I am another that bought the PS3 for it's media capabilities over it's games. The main reason I got it was that since getting an HDTV I needed an upscaling DVD player. The highest rated ones were the Oppo players, going for around $230. For $170 more I could get a machine that played Blu-Ray, acted as a media center, and played games too - it was an easy choice. So far there have just been a handfull of games that I wanted to play, but I have switched to renting Blu-Ray when available from Netflix.

The in-game XMB isn't high on my list of priorities, and even when it is implemented I doubt if I will use it any if at all, maybe to change soundtracks in a racing game would be about all I can think of - give me Deep Purple's Highway Star or Golden Earring's Twilight Zone instead of the song list with the racing game.

The DVD/Blu-Ray resume was high on my list of wanted features.

Originally posted by PantherM:

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The only thing missing on the media playback side is bitstreaming DTS-HD MA. Hopefully that will come in a future update.

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Unfortunately the Silicon Image Si9132 HDMI 1.3 transmitter chip used in the PS3 will not allow bitstream transmission of the advanced audio codecs. You need the Si9134 chip for bitstream transmission.

All we can hope for now is for DTS-HD MA to be decoded in the player and transmitted thru HDMI. Dolby True HD decoding has already been implemented in a previous software update.

Originally posted by eatsushi:

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Originally posted by PantherM:

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The only thing missing on the media playback side is bitstreaming DTS-HD MA. Hopefully that will come in a future update.

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Unfortunately the Silicon Image Si9132 HDMI 1.3 transmitter chip used in the PS3 will not allow bitstream transmission of the advanced audio codecs. You need the Si9134 chip for bitstream transmission.

All we can hope for now is for DTS-HD MA to be decoded in the player and transmitted thru HDMI. Dolby True HD decoding has already been implemented in a previous software update.

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I've read something along those lines before....and that is my biggest concern. I'll take what I can get....heck my receiver is so old (5 years) right now that it is not a big deal for me anyway. Regular DTS in 5.1 via optical is the best I can do at the moment.

Originally posted by eatsushi:

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Unfortunately the Silicon Image Si9132 HDMI 1.3 transmitter chip used in the PS3 will not allow bitstream transmission of the advanced audio codecs. You need the Si9134 chip for bitstream transmission.

All we can hope for now is for DTS-HD MA to be decoded in the player and transmitted thru HDMI. Dolby True HD decoding has already been implemented in a previous software update.

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Wow, I wasn't aware of this as I don't have a TrueHD receiver (yet! :-P). I can't understand the logic though. The PS3 can send regular Dolby Digital and DTS as bitstream through the HDMI cable. It can also send PCM up to 7.1 along the HDMI cable. Isn't it a simple case of "passing on" the audio to the receiver? I mean, surely this technology isn't *that* advanced. It should have been an obvious addition to include bitstream TrueHD in the PS3.

I am a little disappointed that this isn't made clearer on the PS3 website (online manual). I am a very careful consumer and I scrutinised the online instruction manual before I made my purchase. Nowhere does it say "Note: Dolby TrueHD is not able to be output as bitstream". This is what the manual says...

Originally posted by PS3 Online Manual:

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BD / DVD Audio Output Format (HDMI)

Set the audio output format to use when playing a BD or DVD containing audio recorded in Dolby Digital or DTS format. This setting is used when an audio output device is connected to the system via an HDMI cable.

Bitstream: Set to output audio with the original digital signal prioritized.

Linear PCM: Set to output audio by converting the digital signal to Linear PCM format.

Hint:
If [Bitstream] is selected, some portions of the audio content may not be output.

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That ^ in my books is nowhere near clear enough. :-(

Reference Link: http://manuals.playstation.net/document/...tings.html#1470

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I love my playstation products but I can't stand Sony

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sony's evil huh. they are like bullies of the industry just aiming to do bad with everything they set out to...

-_-*

Originally posted by juankerr:

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Although BD-Live 2.0 was already expected, I'd be more amazed with DTS HD-MA decoding.

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Agreed. BD-Live 2.0 is good but I'd rather see onboard DTS-HD MA decoding.

i hear alot of people say the PS3 is junk--cuz after a few months the games stop reading andno longer play--is this the problem for every console made from sony??? all ps3's???? what seems to be the reason for this?

Originally posted by bpanther:

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i hear alot of people say the PS3 is junk--cuz after a few months the games stop reading andno longer play--is this the problem for every console made from sony??? all ps3's???? what seems to be the reason for this?

