Buy PS3 or Sony BDP-350

Flaccus

Started some time ago with the 360, then jumped to the PS3 but as I didn't have a 1080p set for BD movies and the 360 had more exclusives. Then jumped back to the 360 about 6 months ago. Now I'm wondering if I should buy a PS3 for BD movies seeing as I have a Sony 40Z4500 40" LCD to do it justice. Would also be used for media/divx playback and is obviously quieter than the 360 in that regard plus you can upload your movies to the PS3's internal drive unlike the 360, and of course PS3 only games which I haven't played yet or completed (MGS4, Killzone 2, Resistance 2 etc..). The PS3 also has the advantage of decoding DTS-HD Master Audio, so I can pass a Linear PCM signal to my amp over HDMI (handy as my amp supports lpcm). The BDP-350 player doesn't support this, so would have to resort to possibly inferior bitstream over optical since my amp wont decode hd audio.

Possibly answered my own question here, but considering I have a 360 already is it really worth splashing on a PS3.

Flaccus

Flaccus wrote: »

Possibly answered my own question here, but considering I have a 360 already is it really worth splashing on a PS3.

For MGS4 and Killzone 2 it's definately worth getting a PS3.

Batesy

YES

Rew

I have both here. PS3 has it all really so other then the 350 being cheaper it doesn't have anything special going for it.

WhiskeyGoblin

Slaps for such a stupid question,Of course your going to buy a PS3,I mean Blu-Ray players are basically the same price,So grab yourself a 2 for 1 bargain,Ps3 FTW!!!!

Retr0gamer

The PS3 is probably cheaper and it gets updated constantly so you will always have a top of the range Blu-ray player. The 360 has the better games and better multiplatform games but the PS3 does get some use from me every so often when a good exclusive comes out and the PSN has so decent content on there too. PS3 all the way really.

noodler

Now call me a hypochondriac if you must but hear me out. The day I can get a Blu Ray player for under 100e I will snap one up and won't let a Blu Ray near my PS3.

If laser a laser really has a limited life then I guess playing a Blu Ray disc regularly will take its toll (most games lighten the load by using the HDD). I did the same with my PS2 (second I could get a quality cheap DVD player I never used a DVD in it again).

But there you go, I reckon I am just obsessive. If the Blu Ray player you are looking at is around 150e or more then I agree the PS3 is the best option but maybe wait a little while to see if this months old price drop prediction comes to fruition.

Retr0gamer wrote: »

The 360 has the better games

Could you give me a list of your favorite 360 games Retro? Just out of curiosity, alot of JRPGS?

awhir

noodler wrote: »

Now call me a hypochondriac if you must but hear me out. The day I can get a Blu Ray player for under 100e I will snap one up and won't let a Blu Ray near my PS3.

If laser a laser really has a limited life then I guess playing a Blu Ray disc regularly will take its toll (most games lighten the load by using the HDD). I did the same with my PS2 (second I could get a quality cheap DVD player I never used a DVD in it again).

But there you go, I reckon I am just obsessive. If the Blu Ray player you are looking at is around 150e or more then I agree the PS3 is the best option but maybe wait a little while to see if this months old price drop prediction comes to fruition.



Could you give me a list of your favorite 360 games Retro? Just out of curiosity, alot of JRPGS?

"obsessive" more like crazy :pac:

noodler

awhir wrote: »

"obsessive" more like crazy :pac:

I wouldn't disagree but then this is the most I have ever paid for a console and I bought it in Argos up North and don't really fancy the call to Sony IE if it breaks!

Flaccus

Will probably take everyones advice and get a PS3 soon. Though I have been reading user reviews on AV Forums and the BDP-350 seems to have the edge on colour saturation and 24p output. Probably something I would not even notice.

Retr0gamer

noodler wrote: »

Now call me a hypochondriac if you must but hear me out. The day I can get a Blu Ray player for under 100e I will snap one up and won't let a Blu Ray near my PS3.

If laser a laser really has a limited life then I guess playing a Blu Ray disc regularly will take its toll (most games lighten the load by using the HDD). I did the same with my PS2 (second I could get a quality cheap DVD player I never used a DVD in it again).

It's not really that obsessive. The only consoles I've ever had trouble with were my PS1 and PS2. PS1 I've had my laser die on me. I'm on my 3rd PS2 thanks to laser failures. I think sony don't do great lasers in their machines.

