I use my PlayStation Vita every day and the majority of the time it acts as an MP3 player to keep me entertained with podcasts and music. My daily commute usually involves firing up Super Stardust Delta then switching over to the music player and listening to a podcast whilst I game.
Due to the limited space on the memory card I only keep twenty or so MP3s on my device, usually the latest podcasts from Radio One and Five Live, the TSA podcast, a couple of random tunes and half finished versions of tunes and mixes I am working on so I can listen to them and decide what needs changing even though I’m not in my studio.
This Sunday I’m jetting off for my two weeks holiday and to complicate matters further I have recently moved, which means I have no internet access until Virgin install my new broadband connection.
As I knew I would have no internet connection before I moved I fired up iTunes and downloaded a plethora of podcasts, tunes and audio books and spent a good few hours carefully selecting the perfect playlist for the 22 hour flight to Hawaii.
The move went well and I have spent most of this week unpacking and arranging my life. Last night I finally got round to setting up my computer and thankfully it had survived the journey and sprang merrily to life.
I connected up my Vita, wiped a couple of demos off the memory card to clear some space for my holiday playlist, fired up Content Manager and…
[drop2]“You must be connected to the internet to use Content Manager”Obviously that cannot be true, I must have misread the message so I try again.
“You must be connected to the internet to use Content Manager”
I will not describe what happened next but it did involve questioning the parentage of Sony and the use of colourful and fruity language.
You cannot use Content Manager for PlayStation Vita unless you have an internet connection.
That means I cannot transfer my holiday playlist to my Vita and for the next month I am stuck with the same couple of podcasts and a smattering of half finished demos.
This is utterly, utterly ridiculous.
There is not a single reason why Content Manager needs to talk to the internet when all I want to do is transfer a rare remix of ‘Ooh Ahh Just A Little Bit’ by Gina G to my console.
Why on earth does Content Manager need to talk to the internet? Surely not to check for a software update, all the other Vita apps work without being online. Frankly it’s rather worrying, are Sony gathering data on what I transfer to my Vita?
I do love my little PlayStation but I use it for music more than games and this stupid requirement has left me with a multimedia brick for the next month. There is no way on hell I am sitting on an aircraft for 22 hours without music – so there is only one thing to do.
I’m going to go and buy another iPod and do you know what Sony? It will transfer all my music to the device without being connected to the internet. The Vita will be left at home and the money I was going spend on Vita games for my holiday will be spent on iTunes instead.
Do you know what will happen when I come back from holiday, Sony? I’ll keep the iPod in my pocket as it’s smaller and my Vita will be left at home. I won’t be using it every day and I sure as hell will be buying fewer games for it.
I suspect the Vita is going to sit on a shelf at home and gather dust. To be honest it’s somewhat of a surprise it still exists, I could have thrown the damn thing against a wall I was so annoyed last night.
Epic fail Sony, epic fail.
stueeeee
I only have a small selection of music on the Vita for emergencies, this does sound a bit of a weird problem however. I can c how it may b for piracy but it’s only music, and surely it will just communicate with PSN next time it does connect to the Internet?
Btw does anyone know…I have the USB power setting ticked, yet when I connect vita to a USB device, it doesn’t charge?
colmshan1990
It should be turned off for USB charging. iPad is the same.
pvwradtke
Actually, to register an iPod Touch and start using it, you also need internet connection for iTunes. At least that happened to me when I bought my 4th generation iPod Touch.
ziggurcat
no, you idiot… sony is not gathering information.
frankly, i stopped reading (what is probably the most whiny, inane article i’ve come across) after that.
get over it.
Alex C
There’s definitely checks going on to ensure that files copied over are ‘ok’. This is presumably just games and DLC, but there’s definitely an ‘automated’ check.
Spying? Probably not.
Tuffcub
General concensus its to stop piracy. To do that the CM must be sending file names, sizes etc over to server in Sonysville to check if they match a pirated game, hence the need for an internet connection..
.. but that doesnt explain why it needs an internet connection to transfer MP3s – unless data on those is also transmitted?
Alex C
Can you copy music over directly using the ‘music’ app?
Tuffcub
No.
ziggurcat
forgot to add:
how do you think you are able to connect to, say, your PC or your console through content manager to be able to transfer files? magic? do you honestly think that an electronic device connects wirelessly to another device without some kind of internet connection?
you really are stupid…
Alex C
With the wire you get with the Vita?
Tuffcub
Er yeah.. using the USB cable?
What was that about being stupid?
JesseDeya
Can’t tell if trolling or genuinely that dumb. :/
bunimomike
Latter, definitely.
stage1
http://cdn.memegenerator.net/instances/400x/25009014.jpg
JesseDeya
If its stops/slows piracy I’m all for it. Inconvenient sometimes, but for the greater good.
It has to include ALL files because I suspect CM Isn’t looking at the transferred files per se, but at the Vita’s core file structure to check for tampering. With proprietary memory cards, the only way pirates could transfer copied games over (in the event Vita is cracked) is by USB, hence the absolute requirement for CM.
Sorry TC, I have to ask the obvious question, if you’ve got no Internet how did you post this article ;).
Colinbarr66
Work or public WiFi probably. If all his music is stored on his home PC then he can’t transfer it on to his Vita, so having Internet elsewhere to post this isn’t really going to help him with his problem.
Tuffcub
Work.
XisTG
I did not know about that. It is indeed quite a stupid flaw. I mean, I can see the need for that in games (and even so, it’s a bummer), but for mp3? Even iTunes, which sells music, doesn’t need it!.
But all in all, you did well buying an iPod, if music and podcasts are your thing you’re better off with one of those anyway.
The Lone Steven
So the Vita, a portable multimedia device that is designed to be portable doesn’t allow you to transfer songs from your PC to your Vita unless you are connected to the net. Why? I understand why they would do it with games but music? Bit of a middle finger to those who want to listen to music on their Vita. But the article does seem a bit unneccessary imo. Feels like a forum thread would have down and what the hell is up with some of the reactions on here?! :O
threelions_66
Not entirely related but Hawaii is my favourite place, Big Island is amazing
bunimomike
Whilst the article feels a bit “1st World Problems” it’s also a very good insight into how we, as consumers, can be put off something that we often find truly staggering. A device that potentially hard-earned cash might buy but then have it floor us with inane design or some sort of technical flaw that causes capillary-bursting rage.
Their loss, TC. You enjoy your iPod. Welcome to Sheeple-land :-p
Tuffcub
Haha :) I’ve had quite a few ipods in the past, they are excellent for music.