Review Note: Those who joined us last time should definitely read my news piece regarding the Neuros MPEG4 Video Recorder 2, where I explain how the company has persistently tackled all issues until they were resolved.

 

"Why did you buy a PSP?"

 

Ask any gamer that and he or she will tell you they bought it for the games. Although I agree that that's the number-one reason to own the system, it (like the iPod video) offers great secondary capabilities that are too good to resist.

 

"Photo viewing?"

 

What!?!?

 

Oh, I get it. You were joking? Silly gamers, I'm talking about the built-in video player. PSP's beautiful, 16:9 screen is perfect for watching movies, especially those that were shot or digitally created in the 16:9 format (Star Wars, Toy Story, etc.).

 

Unfortunately, my DVDs won't fit in the PSP's tiny disc slot. Believe me I tried, but it just wouldn't work. Luckily there's a company out there that feels our pain. Neuros Technology, creators of various multimedia software and multimedia players, has released a device that hopes to solve all your handheld video needs: the Neuros MPEG4 Video Recorder 2. It's light, compact, reads multiple card formats, and records from virtually any video source fed through your television. Are you intrigued?

 

Video Quality

 

Let me start with a brief explanation on how things work.

 

The Video Recorder 2 has four main settings, each of which record at 320x240 (the standard, non-widescreen TV size).

 

1. Economic

2. Normal

3. Fine

4. Super Fine

 

As you can imagine, Economic is the lowest quality setting, while Super Fine is the highest.

 

Due to initial software restrictions, the PSP would not read more than 768kb/s from a memory stick. 768kb/s is the maximum amount you can get that Normal setting. Thus, Neuros had to design their recorder with only Economic and Normal settings promoted to PSP users. iPod video players, however, can read all four.

 

This week Neuros discovered that Sony has finally done away with this restriction. By installing the latest system update, PSP users can now record and play the highest-quality video on their favorite handheld.

 

If you haven’t done so already, you can download the PSP update at Sony’s official update page:

PlayStation.com - PlayStation Portable - System Update (version 2.8)

 

Note: older updates may also run Super Fine files, dating back to version 1.5. For best results when using your PSP, however, I recommend that you always download and install Sony’s latest updates.

 

PSP Video Quality: 9.5

 

Clear, crisp, and very detailed. Colors are bright, faces are sharp, backgrounds aren’t blurry or fuzzy. You won’t find pixelation, or any other quality issues. The videos you’ll record – direct from a DVD player, cable box, game console, etc. – will come out looking as beautiful as they were going in.

 

Previously I did not have good results with my PSP recordings, prompting Neuros to question whether or not my unusual setup was interfering (see “I got the hookup…or do I?”). But, as you’ll learn next, it didn’t negatively influence the quality of my iPod videos. Why would it interfere with one but not the other?

 

Neuros looked into the matter and sent over a clip they recorded with a low-end DVD player. The quality was considerably better, without any of the blurry or fuzziness as I was experiencing.

 

This is how Neuros ended up discovering that you are now able to run Super Fine videos on the PSP.

 

After transferring the clips I made previously for iPod – Star Wars and Lost – and after making a few others, I am happy to say that the video quality is top-notch. It’s as good as the iPod video quality with the exception that the PSP has a bigger screen, and thus has to stretch the image further than the iPod. You likely won’t notice much of a difference. You’ll just be taken in by all the pretty imagery, and can finally see your movies the way they were meant to be seen on handheld.

 

The sound quality is also great, thanks to the direct A/V cable connection.

 

iPod Video Quality: 9.5

 

As I made my first recording, I couldn't stop myself from worrying about the quality. I've been wanting Lost on my iPod since I got it last Christmas. Same goes for Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, along with several other films and TV shows. These DVDs look amazing on any TV screen, but to convert them to a handheld, the device would have to mimic the picture being displayed on the TV. The picture is captured to a memory card. I used a Compact Flash card so I could later upload the data to iTunes, and finally drag the movie file to my iPod.

 

Before recording, I set the picture to Super Fine at 320x240, the highest available for iPod. I turned on the DVD, hit the record button, sat back and waited.