Waiting on the 360 to die though

noodler wrote:

Could you give me a list of your favorite 360 games Retro? Just out of curiosity, alot of JRPGS?

Well from just exclusives:

Ninja Gaiden 2
Lost Odyssey
Eternal Sonata (not an exclusive now)
Dead Rising
Braid
Rez HD
Earth Defence Force 2097
Gears of War 1 and 2 (dumb but fun although Gears 2 pulls off one piece of surprisingly excellent storytelling)
Ikaruga
Castlevania Symphony of the Night
Geometry Wars 2
N+
Galaga Legions
Omega Five
Bioshock (no waiting a year for it)
Crackdown
And I liked Blue Dragon although a lot of people hate it.

I usually get all my third party games on the 360 as well since they give slightly better performance.

acidburn51737

Ps3 ftw dude ^^

thebman

I was debating this same thing before XMas (might have been different model back then).

Came to the conclusion the Ps3 was a much better buy even though I didn't like most of the games out on it at the time (most of the best games were on 360 too at the time and I have one).

However, I went for the PS3 anyway on the conclusion that LBP was out (drool) and some other great games were on the horizon. I have not regretted at all, even though my PS3 broke after a month and I've just had it replaced, it is still a great console.

Oh and Xtravision replaced it for me even without a receipt so I would recommend purchasing from them (one in Maynooth anyway). They were more than helpful and searched the till for my proof of purchase, rang me to say they found it the next day and the manager stayed late to give me my replacement.

Flaccus

One negative I thought off. Last time I had a PS3 I remember how it was so easy to scratch that piano black finish. Even the slightest wipe with a micro-fibre cloth no matter how soft causes the dust to leave marring/swirl marks on the ps3's casing...of course they only really show up under very bright white lights or halogen lamps Same problem with surround on TV.

Idleater

if the choice is between the ps3 and the 350, then yeah, get the ps3.

However, the ps3 is not the be all and end all of bd players. There are quite a few limitations, in terms of features and quality (picture and audio) but these are offset by a games machine thrown in, and industry leading (until the oppo bdp comes out) disk loading time.

knuth

Retr0gamer wrote: »

It's not really that obsessive. The only consoles I've ever had trouble with were my PS1 and PS2. PS1 I've had my laser die on me. I'm on my 3rd PS2 thanks to laser failures. I think sony don't do great lasers in their machines.

Waiting on the 360 to die though



Well from just exclusives:

Ninja Gaiden 2
Lost Odyssey
Eternal Sonata (not an exclusive now)
Dead Rising
Braid
Rez HD
Earth Defence Force 2097
Gears of War 1 and 2 (dumb but fun although Gears 2 pulls off one piece of surprisingly excellent storytelling)
Ikaruga
Castlevania Symphony of the Night
Geometry Wars 2
N+
Galaga Legions
Omega Five
Bioshock (no waiting a year for it)
Crackdown
And I liked Blue Dragon although a lot of people hate it.

I usually get all my third party games on the 360 as well since they give slightly better performance.

They released SOTN on the 360? Possible reason to buy one!!

Varik

ps3 may be upgraded from divx6 to divx 7,
7 can do mkv files so that puts it ahead for me

Retr0gamer

lordlame wrote: »

They released SOTN on the 360? Possible reason to buy one!!

Yep, great conversion as well. Even though I've played it to death on the PS1 and Saturn it was worth another playthrough.

TinCool

nereid wrote: »

However, the ps3 is not the be all and end all of bd players. There are quite a few limitations, in terms of features and quality (picture and audio)

Eh ?

Quality of picture and audio is more to do with your TV and Audio set up. The PS3 just plays the content off of the disc. If you pass everything through HDMI and configure the picture/audio settings on the PS3 correctly then it's no better/worse than a standalone Blu-Ray player. I certainly think the picture/audio quality on the PS3 is fantastic, although I do have it running off of a 42" Pioneer Plasma and sound going through a separate AV/Speaker set up all via HDMI.

Flaccus

TinCool wrote: »

Eh ?

Quality of picture and audio is more to do with your TV and Audio set up. The PS3 just plays the content off of the disc. If you pass everything through HDMI and configure the picture/audio settings on the PS3 correctly then it's no better/worse than a standalone Blu-Ray player. I certainly think the picture/audio quality on the PS3 is fantastic, although I do have it running off of a 42" Pioneer Plasma and sound going through a separate AV/Speaker set up all via HDMI.

