PS3 101: New user's guide to the PS3 (ask questions here -- TMK is on duty)

[quote name='geko29']Currently the only codecs it can't decode internally are DTS-HD High Resolution and DTS-HD Master Audio. No player, from any manufactuerer, for either HD DVD or Blu-Ray, can currently decode these codecs. Two HD DVD and 3 or 4 (I forget) Blu-Ray players can send them to an HDMI 1.3 receiver for decoding there, however. We've been told that the PS3 hardware is incapable of bitstreaming them in this fashion, but we've also been told several times by both Sony and DTS that internal decoding is coming. The last promise I saw was in July or August, that said we'd have it by the end of the year. There's only a month left, so I'm getting skeptical that the deadline will be hit, but I have no doubt it is in the works.

Bottom line is the PS3 will likely be the first player from either format that can decode the all the advanced audio codecs internally.

It's not motion artifacting, it's a phenomenon called 24fps judder, wherein some frames are repeated more than others (in nearly all cases, it's in a 3:2 cadence, for 60fps output). It's an extreme annoyance to people who notice it (I don't, personally). But this is NOT something new. If you haven't noticed it with DVDs, you won't notice it with Blu-Ray. The source is the same, and the results are the same.

However, that's not to say that the PS3 can't do 24fps. It was one of the first players from either format to do so (I think only the Pioneer 94HD had 24p before the PS3 did). Additionally, it has options for both 24p as an option if your TV tells the PS3 it supports 24p, and "force 24p", which outputs 24p whether your TV says it can take it or not. Some 120Hz TVs don't properly identify their video capabilities to players, so the first option will result in 60p output on those sets. This is where the "force" option comes in, for the sets that DO support 24p, but do not properly identify to the player that they can. Of course if you try the force option on a TV that really doesn't support 24p, you'll get no picture.


There are a couple of downsides. It's relatively noisy, produces a lot of heat, doesn't have bitstreaming support for HDMI 1.3 recievers or analog audio outputs for Non-HDMI receivers, and can't be used with a universal remote. But in most cases, the benefits will outweigh the drawbacks by a rather wide margin.

All in all, the PS3 makes a great BD player. There are standalones that are better in several aspects, but none offer the speed or upgradeability that the PS3 offers. I'm a bit of an HT nut (as Myke will attest to) with both HiDef formats, and the PS3 is the first time I've EVER used a console as a video player in my life. I'm not 100% satisfied (and wouldn't be with a current standalone), but far closer than I ever expected to be.[/quote]

Thinking of jumping into Blu-Ray... should I just get the 40 gb PS3?... I have two questions about it... 1- does it include an HDMI cable.... 2- you said it doesnt have an output for non-HDMI receivers... I currently have both my HDMI inputs on my receiver taken up... it can't run optical audio to my receiver?

thanks in advance.
 
[quote name='DestroVega']Thinking of jumping into Blu-Ray... should I just get the 40 gb PS3?... I have two questions about it... 1- does it include an HDMI cable.... 2- you said it doesnt have an output for non-HDMI receivers... I currently have both my HDMI inputs on my receiver taken up... it can't run optical audio to my receiver?

thanks in advance.[/quote]There are no HDMI cables included with the system (the 60GB anyway).

There is an optical audio out on the system so you'll be fine.
 
[quote name='SteveMcQ']There are no HDMI cables included with the system (the 60GB anyway).

There is an optical audio out on the system so you'll be fine.[/quote]

sounds good, 2 more questions...

1- would the optical audio be able to produce close to the same sound if i was running the HDMI right through the receiver?

2- since PS3 seems to be the easiest Blu-Ray player to upgrade, should we be able to see it upgraded to a 1.1 profile player?
 
[quote name='DestroVega']I currently have both my HDMI inputs on my receiver taken up... [/quote]
If you'd prefer to stick with HDMI you should check out this HDMI switch. I have it, I love it.

I believe Monoprice has one for under $20, too...but it doesn't come with a remote control.
 
I still find it funny that Sony includes neither a HDMI cable nor a component cable. They emphasize 1080p trueHD, but don't give you either necessary cables. At least these cables can be found for cheap.
 
[quote name='bmachine']If you'd prefer to stick with HDMI you should check out this HDMI switch. I have it, I love it.

I believe Monoprice has one for under $20, too...but it doesn't come with a remote control.[/quote]

Well, I would run optical audio from the PS3 if the sound quality is close to or as good as what would come out of my receiver using the HDMI cable. Is it comparable?
 
