Finally gone "purple"

PaulDA · 09-03-2008, 09:34 AM

I've been "red" since Christmas 2007 but I'm now "purple". Picked up an apparently rare MGS4 PS3 bundle (sprang for that one because I wanted SACD playback capability and my wife likes the flash card reader for photos). Future Shop in Canada has a batch, if anyone is looking.

I gave a lot of thought to a stand-alone player with MCH analogue output and internal decoding but, in the end, the versatility and speed of operation of the PS3 won me over (will be used as a music server as well). Besides, it won't be the last BD player to enter my home (how many of you have only one SD DVD player in the house--I have seven if you count computers, three if you only count stand-alones, along with two HD DVD players). This will allow me to play in the "blu" playground and give me time to watch the stand-alones mature. I figure best case--I love the PS3, I upgrade my receiver to HDMI down the line and I have every feature I will want. Worst case--the "quirks" of the PS3 prove irritating over time and it gets relegated to the kids' playroom (probably to their great joy) while I get a stand-alone next year. Either way, I don't see a serious downside.

"Officially", though, I have to wait until Friday to fire it up (it's a B-day present for me--I simply made sure I got the features I wanted rather than leave it "to chance"). Looking forward to it.

Scott-S · 09-03-2008, 12:35 PM

It is a great choice. Make sure you spend the $18 on the Bluetooth remote control. It will make contolling this PS3 during movies much easier.

PaulDA · 09-03-2008, 01:18 PM

They (along with the neighbouring Best Buy) were all out of those remotes. Two weeks ago, I saw dozens of them in each store.

chuckg · 09-03-2008, 01:29 PM

I've seen the remotes everytwhere: Radio Shack, Walmart, Target, and all the electronic BB / CC stores. I imagine they're laying around in gutters...

I'm truly enjoying the PS3...!

CraigF · 09-03-2008, 01:44 PM

If I were you, I'd open that sucker up now and test it for fan noise with a BD and especially with a SACD (presuming you like HD music without background noise). I have only listened to one of the "old" 80GB units playing, and it was pretty loud in the store. Compared to the 40GB (and I guess the similar new 80GB). Definitely worth checking out to prevent a Bday downer. Not much you can do about the SACD playback with the other models, but the cost of more USB ports and the card reader is trivial. Everybody has different noise tolerance levels, but these PS3s do get quite warm and some liken the higher fan levels to be like a hairdryer (I didn't hear it nearly that loud), but I think that's probably when gamng. The thing with the older 80GB models is they kick into higher fan speeds much more readily than the 40GB (and similar new models) do, different chip technology used for the "hot stuff".

Otherwise, I'm sure you'll enjoy the PS3, it's a great multimedia appliance. Have it talk to a PC and then it really earns its keep.

**HTF Ads**

CraigF · 09-03-2008, 01:46 PM

chuckg:
Not in Canada...their general shortage has been noted on Canadian forums for a few weeks now. They are being bundled with some systems up here, maybe that's why??

PaulDA · 09-03-2008, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CraigF

If I were you, I'd open that sucker up now and test it for fan noise with a BD and especially with a SACD (presuming you like HD music without background noise). I have only listened to one of the "old" 80GB units playing, and it was pretty loud in the store. Compared to the 40GB (and I guess the similar new 80GB). Definitely worth checking out to prevent a Bday downer. Not much you can do about the SACD playback with the other models, but the cost of more USB ports and the card reader is trivial. Everybody has different noise tolerance levels, but these PS3s do get quite warm and some liken the higher fan levels to be like a hairdryer (I didn't hear it nearly that loud), but I think that's probably when gamng. The thing with the older 80GB models is they kick into higher fan speeds much more readily than the 40GB (and similar new models) do, different chip technology used for the "hot stuff".

Otherwise, I'm sure you'll enjoy the PS3, it's a great multimedia appliance. Have it talk to a PC and then it really earns its keep.

I'll still be well within the return window if it proves intolerable. As it is bluetooth operable (I hope more CE gear moves to bluetooth rather than line of sight infrared--I'll gladly buy another universal remote if that day comes), I can easily set it up somewhere where it won't be a problem. I understand that's not possible for everyone, so I don't want to sound glib. But SACD playback won't happen until I have an HDMI receiver and, if by then the noise is too much, I'll get yet another long HDMI cable for a very reasonable price from Blue Jean Cable (I have two 25 foot cables from them that operate flawlessly that cost me a dollar a foot) and put it in the closet. If I need to, I'll do it earlier.

CraigF · 09-04-2008, 01:19 AM

^ LOL, you gave me an idea: I have a coat cupboard on the other side of the wall behind my HT rack. Who needs coats anyway?

Actually though, I use the drive/USB slots and front controls a lot, so I couldn't do that for the PS3, too unhandy, but for some other stuff it would work. Mine isn't noisy anyway...yet.

Cees Alons · 09-04-2008, 03:45 AM

Congrats, Paul.

Because of the region coding, I needed a region-A player to be able to play my growing (50+) amount of BDs, so I finally went "purple" too. I chose the new Panasonic DMP-BD50, though. Will get it in a week or so. (Those who are on the fence could also want to wait for the new DMP-BD55.)

Cees

PaulDA · 09-07-2008, 10:54 AM

Finally got to give the PS3 a test drive last night. Loaded the MGS4 game, but it looked way too complicated (I'm not a gamer, as a rule) for a small window of opportunity. I loaded the racing game based on Pixar's Cars--ran a few short races to see if my kids could get the hang of it. It'll be fine for them. Watched the BD I got as a gift along with the PS3--Total Recall. Not a prime demo title, of course, but I've been a long-time fan of the film (though I was still limping along with my pan and scan VHS copy--I watched A LOT back in the 90s and it had fallen "out of rotation"--hence no DVD version on my shelf, but I enjoyed it last night).

Impressions: PQ looked as good as my HD DVD player (as expected). Fan noise was a bit of an issue during quiet passages in the movie (the few that were there) but not during games (too focused on playing to notice). However, I have a solution (thanks to bluetooth tech) that will satisfy a number of issues at once. My HT is in a small room in the basement--the larger room is the kids' playroom. I've ordered two long cables--one HDMI and one toslink--from Blue Jeans Cable (I've had excellent results with two other long HDMI cables from them) and I will place the PS3 in the kids's playroom (out of their reach) and connect it to the HT via the long cables, as well as the SD TV in the playroom via the cables that came with the PS3. That way, with bluetooth, I can control the console for games and movies in the HT, the fan will not be heard through the door in the other room, the kids can game on their SD TV (and leave my HT alone), the kids can watch BD kid movies (again, while leaving my HT alone) and it can also function as a music server for casual listening in the playroom.

Later on, I'll grab another BD player (maybe the newly announced Oppo), if it proves cumbersome as a setup. But I think the bluetooth functionality will make this a versatile setup.