Xploder Movie Player with Music Studio and Media Centre
Manufacturer: Blaze
Site: Buy from Blaze
Price: $19.99

Overview : Blow your PSP wide open with Xploder PSP Movie Player and Media Centre and USB cable! Convert your movie collection (DivX, MPEG 1&2, AVI, MOV), convert CDs to MP3, manage your MP3, AAC, MP4, and WAV music collection, access the latest PSP cheat saves, organise your JPEG, BMP, PNG and TIF images and more!

Xploder PSP Movie Player and Media Centre is a movie conversion, media management and game enhancement kit available for anyone with a PSP console, connecting your PC to the PSP and giving you full control.

Xploder PSP Movie Player and Media Centre lets you convert your PC movie files (MPEG 1 & 2, DIVX, AVI, MOV) easily for playback on PSP - Now you can watch your favourite movies on the move! Simply drag and drop from PC panel to Memory Stick in Xploder PSP Movie Player and Media Centre and your movie gets converted automatically; it couldn't be simpler!

The PSP console is a handy MP3 player, and PSP Xploder Movie Player and Media Centre is the perfect application to help you catalogue your MP3s by artist or genre on PC, and then simply copy to your PSP for music on the go.

Whats even cooler is we've added a CD import function that lets you convert any of your CDs into MP3s! The PSP Media Centre even calls them by the correct song names!

PSP Xploder Movie Player also works alongside iTunes, allowing AAC or MP3 tracks to be “dragged and dropped” from iTunes* into the Music Studio and your PSP. Xploder Music Studio will even automatically change the extension of your iTunes AAC tracks from M4A to MP4 for seamless transfer to PSP.

You can Copy, Delete, Download and Upload saves and media files between PC, Memory Stick and Xploder online database, and save valuable space on your Memory Stick by backing up files to your PC.

The downloadable Xploder cheat saves let you get ahead in your new games instantly - includes cheat saves for top games including Burnout, Ridge Racer, Tony Hawk's Underground Remix, Wipeout Pure and more!

Download latest cheat saves for new releases and unlock new characters, secret levels and more tracks.

Xploder Movie Player and Media Centre for PSP utilizes real-time RSS technology to keep you updated with the latest PSP saves available for download, and other PSP news.

PSP Xploder Movie Player and Media Centre comes with a high speed USB cable to connect your PSP to your PC for quick and secure data transfer.

Quality/Usability : The Xploder Movie Player with Media Centre comes in a tin case. Inside the tin case is an instruction manual, software CD and USB cable that doubles as a data cable and charges your PSP. The purpose of the Movie Player is to load photos, movies and MP3s onto your PSP as simple as dragging files from one window to another. Movie files are automatically converted so that they can be played on your PSP. The Media Centre is compatible with MPEG 1, 2, 4, AVI, MOV and DIVX - it converts to MPEG4 automatically and makes it quick and easy to transfer the final file to your PSP. Sometimes it doesn’t work too well.

Also included is a MP3 ripping tool, which allows you to rip your CD's to mp3's directly onto the PSP's memory stick. You can also drag and drop MP3's from iTunes to the Media Centre, from where they can be transferred to the memory stick. The Media Centre helps you create playlists, obtain track and artist details, and even allows you to play music from iTunes on your PSP.

The Media Centre does not allow you to browse any files on your hard drive from where you can load them to your memory stick such as Desktop or any place on the hard drive where you have stored your files. You first need to copy files into four preset folders (saved games, movies, photos and music) from there, you can copy them to the memory stick.

The software itself is a bit slow at loading things. There were at times where I would click something and I would have to wait. There are benefits to using this software besides conversion and file management. You can download saved games from the Xploder website. You can connect to the database directly through the software, download the files to your PC, and then simply drag and drop them across to your PSP.

Conclusion : Overall, the software is good for those who are new to the PSP scene. This is a great all-in-one product to start off with. If you’re computer savvy, you probably don’t need this with a little search on other PSP sites or GOOGLE as there are other programs that lets you convert movies already. One thing that I noticed is that if you use this to convert movies, you’ll need a high capacity memory stick. Probably nothing lower than 1GB. The data/charger cable alone is a great product. It would have been nice if they could have had MAC support as well as there isn’t much support for that platform.

