PS3 FAQ: answers to your PlayStation 3 questions
P.S. -Check out our other list of interesting PS3 facts!
- Can you connect and play media from a USB hard drive?
We know this is the number one question people are asking right now, and we'll tell you this: we connected a thumb drive, and it recognized it. But it wouldn't play any of our MP4 / H.264 video or MP3 audio, so something seemed awry. It wouldn't even find the files on the drive, our PlayStation said there were none. So we're going to have to get back to you on this until we can do some further testing.
Update: Ittousai's PlayStation does properly read media from USB. Maybe ours is a firmware issue, we're not sure yet. - Does the PS3 really upconvert DVDs?
Sorry, no, it actually doesn't. We popped in a regular DVD (The Matrix) and it dropped our 1080p display down to 720 x 480p. We pulled it out, and it went back to 1080p. So for right now, the PS3 does not upscale DVDs, but instead just leaves them at extended def. Bummer. - Can the PS3 stream videos, movies, pictures, etc., from a PC?
No, not currently. This is something we really wanted to see, but they're just not prepared to do yet. If you're Japanese, however, you can download video via P-TV on So-net. - Would the PS3 be good replacement for or complement my Media Center PC?
That's a pretty subjective question. You can't stream media to or from it; you can copy media to it. But of the consoles, currently Microsoft is closest to getting it right with the Xbox 360 as a Windows Media Connect client, outside Sony's "You only need the PS3, as it is the center for your digital life" angle.
- How are the load times without the game install? Does the game install actually speed up load times?
We tested the install feature with Genji, and here's what we found:
Initial boot without install: 00:09:11 (9.1 seconds)
Initial boot with install: (same)
Load level one without install: 00:15:16
Load level one with install: 00:10:48
Load level two without install: 00:16:19
Load level two with install: 00:10:16
Time required to go through install: 04:14:79
Space required by install: 2126MB
Amount of level loads required to amortize install time: roughly 50 - How about compatibility of PS3s sold in Japan / US? Will they run in Europe?
We know there are a lot of Europeans feeling slighted by Sony's slashed console quantities and delayed Euro launch. Unfortunately, Europe is Blu-ray region 2, whereas the US and Japan are region 1. Games, however, are supposedly region-free, so if you don't mind not being able to watch Blu-ray movies, and can speak the language, your European power shouldn't fry your US or Japanese PS3's power supply.
- Can you change the [Blu-ray] region on the PlayStation 3 menu?
Sorry, nope! Sony is trying to stop gray-market importing, remember? - How long are the standard composite AV cables?
Ours were 99-inches tip to tip, or about 95-inches of cable (that'd be 8-feet or so). - Can you do HD in a 4:3 ratio? My 62-inch Samsung projection HDTV is 4:3, but supports 1080i.
There isn't an aspect ratio setting in the display settings menu, only resolution. The supported resolutions over HDMI are 480p, 720p, 1080i, and 1080p. - Can your PS3 fold (Folding@Home) out of the box, or is that coming in a later update?
That will be a piece of software you download on the PlayStation network. It will be free. - How easy is it for the PS3 to collect fingerprints/dust? Is it already a dust magnet?
Within a day our PS3 was covered in dust. Probably no more actual phsyical dust than any other gadget -- it's not attracting it -- but the gloss and finish make it extremely visible. Same with fingerprints. Luckily, unless you're moving your PS3 all the time, it's one of those devices you just don't really have to touch very often.
- Can you really install other OSs onto your PS3?
Yes, according to Sony you can install any PowerPC-capable Linux build. Yellow Dog Linux, however, is the most prominently supported distro announced to date. - Does it come with Yellow Dog Linux?
No, YDL 5.0, the version of Yellow Dog that supports the PS3, isn't due out until November 27th. Even then you'll probably have to get it from them or download it. - Do the PS3 can play all (or a big part of) PS2 games?
There have been scattered reports that many PS2 games aren't working properly with the PlayStation 3 in Japan, but firmware updates are being produced to alleviate these issues. Ultimately Sony's goal is 100% backwards compatibility, although we haven't yet seen a running compatibility list. - Can the PS3 video ouput be set to 16:10 instead of 16:9 so as to be connected to a 1920x1200 as apposed to a 1920x1080 display?
It only supports TV resolutions, so your monitor will probably have to upscale 720p. - Do Google web apps (Gmail, Maps, Calendar, etc.) play nice with the PS3 web browser?
