How about some multimedia details on the PS3?
by Nick Doerr 
{ Oct 19th 2006 at 4:30PM }
Borrowing from the multimedia division of Impress Watch, IGN has helped us put together some multimedia playback details about the PS3. We'll outline it below, but feel free to check out the original article in its full glory.- You can choose your display setting! Choose from Component/D-cable, Composite/S-video, or AV Multi/SCART! The selections come with pictures so those not experienced in cable selection know what they have.
- You can also choose your own resolution, if you'd rather not let the PS3 do it for you. Change it between 480p, 1080i, 720p, 1080p, or the mysterious "custom" option.
- Audio junkie? Choose from "Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1 and AAC, as well as Linear PCM with 2ch, 5.1ch and 7.1ch available in 44.1kHz, 88.2kHz, 48kHz and 192kHz." Hey, you can also select from HDMI, optical, and AV Multi as your audio cable of choice.
- Blu-ray playback is straightforward -- choose the BD/DVD option and select your default language/subtitles. If you've used the PSP or a Japanese Playstation system, you know the drill.
- Blu-ray movie load times? Fast. About 10 seconds from selecting it from the XMB's video section.
- Oh, it's worth noting... you have to choose to play a BD movie, but BD games load automatically.
- You can also playback video directly from the PS3 hard drive. Impress reported playing a 1920x1080 MPEG2. It's not certain yet that we'll be able to playback VC-1 and H.264 from the hard drive. But these are playable from Blu-ray discs. Hmm.
- You can rip CD's to MP3, AAC, and ATRAC3 formats, with bit rates up to 352kb/s. The PS3 will, naturally, go online and get track information from the AMG music database.
- The PS3 "can play back external files. By connecting a PSP to the PS3 via USB, the music, movies and images that are on the Memory Stick loaded into the PSP become accessible from the video, music and photo menus on the PS3. It's unclear if this is the case when the two systems are communicating via Wi-Fi."
- Mystery #1: "Remote Play". Hypothesis so far: playback movies and music on your PS3 that are on the PSP.
- Mystery #2: "Other System Install". No idea. Linux?
[oh, by the way, we've received a lot of tips from you guys, and we'll be sure to report them as soon as we can. We're just kind of stretched for time currently! Promise we'll have a "fanboy tip" day soon.]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Dave @ Oct 19th 2006 4:51PM
This info is great. It would be even more useful to me if I planned on buying a PS3. Don't get me wrong, the PS3 looks amazing in many ways. I just can not bring myself to spend the better part of a grand on a video game console.
digiNic @ Oct 19th 2006 5:17PM
This all sounds promising, however, I am most interested in the PS3's ability to stream files from other devices on my network...similiar to what the Xbox 360 does. However, the 360 cripples you on format compability and no video unless you have MCE. Hopefully, the PS3 does not.
GeoEnvi @ Oct 19th 2006 5:30PM
Apparently our first commentator (Dave) is not the gaming enthusiast or gadgeteer that the PS3 is aimed at targeting. Considering what an average PC gamer will spend on peripherals, $600 is not a lot of cash to spend on a video gaming device. $600 is NOTHING in comparison to what the hardcore gamer will spend. They'll spend that on cosmetic enhancements to a PC!
Not only has he missed the point, but Dave also missed the point.
Did you catch that Dave.... I didn't want you to miss it.
Andir2.0 @ Oct 19th 2006 6:53PM
@Dave: "I just can not bring myself to spend the better part of a grand on a video game console."
I suppose that's Sony's fault somehow? You know you didn't have to spend that money elsewhere. I fail to see the logic in this.
AG @ Oct 19th 2006 7:17PM
@Dave
What I can't understand is if you have no intention of buying a PS3, then why the hell are you at a site named ...
PS3fanboy.com
Pretty obvious to me that if you are a fan of the PS3 or are interested in it, you should be here
Otherwise, go somewhere else!
Argenys @ Oct 23rd 2006 10:56AM
I love the fact that it looks for track info that is pretty neat.
dudeugotnochanceinhell @ Oct 19th 2006 9:52PM
finally some good news.
Kevin @ Oct 19th 2006 11:14PM
did they say at e3 2005 that the ps3 would have tivo-like abilties? or was that wishful thinking
Aex @ Oct 20th 2006 2:51AM
Dudes, Lay off Dave. He can't afford paying $500 for a video game console, you can't blame a guy for it. Just because he can't afford one doesn't mean he can't be interested in it.
On topic... This news is Hawt.
Tom @ Oct 20th 2006 4:40AM
Custom resolutions, eh?
My speculation: I can hook up my dual monitors to PS3 and play the games in 2560 x 1024
Lee @ Oct 21st 2006 2:25PM
"My speculation: I can hook up my dual monitors to PS3 and play the games in 2560 x 1024"
Would have been really nifty had they left both HDMI outputs intact.
Also, speaking about streaming media from the PSP, I'd have liked to have seen an ability to stream UMD music and movies from the PSP. Yes, it is mostly in crappy resolution compared to what the PS3 is capable of, but it would be a useful feature for the format. It would also shut up all of those who have been begging for such a feature. The USB 2 bus is plenty capable of such a task.
OMAC @ Oct 21st 2006 8:53PM
Any info on whether or not the PS3 is compatible with MP3 players the same way the Xbox 360 is? On the 360 I canconnect my Zen and it recognizes it natively. I am able to play audio files on the Zen through the 360. I sincerely hope the PS3 goes one step further and allows the same functionality but with the addition of video playback as well.