Rumor: New 40GB PS3 at $399.99 for the holidays
by Jedwin Celestino 
{ Sep 10th 2007 at 5:00AM }
Ars Technica has their very own mole, who they say is very good at what he does. Looks like he dug up some interesting stuff on Sony's plan for the holiday season. The rumor is as follows: the 80GB PS3 falls to $499.99, and a brand new 40GB PS3 is offered at $399.99.Analysts have predicted the 80GB price drop before. As for this 40GB model, we've had a few tip offs that it might be in the works. In addition, the mole adds that Spider-Man 3 Blu-ray may be packed in with one or both of the bundles, and the PS2 drops to $99.99. Of course, these are merely rumors, so don't hold your breath while waiting for lower priced PS3s. We expect to find out more at Tokyo Game Show.
[via Digg]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Bored @ Sep 10th 2007 5:10AM
Is it what they should do? Yes.
Then rest assured, they're not going to do it...
Daniel @ Sep 10th 2007 5:11AM
This could change everything.
Ian @ Sep 10th 2007 5:21AM
Why not just reintroduce (to the USA) the 60 GB model at the lower $399 price? For a company with buying/manufacturing power of SONY I wouldn't have thought there'd be a massive saving in slapping in 40GB HDDs over 60GB.
apease @ Sep 10th 2007 5:33AM
Has very little to do with how expensive the various harddrives are to buy in bulk. They can't reintroduce the 60GB as it is now, since it currently has the EE chip, and that adds too much to cost. So to prevent consumer confusion over which 60GB model they want for backwards compatibility, it's important the cheap model not have the same capacity as either the old 20GB or the 60GB, since everyone refers to ps3 models by harddrive capacity. It's also important that it not have the same or higher harddrive capacity as the more expensive 80GB version, obviously.
If Sony announces and actually sells the 40GB at $399 before mid-November, they might still pull the ps3 out of the dumpster sales-wise.
Aex @ Sep 10th 2007 5:52AM
I don't doubt either of those predictions coming true. If so, I expect a Major Xbox 360 price to follow soon after. A $50 difference isn't going to be enough after something like this o.o
Ian @ Sep 10th 2007 6:18AM
@ Apease
Good points regarding the EE chip 60/40GB models and how they might be confused.
Kspraydad @ Sep 10th 2007 7:29AM
@Apese...
The price difference in bulk between a 40GB and 80GB is minimal as well...why not just drop the 80GB to 399?
Introducing a $399 40GB will just mean the 80GB for $100 more will sit on shelves collecting dust (except for a sales to the uneducated that thing an extra 40GB is worth $100)
Ninegauger @ Sep 10th 2007 7:44AM
That would be better... perhaps I'll end up owning one after all. Though there's still a games problem (as far as exclusives)... especially this holiday since both the Wii and 360 are getting a lot of awesome games...
But if the price gets reasonable this holiday, it'll definitely be manageable by the time Final Fantasy comes out.
That's a pretty quick and drastic price drop though... that's gotta hurt.
Kspraydad @ Sep 10th 2007 7:47AM
Since NO one has any idea what SONY's CURRENT manufacturing costs are...perhaps it doesn't hurt as much as one might think. SONY doesn't seem to have quality issues so there is 1.5 billion in 'savings' right there.
Kspraydad @ Sep 10th 2007 8:03AM
No one except SONY
chaod @ Sep 10th 2007 8:43AM
re. 60 gig/EE chip thing
i have a uk 60 gig model, and it doesn't have the EE chip. so your theory of 60 gig == EE chip can't be right.
Young Capwn @ Sep 10th 2007 8:52AM
What's and EE chip? someone explain please.
I think this would be a great move hopefully its true (Especially if they bundle SM3 in with it!) that movie wasn't sooo great tho but would still be nice to have SM3 and PS3 in one package, they can help each other sell. Someone who wants a ps3 and kinda wants SM3 can get both, and someone who wants Blue ray SM3 will get that and a player at the same time!
EVERYBODY WINS!
BruteRules @ Sep 10th 2007 8:52AM
Ok, i think the 80 gig model should drop to $399 if they want to win the BluRay war. If they dont the cheap toshiba HD-DVD might win out.
The other reason is that I can buy the 40 gig model then spend another 100 getting a larger drive, but what a pain in the rear if i have bought anything on the playstation store in the mean time.
