How would you rate the PS3 as an entertainment hub? Better or worst than 360?

basketkase543

basketkase543

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I'm still on the fence about either getting a 360 or PS3. The fact is, I know I'm eventually going to buy a PS3 to use as a blu-ray player but I'm enticed by what I've heard about the 360 as a media hub. Is the PS3 good as a streaming media center? Will I be able to stream my movies (HD and otherwise), pictures, music, etc. to my PS3 easily? How is it in comparison to the 360?

Again, this isn't about the games--I have plenty games to get on either system. I really want to focus on how effectively they can act as a media hub.
 
PS3 streaming works for me (mac user) very well with Twonkyvision (http://www.twonkyvision.de/), and the ability to play mp4 files from a flash drive is fantastic, IMO.

I haven't done much with music, so I can't speak to that.

My wife uses the memory card readers (60 and 80GB only) to view her photos - which is hella cool on an HDTV.

I don't know much about streaming media on the 360, so I'll let others cover that end.
 
slideshowing pictures from the digital camera is my PS3's most used feature--very cool and well implemented. I haven't tried streaming/moving videos or music to the PS3, but the 360s interface for that is pretty slick.
 
PS3 easily... but Super Audio CD.. [feature missed by most people]; 1080p, Internet web browser, customizable xmb themes... plus there's no advertisements on the xmb, which gets in the way of various themes for the 360 blades. Photo viewer, in which you can can add music to, and also when it does the screenshow, the PS3 recognizes faces in the pictures and zooms in on faces within the picture to make for a more dramatic slideshow. I'm going to add an external harddrive until I can get a bigger 2.5" drive for the ps3. Overall its easier to add files to the PS3 than it is to add files to the 360 - [music files]
 
[quote name='Thomas96']PS3 easily... but Super Audio CD.. [feature missed by most people]; 1080p, Internet web browser, customizable xmb themes... plus there's no advertisements on the xmb, which gets in the way of various themes for the 360 blades. Photo viewer, in which you can can add music to, and also when it does the screenshow, the PS3 recognizes faces in the pictures and zooms in on faces within the picture to make for a more dramatic slideshow. I'm going to add an external harddrive until I can get a bigger 2.5" drive for the ps3. Overall its easier to add files to the PS3 than it is to add files to the 360 - [music files][/QUOTE]



This reminds me: Are all PS3 models able to have their HDD replaced with non-proprietary drives? So I can just go to the store, get a laptop HDD, and install it on the 60GB, 40GB, or 80 GB PS3?
 
Depends on if you include xbox live or not. By just hardware without online support I would say ps3 with its built in wifi, card reader, upconverter, and blueray player, but if you include online service I might have to say xbox 360 since xbox live allows you to download movies and tv shows in HD along with trailers.

Overall I would say ps3
 
pretty nice, but people with HDTVs really ought to hook up their PCs to them, even if it's just a laptop with good video out capabilities. cut out the codec-restricting middle man
 
If you had windows media center you wouldn't even be asking this. 360
HDTV OTA or CABLECARD if you have the cash. Commercial cutting your tv shows, auto convert to a portable device and thats just dvrmstoolbox.

Otherwise, either there about the same

MCE is so great I got another 360 just for hdtv.
 
I like the ps3 for slideshows for pictures. Sometimes the ps3 isn't recognized by the media server and the pictures don't show up immediately. The video formats appear to work better with the 360, but I've had success using the Nero Media Home to transcode on the fly to output to the ps3. However, HD content is too large to transcode on the fly.
 
I love the MCE for the 360. I haven't gotten it to work with my PS3 yet so I can't judge that. Also the 360 might be getting Divx/Xvid support in the coming year. There's a Q&A session out there with someone from the Divx group talking about it.
 
Worse.

Only for the fact that it's much easier and more reliable to steam to the 360.

If you can get the PS3 and PC to recognize each other, than I prefer the PS3 (for movies) for the formats it supports (I hear both systems are getting DivX support soon).

For music, 360 hands down. Easier to control and being able to stream while playing any game.
 
I've used both my 360 and my PS3 for streaming and I eventually settled on using Tversity to stream to my PS3 (whereas I used Orb for my 360). I'm not too technical, but everything just worked better with streaming my files on the PS3, though whenever I want to stream to my ps3 I have to restart my Tversity server on my computer (all it takes is one click though).

