Engadget: Some interesting facts about the PS3

jamesnmandy said:
because believe it or not, a HDTV can be used for things other than playing games **gasp!! **....i know, i know, it's hard to believe, but yes, displays of all types can be used to watch TV, HDTV (if it's a HDTV monitor), HDDVD's, etc..........and it's a ton more appealing when you invite a few guests for everyone to gather around the 50" HDTV in the living room for some movies or games than it is to expect them to gather around the 26" computer monitor

i guess if you are a single guy with limited income and a small'ish PC monitor floats your boat, fine, but i do also know you can get a nice HDTV for the same price as a PS3 and an extra controller and a few games and such, and i just think one would logically get the HDTV, be able to enjoy HD content in all forms, on a larger screen, in more comfort, and then really get the goody out of a PS3
Click to expand...

Clearly, some people have made the decision that they'd rather have a PS3 and run it through their monitor than buy a HDTV with the money instead (and go without a PS3 for however many months or years). It seems strange to come into a console gaming forum and tell people that they should prioritise getting an expensive general home entertainment display above getting the latest games console.

Some people really like video games, and prioritise having the latest games system over having a big tv to put in their living room (for everyone else to use too).
 
barnak said:
I have a great monitor. I dont see the need for spending 1000 bucks or more for when my monitor can play games great.

Bleh
Click to expand...

Sony shipped a VGA cable for the PS2. You might be able to use one of those, assuming your monitor supports sync-on-green.
 
Not supporting VGA is piss-poor. If I interpret this correctly... if you want 1080p, you need a HDMI set now?

I'm another one in the shafted basket. I have a 24" LCD which supports VGA, DVI and component input. I have a 78cm CRT HDTV set which supports 1080i over VGA and component. I was planning on having it go through a VGA splitter to both, with me sitting on the couch for 1080i games and below, and 1080p games on my new monitor.

Now I have people on forums being condescending because I should be able to afford ANOTHER 1080i/p device, this time with HDMI input? Spare me.
 
Tap In said:
so, I'm reading you can technically swap it out but they don't recommend it nor support the idea.
Click to expand...
I know, my argument was that it was supported by Sony. They have been supporting the idea for a while, it would be very odd if it voided your warranty.
AntShaw said:
They already have those.

You can easily get one for $200US. Also take into account the quality loss due to DAC.
Click to expand...

HDMI to DVI adaptors cost $200? news to me
 
barnak said:
The lack of VGA !!! :(
Click to expand...

One of my next gen requirements :cry:

jamesnmandy said:
if you can afford a $600 console + games + 1 extra controller, you can afford a HDTV with HDMI and/or Component inputs
Click to expand...

So if I can save $560 for a PS3 and Motorstorm, I should have a nice $1,300 laying around for a 37" + HDTV?

Reality Check: Not all gamers have infinite funds. Some of us it is a hobby, but a budgeted one.

i think you have the cart before the horse, an HDTV would give you much more everyday use than a PS3, and then you would be getting the goody out of the PS3 when you get it
Click to expand...

I don't want TV (at all!), don't even own a TV, so buying an HDTV is a wasted extra expense I would get absolutely no extra use from.

The real point, though, is meeting user needs. A LOT of consumers don't have HDTVs. Deal with it. A LOT of consumers do have a nice HD device in their home though... a PC Monitor. Not ideal for many, but for many in dorms or setups already using nice LCDs, then it works. I know a lot of people who opted for large widescreen LCDs with Component instead of getting a large HDTV. Why? Because they spend a ton of time on the PC/Office/Den. Upgrading the PC with a dual use MONITOR-hdtv was more cost effective than monitory-HDTV.

Kudos to Sony for KB/MS support (games please!!), but bleh for no VGA. Kudos to MS for VGA, bleh for some games not working quite right and no KB/MS in any game.

Honestly, with all the fits these two have made in terms of offering new technologies "some" consumers "may" want at some point in the future, I don't see how such LITTLE things consumers already do use and want get overlooked because they are not a universal need. But it all falls back to corperate strategy and how they can invest resources to accent the propositions they feel result in the greatest marketshare.

For me, personally, VGA support (and properly display; i.e. a 1280x720 image needs to be letterboxed into a 1280x1024 signal /or/ worse case squash the signal manually) is a manditory feature. I have 4 nice monitors in my office (21" Sony Trinitron CRT, 19" Samsung CRT, and 2 19" LCDs), 3 on my work PCs, and 1 (the 21") is hooked to my little GCN just DIEING for a next gen console to hook up with.

Sony has 12 months to solve this problem :p KB/MS, Online, and software library are all shaping up it seems.
 
The VGA issue seems to be getting the most concern right now, but does "no VGA support" mean anything but lacking a directly-sold cord, though? What's to stop anyone from getting a HDMI-to-DVI cable (or cheaper adaptor and use a DVI cable that's already lying around) and tossing on a DVI-to-VGA adaptor as needed?

I wouldn't be all in one neat package, but we're still only talking about $50 in parts here, which is basically in line with the single HD/AV cable options being used all around.

Why are people looking for ONLY a direct HDMI-to-VGA or multi-out-to-VGA option? HDMI-to-DVI is trivial. DVI-to-VGA is trivial.

Boom-shakka-lakka?

They'd be smarter to support it, but unless things will be totally out-of-whack in the games, why is this an issue? There is no problem, hardware wise. (You just have to know what you're doing slightly more and can't buy only one part from GameStop. ;) ) At least for the moment.

