I have two or three, so let me just split it up.

-I'm wondering if I can extract the text from subtitle files? I'd like to take some lines from Zettai Kareshi or Tokyo DOGS, but I'm not sure of an easier way than manually typing it all out between pauses. I have the subtitle files for both of these series, but I want to put them into an SRS.

-Good place to download Japanese music? I'd like the new CD from Sayuri Sugawara (of FFXIII popularity) and maybe other artists, but it's generally difficult to find. I might be treading on thin ice here. Or music from Exile, I'm not sure. I know there's a music recommendation thread on the forums, but I don't know of a good and safe place to download such music.

-I know PS3 is region-free, but I just wanted to double-check. If I get an American PS3 and buy a Japanese copy of FFIX (PS1) it will work, correct? I also ordered FFXIII so hopefully I can have fun with that.

-Should I be worried if I still have trouble discerning words in books? I tried reading a book I have that is elementary enough to include furigana, but difficult enough so that I can't tell where one word ends and another begins. I've been studying Japanese for 8 months now (I really need to study more seriously, I've been slacking off), and am unhappy with my progress and negative thoughts.

Subtitles are usually text files that can be viewed in any standard text editor.

For music, try google. Try both japanese and romanized titles for what you are after, and try adding keywords like "download" or "torrent".

PS3, I have no idea. Last I head, only some models of the PS3 were backwards compatible with older titles. I don't own one though, so I don't know.

Just keep studying. I used to have trouble picking out words too, but you get better at it eventually.

Zarxrax Wrote:PS3, I have no idea. Last I head, only some models of the PS3 were backwards compatible with older titles. I don't own one though, so I don't know.

That's true only for PS2. Even PS3's without backwards compatibility can still run PS1 games to my knowledge. I just want to make sure I can order a Japanese PS1 game safely and have it workable on my American PS3 (that I will soon order).

Tokyo Dogs subs for you: http://www.d-addicts.com/forum/viewtopic_79117.htm

Zarxrax Wrote:Subtitles are usually text files that can be viewed in any standard text editor.

Actually they are usually binary bitmap files. Only (some) fansubs or OCR'd files are plain text.

Rooboy Wrote:Tokyo Dogs subs for you: http://www.d-addicts.com/forum/viewtopic_79117.htm

I already have the subtitles. I think I said that in the main post. Anyway I tried opening it in Microsoft Word and it worked, so I'm happy. Just on the first episode there are 75 delicious pages of Japanese subtitles (including timestamps), and hopefully I can build up the confidence to start working on it.

TheVinster Wrote:

Zarxrax Wrote:PS3, I have no idea. Last I head, only some models of the PS3 were backwards compatible with older titles. I don't own one though, so I don't know.

That's true only for PS2. Even PS3's without backwards compatibility can still run PS1 games to my knowledge. I just want to make sure I can order a Japanese PS1 game safely and have it workable on my American PS3 (that I will soon order).

It's true that the PS3 games are region free. Its also true that PS3's can run PS1 games, though most of the consoles can't run the PS2 games.
However, its not that the PS3 console ITSELF is region free. As far as I know, you can't play DVD movies not from your region, and I think the same would apply for PS1 games.

So yea, you should defiantly confirm first that it will play the game.

TheVinster Wrote:-I know PS3 is region-free, but I just wanted to double-check. If I get an American PS3 and buy a Japanese copy of FFIX (PS1) it will work, correct? I also ordered FFXIII so hopefully I can have fun with that.

You might want to look around GameFAQs or ask a question on the PS3 hardware board to make sure. The PS3's that were PS2-compatible were region locked for PS2 games, but I don't know how that applies to PS1 games.

Quote:-Should I be worried if I still have trouble discerning words in books? I tried reading a book I have that is elementary enough to include furigana, but difficult enough so that I can't tell where one word ends and another begins. I've been studying Japanese for 8 months now (I really need to study more seriously, I've been slacking off), and am unhappy with my progress and negative thoughts.

You shouldn't expect to be able to do that after 8 months of study; native books require good grammatical knowledge to know where words start and end. Particularly if you've been putting a lot of those 8 months into RTK, that won't directly help you parse Japanese.

