If I were to go out and buy a PS3 this fall...

[Omamder5]

I did see the post with all the info on the PS3, but surfing through all that information still doesn't tell me very much, and most of the links are old and don't work, as far as I can tell.

I was wondering what a PS3, if I were to buy one this November, can actually do apart from play games. Is the online similar or different to Live? What kind of media capabilities does it have? Which version should I decide to get? I'm completely lost in the world of Playstation.

 

[gtone339]

http://us.playstation.com/

 

[Coxis]

I was wondering what a PS3, if I were to buy one this November, can actually do apart from play games.

It only does everything.









Ok, I use it mainly for Blu-Ray playback and gaming, and to show off my pictures when friends come over. In truth, you can't expect much from a gaming console because most everything will always be better on a PC. Having said that, the PS3 is MUCH more than a gaming console, it's you who decides how to employ it.

 

[Tornado]

Is the online similar or different to Live?

Similar. Not quite as good, and not as many features, but also free.

What kind of media capabilities does it have?

It plays every video format of note except mkvs (easily fixable) and avi/mp4 files encoded in a certain (rare) way (not so easily fixable). I have a lot of experience with it, and while it isn't as good as dedicated media center computers, it is pretty good for the most part. It also plays games, which most media center computers aren't really capable of.

Here's a big list from Wikipedia.

Which version should I decide to get?

CECHAxx.

But seriously, the Slims are fine. Unless you want an early model, I wouldn't bother with the Phats at this point. With that in mind, you might as well just get the 120GB model and upgrade the hard drive yourself if you want more space.

 

[Golfman]

A number of reason's why you shoul get a PS3, but here are a few:

1)It playes Blu-rays out of the box
2)Almost all the pheripherals operate via bluetooth
3)It has Wi-Fi connectivity so you can utilise a wireless network
4)It is the most powerful console of the current generation
5)It is more reliable than the Xbox 360
6)It's online play is FREE
7)It plays all your DVDs/CDs, and can upscale your DVDs to 1080p(HD)
8)It has better exclusives than any other console
9)Sony-exlusives apps like Home and Vidzone
10)All the games come on Blu-ray discs, so the capacity is far greater than that of the Xbox 360's HD-DVD discs. This makes for potentially bigger games that the 360 couldn't cope with without swapping discs over.

Disadvantages? Not many but they are:
1)Online service, while free, is slower and not as good as Xbox Live
2)It is harder to program for, which is why some third party titles seem graphically inferior to their Xbox/PC counterparts. But the quality exclusives make up for that, and games are not just about graphics.
3)Pricewise, it is coming down but it is still more expensive than the Xbox 360
4)For some reason, some PS3 games are still more expensive than their Xbox counterparts, even the same game released on the same day.
In this country anyway.

Generally, 5 years ago if you were to ask what console to buy, even I would have recommended the Xbox 360. But things have changed, and you would be a fool not to go for the PS3.

 

[FoolKiller]

I did see the post with all the info on the PS3, but surfing through all that information still doesn't tell me very much, and most of the links are old and don't work, as far as I can tell.

I was wondering what a PS3, if I were to buy one this November, can actually do apart from play games. Is the online similar or different to Live? What kind of media capabilities does it have? Which version should I decide to get? I'm completely lost in the world of Playstation.

The online, depending on what you are doing, is both similar and different from Live. What few speed tests I have seen done seem to be a case of "your mileage may vary" depending on home setup, location, etc. I do see a lot of people complain about PSN being slow, but that is commonly in reference to things like firmware updates. The slow perception, as far as I can tell, is because the PS3 basically reloads the entire firmware with each update while the 360 just adds the relevant changes. As for gaming online, I see little difference, other than cost. The cross-game chat that the 360 has is not available on the PS3, so you can only chat within the game you are playing.

There are a few minor feature differences that may or may not matter to you in regard to PSN vs Live. I haven't found any that matter to me.

