Customer Reviews

PlayStation Portable Limited Edition Rock Band Unplugged Entertainment Pack - Piano Black

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

We've been a PS3 household ever since the 60GB version came about so, with two pre-teens in the house, we were ripe for a PSP adoption. We actually bought the Ratchet & Clank Pack a few months ago because one of my kids was a fan of the game. Now, with 2 boys and one girl in the house, one PSP turns out not to be enough. We're on Hold for the Hannah Montana edition for our little girl but we had no choice but get the Rock Band edition for the one who just turned 'teen' last week.

The bundle costs a few more than the 'clean' PSP-3000 but, in our case, the convenience of getting it together with the game AND a memory card AND a downloaded movie justified the extra expense because the kid REALLY wanted both the PSP and the game and, if you add up all that you get with the bundle, you come out ahead this way.

The 'Pack' includes the following:

- The PSP 3000 itself in black
- 4GB memory card
- The game on a UMD disk
- A downloadable movie voucher
- Manual, promos, registration card, etc.

I couldn't discuss Rock Band myself because I don't really play Rock Band and my kid is still practicing so, see Rock Band Unplugged for absolutely EXCELLENT reviews from those who spent some serious time rocking on the PSP (I salute you). And here are the reviews for School of Rock (Widescreen Edition) (for the movie itself not for the PSN download).

Given the PSP's built-in Wi-Fi and its PS3 integration you can do quite a few things out of the box if you have Wi-Fi or a PS3 but, for a better gaming experience we ordered a 16GB memory stick and will be using the included 4GB on a camera because we are planning to store a few movies when taking it on the road. Movies take about 0.5GB.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
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I was surprised of how good and versatile and elegant this little console can be. It has most of the PS3 buttons, including one analog joystick, the display is large and bright, the resolution is good (480x272), and it responds quickly to controls. It appears to be solidly built. Unlike prior models, this one comes with a built-in microphone while the sound output can be either through the internal speakers or headphones (not included). After charging the battery, my kid was up and running and happy in no time. But, let me proceed with a more structured discussion.

STAND-ALONE OPERATION (DISCONNECTED)
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The PSP 3000 will play games or movies delivered on UMDs or off a Memory Stick card. In addition, it will display photos and play music stored on the Memory card.

NETWORKING AND INTERNET CONNECTIVITY
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The built-in Wi-Fi allows the PSP 3000 to access the Playstation Netowork and Playstation Store directly. Off the box, there is an Internet browser, a Search (the Internet) function, several Internet Radio applications and the ability to use the PSP as a Skype phone for as long as one has a Skype account and the PSP happens to be within the range of a Wi-Fi hotspot.

PS3 INTEGRATION
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After the PSP is paired with the PS3, the PS3 can 'push' video, photos, music and even PSP games downloaded from the Playstation Store when connected through a USB wire. When wireless, the PSP can basically take over the PS3 - actually display the PS3's own screen and display photos stored on the PS3, play music stored on the PS3. Movie play is not supported. Amazingly, you can access your PS3 remotely from anywhere in the Universe for as long as your PSP can access the Net via Wi-Fi.

When playing music, it's possible to play it on the PSP's own speakers/headphones or have the PS3 play it itself, the PSP therefore acting as a remote control device.

I suspect that additional capabilities exist that I am not aware of yet and we uncover new uses and new features all the time.

PC INTEGRATION
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Through a USB connection, the PC will see the PSP's memory card as an attached drive. This will allow for music, photo or movie files to be transferred directly to the PSP.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
----------------------
The PSP 3000 comes very close to being the perfect portable game-playing (and more) machine, at least in the Sony universe. Perfection would be achieved if the 'keyboard' interface were improved - it's awful now - if it had touch screen capabilities and if file transfers from the PS3 were possible wirelessly. Also on the wish list, I hope that there were more legal 'digital copy' movies available for the PSP. And Bluetooth.

PSP-3000 vs. PSP GO
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The question begs itself: how about a PSP Go? Well, in our case, the Go was out of the question because it wasn't available for purchase on our kid's birthday, because the price is a little to high - we have 3 kids - and because, at this time, we would rather keep our games on disks so that they can be easily shared amongst our tribe and won't be depended too much on our memory card's limitations. Of course, our concerns may not apply to everyone.

MY RATING
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For anyone into Rock Band, this is the perfect bundle. If Rock Band is not your game, then you are probably better off with a 'clean' PSP and then get your own memory card, games, movies, etc.

For what you get, it's a 4.5 stars plus, rounded up to 5.

________________________

Note:

It would be almost sinful not to protect your new PSP. We use PSP Logitech PlayGear Pocket - Slim. It doesn't have compartments to store UMDs or memory cards but it does wrap around your 3000 like a glove and, in my view, it provides the best protection.

I've owned every iteration on the PSP; the 1000, 2000, and now the 3000 model. I was always dissatisfied with the 1000, and 2000 models. The 3000 has fixed all of the issues I had with those models, and improved on them even more. The screen is much nicer in terms of both brightness and ghosting, the load times are faster, and it's lighter. I love it, and highly recommend.

I bought this for my son's 13th birthday. He'd use it almost every waking moment if we let him.

This bundle was a good deal because it came with a 4GB memory stick (many of the other bundles in this price range came with only a 2GB memory stick), as well as a game and a voucher for a movie. We chose the PSP 3000 over the PSP Go because I don't like that the PSP Go limits you to downloaded games - I prefer the flexibility of being able to buy games and movies on disks when we choose.

