How to integrate a PS3
In the past, a lot of people enjoyed playing games consoles, even if they were only on a small TV screen. Now, things have changed.
In recent times, people have become accustomed to high-definition picture quality thanks to the advent of Blu-ray and HDTV.
Sales of 1080p TVs and projectors have risen dramatically and with this comes the expectation of near perfect picture quality for all aspects of the home theatre experience.
ADVERTISEMENT
Previously, we used to plug a games console into our old CRT TVs with RCA (red, white and yellow) cables, which was all well and good. But when a new 1080p TV or projector was added into the mix disappointment was assured due to the lack of picture quality that came from older formats.
This has all changed in the past few years with the introduction of games consoles like the XBOX 360 and the PlayStation3 (PS3).
The PS3 offers HDMI output and 1080p picture quality for gaming and has the added bonus of a built-in Blu-ray player. So not only can you have amazing picture quality for your gaming but also for Blu-ray movies.
From a minimalist’s perspective the addition of a PS3 into your equipment rack will reduce clutter by one component, such as a DVD or a Blu-ray player.
Integration of the console is as simple as connecting an HDMI cable directly to your home theatre amplifier or connecting it directly to your TV/projector with an optical cable for the audio from the PS3 to the amplifier.
Control of the PS3 can be done with the use of the supplied handheld game controllers or the Sony remote control. A problem will arise if you try to integrate a PS3 into a universal remote like the Nevo Q50. The PS3 remotes use Bluetooth, which is of no use to installers as we require infrared as a minimum.
To overcome this problem, you can use a third party remote control that can be purchased from game shops. I bought the Gameware Media remote control, which had all of the buttons we needed to integrate it into our Nevo Q50 IR remote.
Similar setup can be achieved for an XBOX 360 and its supplied IR remote, however the XBOX 360 does not allow playback of Blu-ray content. The console’s picture quality is still decent for gaming and offers the option of connecting it to a media centre computer and using it as a PVR, something Sony is considering offering soon in an updated version of the PS3.
Previously Blu-ray players were very slow to start up and this was a big advantage of the PS3. Being it was designed for gaming made it fast and also upgradable when new Blu-ray standards were introduced. This is not so apparent now as more and more budget to high-end Blu-ray players are emerging that are now faster than the PS3, so a choice needs to be made depending on what you want or need.
PS3 gets my two thumbs up and the Gameware remote gets two thumbs and two toes for making the installers life easier.
-
ADVERTISEMENT
-
ADVERTISEMENT
-
ADVERTISEMENT
-
ADVERTISEMENT