PSP MusicBox — Category

I have just put up a Paypal donate button on the PSP MusicBox page. For kicks, I’ll even put it here (it works now):

Please note, that the software is still free, and always will be as long as I’m around. I’m just putting it there so then if you ever feel like supporting a poor student, you can. I develop the software in my spare time, which is why development tends to be slow. But you are all happy with 2.0 now right?

I have been hard at work on the new version, due around Christmas sometime (hopefully) or even sooner. The guy testing the product has had some positive stuff to say about it, which is good. Speed is a big one, and this one is faster. It is a complete rewrite of the software, so it is still in the process of getting up to the point where version 2.0 is now, though it isn’t too far off.

Oh, and if you want to test version 3.0, just leave a comment for me (with your e-mail in the e-mail field) and I’ll get back to you.

I’m looking for anyone who is interested in helping out PSP MusicBox. It won’t be anything to do with programming. More feedback, opinions, trying out new versions and being apart of some army to try and promote it. If you’d be interested, then feel free to leave a comment or e-mail daniel [dot] mckenzie [at] g[nospam]mail [dot] com (or click the e-mail link to the right). I’ll be interested to see what the response to this would be.

The re-rewrite of PSP MusicBox 3.0 is trucking along. Some new stuff has been implemented (for real this time), with more being planned, and possibly a new direction to it.

Sony released version 2.7 of the firmware, with little word from the websites I regularly read. Don’t worry though, I found out. And here is a quick update to support AAC files. Currently, it supports copying AAC, M4A and M4P files. I’m not entirely sure if the PSP does support these files, and apparently AAC support has been in since 2.0 from the sites I’ve read. PSPMB will automatically rename M4A files to AAC for you. If any of these files actually don’t work, then please comment here and I’ll remove it, or if you know which file formats it does support then tell me too. I haven’t moved over to 2.7 yet, I probably will however but not just yet. While I don’t use homebrew much, I do like the option of being able to use it.

To enable AAC support, check the “I have 2.70 installed” box on the General tab.

Also fixed in 2.0.2 is the infinate deletion hierarchy bug.

More information and download

(In other news, PSP MusicBox 2.0 has been downloaded over 500 times since its release!)

Funny how its version number has been bumped up three times now, but PSP MusicBox 2.1/2.5/3.0 is roaring along. I’m sure there is meant to be an assignment I should be working on, if that is the case I don’t know about it.

Basically the GUI and general background framework has been setup or planned. PSP MusicBox 1.x and 2.0 started becoming a mess to work with because the code wasn’t organised at all (that’s what I get for it being my first .net project). In the current form, PSPMB 3 doesn’t quite do anything as far as its main function is concerned. All the surrounding work is being done first. As said, this is being built from the ground up, and as PSP MusicBox 1.0s ground was to actually get it to sync, 3.0s ground is everything to get it to do that. It’ll all be worth it as it will be a lot more functional, especially if you have a very large music collection.

As per the recommendations of my friends, I’ll be reprogramming PSP MusicBox in C#. Well, maybe not completely reprogram (.net C++ and C# are quite similar). Good things should come of this. It will have another new interface to make it more expandable (unlike the tabs). The main stuff was being rewritten anyway, so really it is no skin off my bone.

The 200 downloads mark was broken a couple of days ago. I’m pleased that people are getting it, but whether they are using it is another thing. I guess not hearing much about it is good news as there isn’t much wrong with it.

As you may (or may not) know, University has started again so time to work on PSP MusicBox is quite limited. It isn’t to say I am dropping the project, I’m just telling you that the next version will take a little longer than I had anticipated. Quite a bit is being done to it (hah! To think that putting in podcasting support would be easy) so yeah. WMA tag support is harder than I thought too, but I have been trying to put in better Tag Guessing to make up for it.

Just remember I’m the only one working on this (unfortunately, none of my friends have a PSP) so yeah. Spread the PSP MusicBox word!

I’ve been thinking recently about what I should do. Considering the feedback I’ve recieved, I have made tag guessing and full WMA tag support priority for the mean time. This will be the main focus of the next version.

I have also been thinking about other things that might come in handy.

• Podcast support. It won’t be a podcatching program, it will depend on another program to do this, but it could manage the podcasts on the PSP. I know that firmware 2.6 has podcast support built-in, however:
  • Not everyone has upgraded to 2.6 purely because of homebrew software.
  • Doesn’t it require you to be in a WiFi hotspot the whole time (because it streams)?

  Either way, podcasting could be put in.

• The next idea was to let you choose what music you would like to put on the PSP. The requirements for the podcasting above would pave the way for this to be implemented. It would be as easy as right-clicking the song you want and clicking Sync To.

All these are ideas for now. Does anyone else have any ideas or suggestions for what PSP MusicBox should do?

There was a bug found in the tag guesser whereby it would stop synchronising. This has been fixed in version 2.0.1.

Download

I did find time between The Sims to finish off PSP MusicBox 2.0. It seems no one had any problems with the preview, however it has been polished off and given a help file (featuring an update checker too). There are a number of new features:

* [New] Replace only a percentage of songs
* [New] Rename music and put in groups automatically
* [New] Diagnostic checkbox stops PSP checking and unlocks drive combo (for when PSPMB picks up wrong drive)
* [New] *Recreate music list checkbox to delete all music in a single session (turns off automatically)
* [New] *A useful help file (and the Help button works too)
* [Fix] Bug in syncing prevented WMAs (Windows Media) from being included in selection list
* [Fix] Will no longer hide all the time, only when specified (with /hide)
* [Enh] New window format
* [Enh] No “PSP disconnected” message if device wasn’t a PSP
* [Enh] Prevent the “I’m still running” message from showing
* [Enh] *Deletes empty folders in MUSIC folder
(* new since preview)

Go get it!

I’ve just compiled a preview of the next version of PSP MusicBox, which I’m calling version 2.0. There are a couple of major new features that just need a little bit of an extra test and tweak. Feel free to use it normally, just remember that if you come across any bugs to report them (comment on this post, there is a link in the program).

New features include automatic rename and grouping, and the ability to only replace a certain number of songs. I use it all the time now as those features are really cool.

Just remember to tell me if you do have any problems.

Download now (267kb)