View Full Version : PS3 vs. New Blu-Ray Player
Brave Ulysses
2009-02-22, 08:36
I purchased a 52" Samsung LCD in October and have been debating whether or not to get a blu-ray player since then. I talk myself out of it every couple of weeks, forget it, but then find a good deal and am tempted again.
So now I am faced with this:
I can get a new Playstation 3 for about $175 or I can get one of the new standalone Samsung or LG Blu-Ray players for about $75-$125. These prices are because I either have coupon and a $150 credit (PS3) or because I have a $125 gift card to Amazon (standalone players).
What would you guys go for?
Pros of the PS3
Can play games
Very upgradeable but so are the new standalone players
Advantage of standalone players
Netflix Online support (this is the main difference for me, if the PS3 officially supported this I would go for it)
Cheaper
Supports all audio codecs and features (which the PS3 does not and can not).
$50 more for a PS3 seems like a good deal to me. Just out of curiosity, which codecs/features does it not support? I haven't had any trouble playing any BDs on it... :confused:
I had my Aquos 46" for months and waited to buy a bluray until the format war was over. Then a few months after the war was finally overr I woke up one saturday and felt like I needed to buy something... so I drove to best buy and bought a PS3 :lol:
It works great as a bluray player and you can even spend the $30 bucks or whatever and get the remote so it feels even more like a real stand alone player.
For me the only thing I really wasn't sure about was that the PS3 decodes the TruHD audio signal and converts it to a standard PCM signal instead of letting the receiver do the decoding directly. After using it though this doesn't seem to be a problem and I'm sure the PS3 is just as capable of decoding as my $300 Onkyo.
If you need Netflix on your BD player more than anything else it would seem that a standalone is your best option. I'm sure Sony has the ability to add Netflix, but I don't know if I'd hold out on that if it's one of your more important features.
For me, I'd get a PS3 which is what I did because of all the other options it gives.
You said you had plans on how to acquire a PS3 for cheap. But for everyone else, Best Buy is selling PS3s (both models) this week with a free $50 gift card AND a free Guitar Hero bundle (either GHIII or GH: Aerosmith). That's a pretty good deal, IMO.
Sell the GH and with a $50 gift certificate, you have a roku box plus taxes. :P
spotcatbug
2009-02-22, 18:48
The PS3 will also fold protiens. If you're in to that.
The PS3 will also fold protiens. If you're in to that.
I hate irony. I wish it did that for me.
I hate irony. I wish it did that for me.
Come again?
Come again?
"In the quiet words of the virgin mary, come again?"
dmegatool
2009-02-22, 20:39
Maybe players are better now but my friend have both, a PS3 and a Blu-Ray standalone, and the loading times don't even compare. He says that it's very noticable (didn't see it myself)...
Don't know if you can some infos about your player...
Maybe players are better now but my friend have both, a PS3 and a Blu-Ray standalone, and the loading times don't even compare. He says that it's very noticable (didn't see it myself)...
Don't know if you can some infos about your player...
I assume that you mean the PS3 is better, but couldn't quite tell? Just need to know whether to dust my PS3 or throw it in a large body of water while cursing at it? Thanks!
I assume that you mean the PS3 is better, but couldn't quite tell? Just need to know whether to dust my PS3 or throw it in a large body of water while cursing at it? Thanks!
PS3 has significantly faster load times for BD. Last review I read was :43 seconds for PS3 vs over 1:00 for the fastest standalone player tested.
EDIT: I found the review (http://crave.cnet.co.uk/homecinema/0,39029447,49300095,00.htm).
dmegatool
2009-02-22, 22:22
So that make sense... My friend told it was like 3 times slower. I thought he was exaggerating but as he probably don't own the fastest one, it seems realistic now.
Thx for the review link
What did you finally get?
Brave Ulysses
2009-03-02, 08:13
What did you finally get?
Ha, still debating. The standalone players are still a bit confusing as for what is more future-proof, and now that they are gaining more network capabilities the advantages of the PS3 are certainly being diminished. However, those networked players seem to be at a price premium right now, making them significantly more than I can get the PS3 for. The gaming capabilities of the PS3 don't appeal to me that much otherwise that would make the decision much easier.
