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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Consumer Hardware & Components > How good is a PS3 as a Blu-ray player?

How good is a PS3 as a Blu-ray player?
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C.A.T.S. CEO
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Jan 8, 2008, 06:10 AM
 
I figured we'd get a PS3 as a Blu-ray player instead of a stand-alone player. It would save us money as a player and a gaming console.
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Oversoul
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Jan 8, 2008, 06:47 AM
 
It's probably the best Blu-ray player on the market at the moment in terms of price and function/support. Profile 1.1 (and potentially 2.0, thanks to very frequent firmware updates over internet), plays Divx, very fast load times (~30 seconds compared to up to a minute on most standalones), DVD upscaling, and Sony's announced a scheme to allow Blu-ray copying to PSPs. There are cheaper standalones coming to the market in the next few months, of course, but for now $399 for a PS3 is as good as you'll get.

Join us in the Lounge for the Blu-ray vs. HD DVD discussion. You'll get more info there.
     
C.A.T.S. CEO  (op)
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Jan 8, 2008, 07:02 AM
 
Originally Posted by Oversoul View Post
It's probably the best Blu-ray player on the market at the moment in terms of price and function/support. Profile 1.1 (and potentially 2.0, thanks to very frequent firmware updates over internet), plays Divx, very fast load times (~30 seconds compared to up to a minute on most standalones), DVD upscaling, and Sony's announced a scheme to allow Blu-ray copying to PSPs. There are cheaper standalones coming to the market in the next few months, of course, but for now $399 for a PS3 is as good as you'll get.

Join us in the Lounge for the Blu-ray vs. HD DVD discussion. You'll get more info there.
I've been reading up on it (seeing that Blu-ray has effectively won the format wars.) Thats good to hear.

One more thing: does it come with a remote or do you have to use the controller? I remembered when we got a PS2 (our first DVD player, coincidentally) and it sucked having to use the controller to control the DVD.
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ajprice
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Jan 8, 2008, 09:07 AM
 
Bluetooth remote is an extra.

It'll be much easier if you just comply.
     
C.A.T.S. CEO  (op)
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Jan 8, 2008, 12:42 PM
 
Originally Posted by ajprice View Post
Bluetooth remote is an extra.
Awesome, good to know.
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dlefebvre
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Jan 8, 2008, 02:28 PM
 
I'm more than very pleased with my PS3 as a Blu-ray player.
     
ajprice
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Jan 8, 2008, 04:58 PM
 
Originally Posted by C.A.T.S. CEO View Post
Awesome, good to know.
Its about $25


It'll be much easier if you just comply.
     
Peter
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Jan 12, 2008, 09:16 PM
 
bites that the controller is bluetooth and not infrared.
we don't have time to stop for gas
     
Eug
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Jan 12, 2008, 09:28 PM
 
It's a good BD player (and a reasonable DVD upscaler), and very future proof (1.1 now and 2.0 in the future).

OTOH, it doesn't support IR, has no front panel, and sucks a lot of power (which means the fans can get loud on some units if it's in a small space).

However, since you're interested in gaming, the PS3 is probably the best bang for the buck.
     
zerock
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Jan 12, 2008, 11:21 PM
 
Right now is the only smart buy in terms of Blu-ray. considering that the stand-alone players out right now, dont have upgradability. that will change future ones will have ethernet(wifi)

So you can update the PS3 as blu-ray evolves.
     
AC Rempt
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Jan 13, 2008, 02:51 AM
 
This was one of the reasons I bought my PS3, figuring if Blu-Ray lost, I'd still have a nice game console. Now I rock the Blu-Ray movies with glee in between bouts of Rock Band. As a player, it's certainly different from a stand alone in that it take more button pushes to get to the movie, but it works wonderfully, and movies look great on my 40" plasma.
     
bmwparamedic
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Jan 13, 2008, 01:29 PM
 
Wow so this means I won't be able to use my Logitech Harmony Remote for the PS3, I think I'll wait for a while then.
     
mdc
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Jan 14, 2008, 01:39 PM
 
It does suck that the Harmony remote (which I have) is useless with the PS3. In my PS3 box there was a rebate that said that if you bought two movies (out of a list) they will send you a free PS3 remote.
     
bmwparamedic
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Jan 14, 2008, 06:46 PM
 
Originally Posted by mdc View Post
It does suck that the Harmony remote (which I have) is useless with the PS3. In my PS3 box there was a rebate that said that if you bought two movies (out of a list) they will send you a free PS3 remote.
Do you forsee any work out with an IR port to get the harmony remote to work.
     
bmwparamedic
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Jan 14, 2008, 06:48 PM
 
I also heard that the new airport base station doesn't connect well with a secured internet connection with the PS3 can anyone comment on this.
     
exca1ibur
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Jan 14, 2008, 07:28 PM
 
Originally Posted by bmwparamedic View Post
Do you forsee any work out with an IR port to get the harmony remote to work.
Amazon.com: PlayStation 3 Blu Wave Remote: Video Games

Won't let you power off or on the unit, but will allow you to use the Harmony remote to control it.
     
   
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