PS3 or standalone Blu Ray disc player?

[Deadman]

This is probably not the most neutral forum in which to pose this question, but I'm not sure where else to ask it. MY father-in-law bought me a Sony stand alone Blu Ray disc player for my recent birthday and immediately let me know that it would be okay for me to return it if I preferred a PS3 instead.

The player is the Sony BDP-S300, which runs $399, the same as a 40GB PS3. My question is will I lose some Blu Ray playback quality with the PS3, or is it the same bit-rate/1080 picture that the S300 produces?

Lastly, is it worth it to go the extra $100 to get the 80GB MGS PS3 instead of the 40GB? I've always been an Xbox guy and this will be my first Playstation, except for a PSP, so I'm just looking for a little input.

THANKS!!

[mailman187666]

I personally like the PS3 and if you like games, why not exchange it OR pay the extra 100 for the MGS4 bundle. I hook my PS3 up to my buddies LG 1080P and it looks great through HDMI. I'd personally go for PS3 if its already the same price as the blu ray you have. EVen if it doesn't have the same bit rate, to me in my opinion, the slight loss in quality would be worth being able to play PS3 games and Blu Ray movies in one.

[PapaStu]

I don't know if there will be any loss of bit quality, but think about it. Standalone Blu-Ray player that just plays Blu-Rays.... OR PS3 that does Blu-Ray AND PS3 games. Even if there is some kind of loss, its still a better 'value' for the system since it can do more things for the same price, just as Sony intended it to be.

[c0ldb33r]

I don't own a blu-ray player or a ps3.

How loud is the ps3 when it's playing movies? How loud is a blu-ray player? I ask this because I remember I used my ps2 as a DVD player but it used to drive me nuts how loud it was (the fans I think).

[Neil Koch]

My PS3 is really quiet, I don't notice it at all.

As for the OP's question, I don't have the tech specs handy, but supposedly the PS3's Blu Ray player is one of Sony's better ones. Blu Ray discs look and sound fantastic with it, and it upscales normal DVDs as well.

As for which model to get, if you can find a MGS bundle then I'd go for that. The bigger HD is nice, especially since most newer games are doing installs on the HD, and IIRC the MGS bundle model has backwards PS2 compatibility.

[Oobgarm]

A lot of the Home Theater folks at my Best Buy almost always recommend a PS3 since they're pretty much the same as the stand-alone units.

And the extra $100 for the MGS bundle will net you a DualShock 3 contoller, double the HDD space, semi-decent PS2 backwards compatibility, not to mention an excellent game in MGS4. Just the game and controller alone would push $120 on top of the 40GB model, which only has the non-rumble SIXAXIS controller.

[tomwaits]

With the larger hard drive from the MGS4 bundle, the PS3 also makes an excellent media player. You can dump DivX files, MP3s, photos onto the hard drive for quick playback. The PS3 web browser is handy as well.

Even if you're anti-Sony and not interested in buying any PS3 games the PS3 still beats buying a stand-alone blu-ray player.

[retro junkie]

Blasphemy!!
Maybe it is just me, but I have not and will never use a game system to play movies or music . That is just the way that I am. I am sure there are a lot of others out there that are just as fanatical and feel the same way.
If you don't mind the system being used for the duo purpose it was designed for then go for it. But for me I cringe just thinking about it.

[Sudo]

PS3 is one of the best Blu-ray players on the market, and it's almost whisper quiet. You should definitely spring for the MGS 4 bundle, there are tons of PSX and PS2 games you missed out on since you never owned one. If you intend to actually play MGS 4, I urge you to buy the MGS Essentials bundle for $30 before playing it since the story will make absolutely no sense if you don't play the first three games beforehand.

[Bojay1997]

First, you will notice a difference in the quality of the playback assuming you have a nice enough TV. By that, I mean a 1080p capable set somewhere in the moderate to high end like a Sony Bravia XBR. If you have one of those sub-$1200 "HD" TVs, I wouldn't worry about it since the TV is not even close to being capable of displaying the max resolution the PS3 or many Blu Ray movies can deliver. Having said that, I own a Blu Ray player and a PS3 because I don't want to put excessive wear and tear on the PS3 and I think the Blu Ray player has a much better remote and some added features that the PS3 doesn't have. If I didn't have both, however, I would be very likely to just buy a PS3 and maybe an inexpensive upscaling standard definition DVD player since I doubt most of us rent or buy many Blu Ray discs just yet.

