PSP Media Manager Reviews

• Does what it says, but completely inflexible

  
  By A1YOYQ984AAP6F on 2007-09-13
  If you don't mind allowing this software to manage everything for you its own way, it's probably fine. I paid for the software and now I use Windows Explorer to manage my PSP.
  
  First of all, it insists on making a complete copy of your memory stick when you run Media Manager. I use 4GB memory sticks to store videos and music and I don't really need an extra copy of all of that clogging my laptop's hard drive. I'd rather not make a copy, but that's not an option that I can uncheck anywhere. I have to manually stop the process each time I run Memory Manager or insert another memory card.
  
  Second, if you didn't use Media Manager to put the files on your PSP, for some reason Media Manager won't show them to you. I can see hundreds of mp3s on my PSP from Windows Explorer, but Media Manager shows me an empty window. I can't even browse what's already on the PSP with this software. OK, it finally figured it out, but only after I allowed it 3.5 gigabytes of my precious disk space to make full copies of everything.
  
  Third, I expected a drag and drop video functionality. The main reason I wanted this software was to provide me a failsafe way to encode mp4 video to the PSP. I've used other software and got tired of renaming files for the PSP to recognize them. Unfortunately, even if I have the codec installed on my system, Media Manager will not find half of the videos on my PC. I assume they're a format MM doesn't understand. I even had a .mp4 file that I've played on the PSP so it obviously recognizes it. But MM wouldn't show it as a video I could transfer. I had to copy it with Windows Explorer instead.
  
  Suggestions:
  - I'd love to see the Media Manager use codecs from the codec folder the way Windows Media Player does. I could install a codec and all of a sudden, Media Manager could interpret the video and move it to the PSP for me.
  - I'd love to see the PSP read pdf documents. But, in lieu of that, maybe Media manager could convert pdf to html for me so that I could read them on the PSP.
  - The Media Manager ought to be able to read the PSP without making a full copy of everything, and ought to allow me to turn off that behavior.
  - I would like to make playlists with Media Manager that show up on my PSP, but can't do that either.
  
  This is decent software if you want to back up your memory cards, but isn't worth paying extra. It ought to be bundled with the PSP, and many of us still wouldn't use it. With a little extra expertise, Windows Explorer and a free mp4 video encoder will do everything this software can do.
  
  

• New update available online

  
  By A32IW1A34TC4J2 on 2007-10-21
  Do not buy this software! Buy the new Vista compatible update directly from Sony for $16.95. This version is superior because it includes more codecs and a way to backup game demos.
  
  

• Excellent Product

  
  By A3P82ZMSDPHY0G on 2007-02-07
  This product works exactly as advertised for moving music, video, and RSS feeds to your PSP. I've used it in conjunction with my DVR to put numerous episodes of Seinfeld on my PSP for those short airplane trips, as well as full length movies for the longer trips. The RSS feature is nice because it not only lets you select your own, it also has some good presets to get you started.
  
  While most of the transferring of files to your PSP can be done using Explorer, Media Manager is a very useful product for getting videos and music in the right format, folder, and with the necessary thumbnails on your PSP.
  
  

• Do NOT BUY. Available for FREE

  
  By ALOX44SRTSYFJ on 2008-03-16
  http://www.us.playstation.com/psn/mediamanager/
  
  Yes it's from SONY's Playstation site. It's new, they finally succumbed to the pressure that it SHOULD have been included in the first place with the PSP.
  I have an XP, it works great for transferring video and music. You don't need it for transferring games/demos.
  
  

• Essential PSP

  
  By AGRAO9G3ATJMP on 2007-01-30
  I didn't think that I would need this at first, but the features are too good to pass up. If you are going to be using the multimedia features of your PSP, definitely consider this software.
  
  The Good: All the recoded videos look awesome, music copies with album art so it looks pretty, save games are backed up just in case you accidentally find the format function, pictures are resized so they load quickly and still look gorgous, and having bookmarks really saves a lot of time with web addresses that can be spent waiting for pages to load (and that takes a while).
  
  The Bad: If music or photos are stored in any folder but the My Music and My Pictures folder on your PC, then the media manager makes a subfolder on the psp for those items. From inside the software, you can't undo this. You have to exit the software and go into the drive through explorer and move the files around yourself. Also, not all videos are recognized by the software. I was surprised that the movie encoded with XVID was able to transcode, but that it wouldn't touch the uncompressed AVI's from my digital camera. <-- Quick Fix: Put your movie into movie maker and save as a WMV. This software also can only use *.url files from the Favorites folder and won't pull firefox bookmarks.
  
  Overall: I would recommend this software. Just be aware that if you don't let Windows run everything right now, then you are going to have to use some work arounds.
  
