PS3 vs Standalone

[L.J.]

This was posted in another thread, but I thought I should bring it out since I'm curious what others think of this. RR6, I'm not trying to put you on the spot or anything...I was gonna do a thread already and thought this would be a great first post.


I'm an old fart and don't know a PS3 from a PT109. However, some of these reasons below are definitely legitimate and objectionable for me and eliminate my consideration of a PS3. I don't play games. #'s 1 & 4 (since I have a non-HDMI receiver) are important for me and #'s 2 & 3 are maybe. Curious about opinions from you guys that know the PS3 well. For people who don't do games and have an HDMI receiver would you still recommend the PS3 versus the Sony S350 or Panny BD-35?


If I were purchasing a player today and had a budget of let's say $600, I would go with a PS3 in a second. In most cases I recommend the PS3 as a BR player except for those who are looking to use analog ins on older AVR. The PS3 does much more than BR playback. So let's say you run out and purchase a newer Sony or Panny that is great for CD/DVD & BR playback...Well that's great and all but it stops there. The PS3 offers these same functions with the added bonus of media center capabilities including streaming, wifi, internet browser, Video download service, 40 or 80 gig HD for photos/videos/music, SACD on the 80g model, bluray & movie trailers, excellent support with continued firmware updates that improve media playback as well as functionality.

I've had my PS3 since Dec of 06 and have had no issues. Improvements for CD, DVD & BR playback in the form of latest BD profile, audio/video noise filters as well as various display settings to improve PQ. The latest update added the ability for automatic shutoff(sleep timer), Flash 9 support for the internet browser, noise filters for video content played directly from your HD. The continued support has been awesome.

Now, I now some of you could care less about surfing the web or emailing friends from your BR player. That's understandable. I consider these additional features to be a huge bonus on top of a player that is already excellent at bluray, DVD, SACD & CD playback.

Another bonus is the gaming aspect. You may have no interest in gaming, but you never know. Free game demos will at least give you the opportunity to try a few out. My wife is not a gamer, but she plays a few with me. Not all games are shooters ya know :D


Six reasons you shouldn't use the PS3 as your Blu-ray player
Posted by Matthew Moskovciak 70 commentsShare E-mail Print (Credit: CNET Networks)OK, before the angry fanboy comments roll in, let's get this out of the way: the PlayStation 3 is the best Blu-ray player on the market right now. It sits at the top of our best Blu-ray players list, we consistently use it as the reference that we judge other Blu-ray players against, and it's the only player on the market right now that supports Blu-ray Profile 2.0 and onboard decoding for both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. And it will always be the only Blu-ray player that streams media, has a browser, and plays PS3 games. Virtually everyone looking to buy a Blu-ray player should go with the PS3 right now.

However, with that in mind, there are a few legitimate reasons why someone wouldn't want to use a PlayStation 3 as their main Blu-ray player. Let's check them out.

I think this article is old but I'll go over the six points.


1. Doesn't work with universal remotes.
Sony decided not to include an IR receptor on the PlayStation 3, and home theater fans have been complaining ever since. The lack of an IR receptor means that the PlayStation 3 won't work with universal remote controls, so you'll have to use the PS3 controller or the separate PS3 BD remote to control it. It's definitely a pain for anyone who is used to activity-based macros such as "Watch TV" and "Watch Blu-ray" to control their home theater.

I use my Harmony just fine with my PS3 and it controls 99% of the functions. The only thing it can't do is turn the PS3 on. But, the PS3 turns on automatically when you insert a disc, so......


2. It's louder than standalones.
Although every PS3 seems to be different, the PS3 can occasionally get loud once its fans start spinning. For audiophiles, that can be a pretty big drawback, especially if you start to hear a whirr during every quiet scene in a movie. You'll have better luck keeping the PS3 quiet by keeping it in a well-ventilated area, but standalones are quieter in general and don't mind having other gear stacked on them.

I sit about 10 feet from my PS3 and never hear the fans unless I walk up to it. I've had my PS3 almost 2 years and leave it on all day. Yes, the fan does kick on but no way I can hear it from my sitting position. I'd have to turn off everything, and really listen for it I guess.


