Ok guys i've been in the market for a computer to integrate well into my home theater and have spent a little bit of time looking at the PS3 as it seems the better option. My plans are to place the unit under my projector stand holding my panny AX200 and run an s-video cable to the projector (two HDMI inputs are already taken by HD DVD player and Comcast Digi-Cable box). I will run audio cables to my reciever. Besides HDMI (my reciever does not input HDMI) what are the digital outputs this PS3 uses for sound (optical, etc.)?

What I want from the PS3 is:
1. the ability to use my wireless internet connection via the D-Link DIR-625 router (which I think will work after looking on one of the sticky pages)
2. the ability to brouse the web and get on message forums etc. just like I would with a pc
3. the ability to be able to type/use internet through a wireless keyboard and mouse
4. the ability to dowload and store music to play through my 7.1 + infinite baffle sub 4400 watt setup (sorry had to boast a second:p)
5. the ability to incorporate blue ray disks into my HD capabilities with 7.1 channel sound being able to be placed into my reciever. I already have HD DVD player.
6. and lastly to be able to play games but not really as concerned with this

Now all of this being said what i'm most unclear on is the browser features of this unit. Is browsing the internet via a play station 3, wireless keyboard and mouse, similar to browsing with a PC? If not how do they differ?

Also, isn't it better to buy the unit with the smaller harddrive and get a large external hard drive? If so, how much do they cost and how do they connect (usb cable, blue tooth, wi-fi, etc.)?

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated guys, thanks a bunch!

I suggest never using s-video cables again.

I suggest never using s-video cables again.

Ok, any special reasons? I choose not to use them when I can but I don't really want to spend a lot of money on HDMI switching either. I already have two 50' HDMI cables to get from my components to the projector. I suppose if there's really that big of a difference I could go that way though.

You wont get anything over 480p on S-video and the PS3.

You wont get anything over 480p on S-video and the PS3.

Well then that's decided if that's the case. I'll incorporate a switching device of some sorts.

a switch would only be 30-40 dollars from monoprice

a switch would only be 30-40 dollars from monoprice

Cool, sounds like the way to go then! If I do that then I may just end up placing the play station up by the rest of my components and using one of the 50' hdmi cables to run from the switch to the projector.

Any comments on the rest of my question?

What I want from the PS3 is:
1. the ability to use my wireless internet connection via the D-Link DIR-625 router (which I think will work after looking on one of the sticky pages)
2. the ability to brouse the web and get on message forums etc. just like I would with a pc
3. the ability to be able to type/use internet through a wireless keyboard and mouse
4. the ability to dowload and store music to play through my 7.1 + infinite baffle sub 4400 watt setup (sorry had to boast a second:p)
5. the ability to incorporate blue ray disks into my HD capabilities with 7.1 channel sound being able to be placed into my reciever. I already have HD DVD player.
6. and lastly to be able to play games but not really as concerned with this

1) Yes, your D-Link DIR-625 will work with the PS3
2) Yes, the PS3 comes with it's own browser - not the best, but a decent browser
3) Yes, most any wireless k/m as well as most any bluetooth k/m combo will work with the PS3
4) I haven't actually downloaded any music directly to my PS3, I generally stream from my Mac or access files from my external HDD - perhaps some one else can answer this question more thoroughly.
5) Incorporate BR yes, get true loses-less 7.1 audio no - that is derived singly from the HDMI connection, your receiver most likely has the ability to "process" the signal from the optical cable and using internally AVR settings, get you to the desired 7.1 outcome.
6) Of course play games...at the least you'll want to get some of the PS3's top tier titles: R&C, COD4, Uncharted...

Since the announcement by Warner Bros., going exclusively to BR, and with the expected jump of Paramount and Universal just around the corner, who knows perhaps your PS3 will make its way to that coveted second HDMI spot in your set-up....either way the fit seems good for your needs:)

a switch would only be 30-40 dollars from monoprice

Got my HDMI switcher from Monoprice, and I couldn't recommend it more. Works awesome and it was the cheapest price you'll see anywhere.

To answer your questions...