PS3 does have a web browser, although its functionality on certain sites is dependant on what version of Flash is being run on that site. Mainly I use it for playing Pandora right now.

As for media capabilities, it is a great media center. I have a 500GB external USB hard drive hooked up to my PS3 that I have moved a large number of my DVDs over to, including TV shows and movies. Pulling videos from the Internet can be tricky as very often people will convert using a codec not recognize by the PS3 but then package them into a container like AVI or MP4, when that isn't actually what they are. And sometimes they are just packed weird and don't want to work properly. I used to get around this by just converting everything via PS3 Video 9, but now use Dr. DivX. DivX will maintain the surround sound properly, and I haven't tested it, but I think it will convert subtitles too.

And the PS3 is an official DivX device now so you can register it with DivX and buy movies through them if you prefer it over the PSN Video store.

It will also read most digital audio and picture files.

The PS3 can also do media streaming from a computer shared on your network, although it seems that many have had issues with this and there may be a degree of how your system is setup as to how well it works.

And of course, Blu-Ray movies. The PS3 is also already prepared to play 3D movies, if that matters to you at all.


If you are buying a new one I suggest going ahead and getting the 120GB models as those are the cheapest new models on the market.

One huge advantage I find my PS3 has over my 360 is that I was able to switch out my PS3's hard drive with a third party 320GB drive.

 

[H20HYBRID_GT]

I don't think PSN is slower, but that depends on your network probably.
However I find it much less annoying than Live... there are just to many adds/ categories.
Also I have way more friends on PS3 than on 360, I think people on PSN are actually more friendly.

 

[Omamder5]

Thank you guys for the great replies, that's really helpful.

I wasn't sure whether the 120GB Slim was the base model, but I think I'm going to be aiming for it. I see no need to get a larger hard drive, unless it's possible to throw files from my PC onto it using a USB stick or some other method. Since I will likely only be buying GT5 (perhaps a few other games), 120GB should be just fine.

I never was a fan of Blu-Ray, mainly because I don't have a stellar tv, and it probably wouldn't be a huge difference over 720p DVD's anyways.

Off topic, but does anybody know the difference between 'True HD' LCD TV's that cost upwards of 2500 dollars, and my TV, a 47 inch 1080p HDTV from Vizio that retailed for around a thousand bucks?

In any case, I'm sure the PS3 will look great on the TV, as the Xbox looked fine. One last question; does the 120 Slim come standard with an HDMI cable?

Thanks.

 

[FoolKiller]

I wasn't sure whether the 120GB Slim was the base model, but I think I'm going to be aiming for it. I see no need to get a larger hard drive, unless it's possible to throw files from my PC onto it using a USB stick or some other method.

Yes, it is possible to do this.

I never was a fan of Blu-Ray, mainly because I don't have a stellar tv, and it probably wouldn't be a huge difference over 720p DVD's anyways.

my TV, a 47 inch 1080p HDTV from Vizio

Sure, that's not top of the line, but it is good enough (I have a 42" 1080p Vizio). A Blu-Ray with a lot of effects will by far blow away a DVD (which are not 720p - DVD is, at best, 720x480, or 720x576 in PAL. 720p is 1280x720). I am picky as to which kind of movies I feel are worth Blu-Ray and which are just a DVD purchase. If there isn't a lot of effects going on a DVD upscaled on my PS3 to 1080p is fine.

Off topic, but does anybody know the difference between 'True HD' LCD TV's that cost upwards of 2500 dollars, and my TV, a 47 inch 1080p HDTV from Vizio that retailed for around a thousand bucks?

True HD is just a marketing term for 1080p. Those TVs may have a higher refresh rate, better contrast ratio, or just use fancy terms to up their price. Vizio is a good and reliable brand that kind of caught other manufacturers off guard by producing good and reliable HDTVs for a good price.

In any case, I'm sure the PS3 will look great on the TV, as the Xbox looked fine. One last question; does the 120 Slim come standard with an HDMI cable?

