Every movie file (MP4) on your PSP is associated with a small THM file. That THM file is the image that appears next to the movie file in your video listing section of the PSP. In this comprehensive guide we explain how to create your own custom THM file so that the video listings on your PSP can look as cool as the movies themselves. This is an easy and trouble free enhancement that even beginners can make to their PSP.

Introduction
Image Requirements
Creating Images
Saving the Image
Examples
Guide Summary < Advanced Users skip here! 

Introduction 

If you create your movies using a tool such as PSPVideo9 you'll already have noticed that it automatically creates a THM file in addition to the MP4 movie file. Transferring this THM file to your PSP with the movie file means you get an image next to the movie. The problem is that PSPvideo9 will make that image by grabbing the first frame of the movie - more often than not, this is a less than perfect image to represent the movie in your listings., sometimes it's just a black rectangle!

It would be far better to have an image that is immediately recognisable as representing a particular movie. Here's how to make your own THM image so you can quickly and easily recognise any movie in a long list, and at the same time enhance the eye candy on your PSP.

Image Requirements

The image can be created using your favourite image processing application, for most users this will be Paint Shop Pro, Photoshop, or GIMP - any will do.

The images itself must be created to the following dimensions

Creating Images 

To find an appropriate image you can either make one yourself, or do what I do and let Google help! Simply type a search phrase for your image into Google Images and you'll be presented with pages of images to choose from. Select the image you would like to use, and copy it to your paint programme.

Now zoom in on the area you would like to use (remember the thumbnail image is going to be small, so don't pick an area with too much detail on it). Now cut that area out (using a "crop to selection" tool) and resize it to the dimensions stated above. You may have to trim the image to make it the exact size required.

Now that you have your new thumbnail you may wish to add a border or enhance the colours using your favourite photo application filter. For example you might like all your images to be colourised to one colour, or blurred, etc.

Saving the Image

When you are happy with your new image we need to save it with the correct filename. Look at the filename for the movie in order to correctly name your thumbnail. It has to have the same name as the movie file in order to be associated with it, but with a THM extension instead of an MP4 extension.

See the table below to see an example of how your thumbnail should be named in accordance with the filename of the actual movie.

In order to do this, firstly save your image as a jpg file, then rename it by editing the extension and changing it from .jpg to .THM. This is easily and quickly done in Windows Explorer. If you have file extensions switched off, you can enable them in Windows Explorer options by clicking on the Tools menu and selecting Folder Options. From there click on the View tab and uncheck the "Hide extensions for known file types".

When you save the jpg file it is advisable to compress the image quality by up to 25%. This will present you with a smaller file to transfer to your PSP with hardly any noticeable depreciation in quality. The ideal file size would be well below 10Kb.

Now transfer both the MP4 and the THM file to your PSP and you are done!

Examples

Here are some example jpg files, you can use these by saving them and renaming them if you wish.

    

Guide Summary

Here's a recap of the procedure for beginners who have read the full guide, or a fast track guide for advanced users looking for precise details.

• Image should be 160 pixels wide x 120 pixels high, resolution: 72 pixel/inch
• File should be a saved jpg image renamed the same as the movie filename but with a THM extension.