PS3 Help

[Steve H]

Hi all, I am looking to buy a PS3 as an early Xmas presentfor myself. To be honest,online gaming is not something I think I will be interested in (although once I try it you never know!!) really just want it to play games (shooting and driving) and to play bluray. I have a hd ready TV and was just going to buy a blu ray player but a friend suggested the PS3 as it is just as good. Tne question is what would I need to get to make sure I have everything. I have seen a 80gb bundle in HMV but will it be ready to watch bluray or will I have to make sure I have everything.

sorry about the long meandering post

Steve

Edit... sorry about the thread title!!!!!!!!!

Edited by Steve H on Sunday 14th December 20:43

[Tycho]

It is ready for Blu Ray. You can get a remote for it or just use the controller.

IIRC Game do a good bundle with 4 games for £280 ish. LBP, Resistance 2, Fallout 3 & Lost. I don't think Lost is particularly good but the other 3 are great. The PS3 will allow you to browse the net on your telly as well and will update the Blu-Ray firmware when it finds later firmware. Online gaming is free as well.

I think you will need an HDMI cable as well but a cheapo one will do, don't get sucked into the £80 Monster one that the spotty oik in Comet etc will try and sell you...

Edited by Tycho on Sunday 14th December 22:20

[Steve H]

Thanks for that, forewarned is for armed and all that. Re the browsing the net. I have wireless access fot the laptop, will it just be able to add to that?

Also is 80gb where I want to be?

Cheers
Steve

[tricky69]

Steve H said:

Thanks for that, forewarned is for armed and all that. Re the browsing the net. I have wireless access fot the laptop, will it just be able to add to that?

Also is 80gb where I want to be?

Cheers
Steve

depends what you have planned for it... 80gb is good enough for music pictures and some movies and games. If you want to hold all your media then you will have to pay up

[_dobbo_]

Doesn't have to be HDMI, you can go for a component video cable if you don't have any spare HDMI sockets on the TV.

Make sure you go into the picture setup and set it to output Hi-Def, I know on mine I had to do this otherwise it defaulted to 576p

[ajprice]

For convenience with the movies, get the remote control. For the internet and chat stuff, you could get a keyboard and mouse, any old USB types will do (I plug in my Mac keyboard and a Logitech wireless mouse, they both work fine). The PS3 has WiFi built in, so it should connect to the same network router as you connect to with your laptop.

[Steve H]

Ok so fnally bought one.... £299 from HMV with a free game and HDMI cable and 2 films....... problem is when I get home I find my TV has no HDMI but does have DVI? so to make things easier I went to my local electrical shop and bought a HDMI to DVI lead and plugeed it in etc and put on "Dark Knight" but the problem is I have NO SOUND!!! I am really annoyed because despite being told 3 years ago that I have a HD TV by the guy in Comets I dont and I really cannot work out what I have done wrong..... and I havent even tried to connect to t'internet yet!!!

Can anyone point me in the right direction or have I just really messed up?
Cheers
Steve

[_dobbo_]

The problem is that DVI doesn't carry sound signal. Your TV almost certainly has "component" connectors which do carry sound. These are a red and white pair for audio, and a Red, Green and Blue set for video. The connectors are standard phono plugs like those used for wiring up stereo gear.

Take the HDMI->DVI cable back and swap it for a proper PS3 Component video cable. Should cost about £17, it plugs into the standard AV output on the PS3.

[Steve H]

Thanks Dobbo, the PS3 did come with those cables but I thought that if I used them I wouldnt get HD quality pictures on either games or films, is that correct?

Edited by Steve H on Monday 15th December 18:41

[Steve H]

Thanks Dobbo, the PS3 did come with those cables but I thought that if I used them I wouldnt get HD quality pictures on either games or films, is that correct?

edited to add: the coloured leads it came with are red, white and yellow and plug into the side of my TV (where the Wii goes into). are these the ones?

Edited by Steve H on Monday 15th December 18:42

[_dobbo_]

My PS3 came with a yellow/red/white cable which is not HD capable. The component cable I described above is HD capable and will do 720p/1080p but I had to buy it separately.

I use that cable, it is HD, it does look amazing. It doesn't meet the "HD Ready" specification because that requires an HDMI connector but that's just a crappy sticker on the front of the TV, what matters is the result.

[Steve H]

cheers matey, so it looks like I got a HDMI lead and DVI lead for nothing............... I really should learn more about these things.... In the quick reference guide it shows a connector called Component AV cable and this has 5 leads (jack plugs as I call them) I assume this is the one I have to get? Will this connector still give me HD ish qulaity films and games?

Or is there a supplementary lead I could get to go with the DVI - HDMI lead?

Thanks for all of your help

steve

Edited by Steve H on Monday 15th December 18:49

[Steve H]

cheers matey, so it looks like I got a HDMI lead and DVI lead for nothing............... I really should learn more about these things.... In the quick reference guide it shows a connector called Component AV cable and this has 5 leads (jack plugs as I call them) I assume this is the one I have to get? Will this connector still give me HD ish qulaity films and games?

Or is there a supplementary lead I could get to go with the DVI - HDMI lead?

Thanks for all of your help

steve

Edited by Steve H on Monday 15th December 18:51

[Steve H]

Just checked my Philips 42" Plasma and can report the following connections:

On the side: headphone socket, video in, audio in L&R and headphones
On the rear: DVI and audio input for connecting HD Eqpt, " Scart sockets Ariel socket and SPDIF socket
??????????

[_dobbo_]

What model number is your philips? I'm suprised it doesn't have component connectors! A DVI cable plus audio connector would give you HD in any case so don't panic yet, it's likely you can still get it sorted.

[Steve H]

I have a Philips "42pf7520d/10" No panic yet but do feel like throwing the whole thing through the window!!!!!

Thanks again

[_dobbo_]

Well it looks like you have to use your HDMI->DVI cable (no money wasted there then), and you need one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Phono-Female-3-5mm-Audio-C...

Presumably available from any decent electrical store if you are in a rush. The reviews on that Amazon page suggest it should work with a PS3.

[ajprice]

keep the hdmi and dvi cable and adapter, use that for the video and use the ps3 av cable for your sound. Plug in both cables. You can setup hdmi for video and the av cable for sound in the ps3 menu audio and display settings. This is how I have my ps3 connected to my dell 2407 monitor.

[Steve H]

Dobbo, you are a bit of a legend! I assume then that this additional cable provides the audio and simply goes next to the HDMI plucg on the TV. The only stupid question I have is where does it plug into the PS3?

[ajprice]

Put dobbo's widget onto the red and White connectors of your ps3 av cable, then the 3.5mm jack end of the widget onto your tv or speakers for the sound.