Advise when buying PSP

Hi there

I'm new at this, I'd like to buy a psp - preferrably the slim one, however I need to know that I can crack the slim one and play games as an ISO on a memory stick - is this possible even with the slim psp, or do I need to find an older one - if so what version should I be looking for.

thanks
Yeahman

You can play ISOs on a SLIM psp, as long as you have custom firmware on it.

Thanks for the prompt response, OK. custom firmware I take it you mean follow these instructions
http://pspbrew.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9543

Please let me know if I'm correct in thinking this.

Also I'd like to play mp4 vids off the memory stick too - is this possible on the slim too.

Yea, thats custom firmware, however the custom firmware you will be needing is 3.71 M33. However when you get your psp it will be on an official 3.80 firmware probably, so you will need to use one of these tutorials to downgrade from 3.80 or whatever to 3.71 M33.
http://www.pspbrew.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9205
http://www.pspbrew.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10454

And yea, you can play .MP4 videos on the SLIM too, just stick them in the 'VIDEO' folder.

Thanks mate for the info - now I'm going to bid on ebay. Is it risky to debrick and change the firmware as discussed, Like i'm not going to break the machine if i follow the instructions will I? I know you're not guarenteeing anything - but it's pretty robust isn't it?

Thanks again

As long as you stick to the instructions and everything you should be fine . But the same tools that you use to downgrade also unbrick your psp. You can buy the necessary battery and memory stick on eBay. Just type in 'Pandora's Battery. If you get a SLIM psp you will need to get a memory stick with the 1.50 and 3.71 files on it.

That's great news, thanks for the info.

I've just purchased a new slim for 122 inc deliv, I'll attempt to setup pandoras battery myself. it sounds like a software thingy on a battery other than the slim battery - so I'll need to purchase another sony battery - am I right in thinking this - damn that's another 10 or 15 quid

Yea, it requires a a new battery, must be a phat battery.

My slim has OFW of 3.60, do I still need to downgrade it 1st - or can i just put 3.71 M33 over the top of it?

you will still have to downgrade before u can upgarde to CFW so get a pandoras battery and a magic memory stick with the correct fw version and its simple to downgrade and upgrade to 3.71m33 cfw XD.

just be careful when buying the battery because if its too New then it might not work as a Pandora battery because Sony "fixed" some newer batterys so they wouldnt work as pandoras batterys.

thanks for the advise, I've got 3 mates at work that have phat psp's with custom FW, I'm going to get them to bring them in, how will I know if the battery hasn't been fixed by sony - I guess it'll come up with an error when trying to make it into a pandora? This seems to be the list of battery's I tracked down that work and don't work with pandora battery


Working:

- Sony "standard" Li-ion 1800 mAh
- Sony PSP-280 2200mAh
- Datel, PSP Battery 3600 mAh (X2)
- Datel, PSP Battery 1800 Max Power
- Datel, PSP Battery GO MAX (Model # GM1000, uses AAA batteries) note: If u remove the batteries, it resets the serial back to all 0's


Not working:

- 3.6v 3600 mAh Battery Pack (Silver letters) (Model PSP-360) (Fake)
- 2600 mAh Mega Battery Pack (Fake)
- Atomic Battery Pack 3.6V 1800mAh
- Sony PSP-280 2200mAh (Fake)
- Sony PSP Bloc-Battery pack 3.6v 1800 mAh
- Battery 3600mAh, unknown brand, (china made model NK-RH008) (Fake)
- Battery Pack, unknown brand, (lithium) 3.6v 3600 mAH (Fake)
- Intec 1800 mAh Li-ion
- Intec 2200 mAh



Can you confirm that if they have custom Firmware installed they'll deffinately be able to run the apps needed to make magic stick and pandora? cos it seems they hacked their firmware without using pandora's battery - in fact they don't seem to know what I'm talking about when I mention homebrew or pandora's battery........ please let me know your thoughts.

Well back in the days b4 pandoras certain games could downgrade psp's in the loading sequince with help from certain programs but this only worked for f/w version 3.50 and below but pandoras can downgrade and unbrick any psp f/w version and it has basicly no chance of bricking a psp wen done correctly. As for there batteries being fine depends how old there psp is becuase with the origanal standard psp batterys that came whith psp phats can be used because i have done it many times myself with my old one. But any standard psp phat battery should work fine.

thanks for your help however I've attempted downgrading but I've bricked the slim and can't seem to get it unbricked despite trying 3 different methods - see my other thread http://www.pspbrew.com/forum/viewtopic. ... 6623#96623

Yip it was the stick, I got a friend around who's been pandora'ing these for a while - ran the same things off a different stick and walla I now have a slim working with 3.71 M33-4

Thanks all for your help.