PS3 advice please

[lincolndog]

Len Mullen are you out there. Seems you know a lot about PS3. Talked to a couple different stores today and got the run around. What do I need that is not in the box,besides games of course.

Anyone else may answer also. Thanks for your help

[JohnnyLaRue]

Extra Controller, HDTV cable.

[guilliam]

What do you want to be able to do with it? 1 or 2 players? Online?

[len_mullen]

LOL! I know a lot? I've had one for a month. I admit that I do my homework and knew a lot going into the game. What you need depends on what you get. There are a lot of bundles. I was in BJs this morning and they had a PS3 with two controllers and two games. After that, all you really need is a TV.

 

If you have hdtv, I'd recommend an HDMI cable (get this from ebay to save a bundle).

 

In case you haven't seen this, here is *my* bundle. Probably not what you are looking for, but maybe my decision making process can help you...

 

PS3/80g

4 x ds3 wireless controllers

Sony Blu-ray remote

50" 720p Samsung Plasma TV

Samsung HTIB including upconverting DVD player

4 x hdmi cables

Warhawk

Resistance: Fall of Man

Soul Caliber IV

LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare -- Game of the Year Edition

Army of Two

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

 

All new. Total cost: $1571

 

I have two kids. We have seven 'gameing' PCs and they often have friends over for LAN parties. So we are already playing online and enjoying very good PC games. We also have a PS2. The kids play a lot of games on it -- especially split screen games.

 

We have been looking to upgrade for a while, but I wanted to wait for the hd dvd thing to settle. It settled this spring and I decided to go ahead and get a console. I didn't get a PS3 because blu-ray won, but I would not have purchased a PS3 if blu-ray had lost...if that makes sense.

 

We were leaning towards a PS3 for a number or reasons. We have had other Sony consoles and they were great. We have a library of PSOne software that will play on the PS3. Buying a PS3 means you get a HD DVD player. The Cell technology is amazing and has not yet approached its potential. And my kids really like the games. I scouted this over the summer. I take my kids shopping and let them wander. I often found them playing with a PS3 or a PSP. Very little interest in the xbox and genuine dislike for the WII.

 

Once I decided on a PS3, I assembled a library of 'launch' titles. I did not want one kid to watch or wait for the other so I looked for games that supported multiple players at the console plus online play. I wanted a fighting game, a war game, a platform game, and a racing game. I decided on this list...

 

Resistance: Fall Of Man

Warhawk

Soul Calibur IV

Motorstorm: Pacific Rift Hands-On

LittleBigPlanet

 

I haven't purchased Motorstorm, but I downloaded a demo. I'm going to wait on LBP -- I think it might end up being shelfware.

 

I started looking for a deal and stumbled across the Sony Card ($150 off $300 promotion). The wife and I each got a card, so we got a PS3 with a DS3 for $250 and $310 worth of software for $160.

 

When I got the PS3 home and plugged it into my 36" Sony SDTV, I was disappointed with the image quality, so I decided to get an HDTV.

 

I bought three more DS3 controllers and a remote control.

 

Now I have a fabulous entertainment center that has web access, plays video games, and shows hd movies. All for $1600.

 

You can get a PS3 bundle and you'll be able to play games, but, even if you can't afford to purchase at this time, PLAN a path to an entertainment center. That is, afterall what the PS3 is -- an entertainment hub. And think hard about the games you want to play. They can cost as much as $60, so don't take chances -- download demos and read reviews.

 

Good luck!

[len_mullen]

If you are looking for help finding a tv to pair with your console, I have some opinions on that as well

[lincolndog]

Thanks so much for your opinions. I took the deal on Sony card also. I like the idea of opening two for savings of 500. Yes, I figured the tv was next. That may be the family gift this year. I have not even began looking at those. So your opinion would be interesting.

 

THANKS!!

[len_mullen]

[climbing into my asbestos suit]Get a 50" samsung or panasonic plasma 720p set. Right now, they are the sweet spot in hdtv. This year, people are shopping for 'full hdtv' so these are discounted. I have a PN50A450 and it is awesome. That's my recommendation.

 

Here are the details: I got a Samsung-1200W 5.1-Ch home theater in a box with an upconverting DVD player plus a Samsung-50" 720p Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV-PN50A450 for $977.98 from BestBuy.com. Using my Discover card to pay for this, I get 5% cash back ($49). I'll cash this in as Staples gift cards and get $25 for each $20 I cash in, so we're talking about a $50 discount (plus some money in my account). I think $938 is a good deal for a 50" plasma plus a 1200w 5.1 htib with an upconverting dvd player. I have the whole thing set up and it looks and sounds great from as close as six feet (my couch is eight feet away).

