New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available... - Page 22

Re: New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available...

What can I say, I can´t resist of talking game consoles.. (and how good "PS3 upscaling" is.. ).


Well the problem is, that "Pokémon" (like "Mario", "Donkey Kong", "Zelda", "Metroid", "Kirby"..) are owned by Nintendo, so perhaps DS is the choice then? Or did you have that already? I love my PSP, but I can´t take anything away from DS. Kids love those games (and adults too! ).

You don´t really gain *that* much from "PSP & PS3"-combination, so perhaps DS is a better choice for your kid? Just wondering here...

Then again in graphics wise, PSP seems to be more-or-less superior (one quick link here: http://www.pspsa.com/2008/04/psp-vs-...omparison.html - take with that "grain of salt", of course)... Some actually say, that PSP is a bit "too good" and advanced, when it comes to handheld consoles. I mean DS has been cheaper and all that (partly) because of that (other huge factor is the games, of course and "Nintendo" brand). Again (like with PS3), PSP was (still is?) more expensive (vs DS) when it came out and the price scared away some customers (since people tend to look at the price very closely). Now PSP is doing much better, though (like also PS3 - we can again learn something from this.. these things take some time..)

Like I said, I´m not that experienced player with PSP (I tend to spend my time with the "big boys" - consoles, I mean.. ), so I´m not fully sure how many QUALITY (=as good as "Mario" etc from DS) kid-friendly games they actually have. They´ve "Ape Escape Academy 2", "Daxter", "Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures", "Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy", "LocoRoco", "MediEvil Resurrection", "Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters", "Secret Agent Clank", "Sonic Rivals 2", "Super Monkey Ball Adventure", "Worms: Open Warfare 2"... and "Crash: Mind over Mutant" coming. So there are some good titles. And "Manhunt 2", of course! (just kidding.. ).


PS3 is at least "as good" (if not better) in upscaling than any Toshiba-model. But yes, Toshiba has quality upscaling.

Re: New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available...

I believe it can be said that at the very least the HD-XA2 out performs the PS3 and all of the other toshiba lines.

Re: New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available...

Well, I have XE1 (which is the same as "XA2", but was sold in Europe) and I have compared the two (with "full 1080p" and via HDMI only, since I have 1080p-LCD). PS3 has so much power, that it´s actually not a huge surprise that it can do such a good job in upscaling.

But I guess we have as many opinions as we have the "pair of eyes", so these things always comes partly as a "matter of opinion". That will be always the case in the forums. I don´t claim that my conclusion is "definite" or something, but it´s good enough for me.

Re: New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available...

My eyes don't lie though. And lots of other people have the same opinion.

Re: New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available...

No, I don't have the DS, and I'm aware that Nintendo owns Pokemon, et al and is unwilling to allow those games to be released on competing platforms. However, I thought I heard something about hacked versions of such games -- though again, I'm not sure if we're allowed to talk about that here. I even found some YouTube clips demonstrating some Pokemon game on the PSP, but then again, maybe it's just a hoax using the PSP's video playback to "demo" (some video capture of) the game.

Anyway, I'm not looking to have my kid spend tons of time playing games on any portable, and the PSP will probably have enough kid-friendly games as is though my son would prefer to have Pokemon included there. I just like that the PSP seems much more versatile than something like the DS and can be used for other things like music and video playback, occasional brief web access (though it's not clear to me how useful that will actually be), etc. And like I said, choosing it over the DS (plus an extra iPod Nano) is only something that might make sense in my particular situation. If the goal is simply to make my son as happy as possible right now w/out concern for anything else, then yeah, I'd just get the DS for him, but that's not really our only (or maybe even primary) goal.

_Man_

Re: New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available...

Well, it´s the normal "business decision" from Nintendo, Sony and MS. Only these "3-party companies" releases games in multiple consoles (even some of them are "exclusives", though).


I guess both PSP and DS (?) has their "homebrew"-stuff (at least PSP). It´s not exactly legal, since this also means that you can play the pirated games (there are plenty of "homemade", free-stuff also, though, so not everything is "illegal"). IMO it´s not worth the hassle (I want to have the official games anyway), but that´s just me, of course. If you want more info, it´s best to use Google..

