Should I buy the 20GB model or the 60GB model?

[Breath of Fire]

I have a question for you should I buy the 20GB PS3 or the 60GB. I have a HDTV that supports 720p as a max, it has HDMI. I have a few extra SATA hard disks and USB drives so space is not an issue. I read somewhere that the 20GB model doesn't have an HDMI plug though. My HDTV has componate jacks but i think i heard HDMI is better quality and I don't want to not have HDMI so my question is

Does the 20GB model have an HDMI port?
Can I still play Blu-ray movies on my HDTV because I heard they only support 1080p.

someone please help me out here

[Lachlan]

Both the 60GB and the 20GB models have HDMI as a standard, Blu Ray movies will ONLY play at 1080p via HDMI, they can play at lower resolutions.

I went and bought a Jpn 20GB PS3 a few days ago and I should have it in 4-5 days from now, the 60GB ver is only good if you need wireless and card readers.

[messiahfan2003]

You can get HDMI cables online for really cheap at monoprice.com or other online sites. If you want the wireless internet and the card readers then get the 60 GB model. Also the HDD is upgradeable. I plan on doing that to my future ps3 someday. Also its good if you like the chrome faceplate. I hope this helps.

[fore1337]

I believe both models have HDMI output. Both models support 1080p output (just like the xbx360).

There really isn't a reason to wait for a 60gb version when you can get the cheaper one, and for an extra $90, throw in a 120GB HDD From Newegg (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822149057) ...IMHO the $599 ps3 is a silly option. (unless you're nutty for wifi)

A bunch of us have wired ethernet in our homes, so the wifi is a moot point.

One aspect of the 60gb version I find interesting is...
If someone comes out with a memory card based exploit, everyone with the 20gb version are SOL.

...I'm probably wrong about the exploit aspect, but that's how I understand it. :chinscrat

[Endymion]

Why would only persons with the 60GB model be able to do an exploit?

[Breath of Fire]

The exploit looks like its gonna happen though Yellow Dog Linux 5.0 right now.
Both the 60GB and the 20GB models have HDMI as a standard, Blu Ray movies will ONLY play at 1080p via HDMI, they can play at lower resolutions.

I don't understand what you are saying, I can only play Blu-ray movies on HDMI or do I have to play them through a componate output or what? Or can you only play Blu-ray on HDMI meaning thats the only way 1080p will work?

[Ex-Cyber]

I don't understand what you are saying, I can only play Blu-ray movies on HDMI or do I have to play them through a componate output or what? Or can you only play Blu-ray on HDMI meaning thats the only way 1080p will work?If I understand things correctly, you can play Blu-Ray movies without HDMI, but they'll be downscaled to a lower resolution.

[Lachlan]

That's exactly what I said, HDMI is a digital video/sound output, you can get 1080p through component but the PS3 will only output 1080p Blu Ray movies through the HDMI output.
If you use Component or lower video connections it will be down scaled to either 1080i,720p or 480p depending on your TV.

For those of us with 720p HDTV's it will probably play at 1080i as most 720p tv's also support an upscaled 1080i picture.

Really at the end of the day the 60GB ver is not worth getting unless you need WiFi or card readers, the chrome stripe isnt even worth mentioning to be honest.

[Toma]

As of this moment, the whole deal with ICP and HDMI is non-existent; you can still play full Blu-Ray movies in full resolution (yes, component does 1080P) with component cables. When ICP becomes the standard (and who knows how long before that happens) then you will see movies scaled down using anything other than HDMI.

The 60GB is worth the extra $100; Wifi is an option that you cannot add later on and it's something that everyone will no doubt have a use for. Sure you can sell your 20GB later on and upgrade to a 60GB version, but seems awfully pointless to me; especially when you consider that the launch lineup isn't worth rushing to get the 20GB for and the eventual loss you'll be eating when you resell a unit that no one is going to want later down the road.

[Lachlan]

Just to let you know mate, most people have wired ethernet connections in their homes as opposed to WiFi so really, people who don't use WiFi don't need to spend the extra $100.
Card readers really is for a very niche group, most gamers wont have any use for it as you can buy card readers for PC pretty cheap. Most people that will buy a PS3 will use it for gaming and playing movies. There is a app out already that lets you transfer data from your PC to your PS3's HDD via your network anyway.