In short, yes it is pretty much just like a PC. The browser itself sucks though and is very limited in what it can do. Good news is that it can play video. It won't do much else though. I tried streaming audio one time and that wouldn't work. I don't have a full list of what it will and won't do but its pretty functional if you just want it for the living room, IMO.

Differences in the hard drives... 40GB won't have the ability to play most PS2 games, but you don't seem to be concerned with this. 80GB will and thats pretty much the only advantage. You probably won't even need near any of that space if all you want to do is watch Blu-rays.

Ok guys, thanks a bunch. These are the kind of responses i'm looking for!

Interesting, so the 40GB unit can't play some games huh? Well you are dead on as the only thing i'd honestly see me using all this storage for would be downloading music. But then again if the unit is not that good at downloading music then I may find some kind of IPOD type deal for that and hook to it through separate audio cables and or a dock.

I wonder if there is anywhere in my smallish town which allows first hand experiencing the internet capabilities of this system?

I will certainly get some games if this is the way I go, I bought the playstation 2 a while a go just to play gran turismo 3, ha ha!!!

You can store music on the PS3. I have about 12k 320kbs tracks on my ps3. Now it is not the best media device for navigating large collections. Still it is convenient to have it on a device that doesn't depend on PC to be turned on. There is no searching, paging, direct sorting jump key and tracks are always shown regardless of sort order. This makes you scroll through thousands of tracks to find the right album or track.

If you are going to store on the PS3 you might as well save money and buy the 40gb and replace with a big fast notebook drive. It is a 5 minute operation and you can have a 150gb or bigger for the same price as a 80gb.
You probably want to avoid the wireless link if you can as it is always better to have a faster connection that is rock solid.

If you are going to store on the PS3 you might as well save money and buy the 40gb and replace with a big fast notebook drive. It is a 5 minute operation and you can have a 150gb or bigger for the same price as a 80gb.
You probably want to avoid the wireless link if you can as it is always better to have a faster connection that is rock solid.

What exactly is involved in this operation? I'm not that familiar with swapping these type things but I'm sure I can figure it out with a few suggestions!

+1 for a monoprice HDMI Switch, get a nice 4 port one and call it a day. The PS3 is for you everything you listed can be done on the PS3 although I wouldnt store on the PS3 either because I am to lazy and you can stream via your network so you would only have to put the music on one system, the computer.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10110&cs_id=1011002&p_id=4066&seq=1&format=2

+1 for a monoprice HDMI Switch, get a nice 4 port one and call it a day. The PS3 is for you everything you listed can be done on the PS3 although I wouldnt store on the PS3 either because I am to lazy and you can stream via your network so you would only have to put the music on one system, the computer.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10110&cs_id=1011002&p_id=4066&seq=1&format=2

I will not have a computer at my house though. Is the only issue with having all of the information on the PS3 the fact that I will have to scroll through it all to make my selection or is there an issue with slowing the unit down greatly or something along those lines?

Just curious why you have a wireless network running in your house with no computers (and presumably a $40+/mo internet bill).

If you are buying this to be a music server and grab music off the internet, I would suggest looking at a cheap laptop or something like that instead.

I'm not sure how happy you will be with the browser. It seemed a little clunky to me although I have only messed around with it briefly. Maybe some users who have more experience with it can chime in?

Just curious why you have a wireless network running in your house with no computers (and presumably a $40+/mo internet bill).

If you are buying this to be a music server and grab music off the internet, I would suggest looking at a cheap laptop or something like that instead.

+1.
unless your stealing from your neighbors wireless :D

Make sure to use the HDMI for the PS3 you will get better quality, they have remote access HDMI switchers at monoprice FYI.

I have an entertainment room w/ my computer tv ps3 surround sound sytem etc. I dont mess around w/ the PS3 browser, not as nice as using a computer. I bought an HDMI switcher from monoprice this week (hasnt arrived) and i also ordered a DVI - HDMI cable to hook up my computer to my tv, and use my wireless key board ,this way i can use my computer on my tv screen. Alot better then dealing w/ the ps3 browser. The ps3 browser is nice if you have a room w/ out a computer or you dont have a computer (but you have internet)

4. the ability to dowload and store music to play through my 7.1 + infinite baffle sub 4400 watt setup (sorry had to boast a second)
i have not tried to download music from the internet on to the ps3 (not even sure if you can) but i have loaded some cds and stored them on the ps3 hard drive, sound great w/ my aperion surround through the onkyo 605 reciever. I personally plan on linking my computer up to the surround sound sytem, this will eliminate the need for using the HD space on the PS3. I will need to buy a better audio card though.
Others have answered the rest of your questions.
oh and you can use optical cables for audio.

