PSP firmware version 3.30 has arrived today - an unexpected surprise indeed! The new firmware appears to be mostly video related and according to Sony, the PSP now supports additional MPEG-4 AVC(H.264) video profiles - with DVD and PSP resolutions at 720×480 and 352×480 as well as 480×272 respectively. Accordingly, new improvements from this firmware include:

GAME
★ Support for PLAYSTATION®Network titles has been expanded.

NETWORK
★ Support for displaying thumbnails for items has been added under [RSS Channel].

VIDEO
★ The size of videos that can be played under [Video] has been increased.
– MPEG-4/H.264 AVC Main Profile (AVC CABAC) video files of the following sizes:
720 X 480, 352 X 480, or 480 X 272
* Depending on the data type, some files cannot be played.
★ Support for displaying thumbnails for content saved in the “VIDEO” folder of a Memory Stick has been added under [Video]. *screenshot shown below

SETTINGS
★ [Use Wireless Hotspot] has been added as a feature under [Network Settings]. Screenshots shown below.
*US PSP users can now access T-Mobile Hotspot Wi-Fi service at thousands of convenient locations throughout the USA. There are 8,437 T-Mobile HotSpot locations in the U.S. T-Mobile HotSpot U.S. locations include Starbucks coffeehouses, Borders Books and Music stores, FedEx Kinko’s Office and Print Centers, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, Red Roof Inns, Sofitel and Novotel Hotels, the airline clubs of American, Delta, United and US Airways, and select airports.

UPDATE NOW AVAILABLE:
PSP Firmware 3.30: Japanese | US | European | Chinese | Korean

(screenshots after the jump…)

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The demo for the much talked about Korean music game ~ DJ Max Portable 2 ~ is now available for your review. For your convenience, the demo can be acquired accordingly within our download section of the forum. Naturally, a simple free forum registration is required to download the file - Register for free to participate in the #1 discussion board for ATRAC based device.

Instructions: Create a new folder - [ULKS46116] - within PSP>GAME and copy the DJ Max Portable 2 Demo file (total size: 7,887 KB) into the newly created folder accordingly.

Enjoy!

(via PSP Fanboy; image courtesy of Ruliweb.com )

It’s that time again to update your Walkman CM archive. Accordingly, we are pleased to announce that the CM for Sony’s most recent Walkman, the A800 series is now available for your viewing pleasure at ATRACLife in PSP AVC (H.264) format. For those that have yet to venture within our forum, please venture within for more information regarding our Sony Network Walkman CM (commercial video) Archive. Naturally, a simple forum registration will be required to access CMs within our archive. Enjoy!

The product your looking at (above) was launched a few weeks ago, but I refuse to post a news story unless there are some high quality pictures freely available to the press. Is that absurd? Probably.

Nonetheless, Sony has released a very attractive looking series of Walkman compared to last generation for the successful entry-level NW-E line, of which have the standard robot-esque model numbers NW-E013 (1gb), NW-E015 (2gb), and NW-E016 (4gb). The NW-E016 will only be available in Black or Violet, and the other models will have Black, Violet, Blue and Pink color options available (regional differences may apply). The usual codecs are supported (ATRAC, MP3, WMA, AAC, etc) and it features a 3 Line Colour OLED that can display album art and other information just like the interface in the NW-S70* series. Charging is done via USB, and should have about 28 hour battery life using mediocre ATRAC3plus bitrates.

The NW-E013 and NW-E015 will also have a radio variation that will allow users to listen to their favorite FM stations accordingly. Pricing should be comparable to the previous NW-E series.

An exclusive NW-A800 video review by our good friend Silva Bokis. This is definitely a must-see.

Photo - Music - Video; QVGA; 262,144 colors; TFT color display with white LED-backlight; ATRAC, ATRAC Advanced Lossless, MP3, WMA, AAC, MPEG-4, AVC (h.264); 53 grams & 8.3mm width; 30 hours music, 8 hours video playback. Click to watch rad video introduction of NW-A800.

The Walkman of the 21st century has arrived.

After speculation induced by ATRACLife with our stunning initial spy pictures and specifications, Sony has announced the NW-A800 series on March 1st, 2007 or what will forever be known as V-Day. Three models will be available: NW-A805 (2gb), NW-A806 (4gb), and NW-808 (8gb) in black, white, pink and violet. Drag and drop video and picture functionality will be present, however audio transfers will still require the assistance of Sonicstage. The product will ship with Sonicstage 4.3, Image Converter 3, and a new Walkman portal-esque program dubbed Walkman Launcher to ensure true ease of use for newcomers and seasoned veterans of the Sony personal entertainment experience.

How is the screen? QVGA (240×320) and 30fps, which is about twice the size of the Nano display. For a 2 inch screen, that is stunning. Brightness is somewhere between the iPod Nano and iPod Video, and color reproduction and contrast is higher than the aforementioned competition. Videos and pictures can be played vertically, or horizontally (both ways, left and right). Don’t want the annoying 16:9 bars with status information at the bottom? No problem, take it full screen and enjoy the content. Watch a photo slideshow whilst listening to music. Video playback will ooze a sense that this is a high-quality premium device.

The user interface is akin to the NW-A3000/A1000’s 3×3 interface, but has been revamped and features a more attractive flow. Icons glow, menu transitions are steadfast and there are a sea of options to ensure that the experience is right for everyone. There are three methods of search: Artist, Album and Song. Searching for music is easier now as the letters can be side-scrolled alphabetically at the top to get to your favorite artist quickly. Albums can be searched via title, title and cover art, or cover art only. This is only the tip of the iceberg; there is much, much more.

Audio offerings are good; Linear PCM is not supported, but ATRAC Advanced Lossless is. MP3, WMA, AAC and ATRAC are all supported up to 320kbps (ATRAC3plus to 352kbps). Three sound technologies are also included: DSEE, Clear Bass, and Clear Stereo. MDR-EX082 13.5mm headphones are included with the package to ensure a relatively decent stock listening experience.

The NW-A800 series will debut worldwide in April. More pictures (high resolution shots here) after the jump.

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