This "time-issue" is actually quite interesting. My sister´s kid (around 12 years old now, I guess) spends some time with various games (both PC and consoles - he doesn´t have PS3/Xbox 360/Wii yet, though) and I believe he already has done some "own games" with his PC (very basic and all that, but still). And he loves "Spore" (where you can create creatures and stuff like that - huge PC-game at the moment). So in the future, perhaps he´ll be making "Halo 10" or something..
I guess my point is, that it´s good to have certain "limits" (well, obviously) with the kids, but these games are not as "evil" as many think (not really talking about you, Man-Fai - mainly people that have never played games themselves). You can actually "learn" many things just by playing these games. And like with films, games have also "ratings". Parents should always respect those. 12-year old kid can´t play "GTA4", that´s for sure.

Re: New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available...

The DS/PSP conversation is a bit OT, but let me add one more thing.

Homebrew on the DS can be enabled VERY easily with cartridge-based devices. They're plug-and-play and cost about $30 plus another $10-$30 for RAM.

Once installed, the DS has access to homebrew media players (movies and mp3 files), e-book readers (the little screens are REALLY sharp for text display), calendar programs, web browser, and so on. Suddenly, this little $130 "game system" becomes a VERY versatile handheld device.

Re: New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available...

Actually, what I could *really* use is a fun PS3 (or even PSP or old XBox) game that would help my kid w/ his violin practices. At the moment, that's really the main motivation for me to consider getting a portable console for him at all (as a big incentive for him to practice and practice well). Otherwise, I had already said "no" about this when he asked before.

Too bad there isn't a Violin Hero game for this, but then again, such a game would probably just make matters worse.

Anyhoo, my apologies for going so far OT w/ this PSP tangent...

_Man_

Re: New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available...

Sorry to quote my own post, but I think it got lost in all of the OT conversations (one which was my fault ).

Does anyone have any answers to this? EDIT: I read that one of the reasons why you can't turn the PS3 on (with an IR remote) is because the USB port isn't powered when the PS3 is off. And the reason the IR2BT works is because it gets it's power from 2 AA's so as to not rely on the PS3 for power.

So it appears that this is the only way to turn on the PS3...i.e by finding a powered IR->Bluetooth convertor.

Re: New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available...

PlayStation.Blog » Firmware Updates: PS3 (v2.50) / PSP (v5.00)

PS3 - firmware v2.50 - The latest features/enhancements include:

*Support for the PS3 Official Bluetooth Headset - we’ve told you about the upcoming Bluetooth Headset and SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation Bundle on the Blog. This latest firmware installment enables High-Quality (HQ) mode, which delivers clear and wide-band online voice chat. On top of that, an added on-screen indicator shows battery status, volume level and use of HQ mode.

*PlayStation Trophies interface enhancements - I know that many of you are busy collecting trophies and raising your PlayStation Trophy level. This update makes sharing and comparing your trophies with your friends even easier. On 1st part of the profile page you’ll see a symbol under level that represents level and the actual percentage towards the next level along with the existing level meter. The level symbol carries over to the trophy comparison screen where you will now be able to see your level, your friend’s level and the percentage towards the next level for both users along with all of the game by game comparison information you see today.

*Friend status – Offline friends on your Friends list will have information below their avatars that will indicate how long it has been since they were last online.

*Video – This update adds the Scene Search feature similar to the feature on the PSP. Activating this feature while viewing a video on the PS3 will break the video up into scenes that you can quickly access by pressing the X button. You can break the videos into one, two or five minute intervals. In addition, you can now choose to have all of the videos under the video section of the XMB play in sequence. Go to Settings then Video Settings to turn this option on.

*PlayStation Store – We’ve added a redeem codes option right on the store to make it easier to redeem your PlayStation Network Cards and promotion codes. In addition, PlayStation Network Sign Up and Account Management have been redesigned.

*Power Save Settings – You can now set your PS3 and wireless controllers to turn off automatically after set periods of inactivity. Go to Settings then Power Save Settings to turn on these features.

