Sony's PS3 download plans?

[Diamond.G]

I think WMV should stay on the windows platform and the 360 as well as Quicktime. I want MPEG on the PS3 in every shade that has been made and will be made, be it MPHOLO1 or MPEG1. Windows media and Quicktime is bastard formats created by Companies to keep lock on their users to their platform.

To my surprise my collection of Music videos turned out to be primarily MPEG so i´m happy. The fight right now is getting the few .AVI files turned into MP4 in the most quality sustaining and space saving way
I will turn my PS3 into the Center for my media stuff and thanks to AAC/MP4/MPEG2 the stuff can be played cross platform as well.

In regards to filesizes, i think one of the problems might be license cost, and since Microsofts monopoly on the PC requires whatever devices you may use on the PS3 to be supported as well, FAT32 may have been the cheapest way.

NTFS may be considered a server technology with the license cost* to follow.

*
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/cea4b0c4-e2e3-11db-a1c9-000b5df10621.html

AFAIK MP4 and MOV are the same thing (containers for a given codec). WMV is a contaner as well. The codecs that we all shoud care about are VC-1 (used by pretty much all HD-DVD's and all MS Marketplace video media downloads). And H.264 (Used by most Blueray movies and used by all modern QT video files)

Quicktime
MP4 is based on Quicktime
WMV
VC-1 is based on WMV

 

[-tkf-]

The codecs that we all shoud care about are VC-1 (used by pretty much all HD-DVD's and all MS Marketplace video media downloads)

I´m concentrating on the containers and codecs that isn´t platform locked, btw, Quicktime Pro allows you to easily convert .MOV files to .MP4.

 

[Diamond.G]

I´m concentrating on the containers and codecs that isn´t platform locked, btw, Quicktime Pro allows you to easily convert .MOV files to .MP4.

Seems like AVI (container) and Xvid (open source codec) are the least biased choices. Aside from using VLC it seems like the other codecs all have a pseudo platform lock issue.

 

[Rolf N]

Can the XMB in the PS3 only read FAT32 or can it read stuff like ext3 as well?

Doesn't read ext3, neither as a sole primary partition nor as a logical partition. I tried a primary ext2 as well, didn't work either.

When I wanted to try a logical ext2 partition I yanked the cable and the drive flew off its insecure temporary resting place and crashed hard onto the tiled floor. Had real issues ("clickity-clickity-blääääärgh-clickity-scribscrib-click-bläää") afterwards. I was decomissioning it anyway, it sat there while I properly wiped it and I was ready to throw it away, so nothing was really lost, but I couldn't finish that last test.

Oh well. I properly finished the decomissioning process with a 2kg hammer and it's in the bag now.

 

[betan]

Seems like AVI (container) and Xvid (open source codec) are the least biased choices. Aside from using VLC it seems like the other codecs all have a pseudo platform lock issue.

For PS3? Not likely. A legally paranoid company like Sony will never use any patentwise questionable codec without paying to third parties.

mplayer rocks btw.

 

[Diamond.G]

For PS3? Not likely. A legally paranoid company like Sony will never use any patentwise questionable codec without paying to third parties.

mplayer rocks btw.

Soooo, when most questionable media starts showing up as H.264 (aka MP4 for those keeping score) then what? Xvid is open source there are no royalties to pay. And AVI is just a container.

I haven't used mPlayer before, does it allow transcoding (with VLC I can take a wmv and make it a mp4)?

 

[Arwin]

Can the XMB in the PS3 only read FAT32 or can it read stuff like ext3 as well?

I had the same question ... that would be the most sensible thing. Can someone test? It's something I'm considering using as well ...

 

[-tkf-]

I had the same question ... that would be the most sensible thing. Can someone test? It's something I'm considering using as well ...

Only FAT32 so far, max filesize 4GB

Here is a super short rundown of the media stuff most would like to know.

MPEG1+2 works absolutely fucking amazing, best MPEG player i have tried by far!

.VOB files, those i have stumbled into i renamed to .MPG and they worked as well, there are some that are sure to break the player though.

MPEG2 .TS files, you have to run them through VLC (Choose wizard) and repackage them as .PS files and save them with .MPG extension. Or HDTV2MPEG2.

Most will work! some don´t since some captures are crap or were done on capture cards that makes funny file formats, seems like the old Firewire, HDTV , D-VHS story.

H264 .TS files, the new "holy grail" so far the results are mixed and requires more than the average users tools and knowhow to make it work. The technique so far is to demux it in to raw streams and then remux them into a MP4 container, clumsy but it seems to work. I tried taking a .TS files in VLC and via the "Wizard" save it a MP4, to my surprise the sample played, though with weird errors, like 25 frames smooth then one single frame that stuttered. And no sound. But there is hope!

.MOV can be transcode via Quicktime Pro to .MP4

Nero Recode can take most formats and turn them into a MP4 file, just deselect "prediction something" and the PS3 eats it. An update is on the way.

