 * 240,368 * 208,160 * 112.
3. If you just watch video on PSP, the best resolution will be 480*272; If you watch video on HD TV, the best resolution will be 720*480
Tips
How to play PSP 2000 video on HD LCD TV
A notable/remarkable function of new version PSP is video output. You can output UMD VIDEO or video that was saved on Memory Stick Duo media to a TV using a video output cable. There are four choices for video output cable: D-Terminal Cable (PSP-S170), Component AV cable (PSP-S180), S Video cable (PSP-S160), AV cable (PSP-S150). Here we only introduce how to output PSP system video to a TV using a Component AV cable.
The biggest resolution supported by PSP video is 720×480, coz the built-in LCD of PSP is 480×272. 480×272 is enough if you only watch video on PSP, but 720*480 will be the best choice if you output video to a TV
Steps:
1. Connect the PSP system to the TV using a Component AV cable

(Component AV cable connected with PSP)

(Component AV cable connected with TV)
2. Select ‘Connected Display Settings’ in PSP settings
3. Adjust the following parameters:
TV Type: 4:3 or 16:9
The choice of this parameter according to the aspect ratio of video
* Component/D-Terminal: Progressive or Interlace
All HD LCD TV support ‘Progressive scan’, so selecting ‘progressive’ is ok. Additionally, if outputting the game screen, the television must support progressive scan.
4. Selected ‘Switch TV Out’, the video will display on TV
Note:
New version PSP-2000 only switches built-in LCD display to external TV, so the performance used on big screen is same as the original. Besides implementing outputting video to external in the main menu, you also can press and hold the brightness adjustment button below the PSP system LCD screen for a little long time (that is, press and hold this button for 5 seconds around to access output mode, this is a relatively fast and convenient operation, and only need a lightly flick to exit) besides selecting in main menu to operate. And built-in LCD will not work anymore at the same time.

wow, how long this article

Only let you know all about PSP. Hope you can find something helpful for you.