From the interface videos we've been seeing so far, they show you able to select whatever the heck resolution your display's "max" is, so...

Am I missing something here?
 
cthellis42 said:
The VGA issue seems to be getting the most concern right now, but does "no VGA support" mean anything but lacking a directly-sold cord, though? What's to stop anyone from getting a HDMI-to-DVI cable (or cheaper adaptor and use a DVI cable that's already lying around) and tossing on a DVI-to-VGA adaptor as needed?
Click to expand...

Not really sure. Sounds like sony has no plans to offer a VGA cable. For what it's worth, they never really did for the PS2 either, but IIRC the linux kit for the PS2 came with a vga cable. Not sure how that would work with the ps3, or if you can even buy it individually. Maybe a third party cable comes along that would be unofficially be supported. It will be interesting to see how a hdmi-->DVI adaptor works out (or if it even works at all).
 
That's what I'm talking about. They never really released a VGA cable before (nor, to my knowledge, has anyone officially released a VGA cable but for the 360), but those with even a minimal technical interest and know-how knew where to pick one up.

As long as the firmware on the PS3 itself doesn't hurt you (and to my knowledge they're offering any number of resolutions--widescreen and normal--to be the "aim point;" we just need to know how it handles), this just means you get a cable and an adaptor. Ooooo-OOOOH! Someone's going to package THAT even if they don't bother constructing their own. ;)

Heck, if you go here you'd end up paying a LOT less than buying any single "officially released" cord, too! ;)
 
Yeah, it will be interesting to see how some unofficial and third party alternatives work out. And kudos for the monoprice link, it's where I plan on getting my hdmi cables from (and all cables from now on for that matter :)).
 
jamesnmandy said:
if you can afford a $600 console + games + 1 extra controller, you can afford a HDTV with HDMI and/or Component inputs

i think you have the cart before the horse, an HDTV would give you much more everyday use than a PS3, and then you would be getting the goody out of the PS3 when you get it
Click to expand...

How would it give me more everyday use than PS3? The TV signals here aren't even 720p yet. Movies would support it but I'm not that big fan of renting movies everyday or have I ever even considered buying DVD's so far.

I was planning to plug my PS3 on my PC monitor but I guess I can't do it? :(
 
Hmmm... we may have a way out of this. As far as I'm aware the multi-out on the PS3 is the same as the one on the PS2, and recently the guys behind the new Xploder software said they would be releasing a PS2 vga cable. If they go through with it, things may work out quite nicely.
 
Bad_Boy said:
And kudos for the monoprice link, it's where I plan on getting my hdmi cables from (and all cables from now on for that matter :)).
Click to expand...
I spread the wealth. ^_^ I'm not sure who listed the website before, but I only found out about Monoprice on here, too. Nifty site.
 
Outputting from the console in native VGA, like Dreamcast did, and also with simultaneous non-interlaced and interlaced signals, like Dreamcast also did, would make video configuration much easier for both the users and developers.
 
cthellis42 said:
Why are people looking for ONLY a direct HDMI-to-VGA or multi-out-to-VGA option? HDMI-to-DVI is trivial. DVI-to-VGA is trivial.
Click to expand...

Not really. One of the DVI flavours is VGA compatible, but you'll be needing a (Digtal > Analog) converter (aka $$$) for the trick you describe.

You can not pull this off with a simple genderchangerconversionplugthingy. If you know what I mean. ;)
 
Tap In said:
sorry but that assumption is inconclusive based on that data.
Click to expand...

The data might be wrong, but what you call an assumption is implied by the data. I'm not that good with English but I would say it is a conclusion fully based on the data.
 
cthellis42 said:
Why are people looking for ONLY a direct HDMI-to-VGA or multi-out-to-VGA option? HDMI-to-DVI is trivial. DVI-to-VGA is trivial.

<snip>
Am I missing something here?
Click to expand...
Yes because it won't work. There are multiple DVI types, DVI-D (Digitial), DVI-A (Analog) and DVI-I (Digitial and Analog) most PC cards output use DVI-I which is why you can add a DVI->VGA adaptor and its works. HDMI is digital only, so at least the reasonable priced HDMI->DVI cables are actualy HDMI->DVI-D and so a DVI-A/DVI-I->VGA adaptor won't work. A HDMI->VGA adaptor is actually a digital to analog convertor box and are not cheap.

There is also an issue of resolution and timings...
 
barnak said:
There are currently no plans for VGA out on the PlayStation3.
Click to expand...

HDMI > DVI adaptors are cheap [20-40$].
Im more interested in fact that you can send only text messages to other users... Well, firmware updates will fix most of innitial problems.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Cyan
AI Chatbot talks about relative console powers *spawn
Replies
8
Views
2K
Nesh
N
B
Xbox leadership and the Xbox brand evaluation *spawn
10 11 12
Replies
223
Views
19K
cheapchips
C
T
Valve's future console plans
2 3
Replies
57
Views
6K
tuna
T
B
Microsoft is reportedly subsidizing $100-200 per Xbox while Sony started breaking even more than a year ago, help me understand
2 3
Replies
54
Views
7K
Nesh
N
D
Video Game Console Cooling - A Hot Topic (pun kind of intended).
Replies
14
Views
3K
Shifty Geezer
Shifty Geezer
Back
Top