I can't tell the difference between players either, however some over on avforums give the 350 the nod over having a slightly crisper image and better colour saturation. Others can't tell the difference. I guess it's a subjective thing for a lot of people. The reviews will tell you it's down to one player doing a better job of decoding than another or having a better transport mechanism etc.. I guess the really expensive players have to justify their price somehow.

Idleater

TinCool wrote: »

Eh ?
The PS3 just plays the content off of the disc.

No it doesn't. That is the whole point of it. It decodes the audio (dts-ma/truehd etc) and outputs the streams as LPCM. For video, it decodes the content (AVC, VC1 etc.) and formats it for streaming over hdmi.

For a start it won't upmix 5.1 content to 7.1, nor provide bass management for a x.0 system. There are also better image processors in some of the standalone players eg VRS by Anchor Bay in the oppo which is used in standalone scalers.

Of course, you are correct, in that most of this will not be noticed by many ps owners, because the biggest problem is incorrectly (if at all) calibrated displays never mind having the audio systems that can even barely do plain DD/DTS justice.

L.

Flaccus

Forgot to say..went out an hour ago and got an 80gig PS3 with Killzone 2

quick question...are the 80gig shipping with the 65nm gpu and cpu, like the 160gig models ?

I also have one of these smartplates I'll be putting on. Can't stand it when any of my stuff get's marked.

http://www.consoleshop.com/product.php?productid=16782

Retr0gamer

There is no 160gig model unless I missed something. Also it doesn't matter if it's 65nm technology. It's not like the 360, the CPU and GPU are very stable on the PS3.

noodler

Retr0gamer wrote: »

There is no 160gig model unless I missed something. Also it doesn't matter if it's 65nm technology. It's not like the 360, the CPU and GPU are very stable on the PS3.

?

There is 100% a 160GB model but it is identical in spec bar the HDD as far as I know.

thebman

Meh, the image quality is more than good enough for me. I have a 32" TV and can't see why you'd go much bigger TBH unless your living room is about 20 feet long :P

You have to sit so far away (or at least your supposed to) if you have a large tv, I don't think most Irish living rooms are large enough for those size TV's.

Flaccus

I keep a 40" Bravia 40Z4500 in my bedroom and the size is proving a bit of a challenge allright

Yeah..160gig is out for sure...of course you can change the drive to a 500gig fairly cheap so more economical to buy the 80gig version for 50 euro less with Killzone 2 throw in. However, but I do remember the blurb when the 160gig came out a few days after the 80gig. Forums were saying the 160gig was shifting from a 90nm to a 65nm RSX GPU (Cell already shiften to 65nm in previous models) and other products would follow. I assume the 80gig on sale here has it also.

thebman

You can get a 1TB drive on Komplett for 90 euro at the moment :P

Don't know if it will support PS3 properly. PS3 might sh** itself

Blazer

2.5 inch hard drive in PS3..bigget there is at present is 500GB.

hey flaccus..where's my xbox?:P

Kashkai

thebman wrote: »

Meh, the image quality is more than good enough for me. I have a 32" TV and can't see why you'd go much bigger TBH unless your living room is about 20 feet long :P

You have to sit so far away (or at least your supposed to) if you have a large tv, I don't think most Irish living rooms are large enough for those size TV's.

My living room is 16 feet wide by 26 feet long. I have a Samsung series 6 (46 inch) model and its lost in this room. I'll have to get a bigger tv next year when the wife stops complaining about how much I spent on this one :P:D:D:D:D

thebman

Well aren't you very prosperous, Dave :P

My 32" dwarfs my living room in the house I'm renting

Flaccus

Anyone know where I can buy some latex gloves to use when am operating my PS3 ?

Already covered it in cling film in order to prevent dust/fingerprints from getting on it, as even the slightest touch with the best microfibre cloth on the market causes swirl marks/micro marring/spider webbing on the casing's piano black finish which is visible in bright sunlight or under bright lights, especially halogens and the laquer isn't robust enough to respond well to any of the plastic polishes/fillers out there in the event you do mark it, so preventative measures are the only way to maintain a pristine finish. (Other alternative was to leave it in the box and cut some holes for ventilation and the cables but thought that was a bit overboard). Problem now is power button won't activate when coverered by cling film, so I need to use latex gloves or something which won't leave any fingerprints. Had same issue with my last Sony W series bravia and had to get rid of it over fine scratches on the piano black/blue finish.

anyone know where I can buy such an item ?

