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Product of the Day, Day 36: Sony PlayStation 3

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Sony PlayStation 3

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With the rash of new standalone Blu-ray player introductions and the new low-priced players, it is easy to lose sight of what is still one of the best Blu-ray players you can buy- the Sony PlayStation 3.

The PlayStation 3 not only plays games.  It is a multimedia supercomputer that is probably the best supported, most reliable Blu-ray player you can buy (in terms of disc compatability, more on that later) and it loads discs extremely quickly.  It has built-in WiFi for automatic firmware updates, can surf the Internet with an included web browser and stream media from your computer.  It decodes high defintion audio internally, supports all Blu-ray profiles, and is likely to be upgradeable should new profiles be introduced.  Media can also be stored on its internal hard drive.

There are reasons you may not want the PlayStation 3 as your Blu-ray player.  Here are a few of the drawbacks:

  • Price: at $399.99 for the 80GB version the PlayStation 3 is now one of the most expensive players you can buy.  When it was introduced it was the cheapest as well as the best.
  • No HD audio streaming: some audiophiles prefer to have their receiver decode the high-def audio.  For more info see my page Blu-ray Audio Explained.
  • Bluetooth remote: the PlayStation 3 does not come with a Blu-ray remote.  It must be purchased for around $25 and cannot be used with a programmable IR remote as it uses the Bluetooth system.
  • No display:  There is no front panel display.  Pushing the display button on the remote calls it up on-screen.
  • No multichannel analog outputs make this a poor match for receivers lacking HDMI.
  • Reliability: the internal hard drive may fail.  Mine failed and it cost $150 to fix.  I was tempted to just junk the machine, but decided to give it another shot.  I only have three games for my PS3, but those games, as well as the PS3′s flawless and competent service up to the point of failure, were enough to keep me replacing it with a standalone like the LG BD390.

If you like video games, getting the PS3 for your Blu-ray player is a no-brainer.  If you are not a gamer you should consider some lower-priced options, of which there are a multitude of good choices right now, some for as low as $119.  If you want the best possible Blu-ray player and have a $400 budget, the PS3 definitely belongs on your shopping list.

Save money and support this site by ordering from amazon.com:

PlayStation 3 80GB

Sony PlayStation 3 Blu-ray Disc Remote

See you tomorrow for the Product of the Day!


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This entry was posted on Monday, June 22nd, 2009 at 12:37 am and is filed under Advice on Purchasing, Blu-ray, Product of the Day. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

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