PS3 Video is a super easy (when you learn the interface) way to convert files of many different types, it´s a free Nero Recode with MP4 support and MPEG2. Best way to turn .AVI files into .MP4

AC-3 embedded audio in .TS files etc are downconverted to Stereo btw. Haven´t tried AAC 5.1 yet.

WMA + ATTRAC + AAC + MP3 is your classic Audio Formats.

Pro Hint, Press Triangle over your USB device to see all folders.

So far i´m impressed but i miss Play Lists, Folder mangement (easy enough on the PC though). And did i mention PLAY LISTS!

 

[Jesus2006]

What about networking resources on a PC? Is there any way to stream things from a Windows PC to the PS3? (e.g. treat the Windows PC over WLAN like a USB mass storage device)

 

[-tkf-]

What about networking resources on a PC? Is there any way to stream things from a Windows PC to the PS3? (e.g. treat the Windows PC over WLAN like a USB mass storage device)

Nope requires support for Microsofts Network Protocols with all that requires. Best bet is either a special Sony application aka location free as software or UPNP support.

 

[one]

Xvid is open source there are no royalties to pay.

Not really, it infringes upon MEPG2/MEPG4 patents. That's the reason why it's released only in the source code form from its developer and some rogue users are distributing it in binary. x264 is like that too.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Nope requires support for Microsofts Network Protocols with all that requires. Best bet is either a special Sony application aka location free as software or UPNP support.

PS3's actually quite limited then, what with this and file sizes under 4 GB. .

 

[Arwin]

PS3's actually quite limited then, what with this and file sizes under 4 GB. .

As I was wondering elsewhere, does the PS3 support ext3 on external HDDs? (or whatever Linux' version of NTFS is called ... )

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Will those formats be accessible via PC? A NAT that works with PS3 but doesn't with Windows isn't much user to most people.

 

[Arwin]

Will those formats be accessible via PC? A NAT that works with PS3 but doesn't with Windows isn't much user to most people.

Would be rather weird if people hadn't come across that problem before, eh? So google turned up this:

http://www.rtfm-ed.co.uk/?p=235

Which links to this:

http://www.fs-driver.org/index.html

Which allows you to read ext2 and ext3 on windows.

This is a solution I'm looking at also, partly because I would like to share a USB partition with Linux, and have an external HDD to backup my PS3 contents on (so I can install a Linux partition without losing all my previous settings and so on)

 

[-tkf-]

PS3's actually quite limited then, what with this and file sizes under 4 GB. .

File Size on the internal drive is not limited to 4GB, so far there are some crude Web Server solutions to transfer files to the internal drive.

I think Sony will do whatever they can to avoid paying Microsoft License fees, and i fully support them. As long as they can come up with something that works

 

[Shifty Geezer]

File Size on the internal drive is not limited to 4GB, so far there are some crude Web Server solutions to transfer files to the internal drive.

I appreciate that. But if you want a central store of 250 GB filled with ripped DVDs to transmit around your home, PS3 isn't going to interact nicely with that. It'll need some jiggery-pokery, which means hassle for technophobes - not what's wanted.

 

[patsu]

-tkf- have you tried 3GPP on PS3 ?

As for its ability to take FAT32 USB drive only... yeah I hate it too. I hope we can use other file system in the future.

The other way is to go the network file server route (via DLNA, WebDAV or any file server protocol).

I transferred my music and family photos/videos to my PS3 using a USB thumbdrive and it was a pain.

 

[Diamond.G]

Not really, it infringes upon MEPG2/MEPG4 patents. That's the reason why it's released only in the source code form from its developer and some rogue users are distributing it in binary. x264 is like that too.

Ah, I never put 2 and 2 together... I guess it stands to reason that Sony only supports the few codecs that they do due to licensing. Not piracy (otherwise no one would support mp3's). Has Sony mentioned when it would provide support for playing music off an iPod yet?

-tkf- have you tried 3GPP on PS3 ?

As for its ability to take FAT32 USB drive only... yeah I hate it too. I hope we can use other file system in the future.

The other way is to go the network file server route (via DLNA, WebDAV or any file server protocol).

I transferred my music and family photos/videos to my PS3 using a USB thumbdrive and it was a pain.

Does the PS3 not recognise SMB shares? SMB is pretty universal, everyone supports it more or less. Well at least when I am connecting to my 2k3 Server from my Mac I don't have to do anything special, I can even write to the share (as it is presented as SMB not NTFS and windows takes care of everything else in the background). Most NAS's I have seen should support SMB.

 

[patsu]

Does the PS3 not recognise SMB shares? SMB is pretty universal, everyone supports it more or less. Well at least when I am connecting to my 2k3 Server from my Mac I don't have to do anything special, I can even write to the share (as it is presented as SMB not NTFS and windows takes care of everything else in the background). Most NAS's I have seen should support SMB.

Nope ! I don't know what their plan is at the moment.

Has anyone tried installing Linux in the same partition as the Game OS ? I am under the impression that 1.6 allows that. If so, this may be another way. If not, what exactly did 1.6 enhanced regarding Other-OS installation ?