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Logic3 UMD Game Case
Manufacturer: Logic3
Site: Buy from Logic3
Price: £5.99

Overview : Storage cases for PSP UMD. Pack of four, each holding one UMD.

Features :

• Pack of Four Cases
• High Quality PVC Material
• Design of case allows UMD Text to be read without removing the UMD from the case
• Helps to protect the UMD from dust and fingerprints

Quality/Usability : The UMD Game Cases are made of high quality plastic material. The cases come in four different clear colors; blue, orange, clear and red. Since the cases are clear, you would be able to see the front and back of the UMD. This will make it easier to view which UMD it is without having to remove them out of the case. The protective cases are very light. Each case held the UMD very snug and it was easy to insert and remove the UMD.

Conclusion : Overall, these are very attractive UMD cases. I personally prefer the clear case over all the other colored cases. It would have been nice if the cases were able latch on to each other so that they all stick together.

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PSP Sound Dock
Manufacturer: Logic3
Site: Buy from Logic3
Price: £14.99

Overview : Portable sound system for your PSP. Able to use MP3 and CD Player with speakers. Includes (4) AA batteries and nylon case.

Features :

• 3Watts RMS
• Stereo speaker drivers
• Foldable design for compact storage
• 4 x AA battery operated (supplied) or can use PSP AC adaptor
• Docking station for re-charging & music/movie playback
• 3.5mm Stereo Line In Port for other audio devices such as iPod and CD players
• Nylon Carry Case

Quality/Usability : This is Logic3’s second sound dock system. Their latest one is the 2.1 Sound System. The Travel Sound Dock isn’t really that portable to travel around with. Although the speakers do fold down for compactness, the thickness of the dock itself is huge. The Sound Dock is similar to the 2.1 Sound System just not as powerful and doesn’t have the subwoofer. You can use the dock either by using (4) AA batteries (included) or you can use your PSP AC adaptor. A nice feature is 3.5mm stereo line. This allows you to not only connect your PSP but also your MP3, CD player or electronic device and use it as a generic speaker.

The sound on the sound dock is pretty good. Don’t expect any heavy thumping since it does not have a subwoofer. The sound is clear and crisp though. There was a slight distortion when the volume on the PSP and dock is set to highest settings but how often will you be putting it on that setting?

The battery life on the sound dock is pretty good. With the 2.1 Sound System, it got approximately 20 hours just from running on (4) AA batteries. With the sound dock, it ran for approximately a little more than 25 hours. This is probably because there was no subwoofer so it didn’t take as much power.

Conclusion : Overall, the sound dock is pretty good. If it wasn’t for the size of the dock, it would have been better. Even though it does come with a nylon carry case, it still doesn’t seem that portable. If you’re in the market for a speaker system for your PSP as well as the ability to use it for your MP3 or CD player, I suggest checking this out if you’re unable to afford the 2.1 Sound System.

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Logic3 In-Line Remote
Manufacturer: Logic3
Site: Buy from Logic3
Price: £9.99

Overview : Control, fast forward, rewind, play, pause and control the volume of your PSP, with the Logic3 PSP in Line Remote. Hold switch allows you to lock your PSP remote so buttons can't be pressed accidentally Spring loaded Clip to attach the remote to your lapel, shirt, or collar for easy access. Comes complete with headphones however can be used with any headphones.

Features :

• PSP In-Line Remote plus earphone
• Control
• Fast Forward
• Rewind
• Pause
• Hold switch
• Spring loaded Clip

Quality/Usability : Logic3 has been around releasing 3rd party accessories for quite sometime. This time, they have released a In-Line Remote for the PSP. Since the PSP Core System doesn’t include one, this would be an excellent purchase. Sony does sell their own official remote separately (check your local game store). But for those who are in the market for one or just to replace theirs, you’ve come to the right place. Sony’s remote is a circle silver remote. Logic3 decided to go for a square black remote to match the color of the PSP...smart move.

