Sony Playstation 3 Slim 160GB

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The PS3 is a great system. Easy to use, futuristic on-screen interface, quality sleek hardware, awesome graphics, lots of benefits. But should you get a PS3 or Xbox 360? And what about the Wii?

Note: I own all three devices, and I appreciate all of them. I don't have any bias to one system or the other, just my personal experience and opinion...

PS3============================================

What I like MOST about the PS3:

1) Future proof Blu-ray player (Sony updates the player over the Internet for free; it now supports 3D movies/TVs)

2) Clean, more futuristic on-screen interface (feels more mature then Xbox 360)

3) Better/Smoother/Faster graphics (in the 10+ games I own on a 60" 1080p HDTV)

4) Free online multiplayer gaming (no monthly/yearly fees like Xbox 360; which I hate about Xbox)

5) Watch your online netflix shows on PS3 for free (Xbox requires Xbox live account to use your netflix account; another thing I hate about Xbox)

6) Exterior: More futuristic, luxurious, mature "look". Looks more like a sleek Home Theater appliance. (Xbox 360 more oriented to youthful crowd; Xbox looks more like an 'entertainment' device)

7) Lighter, slimmer, smaller controller. Built-in longer lasting rechargeable battery. (the Xbox controller does not come with a standard rechargeable battery, and it feels heavier and more bloated then the PS3 controller).

8) Built-in wireless connectivity. (an option on the Xbox)

9) Built-in optical/toslink connectivity for home theatre audio connection. (an option on the Xbox)

10) I can use my (or any) wireless blue-tooth cell phone headset for voice/chat enabled games. (The Xbox cannot)

What I like LEAST about the PS3:

1) My first PS3 (the 'fat' one) had a disc drive failure after 13 months of ownership; 1 month beyond its warranty. The PS3 still works, I just cant use discs. That means I cant watch blu-ray discs on it and I cant play disc based games on it. I can still play games through the PlayStation store (demos, etc), I still can watch netflix on it, and I still can watch movies from my PCs over the network on it. The fact that my PS3 disc drive died after about 1 year of limited delicate usage really concerns me about the quality of the hardware and customer support/treatment. I paid over $400 for my first PS3, and I used it maybe twice a week. After searching the web about my problem, I found this was a rampant problem with the fat PS3. Did they fix this problem with the slim PS3? Time will tell; I sure hope so. I just wish Sony would have fixed my problem for free (as I feel it was shoddy hardware or poor engineering that resulted in this problem, not me).

2) Games (new and used) are generally more expensive then the Xbox 360.

3) I liked the glossy look of the first generation PS3. The new PS3 slim looks a little flimsier/cheaper. It is smaller though, and that's a plus.

4) The rechargeable battery in the PS3 controller is not swappable. That means if your controller dies mid-game, you have to plug it in to use it. (The Xbox controller has swappable batteries)

5) When I download a game (full or demo), I can't play it immediately. After the download (which could take over an hour), I have to install the game (which could take another 10-30+ minutes), at which time my PS3 is unusable until it completes. The Xbox downloads in the background and plays immediately without having to install the game. Also, if I turn off the PS3, the download stops (the Xbox finishes the download even when turned off).

Xbox 360============================================

What I like MOST about the Xbox 360:

1) More people have it. In other words, all my friends, family and coworkers have Xbox 360s. Which also means if I want to play online with them, I have to use my Xbox, which is also a con for me. (I'd rather use my PS3 because of the better graphics and lighter/smaller controller).

2) I can download games, updates and demos in the background, even with the Xbox turned off. So I can start a download and go to bed without leaving the box on all night. (The PS3 cant do this)

3) When I download a game (full or demo), I can play it immediately. On the PS3, you have to download it (which could take over an hour), then install it (which could take another 10-30+ minutes), at which time your PS3 is unusable until it completes.

4) My late generation Xbox elite has lasted longer then my first generation PS3 (surprisingly)

5) It doubles as a Media Center extender. I have a PC that records shows for me in Media Center (like a Tivo but no monthly fees). I can access these shows and watch live TV over the network via my Xbox. This is a VERY cool and under-talked about feature. And most people with a Windows PC can do this; look it up.

6) The console and games (new and used) are cheaper then the PS3.

What I like LEAST about the Xbox 360:

1) Still no blu-ray player. This is a major con compared to the PS3. It WILL play regular DVDs, however.

