A comparison of PS3 and 360 as media players

[AntShaw]

The app has been on iPhone app store for some time already, but I haven't been able to pair it with PS3, don't know if it works with any BR player yet.

Which app are you using?

I've found:

BD Touch Remote by BD Touch - Uses BD Touch feature on BR discs.
BD Remote by Sonorian Blue (This is in patsu's link) - Works with "select" Sony devices. Couldn't confirm PS3.

 

[rabidrabbit]

The BD Remote by Sonorian Blue.

 

[Arwin]

The BD Remote by Sonorian Blue.

I tried it with the PS3, but it doesn't seem to work. I think this is because the PS3 doesn't support this new(?) protocol yet, but it may well learn to do so in a next firmware update. I could hook up the iPod with the PS3 no problem, but then I couldn't register the PS3 as a player on the iPod in the application or vice versa. In the PS3 screen it says press START+NEXT or something on the remote, on the iPod it says register device, but at this point they don't find each other.

One negative I found about this application is that it insists on having WiFi on as well as Bluetooth, which I find a tad odd.

 

[rabidrabbit]

I tried it with the PS3, but it doesn't seem to work. I think this is because the PS3 doesn't support this new(?) protocol yet, but it may well learn to do so in a next firmware update. I could hook up the iPod with the PS3 no problem, but then I couldn't register the PS3 as a player on the iPod in the application or vice versa. In the PS3 screen it says press START+NEXT or something on the remote, on the iPod it says register device, but at this point they don't find each other.

One negative I found about this application is that it insists on having WiFi on as well as Bluetooth, which I find a tad odd.

I can't pair the iPhone with PS3 at all, not that it'd be much use even if I could...
The WiFi part might be for retrieving movie data to the iPhone.

 

[AzBat]

Anybody have a different solution for Hulu on Xbox 360. Thinking that the shipped might have finally sailed on PlayOn & Hulu. 11 months for $30? totally worth it, but I don't think there's much fun left to be had.

Tommy McClain

 

[BRiT]

TVersity (Pro?) has some Hulu support for xbox360, though I think it's the same price as PlayOn. Though there was a PlayOn for $5 if you signed up for at least 1 month GameFly subscription deal going on.

 

[AzBat]

TVersity (Pro?) has some Hulu support for xbox360, though I think it's the same price as PlayOn. Though there was a PlayOn for $5 if you signed up for at least 1 month GameFly subscription deal going on.

I'll check into TVersity. Can't be any worse than what I got with PlayOn at the moment.

Tommy McClain

 

[patsu]

I tried it with the PS3, but it doesn't seem to work. I think this is because the PS3 doesn't support this new(?) protocol yet, but it may well learn to do so in a next firmware update. I could hook up the iPod with the PS3 no problem, but then I couldn't register the PS3 as a player on the iPod in the application or vice versa. In the PS3 screen it says press START+NEXT or something on the remote, on the iPod it says register device, but at this point they don't find each other.

According to the Engadget article, they demoed PS3 and BD Remote connectivity in CES 2010. May be they will release an update later.

Did you guys turn on Bluetooth on your iPhone. I think it might be off by default.

EDIT:
Oh wait, they demoed something else in CES 2010. The Sonoran BD Remote does not support PS3 yet. The BD Touch iPhone/iPod Touch app from Net Blender does.

EDIT 2:

I'll check into TVersity. Can't be any worse than what I got with PlayOn at the moment.

PS3 Media Server should work for Xbox 360 also.

Ah, I was just thinking about what happened to the thing that was being developed last year to control the PS3 with an iPhone/iPod ... so looks like we're getting something official instead. Neat!

BD Touch has been around longer. They should totally add gesture control to iPhone remotes. It should be possible to support natural interface for common functions (like pause and play).

The more interesting app was the seamless "throwing" of media between PSP and PS3/Bravia (You could drag a playing PSP movie and "throw" it at your HD TV to move the movie playback there. The movie continued where it left off on the PSP. Sony hasn't said anything since then.

 

[AntShaw]

EDIT:
Oh wait, they demoed something else in CES 2010. The Sonoran BD Remote does not support PS3 yet. The BD Touch iPhone/iPod Touch app from Net Blender does.