As far as the price drop over all. Sony could not produce enough PS3's last christmas with the blue diode production being down. Now with that out of the way they can introduce lower prices since they can manufacture more of them to meet demand. If you can only produce so many it makes sence to charge enough so that anyone willing to anti up can get one. It is making some people pay more but they made the decision to buy when they did.
One more thing that will come into play this christmas is alot of people went HD TV's last year and they will be looking for players and games to use on it this year.
Kspraydad @ Sep 10th 2007 9:10AM
@Young.
EE (Emotion Engine) chip is the hardware chip that allows the NA 60GB PS3 to perfectly play PS2/PS1 games...without it you are using software emulation which isn't 100% effective.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ps3#Backward_compatibility
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotion_Engine
ShaggyB @ Sep 10th 2007 9:27AM
ok so now they have a 20gig, a 40gig, a 60 gig, and an 80 gig?
From what i heard the 20gig is pretty much a buy it used option/ebay purchase. so thats 3 major sku prices. There begining to lok a lot like microsoft. Why not just put out a bunch of quality games before christmas. (Uncharted, Ratchet/klank and UT3 just wont cut it, none are system sellers)(yes i left out Heavenly Sword, thats this week) Gamers buy consoles based on games. Sure we will buy on the potential of future games too, if we are of a hardercore varaity, but for the most part gamers follow the games.
Making the system affordable is a good plan, but first id make the system desirable. PS3 quite literally has 6 games you cant buy anywhere else. Just 6. (Resistance, Motorstorm, Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Warhawk, Lair and Heavenly Sword) [would you count ninja gaiden it was on xbox1 but ps3 is a soo much prettier game] (2 of those are million sellers, id say 2 have potential to be in the future.) Thats a pretty bleak outlook on the launch year.
Give us more games, give us better games than the 360 or the wii. If you do this, you give the consumer a reason to spend the $500 to $600 on a system. Now once the demand for games is met you lower the cost of the system to attracted new users.
Sorry I just feel I have a really well designed (id have made the power external as that gets too hot) system that plays next gen movies and ocationally games. Id like it to be the other way around and thats where i think sony needs to work on most. Getting the Games out there so the system is a Gaming system first and a blu-ray player second. Then lets work on getting the cost down (at this point its probably a catch 22 situation and they will have to do both at the same time... its sad)
Joe @ Sep 10th 2007 9:32AM
I for one think it is about time the PS2 becomes cheaper. Then Sony can make a big deal about this and use it to swing people that want a Wii to the PS2. Seeing as it is cheaper then you would think more people would buy that over the Wii. So then just to make sure the PS2 sells more Sony can bring out a PS2 controller that is like the Wii's one.
As for the 40 gig PS3 I think this will happen only because 4 months ago EGM had this in there rumor part. So now more people are talking about it so it might just be real. Plus giving away SM3 as a free gift would also be cool. This way more people see that the PS3 can play Blu-Ray disks and in doing this more people will go Blu.
So I hope to see these rumors come true.
JarOfFlies @ Sep 10th 2007 9:40AM
This would be awesome if it happened. So many people are on the fence with PS3 and the main point is the price. $500 is just too much.
Draco @ Sep 10th 2007 9:48AM
Shaggy, you find the PS3 gets to hot? thats strange, I've had mine running a Warhawk server for about 3 days straight now (since the server update) and its not any warmer then it gets after an hour or so, which is warm to the touch but nothing compared to my stereo receiver or my cable box. I don't think the power supply is generating much heat at all as I expect some of the heat is coming from the motherboard.
samfish @ Sep 10th 2007 9:56AM
I sincerely doubt it, myself. Financially, it doesn't make sense, given how much of a loss they're taking already and due to why the 20gb was canned.
They've also stated that they want to have a single price point on the market. I know companies lie and such, but usually it's only if it's RIGHT before something is about to be revealed, so as to keep it under wraps. They don't usually do a complete 180 (or would this be more of a 360??) like this, though.
The 80gb drop to $500 is a given, though.
Sarlac @ Sep 10th 2007 10:53AM
I bought a 20gb at launch, traded out the hdd for a 160 same day. Then later I traded my 20gb unit to a friend for his 60gb and swapped drives for him, so he now has my old 20gb ps3 with his new 60gb hdd, and I have a 60gb with a 160gb drive.
my point?
Drive size is not important.
Hard drives are cheap.
All this fluff about EE or no EE is just silly.
Even without the EE chip the ps3 has more than enough power to effectively emulate ps1/2 via software.
Those of you who cry about not having the EE chip should really stop and look at the reality of the situation.