2) In my experience, graphics are a little lower quality then my PS3. In Grand Theft Auto IV, I can see farther and more objects at a time on my PS3. The PS3 has a faster frame rate, where the Xbox feels almost blurry. The colors are more crisp on the PS3, the Xbox is more washed out, like water colors. Some may not even notice this, I do.

3) No built-in wireless connectivity. You have to buy a very expensive adapter to have wireless connectivity.

4) No built-in optical/toslink connectivity for home theatre audio connection. You have to buy an adapter to do this.

5) No rechargeable battery. You have to buy a rechargeable battery and kit to do this.

6) Not a major deal, but the on-screen interface is more kid-feeling then the PS3. I'm an adult and the PS3 feels more like its targeted to adults then children/teenagers.

7) YOU HAVE TO PAY TO PLAY ONLINE. I don't understand this. It's ridiculous to me. It's way overpriced. I can't play online with my friends unless I buy a monthly or yearly Xbox live pass. I hate this about the Xbox. I HATE THIS. I already gave them hundreds of dollars in the console, games and accessories; stop asking me to pay to play. As you can see, this is a major con to me. I also cant watch my Netflix account without paying for an Xbox live account. Boo!

8) The Xbox has a pretty bad reliability record. I believe they have eliminated most of the issues that plagued the earlier consoles, however. My neighbor has replaced his Xbox 4 times; FOUR TIMES! I have not. He plays his every day all day though; I play once or twice a week for less then an hour.

Wii============================================

I bought the Wii after playing it at a friends house. I was blown away by the idea and experience of motion based controllers. We played golf, boxing, tennis, ping pong; it was an amazing experience for the first time.

After I had the Wii, I quickly lost interest.

Here's why:

1) Horrible graphics. I paid a lot of money to have a 60" High Definition full 1080p home theatre. The Wii graphics look like absolute kiddy crap on my TV. The Wii has no high def. Its like playing a first generation Nintendo NES on a HDTV. Its horrible, and for this 1 reason I can no longer enjoy my Wii. Nintendo is way behind the modern day high end graphics of today.

2) The motion controller novelty has worn off. Its fun on a few games, horrible on others. I don't know, the novelty of the Wii has just worn off for me; and several of my friends.

3) It just doesn't feel like a modern quality device. While I'm sure its reliable, it just feels like a child's toy; the exterior, the interface, the games, etc. Sorry, I guess I've just grown up.

Conclusion============================================

In conclusion, I would say the Wii is more suited to young children. The Xbox is a great device, and so is the PS3. I can live without my Wii; but I would have a hard time choosing between the Xbox and PS3. For that reason, I choose to have both. If Xbox made online multiplayer free (eliminated the Xbox live cost), and included a blu-ray player, I would choose the Xbox over a PS3 (even with the better graphics on the PS3). But for now, I say buy both. By the Xbox as a gaming device, and justify the PS3 as blu-ray player with benefits.

If your a parent shopping for a teenager and only want to buy 1 device, go for the Xbox 360. Chances are, most of your child's friends will already have one, and they can all play online.

If your an adult that demands the best and has little time to play games (like myself), get a PS3. Its sleek, its got better graphics, its wireless, and it has a blu-ray player.

I hope this review gives you some insight and help with your choice, and a little knowledge of all the systems from an experienced and unbiased owner.

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Let me give a little bit of background before diving into a review. When the original NES came out, I was hooked. I didn't think anything could be better than Super Mario Bros. Then there was the Sega Genesis...and as I entered college, the original Playstation. Wow!

After college I settled down, got married, had children, and stopped playing games for a while. Just 2 years ago I picked up a wii "for the family" and have enjoyed it since. Mario Galaxy 2 looks great and is a great deal of fun to play...and there are other great games on the wii as well. For the record, I'd never played a PS2, PS3 or Xbox.

Don't get me wrong, the wii is great. There are a number of wii exclusives that I love. But I was still wanting something with some better graphics/games and thus began my research between xbox and ps3. Both are great systems! This was going to be harder than I thought. In the end, I felt like the game selection for the PS3 slightly outweighed that of the xbox for the family. The PS3 has LittleBigPlanet and Ratchet and Clank, as well as Uncharted/Metal Gear/etc. And while the xbox has some great exclusives as well, I was leaning toward the PS3.

When I saw that the PS3 slim increased the hard drive from 120gb to 160gb I finally bit the bullet. I was wanting to get a blu-ray player sometime so I figured I'd just get the ps3. Just set it up last night. Set-up was a breeze and the graphics, wow, they truly are stunning. As I said, the wii is great and I'll continue to play and enjoy wii-exclusive games, but compared to xbox/ps3 graphics, there really is no comparison. I'm really looking forward to NHL 11 and Gran Turismo 5 (as the wii is lacking in these types of games).

