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120GB "Slim" PS3 officially announced - Page 2

post #31 of 66
8/20/09 at 6:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam Posten View Post


Crazy talk!  =)  You guys can pine for IR all you want but non-LOS connectivity like bluetooth is the true future for remotes.  WiFi is even better but BT does the job.
It may be the future, but it's not the present.

It is pure Sony: design a a "standard" interface incompatible with everyone else.


Edited by DaveF - 8/20/09 at 11:41am
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post #32 of 66
8/20/09 at 9:23am
Thread Starter 
I hate having to use like five different remotes (can't afford a Harmony right now) but I do like the PS3 remote, except that if you're not careful enough you can accidentally stop the disc if you mean to press pause - I've made that mistake often with Java-enhanced discs and you all know what happens when you stop a Java-enhanced Blu-ray title....not to mention since every button on the remote can turn the console on, once you turn it off and put the remote away, you have to make sure not to press anything on it while doing so.
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post #33 of 66
8/20/09 at 9:59am
Harmony has dropped in price some since release. If you can find some coupons or "reward" points or something and can fit it in  your budget, it's a superb remote. I recommend it without reservation.
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post #34 of 66
8/20/09 at 10:58am
Thread Starter 
In 2007 I worked in a high-end electronics shop, and part of what I did was program some of the Harmony remotes for customers, specifically the Harmony 1000, which is now the 1100. Of course I wouldn't dare go after a $600 remote, nor would I need something like that, but it was fun to play around with.

Edited by Nicholas Martin - 8/20/09 at 3:59pm
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post #35 of 66
8/20/09 at 11:56am
Sane would be IR in addition to bluetooth.  Not either in place of the other.
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post #36 of 66
8/20/09 at 4:08pm


Quote:
Originally Posted by Stephen Tu View Post

Sane would be IR in addition to bluetooth.  Not either in place of the other.


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post #37 of 66
8/20/09 at 10:34pm
Just wanted to share a video with you folks, that may clear up a couple minor things.

1) There is NO external power supply or "brick" (ala the Xbox 360) despite what John Koller of Sony originally stated.  That is clearly evident in the video I am going to post below.

2) The hard drive is fully and easily upgradeable.  Even the guy in this video (from IGN) is initially confused by this point, but towards the end of the video he updates and clarifies on that.

Just thought you guys might like to see a visual representation of the new system, just for reference.

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post #38 of 66
8/21/09 at 1:14am
Thread Starter 
The PS3 Slim SUPPORTS Bitstreaming Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA:

http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/21/ps3-slim-bitsreams-dolby-truehd-and-dts-hd-ma-audio-at-last/

As the Blu-ray.com post about this explains, this isn't going to be something everyone can benefit from:

Quote:

The regular PS3 can't bitstream advanced audio codecs because its HDMI transmitter chip doesn't support it. Therefore, unlike the addition of DTS-HD decoding or BD-Live support, a new firmware cannot add advanced audio bitstreaming to existing consoles.
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=3301



Edited by Nicholas Martin - 8/21/09 at 6:23am
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post #39 of 66
8/21/09 at 2:17pm

Quote:
Originally Posted by Will_B View Post

Would be nice if they also released an improved remote control (that both versions can use). I hate the one that they made, so I use a third-party one, but it is not perfect either.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam Posten View Post

PURE crazy talk!

Seriously tho, of the dozen plus remotes in my house the PS3 remote is my favorite.  It is fantastic.

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nicholas Martin View Post

I hate having to use like five different remotes (can't afford a Harmony right now) but I do like the PS3 remote, except that if you're not careful enough you can accidentally stop the disc if you mean to press pause - I've made that mistake often with Java-enhanced discs and you all know what happens when you stop a Java-enhanced Blu-ray title....not to mention since every button on the remote can turn the console on, once you turn it off and put the remote away, you have to make sure not to press anything on it while doing so.
 

I too don't care much for the PS3 remote.  Like Nicholas, I often accidentally hit the stop button, which is a serious pain w/ BD-J discs.  Sometimes, I hit it instead of the pause button, and sometimes, I hit it instead of the play button (after I carefully paused before that).   And since it's not backlit or anything like that, you do have to be extra careful not to hit the stop button in a very dimly lit or completely dark setting.  It's just too easy to mistake those 3 buttons.

I ended up switching to the Nyko Blu Wave remote IR dongle to pair up w/ my Universal Remote instead.  While still not perfect, that works ok enough for me.  Certainly much less frustrating than accidentally hitting the stop button every other time I watch something.  And since Sony has added an easily accessible menu item for powering off the PS3 -- you can even get to it blind because of its location in the menu system (and maybe a remote macro would work for that) -- the lack of a direct power off command via IR dongle has become much less of an issue too, not that I ever thought it much of a problem anyway.  Would be nice of course if some of the PS3/BD-specific commands along w/ audio and subtitle buttons could be mapped as well, but oh well...

_Man_
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post #40 of 66
8/21/09 at 3:10pm
Thread Starter 
I should look into that Nyko remote. My PS3 remote was part of a PS3 bundle, so I got it free. I usually get up to turn it on and off anyway, since I have to insert / eject discs (who doesn't? ) so I have no problem getting up to power it on and off.
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post #41 of 66
8/22/09 at 8:41am
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.
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post #42 of 66
8/22/09 at 9:38am
Thread Starter 


Quote:
Originally Posted by Morgan Jolley View Post

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.

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post #43 of 66
8/22/09 at 1:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Morgan Jolley View Post

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.

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post #44 of 66
8/22/09 at 5:49pm


Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveF View Post



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.
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post #45 of 66
8/22/09 at 5:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arild View Post

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.
My Harmony One turns on the Xbox 360 (as it configures the entire entertainment center for "Xbox" mode). And when I am done gaming, or switch to TV or DVD or Music, the remote turns the 360 off.

It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up. 

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post #46 of 66
8/22/09 at 6:09pm
Posted this in the other PS3 thread:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/20/sony-playstation-2-compatibility-is-not-coming-back-to-ps3/
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post #47 of 66
8/28/09 at 9:49am
 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)
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post #48 of 66
8/29/09 at 10:04am
Thread Starter 
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!
 

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post #49 of 66
8/29/09 at 10:17am
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?
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post #50 of 66
8/29/09 at 12:18pm
Thread Starter 
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.
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post #51 of 66
8/29/09 at 4:03pm


Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveF View Post

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)

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post #52 of 66
8/29/09 at 4:09pm
Thread Starter 
^^I envy you....SACD capability.
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post #53 of 66
8/30/09 at 2:04am
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.
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post #54 of 66
8/30/09 at 6:06am
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
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post #55 of 66
8/30/09 at 9:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam Posten View Post

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.
Quote:
 
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.
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post #56 of 66
8/30/09 at 11:33am
Thread Starter 
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.
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post #57 of 66
9/3/09 at 5:28am

Sony plans to put 3D TVs in homes by end of 2010


http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article6817969.ece


I wonder if the 3-D will be an upgrade to the PS3 or you will have to buy a new one?
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post #58 of 66
9/3/09 at 9:04am
I hope they put one in my house. Just call ahead to make sure we're home.
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post #59 of 66
9/3/09 at 9:32am

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.

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post #60 of 66
9/3/09 at 11:33am
Thread Starter 


Quote:
Originally Posted by RolandL View Post

Sony plans to put 3D TVs in homes by end of 2010


http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article6817969.ece


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.
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