3. Interface isn't as easy to use.
This isn't an issue for tech enthusiasts, but Sony's Xross Media Bar (XMB) is packed with options and can be intimidating for neophytes. Although we generally like the XMB for zipping around the PS3's functions, using a standard Blu-ray player where you just need to put in the disc and hit play is definitely a lot easier.

The PS3 can be set to automatically play an inserted disc. No menus, no cross bar....Just insert the disc and it plays.


4. You have an older AV receiver and need multichannel analog outputs.
If you're using an older receiver and want to use its multichannel analog inputs to get high-resolution soundtracks, you can't do it with the PlayStation 3. You're better off going with a standalone Blu-ray player with onboard Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding, like the upcoming Pioneer BDP-51FD and Panasonic DMP-BD50. Of course, if you're OK with standard DVD-style surround sound, you can still get that with the PS3's optical SPDIF output, which is compatible with nearly all modern receivers.

I agree with this. No analog outs on the PS3 means no HD audio with older AVR's. I knew I was gonna get an HDMI AVR eventually, so I went 9 months with just my PS3 hooked via optical to my 2805 until I was ready to upgrade.


5. You want to be green.
The PS3 is great at a lot of things, but conserving power isn't one of them. If you're looking to stay green and limit your power consumption, you'll be much better off using a standalone Blu-ray player. For example, the PS3 sucks up about 170 watts while playing a Blu-ray movie, while the Samsung BD-P1400 only uses about 25 watts. That's a fairly huge difference and can easily wipe out any power savings from using other green products such as the Philips Eco TV. (Check out our guide to TV power consumption for more green tips.)

I really don't have a comment on this. I have 3 sound systems, 2nd fridge, deep freezer, 4 aquariums and a huge electric bill to go with it.


6. I need to see my receiver light up and say "Dolby TrueHD."
Even if you do have a new HDMI-capable receiver, you'll never get the Dolby TrueHD light to turn on with the PS3. That's because although the PS3 can decode both DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD, it can't send those soundtracks in bit stream format and allow the receiver to decode them. Of course, this isn't really a legitimate reason, as you're still getting the same high-resolution audio, but some people just need the comfort of seeing the Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio lights on their receiver.

This was a waste. As stated, your getting the same thing. But the PS3 does have an advantage. Since the decoding is done in the player, you can listen to the extra content on advanced authored disc that requires the decoding to be done by the player. You loose this with bitstreaming.

[kexodusc]

I have a PS3.

I will comment on 3 things.

#1 the fan noise. I use it for listening to music, I sit about 10 feet away. I can't hear the damn thing at all. It's in a shelf, about 8 inches high, with 4 inches of clearance on all sides. But I've never heard the fan, ever....

#2The remote - using the controller is an option, it works, you get used to it. Or spend 9 bucks and buy the add on BluRay remote with the Bluetooth/IR converter and program it in your Harmony.

#3 As for power consumption - I have a very eco-friendly home, but I guess I'm on the wrong side here. I dare say anyone with anything but a digital amplifier is probably not in a position to be worried about power consumption. I've got amps in my home that make my neighbor's lights flicker. :)

Guess it depends what you want the thing for. It's a very capable BluRay player that actually outperforms a lot of other models in PQ, both cheaper, and more expensive. As a 1st BluRay player, you could do much worse. I'm guessing the PS3 will have very good resale value should you ever want to upgrade BluRay players too.

But there's $200$-$250 BluRay players that probably play back at 95% of the pic quality as the PS3. I wouldn't fault anyone for going that route to save a few bucks.

[L.J.]

But there's $200$-$250 BluRay players that probably play back at 95% of the pic quality as the PS3. I wouldn't fault anyone for going that route to save a few bucks.

I agree. For my main system I'd definitely stick with the PS3 for the reasons I mentioned. Now that prices are dropping, you can find capable players in that $200 - $300 price range. If I were getting a player for a second room or something like that, this would make the most sense now.

I actually started this thread because I noticed a lot of the guys here recommending players but not including the PS3. I guess with players being cheaper & cheaper, it's now a option to decide if you want to pay extra for all the B&W the PS3 offers.

[RoadRunner6]

No problem L. J., thanks for starting a separate thread. I knew that the PS3 had great BD performance because I see every reviewer compare the set they are testing to the PS3, I was just curious how it compared in other factors for someone like me who simply wants a component Blu Ray player.

