# More Temptation



## SteveCallas (Apr 29, 2006)

PS3 is looking like it will drop by $100 next week and the 5 free BR disc deal will still be in effect. With BR discs averaging ~$30, that's basically another $150 off. From all that I have read, the PS3 is supposed to be a pretty solid BR player. It's SD dvd playback stinks, so I will continue to use my current upconverting player for SD dvds.

Can somebody think of some reasons to talk me out of this? :spend:


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## John Simpson (May 10, 2007)

Go for it Steve -- I have one and it's just eye-popping with BR discs. Make sure you buy "Happy Feet" and watch the detail as the fur ripples in the wind...


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## wbassett (Feb 8, 2007)

SteveCallas said:


> PS3 is looking like it will drop by $100 next week and the 5 free BR disc deal will still be in effect. With BR discs averaging ~$30, that's basically another $150 off. From all that I have read, the PS3 is supposed to be a pretty solid BR player. It's SD dvd playback stinks, so I will continue to use my current upconverting player for SD dvds.
> 
> Can somebody think of some reasons to talk me out of this? :spend:


I'm not so sure I would say its SDVD playback stinks, before the latest firmware update I admit I wasn't too impressed with it. I have both the PS3 and a Toshiba HD DVD player and after the latest firmware update I actually put SDVD playback on the PS3 a bit above the Toshiba. On my Sony 55" SXRD I see no artifacts or other problems common with standard def DVDs, that goes for both the PS3 and the Toshiba. Of course it all depends on the source, some DVDs aren't authored as well as others, so garbage in garbage out is a factor as well. My T2 Extreme Edition DVD looks virtually the same upscaled as my copy of T2 on BD. So like I mentioned, not all standard def DVDs will look as good no matter what player is upconverting them.

As a BD player, it only lacks the analog audio out some people demand, other than that it is a very solid player and fast too. BD movies (Previews and disc menu I should say) start playing around 20 seconds after the disc is inserted. As much as I love my Toshiba, I have to acknowledge and respect the overall speed of the PS3.

The five free movie offer is much like Toshiba's, but hopefully people won't have to wait forever- I'm still waiting to get my five free HD DVD movies from back in April. 

The Bluray free deal applies to the following players:

Sony BDP-S1
Sony BDP-S300/301 
PLAYSTATION®3 
Panasonic DMP-BD10K
Panasonic DMP-BD10AK 
Philips BDP9000/37 
Pioneer BDP-94HD
Samsung BD-P1000 
Samsung BD-P1200

And here are the movies to chose from: (One selection from each category)

The Guardian | Pearl Harbor | Invincible | Chicken Little
Corpse Bride | Phantom of the Opera | Blazing Saddles
Stealth | Resident Evil2 | UnderWorld Evolution | Stir of Echoes
The Italian Job | Black Rain | Babel | The Devil's Rejects
Kiss of the Dragon | Omen 666 | The Transporter 2 | Species | Hart's War | The Last Waltz

Here is the link for the Five Free offer:
http://images.amazon.com/media/i3d/01/bd_summer_bundle-online_order_form.pdf

I think both formats have their advantages, but in the BD camp not all the players are on the same 'playing field'. I know you mentioned in another post about reviews, but there are some reviews (HomeTheater Magazine, and The Perfect Vision) that also give great scores for the PS3 and rank it up there with Pioneer's BDP-HD1, which is impressive company to be mentioned with. Like the Pioneer, it's one of the few BD players that allow you to advance and rewind movies frame by frame, it already supports Java, and is Internet capable right out of the box.

Add in 1080p24 support, HDMI 1.3, SACD playback, and virtually unlimited update potential over other players, and it really is worth at least taking a look at. I have no regrets getting mine and joining the ranks of those that are format neutral. My only dilemma is when I stand at the HD DVD/BD rack at Best Buy for what seems like hours trying to decide which movie and in what format I want to buy! 

I was and still am more of an HD DVD guy because for me I like more of the movies on HD DVD, but that's my personal preference. I don't see the format war ending anytime soon, but if HD DVD loses I will not only still have an outstanding player and collection of high def movies but a player that upconverts SDVDs exceptionally well. If BD loses, the same applies- I will have some high def movies I really enjoy plus it upconverts very well too... and it also plays games as well as has other potential, so I don't feel like I would be out much no matter which format prevails.

If you really need multichannel analog outputs though, this may not be the player for you.

You can read The Perfect Vision's February review on-line, but it is a bit dated since there have been new firmware updates since that article.

