Six reasons you shouldn't use the PS3 as your Blu-ray player

Matthew Moskovciak | May 15, 2008

OK, before the angry fanboy comments roll in, let's get this out of the way: the PlayStation 3 is the best Blu-ray player on the market right now. It sits at the top of our best Blu-ray players list, we consistently use it as the reference that we judge other Blu-ray players against, and it's the only player on the market right now that supports Blu-ray Profile 2.0 and onboard decoding for both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. And it will always be the only Blu-ray player that streams media, has a browser, and plays PS3 games. Virtually everyone looking to buy a Blu-ray player should go with the PS3 right now.

However, with that in mind, there are a few legitimate reasons why someone wouldn't want to use a PlayStation 3 as his main Blu-ray player. Let's check them out.

1. Doesn't work with universal remotes.
Sony decided not to include an IR receptor on the PlayStation 3, and home theater fans have been complaining ever since. The lack of an IR receptor means that the PlayStation 3 won't work with universal remote controls, so you'll have to use the PS3 controller or the separate PS3 BD remote to control it. It's definitely a pain for anyone who is used to activity-based macros such as "Watch TV" and "Watch Blu-ray" to control their home theater.

2. It's louder than standalones.
Although every PS3 seems to be different, the PS3 can occasionally get loud once its fans start spinning. For audiophiles, that can be a pretty big drawback, especially if you start to hear a whirr during every quiet scene in a movie. You'll have better luck keeping the PS3 quiet by keeping it in a well-ventilated area, but standalones are quieter in general and don't mind having other gear stacked on them.

3. Interface isn't as easy to use.
This isn't an issue for tech enthusiasts, but Sony's Xross Media Bar (XMB) is packed with options and can be intimidating for neophytes. Although we generally like the XMB for zipping around the PS3's functions, using a standard Blu-ray player where you just need to put in the disc and hit play is definitely a lot easier.

4. You have an older AV receiver and need multichannel analog outputs.
If you're using an older receiver and want to use its multichannel analog inputs to get high-resolution soundtracks, you can't do it with the PlayStation 3. You're better off going with a standalone Blu-ray player with onboard Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding, like the upcoming Pioneer BDP-51FD and Panasonic DMP-BD50. Of course, if you're OK with standard DVD-style surround sound, you can still get that with the PS3's optical SPDIF output, which is compatible with nearly all modern receivers.

5. You want to be green.
The PS3 is great at a lot of things, but conserving power isn't one of them. If you're looking to stay green and limit your power consumption, you'll be much better off using a standalone Blu-ray player. For example, the PS3 sucks up about 170 watts while playing a Blu-ray movie, while the Samsung BD-P1400 uses only about 25 watts. That's a fairly huge difference and can easily wipe out any power savings from using other green products such as the Philips Eco TV.

6. I need to see my receiver light up and say "Dolby TrueHD".
Even if you do have a new HDMI-capable receiver, you'll never get the Dolby TrueHD light to turn on with the PS3. That's because although the PS3 can decode both DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD, it can't send those soundtracks in bit stream format and allow the receiver to decode them. Of course, this isn't really a legitimate reason, as you're still getting the same high-resolution audio, but some people just need the comfort of seeing the Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio lights on their receiver.

What do you think? Are any of these a legitimate reason to get a standalone Blu-ray player instead of the PlayStation 3? Or is anyone who buys a standalone Blu-ray player wasting their money on an inferior product?

Via Crave CNET

Filed under: Home AV
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srikanthjanga

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srikanthjanga says...
You forget to Mention Price, which is the single biggest reason why people are going to disregard your well made points on why they shouldn't use the PS3. The price of a standalone Blu-ray player is simply not worth the feature set. Also, load times are faster on the PS3. Also, you have one less device and power outlet to worry about when arranging your home theater. The upgradability of the PS3 is also a very big positive point for it. The added ability to play games when you want to is simply too big an advantage that no blu-ray stanalone can achieve. Last but not the least is the simply great appearance of a PS3 and its slot loading drive compared to the boxy players for those who are concerned with aesthetics. Now, I do not disagree with your points, but I just gave 6 reasons why you SHOULD get a PS3 instead of a standalone player. End of the day, the PS3 is the Prosumer choice for a blu-ray player while the standalones are only for those that dont mind spending the extra money for the little extra comfort or those who are too dumb to even know what they should get. I totally agree about the universal remote compatibility. just BLOWS !!!!

May 16, 2008 00:44

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striderhayasa

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striderhayasa says...
hmmmm, i can't agree with this. a remote for the ps3 is available if memory serves (i'm fine with using the DS3 to navigate though). Problem solved. I have my PS3 next my Wii, which is next to my 360. all are well ventilated in my setup. My ps3 never gets loud. you never hear unless you put your face to it and listen. The only time i've heard a ps3 get noisy was at a friend's place. Despite being told not to do this, he put his ps3 in an enclosed entertainment center and was basically cooking his ps3. The fans would go nuts trying to keep it cool resulting in a lot of noise. Ironically, Wii is so loud it's embarrassing. XMB too confusing? are you serious? I guess it's true if people can't read. What's so hard about putting in the disk, go to "video" select the nice, easy to see gold disk icon and press "x"? Press "triangle" for additional options and those are all labeled. XMB is clearly labeled. Music - Video - Photo - Game - Friends etc...if people find that confusing they don't need a ps3, try a GED.

May 31, 2008 21:46

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jammio

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jammio says...
The only point of yours that i really find valid is point 5 regarding being green. Electricity costs apparently are great. But realistically you would need to use the Samsung BD-P1400 for a long, long time before it makes up for its cost in terms of the lower electricity cost. The sound i get out of my set up on ps3 with 2.30 software is just fine by the way..

Jun 11, 2008 21:27

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