http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/ Engadget HD Comments for Why the PS3 isn't the best Blu-ray player http://www.engadgethd.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadgethd.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/Jan 2nd 2008 10:54AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/Jan 2nd 2008 11:48AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/Jan 2nd 2008 2:48PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/
No way! I refuse to beleive it! Not true!

Ben, are you a hater or something?]]>Jan 2nd 2008 10:57AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/Jan 2nd 2008 2:14PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/
]]>Jan 2nd 2008 7:11PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/

:)]]>Jan 2nd 2008 8:27PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/Jan 2nd 2008 11:00AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/Jan 2nd 2008 11:04AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/
Hopefully Sony will upgrade the players with DTS HD MA. It's possible.

Think of it this way, in 2 years Panasonic is going to completely forget about the DMP-BD30 but Sony sure won't forget about the PS3. I doubt the DMP-BD30 will be a profile 2.0 player but the PS3 will. ]]>Jan 2nd 2008 11:11AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/Jan 2nd 2008 11:20AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI......and read the spec on HDMI 1.3 and get back to me....Sometime it makes sense to read the details before posting stuff. And for those of you who is looking for a HDMI 1.3 cable look no further than a Philips or a Belkin. I bought a HDMI 1.3 Belkin from Sams' club - a 6 foot cable for $21!!.....Walmart is selling a Philips HDMI 1.3a cable - 6 foot for $25!....ONLY BUY THAT....DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THAT HUMONGOUS SOUNDING CABLE MAKING COMPANY.....its ALL DIGITAL....THERE IS NO INTERFERENCE ISSUES WITH DIGITAL!..bye bye ANALOG.]]>Jan 2nd 2008 11:44AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/Jan 2nd 2008 12:00PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/Jan 2nd 2008 12:04PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/Jan 2nd 2008 2:49PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/Jan 2nd 2008 3:55PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/Jan 2nd 2008 11:25AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/Jan 2nd 2008 11:29AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.metacritic.com/games/ps3/

Those games, genius.

]]>Jan 2nd 2008 11:39AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/Jan 2nd 2008 11:27AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/Jan 2nd 2008 11:32AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/Jan 2nd 2008 10:50PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/
Obviously, people who own PS3s use it either for gaming or for "basic" BD viewing. I would think that only a tiny percentage of BD owners really give a hoot about those "premium" codecs and that the majority of people are more than satisfied with DD 5.1 and DTS. Quite frankly, *I* am also happy with DD 5.1 and DTS over optical/HDMI. To get any more channels would require a new receiver purchase, but I'd rather put that to a BD player or more HD DVD media.

I don't think it takes a stretch of the imagination to realize that the VAST majority of people own either a 5.1 (or lower) system or use the speakers in their TV. For these people (myself included) the PS3 is the perfect choice. Not only is it upgradeable but it more than satisfies the basic needs for BD viewing and it's a gaming console, whereas the DMP-BD30 is about the same price for just a player that most likely can't be upgraded to profile 2.0.

Sure, it would be nice to have a player with ALL of the bells and whistles, but that only matters if you really have a need for all of those bells and whistles. Quite frankly the PS3 is still the "best option" for most people out there, and I would think that that includes most people on EngadgetHD as well.

Now, the question come down to HOW the PS3 processes its codecs. Is it done through hardware or software? If it's software, then you'd think that adding another codec would be simple, which would potential make the question of TrueHD and DTS HD a moot point. If it's hardware, is the chip circuitry upgradeable?

Regardless, I'd still take a non-40GB PS3 over a standalone player given the current prices for each.]]>Jan 2nd 2008 11:38AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/Jan 2nd 2008 5:08PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/Jan 2nd 2008 11:38AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/Jan 2nd 2008 2:52PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/Jan 2nd 2008 12:53PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/Jan 3rd 2008 3:15AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/ht-hardware-high-definition/257408-caution-hdmi-1-3-one-chip-obsolete-one-has-advanced-audio-capability.html

Sure, it's possible that they could do the decoding internally, but right now it doesn't and when it can we'll cover it, and for now the Panny is the most capable player. Of course that could change, which is why I stated such in the post.]]>Jan 2nd 2008 11:41AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/
If you do your homework (which I agree IS the problem), you would realize that you don't NEED HDMI 1.3. You can stream LPCM from the PS3 to your AV receiver. Using that method allows all HDMI receivers to receive up to 7.1 channels of sound in an UNCOMPRESSED format!

When you pair that with the fact that the PS3 can be upgraded to decode more codecs - the PS3 is one of the best BD players out now!

-KLH]]>Jan 2nd 2008 11:47AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/
Bottom line, which is not open for debate.