We tried the lot of them, here's what we found: Gmail works in basic HTML mode, we didn't get it going in its full AJAXy form. Google maps worked well, draggable maps and all, but the format was messed up -- no search, no address entry. It was very weird. Calendar ran our browser out of memory the first time (huh?), but the second time it loaded -- awfully. So to answer your question, your mileage may vary with the fun AJAXy sites, but Google web apps didn't work too hot. - How does the PS3's browser do on the ACID2 test? Have you seen any problems with page rendering?
Ha. Horribly. Most pages render ok, but not the ACID2 test, m'friend. - Does the SIXAXXIS have a sync button? What happens if you try to associate the PS3 controller with a PC using Bluetooth?
It syncs via USB to the PS3, there isn't a sync button, like with the Xbox 360 and Wii. - How is the SIXAXIS controller's tilt sensor?
It works, but we honestly haven't played any games that implemented it very well yet. Wait and see, it's not a Wii-like scenario where motion-sensing is requisite for out-of-the-box play. Some games even allow you to turn it off (which is a bad sign in vouching for its necessity over, say, rumble). - What is the extent of the motion sensing for the PS3 controller? Will it be as dramatic as the Wii's?
It's a fundamentally different approach. The PlayStation 3 controller is a PlayStation controller first, a motion sensing device second. It probably won't ever be as dramatic as the Wii's motion sensing, but that doesn't mean it can't be immersive. - Can you turn the console on and off remotely with the controller like you can with the Xbox 360?
Yes. Just hold the PlayStation button and it'll give you a similar prompt to quit the game, shut off the controller, or shut off the console. - Does the PS3 network allow users to upload their own icons or avatars or whatever is used in the friends list?
We didn't see a method, no. Users are presented with a very long avatar list to choose from. We assume that list will grow with time. - Is there a hard switch to turn off the Wifi on PS3?
Not that we've seen -- it's software only. - Does the PS3 include an EyeToy?
No, but your PS2 EyeToy will work on your PS3. - What happens if you put a disc in upside down?
Nothing much, that's for sure. It tries to read it for a few minute, then stops trying. No error, and it doesn't spit it out. Of course, that may change with future updates. Oh, and our disc was in absolutely perfect condition when it came back out. - Could you hook the PS3 up to the Dell 2405/7 with a DVI-HDMI Cable and take pics?
Sorry Dell fans; if your monitor doesn't support HDCP, you're totally out of luck. No 1080p for you if you've got a 2404, but you'll be fine with a 2407. Gateway users, on the other hand, are good to go (after they snag that a DVI-HDMI adapter).
Hope that helps! Let us know if you've got another head-scratcher. And no, we don't know where you can get one, sorry.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Andir3.0 @ Nov 16th 2006 8:31PM
"(which is a bad sign in vouching for its necessity over, say, rumble)"
You know you could turn rumble off, does that mean it was a bad sign too?
Baldy @ Nov 16th 2006 10:05PM
no, because sony didnt decide to put the rumble tech in their controllers and leave out something else. But they spent a ton of money and jumped up prices and left out the rumble pacck in place of the 6axis thing. and if they went to such efforts for it one would expect it to atleast be used to potential, the fact that you can turn it off means that is not worth it...duh
loogy100 @ Nov 16th 2006 8:31PM
yea
Stephen Marshall @ Nov 16th 2006 8:55PM
id rather have to option to turn rumble on and off then not having it at all.... plus the wii was able to fit rumble and motion sensor and a speaker??? why wasnt the ps3 able to do this as well? minus the speaker
nick @ Nov 18th 2006 9:41PM
because M$ and sony got sued by the company who claimed to have the rights behind the vibration feature, m$ bought 5% of the company so they get unlimited access. they wanted sony to play 96million to have the right to use it
ELQ @ Nov 16th 2006 8:55PM
Could someone give us the PS3 web browser's "user agent"? This way web developers can autodetect it. You can visit my page here with the PS3 browser to find out the exact user agent: www.osnews.com/ua.php and then report back here. Thanks.
humpty @ Nov 16th 2006 9:06PM
The DVD upscaling issue; is it an issue of HDCP, which only allows DVD upscaling over HDMI and VGA?
Sameer Surampalli @ Nov 16th 2006 9:19PM
The Dell 2407WFP supports HDCP, so it'd work.
apease @ Nov 16th 2006 9:27PM
It should be worth noting that as far as being a media center, some of the best media center software runs on linux, and won't have any trouble with the PS3 (excepting DRM infected files, of course). Sadly, it won't be able to handle files that require win32 codecs in mplayer, but that number is still dropping. AVIs, DIVX, mpeg of all sorts, even some wmvs will have no trouble.