The PS3 streaming process has just been easier for me overall.
 
TVersity rocks! I even have it aggregate my favourite video podcasts. So once I week, I sit down and watch the 1UP show, Tiki Bard, diggnation, etc. I don't have to wait for downloads, just watch.

Certainly not a deal breaker, but the tumbling photos slide show for photo viewing never fails to impress people.

The worst thing about MCE is that it is still windows!

~S
 
My God, I had no idea that people were so enthusiastic about the PS3 slideshow viewer! :D I guess I definitely have that to look forward to if I go for the PS3.


Can anybody tell me the exact video files that the PS3 can actually play. I'm assuming that Divx and Xvid aren't currently possible right?
 
[quote name='basketkase543']My God, I had no idea that people were so enthusiastic about the PS3 slideshow viewer! :D I guess I definitely have that to look forward to if I go for the PS3.


Can anybody tell me the exact video files that the PS3 can actually play. I'm assuming that Divx and Xvid aren't currently possible right?[/quote]
Nope, but it's just been confirmed they will be soon.
 
With the addition of DivX support, the PS3 easily wins. About 80% of the videos I have on my computer are .avi files, so I trust my PS3 will be utilized on the media front about 5 times as much as it used to be, or 10 times as much as the 360 will ever be.
 
I don't use a 360 or PS3 as a media center. I would think the PS3 has far better features because of the flash card support, expandable harddrive and remote play capabilities (like the PSP). I know MS has some similar remote connection, but I have not tried them out.

I use a computer as my media center with hookups to the TV, amp and speakers, which I feel provides the most flexible setup.
 
I'm not sure if I should start a new thread for this because it's in the same vein as this thread: Is there any way for me to use my Logitech universal remote (IR) with the PS3? Are there any IR adapters that plug into the PS3 and enable the use of universal remotes? I just got my logitech a year ago and I'm head over heels in love with the damn thing. I'd hate to not be able to use it on a new PS3.
 
[quote name='basketkase543']I'm not sure if I should start a new thread for this because it's in the same vein as this thread: Is there any way for me to use my Logitech universal remote (IR) with the PS3? Are there any IR adapters that plug into the PS3 and enable the use of universal remotes? I just got my logitech a year ago and I'm head over heels in love with the damn thing. I'd hate to not be able to use it on a new PS3.[/quote]I haven't bought it yet, but I have my eye on one. The "Nyko PlayStation 3 BluWave Remote" comes with a USB dongle and works via IR. You could use your Logitech to learn the commands from it. It doesn't have the PS button, though, so you can't power on the PS3 with it.
 
If you have Media Center on your PC (MCE XP or Vista Premium/Ultimate), you can watch Divx on your 360 right now with Transcode 360. It's a little clumsy, you can't hardly fast forward or rewind, but it works. I'm really looking forward to native Divx support for both consoles though.

MjC
 
[quote name='ZaphodBB1']I haven't bought it yet, but I have my eye on one. The "Nyko PlayStation 3 BluWave Remote" comes with a USB dongle and works via IR. You could use your Logitech to learn the commands from it. It doesn't have the PS button, though, so you can't power on the PS3 with it.[/QUOTE]

That looks like a pretty decent solution, though many people are peeved about the inability to turn the power on and off.

Here is a useful CNET review for it.

Damn, there's always gotta be something. If there was an IR port, this would be sooooo much easier.
 
I have used both as a media hub. I do have to say I use the PS3 more since the update in April where you can access "media servers" from the xmb. With a BR player, card reader, internet browser, media streaming, external hard drive connection, and soon to have Divx support (which microsoft or divx have yet to make any announcement) I have to say I think PS3 wins this round. Don't get me wrong the 360 does have a sorta on demand thing where you can purchase movies and tv shows for streaming, something the ps3 does not have nor has sony officially announced any such service.
 
no competition, media wise PS3 is much better than a 360. Its kind of like a DS vs PSP in features. 360 being the DS where the only good thing it can do is games.
 
How is this even a competition? Lmao.

Blu ray player. hands down the best entertainment :) When you own as man as I do, its well worth the fun and joy of 600 bucks (or 400 now).

Well worth the investment, since I got the ps3 before I realized what the heck Blu ray was.

And since theres no way 360 will ever get the internal hd dvd drive, more power to ps3 :)
 
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