How many old ass ps1 games are you trying to play on your shiny new ps3?
I have yet to hear of a major title that does not work, with or without EE.
Every single title in my library works flawlessly.
I'm sure you will now tell me that it's because I have the EE chip.
Maybe so. But I have my ps3 now. And have no complaints.
Phantom @ Sep 10th 2007 10:17AM
A Xbox360 Elite plus an official wireless adaptor cost more than the 60GB PS3. Even the 20GB Xbox 360 plus an official wireless adaptor cost not much less than the 60GB PS3. And, neither can play HD movies in any format without additional hardware/expenditure. Yet, Xbox360 outsells PS3 in at least the North American/Europe markets. So, perhaps pricing isn't a huge issue?
IMHO, the problem Sony is facing has little to do with the price tag. It's not about Blu-Ray or Gama-Ray either. Nor does it has anything to do with Cell or Hal2000 inpired processor. Instead, it's all about "GAMES". What Sony needs desperately right now is exclusive AAA games from well established franchises. Sony has to come up with a line of GREAT games to attract people to open their wallets wide for their PS3s. Without great games, 499, 399, or even 299, isn't goning to make a whole lot of difference.
And yes, I do know there are some "good" games available for PS3 right now such as Resistance:FoM, Motorstorm, and such. I got to say, I do enjoy Resistance:Fom a lot. It even impressed my bro-in-law who also owns a Xbox360. Warhawk on the other hand drawn me back to the online multi-players games I have been avoid ever since I got tired of Counterstrike. However, these games aren't MGS, Gran Turisimo, FF, GoW (God of War, mind you), nor GTA. While they are fun, they just aren't well know enough nor impressive enough to be system sellers.
Sony needs to spend more time to "really" work closely with developers. I really don't care if Sony has to freaking pay developers to make games for PS3. Sony needs to give PS3 "GREAT" softwares right now, period. And yes, there are a few good games due in 2008. Based on the list, there are just far too few in between. So, if a couple of those highly anticipated upcoming games fail like L.I.A.R., what would Sony do then? Enable PS3 to launch itself to space?
As for Xbox360, I really hope Microsoft would allow developers to put game contents on HD-DVD/Blu-Ray soon. That way, developers can bring games to the next level instead of balance content over graphic or vice versa. And PS3 owners would also benefit from this since a lot of developers do make games for both systems.
At last, sorry for the long post.
ShaggyB @ Sep 10th 2007 10:17AM
Draco: Its probably due to my placement of it. Thats entirely my fault im sure but i still feel it could have eliminated that potential in the design of the system. I would like to mount mine virtical in the future and give it more space, perhaps that would eliminate some of the heat. Not saying it gets dangerously hot just saying the corner where the power plugs in gets hot. (noticably warmer to the touch than the rest of the system. I bought a cooler to help. Hopefully thatll do the trick as i have no other spot for it.)
TheSh0wstopper @ Sep 10th 2007 10:29AM
I have a good question... Is Xbox360 really outselling Playstation 3? Think about it. Xbox360 started this year with a 10million installed base. Currently it is somewhere between 11-12 million. Meanwhile the PS3 has an installed base somewhere between 4.5-5 million. Every month we are given sales numbers that show the 360 outselling the PS3. But if that is the case then shouldn't the 360 have sold OVER 3 or 4 million units thus far? Simple math, Think about it...
TheSh0wstopper
ShaggyB @ Sep 10th 2007 10:40AM
#20... Why did your friend trade you the 60 gig for the 20 gig? (i got that you kept the harddrives, did he just not like the silver tabs?)
#21... Its too late for Microsoft to jump on the Hd-dvd or Blu-ray internal drive. 11.5 million people already own it. As a company they cant say screw those people here is the internal Hd-dvd and its required to play games from now on.
Dont get me wrong they may make a 360 Uber l33t and it may contain a 120 gig harddrive and an internal Hd-dvd drive, but it wont be a mainstay for developers as too many gamers on 360 are reliant on the dvd version.
Its just poor planning on Microsofts part in not putting it in, but i guess at the time HDMI and Hd movies were just starting out and where way too expensive, they opted to get the consumer the system for as cheap as they could.
1nut @ Sep 10th 2007 10:54AM
@phantom
that's funny in my opinion the wii has maybe one game i would bother playing(zelda) yet it's outselling the other 2 put together and some just because it's CHEAP and a lame wiimote.
