Finally deactivated (and reactivated) PSN video content for PS3

So I checked out the PlayStation Store on PS3 to see the Golden Week deals, and then I saw Ip Man 3 was available.  I wasn't even going to bother considering renting it until I saw it was in the original Chinese language with English subtitles. And it was, so then I started looking into finally reactivating my PS3 for video content.

I haven't bought video content from the PS Store since 2011 when my first PS3 broke. I tried sending that PS3 out to get reballed and they couldn't do it. And I really, really didn't want to call to deactivate for video content. Back then you couldn't even remotely deactivate your consoles for video content, let alone game content. And you couldn't even redownload your purchased videos! Then Sony allowed us to deactivate all our consoles for game content once every six months through their Web site. Some time later, Sony allowed us to redownload our videos and stream them; I guess they realized that their video service really was the worst. With this new feature, I was able to download and view my purchased SD videos on Media Go from my laptop. But remote deactivation for video content was still impossible.

Some more searching and I found this link:

https://support.us.playstation.com/articles/en_US/KC_Article/Deactivate-Consoles-Via-PC-Website

This in particular caught my eye:

• If you only want to deactivate games or video on one system and not all of your systems, you must do that via the console you wish to deactivate. If you don't have access to that console, please fill out our Console Deactivation Web Form to request a deactivation. 

So I clicked the link, filled out the form (I still had that first PS3 to check for the serial, and I wrote down the serial number somewhere on Google Docs just in case I never got the PS3 back), and at long last I was able to deactivate that dead PS3 for video content. The email came within an hour or two, but it said all my consoles were deactivated again, for game and video content. Luckily for me it really has been just over six months (my brother got me my newest PS3 sometime in October as an early birthday present), so no problems with reactivating.

I might never download videos from the PS Store ever again (because Amazon seems to have more and better content, cheaper, and available on more devices), but it's good that something I've been concerned about for the last five years is finally resolved.

So I made a joystick for my PSPgo...

http://forums.shoryuken.com/discussion/comment/10714857/#Comment_10714857

More notes:

Turns out the broken PSP that I thought wasn't broken (because my official charging cables really did charge it) really is broken; it wouldn't work with the component cables. Either messed up colors with a direct connection, or not at all through the dock. So to completely cover my bases, I'm going to have to get another PSPgo (black, preferably) because you can only sync a Sixaxis/Dual Shock 3 to one device at a time, and the PSPgo can only pair to one controller. As cool as the AXISdapter stick is, there are still some games that are best played with a controller, and I know Final Fantasy Tactics actually requires the analog to rotate the screen.

The plan was to have the "broken" PSP hold all the PS1 and PSP games that were best played with a stick, and my original, main PSPgo will be paired with a Sixaxis as usual. But there's no point in me playing on the tiny PSPgo screen with a stick, so I'll have to get another, working PSPgo which now go for around $80 to $100, even without the cables.

But at least my plan of having dedicated PSPgos for critical save points for save state abuse in Einhander is one step closer.

Been playing my Wii a lot lately...

And all because I finally got a component switcher. It's a GE 73344 4-Way Switch, which is the best you can get; it's four inputs, non-powered, and picture quality remains unaffected. The Wii component cables (and the original Xbox component cables, apparently) are just so hard to plug in and take out, and I dreaded having to pry them out of the DVDO Edge. Usually the PS2 and PSP take the first component input in the Edge, with the Dreamcast taking the second component input for VGA-to-RGBHV.

Because I wanted a Wii controller with turbos, I got a Mad Catz Tatsunoko VS Capcom Wii arcade stick on eBay for just under $50 shipped all the way from Canada. My Toodles TE Kitty already has Gamecube compatibility, but some games (Mega Man 9, Samurai Shodown Anthology) don't accept Gamecube controllers and I wanted to cover my bases.

Searching for Wii hidden gems, I discovered Sin & Punishment: Star Successor and I knew I had to get it immediately. And without even playing any of the other highly acclaimed Wii games, I can safely say that it's the best game on the Wii by far.

So right now on I'm on a Wii buying spree. I bought a Wii MotionPlus Adapter and its silicon cover for about $10 shipped -- really for no reason at all as I don't have any compatible games and outside of Nintendo's own offerings I'm not really interested in playing them. The bigger controller just looks cool, IMO.

Then I bought WarioWare: Smooth Moves which is what you'd expect from a WarioWare game. I'm currently waiting on Rhythm Fever Heaven, Kirby's Epic Yarn, and the Wii's supposed crown jewel, Xenoblade Chronicles. I'll pick up Wario Land: Shake It! and Donkey Kong Country Returns maybe next month.

Up next, all those weird Raphnet adapters.

Hassan, Poet Laureate (of this blog)

She's like an angel, wrapped in an angel, stuffed in an angel. Served on top of a bed of angel feathers.

