Why aren't Sony stand alone Blu Ray players not as highly lauded as the PS3?

[BadAssJazz]

Take away the gaming aspect, what is Sony doing wrong? Given the reviews that I've read here and on other websites, you'd think that whatever pixie dust they're putting into the PS3's they'd also employ for their stand alone players. But oddly enough, that doesn't seem to be the case. If asked about the best Blu Ray players -- excluding the PS3 -- Sony rarely gets a tip of the cap. Are rumors of Sony possessing lightning in a bottle just that...rumors?

[02audionoob]

I have been very happy with my Sony BDP-S350. I don't know why I'd want the PS3 instead.

[audio amateur]

Probably and simply because PS3 is an amazing machine, especially for the price. I mean, you can even install an operating system on if for pete's sake!
I'm guessing this puts it a couple places ahead of 99% of the production...

[GMichael]

I don't think there is anything wrong with a Sony BR player (or anyone else's for that matter), but the PS/3 does offer functions that a BR player can not. Not just gaming, but it's a powerfull computer with a hard drive that can do many other things. If you have no interest in all the extra functions and flexability, at basicly the same price, then a player is the way to go. A PS/3 does not have 7.1 MC analog out. This can make a big difference if you do not have HDMI connections in the rest of your system.

[02audionoob]

I don't think there is anything wrong with a Sony BR player (or anyone else's for that matter), but the PS/3 does offer functions that a BR player can not. Not just gaming, but it's a powerfull computer with a hard drive that can do many other things. If you have no interest in all the extra functions and flexability, at basicly the same price, then a player is the way to go. A PS/3 does not have 7.1 MC analog out. This can make a big difference if you do not have HDMI connections in the rest of your system.

Based on a quick Google search, it looks like a PS3 is $300 to $350? The Google search showed me a result as low as $118 for the BDP-S360, no tax + free shipping.

[GMichael]

Based on a quick Google search, it looks like a PS3 is $300 to $350? The Google search showed me a result as low as $118 for the BDP-S360, no tax + free shipping.

And there are many BR players that cost way more than $300. And a quick look at the BDP-S360 shows that it doesn't have MC analog out either.

[L.J.]

The media center capabilities of the PS3 gives it a huge advantage over other players IMO. Once you add the strong support plus upgrade potential (improvements in DVD playback, 3-D support, constant improvements of the user interface....it goes on and on), I'd say it just offers far more for the $$$.

[02audionoob]

And there are many BR players that cost way more than $300. And a quick look at the BDP-S360 shows that it doesn't have MC analog out either.

For the average person, though...the Blu-ray player simply does not cost what a PS3 costs. Someone like me wants the one that in this case costs well under half as much. In my setup, it looks better. It's silent. Its picture quality and sound quality are great. It has the output I need (HDMI) and that the average person needs. Or even better, my LG BD370 has all that and network/NetFlix, too. Both players combined cost less than a PS3.

[GMichael]

For the average person, though...the Blu-ray player simply does not cost what a PS3 costs. Someone like me wants the one that in this case costs well under half as much. In my setup, it looks better. It's silent. Its picture quality and sound quality are great. It has the output I need (HDMI) and that the average person needs. Or even better, my LG BD370 has all that and network/NetFlix, too. Both players combined cost less than a PS3.

Then I think that you should get THAT BR player. For many though, a PS/3 offers many more advantages and has a BR player that equals that of players that cost much more.

[Rich-n-Texas]

What GM says, and he has 10,000 more posts than you 02noob.

[02audionoob]

What GM says, and he has 10,000 more posts than you 02noob.

I am entitled to my opinion. I'll never understand why people around here need so badly to win arguments...or to at least have the last word.

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

I am entitled to my opinion. I'll never understand why people around here need so badly to win arguments.

Sometimes it is not about winning as much as it is about getting the correct information out there. Alot of trash can sometimes get posted, and somebody has to clean up the mess.

[02audionoob]

I get the impression the people who have a PS3 or plan to get one to use as a Blu-ray player think they've outsmarted the rest of us.

[GMichael]

I am entitled to my opinion. I'll never understand why people around here need so badly to win arguments...or to at least have the last word.

I like and respect your opinion. Many people will and do agree with it. Please keep posting it.
Not everyone has the same wants. I didn't mean to seem to be arguing. I only meant to post my opinion.

If someone just wants a BR player and doesn't care about all the bells and whistles that a PS/3 comes with, then they can save some decent cash. But if someone is looking at a BR player in the $300 price range, then a PS/3 can offer much more at the same price.

[GMichael]

I get the impression the people who have a PS3 or plan to get one to use as a Blu-ray player think they've outsmarted the rest of us.

The thing about a PS/3 is that Sony wants people to buy their games and s/w. They make enough there to justify making less of a profit on the unit itself. You end up with something that does a great job playing BR disks and has so much more included (games or not). We just want to share that with everyone so that they can get the same great deal we did. (Not that getting a BR player for about $100 isn't a great deal too)

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

For the average person, though...the Blu-ray player simply does not cost what a PS3 costs. Someone like me wants the one that in this case costs well under half as much. In my setup, it looks better. It's silent. Its picture quality and sound quality are great. It has the output I need (HDMI) and that the average person needs. Or even better, my LG BD370 has all that and network/NetFlix, too. Both players combined cost less than a PS3.