Unless you only have WiFi and you NEED a card reader, its $100 more for the same thing. If you don't its throwing money away.
Why would people want to sell their 20GB units for? 60GB units dont change a fucking thing except for some small "extra" things that mostly wont even be used by most gamers.

"it's something that everyone will no doubt have a use for"
You know we can all just buy a wireless PCI card, router/hub or USB wifi adapter and get your WiFi from that. ;)

The fact that the HDD's can be upgraded very very easily is another point against getting the 60GB version, it's just not worth it especially if you're only way of getting a unit is via eBay.

[Breath of Fire]

I have a WiFi connection at home but its slower than using the cable I have done speed tests. It looks like I will be getting the 20GB model the 60GB model seems not a lot better than the 60GB and I wil upgrade the HDD anyway heck I am gonna put a 750GB in there the way things are looking with PS3 game sizes. Whats the difference between 1080p and 1080i? My HDTV support 720p/1080i which one should I select? How do you select HDTV mode in PS3 games?

[Lachlan]

1080p is Progressive 1920x1080
1080i is Interlaced 1920x1080
Both are the same resolution but progressive shows ALL 1080 lines at one time, interlaced shows only half at a time causing fast moving objects to have lines around them.
Interlaced video is good for STILL images but not good for moving images, progressive is what you want to moving images so progressive resolutions are better for games.

You have a 720p native LCD, as do I, 720p looks better than 1080i for games so pick 720p.
In the options on the PS3 you can select what output and resolution to boot in.

[Endymion]

Just to let you know mate, most people have wired ethernet connections in their homes as opposed to WiFi

Where is this backwards-planet you refer to? Most people never bother to screw up their walls to add ethernet to their houses these days when a perfectly good, house-spanning wireless router can be had for less than 20USD.

You know we can all just buy a wireless PCI card, router/hub or USB wifi adapter and get your WiFi from that.

Uhm. Yeah. And then send that wifi signal that you have there to your PS3. See?

[Lachlan]

So essentially what you're trying to tell me is that the MAJORITY of people have WiFi? onboard ethernet is STANDARD with most if not all PC's today, WiFi is not a standard and thus there is more costs involved, what do you think is more practical for the majority that have wired networks?

And uhh you dont exactly need to 'screw up' your walls either, its called laying a cable on the floor. These networks might only be between two rooms or even jsut one room.
Backwards world? they don't use WiFi for servers mate, they use cables.

[Breath of Fire]

Ok 1 more question, I have some 3rd party PS2 component cables that I use currently with my PS2 on my HDTV, can I just use these with the PS3 or should I buy an HDMI cable? I can get a HDMI cable for around $20-$30

[Lachlan]

Component is analouge so the signal will degrade on its way to the TV, HDMI is digital and thus this doesn't happen. HDMI also incorporates digital sound aswell.
HDMI is defnitely reccomended if your TV supports it.

You can use PS2 AV cables on the PS3.

[Toma]

Ok 1 more question, I have some 3rd party PS2 component cables that I use currently with my PS2 on my HDTV, can I just use these with the PS3 or should I buy an HDMI cable? I can get a HDMI cable for around $20-$30

Head to monoprice.com and get a $8 HDMI cable; those higher priced alternatives are just a waste of money.

And my networking equipment is upstairs while my HDTV is downstairs so laying cable is an effort that I'd rather not undertake. Unless you're constantly transferring huge files, your wireless network simply sucks balls or your gaming area is less than 15 feet from your networking gear, I see no reason to use wires.

[Breath of Fire]

Transfering files over WiFi is increably slow, my PS3 is gonna be sort of mounted to the wall below my HDTV which is currently mounted on the wall also. Alright I will buy a HDMI cable, I never get the stupid "monster" cables as they never improve quality a total waste of money.

BTW is there a way a PS3 can be mounted to a wall or will I have to just put a shelf on the wall below my HDTV?

Is this the right HDMI cable? http://monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024004&p_id=2412&seq=1&format=2

PS3 is Male to Male HDMI or Male to Female HDMI?

