PS3 - Which version?

dontlaugh

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Hi All,

On the day when the breaking news on this site is the promise of the new PS3 160GB Limited Edition, I have coincidentally been looking at the PS3 with a view to using it as a wireless media streamer, Blu-Ray player and also a means to play SACDs.

I have no Blu-Ray at the moment as I am putting together a system from scratch.

There seem to be a variety of machines available at hugely differing prices - which leads me to wonder why.

One site I have looked at suggests that their machines (the new 80GB version) does not accept Memory Stick cards - and has a couple of other differences.

More investigation this morning suggests there might be "core" and "premium" versions about which differ in offering HD sound through HDMI (or not) and having wifi built in (or not).

A look at prices suggests I can get a new 80GB machine for the same as a 40GB machine - from the same supplier (?).

On the other hand, while this supplier is offering either for £299, I find a couple of sellers on Ebay offering new PS3s (albeit with maybe five games - which don't interest me) for as much as £459!

Can anyone help out with advising what gives?!

I don't want to order one and then find I have bought a lesser model which doesn't do what it ought to.

Hard drive size to me seems hardly relevant as upgrades are pretty straightforward and new drives two-a-penny.

(Of course, I do hear a rumour that one version is designed for user upgradeability - whereas the other is not).

HEEEEEEElp!
 
A

Anonymous

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Not sure where you got your information.? The only difference from the original 60GB PS3 to the 40GB version was the lack of PS2 compatibility, loss of memory card slots and 2 USB ports from 4. Otherwise everything else is the same. They all have HD sound through HDMI (this was a firmware upgrade in 2.20) so if you bought a console with an earlier version, then you just need to upgrade it to get this new feature. Likewise, all versions have Wifi built it and there aren't any plans to drop that. Sony's online content is a huge deal for them so dropping the wifi wouldn't make sense (yes I know you could still have a wired connection) but that would still be an odd decision.

The 80GB is the same price as the 40GB as it's the new standard. The 40GB version will not be sold once they are all sold out. Seeing as memory is always dropping in price, it makes sense that they are the same price. The 160GB version is more expensive as it has a bigger hard drive and also some vouchers for downloading titles from the PS store. Technically, they are all the same and you won't go wrong with any of them. The great thing about the PS3 is how it's been upgraded over last 12 months, so even if you bought one on the day it was released, you can still take advantage of the new functionality as it's released.

HTH but if you have any other questions, fire away.
 

dontlaugh

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While this wouldn't necessarily be a deciding factor, SACD would be nice.

Even in Hifi S&V there are articles about it which suggest that it does and it doesn't play SACDs.

Not sure where the info came from about wireless - I have looked at so many web pages on the subject - but one suggested that the "non-premium" version (if there is one) would still have a wireless capability but that it would be from a plug-in adapter rather than being internal.

Thanks for the input.

I think the key is going to be finding a high st seller where I can look at the actual machine I would be buying - just to make sure!

It has been suggested that the 40GB machine replaced the original 60GB one (unless that is a typo) and that it lost PS2 compatability at this point. Was this an upgrade?!?
 

Gozaradio

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I'm in a similar position to you in that I'm about to buy a PS3 but I'm trying to decide which version to buy. Don't be confused by the different US and Japanese models that are available. AFAIK, there have been three PS3's released in the UK, with a 4th due this autumn and I believe they break down like this:

1 - 60Gb launch version with Memory card reader, four USB ports, PS2 emulation in software, SACD playback (No Longer available new)

2 - 40Gb version with no memory card reader, two USB ports, no PS2 emulation and no SACD playback (being phased out now, some still available to buy)

3 - 80Gb version launching this week - replaces 40Gb version and is identical in every way except HDD size and it comes with the new dual shock controller.

4 - 160Gb version announced this week for launch on October 31. Hardware identical to 80Gb (AFAIK), double HDD size and there is the promise of additional "Playstation Network Content" in the bundle but it will cost £50 more and you can get a 250Gb HDD for less than that.

The decision can be simplified by your requirements - if you need SACD playback and/or ropey PS2 emulation then you'll have to buy a 2nd hand or reconditioned 60Gb console. If not, then either try to find a 40Gb on clearance offer or buy an 80Gb version. If you need more HDD space then just get the cheapest console you can and install your own larger HDD.

Despite knowing all this, I'm still a bit torn myself - I don't care about HDD size because I'll upgrade to 500Gb regardless and PS2 emulation not important as I have a slimline PS2 already. However, SACD playback is very tempting especially as I am finally building a decent 5.1 setup. But am I willing to go second hand on a PS3? I have found them on Ebay with 6 months warranty for £320 or gamestation sell second hand consoles with 12 month warranty for £330.

You pays your money, you takes your chances, I suppose!
 

dontlaugh

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I'm really not sure if these guys know what they are selling!

I have just pulled up the gamestation.co.uk website and looked in their console section.

