Friday, February 26, 2010
by Migo
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I decided on the PS3 for myself because I like more variety in my gaming experience and because of the built-in Blu-Ray player. Movies REALLY do look better in Blu-Ray, and the PS3 even upconverts my current dvds to look practically HD, which means I don't need to re-purchase movies that I already have!
For me, this is a PERFECT system and just what I was waiting for. It was worth it just for the Blu-Ray player alone, or for the game system alone, but to have both in one package for under $400 is a sweet deal. Even my wife has been having fun playing it, and she's not a gamer at all. Plus 6 free Blu-Ray movies thrown in...how could I refuse? I'm really loving it so far and can't believe I worried so much about whether and when to buy one. There are so many great PS3 games out and coming soon that the library / availability isn't an issue at all for me.
I sat out the last console generation, and have 0 PS2 games. So for me, backwards compatibility wasn't an issue, and frankly I'd rather not pay for stuff I won't use anyway. 2 USB ports is all I need, since the controllers can be powered in any USB port (computer, etc). The 40GB hard drive is fine for me now since I don't use too many of the media features accept demo downloads. I can see needing to upgrade to a larger hd in the future, but then they'll be cheaper anyway. All of the supposed "cons" of this cheaper system didn't apply to me, so it was a great buy.Get more detail about PlayStation 3 80GB.
by Migo
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just a heads up that this new 80GB system is not backwards compatible with PS2 games... Otherwise, this is a great deal on an awesome system -- worth it for the Blu-ray alone.Get more detail about PlayStation 3 80GB.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
by Migo
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This 80GB PS3 for $399 is a awesome value for the price.
The main downside to this newer 80GB PS3 is that it's not backwards compatible with PS2 games, but for some that's not a big issue because the majority of people that are interested in a PS3 purchase already have a PS2.
But with this 80GB PS3 you get Free Online Play, Built in Wifi, Bluetooth Dualshock 3 Wireless Controller, Web Browser, Blu-ray, and the most advanced gaming console avaliable.
For anyone that may be discouraged about spending $399 for a gaming console, I assure you that a PS3 purchase is a long term investment. Sony even said themselves that the Playstation 3 will have a 10 year lifecycle and the PS3 has a long road ahead and plenty to offer. Sony is still supporting the PS2 after 8+ years of being on the market and the Playstation 1 was on the market for nearly 10 years as well, so as you can see, Sony has a good track record of supporting it's gaming consoles for the long run, and this PS3 will get the same treatment. The Blu-ray alone in the PS3 is worth the purchase price.
I have a 60GB PS3 and have enjoyed it ever since I first got it in December 2006 and I know that anyone who picks up this 80GB PS3 will enjoy it as well. I invite anyone that's intersted in a PS3 purchase to just pick one up and "Play Beyond".Get more detail about PlayStation 3 80GB.
by Migo
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I've given 3 stars overall for this version of the PS3 because the lack of backward compatibility. The worst part of this is that there are no other versions of PS3 being produced anymore.
So you are forced to buy a dumbed down version of the console if you didn't buy the earlier versions (I got a 60GB when they were still available).
So what are you missing in this new 80GB version?
- No PS2 backward compatibility
- Only 2 USB ports (instead of 4)
- No memory card reader (you still can use a USB Card Reader instead)
What benefits does this version deliver?
- Awesome Price (even with some features removed)
- Less Power Consuption
- Less Noise from the fans
- 80GB hard drive
Anyways I still recommend the old 80GB version if you have the extra money and can find one. This is basically the same old 40GB PS3 with a bigger Hard Drive for the same price.
Get more detail about PlayStation 3 80GB.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
by Migo
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A lot of people have written about the pros and cons of the PS3 vs. XBOX 360 vs. Wii. I'm not bothering with that, and assume you can find that information at elsewhere. I'm also assuming you can read all about why the PS3 would or would not fit your needs.
Instead, I'd like this review to explain what exactly this configuration is (there's a lot of confusion about that,) and why I think it hits the sweet spot. Basically, there are currently 2 versions of the PS3 on the market now. Ignoring the size of the drive for a second (because you can always swap the drive anyway, and it has no real bearing on the rest of the specs) think of them as Version A (currently available - or not as the case may be - in the PlayStation 3 80 GB Metal Gear Solid 4 Pack) and Version B (this one.)
The first thing that you need to understand is that there are three relevant differences between these two versions besides the included bundle and the price (the MGS one is $499 from amazon, more from third parties.)
Difference #1: Version A (MGS pack) is backward compatible with PS2 games while this one is NOT (they are both backward compatible with PS1 games however.)
Difference #2: Version A has 4 USB ports as well as memory card slots, while this version has only 2 USB ports and NO memory card slots.