[Lachlan]

PS3 needs a Male to Male HDMI cable.
I would just put it on a shelf, building it into a wall might not allow much airflow resulting in overheating.

[Breath of Fire]

OK Male to Male

True bit a shelf sticks out a lot and considering the PS3 is so fat I might need a larger shelf.

[snipersnake]

male to male? is ps3 is teh gay? haha ok ok not funny i get it.

i m getting the 20 gigs version. i rather spend that extra 100 on another monstorus hdd.

[Lachlan]

male to male? is ps3 is teh gay? haha ok ok not funny i get it.

i m getting the 20 gigs version. i rather spend that extra 100 on another monstorus hdd.

:lol: I hope mine isn't!
Agreed.

[Breath of Fire]

male to male? is ps3 is teh gay? haha ok ok not funny i get it.

i m getting the 20 gigs version. i rather spend that extra 100 on another monstorus hdd.

Haahaa that is so true! I just got a 200GB HD the other day for a friend and that was only $40 I am gonna get a huge HDD for PS3 though.

[Breath of Fire]

What are the current problems with PS3? I heard of a 720p downscaling issue or something? Any issues? Also what lengh should the HDMI cable be? I was thinking about getting a 6ft one but would I notice any lag in the TV or crap like that?

[Lachlan]

The PS3 has problems with old HDTV's that only support 480p and 1080i, the problem is that the PS3 wants to use 720p but seeing as the tv can't it set's itself to 480p instead of 1080i. If your HDTV supports 720p, you're fine.
There have been some rare cases of discs not going into the drive or gfx glitches but really nothing like what the 360 started off with.

You won't notice any lag, I use 1.5m - 2m video cables and I don't get lag. :)

[Breath of Fire]

OK I will get the 6ft HDMI cable then. Wasn't their some reports of the disc not going into the PS3 just not sucking it in?

[SlinkyDink]

if you need/want a card reader, a standard USB memory card reader will work on the ps3 (Sony said this themselves).

So if you ask me, the only real reason to get the 60gb model is wifi
(although you could still add wifi to the 20gb model by using an external wireless bridge)

[Breath of Fire]

Yeah so there is no need for the 60GB model unless you like the shiny thing, or your ua n00b who can't upgrade a hard disk. I have several extra card readers, I don't know what a wireless bridge is though? I will just connect thru cable anyways.

[Endymion]

So essentially what you're trying to tell me is that the MAJORITY of people have WiFi?

Here is what I am saying.

Let's say I have NO NETWORK.

I want to build one.

I go to CompUSA (note the term USA in there).

I see a wireless 802.11g router that happens to have 4 ethernet jacks for all of 20USD.

I see a wired and completely UNwireless 802.11g router that has 4 ethernet jacks for . . . all of 20USD.

Just what do you think I am going to choose?

Personally, I use Macintosh computers, and perhaps you did not know, but WiFi has been standard on them since the 802.11b days, some five years ago. You can't buy a laptop from them that isn't wireless. With the newer intel processors you really can't buy a PC laptop that isn't wireless either.

In other words, WiFi is cheap. It's just as cheap as wired equipment and in many cases routers, printer switches etc. are made to work with either/or these days. Got ethernet? Fine. You can come to my pad and plug up to my wired router, but wait it gets better! Got a WiFi laptop? Got you covered there too, just ask me for my WPA key and you're in business.

And between you and me? I will do the above long before I ever dream of punching holes in the walls of my town house. Which was built in 1972. Before etherne existed. You know? With WiFi so cheap who would? Lay a cable on the floor? Okay. Just keep your kids away from the computers, or any room that they're in, or any hall in-between them, because the moment they run around playing tag/football/chase/hide-n-seek your wonderful gaming PC could easily get yanked to the floor.

Maybe where you are wireless is more expensive but I cannot fathom it is as unreasonably expensive as you wish to call it. Where the heck do you live that WiFi is unreasonable? This century is here already, please join us.

[Endymion]

Oh and by the way, I am still waiting for someone to explain to me why only a 60GB model could use any exploit?

