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Can I use an open public wireless wifi network with my Sony PSP?

omg~~~!!!!! help dave......i have gotten songs on to my sony psp and i dont have wireless internet... so when i go to play the song it says "WMA playback is not enabled. Go to [settings] > [system settings], and select [Enable WMA playback] to enable this feature.

So when i go there it lists the user agreement and i agreeded and it says the system will connect to the internet to enable WMA playback the only option is to say ok it goes to your network connections. . . .but i dont have wireless internet... so if i go to a cyber cafe will i be able toggle this setting so i can play music?


Dave's Answer:

I still don't fully understand why Sony made it such a pain to play Windows Media Audio (WMA) files on the Sony PSP device, but doubtless it's due to some legal license agreement with Microsoft, which owns the actual WMA file format. That's why you have to "agree" to some legal mumbojumbo to be able to play WMA files. Honestly, I prefer just sticking with MP3 audio format as it's so darn easy to use.

(By the way, you can convert WMA to MP3 format if you're so inclined. See: Convert WMA to MP3)

So, can you go to a public wireless network and use the connection to surf the Web and enable WMA on your Playstation Portable (Sony PSP)? You bet.

The trick, however, is that many wireless networks aren't just open and ready to go, but have a license and terms of services you must accept before you can use the network to connect to the Internet. If that's the kind of network you encounter, you will need to go through all the usual steps to connect to the network (see connect your Sony PSP to the Internet) and then go into the Web browser and accept their terms of service agreement before you can actually accept that goofy WMA agreement and play music on your PSP.

If you can't get that to work, try a few different places and see if you can find one that actually does have a completely open network without any restrictions. In my experience, it's about 50/50, with some cafés forcing you to agree to their "no hacking, you!" terms of service and others wide open, ready for you to immediately go online and play / have fun / surf like a madman.

Good luck and welcome to the occasionally frustrating world of Sony PSP ownership. Since you're here, you should also check out all the PSP help we have here on the site. Over 50 helpful tutorials!


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Categorized: iPod, Sony PSP and MP3 Player Help   (Article 7807, Written by )
Tagged: playstation portable, psp internet, sony psp
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Reader Comments To Date: 6

Michelle Hunt said, on July 15, 2008 7:05 PM:

I have a mac and just added window vista to it. I have no trouble getting wireless online from public places with the leopard but am unable to get online through the windows. Is there a way to use the public wireless connections from windows?

ross said, on July 17, 2008 4:50 AM:

dave,
when trying to surf net i get connected to the wireless network in my house no bother but am having difficulty viewing a lot of sites, you tube etc as the psp flags up a message saying i have not enough memory, i have a 1gb memory stick in my psp, do i need a bigger one? also i am having diddiculty allowing pop ups on some sites, can you help??

emad said, on August 25, 2008 4:14 AM:

my psp wont conect to the internet i dont relly no how to conect it i have wireless internet but i need help, what do i do???

afzxsfbgd said, on September 16, 2008 2:49 PM:

what the somthingt is wrong with my psp

i cant wacth movies

Briana Farag said, on October 9, 2009 6:59 PM:

More of a question,isnt love a techanical thing...its hard to hack...yet its easy to get a virus and distroy you......im not tying to say that you cant answer this question or anything...im just a 13yr old wanting to know.....dont i have a right to know? So my question is how do you hack into peoples hearts?

bboyrichard said, on June 13, 2010 4:06 PM:

It said
A connection error has occurred
The connection to the access point timed out.
What should i do?

Starbucks coffee cup I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you, Dave, for all your helpful information by buying you a cup of coffee!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!











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