No, it only comes with A/V composite cables, unless they recently changed that. Bundles may include an HDMI cable. But if you go to monoprice.com you can get an HDMI cable for dirt cheap.

 

[Omamder5]

Thanks, that's some great info.

I'm thinking I'm going to buy my PS3 on eBay; I saw a 120 GB Slim for around $230, Buy-it-now. I'd rather pay that than the 300 bucks base for retail.

Again, thanks for the comprehensive information.

 

[Golfman]

Apologies when I said that PSN was slower. I meant that it is more fiddly than Xbox Live, what with the constant updates etc. Microsoft, with their bigger budget, make Xbox Live a more friendly service. But the other advantages of owning a PS3 far outweigh this. PSN is still great, and it is FREE!

 

[Tornado]

Generally, 5 years ago if you were to ask what console to buy, even I would have recommended the Xbox 360. But things have changed, and you would be a fool not to go for the PS3.

5 years ago you would have had to buy a 360.

 

[kikie]

And.... don't forget the TV Tuner Sony developed for the PS3. If/when Sony decides to release this tuner world wide, it's even possible to record TV programmes directly onto your PS3's hard drive.

 

[Omamder5]

But if you go to monoprice.com you can get an HDMI cable for dirt cheap.

Have you ordered from there? The website looks great, and the prices really are dirt cheap.

However, I've heard about websites similar to this one that has ripped off so many people that it's ridiculous. They came to have a reputation for being scammers. If anybody has any experience with this site, then I wouldn't mind looking into that.

 

[FoolKiller]

Have you ordered from there? The website looks great, and the prices really are dirt cheap.

However, I've heard about websites similar to this one that has ripped off so many people that it's ridiculous. They came to have a reputation for being scammers. If anybody has any experience with this site, then I wouldn't mind looking into that.

I have used them twice. They are a legitimate site. I have received two HDMI cables and 50 foot of ethernet cable from them. My dad has bought three HDMI cables from them and my brother bought two HDMI cables and some ethernet cable.

Other members on here have used them as well, as they are how I discovered the site.

 

[Omamder5]

Allright, well thank you for pointing that site out. I might even buy a VGA switcher, because we are constantly unplugging and plugging in 2 different VGA cables, to switch between the moniter and TV for the computer. The cheap HDMI cables are great though.

I might even buy several HDMI cables, because they're so cheap that you might as well buy a couple spares if one breaks.

 

[Golfman]

Allright, well thank you for pointing that site out. I might even buy a VGA switcher, because we are constantly unplugging and plugging in 2 different VGA cables, to switch between the moniter and TV for the computer. The cheap HDMI cables are great though.

I might even buy several HDMI cables, because they're so cheap that you might as well buy a couple spares if one breaks.

Be careful. Don't go for the cheap ones because they won't work. I recently bought a standalone Blu-Ray player (just to give my PS3 a rest between gaming - and the fan is a pain when trying to watch movies), but it wasn't supplied with an HDMI cable. Thought I could get away with a cheap one.

Unfortunately, I found that the one I got simply didn't work with both my new BR player or my PS3. I have SKY+HD as well, and found that the only set up that worked was to keep my PS3 cable connected as normal, but to use the Sky cable for the BR player, and the new cable only worked with my Sky+HD. Even then the picture quality on both my Sky system and the BR player isn't as sharp as my PS3. I think when buying an HDMI cable, go for the medium - high end ones if you want a quality HD picture.

My TV is a 46" Samsung LCD. My PS3 HDMI cable, which cost me £30, gives a razor sharp picture on all 3 systems. I am going to invest in another 2 good quality cables.

 

[Northstar]

Be careful. Don't go for the cheap ones because they won't work. I recently bought a standalone Blu-Ray player (just to give my PS3 a rest between gaming - and the fan is a pain when trying to watch movies), but it wasn't supplied with an HDMI cable. Thought I could get away with a cheap one.