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Sony has always had laser problems with their consoles, but it isn't consistent in all of them. Some people are just unlucky. The PS3 failure rate is like barely 1-2% people say...

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Originally posted by bpanther:

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i hear alot of people say the PS3 is junk--cuz after a few months the games stop reading andno longer play--is this the problem for every console made from sony??? all ps3's???? what seems to be the reason for this?

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If by PS3 you mean PS2, then yes. Otherwise no.
I believe there was one batch of 40GB consoles that had some kind of major fault but other than that no other significant issues have arisen yet.

@vinny13
I have several 10+ year old PS1's that would disagree with that comment, Only the PS2 has laser issues.

Quote:

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Originally posted by bpanther:

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i hear alot of people say the PS3 is junk--cuz after a few months the games stop reading andno longer play--is this the problem for every console made from sony??? all ps3's???? what seems to be the reason for this?

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If by PS3 you mean PS2, then yes. Otherwise no.
I believe there was one batch of 40GB consoles that had some kind of major fault but other than that no other significant issues have arisen yet.

@vinny13
I have several 10+ year old PS1's that would disagree with that comment, Only the PS2 has laser issues.

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Me too. Mine has a mod chip :)

I read though that many had that problem with PS1s too... Definitely not as big as the PS2 though...

What's the deal with all the constant bickering about in game XMB? That should be pretty much #0 priority. Who seriously cares? I don't. I bought a PS3 just beccause I do like Sony and their products. Now, bear in mind I'm no fanboy as I do happily own a Wii and use to own a 360 but seriously, complaining over something as small as in XMB support is just plain silly.

Originally posted by xblade132:

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What's the deal with all the constant bickering about in game XMB? seriously, complaining over something as small as in XMB support is just plain silly.

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well what else is a fanboy to do to fill his time until Mommy shouts from downstairs that dinner is ready ? ;)

The PS3 2.2 Software Update is now available. Just hook up your PS3's and download.

Originally posted by domie:

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Originally posted by xblade132:

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What's the deal with all the constant bickering about in game XMB? seriously, complaining over something as small as in XMB support is just plain silly.

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well what else is a fanboy to do to fill his time until Mommy shouts from downstairs that dinner is ready ? ;)

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lol....

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Ooo....goodies. With these new features, my PS3 is proving itself a good purchase. Lovin the DivX update! Now my PS3 rivals my chipped XBOX 1 as a media center!

In addition to BD-Live support, the 2.2 update adds support for the LTH BluRay recordable disc:

http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/13371.cfm

Quote:

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Sony slips LTH Blu-ray recordable disc support in 2.20 PS3 update

While BD-Live got the majority of the attention in the PlayStation 3's 2.20 firmware update, it appears Sony has made another important addition by implementing support for cheaper organic dye-based LTH (Low to High) Blu-ray recordable discs. These version 1.2 BD-R's, announced back in September, are manufactured with a different process that allows plants to upgrade CD and DVD equipment more easily. Existing Blu-ray players can't read the discs, which debuted in Japan last month, without a firmware update. Sony Japan's upgrade web site notes the new support, confirmed by AV Watch; although it went unmentioned in U.S. press materials, we'd assume the upgrade made it over here for any of those looking to burn (slightly) cheaper Blu discs.

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Originally posted by emugamer:

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Ooo....goodies. With these new features, my PS3 is proving itself a good purchase. Lovin the DivX update! Now my PS3 rivals my chipped XBOX 1 as a media center!

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"Rivals"? ... more like disembowels lol!

I stopped using my Modded Xbox after the divx feature became available.... but I still have fond memories of it.

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Originally posted by Hunt720:

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Originally posted by emugamer:

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Ooo....goodies. With these new features, my PS3 is proving itself a good purchase. Lovin the DivX update! Now my PS3 rivals my chipped XBOX 1 as a media center!

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"Rivals"? ... more like disembowels lol!

I stopped using my Modded Xbox after the divx feature became available.... but I still have fond memories of it.

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Disembowelment would be when mkv is supported. (is it yet? did I miss the press release?....no, really)

/saddened by image of xbox disembowelment :-(

Originally posted by emugamer:

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Disembowelment would be when mkv is supported. (is it yet? did I miss the press release?....no, really)

/saddened by image of xbox disembowelment :-(

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I have explained this many times, it is impossible to license Matroska (mkv) support because...

1) It is a completely open container format, meaning it has the ability to support any combination of elementary streams. To add support for Matroska would mean running a OS platform with downloadable access to any codec you wish. We all know (because of licensing issues) that this could never happen on the PS3 or any other stand alone player.