[CosmicMonkey]

I'm a great believer in having one box that does everything under the TV. The PS3 is pretty damn close. In addition to being one of the best Blu-ray players and DVD upscalers, you'll soon be able to rent/buy movies and TV series in both HD and SD via the PS3. You can also stream DivX files over your network or play them from USB drive/CD. We're even getting the PlayTV over in Europe to use the PS3 as a PVR/Tivo with digital Freeview TV. The connectivity with the PSP is pretty cool too.

Overall a PS3 is a great media centre. It really does make sense to get one over anything else.

[X SMF X]

One box to rule them all....ha ha ha. I have a PS3 and use it for all my media needs. It is an excellent BD player and DVD upscaler. It is also very quiet. I do recceond though if you decide to go with the PS3 to invest in the BD remote for it. It is much easier to use than the controller and will save on the battery life of your controllers.

[Deadman]

thanks for all the information guys! After a few calls, i was able to get a MGS 80GB model put on hold for me at a Best Buy about 15 miles from me (guess where I'm headed at lunch).

For the record, I do have my 360 with HD-DVD drive in my bedroom hooked up to my Plasma - so I like the idea of one box for both games and DVD's. That's why I pretty much had my mind made up prior to the question, but I felt it still needed to be asked.

I learned a few things - like the upgraded controller in the MGS bundle, etc. that also helped me make the decision. I guess I'll get back on here in a few hours when I have some time put on the new toy!

[scooterb23]

Even though you've made the decision (the right one IMO),I wanted to add in one point. I'm still not sold Blu-Ray is going to be around in any meaningful way in a couple years...so the PS3 will still play games if the movies dry up. Assuming of course the games don't dry up

[c0ldb33r]

...I'm still not sold Blu-Ray is going to be around in any meaningful way in a couple years...

I too am hoping HD-DVD will make a comeback

[Deadman]

Well, I got it! I haven't opened it yet, but I got it! Now I have to start looking into some nice games to get for it, preferably some PS3 exclusives that have been unavailable to me in the past since I've owned Xbox/Wii. Games like GRiD, Haze, Heavenly Sword, Uncharted, Resistance, which are worth the $$?

Thanks

[Sudo]

Well, I got it! I haven't opened it yet, but I got it! Now I have to start looking into some nice games to get for it, preferably some PS3 exclusives that have been unavailable to me in the past since I've owned Xbox/Wii. Games like GRiD, Haze, Heavenly Sword, Uncharted, Resistance, which are worth the $$?

Thanks

Congrats on your purchase, you shan't regret it. Some PS3 exclusives I'd recommend based on my personal experiences include:

Ratchet and Clank
Uncharted
Resistance
Folklore
Heavenly Sword
Ninja Gaiden Sigma
Hot Shots Golf
Super Stardust HD (PSN store shmup)

[Trebuken]

PS3 is likely superior to that particular player. Be aware that there is a much smaller (if any) profit margin on the PS3 where as the standalone has a decent margin. You get ALOT more with a PS3.

If you have a decent receiver and speakers get yourself a copy of Independence Day (configure your audio correctly) turn the volume just a little be to high and listen to the DTS Master audio...it's a bigger deal than the picture quality if it's setup correctly...

[Leo_A]

I didn't read this thread, but at the AVS forums for audio and videophiles (I think that's the term), the PS3 is considered one of the best blu ray players on the market today, as well as one of the best upscaling DVD players.

And as a bonus, you get a game system. I know it would be a easy choice for me which I'd get if I was debating the question

[diskoboy]

I'd tend to agree with everyone else. Until I got my PS3, my 360's HD-DVD or my Samsung upscaling DVD player was my media setup.

Since I bought my PS3, my 360 is games only. I gave my Samsung player to my parents.

The PS3 is a good blu-ray/DVD player because it's firmware is updated regularly, while most standalones aren't. The picture is top notch w/HDMI - good de-interlacing and upscaling. It's got 1080p/24 support. Up to 7.1 Dolby Lossless HD support (not now, but possible with a future firmware update - I think it only supports up to Dolby HD 5.1, at the moment.)

And as others before me have already stated - it's got a built in game system for the same price as one that doesn't - 3 systems, if you buy a 20 or 60gb model...