The buttons are setup similar to that of the iPod click wheel and are silver. Top button is volume UP (+), bottom button is volume DOWN (—). Left button is REWIND (|<<) and the right button is FORWARD (>>|). The buttons are pretty responsive and when you press the buttons, they make a clicking sound. On the back of the remote is a clip. The clip is pretty sturdy and clips onto your shirt. Of course, in the middle is a clear blue button which is the PLAY button (>||). Everytime you click on a button, the PLAY button lights up and displays a green light.

The In-Line Remote also includes black earphones (aka headphones). The earphones look similar to Sony’s Fontopia earphones. You can use your own headphones instead of the headphones that is included. NOTE: The earphones may vary in comfort depending on your ears. With any device that uses a remote control, I used my Sony MDR-EX71SL. So I decided to see how these headphones compared to it. The earbuds themselves have a rubber cushion. When I tried them on, at first they felt comfortable. But after a short while, I noticed it felt a little uncomfortable. Like if something was hard. At times, the earbuds would start to fall out of my ear a little. The earbuds has a long cord, so no worries of any slouching or bending over when using with the remote control. I’m no audiophile but to me, the sound is decent. If you’re expecting to hear lots of bass or what not, you’re better off using your own headphones. Don’t expect the headphones to cancel out any outside noise either.

Conclusion : Overall, Logic3’s new In-Line Remote is a great replacement to the official Sony remote (if you don’t own one already). Not only is it cheap in price, but it matches the color of the PSP. It would have been nice if Logic3 could have eliminated the clicking sound of each button press. I know how some people get annoyed with certain things. I suggest avoiding using the included heaphones and use your own personal heaphones if you want good quality sound.

*UPDATE* - 3/14/07
The clip is held in place by a very thin plastic. With a little force, the plastic can break off which makes the clip rendered useless. It already did to mine.

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Mini Power Cooling System
Manufacturer: Dragonplus
Site: Buy from Divineo China
Price: $7.95

Overview : A cooling fan for PSP to increase your PSP lifetime (mainly the laser life time).

Features :

• Strong and power wind
• Compact size, light weight and high efficient cooling product
• No need any extra power supply and built-in rechargeable battery pack for supply power
• Quick charge 3 hours can continuous use 20 hours
• Fully charge 4.5 hours can continuous use 30 hours or over

Quality/Usability : I know some of you have seen or heard about this but wondered what this is really used for and does it even work. Honestly, I don’t even know what the intended purpose of this is for. The Mini Power Cooling System attaches to the top of your PSP and is held in place by two screws. This covers your USB port. On the top of the cooling system is a ON/OFF switch, a DC port to plug your AC adapter into it to charge and a blue LED.

When you plug in the AC adapter, it recharges the internal rechargeable battery that is built in. When charging, a blue LED is lit.

I charged the cooling system for overnight and the led light still was blue even though it says charge 3-4.5 hours. When you turn on the cooling system, it makes a faint buzzing noise. I guess this is the “fan” blowing air. Honestly, I don’t feel no air or anything coming out even though it states “strong and power wind”. I don’t feel anything blowing out of the device. I don’t know if its suppose to cool your hands (if you’re a sweater) or inside the PSP. If it’s the latter, I don’t know where the air is suppose to go or what part is it trying to “cool” off.

Conclusion : Overall, this product isn’t good at all. Maybe I got a defective item? Even so, I have no idea what the purpose is or where the air is suppose to “cool” off. This is more of a novelty item than an actual product. I gave this item a 1 rating out of 10 because it actually turned on and charged...I think.

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Home Audio Visual Arts Organization *Black*
Manufacturer: Dragonplus
Site: Buy from Divineo China
Price: $34.99

Overview : Enjoy movies and more to the max!

Features :

• Mega sub-woofer
• Vertical stand function
• Charging function
• Retractable speaker
• 4 speakers built-in with power amplifier and BBE system function
• PSP stand angle can be adjusted for better viewing
• Wireless remote control
• 12 UMD card trays are hidden inside the body to keep your disks safe

Quality/Usability : From the looks of the packing, you would think that the Home Audio Visual Arts Organization is HUGE. But once you open it and take it out, it’s not as big. It’s still big but not overly huge. On the back of the HAVAO, is a little compartment. Open the cover and it reveals twelve slots to hold your UMD movies/games. You wont be able to close the cover with the UMDs in the slots. Under the compartment is a little slot. In this slot is where the wireless remote sits when not in use. The wireless remote runs on a watch battery (included).