The PS3 CANNOT decode DTS HD or DTS HD MA or output it via a bitstream so something else can decode it.

This could change with an update, which is why I put the last line in my post, but for now this is true and utill it changes the Panny is a better Blu-ray player for those with the proper AV receiver.]]>Jan 2nd 2008 11:48AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/
What's best for each person is just that -- best *for each person*. To some, the PS3 is the best option. To others, the Panny is the best option. Just because one can do things that the other can't doesn't mean that one can be put in the blanket category of "best".

Now I see that you're qualifying your statement with "for those with the proper AV receiver." Well, now THAT changes the whole scope of your article to being the "best" only for those who have audio equipment with all of the bells and whistles, which most do not. In that case it's reasonable to assume that those who have the bells and whistles for audio equipment will want the bells and whistles in the player to match. But without that qualification you're making it seem as those the PS3 is not the "best" for everyone, which is kind of a silly statement.

Just my observation. You've been bitten by this in the past. I'll chock it up to you not having ample time for the heavy, New Year's Eve partying to get out of your system. ;) (Kidding.)]]>Jan 2nd 2008 12:46PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/Jan 3rd 2008 8:49AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/Feb 21st 2008 2:12AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/
With PS3 converting everything to PCM, you only need a HDMI 1.1 receiver not the fancy new HDMI 1.3 (only Pioneer, Denon, Marantz and Onkyo have them). If you have a H/K 745, 645, NAD 785, 775, you still need PCM. I would rather have PCM than bitstream.

So, my bet is on PS3 eventually getting DTS-HD-Ma. One more reason for me to rewatch Die Hard 4.0. Hurray!!

PS3 has had following features at release time

1) Internal Dolby True HD decoding
2) BD 1.0 profile
3) SD-DVD playback at 480p
4) SACD support
5) CD support
6) PCM 7.1 support at upto 24 bit/192kHz
7) AVCHD support (playback AVCHD files from DVD)

Since I bought my PS3 (Feb 2007), the PS3 has gained the following movie/music features

1) BD 1.1 profile
2) SD-DVD scaling to 1080p
3) Bitmap 1, 2, 3 for SACD and CD
4) Upscaling of CDs to 88.2 and 176.4 kHz
5) 1080p24 Hz support
6) Superwhite and RGB full/limited options
7) Media server support
8) Divx support

With just these upgrades, the PS3 has become a great machine with zero additional cost to the user. It still has plenty of horsepower for the following

1) Profile 2.0 support
2) DTS-HD-Ma decoding to PCM
3) Full MKV file playback support

The only thing that might lack due to hardware limitation is the HDMI bitstream support for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD-Ma. Since these require additional investment on capable receivers, I would rather have the PCM conversion internally. My H/K AVR 745 rocks with PCM 5.1 and I am not going to replace it just so I get to bitstream advanced codecs.]]>Jan 2nd 2008 11:56AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/Jan 2nd 2008 2:51PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/
]]>Jan 2nd 2008 11:56AMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/

@Kuromiko....
"
...the PS3 potentially supports codecs that aren't even released yet. Thus, the best player on the market."

Well since it doesnt have said codecs then it isnt. The panasonic BD30K is the best player on the market because it comes pre-installed with 1.1 standard, no downloading needed and it can read DTS HD. Also I want to point out something, there isnt any other codecs DTS HD is the pure sound, the exact sound in which it was recorded. So I don't know what codec sounds you're talking about. Now if you're talking about similar codecs that arent out yet like 7.1 THX Master, well first Lucas has to get it out, second there is no real standard for THX on theater systems if it is then its god damn expensive. Luckily my reciever can imulate 7.1 THX, but seriously there isn't anymore codecs that are coming out in the future. You can't make the actual sound, sound better then it already is.

If it doesnt have it, then it isnt the best player. Talk to me when they do aloow DTS HD, then I'll take it at the best blu-ray player, but till then... its only second.
]]>Jan 2nd 2008 12:03PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/Jan 2nd 2008 12:13PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/
Now, no, it doesn't. In 2 or 3 years your player will be far out of date while the PS3 will be completely up to spec.

The ability to improve beyond the current standalone players is its greatest strength as a Blu-Ray player, which nothing else on the market can touch at this point. You can go ahead and ignore that fact if you want, but it ultimately means PS3 owners are much more futureproofed due to the flexibility of the firmware.

