
A Home Theater Necessity
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Whenever I mention the Playstation 3 console, regardless of company, I often conjure up a storm of controversy accompanied by technobabble and generally confusing statistics related to inner-workings only the silicon valley elite will understand. However, the useful praise and criticism of this console will hopefully be contained in this review so the masses can make an educated decision based on criteria they can comprehend and appreciate.
EXTERIOR:
The Playstation 3 console is somewhat of a departure from video game console design - this contains both positive and negative aspects that make it both beautiful (in this beholder's opinion), and somewhat non-functional. My primary quibble with the 3's design is that its curved top makes it impossible to integrate into my packed media tower. Although it can sit on top of another component, airflow and heat become an issue so currently, it sits alone on the floor. Not, however, that it is an unattractive beast to behold. When its smooth piano-black finish and bright chrome accents aren't attracting a multitude of fingerprints, it is by far the most polished and visually attractive component in my setup. Far from the dull black finish and archaic boxy design that my Denon, and 360 boxes sport, the 3 shines like a star. Other noteworthy features are the slot-loading disc drive, hidden memory card slots, and discrete USB cable hookups for controller charging. Also, for those of you who have a veritable jungle of cords behind your media center, the 3 has an internal power converter that eliminates the bulky external unit most (dare I say 360) components include. Finally, something worth mentioning is the noise level. It took me several hours to encourage the 3's fan to rev up to its highest setting, which was a very tolerable decibel range. Although this is an aspect many forgo thinking of when choosing a console, a beautiful Blu-Ray/DVD movie can quickly become annoying when the fan noise interferes with a particularly touching scene.
INTERNAL:
This is where many reviews become very "jargon-y" and the average person searching for a console becomes confused, swayed by fanboy-esque lingo and harsh meaningless criticism of "this core, that reality simulator" etc. To begin, both the PS3 and the 360 have their strengths. I have both, and enjoy both on a regular basis. This review is simply pointing out the strengths, and weaknesses of this specific console. While the 360 can entice with its wide variety (and high quality) range of games in its current library, my PS3 has integrated itself into an integral part of my home theater setup.
While number of cores and graphical power statistics are important to some, I simply appreciate the 3 for its ability to produce a SECOND TO NONE Blu-Ray movie experience. Let me say this first - I would buy the PS3 as a stand-alone Blu-Ray player even if it was unable to play games. Although Sony shamelessly incorporated Blu-Ray into the 3 to gain market share and power over HD-DVD, the playback is undeniably the best in the industry. Displayed on my 52" Samsung (LN-52A750), the color reproduction is sharp, minimal artifacts, and absolutely no stutter or strange pauses at all. Load time is the fastest I've seen, and the controls are relatively easy to master via the 3 controller. Best of all, the PS3 was and continues to be the very first Blu-Ray player with built in firmware updates.
Review ID: 10000000008405744

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