Overall, I'm thrilled with the PS3. I'm looking forward to getting my music and other media files loaded onto it and finally beginning the world of blu-ray movies and advanced gaming. While I do wish I could load files to it from a device formatted to something other than FAT, it's certainly not a deal-breaker. The PS3 works as it should, set-up is simple, has free online, great exclusive games, and so much more. Whether or not it's the right choice for you is up for you to decide. The Xbox is also a great system, but I'm happy with my final decision.

Note: Extras you may need:

Extra controller, PS3 blu-ray remote control, and an hdmi or set of component cables depending on your video capabilities.

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I just bought the PS3 slim a week before posting this review and I'm extremely happy with it. To be honest, I'm not a gamer and may never buy a game for the PS3, I bought it strictly for its streaming video and blu-ray playback capabilities, in my opinion it is the best.

My first blu-ray player was an early Panasonic 1.0 blu-ray player, it played blu-rays beautifully, when researching it they said it was almost as good as the PS3, at the time the PS3 was the gold standard. I didn't buy a PS3 then because of its price and its original bulk, it would not fit in well into my AV setup. Also, you needed a separate remote for blu-ray/DVD playback if you didn't want to use the controller, the PS3 is not IR capable. I then traded "up" to a Samsung blu-ray player because it offered streaming Netflix capability, I really enjoyed the streaming Netflix, but I noticed that my blu-ray disks didn't look as good as on my old Panasonic and DVD upscaling on the Samsung blu-ray was no where near as good as my old Panasonic, but I really wanted the Neftlix streaming service so I stuck with it.

Since my initial look at the PS3, a lot has changed, first the new slim model, it fits perfectly in my AV setup. Also, Netflix streaming finally came to the PS3, first via software on a disk, now it is totally integrated into the PS3 OS via a firmware update.

I primarily bought my Samsung blu-ray player for its Netflix streaming capability, but I was getting frustrated with the Netflix interface on the Samsung, you could not search or add movies to your Netflix queue directly from the player, plus loading titles from your queue took almost a minute to launch.

Several friends at work have had the PS3 from its beginning and they were always taunting me when new features arrived to the PS3, when they told me about the new Netflix features available on the PS3 I decided to take the plunge. The PS3 was the first platform to get 5.1 surround sound from Netflix streaming, and to date, the only platform to have full 1080p movies via streaming, plus I can search and add movies to my queue directly from the PS3. Moving through my queue on the PS3 is a breeze, on my Samsung, the interface displayed the movies from right to left and left to right. I currently have over 360 movies in my queue, it can take a long time to maneuver through this many titles going left to right or right to left. On the PS3, the titles are tiled 5 or 6 wide, you can move up, down, left or right, when you finally launch a title it is up and playing within a matter of seconds!

What about blu-ray playback on the PS3 slim? It is awesome (video and audio), as good or better than my old Panasonic player I loved so much! DVD up-scaling is also excellent. The thing that really sold me on the PS3 is Sony's commitment to continually improve it and keep it current. Firmware updates over the years have kept PS3 up to date in every respect. One of my co-workers bought the original PS3 the day it was released, it is still going strong 5 years later, actually better and has more features than when he bought it!

Last, but not least, the remote control issue. A few years ago I moved to using Harmony remotes to control all my AV equipment. I have a drawer in my coffee table that has 8 different remotes for all my various equipment, on top of my coffee table I have one Harmony remote that controls all of my equipment perfectly. The new PS3 is still not IR capable, but I bought the Harmony PS3 adapter, this is a bluetooth/IR device that accept commands from your Harmony remote to control the PS3, it took about 10 minutes to set up and works perfectly!

Oh yeah, I hear that the PS3 really does play games, maybe one day?

