Xbox360 or PS3?

[musicman1999]

I am looking to ad a game console to my set up with it's main use being playing music and video files from my PC.I believe both devices are capable of this and I just thought i would throw it out there and see if anyone else is using either of these for this and what there experiences have been.I have a Bluray player already so the PS3's ability to play those is not an advantage.

bill

[kexodusc]

I am looking to ad a game console to my set up with it's main use being playing music and video files from my PC.I believe both devices are capable of this and I just thought i would throw it out there and see if anyone else is using either of these for this and what there experiences have been.I have a Bluray player already so the PS3's ability to play those is not an advantage.

bill
For music and video playback from your PC, unless all of your file formats are proprietary windows files, I would recommend the PS3, definitely. You can load other operating systems on it depending on your willingness to tinker - that just provides a new world of multimedia possibilities. As a media player it has far more potential and no vendor lock-in, which is good. I think the 360 can support some other file formats, but I've had a hard time figuring out how to stream FLAC, .avi, etc. Doesn't seem to want to do that. Guess it depends what format your music and videos are in.

Now, if it comes to playing games or taking advantage of the on-line offerings, I would recommend the 360. If you don't know your way around setting up a home network, the 360 is probably easier to configure with the integrated Windows setup tools, and that shouldn't be overlooked. I dunno how many PS3 owners install Linux on their consoles. I'm going to when I get mine, but for a lot of people that's going to be a few hours of effort they just don't care to take on. And if you don't have a big library on your computer yet, you could just as soon use the WMA/WMV formats for your multi-media needs and have no problems anyway.

To be honest, if it was me, I would decide what you want to use this thing for.
If it's just to play music/movies from your computer and gaming isn't really your thing - buy a barebones PC and save some money. You'd probably get better results towards that goal.
If you plan on gaming more than just a bit - the 360 would be my choice. A healthy mix of both - well, the PS3 might do the trick.

[GMichael]

Well, there you have it. A definite "depends" answer. But a good one none the less. Both are very good units. Which is better depends on your needs.
Another great answer from the Kex man.

[musicman1999]

Thanks Kex

That's more or less what I'm looking for, i have a home network already and i do want to play
games.One other thing can all models of each console stream media, i have heard that the 40gig PS3 is missing some features as well as the base 360 model.
Getting any snow up there today, it seems to have stopped here.We only got about 3 inches but thats a lot for us, i don't think we got more that a foot all last winter.

bill

[Groundbeef]

I would take a good look at a 360. I have one, and am very pleased with the media functions of the unit.

I have a "media center" laptop, and the 360 and it communicated easily from day one without a hitch.

I run all communications through my wireless router (360 is hardwired-better for online gaming) while the laptop is wireless. Setup took about 5 minutes, making sure to setup the laptop to accept the 360's advances.

One of the nicer functions is having pictures from my computer slideshow on my TV when family is over. I can also feed in music from either the 360 HD, or also stream that from the laptop. All of my music files play without a hitch, although they do need to be in "media center". If you want to use your IPOD, you need to feed the signal in from a USB on the 360. It will take a 1 minute d/l (free) from MS to make the 360 Ipod compatible, although I believe its now already capable. When they came out initially the 360 wouldn't recognize a Ipod.

If you have a Zune, the 360 has additional capabilties, but I don't know the specifics.

In December, MS will be adding support for DiVX, and another video format.

Hands down the 360 kicks the PS3's ass in D/L material. If you live in the States (Canada is coming soon. Probably by Jan/Feb) you can d/l movies, TV shows, Demos, and a host of other content. Not to mention game content.

If you are looking for games, the 360 also kills the PS3. Sony has lost most of its "exclusive" titles with the exception of Metal Gear Solid.

I'd go for the 360. PM if you need any more info.

[kexodusc]

In December, MS will be adding support for DiVX, and another video format.

Hands down the 360 kicks the PS3's ass in D/L material. If you live in the States (Canada is coming soon. Probably by Jan/Feb) you can d/l movies, TV shows, Demos, and a host of other content. Not to mention game content.

If you are looking for games, the 360 also kills the PS3. Sony has lost most of its "exclusive" titles with the exception of Metal Gear Solid.

I'd go for the 360. PM if you need any more info.

If you have Windows XP media center or Vista, you have more capabilities - and if MS is adding DiVX and other formats, that's a huge boost. Good on them. Wasn't aware of that. GB, got any moe info on which formats will be supported?

I'll definitely second the Xbox live's download content being a plus. Even though we don't have it yet :( (soon, though, soon).

It really was super easy to configure though like GB and I have said - that's a bonus. I have it hardwired to my wireless router for now. If my brother can do it, anyone can do it.

Wish I could figure out how to make my macbook synch up with it though.

Yeah, if gaming is going to be the primary use of the console, I'd lean towards the 360, especially since you already have a BluRay player. If there's some PS3 exclusive games you really need to get, you can always wait until the thing comes down in price. I confess to being extremely happy with my 360.

I shovelled my driveway at 11 PM last night, woke up at 6 am and had to do it again. We easily have a foot of snow here in Freddy Beach. Of course, Kex's luck puts his driveway at the most windy point on his street and his driveway accumulated about 3 feet of snow.