2) It is open source, meaning there is no international standard that governs it. This is enough reason for Sony to not want to touch it.

If Sony or any other company does eventually offer some support for Matroska, it will certainly come with limitations and probably offer no benefit over the container formats already supported.

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So there is no way that the PS3 Ubuntu or YDL could someday support it? Because I wasn't referring to a Sony update. I was referring to using the PS3 as a media center in general.

Originally posted by emugamer:

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So there is no way that the PS3 Ubuntu or YDL could someday support it? Because I wasn't referring to a Sony update. I was referring to using the PS3 as a media center in general.

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Yes, that is indeed possible. As you also stated, I was referring to the PS3 officially supporting it by Sony. However, anything is possible with unofficial platforms. :-D

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Quote:

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Originally posted by emugamer:

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So there is no way that the PS3 Ubuntu or YDL could someday support it? Because I wasn't referring to a Sony update. I was referring to using the PS3 as a media center in general.

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Yes, that is indeed possible. As you also stated, I was referring to the PS3 officially supporting it by Sony. However, anything is possible with unofficial platforms. :-D

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Yeah, so as a media center, my upscaling XBOX 1 is still fighting for a place next to my 26" HDTV and my PS3 only has the slight advantage of playing blu-ray, but that's not a criticaly important feature to me yet.

Originally posted by emugamer:

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Yeah, so as a media center, my upscaling XBOX 1 is still fighting for a place next to my 26" HDTV and my PS3 only has the slight advantage of playing blu-ray, but that's not a criticaly important feature to me yet.

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If you feel that having Blu-ray is a "slight" advantage then you are entitled to your opinion but there are many others who feel very different. Given the fact that your TV is of the smaller variety (26"), then in your case your statement could indeed be considered fair.

Just out of curiousity, does the XBox support Matroska (as you used as a point against the PS3 media's capabilities previously)? Hmmm... Didn't think so. For obvious reasons which I have already pointed out.

Did you know that it's very much possible to convert a 720p/1080p MKV file into a playable file on the PS3? Often times all that is required is simply re-muxing the streams directly into a new container or authoring them onto a Blu-ray or AVCHD (BD-5/BD-9) disc. The PS3's media capabilities annihalate anything on the market right now.

I am not meaning to be anti XBox in any way. I am in no way motivated by immature fan boy emotions. On the contrary seeing someone say that the PS3 only has a slight advantage over a XBox 1 in media capabilities sounds quite obscure to me.

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Originally posted by Ryu77:

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If you feel that having Blu-ray is a "slight" advantage then you are entitled to your opinion but there are many others who feel very different.

Just out of curiousity, does the Xbox support Matroska? Hmmm... Didn't think so.

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Yes, throughout my post, I used the words "my" and "me." I'm not speaking for anyone else. Blu-ray is only a slight advantage for "me" now because "I" don't have any bluray movies "yet." I'm sure there are others who feel that the blu-ray is a huge advantage. More power to them. And yes, I realilze the hardware limitations of the XBOX, and why it doesn't support Matroska.

Originally posted by Ryu77:

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Did you know that it's very much possible to convert a 720p/1080p MKV file into a playable file on the PS3? Often times all that is required is simply re-muxing the streams directly into a new container or authoring them onto a Blu-ray or AVCHD (BD-5/BD-9) disc. The PS3's media capabilities annihalate anything on the market right now.

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I did not know that. I will do some research, but already it sounds like a little too much effort for the time I have available. Sounds very interesting!

I was editing my post as you posted. I added in the point about your statements could well be true for you.

In regards to the re-muxing process for the PS3, sometimes it can be very easy if you already have compliant streams.

Dela just made a very simple guide for tsMuxeR: http://www.afterdawn.com/guides/archive/...ation_3_ps3.cfm

I also have a whole thread dedicated to this application: http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/621809

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Originally posted by Ryu77:

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I was editing my post as you posted. I added in the point about your statements could well be true for you.

In regards to the re-muxing process for the PS3, sometimes it can be very easy if you already have compliant streams.

Dela just made a very simple guide for tsMuxeR: http://www.afterdawn.com/guides/archive/...ation_3_ps3.cfm

I also have a whole thread dedicated to this application: http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/621809

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Very nice...thanks for the info. I've had my PS3 for a little over a month, but have been swamped with work the past 3 weeks and haven't had a chance to really pick it apart. Learning more every day!