If you really wanted, you could run bittorrent on the ps3 and save the files to the ps3, pc, or a network storage device. Only thing it can't do is act as a tuner (although if there's a usb tv tuner that has an open-source linux driver, you could probably even do that).
Reading the linux docs, about the only real restriction is no 3d acceleration through the nvidia chip, which really stinks. But it won't affect the media center abilities too much, and if you get desperate, the Cell can handle 3d duties too.
hoohoo @ Nov 16th 2006 9:33PM
Can you connect and play media from a USB hard drive?
you need to have the media in proper folders for the ps3 to see them. just like the psp. hit triangle to browse all files on the disk anyway. they will play but wont show up in their respecive places on the xmb.
Yem @ Nov 16th 2006 9:35PM
"We pulled it out, and it went back to 1080p. So for right now, the PS3 does not upscale DVDs, but instead just leaves them at extended def."
Can someone explain the logic of this upscaling hysteria?
If your TV does 1080 and it gets a 480 signal, and it displays it fullscreen, then the TV has already upscaled the signal by definition. Unless you mean it displays in a small square in the middle of the screen?
If you're getting a fullscreen display on the TV, it's upscaled. End of story.
The only question is the QUALITY of the upscaling. And there's no reason to expect that the PS3 will do a better job of this than the TV so I don't see what all the complaining is about. Enlighten me.
tcc3 @ Nov 19th 2006 8:46PM
The difference (on my tv at least) is the difference between a letterboxed 480i signal and a native 16:9 1080i signal. The electron gun only updates the 16x9 section of the screen in 1080i mode, wheras in 480p mode it has to redraw the whole screen, including the black letter boxing.
I dont know how that stacks up against a native 16x9 lcd display. Upcoversion is a nice stopgap but will never look as good as a native HD image.
Drasko @ Nov 16th 2006 9:48PM
Can you change the language settings of the Japanese PS3 to english?
James ferretti @ Nov 19th 2006 5:54PM
Yes you can change the language and the menus are totally in English, same as a US PS3.
Ross @ Nov 16th 2006 9:50PM
Great point Yem. The hysteria that the upscaling issue created has been amazing. And even if this were an issue, wouldn't a firmware fix easily be in the immediate future?
Jon @ Nov 16th 2006 9:51PM
How do the online features compare to Xbox Live?
Can you invite a friend to play a game with you and they receive an alert no matter what they are doing?
Can you play your own music files in the dashboard and then start a game and the music stay on consistently?
Matt T. @ Nov 16th 2006 9:53PM
How does the PS3's Blu-ray quality compare to other HD-DVD or Blu-Ray players?
How long for a SIXAXIS charge too?
fishcake @ Nov 16th 2006 10:01PM
So I'll be stuck with 1080i on a non-HDCP monitor?
chris @ Nov 16th 2006 10:10PM
@yem
STFU, you suck. learn what the hell you're talking about before making us have to read your stupid comments. Upscaling is a process that digitally upconverts the signal into a higher signal offering better quality. Just because the tv displays the signal in full screen dosen't make it a 1080i/p signal.
Yem @ Nov 16th 2006 10:25PM
chris: don't troll me, boy.
"a process that digitally upconverts the signal into a higher signal" riiiiight..
If you've got a 640x480 source and a TV with 19201080 pixels, it's either scaled in the player, or scaled in the machine. I fail to see what the difference is. In fact, the TV is probably going to do a better job since it is aware of the unique characteristics of the display.
Kindly point me to some serious info. I really want to know why it's better for the player to upscale a DVD to 1080 than to have the display do it.
wizbongre @ Nov 17th 2006 4:14AM
lol - Chris you are so wrong. Yems is 100% correct in what he said. It doesn't matter whether the image is upscaled at the source machine (the PS3) or the display machine (the tv) it has to be upscaled at some point (or even down-scaled.) The important point is which machine has the better scaler. If a tv has a native resolution of 1080i then everything it displays has to be scaled (whether up or down) to that resolution. That's what makes the difference between good and bad plasmas - how they cope with input that isn't in their native resolution.
Muppet.
Sam @ Oct 30th 2007 11:58PM
I saw the TV Commercial for the new "Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction" PS3 game. I liked the background music in the commercial, and was wondering if anyone can help me find out the name of the band or song [or both] of who performed that music.