Sil @ Sep 11th 2007 3:01PM
The PS3 as it stands is a solid product. Instead of plugging the one machine, the marketing /PR department is running around like headless chickens.
First the 60Gb and 20Gb fiasco which ended with the demise of the 20GB wired machine. Then along came the 80Gb machine. Next we had the rumours that the 60Gb was being phased out leaving the 80Gb machine. (Is this happening - are we past caring?) Now there is talk of a 40GB machine. Hey Sony, could you do more to confuse gamers. You TWITS !!
Sarlac @ Sep 10th 2007 10:59AM
@#23
He didn't need the wifi and didn't care about the media readers. He really got a deal though.
I didn't keep the hard drives. I kept my 20gb drive and my 160gb drive is now in the ps3 i received from him.
He got a 20gb ps3 with a 60gb drive in it. and $100.
Plus around 30gb of music... lol
ps. sorry for screwing the order all up by clicking confirm again... :)
crusher @ Sep 10th 2007 11:07AM
After much debate between the 360 and PS3, I finally picked up a 60GB PS3 last weekend. I'm glad I got it while it still has the EE chip since I do have a few PS2 games and would like to continue to pick up some of the PS2 classics from the used bins.
I'm really impressed with the hardware thus far, which was my main reason for going with it. The 360 does have a better game library at this point, but I didn't want to deal with its hardware failure problems. It seems like the PS3 library is starting to pick up and I just hope that it will continue to develop.
I think one thing people tend to forget is that even the 360 didn't have a ton of stellar games in its first year. The 360 has almost been out for two years and has sold 11-12 million. The PS3 has been out for a little less than a year and has sold 4-5 million. The PS3 certainly isn't the runaway success that people once thought it would be, but I don't think it's failing miserably either. I think if they can get some big games out for it in the next year (and this $399 rumor wouldn't hurt), then things will be ok. In the long run, I don't think there will be a huge runaway victor between the 360 and the PS3 (worldwide). The Wii's got them both beat on that.
ShaggyB @ Sep 10th 2007 11:14AM
#23. If you wanna look at ps3s launch and 360 system sales during that then yes it is . currently ps3 has 4.4 million as of july (come on new figures) 360 sold that in Q4 of 06 alone.
So far this year as of Q2 which ended in June, 360 has sold a combined 1.3 million units. This does not account for November 06 or December 06 or July 07 like my figure for ps3 does. If you count from PS3s launch to current The xbox 360 has sold ruffly 5.7 million units in the same time as the ps3 has sold 4.4 million.
I want Q3 statistics because that will determine whos system launch year was better. ps3 has 2... 1 million selling games and has an install base of 4.4 million as of july. Xbox 360 in its first year (sence i know its Q3 sales [end of september]) had 5.9 million systems out and had 5 games that sold 1 million or more units. So the question is will LAIR, Heavenly Sword and Warhawk all sell 1 Million units and will they install base be 5.9 million by the end of september.
btw Q4 of 06 for 360 again sported the Gears of War launch (which was its first 4 million seller) and 4.4 million units sold. Thats gonna be tuff for sony to top but they have 3 games coming. Ratchet and Klank, Uncharted and UT3 to add to the pile (does UT3 count sence 360 gets it in march?)
I think Ps3 can get 2 more million sellers out of Heavenly and Warhawk but im not sure Uncharted and ratchet and Klank will get there. I think UT3 has potential but i also think 360s version will sell a lot too. Should be interseting
LeChuck @ Sep 10th 2007 11:26AM
If this is true I would guess the 40g won't have built in wi-fi and card readers. Otherwise it really wouldn't be much benefit to them to make two models. This way they'd basically have the original two models but with 20g bigger drives and no EE.
jeff @ Sep 14th 2007 6:35AM
"EE (Emotion Engine) chip is the hardware chip that allows the NA 60GB PS3 to perfectly play PS2/PS1 games...without it you are using software emulation which isn't 100% effective.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ps3#Backward_compatibility
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotion_Engine
Posted at 9:10AM on Sep 10th 2007 by Kspraydad"
you are using wikipedia as a source? it must be true then huh?
railven @ Sep 10th 2007 11:53AM
@22 Showstopper
I believe the 360 is outselling the PS3 in the US and EU markets, but else where, such as Japan, the PS3 is outselling the 360. That is why the 360 install base isn't climbing the walls.
As for the 40GB PS3 @ $399 that is a great price for casual gamers. I've had talks with my social rings and they all want to jump into the HD bandwagon. If the $400 price mark is real then I can picture Sony cashing in on these people.
