PS3 Blu-Ray playback review (looking good)

[casualkiss]

Sorry if this is in another thread.

From a hands-on report on avsforum, PS3 is the absolute best, fastest, and most feature rich Blu-Ray player out there by far BUT ONLY if you have HDMI monitor. On component, its dissapointing.

Summary

Load-Up: 10 seconds

Features: Real-time bit-rate stats, remembers position if you turn it off, fast menu access

Quality: Blu-ray discs that were previously written off as "soft" look spectacular

Price: Insanely cheap for what you are getting. Too many features to count


i tried today 8 below ( USA version )which is avc encoded.

and i can say it works perfect. same speed as kingdom of heaven 10 seconds loading time.

also i tested today the samsung player with the ps3 with the samsumg 46 inch plasma player we have at work. and i can tell you the ps3 picture quality is far better then the samsung. i am truelly surprised. remeber 8th below is soft looking. well playing the movie with the ps3 it totall renders the soft image away. and show a very natural movie display.not that it will be raor sharp. but natural looking image. how i would expect the movie to look like. the movie picture i was hoping to see.

also 8 below shows bitrates between 11 and 21 mps so far with a dd 5.1 48 kz 640KPS audio track.

also i turn off the ps3 while playing 8th below . it takes 20 seconds total to boot up the ps3 and play that excact same chapter in the movie when i turned off the ps3.

Dinosaurs. ( USA Version ) remember how soft this movie looked. Fear no more the PS3 is here and i have to say.incredible! i mean seriously. the picture quality is so much better now. when i am right infront of the tv. it looks simply perfect. so natural as this picture looks. the softness it is gone. the dark scenes looks perfect. however when i move left or right from the tv. it shows the picture softer. but when i am standing right infront of it. it is perfect. this is how i wanted to experience this kind of movie.

Lethal Weapon ( USA ) VC-1 encoded. another movie like dinosaurs that was soft looking.

the beginning. specially there picture looks soft and colors are kinda washed out, after that it gets a whole lot better

it shows 5.1 channel english 48 khz and vc-1 encoded bitrate going from 18 till 25 mps.

around the 30 minute mark the quality really shines. it shows now a very natural color. same as dinosaurs and 8th below. the softness is gone. but only when you watch it right infront of the tv. if you go little bit left or right it shows a more softer image.

also if you hold the PS button on your joypad for 2 seconds while playing a movie you can chose between contine movie or go back to main menu of the ps3. if you hold the PS button for 5 seconds. you go to menu where you can chose shutdown system or change controller input.

also the PS3 is dead silent. i havent experienced any system like this that is this silent. there is no difference if it is powered on. or powered off.

all in all i am very very amazed with this system as a bluray player and as game machine.

and there are so many options to play with. it is also not a console anymore. but a truelly multi media machine. and i can only imagine what people will do it with in the future when they will start programming utils for it.. i think we will see so many incredible utilities for it.

today i was thinking what if i install linux and put something like words on it or photoshop. connect a wireless keyboard and mouse i could just work infront of my tv. when i get bore di play agame or listen to music.

anyway so far comparing the ps3 to the samsung video wise. the PS3 wins it. actually i think the PS3 would come very very close to the PQ quality of the Pioneer. ofcours ethe pioneer aint finished yet . so it is hard to compare it to that.

audio wise. i am not an expert in that at all. so i feel that i can compare the difference between the players. to test that well i would have to connect the hdmi connection to a audio system and that the hdmi to tv. i just dont have that audio system. not at work and at home.

just let me say this, 600 usa dollars for this machine is rediculous cheap. i am a poor guy. but what i am really really impressed with all the functions on the ps3. it is truelly easy to lose track sometimes on which buttons you have to press. because there are so many options.

the only thing i would like to see though in the PS3 is that when i put a movie inside that i watched like halfway. that when it start up it would gave me the option you want to start the movie where you left off or do you want to start at the beginning o fthe movie.

very much like with powerdvd on the pc. so hopefully they can put that in the a firmware down the road.

other then that. if you thinking should i buy ps3 or not for bluray movie playback or to switch over to high defenition in general. i can tell you right away. buy it. 10000% buy it.
you wouldnt regret it that is for sure.

also 1 more thig. if you have a dvi connection on your tv only. no problem.

just buy a full pins cable that go from hdmi to dvi. connect the hdmi cable to ps3 then connect it to dvi on your tv. power on monitor and press the poweron button 5 seconds and it works. well at least for me


http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=748982&page=2&pp=30

[OmniCloud]

Cool, now all Sony has to do is win the format war lol...

