Use your PSP as an additional monitor under Windows


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Below is a video showing a program package lets you use a Playstation Portable as an additional monitor under Windows. The program is called PSPdisp and you will need either slim or phat model running a custom firmware to try it out.
PSPdisp

This program package lets you use a Playstation Portable as an additional monitor under Windows.

Quick jump to: Information : Requirements : Installation : Compiling the source : Possible enhancements : Demo video : Download : Contact

Information

So what is this about? Well, it basically gives you an additional monitor with a 960x544 resolution (four times the area of the PSP display). There are four components working together, on Windows a display driver, an usb driver and the interface application which captures the screen, compresses it and sends it over USB to the PSP. On the PSP side there is an application that decompresses the frames and displays them. All settings are adjustable from the Windows side, the PSP really only acts as a passive display.

Requirements

PSP: Either slim or phat model running a custom firmware (tested on CFW 4.01 M33).

PC: Reasonably modern PC (Pentium 4 / Athlon64 or above) running a 32 Bit version of Windows XP. It may work under Windows 2000, but it is untested. 64 bit versions are not supported, as well as Windows Vista. I would like to provide a Vista version but it will probably never happen due to the changes in the display driver model regarding multi-monitor support.

Installation

Windows application, drivers, etc.

# Download the installer below and execute it.

# When it comes to the display driver installation, Windows will warn you that the driver is unsigned, let the setup program install it anyway.

# After setup has finished, open your display settings and enable the new monitor then move it to the position you like.

# Connect your PSP and copy the files from the "psp" folder in the installation directory to the memory stick.

Compiling the source

The whole project needs three different compilers / IDEs, fortunately all of them are available for free on the net. Note that the setup process for them will take a while and is rather involved.

The display driver needs the Microsoft WDK (Windows Driver Kit).

Building the Windows application requires Borland Turbo Delphi.

The PSPSDK (PSP toolchain) is needed for compiling the Playstation Portable application. I use the PSPSDK for Windows.

Possible enhancements

There are quite a lot actually:

# Make an installer that can create hardware nodes and therefore install the non-plug-and-play display driver (maybe from the devcon source)

# Use information from the display driver to only redraw "invalidated" parts of the screen.

# Reduce CPU usage by using other compression methods (or do parts of the compression on the GPU).

# Make the application survive the unplugging of the PSP while the display function is enabled (currently hangs the application both on Windows and the PSP).

Demo video

A short video demonstration is available on Youtube and embedded below. It shows the relative smoothness of the Winamp visualisation and the transparent integration into windows. Also features switching between stretched drawing and mouse following mode.

Download

This software is licensed under the BSD license. Download is available as a zip archive, includes full source code and binaries or as an installer which performs all necessary steps.

Download: http://jjs.at/software/pspdisp.html

Source: http://forums.maxconsole.net/showthread.php?t=127583

Video:

Pretty cool bit of homebrew, shame at no vista/64-bit support.

Anyone want to try and give it a go?

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I have to say, I'm finding it hard to find a practical use for this :p I suppose one would be to have the magnifier on the PSP screen maximised and then it can view everything zoomed in on the bigger screen (which would be great for stuff like photoshop or those with hard of hearing, having a zoomed in and zoomed out perspective without it taking up any more screen space.

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Because it can be done?

That just sealed the deal, excuse me while I go mug some old ladies and stab my testicles with a plastic fork because it can be done (Y)

Sorry there needs to be some sorta' practicality behind things or else it just seems daft and you know what? This is daft.

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That just sealed the deal, excuse me while I go mug some old ladies and stab my testicles with a plastic fork because it can be done (Y)

Sorry there needs to be some sorta' practicality behind things or else it just seems daft and you know what? This is daft.

LOL

Well, maybe we could find a use for this. I mean they managed to use the PSP for mirrors in F1 on the PS3 :p

But I doubt we will.

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That just sealed the deal, excuse me while I go mug some old ladies and stab my testicles with a plastic fork because it can be done (Y)

Sorry there needs to be some sorta' practicality behind things or else it just seems daft and you know what? This is daft.

Just homebrew devs showing off their skills.

I appreciate that, however unpromising the actual practicality. This is more of a gimmick, but I guess you could use the PSP as a sort of mini dock, to store icons/other crap you don't want on your main screen/task bar.

If you watch the video, you can move the screen around/zoom in (stretch). Not just a static image.

Comparing this to mugging an old lady is just daft (N)

Edited by Audioboxer
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I have to say, I'm finding it hard to find a practical use for this :p I suppose one would be to have the magnifier on the PSP screen maximised and then it can view everything zoomed in on the bigger screen (which would be great for stuff like photoshop or those with hard of hearing, having a zoomed in and zoomed out perspective without it taking up any more screen space.

Here is already a perfectly practical use.

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- Umm ... it would have been absolutely great if the tranfer used Wifi instead of USB. A simple use would have been to monitor your downloads and/or new emails, RSS feeds, instant messages while not in front of your computer. Anyway, the effort is not pointless and hopefuly someone will use this in a more usefull way.

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I guess if you were really desperate and didn't have a monitor at all, but for regular use not very helpful...

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- Umm ... it would have been absolutely great if the tranfer used Wifi instead of USB. A simple use would have been to monitor your downloads and/or new emails, RSS feeds, instant messages while not in front of your computer. Anyway, the effort is not pointless and hopefuly someone will use this in a more usefull way.

You can already do Remote Connections over Wi-Fi, it's not exactly the same as a second screen, but still, it's there.

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- Umm ... it would have been absolutely great if the tranfer used Wifi instead of USB. A simple use would have been to monitor your downloads and/or new emails, RSS feeds, instant messages while not in front of your computer. Anyway, the effort is not pointless and hopefuly someone will use this in a more usefull way.
That can already be done, PSPVNC.

I wish this worked on Vista :( It's fun to set up and you can use it to display stuff like gadgets, media info, irc I'm not sure how easy it is to read at 960x544 though.

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There is also a homebrew development out there that aims to use the PSP / DS / Whatever as a SideShow device.

First thing that came to mind: laptop with a PSP duct tapped in the back :laugh:

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Wow you guys are kidding right?, there are so many applications for this that it makes me cry that i cant use it under Vista x64

1) Put Winamp's main window and playlist on it so you can always see the next song that is coming and the playback, while still having a full screen application running on your main monitor... (Eg. Play GRID on the PC and have your own music in the background, you can see what song follows)

2) While playing single player games on the PC, you can have a Notepad open on the PSP with a FAQ or strategy guide.

3) Weather widget, CPU/Mem Utilization, Email checker, etc * 100

4) Photoshop or other Tools that allow you to move panels, you can put the panels in the PSP's screen and have your entire screen for your Project's Preview

5) MSN, Skype, IRC, etc, etc

And so many others, i want it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Because it can be done?

For some reason that reminded me of that chapter of the Big Bang Theory where the boys make all the lights maneuverable through the internet, just because "it can be done" :p

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What if I want to extend my Vista desktop using my Motorola Z3 mobile phone?...

"One geek is not enough"

"Never say never, geek"

"Geek with golden gun"

"From Russia with Geek"

...etc

There is also a homebrew development out there that aims to use the PSP / DS / Whatever as a SideShow device.

SideShow is dead. Forget about this.

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What if I want to extend my Vista desktop using my Motorola Z3 mobile phone?...

"One geek is not enough"

"Never say never, geek"

"Geek with golden gun"

"From Russia with Geek"

...etc

SideShow is dead. Forget about this.

I don't think so.

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