I think I'll probably make a decision this week. Right now it seems to be between the PS3 and the Samsung 2500 player.
dmegatool
2009-03-02, 08:49
Ok let's throw some more points for the PS3 :D
You can use it to stream movies from your PC (divx, h264, etc)
You can stream your music to it
You got an internet browser
If you live in Europe, you can use the playTV to get DVR function to your PS3
You can play some free games/demos (even if it doesn't appeal you now, maybe you'll use that feature a couples a times)
The PS3 is cool
Nice thing about the PS3 games in their store, a lot seem to be fairly atypical.
Brave Ulysses
2009-03-02, 22:42
Ok let's throw some more points for the PS3 :D
You can use it to stream movies from your PC (divx, h264, etc)
You can stream your music to it
You got an internet browser
If you live in Europe, you can use the playTV to get DVR function to your PS3
You can play some free games/demos (even if it doesn't appeal you now, maybe you'll use that feature a couples a times)
The PS3 is cool
Minus the last 3.... the first two are now possible on most players
Nice thing about the PS3 games in their store, a lot seem to be fairly atypical.
Totally. And cheap, too. How much does it cost to get Noby Noby Boy, Echochrome, and flOw? $20?
I actually don't buy a lot of PS3 games on discs, because $60 is a lot of money to spend on a game (although Little Big Planet is easily worth double the $42 Amazon is charging for it). But I do use the PSN store - it's just so nice to be able to download something for a couple bucks when you want to play something new. And they're not throwaway games, either - the best ones can keep you entertained for just as long as a good disc game can.
dmegatool
2009-03-02, 23:26
Totally. And cheap, too. How much does it cost to get Noby Noby Boy, Echochrome, and flOw? $20?
Most of them are 10$... at 20$ I think you can get Burnout :eek: (maybe 30$... I don't remember)
Burnout is $20, $30 if you want the "pass the controller" pack. I just got it the other week, fun!
I know Noby Noby Boy is $5. I'm pretty sure flOw and Echochrome started at $10 but they might have dropped in price since. I know that they have "sales" every once in a while, too.
Oh, and you can get Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. For, what, $15? WIN.
Damn, I gotta go on there soemtime and check out the games. I don't have any games for my PS3 so this might be the route to take.
Damn, I gotta go on there soemtime and check out the games. I don't have any games for my PS3 so this might be the route to take.
You can download free demos of all the PSN games (and most of the PS3 games!), too. That's pretty nice.
I would have this conversation all the time at my old job:
"Is this PS3 game any good?"
"Do you have broadband?"
"Uh...yeah."
"Do you have wi-fi?"
"Yeah..."
"You know you can download a free demo of that and play it for yourself, right?"
It's like, rather than play a game for themselves, people trusted the total strangers at the game store. It was weird.
Games you must check out (I know I'm going to forget a ton):
Noby Noby Boy (trust me)
Echochrome
PixelJunk Monsters
flOw
Flower
Castlevania
Hopefully we get Braid before too long, too.
Brave Ulysses
2009-03-03, 00:53
I have to decide by the 4th.... coupon for the PS3 expires then (although there will probably be another one shortly after).
Leaning towards the PS3. For now it seems like the best bet, even though it is beginning to show some limitations and standalone players have certainly caught up. Unfortunately those players that have caught up seem to be priced out of the main stream market. I guess they are competive against the PS3 at full MSRP of $399 but the network players are all over $289 and when I can get the PS3 for $175 it's pretty tough to justify, even with the added benefit of Netflix which will surely get better.
RowdyScot
2009-03-03, 04:22
If you don't mind, where did you find that coupon??? If I had that coupon I'd go buy a PS3 ASAP, LOL!
Brave Ulysses
2009-03-03, 07:26
Well.... Dell till tomorrow has a 20% off coupon on the PS3 bringing the price to $319.99 with free shipping. I then have a $150 credit for signing up for a SonyCard in December. The Sony discount is now $100 but still a good deal if you are interested
vBulletin® v3.6.4, Copyright ©2000-2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.