[VG Aficionado]

Wow, the fastest and highest quality Blu-ray player so far. Interesting to see HDMI is critical.

[Applefiend]

Think my Samsung is going to end up in the living room. :)

[FantasyGhost]

This standalone player is cheap :thumbr: And is definatly worth it's $600.

If i remember right the HD-DVD can't put out in 1080p. So the console wars for me were already over before they even started.

[frosty]

HD-DVD can do 1080p. However, 1080p contains 2 times the picture information (2,073,600 pixels per frame) of 1080i (1,036,800 pixels per frame) and 720p (921,600 pixels per frame). So, you will end up having to compress the video much more to fit it on a 30 GB HD-DVD than you will to put the same movie on a 50 GB BD. That extra 20 GB will become a lot more apparent once you see a 1080p HD-DVD playing alongside a 1080p BD. The format war is already over folks. HD-DVD doesn't have the trojan horse called PS3 out there to put millions of it's players in living rooms all over the world. That, and their players don't allow you to connect to the internet and download trailers for new HD-DVDs and such.

[Amenophis]

^ Agreed

[frosty]

Honestly, even 3rd party BD players may be in trouble. Think about it. You go to the store and see a bunch of BD players, and then see PS3 for cheaper and it's also a full fledged media center/PC/gaming rig, which will you buy? The other guys are going to have to slaughter their prices in order to compete with the PS3. I would see them dropping to the price level of high end upscaling DVD players in the near future. This same logic applies to HD-DVD players. They won't be able to compete either when they are lacking so much functionality unless they drop well below the price of PS3. By the time everyone drops their prices, PS3 will follow suit and force another price battle. PS3 isn't just poised to be the king of consoles, but the king of all media players this time around. Add to that the ability to upgrade it from both a hardware and software/firmware point of view, and it's going to be hard for anyone to compete.

[VG Aficionado]

The format war is already over folks.I have to agree just by looking at the evidence:

http://xs223.xs.to/xs223/08022/blurayfargreatersupport.jpg

http://xs109.xs.to/xs109/06483/pana_14.jpg

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc193/giftasticvoyage/bluray.png

http://www.ripten.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/chart_one-copy.jpg
2007 box office share (not anymore as of February 19 2008)


Please note that New Line Cinema is a subsidiary of Warner Bros (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Line_Cinema), so I guess it'll become Blu-ray exclusive eventually. Also, the Paramount HD-DVD deal is only for 18 months and it does NOT include the Spielberg movies (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/index.php?id=412).


Here's something from blu-ray.com forum, list of top grossing films of 2006 (updated):

1 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest BV
2 Cars BV
3 X-Men: The Last Stand Fox
4 The Da Vinci Code Sony
5 Superman Returns WB
6 Ice Age: The Meltdown Fox
7 Casino Royale Sony/MGM (still climbing)
8 Over the Hedge P/DW
9 Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby Sony
10 Click SonR

I thought this was kind of interesting.... These are the top 10 movies by gross for 2006:

BD exclusive studios 80%
HD-DVD exclusive studio 0% (shameful!!!)
Neutral studios 20%

Overall on BD 100%
Overall on HD-DVD 20%

"If you look at the top 25 selling DVDs of 2006, 23 were released on Blu-ray," Fox's Feldstein says. "Just two were exclusive to HD DVD." (http://www.nypost.com/seven/03082007/entertainment/blu_ray_ascending_entertainment_lou_lumenick.htm?p age=2)

Based on content alone, I don't see how HD-DVD will be able to compete once Blu-ray is widespread. Blu-ray has way more exclusive content while HD-DVD doesn't even have any exclusivity at all on the top grossing movies of 2006. And no gaming content whatsoever. It would only take Universal to abandon HD-DVD or agree to support Blu-ray as well to give HD-DVD a coup de grace.

Blu-ray has porn industry support as well (http://www.tvpredictions.com/debbie011207.htm):

"As of now, it (the first release) will just be Blu-ray," said Vivid CEO Steve Hirsch. "But that's not to say we won't release it in HD-DVD later. Blu-ray seems to have the momentum."