TheVinster Wrote:-Should I be worried if I still have trouble discerning words in books? I tried reading a book I have that is elementary enough to include furigana, but difficult enough so that I can't tell where one word ends and another begins. I've been studying Japanese for 8 months now (I really need to study more seriously, I've been slacking off), and am unhappy with my progress and negative thoughts.

If you want to really depress yourself, try reading a picture book. No kanji. Words all squished together.

Books with furigana usually write a lot of words in hiragana that could be written in kanji. This makes a lot of sense of their intended audience, Japanese kids, who have the spoken vocab but have not yet learned the way it's written in kanji.

Eight months is an incredibly short time to start reading at the middle-school level. Give yourself a pat on the back and don't give up. =)

TheVinster Wrote:I know PS3 is region-free, but I just wanted to double-check. If I get an American PS3 and buy a Japanese copy of FFIX (PS1) it will work, correct? I also ordered FFXIII so hopefully I can have fun with that.

Only PS3 games and Blu-ray are region-free; PS2 (provided you have a backwards compatible model) and PSone games are all region-locked to the region of your PS3, so if you bought a Japanese version of FFIX and tried to play it on a U.S. version of a PS3, it wouldn't work. And while I would recommend you create a Japanese PSN account and download the game from the Japan PS Store, that game has yet to be released for purchase there (Only I, II, VII, and VIII as of right now). Of course all of this can be settled by simply getting a Japan model of a PS3 by which then you would be able to buy a physical copy of a Japanese version Final Fantasy IX and have it play successfully.

KREVA Wrote:

TheVinster Wrote:I know PS3 is region-free, but I just wanted to double-check. If I get an American PS3 and buy a Japanese copy of FFIX (PS1) it will work, correct? I also ordered FFXIII so hopefully I can have fun with that.

Only PS3 games and Blu-ray are region-free; PS2 (provided you have a backwards compatible model) and PSone games are all region-locked to the region of your PS3, so if you bought a Japanese version of FFIX and tried to play it on a U.S. version of a PS3, it wouldn't work. And while I would recommend you create a Japanese PSN account and download the game from the Japan PS Store, that game has yet to be released for purchase there (Only I, II, VII, and VIII as of right now). Of course all of this can be settled by simply getting a Japan model of a PS3 by which then you would be able to buy a physical copy of a Japanese version Final Fantasy IX and have it play successfully.

Is it true that the PS3's blue-ray player is region-free? If someone can confirm this, I'd be very happy. If that's true, then I'm buying me some blue-rays!
But seriously? I always thought it was region-locked...

Zorlee Wrote:

KREVA Wrote:

TheVinster Wrote:I know PS3 is region-free, but I just wanted to double-check. If I get an American PS3 and buy a Japanese copy of FFIX (PS1) it will work, correct? I also ordered FFXIII so hopefully I can have fun with that.

Only PS3 games and Blu-ray are region-free; PS2 (provided you have a backwards compatible model) and PSone games are all region-locked to the region of your PS3, so if you bought a Japanese version of FFIX and tried to play it on a U.S. version of a PS3, it wouldn't work. And while I would recommend you create a Japanese PSN account and download the game from the Japan PS Store, that game has yet to be released for purchase there (Only I, II, VII, and VIII as of right now). Of course all of this can be settled by simply getting a Japan model of a PS3 by which then you would be able to buy a physical copy of a Japanese version Final Fantasy IX and have it play successfully.

Is it true that the PS3's blue-ray player is region-free? If someone can confirm this, I'd be very happy. If that's true, then I'm buying me some blue-rays!
But seriously? I always thought it was region-locked...

Sorry about that, I think I made to big a generalization by saying that. The U.S. and Japan both share the same blu-ray region, so you would be able to play Japanese blu rays on an american PS3. For more info on how other countries stack up, refer to this:

http://www.molen.ca/kenneth/images/blu-r..._large.png

Ah! Thank you for clearing that up! =)
Guess I'm screwed with my EU PS3 then - guess I'll stick to the games for now!