Unfortunately, I found that the one I got simply didn't work with both my new BR player or my PS3. I have SKY+HD as well, and found that the only set up that worked was to keep my PS3 cable connected as normal, but to use the Sky cable for the BR player, and the new cable only worked with my Sky+HD. Even then the picture quality on both my Sky system and the BR player isn't as sharp as my PS3. I think when buying an HDMI cable, go for the medium - high end ones if you want a quality HD picture.

My TV is a 46" Samsung LCD. My PS3 HDMI cable, which cost me £30, gives a razor sharp picture on all 3 systems. I am going to invest in another 2 good quality cables.

All HDMI cables are the same, sounds like you just got a defective one.

 

[FoolKiller]

Be careful. Don't go for the cheap ones because they won't work. I recently bought a standalone Blu-Ray player (just to give my PS3 a rest between gaming - and the fan is a pain when trying to watch movies), but it wasn't supplied with an HDMI cable. Thought I could get away with a cheap one.

Bad cables happen despite price. The only difference between cheap HDMI cables and expensive HDMI cables is price.

Also, if your PS3 fan is getting loud enough to be a disturbance during movies I suggest cleaning the vents and/or making sure it gets good air circulation. I hardly ever hear the fans on mine and never over my TV, even with it turned down low enough to not wake a baby. And that is with a 60GB model bought six months after launch.

 

[Golfman]

All HDMI cables are the same, sounds like you just got a defective one.

If it's defective then how come it works with my Sky+HD? The maximum resolution for SK+HD is 1080i - it doesn't go to 1080p. I'm guessing that my cheap cable wasn't designed for 1080p, unlike my other 2 cables.

 

[Omamder5]

If it's defective then how come it works with my Sky+HD? The maximum resolution for SK+HD is 1080i - it doesn't go to 1080p. I'm guessing that my cheap cable wasn't designed for 1080p, unlike my other 2 cables.

Can anybody confirm or deny this?

I just found out that my laptop has an HDMI-out, and could make the whole RGB-PC thing a lot easier. I'm still thinking of buying some hDMI cables, so if there are any problems with them, I'd like to know.

 

[Northstar]

If it's defective then how come it works with my Sky+HD? The maximum resolution for SK+HD is 1080i - it doesn't go to 1080p. I'm guessing that my cheap cable wasn't designed for 1080p, unlike my other 2 cables.

Defective just means it doesn't work like it's supposed to, it can still work. Resolution also doesn't make a difference as HDMI just sends a digital signal so it's all the same(unlike composite cables which send a static signal).

 

[FoolKiller]

If it's defective then how come it works with my Sky+HD? The maximum resolution for SK+HD is 1080i - it doesn't go to 1080p. I'm guessing that my cheap cable wasn't designed for 1080p, unlike my other 2 cables.

If the problem is that your cable wasn't designed for 1080p then it isn't an actual HDMI cable as defined by HDMI.org. HDMI version 1.0 was designed for all video signals up to 1080p.

It seriously sounds as if your cable has some sort of issue or is not properly compliant with HDMI standards.

Can anybody confirm or deny this?

I just found out that my laptop has an HDMI-out, and could make the whole RGB-PC thing a lot easier. I'm still thinking of buying some hDMI cables, so if there are any problems with them, I'd like to know.

I guess being sure that you are purchasing from a reputable source is a good idea. Monoprice.com is a wholesaler that makes many of their own products and offers a lifetime guarantee. They are recognized by the Better Business Bureau and have been recommended by publications like The New York Times, CNN Money, Gizmodo, and Engadget.

The main thing I notice they avoid doing that are included on cables in stores is unnecessary shielding (like gold plating) being added to HDMI cables. Gold plating does nothing for a digital signal.

The one thing I can suggest when buying HDMI cables is to be sure to get version 1.3a or newer (1.4 recently came out). All versions are backward compatible, so a newer version than you need only ensures you won't miss out on features on new hardware in the future. The PS3 is HDMI 1.3.