01-15-2007
The war is over in Japan: Blu-ray takes 96% of the market (http://wesleytech.com/blu-ray-takes-96-of-the-japanese-market/40/)


02-05-2007
Blu-ray sales surpass HD-DVD's threefold (http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=5965)


02-24-2007
Blu-ray surpasses HD-DVD in life-to-date sales figures (http://forums.e-mpire.com/showpost.php?p=1422611&postcount=1)


02-26-2007
Blu-ray scores ALL 20 Oscar winners and 7 exclusives. HD-DVD: 13 winners and no exclusives (http://forums.e-mpire.com/showpost.php?p=1424362&postcount=1)


03-07-2007
Blu-ray is literally trumping HD-DVD. Blu-ray wins in every category (http://www.eproductwars.com/dvd/)


03-14-2007
Blu-ray outsells HD-DVD for second month running (http://gear.ign.com/articles/772/772518p1.html)


03-15-2007
Blu-ray ascending, PS3 push gives Blu-ray edge in video format war
Retailers to pull the plug on HD DVD sometime next year
"If you look at the top 25 selling DVDs last year, 23 were released on Blu-ray. Just two were exclusive to HD-DVD." (http://www.nypost.com/seven/03082007/entertainment/blu_ray_ascending_entertainment_lou_lumenick.htm?p age=1)


04-23-2007
Blu-ray becomes first HD format to sell 1+ million movies, shows strong momentum against HD DVD (http://www.betanews.com/article/Bluray_Shows_Strong_Momentum_Against_HD_DVD/1177358830)


05-21-2007
Blu-ray weekly sales ratio 3-to-1 over HD DVD in Europe (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=201)


06-18-2007
Blockbuster gives major support to Blu-ray (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=257)


06-19-2007
Exoptron Limited and Starz (Anchor Bay) join Blu-ray exclusively (http://forums.e-mpire.com/showpost.php?p=1569064&postcount=36)


07-04-2007
PS3 boosts Blu-ray sales by 1000 per cent (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=26380)


07-17-2007
HDScape adds Blu-ray to its high-def menu (http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Disc_Announcements/DVD_International/HDScape_Adds_Blu-ray_to_its_High-Def_Menu/776)


07-24-2007
Razor Digital supports Blu-ray exclusively (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=337)


07-24-2007
Questar supports Blu-ray exclusively (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=338)


07-25-2007
Target to sell Blu-ray players exclusively (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=349)


07-25-2007
Kamehameha!!! Dragon Ball Z exclusively on Blu-ray (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=344)


07-26-2007
Woolworths goes Blu-ray exclusive, drops HD-DVD (http://www.playthree.net/2007/07/woolworths-go-blu-ray-exclusive-drop-hd.html)


07-26-2007
BJ's Wholesale Club stores to carry Blu-ray exclusively (http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6463556.html)


07-26-2007
Thieves choose Blu-ray over HD-DVD (http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/25/thieves-choose-blu-ray-over-hd-dvd-in-mass-disc-heist/) :laugh:


07-27-2007
Optimum announces Blu-ray support (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=358)


07-27-2007
Paramount shifts focus to Blu-ray (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=360)


07-30-2007
Japan's adult industry given access to Blu-ray (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=368)


08-01-2007
Blu-ray vindicated: PGR4 developer constrained by DVD (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=27217)


08-03-2007
Queen rocks Montreal on Blu-ray (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=379)


08-08-2007
300 becomes fastest selling high definition title to date, Blu-ray sales account for two thirds of total sales (http://blogs.usatoday.com/technologylive/2007/08/blu-ray-continu.html)


08-20-2007
Paramount drops Blu-ray support for now, but Spielberg movies remain on Blu-ray (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/index.php?id=412)


08-30-2007
Acer (soon to buy Gateway) joins BDA (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=454)


08-31-2007
Blu-ray dominates HD sales. All 10 best selling movies available on Blu-ray, 5 exclusive (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=459)


09-14-2007
Target increases shelf space for Blu-ray (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=509)


09-24-2007
HTSA to support Blu-ray exclusively (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=532)


10-02-2007
Blu-ray winning Europe 4-to-1 (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=547)


10-11-2007
Blu-ray showing impressive gains (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=580)


10-23-2007
Blu-ray continues to dominate in sales (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=613)


10-31-2007
Disney's Bob Chapek: "Blu-ray will prevail" (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=623)


11-08-2007
Spider-Man 3 sells 130K in six days on Blu-ray, outsells best-selling Transformers HD-DVD (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=655)


11-27-2007
Blu-ray owns 73% of HD market in Europe, sells 1 million movies (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=701)


11-29-2007
Blu Friday: Blu-ray gets Black Friday win (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=706)


12-13-2007
Pirates of the Caribbean 3 sells 160K copies in the first week, becomes fastest selling HD movie to date (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=748)


12-22-2007
Hollywood Reporter predicts 2008 win for Blu-ray (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=777)


01-04-2008
Warner Bros. Entertainment to release its High-Definition DVD titles exclusively in the Blu-ray disc format (http://www.timewarner.com/corp/newsroom/pr/0,20812,1700383,00.html), New Line Home Entertainment and HBO Video included (http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6517192.html)


