Sony Reveals New PSP-Compatible PSX Models

With the cancellation of the current models of the PSX multimedia device, many analysts assumed that Sony were quietly drawing a veil over the whole product line. However, the company has now announced two new Japanese models: the DESR-5700 and DESR-7700. Revealed for the first time on Sony’s Japanese website, the main new functionality for the machines is the ability to output video, via a memory stick, which can then be read and used by the new PSP console. This should allow users to record television programs via the PSX, record them and play them back on the PSP. However, this feature is reportedly limited by the amount of space on the standard sized memory stick and by the length of time need to encode the video – more than an hour for 20 minutes of programming, according to some reports. As with the previous models, the only difference between the two machines is the size of the hard drive, with the cheaper 5700 containing a 160Gb drive and the 7700 a 250Gb unit. Despite this new announcement, there is still no indication of if and when the PSX could be released in the West - it seems likely that the technology will remain Japanese-only unless these models are an unexpected success. With the relatively small number of PSPs so far sold in Japan and the easy availability of PC and Mac video encoders, this seems fairly unlikely.