In this previous post I vented my unhappiness with the world of generic pc hardware and Windows Media Center. As stated in the article, I sold my Media Center and went out and bought a new PS3 250Gb with PlayTV and remote.
This is actually a big step for me because I generally avoid the Sony brand due to their proprietary and expensive memory sticks and DRM escapades.
Having now forgiven Sony for their previous crimes I can offer the following unbiased summary of the PS3 as a media center.
What the PS3 does better than WIn 7 Media Centre:
- It boots way faster. I have not done a specific test, but I reckon 10-15 seconds is all it takes.
- Easier to setup and use. The PS3 was up and running in about 15minutes. I had no problems connecting to my wireless network, installing the play TV or setting up TV channels .I would also like to mention that none of my previous Media center TV cards could never reliably receive channels ABC, 7 or 10 even after I forked out for a separate professionally installed aerial.The PlayTV has perfect reception on all channels. In summary, I got the whole thing running perfectly without ever consulting a forum, searching for a driver or installing patches,fixes etc.
- It runs faster..way faster. Even with a 3Ghz Duak Core CPU, 4Gb ram and a GeForce 9500 video card the media center feels sluggish compared to the PS3. The PS3 interface is very responsive, TV channels change quickly.
- Better Picture & Sound Quality. The PS3/PlayTV provides outstanding picture quality and sound. It was almost like buying a new TV. I would never have thought the difference could be so pronounced. Vibrance, colour and clarity improved dramatically on both my HDTV and Projector. Using SPDIF optical sound through my DTS 5.1 amp gave comparable results to the Win 7 Media Center.
- Rock Solid Reliable. I have yet to encounter a crash or failure of any kind. It just works!!
- It plays games. This is a given. If you like games the PS3 is a winner. Nuf said.
- The PS3 is CHEAP. Sony sells the PS3 at or below cost. For under $600 you can have a complete Blue Ray ready Media Centre. The cost of components alone was over $1400 in my WIn Media Centre.
Play TV Menu Interface
What Win7 Media Center does better than the PS3:
- Multiple Channel recording. With a dual tuner TV card Win 7 Media Centre can record 2 TV channels at once. This is particularly useful when avoiding family confrontations over which show to watch on a Saturday night. The PS3 can only record 1 channel.
- Web Browsing. The PS3′s web browser is best described as basic. Using Win 7 you can browse the web as you would with any normal PC. This is a big plus if you wish to use any of the online television ”catchup” services quickly gaining popularity.
- Storage Space. As most Win media centers support multiple discs it is easy to ad storage as required. The PS3 is limited to one notebook HDD or 1TB internal storage max at this time. However, it is possible to add external USB storage to either system.
- Customisation, repairs & hardware updates. PC’s are highly suited to geeks, meddlers and customisers. If you like changing hardware or software PC’s are the way to go. One major benefit of the PC platform is the ability to replace and/or repair components quickly and easily. If a PC component dies you simply rip it out and replace it with a new one. I have yet to experiences Sony’s warranty service, however, based on experience with other large manufacturers my best guess is that it would be slow and painful.
- No Game addicted 7yr olds. My son never even looked at the Win Media Center, far less wanting to play games on it. However, the PS3 is a different story. I am now constantly harassed with stories of the amazing benefits Lego Batman would bring to the household!
In summary, I could not be happier with the move away from Windows Media Center. Everyone in the family can use it. I do not have to constantly fix it and the quality is great! Good work Sony.
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Thanks for great post! Will be bookmarking this article for future reference!
A couple more very important benefits with WMC. Nice integration of movie and audio plugins, such as My Music. The ability to have a fully featured movie/TV library with meta data pulled from IMDB. Ease or watching video/recorded media on W7 computers throughout your home network without needing additional Sony equipment. The ability to integrate .srt subtitles on movies. The ease with which media can be moved/accessed from other networked computers. Sony has networking but there are password protection issues with shares.