RR6

[RoadRunner6]

I have 3 sound systems, 2nd fridge, deep freezer, 4 aquariums and a huge electric bill to go with it.

OK L.J., I'm with you on everything but one issue: 4 aquariums? What the hell are you up to? You must supply a Japanese restaurant with sashimi ( 刺身). A so!

RR6 :D

[L.J.]

OK L.J., I'm with you on everything but one issue: 4 aquariums? What the hell are you up to? You must supply a Japanese restaurant with sashimi ( 刺身). A so!

RR6 :D

4 tanks....Large aggressive, small aggressive, Large community(non/semi-aggressive), small community.

I like different types of fish(fresh water) but some just can't go together. Big guys will eat the littles ones or certain ones will just beat the crap out of others. Some are highly territorial, some like the bottom, some like the top. Basically, if you want a large variety of fish, you end up with multiply tanks.

It's like HT, you start off with one and before you know it......:cornut:

[bobsticks]

No problem L. J., thanks for starting a separate thread. I knew that the PS3 had great BD performance because I see every reviewer compare the set they are testing to the PS3, I was just curious how it compared in other factors for someone like me who simply wants a component Blu Ray player.

RR6

RR, I too have and wholeheartedly recommend the PS3. Never played a game on it. Ever.

The processor in this thing is the real deal. One thing to add to these character's already formidable list is the Sony tech support. There's alot to be said for simply plugging in a cable and getting substantial and substanitive upgrades.


---sticks

[RoadRunner6]

Thanks Sticks, I'll definitely check it out before I make a purchase.

RR6

[RoadRunner6]

4 tanks....Large aggressive, small aggressive, Large community(non/semi-aggressive), small community.

I like different types of fish(fresh water) but some just can't go together. Big guys will eat the littles ones or certain ones will just beat the crap out of others. Some are highly territorial, some like the bottom, some like the top. Basically, if you want a large variety of fish, you end up with multiply tanks.

It's like HT, you start off with one and before you know it......:cornut:

Thanks for the explanation L.J......but it sounds like a fish story to me!

RR6 :D

[DetroitIrish]

just my .02 noob opinion, PS3 is a great deal ( not a huge fanboy either) $250 for a comparable BRP, so you're basically getting the gaming for $200, not a bad deal IMO, plus, if your AVR doesnt have networking capabilities, the PS3 does, so thats an added bonus IMO! As for power consumption, I'm right w/ LJ, 2 fridges, 1 deep freezer, a 55g SWtank, and building a 210g SW tank, so i dont even notice it on my ele. bill.. lol

[L.J.]

just my .02 noob opinion, PS3 is a great deal ( not a huge fanboy either) $250 for a comparable BRP, so you're basically getting the gaming for $200, not a bad deal IMO, plus, if your AVR doesnt have networking capabilities, the PS3 does, so thats an added bonus IMO! As for power consumption, I'm right w/ LJ, 2 fridges, 1 deep freezer, a 55g SWtank, and building a 210g SW tank, so i dont even notice it on my ele. bill.. lol

210.....Man, I bet it's gonna be beautiful once it's all setup. Expensive, but beautiful. My biggest tank is a 135g in a nice oak enclosure.

I would love to see some pics when your all finished.

[Rich-n-Texas]

I'm going to bring my fishing rod and tackle box over to L.J.'s house! What do ya feed 'em buddy? :thumbsup:


:ihih:

[Rich-n-Texas]

Thanks for the explanation L.J......but it sounds like a fish story to me!

RR6 :D
Okay thanks RR6, but please leave the humor to the pros, like GM. :yesnod:

[GMichael]

Okay thanks RR6, but please leave the humor to the pros, like GM. :yesnod:

Hey! I'm not funny.

Just a little funny looking is all.

[Rich-n-Texas]

Your avatar is pretty funny looking too. :biggrin5:

[GMichael]

Are you looking at my eyes again?

[Rich-n-Texas]

My dear sweet FA told me I'm not allowed to. :nonod:

[GMichael]

She's your boss now?

[Rich-n-Texas]

Boss FA. Sounds kinda funny doesn't it? (I guess not to her husband tho huh? :lol: )

I scrolled up a few posts but didn't see anything to tell me what this thread was about. Anyone know?

[L.J.]