I'm very sore and grumpy today. But the snowmobile comes out tonight, so all is good :cornut:

[Groundbeef]

Looks like Canada and Europe are getting XB Video Marketplace on December 11. I was wrong in the previous posting speculatin Jan/Feb.

MS just dropped this today. Here is the link:

http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/12/04/xbvm-launches-in-europe-and-canada-dec-11th/

DiXV and Xvid are the new media formats supported on the "Fall Update". This is dropping on the 360 starting today. When you access the internet, it will auto install for you.

Here's the link:

http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/11/30/dash-update-deets-revealed-divx-support-child-account-and-live/

[bobsticks]

Hey bill,

If you have an opportunity to sit in a room with an XBOX I suggest that you do. It has been my perception that you can be kinda demanding on equipment, which is a good thing, and while the 360 is probably more user friendly it's fan is significantly louder than any other piece of gear I've had. You may find this disconcerting. I do.

Cheers

[Groundbeef]

Hey bill,

If you have an opportunity to sit in a room with an XBOX I suggest that you do. It has been my perception that you can be kinda demanding on equipment, which is a good thing, and while the 360 is probably more user friendly it's fan is significantly louder than any other piece of gear I've had. You may find this disconcerting. I do.

Cheers

That may also depend upon the time of purchase. The older units used a larger chip 90nm, and the new units are using a 65nm chip. Also bigger heat sinks, have reduced the amount of air blowing over unit to cool.

Newer units are also using a different DVD player, than older units. My unit does make a bit of noise spooling up, but once the data is in play, it quickly quiets down.


I don't hear it during movies, ever as its been updated to be "quiet" during movies. If you haven't gotten online to update, I would encourage you to do so. It's free, and only takes a few minutes. Might help. Only during gameplay have I heard a perceptual jump in noise as the drive jumps to different areas on a disk.

Also, if you use the HD-DVD drive for movie playback its quieter still.

Just a counter point.

[kexodusc]

Hey bill,

If you have an opportunity to sit in a room with an XBOX I suggest that you do. It has been my perception that you can be kinda demanding on equipment, which is a good thing, and while the 360 is probably more user friendly it's fan is significantly louder than any other piece of gear I've had. You may find this disconcerting. I do.

Cheers

Yeah, I compared mine to my brother's. Mine is the newer, supposedly (hopefully) cooler running model. It's definitely a lot quieter fan wise than his, but it's still a wee bit noisy at times...and by wee bit I mean noisiest gear I have. Usually the fan runs idle or low and I dont' hear it, but at peak noise, it's definitely noticeable.

It doesn't run as hot to the touch though. Dunno about the actual insides, but I'd say it's a safe bet. Maybe MS revamped these for the better?

Not to downplay the concern of noise level, but I don't notice during playback, only during the initial loading stages on boot or new game chapters,etc. Still, I suspect it could drive some crazy. At first I was worried mine was abnormally loud. No, they're just louder than older generation consoles.

I dunno if the PS3 is any quieter or not. I wouldn't not buy an xbox 360 because of the fan noise though. YMMV.

[bobsticks]

Fair enough and thanks for the tip. I'll check it out later and report back.

Beefy's right by the way, Mine's one of the older units, so this may now be a non-issue.

[kexodusc]

Looks like Canada and Europe are getting XB Video Marketplace on December 11. I was wrong in the previous posting speculatin Jan/Feb.

MS just dropped this today. Here is the link:

http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/12/04/xbvm-launches-in-europe-and-canada-dec-11th/

DiXV and Xvid are the new media formats supported on the "Fall Update". This is dropping on the 360 starting today. When you access the internet, it will auto install for you.

Here's the link:

http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/11/30/dash-update-deets-revealed-divx-support-child-account-and-live/

Woo hoo!!!...Yes! YES!

[musicman1999]

Hey bill,

If you have an opportunity to sit in a room with an XBOX I suggest that you do. It has been my perception that you can be kinda demanding on equipment, which is a good thing, and while the 360 is probably more user friendly it's fan is significantly louder than any other piece of gear I've had. You may find this disconcerting. I do.

Cheers

Thanks for the heads up on that, a buddy of mine has one so i am going to test drive this weekend and i will check that out.

bill

[musicman1999]

I shovelled my driveway at 11 PM last night, woke up at 6 am and had to do it again. We easily have a foot of snow here in Freddy Beach. Of course, Kex's luck puts his driveway at the most windy point on his street and his driveway accumulated about 3 feet of snow.

I'm very sore and grumpy today. But the snowmobile comes out tonight, so all is good :cornut:

Sorry to hear about the snow, we did get maybe 3 inches.You guys always seem to get a lot more than we do.
Just got my 5 free blurays today so i am good for a few nights of movie watching.
I am probably going to do the game console around xmas, xbox is in the lead i think,also gives me the option of getting the HD-DVD drive in the future.

bill

[Woochifer]

As a media center, the selling points for me on the PS3 are its SACD support, HDMI 1.3 support, audio and video upsampling, and out-of-the-box Blu-ray playback.