 

Minutes later and I was stunned. Jaw-on-the-floor stunned at the fact that the video I had just recorded looked amazing on my iPod. The colors were rich and the frame rate was excellent. Pixelation – nonexistent. Grainy overlays – nowhere to be found. There is a slight issue with things that are solid black (like the black bars on the top and bottom of the screen, neither of which can be removed since the original DVD is partially widescreen but made to be played on a standard 4:3 aspect ratio set. The iPod video shares this ratio). You may notice a slight color twitch every now and then, hence the score 9.5 and not 10.0. This only affects things that are solid black and does not happen often. Aside from that, the picture is on par with every video I've downloaded from iTunes.

 

Sticking it to ‘em

 

Neuros informed me that I was not the first one to experience issues when trying to record video directly to a memory stick. An adaptor is not needed as the manual indicates – the diagram is false. Make sure you insert the stick upside down, very firmly, with the angled edge on the right side.

 

If the device does not read the stick, take it out, turn off the recorder, re-insert it and try again. Neuros says it should work without any problems, and I have not had any issues since I got the device to read my stick.

 

I got the hookup...or do I?

 

If you’re going to connect the Video Recorder 2 to a standard DVD player, VCR or cable box, skip to “Super Fine results” below. If you want to use a game console, however, read on.

 

I use my game consoles to play DVDs, so when it came time to hook up the Video Recorder 2, I didn’t have many options right out of the box.

 

I experimented for a bit and discovered that, using my TV’s single Video Out slot, as well as both the Video In slots, I could get the recorder to work. This is what I ended up with:

 

Video In, VR2: goes to Video Out on TV

 

Video Out, VR2: goes to Video In on TV

 

Video Out, Xbox 360: goes to Video In Slot #2 on TV

 

Though this setup works well for me with the Super Fine setting, not all TVs have Video Out, let alone two Video In slots. Furthermore, Neuros speculates that the setup I’m using is the reason why Normal videos don’t come out looking too god.

 

Neuros recommend that the VR2 is used as a middleman between your TV and media player. For gamers wishing to connect their VR2 to a game console in this way, you must use an RCA A/V Coupler. RadioShack.com has one for $3.95,

 

RadioShack, Triple RCA A/V Coupler  

 

This is a Web-only item, but I assume you’ll be able to find one from a different manufacturer in store.

 

How to get “Super Fine” results on your PSP and iPod

 

Step 1: Record video to your PSP memory stick using the “Super Fine” setting. It won’t run directly off the stick at this point, but it will be recorded properly and saved in an iPod/PDA folder.

 

Step 2: Eject the stick and insert it in your PSP.

 

Step 3: Connect the PSP to your PC using a USB cable. Make sure you are in “USB Mode” (scroll over to “Settings” and click on “USB Connection”).

 

Step 4: Once loaded, explore your memory stick folders. Open the “MP_ROOT” folder and you’ll see several folders. In particular, note the folders “101MNV01” (PSP video) and “PDA-iPOD” (this is where video recorded using the Super Fine setting is stored).

 

Step 5: Open the “PDA-iPOD” folder and drag all MPEG4 files to the “101MNV01” folder.

 

Step 6: Exit USB mode on your PSP by pressing the circle button (it won’t virtually eject otherwise).

 

Step 7: Scroll to the video icon on your PSP and enjoy!

 

iPod Note: This is also how you get video (of any setting) to run on your iPod. The difference is that you drag the videos from your “PDA-iPOD” folder right into iTunes. Make sure you have the latest version of iTunes – otherwise the conversion might not work.

 

Pros:

 

Gorgeous picture on PSP and iPod

 

iTunes-quality videos for your iPod made straight from a DVD

 

Equally impressive PSP videos using the iPod “Super Fine” setting

 

Cons:

 

Requires a separate adaptor for console use

 

Verdict: 9.5

 

Now that the PSP can run Super Fine-quality videos, there’s nothing holding you back from getting the most out of this device. The Video Recorder 2 serves its intended purpose, brings videos to our favorite handhelds that were not previously available in handheld form (Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, etc.), and does so with excellent clarity.

 

Try Before You Buy – Judge the recorder for yourself by downloading clips created using the Video Recorder 2:

 

Neuros: Video Sample Downloads: Try the Recorder 2 with your portable

 

Wikipedia page: How to set up the Neuros Recorder 2 for ipod PSP smartphone - Theneuros

 

Neuros Official How-To Guide

 

Final Note: Neuros wants to caution that since the  “Super Fine” setting is new for PSP, it has yet to be thoroughly tested. They are in the process of testing it as we speak to ensure that it works flawlessly with the handheld. All of my personal tests have resulted in top-notch playback.