They don't heavily game but they love to watch movies. My friend bought a 360 + HD-DVD Add-on just to watch HD-DVDs. He loved that he could stream movies/songs/pictures from his PC over too. He, however, wasn't happy with the HD-DVD quality or the lack of DVD upscaling (he doesn't have a VGA adapter or an HDMI port.)
When I told him my PS3 does all that, cept plays BluRay not HD-DVD, he was really excited. I told him to wait because I thik Sony will drop the price.
So that is a whole group of people, like my friends, that will be eyeing the PS3 over an HD-DVD player.
-You can stream music/movies to it.
-Watch BluRay
-Watch Upscaled DVDs
-Surf the net
-Play games
-Chat with friends or just send E-Mails
-video chat
No other media player on the market does that with a $400 price tag.
Drew @ Sep 10th 2007 11:59AM
#24...."How many old ass ps1 games are you trying to play on your shiny new ps3?" Final Fantasy VII looks great on the PS3. I'm glad I grabbed the EE 60GB. And to our UK person with the non EE 60GB, all the American 60 GB PS3s have the EE chip. Sony didn't give the PAL PS3s any EE chips for the 60GB.
Livi70590 @ Sep 10th 2007 12:03PM
This talk of BC, did you all put knives through your Playstation 2s? I never traded mine in.
ShaggyB @ Sep 10th 2007 12:15PM
#27.. Crusher. 360s first year sported 6 games that sold 1 million units (1 being Gears of War which sold 4 million+ units) It also had several other games that didnt due quiet that well but it certainly had more than ps3 has had.
The differance maker was lack of next gen rivals. Ps3 launching after 360 cost it the first to market sales. Now many games that launch on ps3 are over on 360 also, either same day, slightly before, months before or a few months after. It now becomes much harder to judge which system to get. Also with Exclusives going to the "dark side" it makes it even ahrder for consumers to pick a system.
I got a launch day 360. (yeah its red ringed and ms fixed and gave me $96 in Live points and a free month [I had a terrible experiance with all my downloads not working and them not refunding the correct ammount, 3 months of arguen but hey free money])
I camped out in october for my wii pre-order and got it on launch day. I currently have more wii games than ps3.
I bought my ps3 when the price break happened because i caved on blu-ray. I got it and Pirates 1 & 2 and 007 Casino Royale. I am extremely happy with it as a blu-ray player, other than slight heat (hopefully the cooler will fix that)
Point of that was the reason i got a ps3 was blu-ray and then that MGS4 and God of War3 would be on it. Reason i got a 360 was its robust features and its new next gen visuals. I new halo 3 would come but i new 2 would play on it and wireless controllers and enhanced online features would make it amazing.
PS3 needs games. Its not price, its games. Get more games that are exclusive and good and you have the public. But never say 360 didnt have games. In March alone they put out 2 games that sold a million units. they then had several other games in the first year that didnt reach that but were always coming out. I hope Sony keepit rolling with this trend. Warhawk, Lair and Heavenly Sword all out now. Should be intresting in the next few months
ruibing @ Sep 10th 2007 2:29PM
If the only difference between the 80GB and the 40GB is the hard drive space, then its not quite worth the extra $100 for the 80GB. So I would think they would add an extra controller to it or something to make it worthwhile.
Phantom @ Sep 10th 2007 12:37PM
@1nut
The approach Nintendo has taken with Wii is extremely different than Microsoft's or Sony's. Instead of just a game console for gamers, Nintendo makes the Wii sort of like a must have gadget for anyone who can lift his/her arms. From an 1st grader to an eldery in a retire home, Nintendo has seriously broaden the customer base to include everyone. With Wii, Nintendo does not need an AAA title to move consoles. Heck, Nintendo probably don't need Zelda or Metroid to continue the success. All Wii needs right now and in the considerable future is Wii Sport. The rest, even Mario games, are nothing more than just to keep in touch with the actual gamers/Nintendo supporters. While some might say that Nintendo's success is due to the low price point. I can't agree with that. I am pretty sure them Wiis would still sell like hotcakes at the price point of $399 each. After all, how many of you own 1 or more iPods?
