PSP Video Recorder 2 is "Super Fine" – New Review Notes

by Louis Bedigian 

Earlier this week you may have read my review of the Neuros Video Recorder 2. Though I was thrilled with the iPod video quality it provided, I was not satisfied with my PSP recordings. The main problem was the hardware. Neuros Technologies informed me that the memory sticks were not originally designed to read more than 768kb/s while inserted in the PSP, thus limiting the PSP's video settings to Normal quality. Meanwhile the iPod could display videos recorded using the Super Fine setting. Super Fine is the maximum resolution possible, resulting in iTunes-quality videos taken direct from your own DVDs.

Last week Neuros Technologies discovered that, using the system update 2.8, PSP can now display videos recorded at the Super Fine setting. The result: no fuzziness, no pixelation, no annoying blurs. Text is readable. The picture is very crisp and extremely close to the quality of the $20 UMDs you see at....well, not too many stores anymore! Nonetheless, this is exactly the quality I was hoping for.

If you haven’t done so already, you can get your update from Sony’s official system update page:

PlayStation.com - PlayStation Portable - System Update 

In my new review, I explain how to get high-quality videos running on your PSP. I would also like to note that after repeated attempts I found that you can insert the PSP-sized memory sticks into the Video Recorder 2 without an adaptor. Neuros informed me that others had issues with the memory sticks as well and encouraged me to keep trying. The misleading diagrams are just that – misleading. The picture I spoke of in my review is in incorrect. They are currently in the process of changing the manual to make this process a bit more clear.

Note that, because the Super Fine setting is not currently officially associated with the PSP, you'll still need to hook it up to a PC to get video running.

Lastly, Neuros persists that their tests with the Normal setting have resulted in a great-looking picture on the PSP. I witnessed this myself when they mailed me a clip recorded from a low-end DVD player – far superior to the results I was getting (no blurry or fuzziness). They suspect that my issues could be with the review unit, or with the unusual way I have it hooked to my television. (They recommend that the VR2 is used as a middleman between your TV and media player. I use game consoles as DVD players, and without an adaptor, a direct connection was not possible.) Regardless, Super Fine came out looking stellar. Video recorded on that setting always provided amazing results.

New Review - Neuros Video Recorder 2