Sony blows my mind!

We decided to buy a Playstation 3 about 6 months ago.We bought the 40 GB version at Best Buy for $400. We are huge Final Fantasy fans. Even the guys at the video game store look at my husband and can’t believe that I play the same games. We got the Sony Playstation 40 GB because we had some bonus money and Final Fantasy 13 is supposed to be released in December of this year. Whether or not Sony doesn’t change the release date is another story. They do that a lot. We bought the 40GB version and what we didn’t know was that it will play PS1 but it will not play PS2 games. That was a big bummer for us because there are a lot of PS2 games that we still play including every Final Fantasy game they had ever come out with. Of course the PS1 games are not a problem but we have a lot more PS2 games. We have to have both consoles hooked up to our TV now so we can still play all of our games.

We decided to see if we could trade in our PS3 and get a 60GB or 80GB version since those versions play both PS1 and PS2 games. Yes, we knew we would be out some money doing this. We called GameStop because that is where we usually shop. I have some more great news! The gentleman that we talked to said that not only the 20GB version that was discontinued a while back, but the 60GB and the 80GB versions are no longer available retail either. Don’t quote me on the month, but the gentleman also said that June 18 or July 18, Sony is releasing yet another console. This one is supposed to be an 85GB version that will play both PS1 and PS2 games. To be able to play PS2 games it will require a 20GB update. I wish Sony would get it together! So far, we still have the PS2 and PS3 consoles.

Specifications

Playstation 3 System

CPU
Cell Broadband Engine
GPU
RSX
Audio Output
Dolby Digital 5.1 ch, DTS 5.1 ch, LPCM 7.1 ch, AAC
Memory
256 MB XDR Main RAM, 256 MB GDDR3 VRAM
Hard Disk
2.5 Serial ATA 40GB
Inputs/Outputs
2 Hi-Speed USB (USB 2.0)
Networking
Ethernet, IEEE 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR)
Controller
Wireless controller (Bluetooth)
AV Output
Resolution 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 720i, 480p and 480i; HDMI OUT Connector (1), AV MULTI OUT Connector (1), Digital Out (Optical) Connector (1)
BD/DVD/CD Drive (Read Only)
Maximum read rate BD x 2 (BD-ROM), DVD x 8 (DVD-ROM), and CD x 24 (CD-ROM)
Power
120 V AC, 60 Hz
Power Consumption
Approximately 280 W
SIXAXIS Wireless Controller
Battery type Built-in rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery
Voltage DC 3.7 V
Battery Capacity 610 mAh

Playable Discs

Blue-ray Disc (BD) Playstation 3 format BD-ROM, BD-ROM, BD-R
DVD DVD-ROM, DVD R/RW, DVD-R/RW, AVCHD, DSD Disc
CD Playstation format DC-ROM (Only PS1), CD-DA (Audio CD), CD-R/RW

Included with the 40GB Playstation 3 is an AV Cable, AC Power Cord and a USB cable. Also included is one SIXAXIS Wireless Controller. The PS3 does not come with an HDMI Cable. You have to buy it separately although you do not have to have one for the PS3 to work. If you have an HDTV that obviously should have an HDMI connection, you will want one, trust me! Using an HDMI Cable is also the only way that you will be able to watch Blu-ray movies since they can only be output at 1080p.

Set Up

On the front of the PS3, there is a WLAN access indicator, HDD access indicator, USB Connectors, Disc Slot (no slide out tray), Power Button, Eject Button, and of course, the PS logo. The buttons on the PS3 are actually buttons that you just touch. They don’t push in. Just touching the Power button, turn the PS3 on. A light will come on that turns green and another light that is blue. Any time that the system is turned off, a red light will be shown that it is in stand by mode. That will always be there unless you flip the power switch in the back. We always leave ours in stand by mode if it is not in use. The Eject button works the same. All it takes is touching the button and the disc comes out. On the back of the PS3 is the Digital Out (optical) Connector, AV Multi Out Connector, Main Power Switch, AC In Connector, Vent, LAN Connector, and the HDMI Out Connector.

The PS3 can output in High Definition and Standard Definition. If you have an HDTV, the resolutions are 1080p, 1080i, and 720p. This will automatically result with the aspect ratio being set to 16:9. For SD resolutions of 480p and 480i will be either 16:9 or 4:3, depending on your TV. The resolution differs depending on the type of TV and the input connectors on the TV. If you cannot use an HDMI cable, you will have to use a video output cable for your TV. So long story short, you connect the PS3 to your TV, connect the digital audio devices whether it be HDMI or something else that your TV is compatible with. The HDMI Cable is for video and audio both. Connect an Ethernet cable (sold separately), connect the AC Power Cord, and then you will go through the initial setup of the system software. The Ethernet Cable is not required for the PS3 to work. We don’t have an Ethernet cable hooked up until we need to. I’ll get to that later.