The difference between your player and the PS3 is that it is not limited to the widgets found on most players. For instance, I added a simple $40 piece of software called playon to my computer, and now I can literally stream thousands of television programs and movies to my PS3. That is not possible with a regular bluray player, even a player setup for netflix.

Two of mine playback SACD, and all of them upsample CD's to 24/176.4khz, which makes them sound smoother.

The internal decoding of the lossless codecs is the best on the market with the exception of the high end models. This decoding can be updated and improved with a firmware upgrade, and no other player can do this.

It is going to be updated to handle 3D, which will make me ready for 3D when the first disc hits.

You can surf the net with an added wireless bluetooth keyboard and mouse. Regular Blu ray players can't do this.

In my Oakland house I have no cable or OTA. I strictly use my two PS3 for watching programming through my network system there. Since I am not there all of the time, this approach keeps the expenses down, but the entertainmnet up!

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

I get the impression the people who have a PS3 or plan to get one to use as a Blu-ray player think they've outsmarted the rest of us.

Nah, we are just thrilled at what we got! Once I tricked this thing out, I was floored with what it could do.

[Rich-n-Texas]

I am entitled to my opinion. I'll never understand why people around here need so badly to win arguments...or to at least have the last word.

I never said you weren't entitled to your opinion. And you probably think this site is full of PS3 fanboys, but since the PS3 is such a great value for the money, why not extol its virtues?

It's quite possible that soon, a troll will show up in this thread to knock the PS3 just for the sake of knocking it, so a little buildup ahead of time ain't so bad, really.

[BadAssJazz]

...since the PS3 is such a great value for the money, why not extol its virtues?

I think we overshot the runway just a bit. I didn't intend to start a Hatfields and McCoys-type shootout between PS3 owners and the rest of the sandlot.

Let me re-approach:

Given all of the features that Sony has built into a PS3, why haven't they incorporated the same into a stand alone form factor, thus completely dominating the market? It seems to me to be the prudent business decision.

Let's assume (1) that the average consumer is put off by the notion of the PS3 being a gaming console foremost, and no amount of re-orientation or slick marketing will change that; and (2) said consumer is otherwise savvy and wants the bells and whistles that a PS3 offers, and would gladly pay the asking price if he found those same features in a stand alone player.

What could possibly be keeping Sony from making that next innovative leap?

[02audionoob]

What could possibly be keeping Sony from making that next innovative leap?

What do you suppose it is?

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

I think we overshot the runway just a bit. I didn't intend to start a Hatfields and McCoys-type shootout between PS3 owners and the rest of the sandlot.

Let me re-approach:

Given all of the features that Sony has built into a PS3, why haven't they incorporated the same into a stand alone form factor, thus completely dominating the market? It seems to me to be the prudent business decision.

The answer to this is cost, period

Let's assume (1) that the average consumer is put off by the notion of the PS3 being a gaming console foremost, and no amount of re-orientation or slick marketing will change that; and (2) said consumer is otherwise savvy and wants the bells and whistles that a PS3 offers, and would gladly pay the asking price if he found those same features in a stand alone player.

What could possibly be keeping Sony from making that next innovative leap?

The power of the PS3 comes from its graphics algorithms and it's Cell processor. To implement these into a regular Blu ray player would blow its costs in the stratosphere, which would effectively kill sales in relation to other players. Once you include the Cell processor, then you would have to upgrade all of the parts in the signal chain to a point that it can pass all the improvements implemented to the processing transparently. With the kind of upgrades we have received, that would make the associated parts side a floating ever changing equation. Then the question becomes how do I install parts that can be transparent when I do upgrades later, which is an impossible question to solve when those changes are not developed or conceived yet.

To solve this problem for the PS3, it uses no SOC processing, but is an all software driven solution. There are no DAC chips, it is all algorithm based processing using the latest HDMI solution as an output. This way the processor becomes the limitation, and not the chipset itself. This is an expensive way to do this, but when gaming comes into the picture, it is the only way to do this.

Sony takes a loss on every PS3 it sells, but makes that money up selling games. Their regular Blu ray players do not have games to offset the loses on the players. So Sony has to go the way the other manufacturers go, and that is a player with standard BR processing on SOC to keep costs in check.

For many years, DVD reviewers used standard players as a reference player. Many of them are not gamers, but you can find a PS3 in their HT as the reference for Blu ray playback. If you want a great player, you forget about the case style, and the fact that it does games, and revel in all the things this piece of equipment can do.

[winston]

Sir T the T" @ Quote
You can surf the net with an added wireless bluetooth keyboard and mouse.

Pertaining To The PS3... (can any wireless blue-tooth keyboard and mouse be use for this Application")??...PS3 Guys"...thanks

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

Sir T the T" @ Quote
You can surf the net with an added wireless bluetooth keyboard and mouse.

Pertaining To The PS3... (can any wireless blue-tooth keyboard and mouse be use for this Application")??...PS3 Guys"...thanks

My gut answer would be yes.

[GMichael]

My gut answer would be yes.

May I also add:

The PS/3 will need to link with whatever you end up using. It is sure to link with one meant for a PS/3.

[L.J.]

I'm using this one

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-PlayS..._ob_vg_title_0

I use my controller sometimes too.

I don't think the PS3 would have any problems seeing other bluetooth devices if you wanted something cheaper.