On page http://www.gamestation.co.uk/cat.asp?cat=playstation3&t=hardware they show the "specification" of both the 40GB and 80GB models and under both machines show the following:

BD/DVD/CD Drive (Read Only):

Maximum Read Speed BD 2x (BD-ROM)

DVD 8x (DVD-ROM)

CD 24x (CD-ROM)

SACD 2x

That sort of implies some sort of SACD compatibility - unless they have it wrong.

I too am wary of buying used kit and when I can buy a new PS3 in the latest incarnation (80GB) for £299, would rather not buy a second hand machine for £30 more. This seems bizarre.

Sony seem to have degraded this machine during its life rather than upgraded it - apart from the Firmware bit.

Less sockets, less compatibility, less functionality and no memory card slot.

Maybe they have got themselves stuck in a quantum singularity and are issuing these things in the wrong order!
 

Clare Newsome

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For those interested in the PS3's SACD abilities...

At the risk of everyone's homes becoming a teetering pile of boxes, can I suggest this Oppo DVD/SACD player to take care of SACD/DVD upscaling at £160 or less (and you can get it multi-region for that, too)? Then leave the PS3 for gaming, Blu-ray and streaming duties.
 

professorhat

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dontlaugh:Sony seem to have degraded this machine during its life rather than upgraded it - apart from the Firmware bit.
Most of this comes down to cost savings. When they first brought out the 60Gb version, it was clear that it was too expensive at £425 for most homes as a games console (even though it was actually one of the best and cheapest Blu-Ray players on the market at the time). To cut costs down and become more competitive with the Xbox 360 and the Wii, they therefore had to shed features so it became a more consumer friendly £299.
 

Big Chris

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professorhat:dontlaugh:Sony seem to have degraded this machine during its life rather than upgraded it - apart from the Firmware bit.
Most of this comes down to cost savings. When they first brought out the 60Gb version, it was clear that it was too expensive at £425 for most homes as a games console (even though it was actually one of the best and cheapest Blu-Ray players on the market at the time). To cut costs down and become more competitive with the Xbox 360 and the Wii, they therefore had to shed features so it became a more consumer friendly £299.

Which is fair enough, but why didn't they keep the pricier and better specced version for those that were happy to pay extra for more features?
 

Gozaradio

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Clare Newsome:
For those interested in the PS3's SACD abilities...

At the risk of everyone's homes becoming a teetering pile of boxes, can I suggest this Oppo DVD/SACD player to take care of SACD/DVD upscaling at £160 or less (and you can get it multi-region for that, too)? Then leave the PS3 for gaming, Blu-ray and streaming duties.

Thanks for pointing this one out, Clare. I suppose the reason I became hung up on a PS3 as SACD player was partly to keep number of black boxes down but also because standalone SACD players always looked so expensive by comparison and I just fancied hearing 'Dark Side of The Moon' in 5.1! Not sure I want another box just to play the occassional SACD or DVD-A but it's good to know.

I plan to use it for Blu-Ray, streaming, and a bit of gaming but I am curious about one thing - I have been planning to get a squeezebox duet for my music but it did occur to me that I could get a PSP to control the PS3 without the TV being on for music. Now, I know remote play is intended to stream content to the PSP but does anyone know if the PSP can be used purely as a remote control to play music out of the PS3's outputs to the receiver?
 

professorhat

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Gozaradio:Now, I know remote play is intended to stream content to the PSP but does anyone know if the PSP can be used purely as a remote control to play music out of the PS3's outputs to the receiver?

Just tried this out tonight for you and it worked like a charm, so yes it can be used as you say above.
 
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Anonymous

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well the best PlayStation 3 is the 60GB, but they discontinued that not so long ago. But you may be able to pick one up from ebay. as for the other versions not having backward compatibility, is true for now, but a new firmware update will be released soon so that all of them do.

Tom
 

Gozaradio

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professorhat:Gozaradio:Now, I know remote play is intended to stream content to the PSP but does anyone know if the PSP can be used purely as a remote control to play music out of the PS3's outputs to the receiver?

Just tried this out tonight for you and it worked like a charm, so yes it can be used as you say above.

Thanks very much for that, Prof. Maybe I won't need to get a squeezebox for the time being then, although there is still the issue of getting Apple lossless files to play on or through the PS3, but that's a different job altogether.

Out of interest, will the PS3 continue to play if you switch the PSP off?
 

professorhat

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Yup, just tried this and music carried on playing after switching the PSP off. In case you weren't aware, it's also possible to set the PS3 to auto start when you connect via Remote Play so it doesn't even need to be switched on to do this. With the upcoming PlayTV add on then, you'll be able to switch on your PS3 and watch TV on your PSP anywhere in the world from where you can get a wireless internet connection which is pretty good I think!
On playing lossless files, have a look at PJPro's post.
 

Gozaradio

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Thanks once again - just looked at PJPro's post and now I have a headache - maybe it's too late to be reading that kind of stuff. I'm sure I read somewhere of someone successfully transcoding Apple lossless from a media server to PCM before being fed over wired network to PS3 (without Linux getting involved). If I can't work it out, will just have to get the Squeezebox as originally intended.
 

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