-J

Just curious why you have a wireless network running in your house with no computers (and presumably a $40+/mo internet bill).

If you are buying this to be a music server and grab music off the internet, I would suggest looking at a cheap laptop or something like that instead.

I had a Dell Laptop but it took a dump on me:mad:

It sounds like the browser is not that good i'm taking it? Can any of you pinpoint the issues with it? If it's to do with screen size I have that covered at 106"!!!

It sounds like the browser is not that good i'm taking it? Can any of you pinpoint the issues with it? If it's to do with screen size I have that covered at 106"!!!

Its not bad, but i prefer to use a computer. i like having a lot of new windows opened (or new tabs) i dont think you can do that w/ the PS3. I cant give you too much information, i havent really messed around w/ it (becuase my computer is about 10 ft away in the same room)

-J

Its not bad, but i prefer to use a computer. i like having a lot of new windows opened (or new tabs) i dont think you can do that w/ the PS3. I cant give you too much information, i havent really messed around w/ it (becuase my computer is about 10 ft away in the same room)

-J

So can you only have one window open as the browser? Can anyone else answer this? Thanks for helping with answering all my questions guys!!!:D

The browser doesn't handle flash site or java sites very well. I plan to add Linux and Firefox to my PS3 for those times when I really want a decent browser (and maybe even use OpenOffice). The PS3 is designed to be able to boot into Linux or PS3 easily.

One thing we've really enjoyed is the photo browser capability of the PS3. Several times my wife and I have spent 30-60 minutes looking at old pictures from our computers hard drive (using wm11). On our 65" Mitsubishi TV, the pictures look great - you can zoom in etc. VERY easily with the controller. It is very fast, and very fun. I'll start a playlist playing mp3's and then go browse pictures. Works great for digital slideshows. Much better and quicker than the Roku I used to use.

The browser doesn't handle flash site or java sites very well. I plan to add Linux and Firefox to my PS3 for those times when I really want a decent browser (and maybe even use OpenOffice). The PS3 is designed to be able to boot into Linux or PS3 easily.



So how exactly would one go about doing as indicated above? Do you simply get a softwarde cd or something similar and implement this software on the PS3 to enable better flash site or java site viewing?

I would use component/optical for the cable box, and give its HDMI port to the PS3.

So how exactly would one go about doing as indicated above? Do you simply get a softwarde cd or something similar and implement this software on the PS3 to enable better flash site or java site viewing?

You would need to partition the HDD on the PS3 to run Linux (Ubuntu or Yellow Dog). The PS3 was designed for this so don't worry about voiding your warranty. If you want to run Linux, I would highly suggest getting a larger HDD for the partition. I have not tried it out yet but you can download Linux for free, burn a disc, partition the HDD and install. I believe both Ubuntu & Yellow Dog use Firefox as the default browser which should work much better than the PS3 browser.

http://www.terrasoftsolutions.com/products/ydl/

From the original post, the PS3 is perfect for what you're looking for.

It's a very high-tech piece of equipment that is scalable to serve every purpose you want from it.

1. the ability to use my wireless internet connection via the D-Link DIR-625 router (which I think will work after looking on one of the sticky pages)

Every PS3 model currently in production has Wi-Fi capability.

2. the ability to brouse the web and get on message forums etc. just like I would with a pc

The PS3 browser is functional, if not a bit clunky. But with every firmware update Sony produces, new features become available to it along with increased code support. It serves the purpose of surfing forums and such perfectly.

3. the ability to be able to type/use internet through a wireless keyboard and mouse

I use a Rocketfish Bluetooth wireless kb/mouse combo and it works great.