-- Hassan, Hell's Kitchen, "11 Chefs Compete"

Sync Shiat

I only recently found out that I have an RGB setup after all with my DVDO Edge, so I took a closer look into getting the proper RGB cables.

Now of course even a total idiot knows that Euro SCART and JP-21 cables aren't compatible (and such a mismatch can instantly fry your XRGB-3), but I still get the multiple names confused.

Here they are from best to worst, in the order I most commonly hear them by:

1. Best:  csync, aka
• composite sync
• raw sync
• pure sync
• boosted sync
• SNES sync SCART (on your retro_console_accessories cable)
2. About as good: sync on luma, aka
• luma sync
• luma as sync
• luma for sync
3. Least best: sync on composite video, aka
• composite video as sync
• composite video for sync
• composite video + sync
• SNES SCART (on your retro_console_accessories cable)

TLDR: 

You want: csync 

When you have no choice: sync on composite

References:

RGB103 :: Demystifying RGB & Sync - MY LIFE IN GAMING

RGB SCART Sync Guide - https://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/

New phone gets me playing Final Fantasy Tactics again

A while back I noticed my iPhone 5 battery pushing the screen out, but the phone was still functional. That is until I made the mistake of putting my phone in my pocket. Eventually the screen wouldn't turn on anymore, so I had to wait until I switched to T-Mobile for a new phone -- iPhone 6s. Not a 6s Plus, which is fine because I wanted the smaller phone... which is still bigger than the 5... but I'm not hating the newer, bigger size. And, heck, Touch ID is damned cool. But to even use the phone, I had to go online to disable two-factor authentication and then make new security questions.

So while I was re-adding my apps (apparently that's the one thing Restore doesn't restore), I decided to try the iOS version of Final Fantasy Tactics again. And it's still fun; it's based on the PSP War of the Lions version, but without the slowdown (kinda; they just sped up everything), without the PSP multiplayer functions, and with a soundtrack sounding more like the PS1 version (good) and touch controls (bad).

That just made me want to play the PSP version again, but there were two major annoyances with it:

1. The slowdown during actions. I knew there was a patch that eliminated it so I finally got around to installing it and it was easier than I thought. There is also an "unstretch" patch that shrinks the game back to 340x240 but that just made the text harder to read. Though to its credit that patch keeps the cutscenes in widescreen. 
2. No soft reset. The PS1 version had it, and you'll want to do it anytime a battle doesn't go your way or you get in an unwanted random battle. To get around this, use Game VSH Menu.

Both work on the latest 6.61 PRO firmware, which supposedly has less plugin support. But these (and RemoteJoy) are the only ones that matter, so I'm happy.

Links:

• Latest PSP official firmware
• Latest PSP custom firmware (link to 6.61)
• Game VSH Menu
• Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions PSP slowdown patch

Annoyingly, with a PSPgo running CFW, the Bluetooth pairing of a Dual Shock controller is lost during the XMB. It'll activate only when a game is running. There's no patch that adds the reverb effects for the music in the PSP version, so it still sounds little better than an SNES game. And there's no patch for adding back in the battle quotes, despite them still being in the Japanese version.

I'm still probably going to get the Japanese PSP version while it's on sale on the PS Store, but I've read the most advanced port is on Android devices because the graphics are redone -- at least a little bit. Perhaps I'll get an Android tablet just for FFT and the other Final Fantasy remakes. Looking online, I just missed a half-off sale so I'm not in any hurry to get the tablet.

So I made my own RJ-45 cable.

Kind of a big deal to me, anyway...

http://forums.shoryuken.com/discussion/comment/10392471/#Comment_10392471

Long story short, get yourself the more expensive Ideal brand (YouTube demo) because it is absolutely goddammed impossible to get the wires in the proper slots otherwise. They're about $18 for 25, which is really all anyone needs. I got 100 of the regular kind for $10 and I can't use any of them.

Some more tips:

• Try to keep the exposed wires 1 inch, no more, no less. With some cables (particularly Nintendo), the first and last slots can be extremely difficult to thread the wire through, so if you  want to "give up" with one wire at one end, you can just push the sled into the main piece and it'll still look and crimp OK. 
• If you can't thread the wire through the liner hole, strip the wire and thread the copper, then pull. I used to be afraid it would pull the copper from the connector end and it wouldn't work anymore, but that hasn't been a problem.
• If the wires go through easily (like when I was using the USB cable that came with my Mad Catz FightStick), the wires can actually shift holes in the liner if you're not careful. Best to start with shorter wires (1 inch, or maybe 3 centimeters tops) and thread carefully.
• To ensure the crimping really does keep the thicker insulated cable in place, consider wrapping that part of the cable in electrical tape before inserting and crimping. 

Is it RJ-45 or RJ45? I dunno.