01-08-2008
Porn label Digital Playground goes Blu-ray exclusive (http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/news/news.phtml/12129/13153/digital-playground-drops-hddvd-blu-ray.phtml)


01-09-2008
HD DVD backers could switch sides soon (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117978760.html?categoryid=20&cs=1)


01-10-2008
Constantin goes Blu-ray exclusive (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117978808.html?categoryid=19&cs=1)


01-14-2008
HMM: HD DVD Should "Knock It Off" for Inevitable Blu-ray Victory (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=859)


01-17-2008
Blu-ray Extends Sales Lead After Warner Announcement (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=872)


01-17-2008
Apple: Blu-ray Won the Format War (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=873)


01-21-2008
Blu-ray Holds 90% of HD Recorder Market in Japan (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=878)


01-28-2008
Woolworths to Support Blu-ray Exclusively (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=897)


01-29-2008
FS Film Goes Blu-ray Exclusive (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=906)


01-30-2008
Sonic Scenarist to be Exclusively Blu-ray (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=907)


01-30-2008
National Geographic Goes Blu-ray Exclusive (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=909)


01-31-2008
Surround Records Announces Blu-ray Support (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=912)


02-04-2008
Manga Films goes Blu-ray exclusive (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=924)


02-04-2008
Highlight Video Goes Blu-ray Exclusive (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=926)


02-19-2008
TOSHIBA HALTS HD-DVD BUSINESS. (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=1003) UNIVERSAL PREPARES BLU-RAY TITLES. (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=1007)
THE FORMAT WAR IS OVER. BLU-RAY WINS (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=1003)

[OmniCloud]

I have to agree just by looking at the evidence:


http://www.sonydefenseforce.com/pana_13.jpg




I really can't see how HD-DVD could surpass Blu-ray.Me neither...and Frosty's post up there really put in into perspective. I just don't like to say it's over now because it is still so early and anything can happen. But seriously though, this generation is Sony's to lose, not M$ to win. Sony would basically have to drop the ball, fumble, then run into the opposite direction for the PS3 and Blu-ray not to be a success. I just hope by next year when I'm all done with my PS2 and I just can't take it anymore. I can really experience PS3 without paying an arm and leg. HDTV prices need to go down and not just 720p but full HD. I'm OK with paying $500 for PS3 but not another $1000 for a TV to play it on. Blu-ray movies should really come into effect. And there's no reason Sony won't have a trailer for EVERY big movie hitting the format in the Playstation store. It's gonna be a wild ride for sure. I'm really sooped for this machine. If offers so much more than PS2 did.

[FantasyGhost]

I wonder how many external HD-DVD drives MS sold by now, just to make a comparison of that trojan horse frosty is talking about.

[OmniCloud]

^Did it go on sale yet? Peripheral don't do so well as history has shown, but it has to be a compelling peripheral at least. Basically there saying "here we didn't include this so pay another $200 bucks to whatch Hi-def movies." Hmmmm....":shifty:

@Frosty-does any Blu-ray movies currently allow the users to access the internet through the disc? This is a feature that's sort of slipped under the radar for me, I haven't heard anything about it.

[FantasyGhost]

Hmmm i guess i jumped the gun on this. They aren't out yet according to IGN (http://gear.ign.com/articles/733/733328p1.html) they're guessing it's in December. So Sony already has an advantage in that i guess.

[masteratt]

Hmmm i guess i jumped the gun on this. They aren't out yet according to IGN (http://gear.ign.com/articles/733/733328p1.html) they're guessing it's in December. So Sony already has an advantage in that i guess.
Sony will have an advantage even AFTER the HD-DVD add-on is out. As Blu-Ray can be used for games but X360's HD-DVDs can not.
Dumbest. Move. EVERRR! by MS.

I am more excited about the Blu-Ray Movie capabilities of the PS3 now and I wonder if it will be good when I use a DVI -> HDMI converter.

[Beenie Man]

Nice.

[RzrWire]

I think we can all agree that Blu-Ray was worth the delay in PS3's launch date.

[julps31]

I agree that Sony has already won. Considering your average consumer is perfectly satisfied with regular dvd and probably wont consider blu-ray or hd-dvd untill its necessary.

So Sony should get a head start simply by PS3's user base buying blu-ray disc as apposed to the few adopters (can't predict the future but just a guess) of the hd-dvd add on for the 360. By the time its neccesary or more useful (when hd-tvs become standard) both the actual hd-dvd and blu-ray players will be less enxpensive.

And condsidering the advantages of and user base Sony created with the PS3 your average consumer should sway towards blu-ray.