4. the ability to dowload and store music to play through my 7.1 + infinite baffle sub 4400 watt setup (sorry had to boast a second)

While it's not iTunes or anything of that nature, streaming music from your PC is simple as easy using the PS3 as a Media Server. The audio quality is top notch stuff, and do yourself a favour, use the Earth Visualizer while you're listening to your tunes (just press Square a few times while the music is playing, it's stunning).

5. the ability to incorporate blue ray disks into my HD capabilities with 7.1 channel sound being able to be placed into my reciever. I already have HD DVD player.

I'm using a 42" Samsung plasma to compliment my home theater setup, and BD's look and sound amazing.

6. and lastly to be able to play games but not really as concerned with this

Don't count this out, there are some amazing titles out there right now that you should definitely check out. Start with "Uncharted", and you'll know you made the right choice.

I would recommend the 80GB unit, as the 4 USB ports in addition to the various Flash card memory ports have served me incredibly well thus far. The 40GB lacks these features, so for someone that wants to fully replace a PC in this setup, those are the sorts of things you most likely miss if they aren't present.

I've actually been having this very same discussion over on another forum, I suggest you take a quick look, as many of your questions have already been answered in that thread.

http://www.othersi.com/index.php?topic=2598.0

From the original post, the PS3 is perfect for what you're looking for.

It's a very high-tech piece of equipment that is scalable to serve every purpose you want from it.

1. the ability to use my wireless internet connection via the D-Link DIR-625 router (which I think will work after looking on one of the sticky pages)

Every PS3 model currently in production has Wi-Fi capability.

2. the ability to brouse the web and get on message forums etc. just like I would with a pc

The PS3 browser is functional, if not a bit clunky. But with every firmware update Sony produces, new features become available to it along with increased code support. It serves the purpose of surfing forums and such perfectly.

3. the ability to be able to type/use internet through a wireless keyboard and mouse

I use a Rocketfish Bluetooth wireless kb/mouse combo and it works great.

4. the ability to dowload and store music to play through my 7.1 + infinite baffle sub 4400 watt setup (sorry had to boast a second)

While it's not iTunes or anything of that nature, streaming music from your PC is simple as easy using the PS3 as a Media Server. The audio quality is top notch stuff, and do yourself a favour, use the Earth Visualizer while you're listening to your tunes (just press Square a few times while the music is playing, it's stunning).

5. the ability to incorporate blue ray disks into my HD capabilities with 7.1 channel sound being able to be placed into my reciever. I already have HD DVD player.

I'm using a 42" Samsung plasma to compliment my home theater setup, and BD's look and sound amazing.

6. and lastly to be able to play games but not really as concerned with this

Don't count this out, there are some amazing titles out there right now that you should definitely check out. Start with "Uncharted", and you'll know you made the right choice.

Cool, excellent post and thanks!!!:)

You would need to partition the HDD on the PS3 to run Linux (Ubuntu or Yellow Dog). The PS3 was designed for this so don't worry about voiding your warranty. If you want to run Linux, I would highly suggest getting a larger HDD for the partition. I have not tried it out yet but you can download Linux for free, burn a disc, partition the HDD and install. I believe both Ubuntu & Yellow Dog use Firefox as the default browser which should work much better than the PS3 browser.

http://www.terrasoftsolutions.com/products/ydl/

The biggest complaint I've constantly come across is the web browser. It sounds though, just like when I invested in my SMS1 Sub EQ, that maybe it's worth while to invest in now knowing that the company is hard at work bringing out updates to fix any issues that are in place!

I'm pretty sure I'd buy the 40GB unit at this point and get the nice HD right away to avoid any future data transfer pains in the rear.

I edited my previous post a bit to add in the following...

I would recommend the 80GB unit, as the 4 USB ports in addition to the various Flash card memory ports have served me incredibly well thus far. The 40GB lacks these features, so for someone that wants to fully replace a PC in this setup, those are the sorts of things you most likely miss if they aren't present.

I've actually been having this very same discussion over on another forum, I suggest you take a quick look, as many of your questions have already been answered in that thread.

http://www.othersi.com/index.php?topic=2598.0

Just in case you missed it.

I edited my previous post a bit to add in the following...



Just in case you missed it.