Feel free to ignore all the other meriting features of the PS3 that standalone players don't have, such as mp3 and video file (MPEG / 2 / 4 / DivX) playback.]]>Jan 2nd 2008 1:23PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/Jan 2nd 2008 12:15PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/but soon has all the potentials to be the best and stay on top.]]>Jan 2nd 2008 12:28PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/2.0 profile ready]]>Jan 2nd 2008 12:33PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/
Soundtracks on HD DVD (and eventually on Blu-ray, when it goes interactive) operate very differently than they do on DVD. With current DVDs, you need entirely separate soundtracks for things like foreign languages and filmmaker's commentary. This is actually a pretty wasteful approach.

With HD DVD, soundtracks can be authored in the 'Advanced' mode, which allows multiple content streams to be live-mixed (mixed in real time). You don't need another soundtrack for foreign languages. Just swap out the English centre channel stream with one of the foreign centre channel streams. You don't need another soundtrack for commentary. Just reduce the level of the main soundtrack and mix in the commentary stream. Same with button sounds and other interactive features, like picture-in-picture.

Just like editing the document requires unzipping the file first, doing any of this live-mixing to the soundtrack requires decoding it to linear PCM first. This is why it has to be done in the player. They're not going to transmit every option to your receiver, just one soundtrack. You choose what you want to hear, it is mixed in the player (i.e. the soundtrack you want to hear is literally built in real time inside the player) and transmitted as a final mix to your receiver.

Current HDMI allows 8 channels of 96/24 PCM to be transmitted (more than enough resolution for any soundtrack), but not the new codecs in their native form. When HDMI 1.3 arrives, it will allow the new codecs mentioned above to be transmitted in their native bitstream, but only if they were authored in 'Basic' mode (no interactivity). If the soundtrack was authored in Advanced mode, then it cannot be transmitted in undecoded form; decoding in the player is mandatory because of live mixing.

So far, all HD DVD soundtracks have been authored in Advanced mode. Which means nothing will change when new receivers arrive on the market. Despite having HDMI 1.3 transmission and decoders built into the receiver, decoding will still have to take place in the player.

Currently, Blu-ray discs are authored in Basic mode, since they haven't gotten interactivity yet. As soon as BD Java is up and working, they'll all be authored in Advanced mode too. At that point, what are the decoders in the receivers going to do? Decode the relatively few BD titles that were released before interactivity? Most of those titles will be re-issued anyway ]]>Jan 2nd 2008 12:34PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/Jan 2nd 2008 4:16PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/
"So far, all HD DVD soundtracks have been authored in Advanced mode. Which means nothing will change when new receivers arrive on the market. Despite having HDMI 1.3 transmission and decoders built into the receiver, decoding will still have to take place in the player.

Currently, Blu-ray discs are authored in Basic mode, since they haven't gotten interactivity yet. As soon as BD Java is up and working, they'll all be authored in Advanced mode too. At that point, what are the decoders in the receivers going to do? Decode the relatively few BD titles that were released before interactivity? Most of those titles will be re-issued anyway "

What you just wrote is plain wrong. I have the A35 HD DVD player going into an onkyo 705 and can assure i bitstream TRue HD and DD+ on every HD DVD even ones that are adavanced authoured. Just because a disc is advanced authoured doesn't mean they can't be bitstreamed. The only way advanced authoured content is affected when bitstreaming is all the clicks and sounds that are part of real time mixing like pip commentary are not transferred. Only the True hd and DD+ tracks can be heard on advanced authored discs whem the player is bitstreaming to the reciever over hdmi 1.3. Also if i want to hear the pip commentary or the clicks of an advanced authored menu i just switch the output to lpcm.
]]>Jan 2nd 2008 8:51PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/I'm an average punter and geeky technobabble aside, I reckon that for the majority of people the PS3's deep, rich and immersive surround sound output will be impressive and have a well priced 'WOW' factor.
So no, It's not the best Blu-Ray player, it's more!]]>Jan 2nd 2008 12:41PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/
I think itīs great to get the debate about the lack of DTS-HD Master Audio support in the PS3 braught to the light!

Hopefully Sony will understand that this is important to many PS3 owners and make sure to make this a priority in the next software update.

I can live without bitsream output, but I do need DTS-HD Master Audio internal decoding since more and more Blue Ray releases is starting to use this codec.

Currently, without DTS-HD Master Audio, we only get the "core" version of the audio and that is not good enough (since it is last gen, not true HD quality).


Just my thughts...

/Bjarne
]]>Jan 2nd 2008 1:24PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/
The PS3 will never decode nor send DTS-HD-MA. Google it!

Stand Alone is the way to go.]]>Jan 2nd 2008 1:20PMhttp://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/
I hate it when people on forums start saying things they nothing about.]]>Jan 2nd 2008 1:24PM