[davesimondotcom]

My wife has to have IV treatments every few weeks, that take 5 hours in which she an really only sit in a chair. Her first one was Wednesday, and she got bored. She brought a few books but found it difficult to hold a book open with an IV in her hand.

So I was thinking about getting her a PSP so she could watch movies while she sits there. Two movies and she'd be done with the treatment.

I don't think she'd be able to play games very easily, at least not during the treatments, so that's why I'm thinking PSP and not a GameBoy or DS.

What I was wondering is what other people's experiences were with using the PSP as a movie platform. Money is tight (partially due to the treatments!) so I don't want to waste $200+ if the batteries would run out after one movie, or what have you.

Thanks!

[MacNStein]

How about a portable DVD player?

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.as...c=111&sp=1

A bigger screen, a little cheaper, probably better controls, and the best part is, you can use regular (and cheaper) DVDs.

[Eug Wanker]

I dunno, since I don't own a PSP, but I found this interesting:



P.S. I hope your wife is OK.

[ort888]

Portable DVD player is a much better buy in your case. Most of the movies available on the PSP are geared toward 18 year old boys and cost $20-$30 bucks.

[davesimondotcom]

Originally Posted by MacNStein

How about a portable DVD player?

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.as...c=111&sp=1

A bigger screen, a little cheaper, probably better controls, and the best part is, you can use regular (and cheaper) DVDs.

I thought about that, but she I was kind of turned off by the bulk, simply because she would be sitting there holding it in one hand in an easy chair. Her grip isn't exceptionally strong, especially on "bad days" and the PSP is light.

Besides, when she's not getting treatments, we'd have a PSP for games. LOL

[davesimondotcom]

Originally Posted by ort888

Portable DVD player is a much better buy in your case. Most of the movies available on the PSP are geared toward 18 year old boys and cost $20-$30 bucks.

Well, she does like movies where things blow up a lot.

And there is always rental.

My main concern is the battery life issue. Would she be able to watch 5 hours of movies without plugging it in?

[davesimondotcom]

Originally Posted by Eug Wanker

P.S. I hope your wife is OK.

That is an interesting find in Toast...

She'll be ok. She is being treated for Rheumatoid Arthritis, although they aren't exactly sure that is what she has. But she has a majority of the symptoms, and that is the current best guess.

PS - thanks for your concern.

[Chuckit]

If you don't want to play games, get a DVD player. PSP is way more expensive (between the system and the movies) for no benefit except the ability to play games and the downside of having a much smaller selection of flicks.

[goMac]

You could try a Palm Lifedrive and encode movies for it.

[ort888]

Can you rent PSP movies? Where?

[Albert Pujols]

Originally Posted by davesimondotcom

My main concern is the battery life issue. Would she be able to watch 5 hours of movies without plugging it in?

It should last 4 hours but I don't know if it will go for 5...plugging in shouldn't be that inconvenient, right?

The PSP sucks up a lot of its battery when it's reading off of UMDs. .

[ajprice]

Not sure how mac friendly these things are, but if a DVD player is too bulky, how about a hard drive based video player like an Archos www.archos.com

[davesimondotcom]

Originally Posted by ort888

Can you rent PSP movies? Where?

I've seen them at a local video shop.

[suvsr4terrorists]

Get her a library card.

[C.J. Moof]

If money is tight, an iPod Shuffle and Podcasts can add up to a lot of entertainment for the buck.

[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by suvsr4terrorists

Get her a library card.

Check out the original post:

She brought a few books but found it difficult to hold a book open with an IV in her hand.

[invisibleX]

Originally Posted by suvsr4terrorists

Get her a library card.

Didn't know you could watch movies on those.

[suvsr4terrorists]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...c&n=507846

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...c&n=507846

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...s&n=507846

All under $25.

[davesimondotcom]

Originally Posted by suvsr4terrorists

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...c&n=507846

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...c&n=507846

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...s&n=507846

All under $25.

All three of which require a table or desk to set them on.

It's not like I have to encourage my wife to read. She reads probably 4 books a week.

[budster101]

Rob,

If you don't stop it with the wisecracks, I'm going to have to send you some Hummer Literature this time.
You big wanker!

---

Get her the portable DVD player or an iPod 20GB.
Then you can get her some of her favorite books on CD and import them into iTunes for her!
She can close her eyes, relax, and listen to a good book to get her mind off of the boredom.

[ort888]

Get her one of these...

[suvsr4terrorists]

I wasn't making wisecracks. You said the problem with books was she couldn't hold them open. Instead of spending $250 on some piece of crap that plays $30 movies, why not just solve the original problem?

[budster101]

ort888 you are a sick bastard... she can't use that, she, wait, is this for him or her? never mind.

Rob, I'z just yanking your chain, yo. Chill mah bruthah.
You have a point about the movies in a round about Rob sort of way. I like the iPod idea better with the books. 5 hour IV Drip? I hope your wife is ok. A book on audio will go a long way.

Hope it all goes well for her. Is it chemotherapy?

[davesimondotcom]

Originally Posted by budster101

Hope it all goes well for her. Is it chemotherapy?

I have an iPod and a Shuffle, both of which she has free access to. Told her we can download some books.

It's not chemo. It's Remicade for R.A.

[suvsr4terrorists]

Actually, yeah. Go to the library, rent an audiobook, rip to AAC, throw on ipod. I love doing that. It's teh best way to read books if you don't have a lot of time.

[budster101]

Oh. Get her the Portable DVD player, and some great movies.

Does she like:

Bridget Jone's Diaries
My best friend's wedding
Sweet Home Alabama
Knotting Hill
Sabrina (old and new)
French Kiss
Pretty Woman

(Some of my wife's favorites)


Here is a link:
http://www.filmsite.org/chickflicks.html

[suvsr4terrorists]

Originally Posted by budster101

Oh. Get her the Portable DVD player, and some great movies.

Does she like:

Bridget Jone's Diaries
My best friend's wedding
Sweet Home Alabama
Knotting Hill
Sabrina (old and new)
French Kiss
Pretty Woman

(Some of my wife's favorites)

Wow. I feel sorry for you. My wife's favorites are:

Snatch
The Matrix series
Pirates of the Carribean
Dead Poet's Society
Boondock Saints
Amelie
Pulp Fiction

[budster101]

She likes those too. (Except Pulp Fiction)

[davesimondotcom]

Originally Posted by budster101

She likes those too. (Except Pulp Fiction)

Seriously? Your wife doesn't like Pulp Fiction. Damn, that's grounds for divorce in 23 states!

My wife prefers action flicks. She was a manager at Blockbuster in another life, and she doesn't like chick flicks so much.

I love her!

[budster101]

She's a nurse. She's not into that sort of movies. She did like "Resident Evil" though. Weird.

[Mastrap]

My wife likes Hitchcock. I groove to that.

[analogika]

Actually, it might be worth waiting for the September Macworld Expo in Paris to see what they're doing with the iPod platform in terms of video functionality.

[davesimondotcom]

Originally Posted by Mastrap

My wife likes Hitchcock. I groove to that.

Mine too... can't complain about that!