  
• Works with Vista - Use Program Compatability Wizard!!
  By A149WFK95M1V02 on 2007-10-10
  I have had this product for a while already. I just installed it on my new computer which has Windows Vista Premium. Initially when I tried to install it, an error popped up saying that it does not work for Windows 2000. I read reviews here saying that it doesn't work with Vista and was reluctant to believe that it wouldn't. After searching my computer, I have found the solution. All you have to do to make it work is first close the install options that pop up after inserting the disc. Next, go to the Control Panel --> Programs and click on "Use an older program with this version of Windows." From here, select Next and then choose "I want to use the program in the CD-ROM drive." After that, just select Windows XP Service Pack 2 as the operating system and choose that you want this program to use XP all the time. After all this is done, the install options pop up and and you will be able to install Media Manager. Hope this helped to everyone that was having trouble.
  
  
• No VISTA support
  By A32FC2CO7S8YZB on 2007-04-29
  As long as you are still using Windows XP this software works fairly well and streamlines the process of adding/ moving multiple items from your PSP. It is especially help in dowloading RSS feeds. I believe this product should be included with the purchase of a PSP.
  
  WARNING: I recently got a new PC with Windows Vista and this software won't install on it. I checked Sony support web site and it indicates only that it does not "yet" support Vista
  
  
• Inconsistent errors on mpg conversions
  By AATV9SBVUXNCZ on 2007-01-10
  I get errors converting some of the mpg files captured from PC PVR. No consistency on the error, so it makes it hard to track -- it just randomly crashes. I decided to use PSP Video 9 for all my conversions, and didn't any errors converting the same files.
  
  
• WIll Not Work on Windows Vista
  By A172KV4SAOJOG1 on 2007-09-13
  First to all, Sony should have included this software within the PSP unit price. But, oh no, cheap blank, indifferent, mercinary Sony wants to charge you for the software to manage the hardware sold separately. And adding insult to injury, Sony has not released a patch for this software to accommodate Windows Vista. So, I now have paid Sony for software I can not use with my new computer's Vista operating system. Sony: The company that plays ya for suckas after the sale(s.
  
  
• Finally text can be saved!!
  By A12Y7SJXJR13NV on 2007-03-14
  I always thought that not haven't a text reader on the psp was a huge mistake. Many times you want to read an article from wikipedia but don't have the time. Now you can save it and read if while offline. Any news article, Movie and video game reviews, or blogs can be saved as html files that you can access later and read. Or share a favorite article with a friend. as for video, music, and pictures. those are very easily to set up. You can even get it all set before connecting you psp. then hook it up and let her rip. This is a great piece of software for the psp user.
  
  
• good but needs more options
  By A2RD4VENPLBHZU on 2007-05-12
  i think it a great program BUT it can use more options for the price i think it can be cheper like $15.00 but what is nice you get the usb cable all so so you dont have to buy one its a simple drag and drop program that can use more options to make it more use full !!!!!
  
  
• It works.
  By A3NF2K066M0FRY on 2007-08-14
  Kinda slow on the upload but hey it does its job. Everything plays just as good as on the pc. The usb cable was thrown in a junk drawer because I have like 15 of them from different little gizmo's I have. All in all its a winner!
  
  
• Not what is advertised
  By A2RNGWGWR08LJ3 on 2007-10-12
  I got this thinking it would be the only thing i would need for putting stuff on my PSP. I was very disappointed because it wont convert most video file formats, including some codecs of .avi which on the box it says it does. I can use it for pictures and music, but it categorizes the music in separate files according to album. So that means no mixed play lists. On the plus side the USB cable worked fine, although I already had one so I didn't need it. If you are looking something to put videos on your PSP then just download one of the free programs found all over the internet.
  
  
• USB cable doesn't fit newer PSP models.
  By A2QL5J9TTSO5I1 on 2008-02-27
  The USB cable that came with the Media Manager did not fit my Ceramic white PSP. It doesn't say that anywhere on the product packaging.
  
  
• What a big waste
  By A1AOUMPM23BY5A on 2007-10-11
  Talked to the kid at best buy and I asked him what do to put movies on my psp. I asked him what I need to put my dvds on there and this is what he showed me(it doesn't convert dvds to quicktime)... should have done my own research. Any who the program is slow to load and takes forever to transfer movies to my psp. takes far less time to use windows to input data on to the card and then have the manager sync the psp. Then the movie plays. I sat there for 5 minutes before I said this is to long. I stopped the transfer tried windows. 2 min to download to psp 30 secs to sync and movie plays. Only benifite is the back up of your saved games. I am not sure why the movie wouldn't work before the sync but that you could probably find a way around.
  
  

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