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Sony PSP 3000 Purple Console
Price Range:
$99.96 to $699.99
Get more of what you want with the all-new PSP-3000 system. It has an advanced LCD screen, which offers the highest-level contrast ratio.
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123 Reviews from Epinions.com
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PSP 3000 Purple, Red
Having finally decided the time was right (in that I was able to find a pretty good sale), I recently made a gift, from me to me, of a Sony Playstation 3. Having played all three currently popular systems, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, and the PS3, I found the best overall gaming experience and the best possibility for future improvement to lay with the black box from Sony. That being said, there are certainly many pros and cons to each of these systems. While I lack the gumption to delve into both columns for all three systems, I endeavor to do just that for the PS3 because after playing on both my system and that of friends' for some time, I still believe that it is the best gaming system on the market today.
To start with, the design of the PS3 is as appealing as you might expect from any high end Sony product. Unlike some of the older models, the 120GB deluxe model only comes in black. Because it is the deluxe model, it gets some fancy-looking chrome trim that will match your Escalade should you be a stickler for coordination. For those less inclined in that direction, the rest of the design is very pleasing, even without accounting for the trim. The box is about 1 foot x 1 foot x 4 inches. While it might seem that this box should be easily stackable, the curved top prevents it from going anywhere but the top of the pile. Undoubtedly, this is not just some audacious and obtuse attempt at "Sony-centrism", but is a function of the fantastic amount of heat generated by this device. Much like the 360, the PS3 needs some big fans to blow the heated air off of the processor and needs to make sure that nothing will block those fans. Further contributing to the internal heat of this unit is the internalized power supply. There is no separate convertor outside of the box - just a normal cord to be plugged into an outlet. While this makes setup, storage, and transport a whole lot easier, it also adds a bit of heat to an already warm area.
As an added touch and no doubt with an eye to the popularity of Mac computers, Sony did away with the tray system of the PS2 to load discs and switched to Apple-style slot loading. While this was, I assume, largely aesthetic in appeal, it does have the added bonus of allowing differing spatial requirements compared with the Xbox. The latter device needs enough space in front of it for an entire tray to open, whereas the PS3 needs only the diameter of a disc to be clear in front. While seemingly insignificant in that this is only an inch or so of difference, this might become more noteworthy in an already crowded a/v cabinet. To compound the bonus offered by slot loading, Sony has also seen fit to offset the slot slightly so that it is already partially retracted from the edge of the unit, thereby giving that much space back to a/v cabinet and its owner.
The front of the unit has changed a bit since the last iteration. The most noteworthy among these changes is that there are now fewer USB ports. Where there used to be four of these handy contraptions, there are now only two. While you might imagine that Sony may have moved them to the back of the unit for the sake of aesthetics, I will burst your bubble now and tell you that there are no more to be found. While this is unfortunate because of the utility of these inputs, the ubiquity of USB renders there loss somewhat smaller, as will be explained later.
The back of the PS3 is fairly similar to that of old in that it has more options than most people will need. There is an Ethernet jack, HDMI out, and a few other older options for those not using a high definition TV. While these options are nice to have so that you can use the player with virtually any sound or video system, the best way to do anything is through the HDMI port. This gives you the best quality audio and video out and it does it with just one cable. Since most new HDTVs will have upwards of three HDMI inputs, using one of them as a permanent PS3 input is not much of a sacrifice. Also, since the PS3 is capable of playing Sony's Blu-ray discs, there is no HDMI input needed for another video system.
The controller that comes with the PS3 is similar to the older PS2 controller in its button layout. The big updates are its wireless capability and another very exciting feature, motion sensitivity. Similar to the accelerometer in the iPhone, although nowhere near as capable, it is nonetheless a nice addition to what has remained a fairly staid part of the Playstation lineup. While most developers have yet to incorporate this technology into gameplay, the few that have done so already have shown some much-appreciated ingenuity and I have no doubt that this added room for progress will continue to keep the PS3 at the forefront of the gaming industry for some time to come.
Perhaps in an effort at environmentalism, Sony has included rechargeable batteries in the controllers for the PS3. These batteries can be charged by plugging the controllers, via the included cable, into the aforementioned USB ports. Because of the already mentioned lack of ports on this device, only two of the seven controllers which can be connected to the system may be charged at any one time. One of the nice features of this USB method of charging is that the voltage across USB ports is standardized. And because the other end of the included USB cables is mini-USB, the cables are also standard. These two facts mean that you can actually plug your controllers into an USB outlet you might have around and use any USB to mini-USB cable that you might have around.
The Playstation Network is Sony's version of Xbox Live. While far younger than Xbox Live, which came out when the 360 system debuted, the Sony online system has some nice features that the other system lacks. The most important of these is that online gaming is free. Again, as with many other advanced features on this system, the games are not yet large in number, but the pool is growing quickly. Anyone may play any of the available titles online with their friends or random gamers online. In other respects the Sony system is fairly similar to the Xbox system: there are free game demos, there is a point ranking system, video content is available, and games (including older system titles) may be purchased. Of course, because the Xbox system has been around for longer, it is far more polished in its interface. Also, there is far more content for the Xbox Live, but Sony is adding more to its online system at a rapid pace and should soon have a comparable amount of offerings.