The left side of the HAVAO is the audio in port. On the right of the dock is a switch that says CHARGING, OFF and SPEAKER. Next to that is the DC 5v port where the AC adapter is plugged into. On the bottom of the dock is a little compartment that holds (4) AA batteries (not included).

On the front of the HAVAO, are 6 buttons. The first two buttons is Volume UP and DOWN. In the middle is the BBE system function button. To the right of that is three buttons, PREV, NEXT and PLAY. The dock that these buttons are on can be adjusted for your viewing pleasure. There is only two angles that it can be set on.

On the sides are the two speakers. They are hidden inside the “compartment”. Pull them out and they reveal two speakers on each side. This is why you’re not able to hide any UMDs inside the dock. It would have been nice if the speakers clicked in place when they are pulled out but they don’t.

The quality of the speakers actually surprised me. When the volume set on the highest on both the PSP and dock, there was no distortion. With the BBE system function enabled, this enhanced the sound and made it louder and clearer. The “mega sub-woofer” kind of disappointed me though. I didn’t hear much of it.

The wireless remote has the same layout as the PSP remote, Volume UP and DOWN, PREV, NEXT and PLAY/PAUSE. The PLAY/PAUSE button is a little small and if you have big fingers, you might accidentally press other buttons in the process. The wireless remote comes in handy for when you’re listening to MP3s and you’re not near the PSP. Although you can not be too far away from the dock or it won’t work. But the remote worked pretty decent.

Conclusion : Overall, the Home Audio Visual Arts Organization is a pretty decent sound system dock. Although it does feel a little cheap, the performance out shines the quality. I wouldn’t say this is completely portable but nice to have at home. When you have the BBE function enabled, the sound sounds great. It would have been nice if they had made the speaker thinner/smaller and have allowed you to hide your UMDs inside the compartment thus allowing you to bring them where ever you go.

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Evolve Wild Jungle Edition PSP Faceplate
Manufacturer: Talismoon
Site: Buy from Divineo China (Cow Fur) / Buy from Divineo China (Leopard Fur)
Price: $14.95


Overview : With Talismoon range of Evolve 'Wild Jungle' edition for the PSP, gamers are treated to extreme levels of comfort thanks to a soft 'like fur' finish, as well as refreshing and unique new look. Xbox 360 controller come complete with everything needed for a pain-free install, and each fur faceplate pattern will be unique. Styles consist of a 'cow' or striking 'leopard' fur finish. Jungle Edition is also available for Xbox 360.

Quality/Usability : Packaging design is very thought out and cleaver. With the inclusion of an installation guide, torx wrench and screwdriver, installation would be very easy. The quality of build is top-notch. Talismoon has never disappointed anyone with their line of products. The face of the faceplate feels really nice. I guess its similar to like a fur coat but not as long. Not to mention, you dont have to worry about it shedding. The faceplate fits perfectly on the PSP without any problems. They also included a set of buttons to be used instead of the original PSP buttons. I personally prefer the original buttons but they dont as good with the faceplate. The feel of the buttons are great but thats just me.

Included:

• 1x PSP Faceplate
• 1x set of PSP diamond series buttons (original psp buttons can also be used)
• 1x optimal precision jeweler's screwdriver
• 1x illustrated installation diagrams
• 1x unique polishing cloth

Conclusion : The Evolve Wild Jungle Edition is a great product and unique as well. It has a nice feel to it so its not bothersome. Since its made of "fur", the only problem would be for those with sweaty palms. Would it smell? Getting stains on it and removing it would be hard as well. Besides that, this is a great product. I wonder if they would come out with a product with snake skin or something like that.

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PSP LCD Remote with FM Radio
Manufacturer: Game Brain
Site: Buy from Goldenshop
Price: $19.00

Overview : Alternative remote headset for the PSP. Now you can listen to FM radio using your PSP.