Right, the BR disc needs to support BD Touch. How widespread is this? I checked my titles and none had it. Granted they were all 2 years old.

 

[Arwin]

Right, the BR disc needs to support BD Touch. How widespread is this? I checked my titles and none had it. Granted they were all 2 years old.

That's how I read it initially also, but actually it seems that it should work regardless ... I'll test if this is correct when I get home.

BD Touch-enabled Blu-ray players enable BD Touch features on all Blu-ray discs, whether or not the disc includes BD-J. Integrating BD Touch on a Blu-ray Player also enables Web 2.0 type features that work independently of any discs.

Requirements
BD Touch requires a BD-Live (Profile 2.0) Blu-ray Player, a wireless router on the network, a wi-fi enabled device with the free BD Touch app installed! Please see our FAQ for a list of compatible Blu-ray Disc players.

 

[patsu]

Looks like NetBlender has improved BD Touch . I believe it only worked for selected movies initially.

Still... I think BDA is missing a big opportunity for Blu-ray App Store. At least some sort of BD-Live application profile and library should be standardized.

 

[patsu]

On-going dances between NetFlix and the studios:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/disney-renegotiating-starz-deal-might-pull-movies-from-netflix/

Looks like the movie studios are beginning to realize that Netflix is racing away with the streaming market, and things are starting to change fast: hot on the heels of Warner forcing Netflix to accept delayed DVD rentals in exchange for better streaming terms, Disney and Starz are reportedly renegotiating their deal, and blocking Netflix is one of the terms.

...

 

[patsu]

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=4093

As a part of the earnings conference call for the fourth quarter of 2009, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings announced: "Now over 10% of our subscribers are Blu-ray enabled." In other words, over 1.2 million Netflix subscribers now pay the $1-$9 Blu-ray access charge over their monthly subscription rate. This represents over 70% growth year-on-year, despite the 20% rate increase during 2009.

 

[patsu]

Slingbox DVR streaming due for PS3, says Sling Media VP

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/28/slingbox-dvr-streaming-coming-to-ps3-says-sling-media-vp/

The interview starts at about 33 minutes into episode 629, and in his chat with Leo at 33:35, Tannenbaum mentions that the Slingbox software allows you to stream DVR content to anywhere in the world, including "your phone, your laptop, and soon to even the PlayS -- uh, PS3." Leo responds the same way we would, with an incredulous, "Really?" And Tannenbaum answers in the affirmative.

there's no word yet of how the software would be delivered to the PS3 (on a disk like the Netflix app, or via a purchased program like the $30 iPhone app), but eventually you'll be able to watch your Slingbox media, even in 1080i, as Tannenbaum says later in the interview

 

[patsu]

Buffalo announced 500Gb PS3 HDD:
http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2010/02/02/buffalo_500_gig_hard_drive/

Both drives have 500GB capacity and connect to the PS3 via an included USB 2.0 cable. The ¥14,800 Piano Black HD-AV500U2/SC sits horizontally and has a meter on its front showing remaining space. The ¥11,800 Black HD-CL500U2/SC stands vertically but lacks the meter.

As with any licensed peripheral, official licensing here means that the devices meet certain qualifications stipulated by Sony. They're both pre-formatted in a FAT32 format, allowing for immediate connection to the PS3. In addition to being used as an external recording device for Torne, the drives can also be used for backup and restore of the PS3's internal hard drive, and for saving and playback of videos, pictures and music.

Tornei is said to accept 8 external HDDs. Press release here: http://buffalo.jp/products/new/2010/001080.html

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Doesn't FAT32 limit the maximum individual file size to something not media friendly?

 

[AntShaw]

Doesn't FAT32 limit the maximum individual file size to something not media friendly?

4GB. Yes. Very frustrating. If someone has found a way to overcome this that doesn't involve streaming. Please let me know.

 

[patsu]

I heard it's possible for Torne to record 6Gb TV programs. In which case, they may split the recording into 2 files and chain the playback automatically ? No idea how they are going to handle rewind. We should be getting review impressions.

 

[Nesh]

Doesn't FAT32 limit the maximum individual file size to something not media friendly?

Does the PS3 reformat the disk to something else other than FAT 32 allowing it for bigger files?

 

[holsty101]

Not for external drives Nesh, it's the internals that have proprietary format.