A comparison of PS3 and 360 as media players

[BadTB25]

I just spent the last 2-3 hours trying to get into the UFC app for 141. What a waste of time.
App wouldn't load and when it finally did it wouldn't let you get in on the main event despite the 5000 free tickets that were just released.

For those that did get in, it seems that the stream varied from HD to SD to being cut out of the stream completely. Very very disappointed in this one.

Hopefully the app will allow you to watch it later for free in say maybe a weeks time or so.

 

[AzBat]

I got in in on event 140 since I was on the beta. Stayed in HD for the whole event. And yes, you can watch the event for a period of 24hrs after the event originally aired. I thought it was pretty cool for what it was. But remember I don't have cable or satellite TV service. BTW, I didn't get into 141 since I tried too late, but I would still try it again.

Tommy McClain

 

[joker454]

1920x1080 60p 28mbps playback on ps3 possible?

Anyone know if the ps3 can play back 1920x1080 60p 28mbps video files created by some of Sony's newer video cameras like the cx560v? I want to copy such video files from the camera and burn them to a blank bluray (no re-encoding, just copying the raw video files) to send back to a relative that has a ps3, but I'm not sure if the ps3 can play those files back without stutters or if it even supports that format. Has anyone tried it?

 

[archie4oz]

What format are the video files in (codec container)? I'm assuming h.264/AVCHD in m2ts containers? If that's the case it should, the system can support playing back h.264 up to 40mbps concurrently with a second SD stream, and can render 24fps @60fps. Why don't you just copy of couple of clips directly to the PS3 via USB and see if they playback?

 

[Arwin]

You may need the Filmy app, not entirely sure. I don't have a bluray burner to test.

 

[joker454]

What format are the video files in (codec container)? I'm assuming h.264/AVCHD in m2ts containers? If that's the case it should, the system can support playing back h.264 up to 40mbps concurrently with a second SD stream, and can render 24fps @60fps. Why don't you just copy of couple of clips directly to the PS3 via USB and see if they playback?

Yeah they are h264/avchd in mts container. I don't have a ps3 anymore to test it myself, and my relative is in Canada so a bit of a ways away to test at his place. I wasn't sure if it would work because 1920x1080 60p at 28mbps isn't part of the blu-ray or avchd official specs as far as I know. I know those files don't work in many video editing apps as well for the same reason, although they are supposed to work in Sony's Vegas Pro, they patched it to support them in 10.0d. I figure they patched the ps3 as well to support them, but was curious if anyone had tried it to be sure.

 

[Npl]

it works if you connect the camera directly to the PS3.
I tried burning an AVCHD disc a few times and the PS3 never did recognise it as such, but I could manually navigate to the mts files and play them.

one of my videos says this (video is 25-26Mbps)

Video: MPEG4 Video (H264) 1920x1080 59.94fps [Video - AVC (H.264), High Profile, Level 4.2, 1920x1080, 59.940 fps (1011,e0,00)]
Audio: Dolby AC3 48000Hz stereo 256kbps [Audio - Dolby Digital, 48.0 kHz, 2 chn, 256.0 kbit/s (1100,fd,00)]
Subtitle [No subtitle]

just tested again to be sure, works even over the network, so you should be fine. Some time back, things went messy when I tried to play the same stream muxed into mp4 containers, and I was never able to create an AVCHD DVD that worked. just putting the files on a DVD/BD-ROM shoudl be your best bet

 

[joker454]

Cool that's what I was looking for, if they play from the connected camera then it's probably fine. Thanks!

 

[djskribbles]

Download mediainfo and check the specs of the video as that is ultimately what it depends on, not so much the bitrate/resolution/framerate etc. There are specifications that the video must comply to and simply being h264/avc isn't all that matters. I don't know the full list of specs that the ps3 can play, but I think it has to be no higher than high profile 4.x and if it's full 1920x1080, it can have no more than 4 reference frames.

If you want, you can take a small sample of the video and upload it to a file sharing site and maybe someone here will be kind enough to test it for you.
edit: Forgot that the ps3 doesn't play mkvs so mkvmerge/toonix won't work. TSSniper or TSRemux should work though.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

It certainly supports 28 Mbps 1080p50 from my Sony (which is 1440x1080p in actuality, so not exactly the same). If you can upload a short couple-of-seconds clip, I can always give it a go for you.

 

[joker454]

It certainly supports 28 Mbps 1080p50 from my Sony (which is 1440x1080p in actuality, so not exactly the same). If you can upload a short couple-of-seconds clip, I can always give it a go for you.

Much appreciated, but looks like it's all cool from Npl's post. Pretty neat that the ps3 can just play them raw.

