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How about some multimedia details on the PS3?

Nick Doerr
Updated ·2 min read

Borrowing from the multimedia division of Impress Watch, IGN has helped us put together some multimedia playback details about the PS3. We'll outline it below, but feel free to check out the original article in its full glory.

  • You can choose your display setting! Choose from Component/D-cable, Composite/S-video, or AV Multi/SCART! The selections come with pictures so those not experienced in cable selection know what they have.

  • You can also choose your own resolution, if you'd rather not let the PS3 do it for you. Change it between 480p, 1080i, 720p, 1080p, or the mysterious "custom" option.

  • Audio junkie? Choose from "Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1 and AAC, as well as Linear PCM with 2ch, 5.1ch and 7.1ch available in 44.1kHz, 88.2kHz, 48kHz and 192kHz." Hey, you can also select from HDMI, optical, and AV Multi as your audio cable of choice.

  • Blu-ray playback is straightforward -- choose the BD/DVD option and select your default language/subtitles. If you've used the PSP or a Japanese Playstation system, you know the drill.

  • Blu-ray movie load times? Fast. About 10 seconds from selecting it from the XMB's video section.

  • You can also playback video directly from the PS3 hard drive. Impress reported playing a 1920x1080 MPEG2. It's not certain yet that we'll be able to playback VC-1 and H.264 from the hard drive. But these are playable from Blu-ray discs. Hmm.

  • You can rip CD's to MP3, AAC, and ATRAC3 formats, with bit rates up to 352kb/s. The PS3 will, naturally, go online and get track information from the AMG music database.

  • The PS3 "can play back external files. By connecting a PSP to the PS3 via USB, the music, movies and images that are on the Memory Stick loaded into the PSP become accessible from the video, music and photo menus on the PS3. It's unclear if this is the case when the two systems are communicating via Wi-Fi."

  • Mystery #1: "Remote Play". Hypothesis so far: playback movies and music on your PS3 that are on the PSP.

  • Mystery #2: "Other System Install". No idea. Linux?

That's about it! What do you guys think? Some good, technical information here, huh? Yeah?

[oh, by the way, we've received a lot of tips from you guys, and we'll be sure to report them as soon as we can. We're just kind of stretched for time currently! Promise we'll have a "fanboy tip" day soon.]