Boss FA. Sounds kinda funny doesn't it? (I guess not to her husband tho huh? :lol: )

I scrolled up a few posts but didn't see anything to tell me what this thread was about. Anyone know?

Your funny. Yeah, Like I really thought an AR thread would stay subject after 5 posts...maybe 10 on a really good subject.

[Rich-n-Texas]

RR, I too have and wholeheartedly recommend the PS3. Never played a game on it. Ever....---sticks
Now you know why no one likes to hang around with you my friend.

[bobsticks]

Now you know why no one likes to hang around with you my friend.

huh??

[RoadRunner6]

Okay thanks RR6, but please leave the humor to the pros, like GM. :yesnod:

Well, I really think some of the posts above belong over in the Fish Forum !

RR6 :lol:

[Rich-n-Texas]

huh??
I threw a slider. Ball or strike? ;) :yesnod:

[Rich-n-Texas]

Well, I really think some of the posts above belong over in the Fish Forum !

RR6 :lol:
There IS no freakin' Fish Forum!:mad2:

Right?

psst... He's over 60. He can't read this. (snicker snicker)

[RoadRunner6]

There IS no freakin' Fish Forum!.....psst... He's over 60. He can't read this

Oh, wise guy!

Well, take this:

http://www.fishforum.com/

RR6 :p

[Rich-n-Texas]

I'm afraid to look. :yikes:

[GMichael]

Everyone should have both. A PS3 for the living room and a BR player for the BR.

[DetroitIrish]

Everyone should have both. A PS3 for the living room and a BR player for the BR.
Pffft!!! 2x PS3 FTW! after she goes to sleep, login for a few more rounds of SOCOM!!!

[Woochifer]

There are a few other things to throw into the mix both in favor and against the PS3. Since I've (finally) made the jump to HD, I'm now looking to upgrade to Blu-ray as well.

However, because my DVD player is a 480i model (made no sense for me to upgrade while my monitor remained a standard def CRT), I'm looking for something that will also do a decent job with progressive DVD playback.

The issue with the PS3 is that while it remains one of the top rated Blu-ray players, it has fared very poorly as a progressive DVD player. The Secrets of Home Theater site has been running benchmark tests since 2000, and the PS3 purportedly turned in one of their worst benchmark scores (http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/dvd-player-and-cd-player-reviews/dvd-players/sony-playstation-ps3-fw-2.1.html) on DVD playback, even while running a recent firmware version.


The Sony PS3 continues to have extremely poor results in our SD DVD tests. The fact of the matter is, it just cannot lock onto a high resolution test pattern for any of our cadence tests. This is worse performance than we see with even sub-$50 players at your local big box store. One could argue that the player will probably do just fine with real world content since it probably doesn’t have as high detail as our test patterns, but I think that argument would mainly come from those trying to justify their purchase. If I can get nearly every DVD player out there to pass these tests, why won’t this one?

Given that I have over 500 DVDs at home, I still want to something that can do justice to my DVDs. Most standalone Blu-ray players also have mediocre DVD playback performance, but still better than what the PS3 delivers. The Oppo DVD players offer up stellar DVD playback for around $200, and can bitstream DVD-A and SACD via HDMI. The combined cost of the Oppo player and a standalone Blu-ray player would not be much more than the PS3.

On the flip side, I'm also intrigued by the PS3s class-leading Blu-ray performance and its future proof upgradability. Another capability that I really like is the media center feature. Nice to have one device that can connect to the movie, photo, and music files that I got stored on my Mac, and apps are available that can seamlessly integrate the PS3 with iTunes and iPhoto.

Plus, the PS3 can do gaming. So, as I decide on how I want to go about playing back my video media, there's a lot to consider! :confused:

[Rich-n-Texas]

Well, you have a point there Wooch, but in my case, even with my Panny set to output in 480p, I'm certain I'm seeing better PQ when I play any of my DVD's through my PS3. You still have to take the DVD's mastering into consideration as well though right?

[DetroitIrish]

IMO go PS3 and grab an upconvert DVD or 480p dvd, both of which are cheap as dirt ;)

[johnny p]

I have 2 PS3s........ No games

[pixelthis]

There are a few other things to throw into the mix both in favor and against the PS3. Since I've (finally) made the jump to HD, I'm now looking to upgrade to Blu-ray as well.

