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Andy writes, "I purchased songs from iTunes Music Store and I locked all of my songs so my sister couldn't use them, and now I don't know how to unlock them. We are now only using one user on Windows XP. Would you know how to unlock these songs so I can play them on my PSP?"

iTunes Music Store songs not playing on your PSP isn't something you did specifically; it's by design. Apple uses copy protection on all items purchased through the iTunes Store in order to prevent you from playing the songs anywhere but on your iPod or on an authorized Mac or PC. Sony's PSP is not an iTunes supported device. If your PSP is the primary device you plan to use for playing back songs on the go, I would suggest buying CDs and ripping them rather than relying on iTunes as your method of song acquisition. You spend less time working with your music files to get them where you want and more time actually listening or doing something fun. There is a legal (although somewhat time consuming) way around this problem.

One option would be to purchase software that automatically converts your iTunes purchases to MP3. An app called SoundTaxi does this quickly, basically automating the free method I describe below. If you have more than a few songs to convert for PSP playback, use SoundTaxi.

Your other option for playing songs purchased from iTunes on your PSP, is to burn them to a CD first. Apple allows you to make an audio CD in iTunes by burning tracks from your iTunes library to disk. These can be several songs from the same artist or a playlist of your favorite tracks from many artists.

First create a new playlist in iTunes and name it something like "New Audio CD".

Add songs to your playlist until you have approximately 72-minutes of music, which is the maximum supported by Audio CDs.

Verify your CD burning preferences in iTunes by opening Edit > Preferences > Advanced and checking the button next to Audio CD on the Burning tab.

After verifying preferences, click the Burn Disk button.

Once the disk is burned, you can rip the songs on the disk as MP3s either using iTunes or Windows Media Player.

Download Sony PlayStation Portable WMA Support

This one only matters to Sony PSP owners, but it's another reason to get a PSP (at least in my mind). WMA playback adds support for a more efficient audio codec than what is possible using MP3, which is important for fitting more songs on those over-priced Memory Sticks. After upgrading to the latest firmware update, you'll see an option on the System Settings menu to Enable WMA Playback. Select this option and the onscreen instructions will guide you to a WMA-enabled experience. No support yet for PlaysForSure content, but enabling WMA support is a step in the right direction. Keep in mind, updating the PSP firmware likely renders any emulator hacks you may be using, so if you prefer hackability over standard features, living without WMA support may be necessary. [PSP Required $0.00]

Download MyTV ToGo

After I detailed all the steps for creating a fully automated conversion of Media Center files for playback on PSP (or iPod Video), I ran across MyTV ToGo on Sean Alexander's Addicted to Digital Media. I have not tried this app, but if Sean gives it his stamp of approval, I guarantee it's good. I only know a few people with a closer relationship to Media Center. MyTV ToGo converts recorded television for playback on PSP or iPod video and transfers the files to the connected device. What it lacks is the automation of a watch folder, like I illustrate using with PSPWare in my tutorial, however, I'm also hacking the system. The net cost of my methods is $15 vs. MyTV ToGo for iPod or PSP at $29.95. Considering it's a one-trick pony at this point, I'll likely hold off on getting MyTV to go, in favor of integrated media management in PSPWare. On the other hand, converting recorded television with MyTV ToGo is certainly a cleaner set of steps. [Windows XP MCE $29.95]

The one thing Sony forgot to put in the PlayStation Portable box is a real case. Sure there's a lightly padded leather job to protect the shiny surface from scratches and scrapes, but it does nothing to keep the screen from getting cracked in your pocket or backpack. The only case I found offering both solid protection from screen breakage, with enough rubber padding to help prevent breakage in the event of a fall, without totally bulking up the PSP, is the Logitech PlayGear Pocket. There are other cases with rugged features like metal casing and thick foam padding, but they won't fit in cargo pants pockets. As a former Creative Zen Portable Media Center owner, I liked the fact that Creative made the case double as a stand for viewing movies; Logitech added this feature to the PlayGear Pocket too. Some industrious folk over at Mod My PSP even offer skins for the clear shell of the case. Games are still playable without removing the case and virtually every port on the case, including battery recharging is accessible without removing your PSP. A case isn't something I'd normally get excited about; in most cases function beats aesthetics. In this instance, you get protection for your gear and a cool case in one almost perfect package. At $15-20, it's cheap insurance for your gaming gear.

Compare prices on PlayGear Pocket
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How to automatically convert DVR-MS files for PSP Playback

Despite the recent launch of Sony's own Media Manager, PSPWare remains the best solution for syncing content to your PSP. Chris and I were lamenting the lack of an easy way to automatically convert DVR-MS files created by Windows Media Center to files ready for playback from PSP Memory Sticks. Here is the solution.

Required Software:
Tweak MCE Power Toy $0.00
Lupas Rename 2000 $0.00
PSPWare $15.00
Windows Task Scheduler (part of Windows XP)

Install and Configure PSPWare

Download and Install PSPWare. The software is functional for free, but limited until you upgrade. Pay the developers the $15; they're working hard to make the software even better. You need to do this step first because it creates the folders you will watch for new DVR-MS files to convert.