*Background Downloading - You now have the option to set the PS3 to turn off automatically after a background download or installation of content has completed. This option is available when you turn off the system from the button under [Users] while content is being downloaded or installed.
In-game Screenshots - this tool will allow everyone to capture, share and in other words, immortalize their favorite gameplay moments. This will be supported on a game by game basis. Please check back to find out which games will support this feature.

*In addition to all of the features above there are some additional features and enhancements included in 2.50. Once the update launches, you can read all of the details here.

The support for the Bluetooth Headset will be of particular interest to all of you SOCOM fans. With the “Proximity Chat” feature, SOCOM: Confrontation gameplay is intensified as it allows you to experience high-quality voice playback in full surround sound. Whether the action is near or far, Proximity Chat clearly matches distance to sound effects and voiceovers within the game, putting you in the heart of the action.

Re: New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available...

I like these two updates.

Re: New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available...

Within the last hour or so (between 1:30 and 2:30 AM EST, had to stay up for Eli Stone's pacific standard time broadcast) the PS3 update was made available for download.

Re: New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available...

I'm really digging on this. I download a lot of demos which are 1GB+ in size. I like to start it late at night as I'm going to sleep and would like the machine to shut itself off afterwards.

Now all they need to add is *choosing highest bit rate soundtrack as default* for Blu-Ray play and I'll be happy as a clam!

And if they could possibly do it without pissing off the other companies, allow us to disable BD-J stuff like U-Control and other things that substitute for, and disable some of, the controls on the PS3 BD remote.

Re: New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available...

That's news to me. What settings do I need to fiddle with to ensure that I am passing out the highest bitrate soundtrack?

Re: New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available...

That's the point, Chris, there is no setting. So for example, on many WB discs, including the new Matrix discs, the movies just begin after inserting the DVD. If you don't know to check, you're listening to DD. You have to manually select the DD TrueHD track. On other discs, where there is only a TrueHD or DTS-MA track, they will start playing by default.

I don't understand why some discs have both DD and DD TrueHD, or DTS and DTS-MA. As I understand it, if you play either the TrueHD or DTS-MA track, and your receiver can't handle it, you'll get the core DD/DTS track embedded in the TrueHD/MA track. So why include both?

For PS3, which doesn't output the HBR codecs, having both completely trips it up because most of the time (and I don't know how it goes about choosing it) the PS3 defaults to the DD/DTS track and not the TrueHD/MA track.

Re: New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available...

Thanks for the explanation, Carlo. Now that I think about it, I've seen it happen on my Cars blu-ray: it automatically selects the DD instead of the Uncompressed audio.

Re: New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available...

Maybe it's the same reason so many DVD's included separate 5.1 and 2.0 stereo mixes?

Re: New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available...

As far as upgrades, I'd love to see an upgrade that allowed you to keep the power running to the USB ports even when the system is off. This would make it easier for me to purchase a proper IR Transmitter for my Universal Remote Control.

According to the white paper: I'm not claiming to know what that all means, but (to me) it kind of sounds like the original DTS is included in the track, but only the DTS-HD decoder can see it (i.e. strip it out). Without a proper decoder, it doesn't sound like you'd be able to just listen to the DTS track.

I could be reading it wrong, but my take is that the DTS-HD encoder strips out the DTS track and send it to the DTS decoder (i.e. the backwards compatibility part of it), and then the DTS-HD decoder takes the 'extra' info and adds it to the regular (decoded) DTS track to make it lossless. Again, without the availability of a DTS-HD decoder (which sends the DTS track to the regular DTS decoder), it doesn't sound like the signal can be processed by a regular DTS decoder.


EDIT: Zack, I think the reason for separate 5.1 and 2.0 mixes was for those people who wanted a true 2.0 mix, rather than having the system do the 'downgrading'. What I mean is, most DVD's that have a 2.0 mix are movies that only had a 2.0 mix originally. The 5.1 mix was the 'enhancement' to the DVD, so including the 2.0 mix was to maintain the original presentation of the movie.

Re: New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available...

I did the v2.50 update last night. Worked fine.