 

[patsu]

If this is accurate, you may be able to edit AVCHD videos on PS3 soon:
http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/08/PlayMemories-studio-ps3-video-editor-leaked-at-CES/

The current PlayMemories app handles panoramic photos, 3D photos, and multi-angle photos on digital cameras. PlayMemories Studio seems to add video viewing and editing capabilities.

Sony should really add RemotePlay support to apps so that people can use them on PC/Mac, tablets, etc.

I doubt people will edit videos using DS3 in the living room.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Much appreciated, but looks like it's all cool from Npl's post. Pretty neat that the ps3 can just play them raw.

Yep, although it's a bit awkward. I can play the AVC's straight from the camcorder, but chapter skip to the next video only works every second movie or something odd, and there's no Square button option to spin through. Using the video app let's you view the files properly, but it seems an unnecessary £4 for features that really should be integrated with the system as a movie player. PS3 as a camcorder video player is slightly different an experience to PS3 as a movie player. I don't know how it handles the files different from other media sources though (NAS), and played as local files of course it'll be well behaved.

 

[jonabbey]

Eurogamer on the recent nerfing of 1080p video in the 360's Metro update:

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-what-went-wrong-with-the-360-dash

 

[patsu]

Yep, although it's a bit awkward. I can play the AVC's straight from the camcorder, but chapter skip to the next video only works every second movie or something odd, and there's no Square button option to spin through. Using the video app let's you view the files properly, but it seems an unnecessary £4 for features that really should be integrated with the system as a movie player. PS3 as a camcorder video player is slightly different an experience to PS3 as a movie player. I don't know how it handles the files different from other media sources though (NAS), and played as local files of course it'll be well behaved.

Chapter should be a meta-data (chapter atom) in the AVC video. It marks the chapters in a video. The "chapter skip to next video" feature should not be a standard behavior. It's probably an application feature for advancing to the next video using the "NEXT" button.

In any case, we indeed have a hodge-podge of media management apps on PS3.

XMB has a built-in Video Editor and Upload (to Youtube). The built-in XMB Photo Gallery app has a flexible (but kinda clumsy) UI with FaceBook integration.

PSEye introduced EyeCreate (like PhotoBooth on the Mac).

Filmy is a $5 app for managing your own videos, but present them on a globe (for categorizing based on geography).

PlayMemories app deals mostly with special photos (3D, panoramic, multi-angle), but presents them on a calendar/timeline.

PlayMemories Studio may be another one (or an upgraded PlayMemories app) for editing videos, which also allows upload to FaceBook (?).

8^O

 

[joker454]

I just realized I should made made my post in the existing 360+ps3 as media centers thread...maybe move all this in there?

 

[patsu]

Netflix launches UK film and TV streaming service
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16467432

I believe NetFlix apps for PS360 and other devices should be usable in UK and Ireland now.


Lovefilm counter Netflix appearance with subs discount
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/lovefilm-counter-netflix-appearance-with-subs-discount/089482

Just hours after streaming film service Netflix launched on both PS3 and Xbox 360 in the UK, rival Lovefilm has reduced the price of its service to undercut it.

As of today a Lovefilm account costs just £4.99 a month in the UK. Before the cut it cost £5.99 – the same price that Netflix went live with this morning.

...

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Haven't looked at Netflix, but according to a few comments on Eurogamer, their streaming library on PS3 is very limited, same as LoveFilm. Neither sounds worth it really, although with LoveFilm you have the postal rentals as well for access to the full catalogue.

 

[AlphaWolf]

The netflix library is analogous to region not platform. My xbox 360 has the same netflix titles available as my pc which is the same as my friends ps3.

 

[patsu]

They say they will add new titles weekly.

I was going to ask if NetFlix also set up BR/DVD rental service. Probably not.

I gave in and bought ET on DVD last month. Can't find the movie on any streaming service or Blu-ray. So yes, in the mean time, Lovefilm also has the library advantage if they pack physical media and digital together.


EDIT:
NetFlix has mindshare and volume advantages...

Netflix Streams 2 Billion Hours of Content in Fourth Quarter- Beats out FX, MTV, CNN and More in Viewing Hours
http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/s...out_FX_MTV_CNN_and_More_in_Viewing_Hours/8454

Analysts say Netflix viewing habits would make it the 15th largest TV network in the country.
It's comparing apples to oranges of course, but analysts say that the viewing numbers that Netflix brings in are enough to make it the 15th largest TV network in the U.S. With 2 billion viewing hours, it surpasses popular cable channels like FX and MTV while more than doubling the numbers for CNN and The Discovery Channel.

In homes equipped with Netflix, it's the second most watched source, right behind CBS. Perhaps even more interesting is the fact that Netflix subscribers spend a majority of their time watching TV content - around 60 percent.

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