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I recently purchased my first Play Station 3 last week on Saturday, February 12, 2011, and I have loved having it. I primarily purchased the PS3 for its DVD, Blu Ray, and Online Media capabilities like streaming movies from Netflix and Hulu Plus because I wanted an all-in-one device than can do pretty much everything I want, and the PS3 has lived up to my expectations, thus far. Here are the best and worst features that I have found about my PS3:

PROS:

1). NETFLIX CAPABILITIES The Netflix user interface is FANTASTIC! The Netflix application on my PS3 allows me to manually search for ALL streaming movies and TV shows, add movies/shows to my instant queue, browse for movies/shows by genre, watch movies/shows based on Netflix's suggestions for me, and rate the movies right from the PS3 itself. The only bad part about the Netflix app on my PS3 is that I cannot add DVDs to my DVD queue through it, so I still have to go onto the Netflix website via my computer and add DVDs to my DVD queue, but I am still glad to be able to search and browse for my all of my streaming movies on the PS3, so the DVD issue is not so bad. Overall, the Netflix application on my PS3 is so much better than Netflix on my TiVo box because Netflix on TiVo does not even allow searching, browsing or adding movies to my instant queue AT ALL I can only watch the movies in my instant queue on the TiVo box, so I will stick to watching movies and TV shows from Netflix on the PS3 from now on.

2). HULU PLUS CAPABILITIES I love Hulu Plus on this PS3, as its user interface also allows ALL of the same functions that Netflix does, and even more. Additionally, Hulu Plus allows me to view any TV movies or shows in my history, and play them. It's a shame that some other devices that have Hulu Plus don't even allow searching, browsing, or looking at the user's viewing history.

3). DVD, CD, & BLU RAY DISC PLAYBACK The playback of these discs is great, too. I love the fact that I can play DVDs, Blu Ray discs, and just regular CD's on the PS3. The playback and quality of Blu Ray discs on the PS3 is also visually stunning.

4). EASE OF SETUP Even though it took me over an hour to set up the PS3 and get everything running (including connecting to the machine the Internet, setting up my account on the PlayStation network, updating the PS3 with the new software, connecting to Netflix and Hulu Plus, etc) the set up flowed smoothly, and was very simple. Basically, I definitely did not need any assistance from customer support to set up the PS3 because the set up was easy and simple.

5). BUILT-IN WIFI This is a great feature because it has eliminated me from having to use an Ethernet cable to connect my PS3 to my router or having to buy an external adapter to connect to the router. The Wi-Fi connection has worked great for me, and the PS3 instantly connected to my wireless network once I entered in the Passcode to connect to the network. Also, I have NO lags or dropped connections when I play movies from Netflix and/or Hulu Plus. My internet connection on the PS3 seemingly works even faster than the internet connection to my TiVo box, as all of my movies from either Netflix or Hulu Plus just instantly begin playing, yet the movies take more time to play on the TiVo.

6). ONLINE MEDIA CONTENT The PS3 also allows me to watch YouTube, and surf the web, which are both great factors.

7). PLAYSTATION NETWORK The PlayStation Network is great, as it allows for many downloads and there are tons of free games and movie content that can be downloaded right from the PlayStation Network to my PS3.

CONS:

1). COST OF DEVICE The only real con that I have noticed about the PS3 is the high cost of $300.00 for the device itself, but it was well worth the price for me because I now have an all-in-one device that does practically everything that I want and need for it to do.

2). NO DVR CAPABILITIES Another con is that the PS3 isn't a DVR and it cannot record TV shows like a TiVo, Moxi, or cable DVR can do. I only wish that Play Station will add DVR features to their next generation of Play Stations that will come out sometime in the future. If Play Station will add DVR functions and capabilities to their PlayStation 4, then I will throw away my own TiVo DVR.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

I highly recommend the PS3 to any and everyone out there who may want an all-in-one device. Also, I recommend the Harmony One Remote and Harmony adapter for PS3 users who want to control their PS3 with just one remote instead of using the wireless controller. For excellent wireless networking, the NetGear N600 DualBand Gigabit router is great, too, as this is the same router that I currently use for my wireless network. Overall, I am definitely NOT disappointed with my PS3!

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In this review I am going to cover the Play Station 3, the Xbox 360, and the Nintendo Wii. Hopefully by the end of this review you have a pretty good though on which console is the right one for you. Without further hesitation, here is the main review...

Play Station 3 (PS3) by Sony:

The sony PS3 has two prices. The first price being $250 (Retail) for the 160 GB version and the second being $300 for the 320 GB version. Now obviously if you have the extra $50 to spare go for the 320 GB Version as it is double the amount of storage as the other. Both are exactly the same except for the difference in memory

Now, when you first buy a PS3 it comes with the console, one wireless controller that works with bluetooth technology, the necessary cables, and a Free Play Station Network membership (PSN). An HDMI cable is NOT Included with the purchase, so if you are planning to connect it to a HDTV I would go on ahead and buy an HDMI cable as well to get the full experience of the PS3.