Difference #3: AND THIS FOR ME IS BIG: Version A has the older and larger 90nm Cell processor, while this one has the smaller (and some say more reliable) 65nm Cell processor. Power consumption on this unit is lower as well, dropping from 200 Watts to 135 watts. The end result is a machine that runs cooler and, according to all reports as well as my personal experience, much quieter. An extremely relevant factor if you watch movies with it.
For those that have been looking for a while, this is basically the 40GB machine that was offered recently, with a larger hard drive and an upgraded controller - they replaced the basic sixaxis controller with the Dualshock 3 controller (which means it has rumble.)
Now Version A is packaged with Metal Gear Solid. It has an 80GB drive like this one, and the same controller. The big differences are listed above. Until this configuration was released, the larger hard drive and Dualshock controller were 2 of the 4 reasons many people felt the MGS pack was worth the additional $100. Those two factors are now eliminated. The remaining differences are the backward compatibility with PS2 games and the MGS game itself, which can of course be bought separately.
So to sum it up, if you NEED PS2 compatibility, you might want to grab the MGS pack if you can get one - that or keep your old PS2. For new buyers though, and for all of the people that are going to just play PS3 games, as well as avid movie watchers, this particular configuration is fantastic. You get the big drive, the good controller, PLUS the cooler running chip, a quieter machine and a system that uses about 33% less power.
And ok - just to satisfy the basic requirements of a review, I'll list some other nice stuff: It includes a Blu-ray DVD player (one of those runs almost as much as, or more than, this entire box), the online play is FREE, wireless connectivity is built in (you don't have to buy an additional piece as with some others), reliability has been quite good (much better than some others), there are some great PS3-only titles, and you can stream media to it from your PC. There's more, but there are plenty of people outlining it.
As always, do your research and see what's best for you. Maybe the 360-only titles are must haves for you, or maybe your family fits a Wii. We have a Wii and I love it. But I also love my PS3, and in my opinion this configuration is the one to get (this month anyway.)Get more detail about PlayStation 3 80GB.
by Migo
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The reason why all of the sudden everyone criticize this SKU for not having backward compability it's simply because there's nothing else left to criticize.
Only reason why it would be very important would be if you have an extended ps2 library and your ps2 broke, then it is worth it for you to spend the extra $100 on BC.
This is my second ps3, i had a launch 60gb ps3 and i sold it 3 weeks ago cause i needed the money, and no lie here, i played a total of 3 ps2 games in the almost 2 years that i had it... and i played them in the first 6 months that i had bought the ps3... that's right back then there wasn't that many ps3 games, so i played mgs2, god of war and lotr battle for middle earth.
As of now, i barely had time to even watch movies since i was always playing cod4, mgs4, and yes still play resistance, i have played uncharted about 4 times along with guitar hero and singstar in my parties, ratchet and clank, and warhawk..
The Truth is that, with the great line up that the ps3 has for the rest of the year and the years to come, i would find it extremely hard to play ps2 games at all.. i want to play new games, HD games, great multiplayer, experience new things, if someone truly is so concerned to play a lot of ps2 games, well then buy a ps2.
There is a lot of comparison between the 360 and ps3, and bottom line is that you have to inform yourself VERY WELL on what games you think you'll enjoy more, imo there seems to be a wider variety for the ps3, that's why i chose it. If i eventually buy a 360 will be to play the new games, not to play the xbox1 games.
I really think that this bundle including a dualshock3 is a great deal, but i will have to install a bigger hdd, i already ordered a 320gb hdd from newegg for $99, since i have a lot of movies to install.
Something else that more people should take advantage of is Linux on ps3, it's free so there is no setback on that.. i had it installed in my ps3 and when i had family over and they wouldn't let me on my own computer i just restart my ps3 in Ubuntu and with my bluetooth keyboard and mouse i would browse in my big screen tv.
There is a lot of value to this console, free online play it's great as well, ps2 addition would be nice to some, but since i know i didn't use it, or will use it, it doesn't affect me at all and that is why this sku for that price is as good as it gets.
Get more detail about PlayStation 3 80GB.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
by Migo
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PS3 does not output lossless bitstreams of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-MA. Sounds like a small thing, but I believe these new music formats are one of the most important and the most impressive add value to blue-ray disks. Bit rate of these formats are way above those of DVD and CD. You can search their details on the net. I feel that even the highest-end CD audio systems that cost more than 40k cannot compete with the latest BD with good quality contents. Unfortunately PS3 only outputs these formats after decoding lossless to PCM internally. If you have any future possibility to upgrade your AV amp that can handle these bit streams, PS3 is not the one you need to get.
PS3 can be recommended for those who are interested in playing video games. People who are looking mainly for a good BD player should think about if you will get interested in listening to the fantastic power of the most advanced lossless music formats in the future.Get more detail about PlayStation 3 80GB.