New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available... (1 Viewer)

[ManW_TheUncool]

Scott,

The best deal on the PS3 is the one involving a new Sony Visa Card (as mentioned at the dealnews link Ron posted above).

I actually did that deal myself a few weeks ago (when they also threw in an extra free wireless game controller) -- and my card account was credited the $100 back w/in a week of the purchase. It's a Chase Bank card in case you're wondering. You can buy the PS3 that way either at your local Sony Style store or online (w/ free shipping). Just make sure you sign up for the card at their online site, if you want immediate use of the card to purchase online.

_Man_

 

[Bleddyn Williams]

I know this was written a while ago, but a follow-up question...

My PS3 is currently set to output bitsteam to my non-HDMI amp. When I get an HDMI amp, am I still going to want it set to output bitstream, EXCEPT for PCM, and converted-to-PCM TrueHD (and hopefully, DTS MA)? Or when I go to HDMI, does PCM become the default for output?

 

[Bleddyn Williams]

(crickets chirping)

- sigh -

"Ol' Threadkiller" strikes again!

 

[Anthony GT]

I'll add to the killing of the thread.

What is the general opinion of the upconversion capabilities of the PS3 for SD-DVDs?

Tony

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Very good. I retired my Oppo DVD player when the ps3 got the DVD upscaling update.

I've heard from some with the A3 that the PS3 looks as/good or better, but I think that the better Toshiba players still are "king" of all the upscaling players on the market... though the PS3 is not far behind.

 

[Anthony GT]

That's good to hear. I was considering adding an Oppo to my system but I'll just hold off until I can pull the trigger on the PS3. Thanks!

 

[Dale MA]

I'm looking at going format neutral in the next couple of weeks and the PS3 is looking like the Blu-Ray best player out there (with exception to its lack of bitstreaming :frowning: ). Anyway, I have a couple of questions for any that are willing to answer:

1.) Does the UK version of the PS3 get as many firmware updates as the US model?

2.) Is it true that you can wirelessly connect the PS3 to the net and download firmware updates that way?

3.) Do you think I would be better holding off until the end of the year or is the PS3 pretty much as good as Blu-Ray gets?

 

[Sanjay Gupta]

1.) As far as I know all regional versions of the firmware update are released simultaneously or atleast within a day or two of the US version.

2.) Yes. All PS3s are WiFi and thus can be connected 'wirelessly' for networking, browsing and for downloading updates.

3.) The PS3 is as good as it's gonna get for the foreseeable future. The only things missing fromt he PS3 for now are Profile 2.0 and passing of the audio bitstream. Sony has already promised a firmware update for Profile 2.0 and even the 'bitstream' issue is rumored to be tackled in a future update. Thus you will only be missing out on enjoying BD the longer you wait.

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Keep in mind that the (my) first-gen 20 GB PS3 isn't wi-fi, lan only.

Also, the PS3 won't internally decode DTS-HD MA fully just yet... but an update early this first Q should fix that too (maybe get 2.0 at the same time)

 

[Rogozhin]

SD-DVD upconversion looks wonderful! I'm really enjoying rewatching my collection

Rogo

 

[ToEhrIsHuman]

Okay, fine...I'll bite.

While using HDMI for your audio connection, the only time the "PCM" setting is currently necessary (at least that I can think of off hand) is for Dolby TrueHD tracks. If you selected "bitstream" in this instance you would only get a DD 5.1 lossy track, so therefore you would want to choose "PCM". Later, when presumably there is a firmware update to decode DTS-HD MA onboard the PS3 you would also want to select "PCM" output, otherwise you would only get the lossy DTS core at 1.5mbps (i.e. hardware limitations are pretty much confirmed to deny output of the new hi-rez codecs via "bitstream".)

Really, it doesn't matter whether you use the "bitstream" or "PCM" setting for LPCM tracks because LPCM is the same either way - there is no decoding on the player side nor on the receiver side.

For lossy tracks like DD EX and DTS ES (including DTS-HD & DTS-HD MA for the time being - see above) I would stick with "bitstream" because you won't get the rear channel decoded unless your receiver can process PlxII on a 5.1 LPCM feed, which is what the PS3 converts these tracks into while "PCM" is selected (e.g. although my Onkyo TX-SR605 has advanced features such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA decoding via HDMI v. 1.3 it still will not do this).

Hope this helps.

 

[Ron-P]

I just bought the 40gig a couple of days ago. It's going to replace that craptastic Samsung BD-P1000 machine in the theater. I pulled the Sammy today and wired it up in the living room with a new Insignia 32" LCD TV I hung today.

 

[Sam Posten]

Congrats, now you've got a spare you can use for a bedroom or office, thats my plan for the free BD deck I got, and wont care about interactivity on that one....

 

[Dale MA]

Thank-you for the responses.

 

[Ted Kontos]

I just wanted to verify that if I watch a 4:3 movie on the PS3, it will be pillarboxed with black bars, not gray. I don't remember seeing anything on this in any discussions.

Thanks.

 

[Jari K]

PS3 doesn´t have analog-out. Just wanted to add that in all fairness. And new 40gb models doesn´t support PS2-games (the earlier models do support also PS2 games).

Still, it´s pretty much "future proof".

 

[Eric Meske]

That is correct. Black bars.

 

[Ted Kontos]

Thanks!

 

[Bleddyn Williams]

I'm presuming you're talking about HDMI - as my PS3 is on component, and it stretched 4:3 to fill the 16:9 frame. Unless I've made a mistake in my settings, I have to tell the TV to go into 4:3 mode for correct display.

 

[Ted Kontos]

Yes, I would be using HDMI and would not want stretching of any kind.