Design

The PSP 3000 has the same slim dimensions (2.81 inches high by 6.63 inches wide by 0.63 inch deep) and lighter weight (just over 7 ounces–or 200 grams–with the battery, game disc, and Memory Stick on board) as its predecessor.

The 4.3-inch LCD wide screen remains, and it’s been tweaked. Sony says the new screen now delivers better color reproduction, reduced glare, and reduced “ghosting” on high-motion scenes. When compared with the 2000, the PSP 3000 does, indeed, deliver better color vibrancy (you can toggle between “wide” and “standard” color in the options to see the difference). As for glare reduction: we didn’t find there to be a huge difference. Don’t expect to play in direct sunlight, for instance. But you might have better luck with fewer distractions from indoor light sources.

But in its effort to deal with the ghosting issue, Sony’s cure may have been worse than the disease. By increasing the screen’s refresh rate, the new PSP seems to introduce a variety of video artifacts onto the screen. They appear as scanlines or jaggies, as if the image is interlaced. They’re more apparent in high-motion scenes in games and videos–but that’s most of the content on the PSP.

New to the PSP 3000 is the built-in microphone, located just below the screen. It can be used for online communication, be it within a game or for the PSP’s built-in Skype application. The advantage of having the mic integrated into the body is that you can use it with any standard pair of headphones. By contrast, the PSP 2000 required a special headset for communicating online.

The PSP is designed to play games and movies off something called UMDs–Universal Media Discs. We’re not sure where Sony got the “universal” part of the name, because the PSP is the only device that plays them. They’re sort of a cross between a mini-CD and an old MiniDisc, and they only hold about 2.2GB of data. They load into a snap-open door on the PSP’s backside. Sony seems to be moving the PSP to more of a downloadable model for games and video (see the PlayStation Store section, below), so we wouldn’t be surprised to see the UMD become more of a legacy medium for the PSP.

The Memory Stick Duo slot remains on the left edge. Like the UMD bay, it’s a pry-open cover that slides on rubbery plastic rails. If you’re not buying a PSP bundle that includes an MS Duo card (or don’t have a spare one from a Sony camera), you’ll want to invest in a decently sized one (2GB or better). They’re widely available for less than $30 or so, but it’s annoying–again–that Sony’s gone with its own proprietary format instead of the more widely used (and cheaper) SD standard.

The PSP’s interface is known as the Cross Media Bar, or XMB. The original PSP was the first Sony product to use it, and it’s since been incorporated into the PlayStation 3 and many other Sony TVs and AV receivers. It’s a pretty slick menu system that’s generally pretty easy to maneuver through using the D-pad and control buttons. As you get into some of the applications, however, that simplicity can get lost. We wished the Web browser, for instance, was as well-designed as the overall XMB menu system.

Review from

http://reviews.cnet.com/consoles/sony-psp-3000-black/4505-10109_7-33248763.html?tag=txt%3bpage

Where to buy:

American, Hong Kong and Japanese editions are all available at

http://www.gameyeeeah.com/psp-3000-accessories-cid-169.html

US EDITION: €124.99

http://www.gameyeeeah.com/psp-3000-us-edition-color-black-p-1713.html