Arno @ Nov 16th 2006 10:19PM
Here's one: Why would I want one?
chris @ Nov 16th 2006 10:21PM
I agree with the message above.
chris @ Nov 16th 2006 10:22PM
not yems, amos
Bruce @ Nov 19th 2006 9:17AM
Hmm, maybe it's better because the player will have access to flags in the movie file that allow software to sort out pulldown correctly and create a more 'film-like' effect. A display would not have access to these flags perhaps (unless this is passed by HDMI somehow). Note that the flags have to be correctly implemented when mastering the movie file - I'm not sure how often this is done in the real world. Hope this helps.
chris @ Nov 16th 2006 10:27PM
@yem
if upscaling was that easy, you could use a crapy s video cable to display a 1080i/p signal. It's not. the tv will still register the signal as 480i/p. even though it uses the full screen, the display it's running in 1080i/p. thats why it's important to upscale the signal so the tv accepts a signal and displays it in 1080. BOY!
chris @ Nov 16th 2006 10:32PM
have you ever checked the signal of a particular device? if a signal doesn't support HD resolution the tv dosen't display the signal in HD, it leaves it. But if you upscale the signal, the tv registers it as 1080i/p and displays it in HD resolution.
Yem @ Nov 16th 2006 10:43PM
"if a signal doesn't support HD resolution the tv dosen't display the signal in HD, it leaves it. But if you upscale the signal, the tv registers it as 1080i/p and displays it in HD resolution."
Who cares? In both cases you get a 1920x1080 picture on your TV. You're ascribing the difference to "hd magic".
"Upscaling" is getting huge coverage from one end of the internets to the other. Since the editors here at Engaget thought it worth of an entry in this little FAQ, I'm interested to know WHY. That's all, HAND.
Andir3.0 @ Nov 16th 2006 10:37PM
Now now...stop all the fighting, Upscaling can be done either by the TV or the player and sometimes the Audio/Video Reciever. They all use slightly different methods and it's hardly disputable which is better. Some TVs may scale better than some players and vice versa. Taking one side on this is as bad as assuming Microsoft is only out to make the gamers happy and Sony is only in it for the money.
Pete @ Nov 16th 2006 10:39PM
Who's going to be the first get PPC based OS X working on this thing?
i really want the cingular 8125 @ Nov 16th 2006 10:51PM
Dear Engadget,
I'm really doubting your level of expertise currently. Yes, the PS3 is going to be popular, but the Wii is going to be even more popular, selling more units at launch. So why do you want to leave more of your loyal fans in cold about Wii specs? Sure, it doesn't launch for 2 more days, but Nintendo-lovers are people too, and we deserve answers to our questions!
Lol, I'm sorta kidding with you. I just want the same thing you did with the PS3 (answer questions) done with the Wii. Thanks, you guys rock!
chris @ Nov 16th 2006 10:52PM
Well in the case of the ps3 downscaling 720p games on monitors that dont support the 720p resolution, to 480p, it makes a huge difference. running a game in 720p vs 480, more jaggies and less clarity.
Upscaling in those terms makes all the difference. It's that very reason, I's say no to PS3 right now. My monitors all support 720p, but I'd rather upscale it to 1080i/p.
chris @ Nov 16th 2006 10:58PM
For a console that touts HD they sure do limit the amount of HD. No upconverting of any old PS1 and PS2 games. No upscaling of DVD's and also the downscaling of 720p signals to 480p on monitors that don't support 720p. I went next gen because I was sick of seeing 480p games and movies. Why would I go right back into it with a new console?
Ben @ Nov 16th 2006 11:18PM
Upscaling:
When a lower resolution image is displayed at a higher resolution, algorithms may be applied to estimate how it would appear if originally captured at the higher resolution. The net effect is to create a smoother, less pixellated image. See here for an explanation:
http://www.av-outlet.com/en-us/dept_335.html
And lets keep it nice hey guys?
CM @ Nov 17th 2006 3:59AM
Ben, the page you point to is only discussing de-interlacing, which is an entirely different (and more difficult) process than upscaling.
I imagine that most devices use simple bilinear filtering to upscale an image. The downside of this is softer edges. I think I've seen descriptions of algorithms that attempt to find hard edges in the source material and to preserve them after upscaling.
But it doesn't really matter where the upscaling is done, so much as it matters how it is done. Fantastic upscaling done by the TV beats so-so upscaling done by the console.
chris @ Nov 16th 2006 11:29PM
Ben,
very nice example, and very well said.