Now, Motion Gaming is available on all 3 systems; however, the only one that comes ready to motion game out of the box is the Nintendo Wii. The PS3 and the Xbox 360 require additional purchases in order to use motion gaming.

The PS3 and the Xbox are only available in black, while the Nintendo Wii has the option in between white & black; however, both the PS3 and Xbox look really nice in black.

Now the PS3 has a big advantage when it comes to what it can actually do. The PS3 can read Games, CDs, DVDs, and Blu-Ray Discs. Unlike the other two consoles, the PS3 definitely has an advantage here.

This version of the PS3, Ps3 Slim, is not backwards compatible with the PS2 games; however, it is compatible with most PS1 games. It would be great if it could read PS2 games, but unfortunately it can't.

The PS3 has a full 1080P Resolution! With an HDMI cable of course, so if you are thinking about getting a PS3 I wouldn't hesitate on getting an HDMI cable as well

So Who is the PS3 for ? It can be for almost anyone. Lots of teenagers enjoy the PS3 as it is free to play online games and Adults tend to go for the PS3 as well since it has a Blu-Ray Player unlike the other two. I own a PS3 System and I use mainly for Listening to Music, Netflix, and watching Blu-Ray movies. The games on the PS3 has some really nice graphics as does the Xbox 360.

Overall: I would rate the PS3 a perfect 5 out of 5 stars.

Xbox 360 by Microsoft:

The Xbox 360 is also available in two prices. The first being $200 for the 4GB model and the other being $300 for the 250 GB model. As you can see there is a major storage difference in between the PS3 and the Xbox. If memory is not that much of an issue for you then the Xbox might be the one for you.

When you first get the Xbox you get the console, one wireless controller, the standard definition cables, and a month Free Xbox LIVE Gold Membership. As with the PS3 you will have to buy an HDMI cable in order to get the full resolution display of the Xbox. As for the Gold membership... After your first month of a free membership you will be required to pay for additional online services like playing games online. A 12 month membership will cost around $50-$60. This is one of the main reasons as to why some people would prefer one of the other two consoles, but some people claim that the online experience is better on the Xbox.

The Xbox 360 can play games, CDs, and DVDs. It cannot play Blu-Ray discs like the PS3. All (3) consoles are capable of online streaming with services like Netflix.

On the Xbox 360 you can play kinect games, Xbox 360 games, and the original Xbox games. This is good as you can still play your old Xbox games on this console whenever you get the urge to do so.

Who is the Xbox 360 for ?

The Xbox 360 is for everyone. From kids who will enjoy playing games in 1080P Resolution and Kinect if you purcahse it. To Teenagers who will enjoy playing games online with their friends. To even Adults who want to play games once in a while or just simply stream content from Netflix.

I would rate this 4 stars out of 5.

Nintendo Wii by Nintendo:

The Nintendo Wii is available in one price for $149 with the Mario Kart Wii. Unlike the PS3 and the Xbox the Wii comes with a very low 512 megabytes of internal flash memory. This is expandable with an SD card. This is a negative on the Wii as you will have to purchase an SD card to get better memory on it.

When you open the Nintendo Wii box you will get the console, the Wii Mario Kart game, One Wii Remote Plus Controller, one Nunchuk controller, the sensor bar to play motion gaming, and the standard cables. The graphic quality on the Wii is a lot lower than the Xbox and the PS3. With a 480P Resolution graphics are no where comparable to the PS3 graphics or the Xbox Graphics.

Unlike the Xbox or the PS3 the Nintendo Wii comes ready to motion game right out of the box! Although it has a lower resolution display motion gaming is definitely a plus for the Wii.

The only thing the Nintendo Wii will read is games; however, you can add music onto an SD Card and then play music on the Wii as well. Movies and Tv Shows are also available on the Nintendo Wii if you have a Netflix Membership!

The Nintendo Wii can also Read your Game cube games! Bring back some classics whenever you want with the Wii!

Who is the Wii for ?

The Nintendo Wii is mostly for kids and Family Fun. I would recommend buying a PS3 or an Xbox if you are looking for something for your teenager. With most of the Wii's games being based on family fun and party games it is fun for a family night.

I would rate this 4 stars out of 5.

Overall: The Nintendo Wii is the least expensive out of the (3) consoles. It is aimed mainly for small kids & Family Fun. The Xbox 360 & the PS3 are aimed for everyone else. From Teenagers to even some Adults. There are many disputes on which is better in between these (2) consoles, but that is up to you guys!

I hope this review gave you some better knowledge and/or information as to which system is the right one for you!