Jimcalagon Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 Xbox 360 can be used as an extender for Microsoft Media Center, so if you have music, photos, movies, etc on your PC, you can watch/listen to them on your TV using the Xbox. So can the PS3 - I have a stack of music on my PC and have set Windows Media player to act as a server. PS3 automatically picks up any media servers on the lan. Optical cable (£2.50 from Colebournes) from the PS3 to the Home theatre and bob's yer uncle, all your music in Dolby 5.1 surround. Not sure whether Frank Sidebottom really warrants it though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
somewhatdamaged Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 PS3 has Blu Ray and can act as quite a capable media centre. Right, onto the games. 90% of them are better on the Xbox 360. It's got a more powerful video card, it's got a better GAMING processor than the Cell and it runs games at a solid 30FPS. The PS3 by comparison struggles to maintain a decent frame rate in many games and often runs games at a lower than stated resolution with lower quality textures. The anti aliasing type used on the PS3 (Nvidia Quincunx) is a cheap mode of AA and looks blurry in comparison to the 2xMSAA used on the Xbox 360. I own both consoles, and the 360 is in a different league gaming wise. Most people who have the two consoles admit the 360 is better, but if someone solely has a PS3 and you try telling them it's a pretty naff games console get ready for a backlash. Usually the classic "but PS3 has Cell", when in reality it's a pretty dreadful choice of processor for gaming purposes. Of course, the "real" gaming machine is the PC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
somewhatdamaged Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 Xbox 360 can be used as an extender for Microsoft Media Center, so if you have music, photos, movies, etc on your PC, you can watch/listen to them on your TV using the Xbox. So can the PS3 - I have a stack of music on my PC and have set Windows Media player to act as a server. PS3 automatically picks up any media servers on the lan. Optical cable (£2.50 from Colebournes) from the PS3 to the Home theatre and bob's yer uncle, all your music in Dolby 5.1 surround. Not sure whether Frank Sidebottom really warrants it though... You can't listen to stereo music in 5.1. It's a 2 channel source. The closest is Dolby Pro Logic, which sounds awful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cret Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 PS3 has Blu Ray and can act as quite a capable media centre. Right, onto the games. 90% of them are better on the Xbox 360. It's got a more powerful video card, it's got a better GAMING processor than the Cell and it runs games at a solid 30FPS. The PS3 by comparison struggles to maintain a decent frame rate in many games and often runs games at a lower than stated resolution with lower quality textures. The anti aliasing type used on the PS3 (Nvidia Quincunx) is a cheap mode of AA and looks blurry in comparison to the 2xMSAA used on the Xbox 360. I own both consoles, and the 360 is in a different league gaming wise. Most people who have the two consoles admit the 360 is better, but if someone solely has a PS3 and you try telling them it's a pretty naff games console get ready for a backlash. Usually the classic "but PS3 has Cell", when in reality it's a pretty dreadful choice of processor for gaming purposes. Of course, the "real" gaming machine is the PC. With all due respect whilst (I have no idea about the technicalities) you might be right about the sprocket wongle of one and the cheese capacitor of the other, but to someone who simply likes picking the controller up and having a game on a quality console there's essentially no difference between them. I've owned both. I don't agree at all that 90% of the games are better on the 360, but then I've not played 100% of the games available for either platform, never mind both... Sure, perhaps if you read lots of magazine articles about cell shading and screen tearing or whatever you're bound to find differences between them that a normal player will never pick up on but I doubt Stu is going to be bothered about analysing the graphics technique of one over the other in reality. You're probably correct, but I don't think the majority of console gamers notice nor are bothered. I have never noticed any particular graphical advantage to the 360, and was always under the (perhaps mistaken) assumption that the PS3 was the more powerful machine. I don't care either way since I've had both, but I think to describe the PS3 as a "naff games console" is really a bit silly and 360 fanboi-ish. It's anything but naff. Of plenty of time using both of them, I prefer the PS3. I would put it this way to you Stu - the PS3 is dearer and I prefer it, but if you're not fussed about bluray films or upscaling DVDs (does the 360 do that, I don't know sorry?) the cheaper 360 may be the one to go for, as it has a bigger games catalog and you'll get tons of dirt cheap used ones. If you want to do occasional online gaming (doesn't sound like it really) the PS3 is free online whereas the 360 is a paying service. Forza and Project Gotham series (360) driving games are superb fun. Gran Turismo on the PS3 is great as well but slightly more tedious than the other 2. People may have a personal preference for one over the other and that's fine, but the bottom line is either of them are cracking machines that will provide a great deal of enjoyment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modey Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 exactly, good post to say the 360 is in a different league to the ps3 is obviously coming from a fanboy, i've got both, played a lot of the same games on both and haven't seen any noticable differences, modern warfare 1 & 2 as well as fallout 3 for instance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the