Here at HDTVorg we have developed a keen interest in Sony's PS3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360 primarily for their capabilities as High Definition DVD players. As high definition enthusiasts we have always looked upon these consoles not in terms of the value (or lack of value) they present as games consoles but for their potential as outstanding value for money Blu-ray/HD DVD players.

The Sony PS3 has raised many a consumer eyebrow with its £425 retail price in the UK, but if it can prove itself as a competent Blu-ray player then as far as we are concerned it may very well turn out to be something of a bargain.

First Impressions

Your first experience of the Sony PS3 as a Blu-ray will depend on whether or not you initially have the console switched on or off. Starting from a machine which is turned off, insert a Blu-ray disc into the PS3 and it loads in around 30 seconds - perfectly respectable. Insert a disc into a machine that is already on however, and your experience will differ somewhat. Identifying the disc involves a laborious process of scrolling through the PS3's remote control, but we got there in the end.

This brings us to the other little niggle with Blu-ray playback on the PS3, which is the remote - there is no separate remote for Blu-ray playback, and the one that comes with the PS3 is quite laborious to use. Sony have indicated that a Blu-ray remote will be available sometime later in the year, and it is interesting to note that the HD DVD drive for Microsoft's Xbox 360 had one as part of the premium package.

Blu-Ray Playback

Not having got off to a good start with the PS3, we were somewhat apprehensive about the PS3's Blu-ray playback capabilities. We needn't have worried, the PS3 is a supremely capable Blu-ray player.

The Blu-ray playback on the PS3 is as clear and sharp as Panasonics DMP-BD10 standalone player, which is something of a revelation given the comparative cost of both units.

However, the PS3 does have a couple of flaws which dampen are euphoria. Firstly, when it comes to playback of your collection of non High Definition discs - it cannot upscale. All those old DVDs which attain a whole new lease of life when pushed through the Panasonic, gain nothing when played on the PS3. Sony have indicated that firmware updates (a piece of software you will be able to download onto your PS3) maybe available this year to 'upscale' normal DVDs.

Secondly, the audio functionality on the PS3 is far from simple to use and understand. Its true, the PS3 uses HDMI 1.3 which is able to deliver the highest quality sound along with 1080p video, but getting it to output at its highest level is tricky.

The PS3s default setting is LPCM (Linear PCM), which translates a digital audio signal to uncompressed PCM audio for playback. If your system accepts multi-channel 24bit 192khz PCM via HDMI thats ok, but if not you have to pipe the original soundtrack through HDMI or optical output. Selecting "Bitstream" instead of Linear PCM is required though, before you carry out the second option. This will process the original soundtrack whether it be Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital-Plus and Dolby TrueHD, SACD, or DTS and DTS-HD.

Conclusion

As the cheapest way into the Blu-ray movie experience, the Sony PS3 makes a lot of sense. The overall picture quality is comparable with any stand alone unit, and in fact excels when it comes to picture sharpness.

Its a shame that a few niggles prevent the PS3 from becoming a true consumer champion. If you enjoy tinkering, and you have a certain amount of technical savvy then you can get more from the PS3, especially in the sound department.

Perhaps the greatest concern for potential buyers is the inability of the PS3 to upscale your existing DVD. If this is important to you, then wait for news of a firmware upgrade before you buy - if you can hang on.

Sony PlayStation 3