However, because my DVD player is a 480i model (made no sense for me to upgrade while my monitor remained a standard def CRT), I'm looking for something that will also do a decent job with progressive DVD playback.

The issue with the PS3 is that while it remains one of the top rated Blu-ray players, it has fared very poorly as a progressive DVD player. The Secrets of Home Theater site has been running benchmark tests since 2000, and the PS3 purportedly turned in one of their worst benchmark scores (http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/dvd-player-and-cd-player-reviews/dvd-players/sony-playstation-ps3-fw-2.1.html) on DVD playback, even while running a recent firmware version.



Given that I have over 500 DVDs at home, I still want to something that can do justice to my DVDs. Most standalone Blu-ray players also have mediocre DVD playback performance, but still better than what the PS3 delivers. The Oppo DVD players offer up stellar DVD playback for around $200, and can bitstream DVD-A and SACD via HDMI. The combined cost of the Oppo player and a standalone Blu-ray player would not be much more than the PS3.

On the flip side, I'm also intrigued by the PS3s class-leading Blu-ray performance and its future proof upgradability. Another capability that I really like is the media center feature. Nice to have one device that can connect to the movie, photo, and music files that I got stored on my Mac, and apps are available that can seamlessly integrate the PS3 with iTunes and iPhoto.

Plus, the PS3 can do gaming. So, as I decide on how I want to go about playing back my video media, there's a lot to consider! :confused:

How important are games to you? And if you're such a cheapskate there is another issue to consider, mainly your receiver.
Multichannel outs can extend the life of an older receiver.
Another thing , start culling your DVD's, figure out which ones to replace, which ones to cull completely, and which ones you can live with in reduced definition.
HATE to tell ya but after awhile watching a DVD is like when you tried to watch a VHS tape after months of DVD watching, remember that?
No matter how good the "upconversion" a DVD is never gonna be as good as HD, either from blu or broadcast.
Just the way it is.
A lot are disapointed by by "upconversion", mainly because they are expecting a HD pic, and all they get is a slightly improved DVD pic, if that.
Remember, a DVD is not 480p, its 480i, that is not much info to "scale" into 1080p, and the resolution isnt going to increase regardless.
Don't worry about upconversion too much, concentrate instead on the higher res sources, they look better from the git go.:1:

[Woochifer]

How important are games to you? And if you're such a cheapskate there is another issue to consider, mainly your receiver.
Multichannel outs can extend the life of an older receiver.
Another thing , start culling your DVD's, figure out which ones to replace, which ones to cull completely, and which ones you can live with in reduced definition.
HATE to tell ya but after awhile watching a DVD is like when you tried to watch a VHS tape after months of DVD watching, remember that?
No matter how good the "upconversion" a DVD is never gonna be as good as HD, either from blu or broadcast.
Just the way it is.
A lot are disapointed by by "upconversion", mainly because they are expecting a HD pic, and all they get is a slightly improved DVD pic, if that.
Remember, a DVD is not 480p, its 480i, that is not much info to "scale" into 1080p, and the resolution isnt going to increase regardless.
Don't worry about upconversion too much, concentrate instead on the higher res sources, they look better from the git go.:1:

Given that I plan to upgrade the receiver next year, the lack of multichannel outs is a nonissue. The issue has more to do with what I plan to get first.

Standalone Blu-ray players have mediocre DVD playback, yet even that's better than what the PS3 delivers. The quality of the DVD playback is consequential because I have a DVD library that, aside from a select title here and there, I don't plan on upgrading to Blu-ray. The question is whether the media center, class-leading Blu-ray playback, and gaming features are enough for me to overlook the PS3's flaws with the DVD playback. At the moment, I'm leaning towards the PS3 despite its shortcomings.

[Woochifer]

IMO go PS3 and grab an upconvert DVD or 480p dvd, both of which are cheap as dirt ;)

The reviewer did mention that the cheapest upconverting DVD players on the market will outperform the PS3 with DVD playback. And even the Oppo players, which routinely turn in the top benchmark scores, mostly sell for around $200.

[Woochifer]

Well, you have a point there Wooch, but in my case, even with my Panny set to output in 480p, I'm certain I'm seeing better PQ when I play any of my DVD's through my PS3. You still have to take the DVD's mastering into consideration as well though right?