[quote name='DestroVega']sounds good, 2 more questions...

1- would the optical audio be able to produce close to the same sound if i was running the HDMI right through the receiver?

2- since PS3 seems to be the easiest Blu-Ray player to upgrade, should we be able to see it upgraded to a 1.1 profile player?[/quote]
1) Yup, the optical sounds just fine. Unless you're some audiophile, I doubt you'll be able to spot a difference. The HDMI is great in that it's only one cable in, one cable out.

2) As far as I know, the PS3 is one of the few Blu-Ray players that allows easy upgrades in firmware. I think the only other Blu-Ray player that can do that is well above the price of a PS3 currently.
 
[quote name='DestroVega']Well, I would run optical audio from the PS3 if the sound quality is close to or as good as what would come out of my receiver using the HDMI cable. Is it comparable?[/quote]If all you're outputting is standard Dolby Digital or DTS, quality would be the same either optical or HDMI. It's a digital signal after all, it's all or nothing, especially if the length of the cable isn't a factor.
 
[quote name='grendel19']If all you're outputting is standard Dolby Digital or DTS, quality would be the same either optical or HDMI. It's a digital signal after all, it's all or nothing, especially if the length of the cable isn't a factor.[/quote]

Yeah then I can just do the optical...

I have to take this all in account and decide if I wanna drop the 500 bucks or so to get the PS3 and the rest of the cables...

What is actually sparking this desire is my want to stop buying regular DVDs now, seeing eventually I might have to re-buy a lot of them.... Superbad has really set me off on this track of getting a blu-ray player... since I have the HD drive, if it were HD-DVD I wouldn't even be in this mindstate yet, so I really have to weigh the pros in cons... the only con I see now is spening more money right now to possibly save some over the long run.
 
[quote name='Blackout542']Can you still FOLD without your internet on?[/quote]No, I think Folding constantly sends packets of information back and forth between the server and you.
 
damn, the PS2 component cable is, although it work, showing interefrence on the screen. There are lines that keep going up on the screen, endlessly. Any way to fix that ( I have no HDMI cable)
 
[quote name='pop311']damn, the PS2 component cable is, although it work, showing interefrence on the screen. There are lines that keep going up on the screen, endlessly. Any way to fix that ( I have no HDMI cable)[/quote]Are you sure the cables/connectors aren't damaged?
 
i don't think they are. i had no problems with them on the PS2, but, whatever, i am getting an HDMI and optical audio cable by the end of the week (thank you monoprice)
 
Hey I was thinking of getting a PS3 but wanted to find a 60gb model and use some of my BB RZ certs on it. Problem is finding one at a BB since they are discountinued. That brings me to my question.

Does anyone know what the internal SKU# is for the 60gb PS3 at BB? If anyone has their receipts handy it should be listed right on there. If I have this I can have them search their inventory mgmt system by store to see if they still have any lying around.

Thanks in advance everyone!
 
[quote name='DestroVega']2- you said it doesnt have an output for non-HDMI receivers... I currently have both my HDMI inputs on my receiver taken up... it can't run optical audio to my receiver?[/quote]

You can use optical if you want, but won't be able to get PCM audio from games or movies, or DD+, TrueHD, DTS-HD HR or DTS-HD MA (when available) from movies. I'd suggest either getting an HDMI switch, or switching one of your other devices (cable/satellite box, maybe?) to Component/optical, freeing up an HDMI for your PS3.
 
So someone please explain something to me.

Im aware that you can replace the hard drive on the ps3. Obviously if it was filled up, that would be the rationale for doing so, but that's where I'm at a loss. Obviously PSN downloads is 1 way to fill it, but is there really that much to get, that many demos or trailers you'd want to keep to upgrade to a 120+ gb HDD?

I'm basically asking those of you who upgraded your hdd's why you did so... what's on your HDD that made you decide to upgrade. I feel that i dont get a lot of use out of my ps3 and perhaps this would be 1 way I could do so.
 
[quote name='h0mi']So someone please explain something to me.

Im aware that you can replace the hard drive on the ps3. Obviously if it was filled up, that would be the rationale for doing so, but that's where I'm at a loss. Obviously PSN downloads is 1 way to fill it, but is there really that much to get, that many demos or trailers you'd want to keep to upgrade to a 120+ gb HDD?

