PS3 vs BDPs360

[admin_exported]

Hi

Newbie here. I know the debate of PS3 vs standalone blueray player has been going on for quite some time now. I hope that it will not be as big as the nikon vs canon or PC vs mac debate. Anyway, I digress......

I have a simple question. I own a sony bravia 46 Z5500 and am looking to buy a blueray player. I also require to stream movies (avi, MPEG2, Video_TS etc) as well as photos and music from my iMac to the TV. Can the TV do this through DLNA ? I have tried and have not been successful and can't find definitive info on the net.

The decision is simple - if I can do so through my TV i will get the BDPs360. If this is not possible I will get the PS3. PQ and AQ is important but I have taken that out of the equation/

Any help or info would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

KL

 

[bigboss]

No, I don't think you can do that. PS3 is a better & easier option.

 

[Clare Newsome]

Or for a little more money than PS3, you could buy the Sony '360 (now available for £150!) and an Apple TV for all your streaming. Then you'd get the best of both worlds, and give yourself an upgrade path.

That dedicated Sony player is a clear step up from PS3 in terms of sound and picture performance (especially with motion) - you've invested a lot in a superb TV, so it'd be a shame not to get the best out of Blu-ray on your budget.

 

[Oldboy]

Listen to Claire!

The ps3 is a good option (just bought the new slim) but the picture and sound quality can be beaten elsewhere for less money, the sony bd360 is a great player and beats the ps3 easily. I am going to get a stand alone player now even though i have a ps3 but it does make a good option for streaming but again as Claire has pointed out the Apple tv plus bluray player seems a better choice for you.

Can't find a definitive answer as to if your tv can do the streaming for you so i would phone Sony for an answer if you get no joy from anyone on the forums.

 

[Anonymous]

Wow ! You guys are FAST with your responses ! What a great forum with plenty of useful info !

I have called the guys at Sony - tech support isn't very helpful as they aren't too sure themselves, and the sales team at Sony have basically said that this TV can even wash the dishes and convert into an air conditioning unit.........

Clare, you have a good point, especially since I will be running my audio thru the equivalent of a B&W 684 system (mix of old and new seires). I did consider the difference in PQ and AQ, but streaming was a more important feature for me. I didn't even think about apple TV ! And you are absolutely right in saying that i have invested in a good TV (and speakers) that perhaps the PS3 will be the weakest link.

Not sure what you mean by having an upgrade path?

Anyway, I'm not a gamer and do not intend to be (I will end up having no social life whatsoever). I think i will end up buying the BDP 360.

Thanks for all your input !

 

[bigboss]

It all depends on the budget really. Apple TV costs £195 for a 40GB hard drive & £263 for a 160GB hard drive. So, Apple TV + Sony S360 is atleast £345 with a 40GB hard drive, that's 40% more expensive than a PS3 which comes with a 120GB hard drive. Now it's debatable whether the improved performance is really worth the money, because the S360 is not a big step up from PS3. Yes, it's better than the PS3, but only slightly. I doubt you'll get the wow factor in the step up from PS3 to the S360. The difference in quality is more discernable with more expensive players like the Pioneer 320. That's my opinion.

I have a PS3 and a Panasonic BD60. BD60 is slightly better in audio performance compared to PS3 (very difficult to notice a difference). Blu-ray picture quality is on par in both players. DVD quality is better on the Panasonic.

 

[bigboss]

I must add that in the long term, you will want to upgrade your blu-ray player & eventually buy a standalone player. You can decide if PS3 with a 120GB HDD worth £229 (from John Lewis) is better than a 80GB Apple TV worth £263.

 

[Anonymous]

Ooops i just realised that I don't know anything about apple TV. Have read mixed reviews on my initial web research. Apparently it can't stream AVI and certain video formats and converting them voids the warranty?

Does anyone have any experience with apple TV and hows the PQ and AQ?

Thanks in advance

 

[Anonymous]

Bigboss,That is also a valid point.

The apple TV is quite costly and for that price I can get the PS3 which does all I need. At the moment I am using a dinosaur of a Toshiba DVD player that's 5+ years old so either PS3 or BDP360 will be a huge improvement. The PS3 is tempting....

Can't believe i'm making things difficult for myself. I said in my first post that the decision is an easy one..... YEAH RIGHT!

Any further input is appreciated.

Cheers

 

[bigboss]

I was in a similar situation as yours, few months ago. I bought a PS3 which fulfilled all my needs. I then bought a Panasonic BD60 to play multiregion DVDs after a few months.

Maybe you can buy a PS3 now which will do everything you need. Then, maybe next year or so when you have a better budget & if you're not happy with PS3's DVD/blu-ray performance, you can buy a better standalone player. Use the PS3 as a stop gap player until then. Who knows, there may be new players coming out next year which will also stream videos, music & pictures from your PC wirelessly!