[Lachlan]

People who already have networks usually have wired ones as apposed to WiFi simply because wired connections are older and more reliable than the first Wifi setups, Just because you never had a network before doesn't mean everyone else is in your situation and depending on how you want the network setup, wires are just as good if not better.

Sure, if you have no network setup wireless is the go but why spend the extra if you've already got a wire setup? seems kind of pointless to me.
Wired connections are faster and more reliable than wireless connections, that's a fact that, sure wireless will get better but for people who already have wired connections, its easier to stay wired.

Laying a cable along the bottm of the wall isn't hard.

[emanresu]

Do you need WiFi in order to connect with the PSP, or will the standard mini-usb to usb cable work? What about emulating PS1 games on the PSP from the PS3?

[Lachlan]

You connect the PSP to the PS3 via a mini-usb to usb cable, I don't know if you can via wireless.

[Breath of Fire]

Well I am getting a 20GB tomorrow for
$300
2GB Black iPod Nano
Modded PSP w/ 2GB memory stick

Good thing I have 2 PSP's, and I never used my iPod anyways, so excited.

[Lachlan]

Wow BoF, that's one hell of a deal!

[Breath of Fire]

I know it is only 1 hour more till I get it! w00t

[exzapel]

It's my opinion that if you're going to waste 500 dollars on a PS3, you might as well waste the extra 100 on getting the good one, being that it has the 60gb drive and WiFi, so if something ever happens to your external storage, you're set, as well as the fact that there's WiFi. And even if there is no practical use, you might as well do it, it's only an extra 100 dollars on top of all of that money you're wasting.

[Breath of Fire]

I got my 20GB! w00t

[snipersnake]

ergk! what exploit????

[Breath of Fire]

You can dump Blu-ray media to your Hard disk or a usb storage device with Linux thats the only exploit I know of.

[Lachlan]

It's my opinion that if you're going to waste 500 dollars on a PS3, you might as well waste the extra 100 on getting the good one, being that it has the 60gb drive and WiFi, so if something ever happens to your external storage, you're set, as well as the fact that there's WiFi. And even if there is no practical use, you might as well do it, it's only an extra 100 dollars on top of all of that money you're wasting.

Yeah difference is I didn't waste my money and I have no regrets either, you can waste that extra $100 if you want, I'm glad I didn't.
It's my opinion that you have nothing better to do but post useless information.

[Breath of Fire]

I am glad I didn't waste money too! I am gonna upgrade the HDD anyways, plus I have a card reader lying around, and it works with the PS3! I would have used cables for the internet because the transfer rate if faster too!

[xrippa]

If you have a PSP you cannot use remote play with the 20gb version because it uses the PS3's wifi.

[Breath of Fire]

So? I will never use that feature anyways, it can't play PS3 games on that screen only XMB.

[Lachlan]

If you have a PSP you cannot use remote play with the 20gb version because it uses the PS3's wifi.

Couldn't you just put a Wifi usb stick into the PS3? wouldn't that be the same thing? Either way I'd rather be playing HD games infront of a nice big TV than play on some small screen only capable of 480p.

[Breath of Fire]

PSP can't do 480p lol, it runs at 480x272 which is like 272p lol.

[Lachlan]

PSP can't do 480p lol, it runs at 480x272 which is like 272p lol.

I'm only going on what Sony has said, who knows if that's true or not.

[snipersnake]

If you have a PSP you cannot use remote play with the 20gb version because it uses the PS3's wifi.

another one of sony's clever plot to make us buy both shit.

[TheShado]

Could you not just use the wireless adapter (the kind that plugs into the ethernet port and access the wireless network) for remote connection with the PSP?

[xrippa]

nope, the ps3 acts as the router. u have to set up SSID, etc through the ps3, which u cant do with the wired connection, ethernet port. And from what i heard, soon u can access ur ps3 with the psp from anywhere through the psp's wifi.

I got the 60gb version cuz i have a psp and a didnt have a card reader. I like the chrome trim too so thats a plus :p I got it on launch so the EBGames i got it from didnt have the 20gb versions anyways. They only had like 6 60gb. So i couldn't of gotten a 20gb anyways, even if i wanted to.