All in all, I am very impressed with it. I'm not trying to sway you by any means, just give some real world feedback and experiences with the PS3. My brother owns the Panasonic DMP-BD10AK if you would like some first hand opinions on that player too... if you are interested. (He's seen the PS3 in action so he can give an accurate opinion of the pros and cons between the two)


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## SteveCallas (Apr 29, 2006)

Ahhh man, I didn't know that was the list of dvds to choose from :hissyfit: I'm not interested in any of those. That essentially eliminates the $150 advantage.....not so tempting anymore.


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## wbassett (Feb 8, 2007)

Yeah I wasn't too impressed with the HD DVD giveaway either... they did have one didn't they?? I'm still waiting for mine to show up!

Panasonic was having an interesting deal, that's the player my brother got. It had five free movies right in the box. Two were the Pirates movies, one I think may have been The Fantastic Four, I'm not sure though. I don't know if they are still having that deal going but it's something to look into if interested. That player also qualifies for the five free offer above too... 

Also, Steve check out Walmart online as well as Amazon. Everyone knows Amazon has some good deals on HD DVD and Bluray movies, but I was really surprised at what was available through Walmart online and their prices were fantastic. Plus you can have them sent to your closest store and there is no shipping charges. It looks like they have just about every title on HD DVD and Bluray that's out. Definitely don't pay $30 for high def titles!


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## Tommy (Apr 20, 2006)

3 more versions (profiles) due to come out on Blu-ray before the specs are completed for the format. The next version is profile 1.1 due out in Nov. Profile 2 due out after that doesnt have a date set yet and not a single manufacturer will state that players will be compatabile with it, including the PS3. 

If I had to do it over again, I would wait till after Profile 2 is released since it has actual large changes


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## SteveCallas (Apr 29, 2006)

Yeah, I think I'm gonna continue to sit back and wait this thing out. The 360 will cover me with games, so I can just keep sitting this out until things settle down more and high quality discrete players are going for really cheap prices.


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## MrPorterhouse (Jul 29, 2006)

I'm loving my PS3. I bought mine just after launch in December of 2006. The firmware updates have been phenomenal and the PS3 has all the hardware requirements for Full Profile 2.0. There have not been any official announcements regarding future firmware PS3 updates to future profiles, but it is largely assured that the PS3 will meet Profile 2.0. Either way, personally, for Blu-ray playback, all I'm interested in is the quality of the main movie playback and to a very small degree some BD Java features, both of which the PS3 excells at. I'm very happy and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the PS3 to anyone who desires a great Blu-ray player.


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## mechman (Feb 8, 2007)

I have to admit that I haven't paid much attention to this stuff. Has the price dropped yet? Is 5 Benjamins it?


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## MrPorterhouse (Jul 29, 2006)

Yep, the 60 GB PS3 is $499 at every retailer, plus you get 5 free Blu-ray movies with it. That's a sweet deal for the level of machine you're getting.


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## Wayde (Jun 5, 2006)

Hmmm... now you guys have me seriously thinking about picking up a PS3. 5 free movies eh?

But I am also considering waiting until a combo player becomes a little more affordable. I suppose that could be awhile.


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## Wayde (Jun 5, 2006)

One more thing I thought I'd add... 

I don't know if this will be news to any PS3 enthusiasts out there. The price drop to the 60GB model it turns out, is only temporary. Sony has apparently stopped making them. It'll be replaced by an 80GB PS3. 

Joystiq has some details on the PS3 pricing saga

Apparently the 60GB PS3 (the recipient of the price drop) is only available while supplies last. However, it's quite likely that the 80GB PS3 will also drop by $100 by about ... ohhh... Christmas would be my guess.

One more caveat to those who want to be able to play PS2 games on your PS3. Sony has decided to stop stacking any PS3 with the Emotion Engine. That's the PS2 CPU and what provides PS3 with 100% compatiblity to PS2 games. So, the limited edition 60GB PS3s on store shelves still will be the last time you'll see Emotion Engine PS3s with full PS2 compatiblity. 

So it's a question of 20GB or the ability to play old games. If you're just looking for a BD player it probably doesn't matter. 

Now the question I have is... did they ever determine whether or not the PS3 really does come with HDMI ver. 1.3a (deep color)? Sony made noise before its release that PS3 would be the first consumer product with the specification. So, I believe it's true but I don't know if I heard anything about it after its release (you know how a lot more specs get said before launch than get done after release) I'd think this would make the PS3 a competitive BD player if this is true.


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## Tommy (Apr 20, 2006)

Be aware that the 5 free movies for *both formats* is limited to a select list of movies that may not be anything you want.

And if Sony has assured that the PS3 will be compatible with Profile 2.0 I would love to see this written gurantee if you have a link. 

The 60g PS3 player now on sale is also a clearance sale and will soon no longer be sold by Sony. Does anyone know the differences between this model and the one they will soon be supporting?


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