 

Here is my reasoning. First and foremost, I looked at TV sets. If you haven't done this, start now. Measure the distance from each viewing spot (chair, couch, floor) to the tv set and go to some of the big boxes with a tape measure. At the distance you watch TV, evaluate the quality of as many sets as possible. Think about how you watch tv. Make a list of the types of programming you watch and visit enough stores and friends that you can know how the shows you will watch will look on an lcd or a plasma at this frequency or from that manufacturer. Make a list of all the sets you could love in your living room. Watch the deal sites for deals on these sets. If you see one, go for it.

 

Some science: Maybe not science, but better people than me have analyzed the market and this guy does not think it's worth paying a premium for 1080p. I agree, of course, or I wouldn't have linked him here. He also talks abot 120hz LCDs. IMHO, at the same price point, you get a much better experience for plasma and I can't tell 1080p from 720p (actually 768p) at six feet on a 50 inch set.

 

About 1080p: I'm amazed how many people make this a filter when so few even know what it means. In case you don't, here is my understanding...

 

The number represents the horizontal lines of resolution of a set. Notice I said represents not equals. That's because most 720p sets actually have 768 lines of resolution. 1080/768=1.4. This means that a 1080p set will have 40% more lines of resolution than a 768p set. IOW, for every two lines on the 768p set there will be a third line on the 1080p set. The P stands for progressive scan which means all the lines will be painted at once vs interlaced (i) where every other line is painted then the in between lines are painted. I'm not sure there's any practical implication to this. I do know cable companies put out 1080i to save bandwidth. What matters most is that most content at this time is 720p. When this is mapped to a 720p set, it is perfect. When it is mapped to a 1080p set, it is scaled. Chances are it will look better on a 720p set. Write that down. Blu-ray is 1080p and will look best on a 1080p set. PS3 games are 720p.

 

I have watched blu-ray, ps3 games, sdtv, and 1080i on my 720p and they all look great at a distance. Looking at sdtv after experiencing hdtv is disappointing. I'm upgrading my tv service to hdtv. It's worth it.

 

later...len!

[Russell Burrows]

Hmmmm google the program mkv2vob

 

Get an 8 gig usb drive for transfering kids movies and yours to the ps3 hard drive.

 

HD tv shows in 5.1 dolby digital are great.

 

Remember google is your friend

 

Last and not least you need a 5.1 dolby digital capable amp and speakers plus active subwoofer.

 

A fibreoptic cable or tos-link cable.

 

The HDTV is for watching the video via hdmi cable and the 5.1 amp is for the sound via the tos link cable.

 

Do not! use the tv speakers as they produce crappy sound.

 

A good game is pixel junk monsters for kids.

 

An internet hookup to download all of the free game demos from the PSN store i.e. valkyria, bioshock, fracture, bad company, warhawk, overlord, motorstorm, eden, lego indiana, force unleashed, turok, blazing angels, monster madness, bladestorm, civilization, devil may cry, ratchect and clank, dirt, paradise city, formula, nba, nhl, dark sector, blood shot, jericho, strangle hold, time shifters, days of the blade,ninja gaiden sigma,...........well you get the idea that there are some game demos here and there.

[shadowsjc]

- the HDMI cable is a MUST if your tv can support it (or if not, then an S-Video cable). the HDMI cable can be any kind (get one off ebay or amazon, DO NOT get a "sony" or a "monster" cable, which can cost you way much more than it should)

 

- an extra controller always helps - get the dualshock 3 from sony. i haven't tried any 3rd party controllers for the ps3, so i can't comment on how well they work. for the PS2, my gf bought me a logitech wireless controller with rumble which worked GREAT, so if you wanted to save a few bucks i would look at logitech as a possible alternative

 

- if you don't want to break the bank for a ton of new speakers or a whole new entertainment system, you might want to consider buying a small set of computer speakers to hook up to get better sound. i bought a set of 2.1 (2 speakers + 1 subwoofer) logitech speakers that hook up to my TV in my bedroom. sounds great, and i think i spent about $40 on them.

 

- kinda unrelated, but i would definitely get a new wireless router if you don't already have a fairly new one. i got a $50 linksys router on sale for about $40ish. the wireless router will hook up to your main computer, and it will allow your PS3 to connect to the internet no matter where in your house it is hooked up. The newer routers have something called 802.11 G , which basically means it is one of the faster ones out there and is compatible with the speed at which the PS3 connects with (older ones are 802.11 B which you should stay away from, and the newest ones are 802.11 N, which the PS3 doesn't support AFAIK).

 

- a couple of blu ray movies would also be cool (i've had my ps3 for about 4 months now and i STILL have not seen 1 blu ray movie )

 

good luck!