I'm not a big fan of using a console as a player. It just seems overkill to have bigger, heavier, more power consuming, heat generating, noise making box be a media player. I could never see using an Xbox player with the mount of noise and heat that thing makes.

I'm ready to invest in Blu-ray (having just sold my HD-A3). Of course I have been told the PS3 is really the only future-proof player availible now. I find it rediculous to buy a profile 1.0 player that can't be upgraded. But I'm concerned about the noise from the PS3. I have never seen a PS3 in action and am wondering if it is as silent as a stand-alone?

I don't want to hear a hum fromt he box when a -low-key scene comes up in a flick... and I don't want to have to be concerned about the heat the ps3 will generate being stacked on my receiver (panasonic digital - so heat is not an issue).

Thoughts, experiences?

Should I just get a specific player instead? Thanks for you help.

The fan noise is not an issue for the PS3. Yes, it can get warm, but because of it's design you will not be putting anything on top of it. So shouldn't really be an issue.

My biggest issue with the PS3 as a BD player is the fact you cannot use a universal remote. This bugs me so much I decided to buy another player for "every day" usage. I ended up with an A3 LOL!! But I still love it as it is an excellent up converting DVD player.

Actually I don't find the PS3 overkill. If you check out stand along BD players they are expensive and very slow. The PS3 uses all that processing power to load a discu quickly and get you up and running. And since it has built in wireless, FW upgrades are a snap (no burning to disc). And you can get some serious good upgrades thru FW. For example I have had a PS3 for about 13 months. Meaning when I got it, it could not up convert SD DVDs'. But a FW upgrade 1.80 (I believe) added up converting to SD DVDs and it works well now.

I bought the PS3 mainly for my son as a gaming machine. But I use it as BD player.

The PS3 is a lot quieter than the 360. I barely hear a peep from my PS3.

ya the ps3 is pretty much silent.

I have an original 20GB that I bought on release day. My fan spins constantly and I find the noise annoying. My friends' machines do not exhibit this behavior, nor do the newer systems I have seen.

I don't hear my PS3's fan in normal use. But I did notice one time that the fan was spinning a lot faster and was noisy. I think the fan may have a thermostat control which causes it to increase in speed (and noise) if the PS3 is placed in a hot environment.

No problem with the ps3's fan noise...there is something else though - I have to turn the volume on my receiver up more than I did with my dvd player. Consequently my center speaker is humming a bit... thoughts? I'm just using a/v cables right now, but will switch to hdmi as soon as my tv is delivered... think that'll help?

But with CD's I don't have to turn it up as much... the volume levels between cd's and dvd/blu-ray is different... anyone else notice this?

Artman, the difference in volume is probably due to the different levels used in mastering. Movies are mastered at a low level to have room for loud explosions and a wide dynamic range. CDs, on the other hand, in the past several years have been mastered at a loud level with a squashed dynamic range. Even remastered albums can unfortunately be affected. Here's some more info on what I'm talking about: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness_war

(as if you needed another reason to hate the music industry)

http://www.schmartz.com/main.sc

I have a 60GB PS3 and I have to admit it is pretty quiet. Sometimes I can hear the fan, but that is if it's nothing playing and there's an I Am Legend-type stillness happening outside.

I don't even mind the bluetooth-only remote. The way I have mine set up it's not within easy line of sight so the controller actually works out better.

The noise doesnt bother me so much, but it does create a good amout a heat... Sometimes I get a little worried because in my cabinet, it gets pretty damn warm in there.

Yea...I'm now aware of that. Course he is back ordered...but it is now a great option.

Does your receiver have input level adjustments? My Denon allows me to adjust for each individual input's volume level and match them so that you don't have to adjust the actual volume control each time you switch.

And my PS3 is silent.

I just picked up an 80GB PS3 2 days ago. I'm pleasantly surprised at how dead quiet it is. I can actually use it as a standalone media player. (in contrast to the disappoint DC-10 jet engine noise emitted by my 360 ).

I notice the noise on the PS3 maybe once every 3-4 months. It's really not an issue.

I occasionally notice the fan during quiet parts of movies in our 60GB PS3. The fan always comes on after about 5 minutes. There seems to be some variability among PS3s because many people say it is absolutely silent and many say they hear the fan. Usually there is enough noise during a movie that I don't hear it, but during some quiet on-screen conversations I have heard it and it annoyed me a little bit. But not enough annoyance to keep it from being one of our best purchases ever.

Ive only heard the fan kick in on my 60 gig PS3 twice. Both times were during early Firmware upgrades. Ive had my PS3 on for days at a time as well, watch BDs, folding @ home, Upscaled PS2 gaming, hours on end of Unreal Tournament 3 online and much more. Mine is 100% ventlated with nothing blocking air in any direction, its less then 1 foot from my head, and i have it upright.

See, that's what I was referring to about variability between systems. Mine is upright, 100% ventilated with nothing blocking the air, yet I can hear the fan 10 feet away during some quiet scenes. Luck of the draw from what it seems.

Mine is similar to yours. The fan kicks on in low gear after 5-10 minutes. I can only hear it if the room is dead silent, or if it a very quiet part of a film. It's a faint noise from where I sit, but if I specificaly listen for it, my good hearing can pick it up. It used to bother me, I'm used to the dead silence of DVD players, but I'Ve gotten used to it.

From what I've read, there is definitely a variance between systems. I've heard reports of systems being dead silent to rather noisy and everything in between (but silent or very quiet seems to cover the majority). The new models might be better in this regard. Mine is still far more quiet than my friend's 360 (I really couldn't put up with watching movies on that thing)

It's very quiet. Shockingly quiet after listening to my helicopter...er....I mean XBox 360.

Guys,

The fan in the PS3 is always operating. As soon as you fire it up
you can hear it very slightly.

If you put your hand near the back of the unit you can feel the air
movement quite plainly.

Fan noise is obviously a problem if/when the fan kicks into overdrive
due to inadequate ventilation.

BTW - my PS3 is not in a cabinet.

My PS3 is on a shelf with all 4 sides completely open. It gets rather warm and the fan is audible a decent amount of the time. From our standard 12 foot viewing distance it's very hard to hear but one of the side couches sits about 6 feet away and you can hear it from there about half the time during quiet scenes.

My 360+HD was so frigging noisy, I had to spring for an XA2 (which is itself a little noisy), but compared to that, the PS3 is as quiet as a mime buried in a flock of sheep.

Sony is evil, screwed consumers with their BS tactics and format war, requires a Bluetooth remote unless you buy an IR gadget, has the worst gamepad ever made (not that there are any games for the stupid thing), but the PS3 is quiet.

So what's the consensus on how much space should be given on the sides, on top, and behind the PS3 (if placing it horizontally on a shelf within an entertainment unit), in order to avoid excessive heat buildup?

I use mine in one of those open glass shelved TV stands and rarely notice the fan even in quiet scenes.