ShaggyB @ Sep 10th 2007 12:46PM
railven PS3 doesnt do all those things for $400 even after they drop the price to $399
-You can stream music/movies to it. (True)
-Watch BluRay (True dat)
-Watch Upscaled DVDs (nope not for $399.99 because you have to have an hdmi cable to do that as dvds will not upscale over component or s-video, which also btw dont come with the PS3. You will not even get 1080p on your tv out of the box)
-Surf the net (True)
-Play games (sorta true, only 6 that you cant play else where)
-Chat with friends or just send E-Mails (made easier elsewhere)
-video chat (Wrong, Ps3 doesnot come with a video camara device out of the box and the competition has a camara too that isnt sold out of the box, so its comparable after you buy it over the top of that $399.99 price tag)
The only 2 things that should be noted are Wireless internal card and Blu-ray play back. but out of the box blu-ray and hd gaming are not possible.
Also if your friend was not happy with the quality of hd-dvd he will not notice a bigger differance in Blu-ray dvd. They are virtually the same product quality wise. Sometimes Sony has a better sound mode avaliable other times Hd-dvd has more features. His problem is he bought a game system and upgraded it to a hd entertainment system and it does not have hdmi. HDMI will be the only differance he will notice in anything blu-ray over hd-dvd and he wont get that outta the box in ps3.
You instructed him well, as if he has the money he should get a ps3 to go with his 360, but you didnt tell him the hidden costs nor did you tell him the real reason that ps3 might out shine his component (was he on component? did he have the switch flip to hd?) cables. Differance is minimal. (using the same style connection and viewing the same movie you will net a result that is the exact same experiance.)
sain @ Sep 11th 2007 1:49AM
20GB is not available, 60GB is phasing out. 80GB is staying and 40GB might be introduced. There is only 2 SKU's, what are you talking about?
TheSh0wstopper @ Sep 10th 2007 1:10PM
@ShaggyB
That post was the definition of nit-picking. Fine you have to spend $10 on an HDMI cable, if you are spending $400-$600 on a console I dont think that $10 is gonna kill you. Also you forgot the fact that some of us (myself included) own TV's that CAN DO 1080p THROUGH COMPONENT (though I still use an HDMI cable)! As far as hardware goes no system comes even close to the PS3 and for $400 it is an absolute steal.
1.Blu ray support
2.Upscaled Dvd's (through component with the proper tv, HDMI, DVI)
3.Multiple Operating systems
4.MUCH BETTER VIDEO CHAT than Xbox 360, EVEN USING THE LIVE VISION CAMERA
5.Internet browsing (includes sending and recieving emails)
6.Stream music, videos, pictures off of your home network
7.Built in Wifi
8. Multi card reader
9. 7.1 surround sound playback (360 and HD-DVD addon cannot do this)
10. Built in HDMI on all consoles
11. Upgradable harddrive
12. DVR functionality soon
13. Lossless audio
14. Plays games (free online, piece of crap but still free)
15.Quiet (I hate listening to a Boeing jet land in my room when playing games and watching movies)
16. Unprecedented Bluetooth and USB support for a console.
All of these features and hey its not even a year old, who knows what they will think of next. For any Tech head this is a must have box for $400... even if not to play games. With funtionality like this a lot of devices can be replaced or dont even need to be purchased in the first place.
TheSh0wstopper
(and i'm harsh on the system)
ShaggyB @ Sep 10th 2007 1:16PM
In my previous comments i would like to clarify that blu-ray does playback outta the box on ps3 but not in 1080p till you purchase a hdmi cable (component for 1080i & 720p)
further clarification for 360: the component/composite cable that comes with it has a toggle switch and whill not display in higher than 480i unless you toggle it to hd mode. this nets you the native mode you set in the options menu. Consult your tvs specification to find the appropriate setting.
Hd-dvd vs Blu-Ray comparing: Make sure you get a title that is on both formats. Planet Earth BBC or 300 or Superman Returns (make sure you are watching the hd-dvd side lol) are good examples. If you fine tune your tv and your playback devices the exact same and then watch the intro to either you will notice no differance in quality. The sound and special features however can be considered different, 300 for example has a differance in sound and features.
300: Blu-ray features Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround tracks (48kHz/16-bit), & PCM 5.1 surround option (48kHz/16-bit/4.6mbps).
300: Hd-Dvd features Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround tracks (48kHz/16-bit) only.
Feature wise The Hd-dvd version ahs picture in picture non effects version of the movie with commentary by the director done in Hd. This allows for you to hear and see the vision of the director in every seen, aslo quite funny to watch them fight things that arent there. Very revealing and a must for film buffs / students.