Garbage in garbage out. The DVD players though can make a difference with poorly mastered discs because of how the video processors differ.

[DetroitIrish]

The reviewer did mention that the cheapest upconverting DVD players on the market will outperform the PS3 with DVD playback. And even the Oppo players, which routinely turn in the top benchmark scores, mostly sell for around $200.
True enough but how many of them have firmware/software upgrades, and have better BR playback?

[GMichael]

Hey Wooch,

I hear you on the DVD playback. Many of us have a few DVD's that we won't be upgrading to BR for one reason or another. It's important that our BR or PS3 players do a good job with them.
I believe that Sir T had a fix for the PS3's less than stellar DVD playback problem. Several people have tried it and agree that it's a good fix. I use an HD-DVD player for DVD's so I've never tried it. But you may want to contact Sir T before you make your purchase.

[L.J.]

Yup, my 2910 & A2 still get plenty of use. Can't let my PS3 do everything.

I kinda agree with Pix. IDK, I throw on a DVD and the last thing I'm worried about is PQ. You just get used to HD. Everything else is...meh.

What I do know, is that I've used my PS3 for it's streaming & media capabilities far more than DVD viewing. I have my entire music collection ripped in FLAC and that's pretty much how I listen to music now. For me, the media streaming/BR capabilities are too high a priority to be concerned about DVD playback. But I think Wooch has a good point if DVD playback is a priority.

The only solution is to get a PS3 complimented by a Oppo player :yesnod:

[Rich-n-Texas]

Okay please tell me where I go to get the FLAC CODEC? installed onto my PC, and what special considerations do I need to take into account when I want to rip tracks from my CD's. :confused:

[Woochifer]

Yup, my 2910 & A2 still get plenty of use. Can't let my PS3 do everything.

I kinda agree with Pix. IDK, I throw on a DVD and the last thing I'm worried about is PQ. You just get used to HD. Everything else is...meh.

What I do know, is that I've used my PS3 for it's streaming & media capabilities far more than DVD viewing. I have my entire music collection ripped in FLAC and that's pretty much how I listen to music now. For me, the media streaming/BR capabilities are too high a priority to be concerned about DVD playback. But I think Wooch has a good point if DVD playback is a priority.

The only solution is to get a PS3 complimented by a Oppo player :yesnod:

Good points. My original plan was to get the Oppo first, and then figure out if I want a standalone player or a PS3. But, now that I've seen the wonders of HD at home, upgrading the entire video chain to HD is now the first priority.

One reason for looking into the Oppo is that my SACD player can no longer read hybrid discs reliably. It's still under warranty (thanks to the 5-year warranty on Sony's ES components) and I'll probably send it back to Sony soon, but it made me think about backup options for my 5.1 audio discs. Since all Oppo players also play DVD-A and SACD, and can bitstream those formats via HDMI, their stellar DVD playback performance is the icing on the cake.

On the other hand, I can also see myself making big time use of the PS3's media center features. I've already ripped over 300 CDs onto my Mac, and the insanely great iTunes Genius feature can auto-generate some incredible playlists. Nullriver's $20 MediaLink application integrates the PS3 with iTunes, and can link to all of my iTunes playlists.

I guess that DVDs remain a priority simply because I have so many of them!

[L.J.]

Okay please tell me where I go to get the FLAC CODEC? installed onto my PC, and what special considerations do I need to take into account when I want to rip tracks from my CD's. :confused:

Google is your friend:

http://flac.sourceforge.net/index.html

And you can read this:

http://forums.audioreview.com/showthread.php?t=15725

[Rich-n-Texas]

I know, Google is my friend. So is AVS.com, blue-ray.com, Howstuffworks.com, Hometheatershack.com... etc. See what I'm sayin'? :biggrin5:

[GMichael]

I know, Google is my friend. So is AVS.com, blue-ray.com, Howstuffworks.com, Hometheatershack.com... etc. See what I'm sayin'? :biggrin5:

That you'd rather get the answers from someone here?

[Rich-n-Texas]

Yes. That and I lke to make L.J. work for his keep. :ihih:

[GMichael]

You just like how he takes all that techno-babble and turns it into something even us simpletons can understand.