One of the chief differences between the competing systems, and one that will keep the PS3 far ahead of the Xbox, is that it uses Blu-ray media for gaming. This allows for larger and more detailed games because of the size available on the Blu-ray discs. While Xbox DVDs hold a bit over 8GB of data on a dual-layer disc, the Sony Blu-ray discs can hold 50GB of data on a dual-layer disc. This large amount of breathing room means Sony will not have to increase their storage capacity until games exceed six times their current size. To reach the same milestone, Xbox games would have to ship on six separate DVDs. While this would probably mean that there would be an initial installation akin to a computer game where most of the DVD content is actually stored on a hard drive, there is still a convenience advantage that the PS3 will enjoy for some years to come.
Yet another feature that brings the PS3 to the front of the pack is its already mentioned Blu-ray technology. While it has been previously discussed in terms of gaming, the PS3 can actually play Blu-ray movie discs just as well as game discs. I should mention that the PS3 is also capable of playing the still popular DVD format. Having this player completely negates the need to buy a separate Blu-ray player. As already discussed in some of my previous reviews, the performance of the PS3 in terms of movie quality, audio quality, startup time, and simplicity trumps most, if not all, of the other players currently available. Not only does the PS3 have HDMI out, which is what the average user will desire, but it also has HD audio decoders onboard to output the highest possible quality of audio. I believe that the only audio option that the PS3 is lacking is a multichannel analog option. Again, since HDMI offers superior HD audio and video quality, it should suffice for most users both in terms of its quality and the ease of using just one cable for everything. The biggest drawback to using the PS3 as your movie player is that it does not ship with a remote specifically for this use. Also, there is no IR port on the box, so universal remotes may not be used. The only way around this problem is to buy Sony's Bluetooth remote or to find another remote that uses the same technology.
Overall, this is one of the best technology deals on the market. Not only is it expandable based on processing speed and storage capacity to far beyond it current functions, but it can also operate as more than just a video game console. This unit can replace your Blu-ray player, your DVD player, your media streamer, and to a lesser capacity, your Netflix steamer. The PS3 can do everything except eliminate carbon dioxide from the air and it will stay at the head of the pack in all of these areas for the foreseeable future. If you ever plan to utilize any more than one of the functions that the PS3 is capable of performing, it is probably better, faster, and cheaper than any two or more components that would accomplish the same tasks. Don't let the $500 price tag fool you - this system is worth far more than that.
The Cutting Edge Multiplied
| Author's Rating: |
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Pros: Speed, HDMI, Upgraded controller
Cons: Price
The Bottom Line:
The best, in multimedia, gaming, and Blu-ray...and perhaps more?
Having finally decided the time was right (in that I was able to find a pretty good sale), I recently made a gift, from me to me, of a Sony Playstation 3. Having played all three currently popular systems, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, and the PS3, I found the best overall gaming experience and the best possibility for future improvement to lay with the black box from Sony. That being said, there are certainly many pros and cons to each of these systems. While I lack the gumption to delve into both columns for all three systems, I endeavor to do just that for the PS3 because after playing on both my system and that of friends' for some time, I still believe that it is the best gaming system on the market today.
To start with, the design of the PS3 is as appealing as you might expect from any high end Sony product. Unlike some of the older models, the 120GB deluxe model only comes in black. Because it is the deluxe model, it gets some fancy-looking chrome trim that will match your Escalade should you be a stickler for coordination. For those less inclined in that direction, the rest of the design is very pleasing, even without accounting for the trim. The box is about 1 foot x 1 foot x 4 inches. While it might seem that this box should be easily stackable, the curved top prevents it from going anywhere but the top of the pile. Undoubtedly, this is not just some audacious and obtuse attempt at "Sony-centrism", but is a function of the fantastic amount of heat generated by this device. Much like the 360, the PS3 needs some big fans to blow the heated air off of the processor and needs to make sure that nothing will block those fans. Further contributing to the internal heat of this unit is the internalized power supply. There is no separate convertor outside of the box - just a normal cord to be plugged into an outlet. While this makes setup, storage, and transport a whole lot easier, it also adds a bit of heat to an already warm area.
As an added touch and no doubt with an eye to the popularity of Mac computers, Sony did away with the tray system of the PS2 to load discs and switched to Apple-style slot loading. While this was, I assume, largely aesthetic in appeal, it does have the added bonus of allowing differing spatial requirements compared with the Xbox. The latter device needs enough space in front of it for an entire tray to open, whereas the PS3 needs only the diameter of a disc to be clear in front. While seemingly insignificant in that this is only an inch or so of difference, this might become more noteworthy in an already crowded a/v cabinet. To compound the bonus offered by slot loading, Sony has also seen fit to offset the slot slightly so that it is already partially retracted from the edge of the unit, thereby giving that much space back to a/v cabinet and its owner.