As can be noted both are the same in visual quality and unless you have a PCM 5.1 stereo system you will not have access to the sound differances. (noted the differance is in the loudness of the sounds. more bang to the bangs in the movies)
Regardless if you are a movie buff id recommend having both with hdmi hook ups. if not either is comprable to the other. check studios that support and movies that are avaliable to decide whats right for you. or wait till the war is done. eta.... perhaps 2 more years. depends on if warner goes hd-dvd exclusive as is the rumors.
TheSh0wstopper @ Sep 10th 2007 1:21PM
One more thing...
"but out of the box blu-ray and hd gaming are not possible"
IF this statement were true that HD gaming and HD movie playback are not possible out of the box because the PS3 comes with a component cable, THEN they would not be possible AT ALL for the vast majority of 360 owners because only the elite (and the newer versions of the 20 gig) accept HDMI and all other version ONLY accept component and VGA. And as we all (should) know VGA is still an analog signal and DVI is digital, but that is beside the point because how many 360 owners are actually using a VGA cable. Also the VGA cable for the 360 is twice as much $ as a HDMI cable for the PS3.
For those aspiring Lawyers out there this is called a "Straw man argument". One of the more effective argument styles.
TheSh0wstopper
ShaggyB @ Sep 10th 2007 1:38PM
lol nice list Showstopper and yeah im harsh on everything i buy too
1.Blu ray support (yep)
2.Upscaled Dvd's (through component with the proper tv, HDMI, DVI) (wrong regardless of the tv component doesnt upscale in the truiest of forms. i can set my playback to 1080i yes but that does not mean the dvd is upscaled. upscale is creating colors and crispness that is not in the original recording. It is unlawful to do so on an unprotected meduim such as component and thats why it does not do it, only on hdmi and DVI will it do this)
3.Multiple Operating systems (yeah its a feature but if i want a computer id buy a computer (if we are to get picky) plus its more of multiple linux flavors than anything, Vista or XP yet?[seriously would love to know if that works yet])
4.MUCH BETTER VIDEO CHAT than Xbox 360, EVEN USING THE LIVE VISION CAMERA (thats your opinion, i will give you that you can only video chat in certain ways on 360 but ive enjoyed it there just as much as i have on ps3)
5.Internet browsing (includes sending and recieving emails) (true yet is not the that important a feature considering all things. regardless i give it to ps3)
6.Stream music, videos, pictures off of your home network (yep but also on 360)
7.Built in Wifi (this is the defining feature. why was microsoft so cheap on that one)
8. Multi card reader (nice but a simple usb key support would have been just fine. Hand it to them but not really needed)
9. 7.1 surround sound playback (360 and HD-DVD addon cannot do this) (correct they can do dolby true sound 5.1 aka the standard in hd sound for now. once 7.1 becomes more widely excepted expect a firmware upgrade which both 360 and hd-dvd palyers can do over the enter-tubes)
10. Built in HDMI on all consoles (now a standard on all 360s)
11. Upgradable harddrive (that is the most awesome thing about it, i loved opening the box and the manual on how to upgrade was in there) =)
12. DVR functionality soon (360 soon too)
13. Lossless audio (define for me?)
14. Plays games (free online, piece of crap but still free) (360 does this, for a fee and its amazingly good)
15.Quiet (I hate listening to a Boeing jet land in my room when playing games and watching movies) (what factory date is your 360. my replacement runs much quiter than the launch. ill give its louder than ps3 but not louder than my tv)
16. Unprecedented Bluetooth and USB support for a console. (360 has good USB support even supporting the psp as a media device. Bluetooth well you got me there)
yes i agree its a very picky look at the components of each system. Also as to the hdmi, in the case of the guy i was speaking to his friend had no clue of the ps3s features im not certain he would know that the monster cable hdmi that best buy offers is not the only or the cheapest hdmi cable one can find and buy (really $10 where at i need to get one for my dvr unit. link me up)
ShaggyB @ Sep 10th 2007 1:46PM
"but out of the box blu-ray and hd gaming are not possible"
i reposted after that to clarify that one statement. when i read it i said wait that sound like im saying you cant play blu-rays on non hd. and you can do that it just displays in 480i
as to your statement
"IF this statement were true that HD gaming and HD movie playback are not possible out of the box because the PS3 comes with a component cable, THEN they would not be possible AT ALL for the vast majority of 360 owners because only the elite (and the newer versions of the 20 gig) accept HDMI and all other version ONLY accept component and VGA."