[audio amateur]

Hi guys
As I know that you're all PS3 savvy, what is the current going price on the console (cheapest -no games), and how low do you think it will ever drop to? Any idea when that will happen?
As we're both too cheap to buy one, me and a buddy are thinking of buying one together, :)
It sells in the UK for £300, that's about 470$.
In France it sells currently for 400 euro, which is approx 500 bucks. I'll be going to my sisters wedding in April which will take place in Boulder CO, so will hopefully pick one up there.
Thanks for the info. Hope everyone's well

[audio amateur]

Google is my best mate ever:D

[Woochifer]

Hi guys
As I know that you're all PS3 savvy, what is the current going price on the console (minimum price -no games), and what do you expect to be the minimum price, and how soon?
As we're both too cheap to buy one, me and a buddy are thinking of buying one together, :)
It sells in the UK for £300, that's about 470$.
In France it sells currently for 400 euro, which is approx 500 bucks. I'll be going to my sisters wedding in April which will take place in Boulder CO, so will hopefully pick one up there.
Thanks for the info. Hope everyone's well

The current 80GB version sells for $400USD. Unfortunately, it has zero PS2 and SACD compatibility, unlike the first generation models. Believe it or not, reconditioned first generation PS3s sell for about $430, which is more than what you pay for a brand new unit.

[Woochifer]

Hey Wooch,

I hear you on the DVD playback. Many of us have a few DVD's that we won't be upgrading to BR for one reason or another. It's important that our BR or PS3 players do a good job with them.
I believe that Sir T had a fix for the PS3's less than stellar DVD playback problem. Several people have tried it and agree that it's a good fix. I use an HD-DVD player for DVD's so I've never tried it. But you may want to contact Sir T before you make your purchase.

I read Sir T's prescription a while ago, and I'm not so sure that adjusting the NR and other settings would address the issues brought up by the Secrets site's benchmark tests. Oh, well I guess that in a pinch, I could always just pick up a $50 upconverting DVD player and leave it at that.

[L.J.]

I read Sir T's prescription a while ago, and I'm not so sure that adjusting the NR and other settings would address the issues brought up by the Secrets site's benchmark tests. Oh, well I guess that in a pinch, I could always just pick up a $50 upconverting DVD player and leave it at that.

Uh oh, looks like someone is creepin' closer to the dark side :biggrin5:

[Rich-n-Texas]

Ya know what I find alarming, and I should probably post this as its own topic...

It dawned on me recently that there are an awful lot of Californians here on the AR forums. That's not good.

Does anyone else see this as alarming?

[GMichael]

You don't like the left coast?

[Rich-n-Texas]

Never been there, but I mean the people... :yikes:

[GMichael]

(GM ducks and rolls for cover)

[Woochifer]

Uh oh, looks like someone is creepin' closer to the dark side :biggrin5:

Well, I guess I'd have to see for myself whether the PS3's DVD playback starts to grate on me after a while. Right now, I am curious to see how much better a 1080p upconverting DVD playback looks.

[L.J.]

Well, I guess I'd have to see for myself whether the PS3's DVD playback starts to grate on me after a while. Right now, I am curious to see how much better a 1080p upconverting DVD playback looks.

30 day return policy :idea:

Which Oppo are you looking at BTW?

[Woochifer]

Never been there, but I mean the people... :yikes:

Ah, fear of the unknown -- where you from again? :cool:

Like I tell everyone from your neck of the woods, you're more than welcome to visit us, see the sites, and spend LOTS of money while you're out here!

Just make sure that you don't miss that return flight! I mean, the last thing we need is more of y'all deciding that you like the place so much that you move here! :cornut:

(And yes, I've been to Texas before. Enjoyed my stay in Austin ... then I visited Texas! :))

[Woochifer]

30 day return policy :idea:

Talk about the dark side ... I'm now thinking about Costco's 90-day return policy! :6:

And that's actually a big step back from the old days when they would basically take back anything, anytime. The AVS Forum's filled with stories from people who bought a big screen TV at Costco two years ago (before the current 90-day policy went into effect), and now want to exchange the old unit for a newer one ... and get upwards of $2,000 back in the process!

[Rich-n-Texas]

Ah, fear of the unknown -- where you from again? :cool:

Like I tell everyone from your neck of the woods, you're more than welcome to visit us, see the sites, and spend LOTS of money while you're out here!