[Garfunkel]

Honestly, why is Toshiba even trying to win the war? it's pretty obvious that blu-ray will win. Superior tech and a Trojan horse that will put >100 million units in the space of a few years.

[pollux]

from Rio:

One thing to add about PS3 BD playback performance.

I fed CEDIA give-away disc which contains 40Mbps MPEG4-AVC streams and PS3 just played them flawlessly, without any stuttering, frame drops nor PQ degradation, even though I saw instantaneous bitrate exceeding over 50Mbps in some spots.

The suspicious about PS3's AVC playback performance just gone.

Nice!

[frosty]

^impressive indeed, but as the ps3's drive can read at 74 mbps, I'm not shocked by it. Cell was made for this, so PS3's video output will remain top notch on every type of video you feed it, and will only improve through the firmware upgrades.

@Frosty-does any Blu-ray movies currently allow the users to access the internet through the disc? This is a feature that's sort of slipped under the radar for me, I haven't heard anything about it.


Yes, the BD java format allows for you to connect to the internet while watching a movie to learn more about a certain scene, for example. There is all kinds of new content that can be downloaded for BD.

Taken from the blu-ray FAQ

1.11 Will Blu-ray require an Internet connection?


No, you will not need an Internet connection for basic playback of Blu-ray movies. The Internet connection will only be needed for value-added features such as downloading new extras, watching recent movie trailers, web browsing, etc. It will also be required to authorize managed copies of Blu-ray movies that can be transferred over a home network.

[8_Bit]

This is about 1/2 on-topic and 1/2 off topic, so forgive me, but here's some hot news for Blu-ray supporters, just released about an hour ago from the Korea Times. It seems Samsung has decided to follow LG's lead, and is dumping it's plans to support HD DVD:

Samsung Bets All on Blu-Ray Player


By Cho Jin-seo
Staff Reporter

Samsung Electronics is going to give its full support to Sony’s Blu-ray drive in the competition with Toshiba’s HD-DVD platform to help it become the next-generation standard.

``Samsung is going all-out for Blu-ray. We were the first one to market the Blu-ray player,’’ David Steel, vice president of Samsung Electronics, told The Korea Times in fluent Korean on Friday. Steel is the global marketing executive for digital appliances.

Steel also said that Samsung has no plan to develop HD-DVD players or combo devices, which support both the Blu-ray and HD-DVD platforms. A public relations official of Samsung confirmed it on Monday.

Blu-ray and HD-DVD are high-density optical disc formats. They are competing to become the industrial standard expected to replace the DVD platform as early as next year.

It is the first time Samsung has admitted that it has completely shifted to the side of Blu-ray. Though it has been a main member of the Blu-ray team composed of global companies such as Sony, Apple, Hitachi, Sharp and Philips, the Korean company had said that it could sell HD-DVD devices as well in the future.

In September, LG Electronics, Samsung’s domestic rival, decided to abandon HD-DVD development plans.

Full story here: http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/biz/200611/kt2006111317390411880.htm

Samsung is a huge CE player. Even though they are a BDA member, they were always assumed to be releasing HD DVD players. This news is much bigger than LG's departure from the HD DVD camp, and a huge blow to the HD DVD format.

[Garfunkel]

lol at the hddvd camp

[VG Aficionado]

HD-DVD doesn't have nearly as many hardware manufacturers backing it as Blu-ray has, it doesn't have any exclusive 2006 top-grossing movie content at all while Blu-ray has 70% exclusivity of that, it doesn't have any gaming content whatsoever, and it certainly does not have its own Trojan horse...

Uh oh, HD-DVD. What do you have in store to compete with Blu-ray? :shrug:

[FantasyGhost]

EA supports Blu-ray also. I wonder if they first develop games for PS3 and afterwards make a port of it on XBOX360.

[Domination]

This is about 1/2 on-topic and 1/2 off topic, so forgive me, but here's some hot news for Blu-ray supporters, just released about an hour ago from the Korea Times. It seems Samsung has decided to follow LG's lead, and is dumping it's plans to support HD DVD:



Full story here: http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/biz/200611/kt2006111317390411880.htm

Samsung is a huge CE player. Even though they are a BDA member, they were always assumed to be releasing HD DVD players. This news is much bigger than LG's departure from the HD DVD camp, and a huge blow to the HD DVD format.

That's very good news! I can't understand why anyone would want HD-DVD to succeed anyway; it's inferior across the board to Blu Ray except for maybe cost, which can easily be balanced through the PlayStation 3.

I think consumers would really benefit from the format - especially those, like myself, having to constantly replace a damaged disc.