I'm basically asking those of you who upgraded your hdd's why you did so... what's on your HDD that made you decide to upgrade. I feel that i dont get a lot of use out of my ps3 and perhaps this would be 1 way I could do so.[/QUOTE]
Music, movies (especially w/ the divx support now), then I would assume patches and system updates.
 
Music and movies but are these movies you downloaded off PSN, or did you rip CD onto the ps3 drive or did you copy your movies from your pc to your ps3? Given that the ps3 can stream most of this, why upgrade the HD when you can just stream it? Thats what I'm trying to understand really.
 
[quote name='h0mi']Music and movies but are these movies you downloaded off PSN, or did you rip CD onto the ps3 drive or did you copy your movies from your pc to your ps3? Given that the ps3 can stream most of this, why upgrade the HD when you can just stream it? Thats what I'm trying to understand really.[/QUOTE]

... So you don' t /have/ to have your computer on sucking down electrical power? This is why I'm considering copying my entire music collection over.
 
[quote name='cleaver']Can you play PS2 DDR games on the PS3?[/quote]

I actually want to know this myself. I could find out tomorrow if nobody knows.
 
I'm not sure if I completely understand how the PSN friends thing works...

The people that are in my list on the homepage don't seem to be carried into the lists in my games.

Do I have to add friends to my in-game list for every new title I buy? Even if it's the same people over and over?
 
Should I get the 40gb on amazon now or wait for a deal? I got $50 in amazon certificate but $350 seems a little high when I gotta get a game and controller.
 
[quote name='DeskLaser']I suppose you technically could, but good luck getting a dance pad to work.[/quote]

I think that's what he is asking, playing it with a dance pad. Otherwise, there would be no point.
 
[quote name='primetime']I think that's what he is asking, playing it with a dance pad. Otherwise, there would be no point.[/QUOTE]I sometimes play DDR without a dance pad, but that's a different story. ;)

There's a site (I need to find the link) that sells DDR pads which work on 20/60GB PS3 consoles only. I'm considering it, if I do not buy an adapter.
 
[quote name='The Mana Knight']I sometimes play DDR without a dance pad, but that's a different story. ;)

There's a site (I need to find the link) that sells DDR pads which work on 20/60GB PS3 consoles only. I'm considering it, if I do not buy an adapter.[/quote]

I play with a controller very rarely, except for dance master mode (in which it is a necessity, of course). :)


OK, so I just tried it on my Pelican adapter. My hard Pelican Gamestop pad worked, as did my 1st gen hard RedOctane Ignition.

It seemed like the Pelican suffered from quite a bit of lag (getting me a C and a B on heavy Syncronized Love and Midnight Blaze, respectively. I can usally A those two easily), but it could have also been the pad itself, which is OK but not great as well as me being out of practice. The RedOctane felt a lot better, but there seemed to be minimal lag.

So, they do work, but they seem a bit laggy. Still, it's better than nothing. Plus you can calibrate the lag and timing difficulty if need be.


I wonder if USB pads like the Ignition 3.0 work?
 
[quote name='primetime']

I wonder if USB pads like the Ignition 3.0 work?[/QUOTE]No, it does not (that's the pad I have). It somewhat works on the XMB (although calibration is very off and buttons aren't mapped right), but it will turn off when PS2 games are played when switching to PS2 hardware mode (also, the pad was configured for a PC).
 
[quote name='bmachine']I'm not sure if I completely understand how the PSN friends thing works...

The people that are in my list on the homepage don't seem to be carried into the lists in my games.

Do I have to add friends to my in-game list for every new title I buy? Even if it's the same people over and over?[/quote]I don't the PSN list is carrying over into all games yet. It's pretty sporadic which games have the PSN friends' list carrying over into multi.

TMK can probably offer more on this since he's online a lot with his system.
 
[quote name='Mr. Pink']Will it be possible for me to put the music/files I have on my PSP to PS3 via remote play?[/QUOTE]That does not work, because you use the PSP to log-in to your PS3 (meaning regular PSP features are disabled) while you are doing this (kind of like internet browsing on the PSP). If you want your music files on your PS3, just connect a USB cable from your PSP to your PS3 (just copy the files over).

[quote name='bmachine']I'm not sure if I completely understand how the PSN friends thing works...

The people that are in my list on the homepage don't seem to be carried into the lists in my games.