ChillyWilly @ Nov 17th 2006 12:19AM
Here's a question I didn't see on the list:
How does the PSP work with the PS3? Specifically, the PSP being used as a controller on the PS3.... how does it work? What does a PSP look like on the PS3 once it's connected?
fishcake @ Nov 17th 2006 12:52AM
I don't get it. I have a non-HDCP monitor, will anything display on my monitor at all? or will the PS3 just show me a 1080i screen? input through DVI. Thanks
CrAzZyLeE @ Nov 17th 2006 2:10AM
Can you play COD3 on the PS3 with mouse and keyboard???????
Aaron @ Nov 17th 2006 2:38AM
Oh, Chris. I'm afraid you don't understand... Upscaling doesn't magically make new pixels where there previously were none. Yem is right in that the so-called "upscaling" is either done in the device outputting the video or in the display. What Yem wanted to know was the difference. The way I understand it, the difference is in how this is done. The TV just blows up the picture, while an upconverting device would use a more complex algorithm to better predict the way an image should look.
Chris, this isn't magic. Your old crappy DVDs are not going to be just as good as the new HD ones, and a 480p signal will not suddenly have all the additional detail of 1080p just because it was "upscaled". It might OUTPUT in 1080p afterwards, but the actual difference in the picture is negligible. Upscaling is just a sort of educated guess on what something SHOULD look like. It can not create extra data and truly make a standard definition signal much better, especially when it comes to video games.
The bottom line is upscaling or upconverting is a buzzword, it doesn't mean much. And Chris, the fact that you use the term when talking about games indicates you don't quite get it. I'm not trying to be mean, but you were pretty harsh about something you don't understand.
chris @ Nov 17th 2006 6:45AM
Well aaron and wizbonre... Check your tv signal next time you are running any 480p content and your tv will tell you it's displaying 480p. In fact most HD tv's only have a few component or vga or DVI/HDMI imputs that can display a 1080i/p signal. For example, I have a samsung 30 wide HD set. On the back there are two component imputs, but only one can actually handle a 1080i signal. So even if I plug in a component dvd player into the component imput, dosen't mean the tv will upscale it to 1080i. It has to be in the HD component imput. But even when i plug in a standard dvd player, the tv says the signal being received is 480p. I own a samsung dvd player that truely upscales a dvd and my tv says 1080i when I turn on this dvd player. This is standard with most tv imputs. I find it funny that you say I'm totally wrong, when you're totally disregarding the fact that an HD set can still display a 480p signal without upconverting the signal. If everything that was plugged into an HD set instantly makes any signal from 480i/p to a 1080i/p signal, people wouldn't spend sooooo much money on proper upscalers for dvd and tv like the ones through Samsung and other such companies. These systems actually increase the picture size by using software and hardware to upscale a lower resolution image into a HD image with more lines of resolution and less artifacts than the original image. It also makes your tv accept the signal through the 1080i/p imput. This is crutial, wihtout your tv saying 1080i in the top corner, if a signal only says 480p in the top corner of a 1080 set, your picture will look awefull and you will be missing 100 percent of what HD signals actually offer. That is why tv's acually state what signal is being displayed so that you can know what quality is being viewed. So to add to your comment YOU ARE BOTH WRONG. Unless you have magical tv's with magical powers? By the way I know that upconverting a dvd to 1080 won't make it look as good as say... an HD DVD player, that might be why I actually own a toshiba HD DVD player! I bought one the first week they came out after they received such high marks. And upscaling during games... yes I upscale almost every time I turn on my Xbox 360, while most games are created in 720p, I use them in 1080i on both my displays. Does it offer higher image quality... doesn't hurt it though.
rainking187 @ Nov 17th 2006 2:59AM
"What happens if you put a disc in upside down?"
Uh...what? Are these really FAQs?