Features :

• High quality 3rd party product.
• Full remote function of PSP.
• Built in super high sensitive FM radio, easy to switch between radio mode or PSP mode.
• No need to add any battery - get the power from the PSP console.

Quality/Usability : When I saw this product, I wasnt expecting to see a remote headset WITH a FM radio on it. So I had to see it for myself.

The package only comes with the remote and no headphones. You'll have to supply those yourself. The remote has a smooth rubberish feel to it. The remote itself is approximately 2.5 inches (l) x 1 inches (w) x 0.5 inches (d). With the wire, the remote measures 28.5 inches long.

On the front of the remote, you have the LCD screen (green) and to the left of it, a PLAY/PAUSE button. The top has a HOLD OFF/ON switch and a PSP/RADIO switch. The bottom of the remote has two buttons, a FF/CH- : REW/CH+ and VOL-/DOWN : VOL+/UP. The back of the remote is a clip. The clip is pretty big unlike the Sony Remote's clip and measures 1.5 inches.

To power on the remote, all you have to do is plug it into the PSP and the remote is automatically on. If you have it set to PSP, you can hear all in-game sound, MP3s and movies through the remote. If you have it switched to RADIO, this will turn on the radio. You can switch to any FM station that is available within your location.

The remote holds up to 40 presets for all your favorite radio stations. I must say, the quality is superb. I hardly get any static. Its even better than my Sony Ericsson w810i camera phone. But dont expect any bumpin' bass though. You can either scan through radio stations or go through each station until you find one. Since the remote runs on the PSPs battery, it does not take much power at all.

During movie and music playback, the buttons does what its suppose to do. PLAY/PAUSE does what it says. FF and REW only does it once. You cant have it FF faster (x2, x3) or REW (x2, x3).

Conclusion : Overall, the PSP LCD Remote with FM Radio is a great product. This is by far the best remote on the market. Not only does it have clarity, but the radio is awesome and doesnt drain the battery at all (it does but not noticeable). My only complaint is that there is no ON/OFF button. When you have the remote plugged in, its automatically on. So if you want the remote off, you have to unplug it from the system.

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Griffin RoadDock PSP
Manufacturer: Griffin Technology
Site: Buy from Griffin
Price: $29.99

Overview : RoadDock is an ultra-versatile mounting system that allows hands-free viewing of your PSP.

RoadDock features a 2-inch-wide adjustable nylon strap that securely fastens your PSP to any vehicle headrest, airplane seatback, etc. RoadDock's sturdy cradle snaps onto your PSP and provides built-in tilt and 360º rotation.

All this adjustability translates into comfortable viewing angles for passengers of all sizes. Just lock PSP into RoadDock's cradle, snap RoadDock around any headrest, and sit back to enjoy your movies and tunes. Keeping the kids (big and small) entertained in the back seat just got easier by an order of magnitude.

Quality/Usability : The Griffin RoadDock mounting strap simply clips onto your PSP and straps onto just about any car headrest even on the visor. The PSP bracket that holds the PSP is made of durable plastic and rotates 360 degrees and also tilts so you can get a better viewing angle of the PSP.

Once the PSP was placed onto the RoadDock and the RoadDock strapped onto a car headrest, it was time to test it out. I tested the RoadDock on three types of headset. You have the headrest that is attached to the seat itself, then you have the headrest that moves up and down and another headrest that moves up and down but has a hole in the middle (racing type). With the test on all three headrest, the RoadDock did not move at all. I did not have to adjust the strap or have to tilt the PSP. Mind you, this was tested in New York City and the roads are pretty horrendous.

Griffin Technology was also nice enough to send their iTrip FM Transmitter PSP as well. Luckily, the RoadDock was able to grip onto the PSP with the iTrip FM transmitter attached. How? On the iTrip, there is a small groove on the bottom of the iTrip that the RoadDock can slip into. This is great to have sound transmitted through your car speakers instead of using headphones.

Conclusion : Overall, the Griffin RoadDock PSP is a great product to keep your young ones entertained during those long roadtrips to grandmas. It can even be an alternative to those integrated built-in LCD monitors in the headrest. For the price of $29.99, it does seem a bit pricey for just an accessory.

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