Do I have to add friends to my in-game list for every new title I buy? Even if it's the same people over and over?[/QUOTE]If you are playing Resistance, then this is the case. Since Resistance's online network was setup before most of the PSN infrastructure, you gotta add friends within the game. The friends list on Resistance is completely separate from the XMB friends list. I actually like that idea because my PSN buddy list is maxed out (so I can have friends just for Resistance). I honestly don't know any other games like this.

However, all other PS3 games that support the friends list, such as Warhawk, Need for Speed Carbon, MotorStorm, etc., your XMB friend's list is imported. If you want to add a friend, some games have it to where you can do it in-game (not many), but the majority of the time you'll just use Player's Met to add someone to your friends list (who you met in-game).

If you don't have Resistance, tell me what games you are playing online then.
 
My PS3 is displaying scrolling horizontal lines. Why? I just got this 40Gig and I never saw these lines before until tonight when I started up Assassin's Creed. When it went to loading, the lines were apparent. I played about 2 hours of AC and did not notice anything wrong. I didn't change anything to the setup. I took a break then came back to it to find I have horizontal lines scrolling up in my T.V.

At first I thought it was my T.V. but after using my 360, it's obvious it's my PS3. So what's the problem? Anyone have any ideas?

I don't think the lines were there before because I would have noticed something like this and it happens on any screen with the PS3, not just with games. I sit at the menus and the lines are really annoying.

I have using a CRT with component cables. I tried searching for a remedy online and some say that it's "Normal" (WTF?) and others have said a resolution by grounding certain things, which is just mumbo-jumbo to me since I can't understand what I need to do.

EDIT: Well, I found out the problem. It's my cable line. When I take it out, the lines on my screen disappears. There is no doubt that it's the cable line, but how do I plug it in and have the lines go away? Mind you, this is the first time this has happened and I've put plenty of hours into my PS3.
 
I play PS2 DDR on my PS3 using the Pelican adapter and some generic pad that came along with the game from TRU. Same with Guitar Hero 1.
 
Bought a 20 GB ps3 off craigslist a few months ago (wanted to have the "true" BC), but have been having problems with it ever since. People said it may have been the firmware update, since some people had problems with it, but the new firmware update was released a few weeks ago and it still freezes. It's weird because I can play DVDs and cds fine, but some demos freeze up on me, uncharted freezes up on me, and the system freezes up when I use the web browser. I don't have any blu-ray movies to try out.

I've tried unplugging my ethernet cable from my ps3, and disabling the update bar thingy, but that didn't seem to work. I don't think this has anything to do with it either, but I use the HDMI cable that came with my xbox 360 elite for the ps3. Any help is appreciated, thanks in advance.
 
Hard disk problems come to mind, especially if its happening under heavy disk access (demos, local video files, etc). Throw another hard disk in there and see how it fares. They're cheap and the system could probably stand an upgrade anyway.
 
[quote name='jm2u']Hard disk problems come to mind, especially if its happening under heavy disk access (demos, local video files, etc). Throw another hard disk in there and see how it fares. They're cheap and the system could probably stand an upgrade anyway.[/quote]

Well, I am also a total ps3 n00b as well, and I'm literally out of any disposable cash until I get loan money for next semester. If the hard disk is the problem, I think I may try to format the hard disk, cause I don't really use my ps3 anyways cause of the freezing problem. Any problems I should look out for/be careful of when doing this? Thanks.
 
Any USB (if you want wired) or Bluetooth (if you want wireless) headset would work. What is your price range?

On the USB side of things, there is the Microsoft LX-3000 headset, which seems to be well reviewed for about $30: Link
On the Bluetooth side, the Plantronics Voyager 510 (Bluetooth) seems highly reviewed, and it is $40:
Link
 
They still sell the bundle where you can grab the Jabra BT that comes with Warhawk for "$20". The game can be bought for $40 without it, or $60 with the headset. Subtracting the non-bundle's price is where I got the $20. If you might have wanted the game this could be a way to go too.
 
[quote name='NamPaehc']They still sell the bundle where you can grab the Jabra BT that comes with Warhawk for "$20". The game can be bought for $40 without it, or $60 with the headset. Subtracting the non-bundle's price is where I got the $20. If you might have wanted the game this could be a way to go too.[/quote]

I'm actually going to trade in the Jabra. It echoes way too much for my tastes. I'm just using the $30 PS2 Logitech USB headset.
 
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