Home >> Internet Games >> Sony PSP

Video Formats That Will Play on a PSP

Though primarily designed to be a gaming device, the PlayStation Portable, or PSP, has a lot of other features. You can use the PSP to listen to music, look at photos or watch movies. Some movies are even released in PSP format, as minidiscs that can be read by the device directly. You can also load videos to the PSP using a memory card, but the device only supports one format: MP4.

Supported Video
- According to the PSP manual, the PSP supports two kinds of video playback: UMB Video, a PSP-specific format mini disc that can only be read in this device, and MP4 videos on a Memory Stick. Both formats are convenient to a point, so long as you can find enough UMB videos to rent or buy. MP4 video isn't the most common digital video format, though it is the supported format of iTunes, meaning anything you've downloaded to watch in iTunes can be viewed on your PSP.
Loading External Videos
- You can load MP4-format videos onto the PSP Memory Stick in a number of ways. Most computers now have a memory card reader slot built in, though this feature is more common in laptops. Alternatively, you can purchase a memory card reader and connect it to your computer via USB. But the easiest way to load the memory card is to leave it in the PSP and connect the PSP to your system with provided USB cable. Once the device is connected, navigate to settings on the Home menu of the PSP and choose "USB Connection." The PSP will appear on your computer as an external device, and you can copy videos to it through Windows Explorer.
Video 9
- In a sense, you can play any video format on your PSP. You just need the help of a video conversion program to take your existing movies and change them into the PSP's MP4 format. PSP Video 9 (pspvideo9.com) is designed exactly to this end. It converts all video formats into MP4 so you can transfer videos to the memory card via USB and to watch on your portable device.
Other Converters
- Video 9 may be designed specifically for the PSP, but it isn't the only video converter that will create MP4 files. Apple's iTunes only supports MOV and MP4, so many software designers -- thousands, in fact -- have worked on programs to convert video into these formats. CNET's download library has more than 2,500 converters listed as of April 2011. Some are free, some are free to try but require a license to activate fully. Any Video Converter and My Video Converter are the top-rated converters by CNET's editors as of publication.

Sony PSP