Re: New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available...

That is not correct. All DTS decoders are fully compatible with the 1.5Mbps DTS core contained within a DTS-HD stream.

Taken Directly from the DTS-HD brochure:

Taken from Wikipedia:

PS: The 1509kbps DTS core is far superior to what you may have heard on DTS DVDs, which commonly operates at 754kbps.

Re: New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available...

That's what early DTS DVDs like "Apollo 13" had, those full-bitrate tracks that required their own separate DVD release.

Re: New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available...

Thanks for the clarification Sanjay, but that brings up another thought.

If the DTS-HD signal contains the info for a 'downgradable' DTS stream, can it still be sent via the optical out? or does it have to be sent only over HDMI?

Re: New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available...

The full HD will never be sent through optical because it's too much information for that type of connection.

Therefore, even without the ability to enjoy the HD audio formats, it's still technically better than the average DVD.

Re: New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available...

The DTS core will be sent via optical/coaxial out. I personally have a PS3 which I use with an older receiver, the Denon AVR5800, which does not have the new HD formats and/or HDMI support. Thus the PS3 is connected via the optical out to the receiver and I am able to not only get DTS from DVDs but also when playing a a Blu-Ray Disc with DTS-HD I still get the core DTS on my receiver.

Bottom line is, if it were not for commercial politics, DTS-HD Master Audio is all we need and which ought to be the single default standard for all Blu-ray discs. It is the only format that singularly and universally meets the needs of everyone.

Re: New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available...

^^ oh, that's interesting. Ugh, I hate when politics screws up technology.

Re: New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available...

Correct on DTS-MA not being sent out as HBR via optical. But I believe the core DTS track embedded within the DTS-MA would. Otherwise I don't know how those BDs with only DTS-MA soundtracks would play for people without HBR decoding hardware (and I think there's a few out there that only have DTS-MA tracks for english).

Re: New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available...

My original receiver was optical and coaxial only, and FOX discs use DTS as their english tracks (ID4, Simpsons Movie are the two FOX BDs I have) and I played them just fine with the core stream. That is what ensures backward compatibility.

Re: New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available...

Minor PS3 firmware update v2.52 available:

PlayStation.Blog » PS3 Firmware (v2.52) Update

"*The playback quality of some PS3 format software has been improved.

*A text entry issue that occurs when using the on-screen keyboard, USB keyboard or Bluetooth keyboard with some PS3 format software has been addressed."

Just did it myself.

Re: New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available...

Man, this has been a useful thread. I'm about to make the jump to HD and Blu-Ray, so I'm playing sponge and soaking up all the info I can. I've already pretty much decided on a PS3 as my Blu-Ray device since it's a fantastic BD player and has that added bonus of being a cool gaming system. (My girlfriend and I are both avid console gamers).

I guess I'm going to need a new digital optical cable, though (I was using digital coax on my old DVD player), since the PS3 apparently doesn't support digital coax. I'd use HDMI for sound, but my current receiver doesn't support HDMI. Wahhh! Oh well, one more thing to add to the update list (buying the PS3 and a new plasma set is going to be enough for now, thankyouverymuch).

Am I right in gleaning from the past mentions in this thread that the PS3 has Wi-Fi support out of the box? No adapters or anything needed? If that's the case, sw33t! My Linksys wireless'll get some use at last (I'm currently using it wired as both my work PC and home PC sit in the same room with the router, but the PS3 and TV will be downstairs, so I need wireless to be able to use the BD-Live and Internet-related features of the PS3).

Already plotting and scheming for all the things I need (BD versions of Iron Man and Speed Racer to start with, plus Digital Video Essentials for calibration; a pair of HDMI cables, the new optical cable....maybe upgrade my front speakers....wow I'm gonna spend a lot of $$ over the next couple weeks.......)

cheers,
Phil

Re: New to Blu? Buy a PS3: the most featured BD hardware available...

That's what finally sold me, but I never imagined how much cooler it really was!! You can download playable demos, which ROCKS! just like a computer! Do you have Digital/HD cable? FYI: My cable company gave me a free Optical cable (in a pack of high-end cabling).