January 9, 2007

Manufacturer: NYCO
Price: $49.95
Requirements: PSP

Since the PSP is a portable device, it is natural that Sony would not include TV output — after all, why buy a portable if you want to be attached to a television? On the other hand, many PSP owners have expressed interest in watching their UMD movies and playing games on their TV screen. NYCO's Play on TV Adapter for PSP meets this user demand.

The Play on TV does not require modifying the PSP, and instead snaps onto the top of the handheld. The PSP's AC power supply plugs into the adapter, and the adapter in turn plugs into the audio and power ports on the PSP. A supplied video cable with RCA output attaches to a television.

It took under three minutes to attach the adapter, plug it into the television, turn everything on, and experience the PSP's video and audio on the TV. While it looks awkward, the unit is lightweight and still leaves enough room to access the PSP controls.

Quality

A mirror and CCD are used to capture the PSP screen image. By default, this method of video capture is not optimal for exact video reproduction. Capturing a video image by using a video camera results in quality loss — differences in image detail, contrast, and color saturation are noticeable. Even with the inherent drawbacks of the video capture technology, the output quality was still high enough to enjoy games and video.

Our first test unit prominently displayed several black spots on the TV image. We cleaned the PSP screen and used canned-air to clean the adapter's mirror and lens, but with no result. The display problem was caused by dead pixels in the CCD. Because this might demonstrate a quality control issue, we exchanged the adapter for a new one to see if this was a persistent problem. The second test unit was much better than the first, but there was still an obvious defect.

Contrast, brightness, and white balance are automatically configured by the adapter. The only adjustments for image quality are by using the PSP's screen brightness controls. Darker games and movies need a higher PSP screen setting, and brighter content requires a lower PSP screen setting.

Results: Average

The NYCO Play on TV Adapter for PSP does what it advertises, by making PSP video and audio available on a television screen. This device is a good solution for those that can ignore the loss of image quality and color saturation. It was surprisingly fun to "share the PSP experience" with others by watching everything on a TV. Unfortunately, the dead pixels in both test units demonstrate quality control issues that prevent a stronger recommendation.