chris @ Nov 17th 2006 6:46AM
Well aaron and wizbonre... Check your tv signal next time you are running any 480p content and your tv will tell you it's displaying 480p. In fact most HD tv's only have a few component or vga or DVI/HDMI imputs that can display a 1080i/p signal. For example, I have a samsung 30 wide HD set. On the back there are two component imputs, but only one can actually handle a 1080i signal. So even if I plug in a component dvd player into the component imput, dosen't mean the tv will upscale it to 1080i. It has to be in the HD component imput. But even when i plug in a standard dvd player, the tv says the signal being received is 480p. I own a samsung dvd player that truely upscales a dvd and my tv says 1080i when I turn on this dvd player. This is standard with most tv imputs. I find it funny that you say I'm totally wrong, when you're totally disregarding the fact that an HD set can still display a 480p signal without upconverting the signal. If everything that was plugged into an HD set instantly makes any signal from 480i/p to a 1080i/p signal, people wouldn't spend sooooo much money on proper upscalers for dvd and tv like the ones through Samsung and other such companies. These systems actually increase the picture size by using software and hardware to upscale a lower resolution image into a HD image with more lines of resolution and less artifacts than the original image. It also makes your tv accept the signal through the 1080i/p imput. This is crutial, wihtout your tv saying 1080i in the top corner, if a signal only says 480p in the top corner of a 1080 set, your picture will look awefull and you will be missing 100 percent of what HD signals actually offer. That is why tv's acually state what signal is being displayed so that you can know what quality is being viewed. So to add to your comment YOU ARE BOTH WRONG. Unless you have magical tv's with magical powers? By the way I know that upconverting a dvd to 1080 won't make it look as good as say... an HD DVD player, that might be why I actually own a toshiba HD DVD player! I bought one the first week they came out after they received such high marks. And upscaling during games... yes I upscale almost every time I turn on my Xbox 360, while most games are created in 720p, I use them in 1080i on both my displays. Does it offer higher image quality... doesn't hurt it though.
Rohit Kapur @ Nov 17th 2006 5:51AM
Hey guys. I was reading an article over at Wired yesterday and they had a link to a list of PS2 games currently supported by the PS3. Here you go:
http://www.jp.playstation.com/ps3/status/
Tidy Boy @ Nov 17th 2006 8:08AM
Chris,
Your TV is telling you the resolution of it's input signal, nothing more. If this is different from the TV's native resolution then the TV has had to scale it to fit the display in full screen, if the TV didn't do this then the image would either be a box in the middle of the screen or be too large to fit in the screen, depending on the difference in resolution. If the image was upscaled externally then the TV would show 1080 as the input resolution and you would know the TV hasn't had to do any up/downscaling.
You seem to have based you entire arguement on what you TV says in the top left corner without fully understanding what it is actually telling you.
Aaron and wizbone are also correct in saying it really doesn't matter anyway, it's all a load of hype and doesn't make much difference to the picture quality, if you want HD quality get HD content.
John @ Nov 17th 2006 5:09PM
Looking at the size of Chris's post he must feel very passionately about this...that or his seriously compensating for something. If it makes u feel you better, go home right now and give that toshiba dvd player, samsung dvd player, microsoft xbox 360 and any other electronic appliance you might have good ol hug. Listen real hard and they mite say i love you back.
JLL @ Nov 17th 2006 7:41AM
"I find it funny that you say I'm totally wrong, when you're totally disregarding the fact that an HD set can still display a 480p signal without upconverting the signal."
If it's a plasma or an lcd the tv has a physical resolution, and every signal will be scaled to that resolution. Is it a CRT you have?
chris @ Nov 17th 2006 10:54AM
@tidy
"Aaron and wizbone are also correct in saying it really doesn't matter anyway, it's all a load of hype and doesn't make much difference to the picture quality, if you want HD quality get HD content."
Maybe you should read my statement again tidy. As I seem to recall me saying "By the way I know that upconverting a dvd to 1080 won't make it look as good as say... an HD DVD player, that might be why I actually own a toshiba HD DVD player!" Thanks for sharing though. Good job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wild Homes @ Nov 17th 2006 12:32PM
the problem, Yem, is this: while either your television or your console could potentially upscale the signal, it's more likely that the console would do a better job (than the display, not necessarily a better job than a dedicated receiver with a great scaling chip) because it can run more sophisticated scaling algorithms on a far more powerful processing core (the 360's Xenon GPU or the PS3's slighty less capable RSX). and if the PS3 is going to downscale the signal to 480p and your display is then going to upscale it to 1080i, you're going to suffer from having two lossy conversions going on. it's a copy of a copy of a copy, you know?
I presume a firmware update will fix this problem very quickly. it's just a giant oversight on Sony's part. and while 'upconversion' is indeed a buzzword, it's also a very legitimate sales point. the 360 can upconvert games (Xbox and 360) and DVD films to 720p, 1080i, and 1080p (1080p if you spring for the VGA cables) and the results are very nice because ATI built the Xenon GPU to upconvert very efficiently. the DVD picture doesn't equal that of a HD-DVD or second gen Blu-Ray (using VC-1) but it's a very dramatic improvement over the normal EDTV resolution.