I was particularly impressed by the graphics for a portable system. The sound is good considering the limitations of built-in speakers on a handheld. But most of the time my son uses headphones (we had to buy those separately) for true stereo sound. The headphones also mean he can have the sound on while he plays in the car without bothering everyone else.

The controls will be familiar to anyone who has ever played a Playstation console - he mastered the basic use of the device within a few minutes. So far he is mostly focused on playing games. He still hasn't taken much advantage of its Internet capabilities or its use as a music player, but I expect he will soon...after he finishes playing Dissidia.

So far it seems durable. My son dropped it once on the kitchen floor, and it still works fine. It wasn't in a protective/shock-absorbing case when he dropped it, either.

All in all, it's an impressive handheld gaming system that I think he will enjoy for a long time.

My first PSP. I love it. I was not sure about Rockband. But it is one of favorite games on the PSP so far. I lucked out on Amazon before Christmas I got the bundle for 169.99. Amazon's prices flucuate so you have to watch carefully. I would not recommend downloading any movies (It takes too long and most movies are just under 2 Gigs of memory) instead just buy the UMD. Save your 4 gig card for free demo games on the Playstation network and full games. Games usually take from 70 MB (Pixeljunk Monsters)to about 700 MB(Ratchet and Clank-Size matters). Before you buy games check the memory required and if the file is large buy the UMD otherwise download it to your PSP memory. I would reccomend the PSP 3000 vs. the PSP Go for this reason and the fact that the 3000 has a larger screen.

Having played both the Nintendo DS and the PSP, I can say I enjoy the PSP much more. I purchased this particular bundle from Amazon and I haven't put it down since. The Rock Band Unplugged game is simple, yet fun. It's great for when you need a little mindless entertainment.

Graphics are top notch. I haven't seen any of the "ghosting" that others have spoken of and I have been playing some graphically intense games.

The controls are easy to use. If you've played any playstation game in the past 10 years, you'll have no problem adapting to this game.

Now for the drawbacks. Setting this thing up so I could download the free School of Rock was a MAJOR pain. I had to go out an purchase a mini USB cable because a regular USB won't work on this. Then I plugged it in and went to download the movie but it said I needed to update my system, but you have to download the file to the PSP by creating a file within a file. If it sounds complicated, that's because it is. Updating is very user unfriendly but once you get it done the first time, it'll get easier. The set up process took me about an hour.

So I downloaded the movie and it took me about 5 hours. Seriously. It was a little ridiculous and it has to be either the PSP or Sony's servers because I'm on a fast DSL connection. I haven't been able to use the wireless connection but I expect it will be similar, or possibly even worse.

Next, the headphone plug is in an awkward place. It's right on the bottom, meaning you can't hold the game at a natural angle when you're using headphones. It's not a major issue but it there are better places to put it.

My final opinion is that the PSP is well worth it. It's much better than the DS. One word of caution, though. If you're buying this for a clumsy kid, you might want to invest in an extended warranty. The back is molded plastic so the part where you put the UMDs is a bit fragile and probably wouldn't survive being dropped. other than that, I completely recommend it!

This is the best bundle you can find. The new PSP 3000 works fine.

I only had a problem with the movie. I tried to redeem the PlaystationStore Movie Voucher that you receive with the PSP, for "School of Rock". I followed the instructions, inside the Playstation Store I selected the "Redeem Codes" option and typed in the number I got.

The first time I entered the code I got a message saying it was ready to download; but the download process failed.
Then I tried to download again by reentering the movie voucher code.

I got an error message saying:
"The code you entered may not be correct or may no longer be valid. Please check your entries".

I sent many e-mails to SONY Support [...]. I explained the problem and provided them the details of my PSN account.
They did not help me, I could not download the movie. Poor service, very slow.

I've never owned a PSP until now and I have to say this is a great bundle for anyone that wants to jump into the PSP! I picked this up because I plan on doing a lot of traveling in the near future and wanted to take some gaming on the road with me.

In addition to the core PSP stuff you would normally get, you also get a 4 GB memory stick, Rock Band Unplugged, and a download of School of Rock off of the Playstation Network. If you were to buy all of those items separately you would end up spending much more than what they are charging for it. After buying this bundle you really only need to look for a travel case and/or a case to store the games in.

For the PSP in general, it's a great system. I own pretty much every other console out right now including the Nintendo DS. While I love my DS, this portable console offers more games for the older gamer, games that are a lot closer to playing a Playstation 3 in your hands. The graphics are great and the controls are very easy to pick up.

If you have been thinking about doing some portable gaming, I definitely recommend this bundle as a way to start. Have fun gaming!

Item was ordered as a Christmas present to for my grandson who lives in New Jersey. When I ordered it, I was told it would likely arrive a little late for Christmas. I was pleasantly surprised when it arrived in time to for me to mail it and have it be there at least a week before Christmas. My grandson was delighted with the PSP and I was very pleased with the service received from Amazon. I will definitely recommend Amazon to others and plan to use this service for future purchases.

This was my first hand-held---got the "RB" pack for $125, with no tax, so I jumped on it... Small annoyance is no wrist strap included? If you look in the manual, it shows the additional cords {purchased separately} and, it shows where the strap goes, and DOESN'T say "sold sep." So, where's the strap SONY?? I also think you should get a "USB" cable , too-- wall plug charging is kinda "old skool", don't you think?? Other than that, seems to be a decent HH, especially with a 4 Gb card.......Haven't got a chance to "introduce" it to my 60Gb PS3...soon!

I bought this game for my son's birthday. Apparently he loves and entertains himself. It is all it claims to be. thanks