Looking now, thanks for pointing the edit out!!!

I can't log into that site and registered and it still hasn't provided me with the required confirmation email. Is it saying anything missing on this thread?

lots of good info here

You've gotten some very good responses... I'll only add to what everyone has said:
Wi-Fi D-Link - You're good to go with that.
Browse the Web - It is not the best web browser ever, but you may be getting a bit worse of an impression of it based on this thread. It is definitely capable. (more on that below)
Wireless Mouse / Keyboard - Check! You're good to go. I use a BT logitech KB and mouse.
Music - I think it is great for music. There have been a number of updates that seem to focus on organization. I find it pretty easy to manage. There is no search, but you can group your music in a number of ways and also make custom play-lists for further organization.
Blu-Ray - A PS3 strong point. Great quality player and apparently infinitely updateable(sp?) with the changing blu ray profile specs.
Games - You can play all the PS3 games, yes. If there are old PS2 games that you still want to play on your PS3, then you'll need the 80gb or 60gb model. Only the 40gb model not backwards compatible to play old games on disc. (60 gb uses hardware and software emulation for 95%+ compatibility and the 80gb uses software based emulation for about 80%ish compatibility)More on the browser - The negatives are that it is slightly slower than a typical PC browser and not all plug-ins for every website are/can be supported. It does handle flash, but not all flash... you can watch videos, a lot actually... but not all videos. You can save a few specific types of files to your HDD from the browser, but not all types of files. I can't remember for sure now, but I don't think there is a copy/paste feature. You can have multiple windows going and navigate them quite easily. There are some good shortcuts to switch to and from windows and close and open them... The browser looks great on my 50" HDTV and the zoom in/out option and fit page to screen settings work really well. But in the end, I wouldn't term it a "fully functional" browser. For that, you need to do as suggested previously and partition the PS3 for Linux... Then you pretty much have a computer hooked up to your HDTV and can use a full-featured web browser.

Oh... and you can print to a printer from the PS3 (even w/o Linux).

If you're not worried about backwards compatibility for PS2 discs, then yes, 40GB model and upgrade the HDD is the way to go. You get two less USB ports, but if needed a usb hub works just fine.

No one mentioned this, but one thing that is often surprising to people is that the PS3 does NOT accept an IR remote signal. Bluetooth only... (the sold separately BT remote is a must have for movie watchers!). So integrating the controls into a home theater remote isn't seamless. There are solutions whereby you can hook up an IR receiver to a usb port, but it is a bit clunky and I don't think anyone has got EVERY function mapped to that yet.

Good luck!

this, (the sold separately BT remote is a must have for movie watchers!)

I can't remember the name of the thread but there was one recently that had a bunch of responses on how great the Sixaxis (what comes with the PS3) controller is the best remote for movie watching.

I echo freestyle's quote on the browser. It is very functional and is much quicker since a firmware update a bit ago. No, it doesn't do all that a PC can, but there are things it does well that a PC can not. I browse all my sites just fine... someone link me to a site that doesn't work on the PS3... I'll test it out. As someone said, you can have open several windows at a time as well as other normal functions.

It doesn't run all video/audio links of course, but it does quite a bit including youtube with no issues. Plus firmware updates expand compatibility all the time (we recently connected to Divx).

One feature I like on the PS3 browser that I can't do on the PC is zoom in on an embedded video stream. After pressing R3, you can use L2 and R2 to zoom in and out as close or as far as you want to on a video clip that doesn't allow you to enlarge it on the PC because it is embedded into the webpage.

I also like the fact that if I'm just browsing sites and not posting much, I don't need the mouse or keyboard so I use my DualShock 3 and it works fine. This is great when I'm kicking back on the couch in front of my 60" set, not having to hunch over a desk just to move the mouse.

Overall, if general internet stuff on the PC is an A, I'd give a grade of C+ to the PS3. As more plugins are added I'll score it even higher down the line.

You wont get anything over 480p on S-video and the PS3.

Not true. You actually won't get anything over 480i with S-video. It is an NTSC only video connector (its better than composite though).

However, component will give you everything but 1080p. If you are short of HDMI ports but have a spare component connection, you can use the component connection for the cable box.