1. ps comes with composite cables red white yellow. that is max 480i resolution. that is not HD and never will be. That was my refrence
2. 360 comes with both composite and componenet (RWY) and (red blue green) which allows it to max out at 1080i, well they say 1080p is not supported after a frimware upgrade.
(sidenote: Really the core wont have HDMI along with the premium and the elite. lol glad walmart and bestbuy dropped the core units, believe target may have too)
MARKTW @ Sep 10th 2007 1:49PM
I have been waiting for a better deal so if I can get a 40GB model for $399 with spiderman 3(haven't seen yet)I will be buying one!
ShaggyB @ Sep 10th 2007 1:57PM
sorry not - now in my last post. stupid no edits lol
TheSh0wstopper @ Sep 10th 2007 2:28PM
@ShaggyB
After reading your response to my response it has become evident to me that you either 1. Dont own both systems or 2. your understanding of technology is somewhat limited/flawed (I'm not trying to insult you, let me explain):
1. No arguing about the blu-ray playback
2. Your television might not do it, but my television along with about a few others actually does give output of 1080p through component, it actually lets me check.
3. We are talking about the functionality of the device. Your response is one of YOUR personal preference and off topic when we discuss what in fact the device can do. Ex: Guy A: My ipod plays music I download from the internet. Guy B: Well I can burn my music to a cd and my discman will play it too. That does not take away from what the PS3 can do.
4. have you used the video chat on the PS3? it is not my opinion, it is fact. The picture is bigger and a lot clearer.
5. Again you are giving your opinion. Your opinion is not the topic at hand, actual functionality is.
6. Yea the 360 can do this... but the PS3 can play all codecs (with an OS installed, which is a completely free)
7. we are in argeement
8. I use it all the time, and it is a cool feature.
9. We are talking about what the systems can do, not speculating on what they MIGHT be able to do in the future, At the moment the PS3 can do 7.1 and currently there are movies and games that support 7.1 . The 360 and the HD add on can not.
10. Now standard. Gee thanks I only slept outside of best buy for 2 days to get mine on launch. And oh lets say about 95% of other users are in the same boat.
11. I agree
12. yea the 360 can do it too but with a 20 gig hardrive or a overpriced 120 gig as your options the PS3 offers a much better alternative.
13. Your joking right?
14. Oh yea I agree with you Live stomps a mudhole in PSN, but this poin was made to mention a functionality that the PS3 has and not soemthing that the 360 does not offer (we are in agreement)
15. Well considering I have been through a bunch of systems since my launch system my latest one I got in April and yes it is still loud.
16. The 360 does not support nearly as many USB devices as the PS3. And the PS3 has much better PSP support btw (duh).
as for the $10 HDMI, u can get them for $5 on amazon.com.
and I have a new function to add to the list:
17. Remote Play
TheSh0wstopper
Andir3.0 @ Sep 10th 2007 2:33PM
I remember when my parents had a 40MB hard drive. I thought it was huge! Then I went to my uncle's house and they had a new IBM with 80MB...
What does this have to do with anything? I haven't a clue, but it reminded me with all this talking of 40 and 80GB.
ShaggyB @ Sep 10th 2007 2:46PM
Showstopper
sorry was not intending to sway with my opinion too much. tried at the end of each to display that it was a check in the feature box for ps3.
as to the 1080p conversion on component for tv you are correct it can be done but ithought it was not as good a quality as hdmi version of 1080p? am i wrong on this? (if quality isnt there then id say its a fix than a solution)
agreed on sound if we arent counting upgradablitiy.
#10 lol man it was cold where i live that day too, pretty mad about that one acctually
#12, yeah it does. so i guess we are in agreement there
#13. yes very much kidding, compression of audio file codecs is known to me. didnt know ps3 had a better one than 360 though wanted a more definition on what you were compairing. ie 360 doesnt do this?
#15 damn.... sign of things to come for mine i guess. =(
#16 true.
i agree with you its a system that if you have the money you should own. Its not a system where if you want lots of games that you should pick it up today. It does do more than my 360 but id say my 360 does more acctual gaming than my ps3 does.
TheSh0wstopper @ Sep 10th 2007 2:56PM
@ShaggyB
"It does do more than my 360 but id say my 360 does more acctual gaming than my ps3 does."
Hold up, The PS3 plays games? just kidding, but yea I agree AT THE MOMENT the 360 is CLEARLY the superior gaming console. But Warhawk is a blast...
TheSh0wstopper