The front of the unit has changed a bit since the last iteration. The most noteworthy among these changes is that there are now fewer USB ports. Where there used to be four of these handy contraptions, there are now only two. While you might imagine that Sony may have moved them to the back of the unit for the sake of aesthetics, I will burst your bubble now and tell you that there are no more to be found. While this is unfortunate because of the utility of these inputs, the ubiquity of USB renders there loss somewhat smaller, as will be explained later.
The back of the PS3 is fairly similar to that of old in that it has more options than most people will need. There is an Ethernet jack, HDMI out, and a few other older options for those not using a high definition TV. While these options are nice to have so that you can use the player with virtually any sound or video system, the best way to do anything is through the HDMI port. This gives you the best quality audio and video out and it does it with just one cable. Since most new HDTVs will have upwards of three HDMI inputs, using one of them as a permanent PS3 input is not much of a sacrifice. Also, since the PS3 is capable of playing Sony's Blu-ray discs, there is no HDMI input needed for another video system.
The controller that comes with the PS3 is similar to the older PS2 controller in its button layout. The big updates are its wireless capability and another very exciting feature, motion sensitivity. Similar to the accelerometer in the iPhone, although nowhere near as capable, it is nonetheless a nice addition to what has remained a fairly staid part of the Playstation lineup. While most developers have yet to incorporate this technology into gameplay, the few that have done so already have shown some much-appreciated ingenuity and I have no doubt that this added room for progress will continue to keep the PS3 at the forefront of the gaming industry for some time to come.
Perhaps in an effort at environmentalism, Sony has included rechargeable batteries in the controllers for the PS3. These batteries can be charged by plugging the controllers, via the included cable, into the aforementioned USB ports. Because of the already mentioned lack of ports on this device, only two of the seven controllers which can be connected to the system may be charged at any one time. One of the nice features of this USB method of charging is that the voltage across USB ports is standardized. And because the other end of the included USB cables is mini-USB, the cables are also standard. These two facts mean that you can actually plug your controllers into an USB outlet you might have around and use any USB to mini-USB cable that you might have around.
The Playstation Network is Sony's version of Xbox Live. While far younger than Xbox Live, which came out when the 360 system debuted, the Sony online system has some nice features that the other system lacks. The most important of these is that online gaming is free. Again, as with many other advanced features on this system, the games are not yet large in number, but the pool is growing quickly. Anyone may play any of the available titles online with their friends or random gamers online. In other respects the Sony system is fairly similar to the Xbox system: there are free game demos, there is a point ranking system, video content is available, and games (including older system titles) may be purchased. Of course, because the Xbox system has been around for longer, it is far more polished in its interface. Also, there is far more content for the Xbox Live, but Sony is adding more to its online system at a rapid pace and should soon have a comparable amount of offerings.
One of the chief differences between the competing systems, and one that will keep the PS3 far ahead of the Xbox, is that it uses Blu-ray media for gaming. This allows for larger and more detailed games because of the size available on the Blu-ray discs. While Xbox DVDs hold a bit over 8GB of data on a dual-layer disc, the Sony Blu-ray discs can hold 50GB of data on a dual-layer disc. This large amount of breathing room means Sony will not have to increase their storage capacity until games exceed six times their current size. To reach the same milestone, Xbox games would have to ship on six separate DVDs. While this would probably mean that there would be an initial installation akin to a computer game where most of the DVD content is actually stored on a hard drive, there is still a convenience advantage that the PS3 will enjoy for some years to come.
Yet another feature that brings the PS3 to the front of the pack is its already mentioned Blu-ray technology. While it has been previously discussed in terms of gaming, the PS3 can actually play Blu-ray movie discs just as well as game discs. I should mention that the PS3 is also capable of playing the still popular DVD format. Having this player completely negates the need to buy a separate Blu-ray player. As already discussed in some of my previous reviews, the performance of the PS3 in terms of movie quality, audio quality, startup time, and simplicity trumps most, if not all, of the other players currently available. Not only does the PS3 have HDMI out, which is what the average user will desire, but it also has HD audio decoders onboard to output the highest possible quality of audio. I believe that the only audio option that the PS3 is lacking is a multichannel analog option. Again, since HDMI offers superior HD audio and video quality, it should suffice for most users both in terms of its quality and the ease of using just one cable for everything. The biggest drawback to using the PS3 as your movie player is that it does not ship with a remote specifically for this use. Also, there is no IR port on the box, so universal remotes may not be used. The only way around this problem is to buy Sony's Bluetooth remote or to find another remote that uses the same technology.
Overall, this is one of the best technology deals on the market. Not only is it expandable based on processing speed and storage capacity to far beyond it current functions, but it can also operate as more than just a video game console. This unit can replace your Blu-ray player, your DVD player, your media streamer, and to a lesser capacity, your Netflix steamer. The PS3 can do everything except eliminate carbon dioxide from the air and it will stay at the head of the pack in all of these areas for the foreseeable future. If you ever plan to utilize any more than one of the functions that the PS3 is capable of performing, it is probably better, faster, and cheaper than any two or more components that would accomplish the same tasks. Don't let the $500 price tag fool you - this system is worth far more than that.
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