(see it here: http://www.pspontv.com/images/psp-on-tv-final-prototype.jpg)
The first photos of the new device dubbed 'PSP ON TV' are available online. This is the device announced to the public just yesterday, which will allow all Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) owners to have the choice of playing their games and movies on any television, or even on huge projection screens.
What does it look like?
"I'm just warning you! It's really shiny, just like the sexy PSP itself!", proclaims the manufacturer Asian Toy Source. It is best described as a rectangular cone shape which covers the LCD screen. By comparison, the height of the PSP On TV is only slightly taller than the width of the LCD screen. And despite one's first impression, the somewhat odd look of the device definitely does not get in the way of your gaming experience. The buttons, directional pad, and analog stick are not hindered since only the LCD screen part of the PSP is covered.
"As you can now see, the device simply clips to the front of the PSP, no internal modification is required, you just set it on the front of the PSP and secure with two small finger tightening screws. No need for opening the PSP, no "faceplate" replacement, no tools required. It's just that easy.", states company spokesperson, Michael Borer.
Why is "No-Modification" so Important?
"When we released GBATV and GBA Halo (back light) for the Gameboy Advance about three years ago, we found the customers main complaints were that dust was getting inside the GBA and causing people great annoyance when playing their games. An LCD screen is like a 'Super-Magnet for dust' it seems, so this time we took a different approach and needed to find the 'external solution' with no modification to the PSP required. What we have now is the best balanced solution, with no technical knowledge required, one which any stores like Wal Mart could sell to any consumer without offering technical support.", claims the company's chief engineer, Mr. Chow Wing Lau.
How it works
The PSP On TV captures the image of the PSP's LCD screen using a digital capture device much like a video camera's CCD (Charged Coupled Device) which converts images into electrons, and then outputs the signal to any television. To focus on the image, we use a highly technical "focus tube" which is similar in shape to the back side of a conventional television or CRT computer monitor. "We need this special shape to be able to capture the image properly. It is a fairly technical device, and due to the closed design it doesn't have any light coming in from outside, so the video output is of extremely high quality.", states Mr. Chow.
When will it be available?
The company is in production mode now, with over 95% of the first production run going for sale to the Japanese market. We can expect it to be shipping to customers within 3-4 weeks, however the company's order page http://www.pspontv.com/order.shtml shows some online retailers who are already taking orders for the product. Videos of the prototype are available now, and even PSP formatted videos are available on the website. So if you already have a Sony PSP you can download the in-laboratory prototype videos which show the device being tested during earlier design phases.
