PS3 vs. Sony Blu Ray Player

[Josh396]

I had a quick question for anyone who may be able to help. I just got this Blu-Ray player (a Sony BDP-S300 for the lazy) today for a Christmas gift and I was wondering how the PS3 compared to it just as a Blu-Ray player. My dad thought about getting me a PS3 but a few salesmen talked him out of it because they said it wasn't as good as Blu-Ray player as the standalone players. From what I understand it's as good as most Blu-Ray players and also has the ability to be more easily updated compared to other players, giving it more flexibility if any situations ever arise. One of the main gripes the salesmen had with the PS3 was that it wouldn't play Dual Layer Blu-Ray movies, which I never heard of that being a problem. The added benefit of the PS3 being a console is nice, but not completely important because I already have a 360 and a Wii. Also, I'd like to know how well the PS3 upscales standard DVDs.

This thread is not intended to put Blu-Ray vs HD-DVD or PS3 vs. 360 as I know many of the previous threads have done. I'm just interested in how the PS3 stands as a Blu-Ray player compared to other ones on the market. Thanks in advance for all the help.

 

[remyink]

I just got a PS3 a week ago and the single most biggest reason i purchased it was for it being a blue-ray player. I also own a 360 and a Wii and wanted to complete my collection. Ive seen about 8 different blue ray movies since i bought it and havent had a single complaint about any of them. I would mind sacrificing a little in the blue ray department if any to also have a gaming console. Now that I think about it thats why I bought a PS2 when it first came out

 

[chadrob30]

I agree! I just got the PS3 last week for a Blu Ray player. It has had exactly 0 games in the drive. I did download two demos but have yet to play a game in it. As a matter of fact, I rented The Kingdom on HD DVD yesterday and since it's a Combo disc it plays fine in the PS3. The upconvert is pretty amazing on regular def dvds...

 

[diamond.g]

I had a quick question for anyone who may be able to help. I just got this Blu-Ray player (a Sony BDP-S300 for the lazy) today for a Christmas gift and I was wondering how the PS3 compared to it just as a Blu-Ray player. My dad thought about getting me a PS3 but a few salesmen talked him out of it because they said it wasn't as good as Blu-Ray player as the standalone players. From what I understand it's as good as most Blu-Ray players and also has the ability to be more easily updated compared to other players, giving it more flexibility if any situations ever arise. One of the main gripes the salesmen had with the PS3 was that it wouldn't play Dual Layer Blu-Ray movies, which I never heard of that being a problem. The added benefit of the PS3 being a console is nice, but not completely important because I already have a 360 and a Wii. Also, I'd like to know how well the PS3 upscales standard DVDs.

This thread is not intended to put Blu-Ray vs HD-DVD or PS3 vs. 360 as I know many of the previous threads have done. I'm just interested in how the PS3 stands as a Blu-Ray player compared to other ones on the market. Thanks in advance for all the help.

From my understanding of the situation, the PS3 is the best choice for a BD player. AFAIK it is the only BD 1.1 compatible player (with the most recent FW update). It is also most likely the only player that could be upgraded to support any profile the BD group can come up with.

 

[janstett]

The PS3 is a fine Blu-Ray player and will always be checked for compatibility as it will probably be the most prolific Blu-Ray player on the market.

Also the firmware gets updated frequently (though I expect it to stabilize). For example I think there was just a 2.0 firmware update that allows for BD 1.1 interactivity.

The only reason I would consider getting a stand-alone Blu Ray player is for 6 channel analog out, which the PS3 doesn't provide. So when you have a Blu-Ray player with Dolby True HD or DTS Lossless Master Audio you can't enjoy it with a PS3 (unless you have an HDMI receiver). I wish they would at least downmix it to 1.44 mbps DTS like the XBox 360 does -- the best you can get over SPDIF.

The other complaint would be the amount of heat the player generates. But it's a fine Blu-Ray player. And you gotta buy the Blu-Ray remote.

 

[spjonesi]

I also own a 360, wii, and PS3. The PS3 has won at least one shootout between BD players that I have read. Which was a shock to me...when I was in the market for a BD player I decided to read as much as possible, it appeared to me that the PS3 does a fantastic job playing BD players, but buyer beware...it does not yet support DTS-HD Master Audio or DD-HD via bitstream...this could prove to be the biggest fault of the PS3.

HTH,
spjoneSi

 

[Josh396]

but buyer beware...it does not yet support DTS-HD Master Audio or DD-HD via bitstream...this could prove to be the biggest fault of the PS3.

I'm a little out of the loop with that. Does that mean it won't play the DVD at all, or you just don't get the full quality audio that you should? Also, is there a chance that could be added in a future firmware update or is something that is dependent on hardware and not software?

Also, I haven't seen anything about the ability to play double layer Blu-Ray movies. I'm guessing that it is able to but the salesmen told my dad that it wouldn't be able to. Anyone have any information on this? Thanks again.

 

[monkeytap]

I'm a little out of the loop with that. Does that mean it won't play the DVD at all, or you just don't get the full quality audio that you should? Also, is there a chance that could be added in a future firmware update or is something that is dependent on hardware and not software?

Also, I haven't seen anything about the ability to play double layer Blu-Ray movies. I'm guessing that it is able to but the salesmen told my dad that it wouldn't be able to. Anyone have any information on this? Thanks again.

my vote is the ps3, although some standalones may provide a better viewing experience I do not think you will notice a difference in quality between the BDP-S300 and PS3. The PS3 is also more future proof and can be updated via wi-fi/ethernet while the BDP-S300 lacks internet connectivity. The audio issue will most likely be addressed and in the mean time if you have an audio system that can distinguish this difference than more power to you, but not likely. (I know I don't)

Most blu-rays are double layer, and yes of course the ps3 can play these. A firmware update would potentially allow it to even play 4 layer 100 GB blu-ray discs that are currently being developed.

Sounds like some illinformed salespeople, or for some reason they are being told to push the standalones....the hd-dvd camp loves pretending noone buys the ps3 for blu-ray movies, but IMO its the best, hands down.

 

[huck500]

I would get the PS3 over the stand-alone, just in case there are some games you want to play. I have all three systems, and although the PS3 is pretty lacking in the game department, playing Motorstorm makes me think that it has the potential to out-perform the 360.

DVDs look great, and the sound issue is not really that important unless you have a really great HT system... and maybe not even then.