Thanks guys. That sounds about what I expected.

Hmm... so do those triple points BB coupons I got this week all exclude gaming consoles? That would be bogus which is exactly what I'd expect from Best Buy.

Same here. Not the worst game in the world, but if it's not for you definately make sure to factor that into the decision. It would be very hard to get somebody to take it in return.

Is there still a 5 Free Blu-Ray rebate my mail offer for Canada? I thought we had one for purchases made before Jan 31 2008, but I just tried google and all I found was a Blu-Ray Savings Canadian Edition for summer that expired 10/31/2007.

EDIT: Nvm, I just found it. Good for purchases made before 01/31/2008, so I'm relieved.

definitely read the fine print, but i'm sure it'll work.

I was able to take advantage of a triple-point offer when getting my PS3 about a month ago.

I know this may be redundant but it's too many pages to read thru this whole thread.

Which would you guys recommend:

Panasonic - Blu-ray Disc Player
Model: DMP-BD30K

Or the PS3?

Having the gameplay ability would be nice but my main concern is picture quality and ease of updates. In other words, my primary concern is movies presented as good as possible.

Ps3

Ok, I'm going to be getting a PS3 this week. I just wanted to ask one more time what the PS3 failure rate is. Also, how much space should I give around the unit to ensure adequate ventilation in order to provide it from overheating?

I always said I'd never get a gaming system for my home theater, but after doing the research, the PS3 seemed like the better bet right now, IVO its ability to be upgraded to Profile 2.0, as well as add additional features (like DTS-HD Master decoding).

I am not a gamer, and I never will be. Having such a platform (with a 40G HDD) does seem a bit of a waste, but at $300, ($400 at SonyStyle.com less the $100 promotional offer), it seemed like reasonable entree into BD. I figure once the dust has settled, and kick-ass universal players are available at an afforable price (come on Denon), the PS3 will be easier to sell as it is both a BD player and a game system.

No idea what the failure rate is. I know a couple of people on the forum had issues, but overall I hear few complaints about the PS3. It is not like the PS2 and Xbox360 where the failure stories were everywhere.

So far it seems like the PS3 is reliable, but I could understand getting a warranty on one.

The system does get hot so I would definitely recommend as much ventilation as possible. I use mine on an open glass shelved TV stand and have never had an issue in nearly a year.

I did a lot of research before I opened the box (got mine as a gift) and couldn't find any known issues with the PS3 like there was with the 360 and PS2. Some could fail, but from what I have seen it would be just typical electronics luck of the draw kind of stuff.

It does get hot, but anywhere other than an enclosed space should be fine. Seems to be designed well from a cooling perspective. Don't be scared off by the reall poor cooling design of the 360.

So since the PS3 does get hot, would that mean that the discs being played would get hot as well? Years ago I used to watch DVDs on my PC, and after half an hour or so you would swear that the disc had just come out of an oven or something.

Not hot enough to do damage. At least not in any cases I have heard or read about. I've never used a player that didn't heat up the disc at least a little.

Thanks for the info, everyone. One interesting thing I just read in the "One and Only PS3 and Blu-Ray Player" thread on avsforum is that the 40 GB unit apparently runs a lot cooler and quieter than the 80 GB unit. I was planning to get the 40 GB anyway, but this is good to know.

I would get a second opinion on that. I doubt there is enough hardware difference between the two to make that much difference.

Just a guess though based on the design of the hardware and the similarities between the 40GB and 80GB. I've never owned a 40GB.

I can confirm that this is true. I bought the 60Gb version 7 months ago, been using it has a a Blu-Ray player (and gaming machine).


With my 70 Blu-Ray collection always growing, I needed to buy a new Blu-Ray player for another HDTV upstair, and I did not like any of the Standalone Players, so I decided that I'd be better off with another PS3. So I got the 40Gb.....I can swear that it runs cooler, makes less noise, and maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me but Blu-Ray loads faster on my new 40Gb. I've tried two movies Ocean's 13 and Blade Runner, and pretty sure Ocean's 13 load faster on the 40Gb

I have to wonder about that. I can't imagine my 80GB PS3 getting any quieter and still be on. The only sound I hear, and can only be heard if there is absolutely no other sound, is the faintest of whispers. I'm extremely impressed with the build quality of the PS3 (so far).

The reason I doubt it is the hardware. The case looks, and likey is, exactly the same short of a couple holes for connectors in the back. That leads me to believe the whole cooling system (fans, ports, etc) is the same. That basically leaves the drive istelf as the one part to make less or more noise. I guess it's possible, but how much quieter could the drives in the 40GB be than the ones in the 80GB?

Are there any 2.0 BD players on the market or close to hitting market?

I believe in a few months the Panasonic BD50 is coming out, and it's going to have BR Live, which I believe is the same as 2.0.

I'm not sure how much of a difference it makes since I don't own one to compare, but the 40GB uses a smaller 65 nanometer processor and that definitely runs cooler and uses less power. I really don't have issues with the noise my 60GB makes, but apparently from most accounts the 40GB is even quieter.

Update for me: Bought a PS3 w/the fiancee this weekend (her idea, actually). Got home, watched Con-Air and Ratatouille on it. Beautiful picture. Wireless internet works great, browser is great too.

Also, the thing is practically DEAD silent. You can hear the disc spin when it loads up, but in the 2-hour Con-Air, I didn't notice any noise at all coming from the machine, a very pleasant surprise. Loads faster than my A3, too.

Thanks guys for all the help! Quick question, I have it sitting on a wooden sheld on it's side (the side as its pictured everywhere, with the vent on top). Is this okay to leave it like this?

Yep, it's made to be positioned vertically or horizontally. Congrats to yet another PS3 owner!

Cool, thanks. I think Black Hawk Down will be my next BD.

Anyone know if there is a possibility of a Firmware update that would allow the PS3 to restart a Blu Ray/DVD where it was when the PS3 was powered off? This feature is truly needed.

Waiting for that one too, jonboy71!