Click the Advanced button and check the box next to Sync dropboxes to activate dropbox synchronization.

Install Tweak MCE Power Toy

Download and Install Tweak MCE Power Toy, if you haven't already. This free app from Microsoft makes it possible to adjust the skip interval for jumping through commercials, as well as changing the folder where your recorded TV files are located. Change the Storage Location For Recorded TV to:
{system drive}:\Documents and Settings\{username}\My Documents\PSPWare\Dropboxes\Movies

where {system drive} is replaced by your drive letter and {username} is replaced with your username.

Update: Tweak MCE was updated on 11/4/2005 with support for "Emerald". If Tweak MCE won't work with your version of Windows XP Media Center Edition, here are some alternate instructions for changing your MCE record location.

Install and Configure Lupas Rename 2000

Lupas Rename 2000 helps make the conversion process automatic. PSPWare doesn't recognize the DVR-MS file extension. These files are MPEG-2 files with a Microsoft-specific extension. PSPWare will recognize and convert files with the .mpg extension. By simply changing the extension, you can transcode any Media Center TV recording for playback on your PSP. The annoying part is you need to do it manually, unless you create a batch process. I chose Lupas Rename 2000 to handle this part of the process because of a documented set of command line options.

After installing Lupas Rename 2000, open the app and start the configuration process.

First, open the application General Options and uncheck the box next to Uncheck the name and extension options after renaming. Close the General Options by clicking the checkmark.

Next, enter the path to your recorded TV files, which should be the folder you changed with Tweak MCE:
{system drive}:\Documents and Settings\{username}\My Documents\PSPWare\Dropboxes\Movies

Edit the Filemask to only show DVR-MS files with *.dvr-ms (this step is only necessary for testing as you won't see it when the process is automated).

On the Ext tab, check the box next to Replace the text and enter dvr-ms and with this new text mpg. If the box next to Only rename the selected files is checked, uncheck it.

At this point, you can test the process to verify your batch convertion works by clicking the rename button. If you're files are renamed, it works. ;)

Automate Renaming

To make sure your files are converted for regular playback, you need to automate the rename process. This is one of the few times Windows Task Scheduler comes in handy. Launch Task Scheduler from Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Scheduled Tasks

Click Next on the Scheduled Task Wizard, Locate Lupas Rename 2000 and click next.

Choose Perform this task: Daily

Keep the defaults on the next screen, click Next and enter the password for your Windows XP user account.

Check the box to open advanced properties and click Finish.

On the Task pane replace the Run: line with the following:

C:\Progra~1\LupasR~1\LupasRename.exe PATH="{system drive}:\Documents and Settings\{username}\My Documents\PSPWare\Dropboxes\Movies" FILTER="*.dvr-ms" RENAME=1

where {system drive} is replaced by your drive letter and {username} is replaced with your username.

On the Schedule tab, click Advanced and check the box next to Repeat Task accept the default of every 10 mintues and change duration to 24.

Click OK (you might be prompted for your user password again).

At this point, you should be fully automated. Once PSPWare has time to convert your files, you are good to go with portable television for your PSP.

The only other change you might want to make is to modify the movie output settings in PSPWare. The default is 320x240 Normal, which appears to look fine on my PSP, but your milage may vary.

Why didn't I opt to use the new Sony PSP Media Manager?

At this point, the Sony PSP Media Manager is very inconsistent in its ability to recognize compatible files in a given folder. PSPWare is more reliable at this point and does an excellent job transcoding the files.

Tom asks, "Where can I get a program which will let me cut a MP4 in half. I have made some movies using your [PSP tutorial] but then cannot fit everything all on my memory stick. Have you found any programs like this?"

Depending on how much your time is worth, buying a bigger memory stick might be worth the extra dollars. There is more than one way to attack this problem, depending on what solutions you already have at your disposal. The obvious solution is to divide the MP4 file into smaller files. Another option to consider is splitting the AVI file before you convert it to the PSP-ready MP4. In either case, expect additional time for the conversion process.

"How can I watch my DVD movies on my Sony PSP?"

There are two ways to convert DVD Movies for your Sony PSP. The easy way to convert movies for PSP costs a few dollars, but makes it simple enough you get the money back in time saved very quickly. The hard way to convert DVDs to PSP compatible formats is free but it takes a serious amount of human intervention and time. The method you choose boils down to how much you value your time.

The easy way to convert DVDs for Sony PSP

The easiest way to accomplish the conversion is to spend a few dollars on software to do the work for you. Currently, Xilisoft DVD Ripper Ultimate is the most comprehensive solution I've found for converting DVDs for PSP playback. You can even embed subtitles in your foreign films and anime right from the Xilisoft interface. Download DVD Ripper Ultimate and get started converting now or read on for the much more complicated method.