Strictly speaking, putting movies onto the PSP is not web development, but I like watching movies when I'm not building the web, so I put together these notes on how I get movies onto my PSP. Hopefully you'll find them helpful.

Disclaimer: I use these tools and techniques for legitimate and legal fair use of DVD-stored movies which I have purchased. I am providing these instructions so that you may do the same. Make no mistake, if you use these instructions to violate copyright, that is stealing, and I do not condone that.

I use two pieces of software: HandBrake (version 0.7.0) and ffmpegX (version 0.0.9u). I need HandBrake to decrypt the DVDs - otherwise I think ffmpegX could probably do it all.

The PSP screen has a resolution of 480x272, but for movies the total number of pixels (width × height) can't exceed 76,800 pixels. Whatever resolution you use, the picture will always (by default) be scaled to the full screen size.

I like my movies in their original aspect ratio, so in HandBrake I rip it that way, making sure I use the maximum dimensions that will not result in cropping and still fit within the 76800 pixel limit.

Some 16:9 sizes that reportedly work: 368x208, 416x176, 320x176, 384x160, 480x160, or 400x192

The PSP uses MP4 as its format with some proprietary changes. First, the name of the file is critical. Second, the name of the movie is embedded within the file. (There are no doubt other changes, but these are the two that I've found I need to be aware of.) Fortunately ffmpegX knows how to take care of these. Also, where the movie file is placed on the PSP is important. (Path: /MP_ROOT/100MNV01/)

OK... to make sure I have this all worked out, I decided to copy a movie (Outland) to my PSP taking notes as I did so. The result is the following step-by-step instructions. Hopefully this will work for you, though your mileage may vary.

1. Mount the disc. I read somewhere that if you let the Mac's DVD player play the disc through the FBI warnings and such and start the movie playing for a few seconds that it "authorizes" the disc or some such, so I take a minute to do that. (Outland has no such warnings, so the movie just plays.)
   
   
2. Quit the DVD Player & run HandBrake.
   
   
3. HandBrake detects the disc (/dev/rdisk2) and finds the tracks. Look for the longest one - usually the movie. (It was unable to find the movie track on my Mission to Mars DVD, so there are discs that HandBrake cannot rip.)
   
   
4. Settings...

   File Format: MP4 File
   Codecs: MPEG-4 Video / AAC Audio
   Framerate: Same as Source
   Encoder: FFmpeg
   Average Bitrate: 1000 kbps
   
   (If I were running this overnight instead of in the morning before work, I'd have probably turned on 2-pass encoding.)
   

   Picture settings...

   Keep aspect ratio: checked
   width: 400
   height: 176
   
   Crop: automatic

   
   
   
5. Get a cup of coffee. It takes a few minutes with no indication of what's happening to finish up even after the progress bar gets to 100%. Ripping this 1:50 long movie took 1:40 on my G4 laptop. Resulting file size: 672.9 MB
   
   
6. Quit HandBrake and run ffmpegX.
   
   
7. Drag the .mp4 file that HandBrake created onto the Source Format "from" pane (or use the "Open..." button for a file dialog.)
   
   
8. Use the Target format pop-up to select "PSP" to load most of the settings.
   
   
9. Click the Video tab to change the Video Size. I used 400 x 176 (same as I ripped it to above).
   
   
10. Click the Options tab to give a name to the Movie for the PSP to display.
    
    
11. Click the Encode button.
    
    
12. Get another cup of coffee. (OK, so I ground some fresh coffee beans, made a pot of coffee, took a shower... ) This step took about 50 minutes. Final file size: 287 MB
    
    
13. Connect the PSP to the Mac with a USB cable and tell the PSP to go into USB mode.
    
    
14. ffmpegX named the encoded movie M4V07182.MP4 to conform to PSP standards. DO NOT rename the file ffmpegX generates, or it will not work. Copy the file to /MP_ROOT/100MNV01/ on the PSP (takes about a minute).
    
    
15. Unmount the PSP from the Mac then exit USB mode. You should now see the movie listed under the Video menu on the PSP and be able to watch it.