Just make sure that you don't miss that return flight! I mean, the last thing we need is more of y'all deciding that you like the place so much that you move here! :cornut:

(And yes, I've been to Texas before. Enjoyed my stay in Austin ... then I visited Texas! :))
Hmm... That's what they said when I moved here from Jersey. That's weird.:idea:

Okay. Sorry. What were you saying?

[Woochifer]

Hmm... That's what they said when I moved here from Jersey. That's weird.:idea:

Okay. Sorry. What were you saying?

Well, just know that Bakersfield has got the biggest Texas A&M alumni club outside of Texas. One of many ... uh ... rural parts of the state where you just might feel right at home! :cornut:

[DetroitIrish]

you can still find 40g for $350USD around me ;)

BTW the 120g w/ MGS4 comes out in a few weeks!!!

[L.J.]

Wooch, I'm assuming your looking at the 980H for $169. Looking at those specs makes me feel like I got robbed for dropping $699 on my 2910 :shocked: My Denon is a sweet player but man have prices dropped.

Looks like that zen-like patience of yours saves you some serious freakin' $$$$ in the long run. Especially since I paid $599 for my PS3. Well I got the fully loaded 60g(soon to be 320g) so I'm not that mad. And yes, my library of PS1 & PS2 titles play just fine :p

Let us know what you come up with. Oh, and don't be shy about the pics either ;)

[johnny p]

use coupon code "PWXNZVNDRWWX1P" for 15% off the price at Dell

$340 SHIPPED for the 80 Gig....

Only 3,000 available......

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?sku=A1985585&cs=19&c=us&l=en&dg c=CJ&cid=24471&lid=566643

[johnny p]

Or how about this....... regardless of the player you decide on.....


$100 off when you buy 4 movies....

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&ref_=amb_link_7767122_2&docId=1000279241&tag=bluraynews-20

[Woochifer]

Wooch, I'm assuming your looking at the 980H for $169. Looking at those specs makes me feel like I got robbed for dropping $699 on my 2910 :shocked: My Denon is a sweet player but man have prices dropped.

Looks like that zen-like patience of yours saves you some serious freakin' $$$$ in the long run. Especially since I paid $599 for my PS3. Well I got the fully loaded 60g(soon to be 320g) so I'm not that mad. And yes, my library of PS1 & PS2 titles play just fine :p

Let us know what you come up with. Oh, and don't be shy about the pics either ;)

Yup, I'm looking at the 980H primarily because it's the most well regarded unit for audio playback. The 981H has the Faroudja DCDi video processor and has better benchmark scores on the video side, but the 980H's video capabilities are still well above just about everything else in that price range and it uses better audio DACs. Plus, the 980H can natively output a DSD stream via HDMI, whereas I believe that the 981H still transcodes the DSD signal to PCM. Something to consider for the future if by chance I wind up buying a HDMI-enabled receiver whose DACs can natively decode DSD.

Believe it or not, the only thing that kept me from buying the Denon DVD-2910 three years ago was the lack of bass management on the CD playback, since the multichannel analog inputs on my receiver don't do any kind of signal processing. Wound up springing for the Sony ES SACD changer instead, which has bass management that sucks so badly I never use it! :out:

I guess I've been patient with my system because I like it. Been looking to upgrade the TV forever, but so long as the HD programming was limited, I never felt the urgency to upgrade. And with a calibrated CRT, standard def programming just looked a lot better than anything I saw with plasma, LCD, or DLP. Since most of my favorite TV networks did not yet broadcast in HD, it made sense to use that CRT as long as possible.

It was only after most of the cable networks went HD last year, Blu-ray won the format war, and 1080p TVs became commonplace and affordable, that the timing was finally right to make a go of things on the HDTV side.

I'll definitely post some new pics once the TV gets mounted and the new satellite receiver is installed. For the time being, I'm migrating everything from my website over to Geocities, and I'll link the pics once that's finished.

[pixelthis]

Ya know what I find alarming, and I should probably post this as its own topic...

It dawned on me recently that there are an awful lot of Californians here on the AR forums. That's not good.

Does anyone else see this as alarming?


YOU'RE one to talk , you're from Jersey.
(it'll all be equalized after the q-u-a-k-e, BTW):1: