120GB "Slim" PS3 officially announced (1 Viewer)

[Morgan Jolley]

Since I use the PS3 to play games more than anything else and it comes with the regular controller, I don't see why I would want to buy a remote. If you have a bunch of devices, using the Harmony remote to control them would be best but using the controller is pretty easy and simple, plus you get it out of the box.

Also, in regards to the removal of backwards compatibility, I read an interview with someone from Sony that said something like 80-90% of people who buy a PS3 do so for playing PS3 software and Blu-ray discs but not for PS/PS2 games, so they decided that anyone who would want it for PS/PS2 probably already bought it and they didn't need to include it anymore. Sony patented a method for emulating a PS and PS2 on the PS3 earlier this year, so there's a rumor that they're going to update the firmware at some point so every version of the PS3 can play PS2 games. There's also the rumor that they patented this method so they can release PS2 games on the PlayStation Store.

 

[Nick Martin]

Originally Posted by Morgan Jolley

Since I use the PS3 to play games more than anything else and it comes with the regular controller, I don't see why I would want to buy a remote. If you have a bunch of devices, using the Harmony remote to control them would be best but using the controller is pretty easy and simple, plus you get it out of the box.

You pretty much said it all - you use it for gaming more than movies. Using the controller for movies is confusing, and it forces the user to open the options menu (triangle) just to do what is already laid out on the actual remote. Plus, when putting the controller down on a table or next to you (I've had this happen all the time) one of the trigger buttons ends up being pressed and the movie fast forwards or rewinds. That comes from my deliberately trying to get used to the controller to watch movies instead of only relying on the remote. The controller and the remote both have their flaws, and they are both useful. The controller for example is really the only way to view photos - it's perfect for that.

 

[DaveF]

Originally Posted by Morgan Jolley

Since I use the PS3 to play games more than anything else and it comes with the regular controller, I don't see why I would want to buy a remote.

In my world, whether a console is used soley for games or for everything has nothing to do with the need for a universal remote. In contrast, if the console doesn't support a universal remote, it probably won't be bought as it won't properly integrate with our system. I have three main reasons for using a universal remote:

1) I don't like the clutter and bother of juggling multiple remotes. Even if the console is used soley for gaming, there's the console, TV, and receiver to turn on, input settings to switch.

2) The console part of the larger entertainment center, used for TV, movies, music, games. A universal remote lets it easily be toggled between TV to watching a DVD to playing a game.

3) The wife. Even less than me, she wants a trivial control scheme, so when she wants to watch TV, she doesn't need a roadmap to turning on the TV, Tivo, Receiver, setting TV to video input 4, audio output 2, and Receiver to audio input 1. And then she doesn't want to juggle two or more remotes to change channels and adjust volume.

This was my approach as a student with no money, and a $40 Radio Shack remote, and even more so that I have a job and can buy a Harmony One.

 

[Arild]

Originally Posted by DaveF



In my world, whether a console is used soley for games or for everything has nothing to do with the need for a universal remote.

Uh? If it was intended to be used "solely for games" then you wouldn't be using the universal remote with it even if it was compatible.

 

[DaveF]

Originally Posted by Arild /forum/thread/291790/120gb-slim-ps3-officially-announced/30#post_3598502

 

[Sam Posten]

Posted this in the other PS3 thread:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/20/sony-playstation-2-compatibility-is-not-coming-back-to-ps3/

 

[heat23]

Woohoo! good thing I held off buying the regular PS3 last month... Just pulled the trigger and ordered one from Amazon (www.amazon.com/PlayStation-3-120-GB/dp/B002I0J4VQ/ref=sr_1_1)

 

[Nick Martin]

Some reviews are coming in and Blu-ray.com condensed two of them into their most important points regarding Blu-ray, DVD and CD playback:

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=3335

The two originating reviews:

http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/27/playstation-3-slim-review/

http://www.homecinemachoice.com/reviews/new_reviews/ps3+slim+hands+review+why+new+console+both+better+and+worse+original+28+08+09

This second one makes a stupid remark about "does anyone really care about DVD playback on the PS3 Slim?" which is a moronic thing to say. That was and still is yet another part of the PS3's appeal. Most everyone who uses PS3 for movies cares about it!

 

[DaveF]

How does its speed and noise and heat compare to standalone players? By itself, that review dissuades me from considering the PS3 for a Blu Ray player. But maybe all BR's are slow, loud and hot?

 

[Nick Martin]

I don't know about the latest models, but it was the turtle-like slowness of standalone players that gave regular (I'm not calling it "fat" ) PS3 a huge advantage.

 

[Arild]

Originally Posted by DaveF

How does its speed and noise and heat compare to standalone players? By itself, that review dissuades me from considering the PS3 for a Blu Ray player. But maybe all BR's are slow, loud and hot?

I'll grant you loud (some times) and hot, but it's definitely not slow. The PS3 is the only Blu player I've owned, so I've found myself surprised at seeing people commenting online about how such-and-such title takes up to several minutes to load on their players when it took something like five seconds on my PS3.

(BTW , I have the original 60 GB version, not the slim)

 

[Nick Martin]

^^I envy you....SACD capability.

 

[Edwin-S]

I must have gotten lucky with my PS3. I find it neither loud nor hot when it is running. Now the laptop I'm typing this on is a different story. It has four fans and it still gets amazingly warm, and I sure wouldn't want to be using it in a library. I'd get booted out.

 

[Sam Posten]

Got one from the front entry of Best Buy last night, brought it to my sisters house and got them all set up on PSN and gave them one of my remotes to use until they can find out of the buy two Blus and get a free remote deals that I got both of mine under...

Holy smokes this thing is TOTALLY silent. And the BD drive is just as fast 'perceptually' to my PS3 fats at home. Don't worry there.

But the noise level is ASTOUNDING. Completely silent, even the drive makes no noise. NICE WORK

 

[DaveF]

Originally Posted by Sam Posten

Holy smokes this thing is TOTALLY silent. And the BD drive is just as fast 'perceptually' to my PS3 fats at home. Don't worry there.

But the noise level is ASTOUNDING. Completely silent, even the drive makes no noise. NICE WORK

That's both encouraging and confusing. From the Blu-Ray review summary, they suggest it can be somewhat noisy.

The reviewer relates, "Midway through 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine', I noted that the console was disgorging a lot of heat through its rear vents, and at that point, in terms of fan noise it did not seem to be an improvement on what's gone before. The huge 95mm,17-blade fan beneath the hood clearly has its work cut out..."

I've got the 360 which has the loudest DVD drive mechanism I've ever heard. It shakes the couch from 15 feet away. It's like the vibration platforms that NASA uses to simulate rocket launches. (This year's update, playing discs off hard drive, was a huge benefit since it eliminates the drive noise.)

But I'll tolerate such noise for games. But after a decade of dead quiet DVD drives, I'm wary about audible Blu Ray players.

But overall, the PS3 Slim has got me interested as a Blu Ray player. We'll see how the holiday season goes.

 

[Nick Martin]

The drive itself is supposedly loud when inserting discs of any format, but silent during playback.

I have a 40GB PS3 and it's totally silent, probably because:

A) I use it more for movies and video files, so I'm not running a graphic / memory-heavy game for hours. I'm not sure if that has any effect the way it would on a computer.

B) I have it on top of my TV unit, so it's completely free to breathe.

 

[RolandL]

[SIZE= larger]Sony plans to put 3D TVs in homes by end of 2010
[/SIZE]

[SIZE= larger]
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article6817969.ece[/SIZE]

I wonder if the 3-D will be an upgrade to the PS3 or you will have to buy a new one?

 

[DaveF]

I hope they put one in my house. Just call ahead to make sure we're home.

 

[TravisR]

Unless their 3-D works with current sets and players, I think it will basically be a pipe dream. There's no way that they're going to convince people to buy a possibly highly expensive new TV and player just to see a handful of movies in 3-D.

 

[Nick Martin]

Originally Posted by RolandL

[SIZE= larger]Sony plans to put 3D TVs in homes by end of 2010
[/SIZE]

[SIZE= larger]
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article6817969.ece[/SIZE]

I wonder if the 3-D will be an upgrade to the PS3 or you will have to buy a new one?

I've read somewhere that adding 3-D to PS3 is as simple as a firmware update and nothing more. Whether that's true I'm not sure.