The initial setup is really easy. After you turn on the power in the back and touch the power button in the front, you will need to connect the wireless controller into the PS3 with the USB Cable. There is a PS button on the controller that you will press. The PS3 will then display the setup screen. It’s really easy to do with the on-screen instructions. The on-screen instructions will walk you through everything. You choose the language, time zone, date and time, and user name. If you are using an HDMI Cable, your optimal output resolution will be selected automatically. If you are not using HDMI, you may need to adjust video output settings to display at HD resolutions depending on what kind of cables being used. Selecting the resolution depend on what TV that you have and what cables that are used. You may need to adjust the screen size. If you selected 720p or higher, it will automatically be set to 16:9. We have a 61 inch HDTV and we are using HDMI so ours was set at 1080p with the screen ratio at 16:9. You will also adjust audio output settings and confirm all settings. After the setup is complete, you will have a home menu displayed on your screen. There may also be an update that will be needed after the setup. We had this happen and we had to have our Ethernet connection to complete the update. This took about 20 minutes to complete. We have a cable internet connection and our cable modem is near our TV so it was really easy to do. All we had to do was to hook it into the PS3.

The home menu screen is there every time you turn the system on. The Home Menu is what they call a XrossMediaBar (XMB). Horizontally, there are icons across the screen with an icon for friends, network, game, video, music, photo, settings, and users. After selecting one of these icons, you have sub-options in the vertical. After selecting one of the icons horizontally by pressing left or right, you choose the options for that icon that are vertical by pressing the up or down button. You can even change the background of the Home Menu screen.

Using the SIXAXIS wireless controller

What I really like is the fact that the wireless controller looks like a regular Playstation controller. We have wireless controllers for our PS2 and they are bulky. This controller is like using a regular controller. It looks exactly the same with an extra button in the middle called the PS button. It also has a USB port in the front of the controller used for charging the controller. I really love this idea instead of going through batteries like we used to. The PS button is used for turning off the system. After pushing the PS button, you get a list of choices. You can turn the whole system off including the controller, you can choose to only turn off the controller, and you can restart your game, etc. The first time you use the controller, you need to connect it with the USB Cable. You can have up to 7 controllers connected to the PS3. You need to choose a number to assign your controller. The assigned number will be saved for that controller unless the system is completely shut off by the switch in the back. It will not be cleared if the PS3 is in stand by mode when not in use. If the controller is used for another PS3 console, then it won’t be paired with the same PS3 and you will have to assign it a number again when using it on the original system.

You will need to charge the controller after you first get it. Until it is charged, you will not be able to play without the controller being connected with the USB Cable. Connecting the controller with the USB cable, it will automatically start charging. There is an orange indicator light above the USB port. When the indicators stop flashing then the charge is complete. When charging the controller, the system has to stay on but you can turn the controller off. Our PS3 is on a different input so leaving the system on isn’t a big deal for us because we don’t have to stare at the screen. We just change our input back to TV. Another great thing is that if you need to charge the controller, you can still play while it is charging. The battery charge level also appears on the screen in the upper corner if the screen is on the Home Menu screen. You can also press and hold the PS button to check what the level is.

The SIXAXIS feature is pretty neat. We only have one game that uses the SIXAXIS feature at some points of the game. We have Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction. There are parts in the game that you will use SIXAXIS. Like flying with Robo Wings, or parasailing from the ship, etc. Sometimes the SIXAXIS can be fun having to move the controller around literally. Other times, it does get frustrating and sometimes I would mess up on purpose because in that game, if you mess up so many times it will feel sorry for you and let you use the control pad. It doesn’t take much to move in a game with it so until you are used to it, you may be crashing a lot like I was!

Playing Blu-ray movies

Playing Blu-ray movies require the use of an HDMI cable as mentioned before because Blu-ray outputs in 1080p. That is supposed to be better than HD. We have never played regular DVDs in the PS3 because they don’t play them any better than they do in our DVD Player. They are actually worse in the PS3. But Blu-ray is another story! We bought a few movies on Blu-ray and it was unbelievable! The picture quality really is better than HD and I never thought anything could be better than that! The sound quality is amazing as well. The picture and sound is so crisp, I still can’t believe it. When the PS2 came out playing DVDs that was a big deal until we got a DVD Player. That doesn’t even compare to the Blu-ray player with the PS3. Now that I do think Sony was on top of! We are actually planning on buying more movies on Blu-ray now. With the PS2 I still wanted a DVD Player because I didn’t like playing DVDs on it very much. Now with the PS3, I don’t need or even want to buy a Blu-ray player. This is great! We have to use the controller as a remote which isn’t a big deal. If we wanted to, we could buy a remote for that reason.

We can also connect an external device that is USB such as a flash drive to save music or pictures, etc. to the PS3’s hard disk. The file formats that can be played or viewed include ATRAC, MP3, AAC, JPEG and MPEG-4. I actually have MP3s on the hard disk and what is great about the wireless controller with Bluetooth; I don’t have to have the controller right in front of the system to use it. I was in my kitchen and was able to change songs without being anywhere near the PS3!