Some of the media server applications out there include transcoding capabilities (which adds other formats that the console does not natively support) and will also support OS X and Linux (these programs also work with the Xbox360). I'll probably more seriously look into these options when I add a NAS drive to my wireless network and upgrade the router (waiting for Apple to add NAS support to Leopard and the Airport router).

[N. Abstentia]

Xbox 360 is the obvious choice here.

[snodog]

I wouldn't do the xbox 360 if you are looking for good quality sound. I really thought it was terrible when listening to regular audio cds. My five year old sony dvd player sounded better. I am NOT at all trying to sell ps3 here but I ended up getting one and the sound was remarkably better. I like the fact that you can also use it as a general purpose machine for media as well as a pc browser. The 360 was limited to having a pc with media center and only then share files and not use it as a browser. Another good thing about the ps3 is the built in Wifi feature that unless things have changed you have to buy one for the xbox which I think is around $100. I dont know I have owned both and am now liking the ps3 much better as far as design goes. As far as Bluray vs HD I think I liked the HD format better. Hope that helps

[musicman1999]

I wouldn't do the xbox 360 if you are looking for good quality sound. I really thought it was terrible when listening to regular audio cds. My five year old sony dvd player sounded better. I am NOT at all trying to sell ps3 here but I ended up getting one and the sound was remarkably better. I like the fact that you can also use it as a general purpose machine for media as well as a pc browser. The 360 was limited to having a pc with media center and only then share files and not use it as a browser. Another good thing about the ps3 is the built in Wifi feature that unless things have changed you have to buy one for the xbox which I think is around $100. I dont know I have owned both and am now liking the ps3 much better as far as design goes. As far as Bluray vs HD I think I liked the HD format better. Hope that helps

Wi-fi is a must as it will be used to connect to my home network.As for sound quality, it is always important but it wont be used to play discs of any kind(except games of course)
so cd sound is not an issue, i would expect it to be bad.

thanks
bill

[kexodusc]

Wi-fi is a must as it will be used to connect to my home network.As for sound quality, it is always important but it wont be used to play discs of any kind(except games of course)
so cd sound is not an issue, i would expect it to be bad.

thanks
bill

Yeah, MS really dropped the ball on not integrating the wifi, and dropped it again on the pricing for their antenna. When USB antennaes can be purchased for $10, $100 is a hard pill to swallow. Even the freakin' wii has it built in I think. I really hate MS more often than not, but damn there's some wicked fun games on the 360 and they have done a great job with Xbox live.

If you're really set on the wi-fi option, there are work arounds. You could buy a bridge, or use one of the many "travel routers", though they introduce additional hardware pieces and require more outlet connections. There's a few out there that are very attractive solutions for "future proofing" your HT system though because they accomodate up to 4 connections at once, and they aren't locked in to just working for the 360, which is nice. When I looked, solutions ran anywhere from $40-$80 cdn, a bit better than the $125 cdn the official adapter would set ya back. Personally, I would recommend the ethernet cable and if it's possible.
I decided to buy 30 feet of ethernet cable and tuck it behind the base trim in my rooms - saved me a good chunk of cash and probably was a bit quicker to do because I didn't have to fight with figuring out how to configure my current Wireless network. Gamers tell me this is the preferred option for performance consistency, no dropped connections, etc. Though my home network works pretty well so I doubt it's really any better than the wifi option.
We use a Linux box, a Macbook and a laptop with Vista on our home network but the network is Linux based, which means XBOX doesn't see them on the network by default. I have managed to make the Xbox talk to my non-windows machines, and sharing files/media works flawlessly.

Hmm, on the sound issue - I dunno what to say, except it doesn't sound any worse than my Arcam CD player, though I assume the receiver is actually doing the DAC and the 360 just sends the info? I know my mp3's sound great - don't think there's Flac support yet though, not sure about apples lossless. I don't use wma-lossless so I can't comment on that. Maybe the PS3 has a better internal DAC. It also plays SACD's as I recall?

[snodog]

I am not sure why my 360 sounded so horrid when playing an audio cd. I wonder if anyone else experienced that? I did have the add-on HD dvd player connected via a VGA cable to my tv and when playing a regular dvd it did a spectacular job on upscaling the disc. Strange thing is though without the VGA cable capability on your tv it looks awful (same for PS3 watching regular dvd)
One other thing to take into consideration is noise. While the 360 has a massive power supply built onto the cord (about the size of a brick) it is also very loud when a game or disc is running. That is the first thing I noticed with the ps3 is how quiet it is. Again I am not an advocate to either. Both systems are enjoyable and while the Xbox has some better games and the live online site is laid out better, for sure the PS3 is a much better designed system. Let us know what you end up with.

[N. Abstentia]

The only reason the 360 would sound bad would be if you have crappy DAC's in your system, since the 360 connects digitally.

[snodog]

Well then perhaps it was the 360 itself that was not working properly since I have used a digital cable for the PS3 the 360 and my dish network box. I have had no other problems with the sound on anything else which leads me to believe it was the xbox.

[N. Abstentia]

What kind of DAC's does your system use?

[snodog]

N. Abstentia, I am not certain, whatever Marantz uses.