mo beats experience Posted December 4, 2009 Share Posted December 4, 2009 Also Stu, please don't underestimate the draw of online play. Once you've played the offline modes of games, against the robotic AI of the console, you just can't beat playing against actual real life people online, racing or whatever, its just so good and very different. Its been made so much easier to do now too, just like getting into an offline game in most cases. You'll be happy whichever console you go for regardless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cret Posted December 4, 2009 Share Posted December 4, 2009 He's bang right - I only play Call of Duty now and I only play it online. The other games probably have a thick layer of dust on them now. I know it's sad but the excitement you get when you trounce another team, or win after a really messy match is quite real, and you just don't get that with offline stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slim Posted December 4, 2009 Share Posted December 4, 2009 On the technicals, I've bleated about this a fair bit in the past, and my main beef was Sonys claim that the PS3 was so much more powerful than the 360 to justify the extra cost. The ps3 costs more because it's got a blue ray drive basically, that's what you're paying extra for. And to many it's worth it, and I'm fine with that. It isn't more powerful though, it's slightly less powerful generally and the performance of the games bear that out. Like above, most people really won't give a shit about that, and you only really notice it side by side. It's cheaper now, and sony seem to have stopped saying 'its so poweful it will kill teh interweb!', so I'm less upset about that now And yes, online play rules, don't dismiss it! Forget fancy AI, there's nothing as satisfying as another humanz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimcalagon Posted December 4, 2009 Share Posted December 4, 2009 You can't listen to stereo music in 5.1. It's a 2 channel source. I have 5 speakers and a subwoofer. That's close enough for me but then I don't seem to be as obsessively anally-retentive about hardware specs as you. I just listen to music and play games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slim Posted December 4, 2009 Share Posted December 4, 2009 So can the PS3 - I have a stack of music on my PC and have set Windows Media player to act as a server. PS3 automatically picks up any media servers on the lan. Optical cable (£2.50 from Colebournes) from the PS3 to the Home theatre and bob's yer uncle, all your music in Dolby 5.1 surround. Not sure whether Frank Sidebottom really warrants it though... Splitting hairs perhaps, but that's not the same thing. The ps3 isn't a media extender. I think the media extender in the 360 is rubbish mind you, and prefer the method you're talking about (upnp), on both consoles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarbunny Posted December 4, 2009 Share Posted December 4, 2009 The technology inside the systems makes no real difference to the gaming experience, the only thing you need to worry your self with is what games are available that you want to play. Although there are very few worth while exclusives left for either console. If you want the best driving simulation around then you want a PS3 with GT5, nothing else will come close. Although if you intend to use the controller a lot then the Xbox's is much better. Plus it is still cheaper and there are more pre-owned games available which helps reduce the whole entry price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slim Posted December 4, 2009 Share Posted December 4, 2009 The technology inside the systems makes no real difference to the gaming experience, the only thing you need to worry your self with is what games are available that you want to play. Although there are very few worth while exclusives left for either console. Your right, but the price is also important! The drop has definately put the ps3 into affordable, when previous it was silly. If you want the best driving simulation around then you want a PS3 with GT5, nothing else will come close. It's not even out yet, wait n see if it beats forza 3 eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarbunny Posted December 4, 2009 Share Posted December 4, 2009 OK so Forza 3 may come close, but I still think GT5 will be a better overall package if the previous 4 are anything to go by. If I was in Stu's situation I would probably put my money on an Xbox Arcade. Based purely on price, assuming it won't be used daily and for large amounts of DLC, if it is to be used alot then an Elite is still a cheaper option than a PS3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cret Posted December 4, 2009 Share Posted December 4, 2009 Both Forza and Gt are ace. If I'm totally honest I prefer Forza because to me it seems a bit more 'fun' and slightly less anoraky than GT games, great though they are. As far as media streaming and stuff like that goes I use Twonkymedia for mine and it works a treat. You can do it without but it's better with it. Can't speak for the 360 as it's a while since I had mine now but the PS3 also has some nice touches like BBC iPlayer, and a thing called Vidzone for streaming thousands of free music videos. And certainly as far as my example was concerned the PS3 is way quieter than the 360. I'd assume they ought to have improved that by now on the 360 but mine was like a jet taking off. They're still great though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slim Posted December 4, 2009 Share Posted December 4, 2009 As far as media streaming and stuff like that goes I use Twonkymedia for mine and it works a treat. You can do it without but it's better with it. Yep, I'm on Twonky too. Media player is ok for serving up smaller collections, but if you've a lot of files, twonky works a treat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.