Network

To use the Network, you must have a broadband internet connection such as DSL or a Cable modem using an Ethernet cable. You wouldn’t normally have to adjust any settings using the internet. If settings need to be changed, there are very easy on-screen directions that you will follow. You can choose an easy setup which everything is done automatically or you can choose to use custom settings and you can choose your settings manually. You cannot have an internet connection to your computer and the PS3 at the same time so what you will need is a router to stay connected in both places. The PS3 will always be connected every time it is turned on if hooked up this way. You do not need to have this done for the PS3. In fact, we don’t have ours hooked up this way except for every once in a while, we will to check if there are any updates for the PS3. To use the internet/network, you must sign up for Playstation Network and create an account.

By creating an account, you can chat under the friends icon, download games and video from the Playstation Store. You can also download updates for certain games that you may have. I can’t really give an opinion on the Network because we never signed up for it. All we ever do is connect for updates for the PS3 every once in a while which does not require the Network to do so. I do know that when you are using the internet/network, there is an on-screen keyboard that you can use. You can also use a USB keyboard if you have one by connecting it in the USB port on the front of the PS3.

PS3 System Updates

Updating the PS3 system software, you can add features and/or security patches. Frequently update your system to use the latest version of the system software. For the latest information on updates, visit http://www.us.playstation.com . Sometimes depending on what the updates are, you may not be able to play without first updating. When updating, do not turn off system because if an update is cancelled once in progress, the system software may become damaged and may require servicing. After you have updated, you cannot go back to an earlier version.

You can update using the internet connection on PS3 by choosing Settings, System Update, Update via Internet. Or you can even check for updates on-line on your computer and save them to a USB flash drive or other media using USB. Plug it into the USB port and choose Settings, System Update, Update via Storage Media. Some updates may also be contained in some Game Discs, Blu-ray Discs, or other media discs. We have actually had a couple of them after we had bought a new game and played it for the first time. A screen will display guiding you through the process.

The Games

The PS3 game saves are saved directly to the hard disk. To play the PS1 games, you have to set up an internal memory card. You can set one up for PS2 games for some reason even though this console does not allow you to play PS2 games. It doesn't make any sense to me. Some of the PS3 games may require to use some hard disk space before playing. I remember Gran Turismo doing this although it only used 2GB of space. I just like how there are no more memory cards. It was bad enough with the PS2 needing to have PS1 and PS2 memory cards. At least we can play PS1 games on the PS3 because PS1 memory cards are becoming hard to find. At least for us it has.

With the 40GB version, you can only play PS1 and of course PS3 games. I would rather play PS1 games in our PS2 console. I don’t like the way that they look being played in the PS3. We only have 5 PS3 games right now and my favorite is Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction. We also have Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, Dynasty Warriors 6, Genji (Days of The Blade), and Sonic the Hedgehog. The first game that I had played on the PS3 was Ratchet and Clank. The graphics blew me away! We had never played any games in HD before and let me tell you, this was a whole new experience! Until I got used to it, I couldn’t play very long at a time. At first it would give me a headache. As I was playing the game, there was so much going on at the same time. The graphics looked so real. The trees would be moving and there were a lot of things going on in the background. I actually watched my husband play for a little while before I played. It was great! All the games we have are like this. My husband plays Gran Turismo. I have never played this one but once again, it was amazing to see. The cars look real, the graphics are awesome, and there are even reflections on the mirrors on the cars as they are racing! Now that is some detail! Once again with the picture, graphics and sound, Sony has done a superb job!

My Opinion

I am disappointed that there still aren’t many games out there for the PS3 yet. My husband and I play Role-Playing games and we can’t find any of that genre. I do love the graphics and everything though! If we didn’t buy one, I wouldn’t be upset not having one just yet even though I am overall happy with it. I’m not sure what Sony is doing with discontinuing all these versions of the PS3 and coming out with new ones. My only problem right now is the short list of games the PS3 has to offer. I really wish I could play my PS2 games on this PS3 version though. My question is, why can’t Sony come up with an upgrade for the 40GB version to play PS2 games if that is what they are doing with the new 85GB version they are releasing according to GameStop?

I love watching movies on Blu-ray. I will never have to buy a Blu-ray player and I am really happy with the way the PS3 plays them! Of course it requires an HDMI cable that you have to buy separately but it was worth it. Don’t ever pay a lot of money for one though. You can get them cheap at Wal-Mart for less than $20. We had a few stores trying us to get $80 HDMI cables. There is no difference between the cheaper ones and those expensive ones. I definitely recommend the 40GB PS3 even though you can’t play PS2 games. Everything else outweighs that problem. For us, it really isn’t that big a deal to have both consoles. There may not be many games out there for it just yet even still but whenever you are ready to buy one, it’s worth it. At least we already have our PS3 whenever Final Fantasy 13 comes out. Right now that’s all I care about! Sony blows my mind!






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