Idleater

Get a remote control for it.

You then don't have to touch it, because even the disc ejects and inserts without going near the surface of the console itself.

Glico Man

PS3 all the way. I have had nothing but problems with my xcrox which now lies under a blanket of dust because microsoft refuse to fix it unless i pay for the repairs (screw them). When my PS3 froze Sony sent someone round the day I rang them.

noodler

I have plenty of suggestions Flaccus but they all involve you getting a life!:D

Retr0gamer

Flaccus wrote: »

Anyone know where I can buy some latex gloves to use when am operating my PS3 ?

Already covered it in cling film in order to prevent dust/fingerprints from getting on it, as even the slightest touch with the best microfibre cloth on the market causes swirl marks/micro marring/spider webbing on the casing's piano black finish which is visible in bright sunlight or under bright lights, especially halogens and the laquer isn't robust enough to respond well to any of the plastic polishes/fillers out there in the event you do mark it, so preventative measures are the only way to maintain a pristine finish. (Other alternative was to leave it in the box and cut some holes for ventilation and the cables but thought that was a bit overboard). Problem now is power button won't activate when coverered by cling film, so I need to use latex gloves or something which won't leave any fingerprints. Had same issue with my last Sony W series bravia and had to get rid of it over fine scratches on the piano black/blue finish.

anyone know where I can buy such an item ?

OCD no? I hope you are taking the piss.

Flaccus

Now now, be nice noodler
I'm probably going to look into building a laminar flow cabinet for my PS3. Cling film doesn't seem to be working out. Can't seem to cut it symmetrically around the ventilation holes. I also have a chrome faceplate for it, but not gone on the the reflectivity and it even has slight hairline swirl lines on it from new.
http://www.thegametrain.com/playstation-3-smart-plate-top-cover-chrome-p-560.html

Not happy. For now it goes back in the box and I have holes cut in strategic places around the box to allow ventillation and cables to pass through. Will have to do for now.

Blazer

don't mind flaccus..he's just away in a world of his own..
i know for a fact he doesn't have a ps3 as he was talking about buying one on friday.

Flaccus

mate - i don't know what you are talking about. i am honestly looking for advice on how to minimise damage to the ps3 as touching it with any kind of cloth causes scratches no matter what. i have heard of a yoke called a swiffer duster so might look that up. this california car duster thats used on the paintwork of classic cars is supposed to be very good as well. so are dusters made from ostrich feathers.

Blazer

Flaccus wrote: »

mate - i don't know what you are talking about. i am honestly looking for advice on how to minimise damage to the ps3 as touching it with any kind of cloth causes scratches no matter what. i have heard of a yoke called a swiffer duster so might look that up. this california car duster thats used on the paintwork of classic cars is supposed to be very good as well.

I suggest flaccus turning your room into a vacuum which will eliminate the dust threat and you :P

Flaccus

har..har very funny but your'e not far wrong. the laminar cabinet is about the best I can do. not easy to build though. might look into an acrylic pc case to keep it in. of course acrylic is as bad for showing hairline scratches under the right lighting conditions. hence the reason why I abhor side windows on pc cases. for now I'm going to order an ostrich duster and try it out on one of the ps3 consoles in smiths or gamestop (will bring a halogen pencil torch with me).

noodler

Honestly I can't keep the thing clean. It seems to be covered in dust everytime I look at it.

GothPunk

I vacuum my PS3 every other week and Sony recommends you do to!

Also, Flaccus is my new hero.

Flaccus

Cheers mate

Just ordered my Ostrich soft duster and air purifier with add on deionizer. Should do the trick.

Retr0gamer

My PS3 picks shit up likes it's a Katamari.

noodler

Just watched my first Blu-Ray on the PS3. 1st episode of Terminator.

Noticeable difference in quality but not the same leap from VHS to DVD would be my first impressions.

However I reckon my monitor/TV (Samsung 20'') doesn't do it justice whilst it is also weaker at blacks. When their were brighter sequences or CGI it looked very good.

If I only have a HD ready TV should I keep the resolution at 720p or let the ps3 upscale to 1080i/p?