Sony S350 or PS3 80GB

[PCFan]

I recently bought a Sony S350 Blu-ray player but I returned it because it would not resume where I left off if I ejected the DVD. Also I was testing out Three's Company: Season 6 Disc 3 on it and it would give me combing artifacts and stuttering unless I change the video conversion mode to Video in the setup menu of the player. I tried a Sony Upconverting DVD player and I could leave the video conversion mode on Auto and that DVD would play just fine. Also Windows Media Player and Windows Media Center in Vista would give me the same combing artifacts on that disc and I don't know if there is a way to fix it in WMP or WMC. No combing artifacts on that disc on my brother's PS3. I haven't tried a USB flash drive on the S350. Would a USB flash drive allow multidisc resume DVD on the S350. A multidisc resume feature is important to me because I watch seasons of different TV shows and like to alternate discs of different TV shows depending on what I'm in the mood for without losing where I last left off on the discs. Should I get a PS3 instead of the Sony S350?

[Kage]

The PS3's fan will be loud when upscaling dvds. It will have slightly noticeable mid level 1 to low level 2 fan noise when watching blu-ray movies. It also offers better dvd performance then the S350. It also remembers the last place left in dvds and in non-java bd discs. There is one major flaw with the PS3 that must be solved in a future firmware update. The flaw is that the PS3 can't upscale the standard definition material in blu-ray discs.

Windows Media Player is in my opinion one of the worst dvd playback software there is for a pc. It causes many errors on dvd movies.

The USB port on the S350 is just only for BD Live features on some blu-ray movies.

If I were you I would not buy the S350 for a second time, because you were not satisfied with the one you just returned. If you buy it a second time it will have the same resuming problem. To my knowledge no dedicated blu-ray player offers a memory scene feature when you take out the movie from the player and put it back in. Only the PS3 offers the memory feature.

In your case it seems that you are not ready for blu-ray and very picky about the flaws in blu-ray players and picky about badly mastered dvds that causes artifacts in most dvd players and blu-ray players.

[PCFan]

Originally Posted by Kage

The PS3's fan will be loud when upscaling dvds. It will have slightly noticeable mid level 1 to low level 2 fan noise when watching blu-ray movies. It also offers better dvd performance then the S350. It also remembers the last place left in dvds and in non-java bd discs. There is one major flaw with the PS3 that must be solved in a future firmware update. The flaw is that the PS3 can't upscale the standard definition material in blu-ray discs.

Windows Media Player is in my opinion one of the worst dvd playback software there is for a pc. It causes many errors on dvd movies.

The USB port on the S350 is just only for BD Live features on some blu-ray movies.

If I were you I would not buy the S350 for a second time, because you were not satisfied with the one you just returned. If you buy it a second time it will have the same resuming problem. To my knowledge no dedicated blu-ray player offers a memory scene feature when you take out the movie from the player and put it back in. Only the PS3 offers the memory feature.

In your case it seems that you are not ready for blu-ray and very picky about the flaws in blu-ray players and picky about badly mastered dvds that causes artifacts in most dvd players and blu-ray players.

I use to have a PS3 40GB that I bought back in April. I thought the new 80GB ones were quieter than the 40GB I used to have and that is why I was considering the 80GB version but if it's not then no PS3 for me. I'm not interested in PS3 games. Also on my brother's PS3 I compared a DVD to a few upscaling DVD players and the upscaling DVD players I tried had jaggies in a particular scene on the edges of a bald headed guy's head and on the top of a door's edge while panning but on his PS3 and the Sony S350 I didn't notice any jaggies in that scene. On the 40GB PS3 I used to have, sometimes when watching an upscaling DVD, I could hear the fan speed go up 2 notches but most of the time it went up 1 notch during upconverting DVD and sometimes up 1 notch when watching Blu-Ray. I'm more interested in DVD image quality and multidisk resume than Blu-Ray function. I can wait for future Blu-Ray players.

[Kage]

You tried a few upconversion dvd players and probably returned them back to the store, because of the video processor flaws they have. You are also being picky about dvd players as well a blu-ray players. Lately well known dvd player manufacters are not putting too much effort in dvd players, they are now focusing in blu-ray. If you are interested in dvd image, no upscaling dvd player will make a dvd image near or to equal to hd picture quality. If you have a tv that is under 50 inches there is no difference in dvd picture quality.

I think that you should not try Netflix instant play feature for your pc, because you will probably hear the fans running in pc and you will probably complain about the fans, and the picture quality is less than dvd picture quality. Also I think that you should not try the on demand service from your local cable tv provider, because the movies have a lot jaggies and has worse picture quality the dvd. Also I would not recommend you to go to the movie theater to watch a movie, because you probably would complain that the floors are sticky and people talking during the movie.

Here is my recommendation: QUIT WATCHING MOVIES.

[PCFan]

Actually I returned the DVD players because of other problems.

My PC is too loud for movie playback. Louder than the PS3 I used to have but at least I don't hear the speed of the fans change gears while watching a movie on my PC. Quiet scenes are hard to hear over my PC unless I wear headphones but I don't want to wear headphones while watching a movie unless it's night time and I don't want to wake up people plus DVDs tend to stutter randomly on my PC for some reason.

[PNF]

loud?

I have a 40G, never really thought it was loud or any noise actually...

Do you guys watch silent movies or something?

[bluskies]

Originally Posted by PCFan

I recently bought a Sony S350 Blu-ray player but I returned it because it would not resume where I left off if I ejected the DVD. Also I was testing out Three's Company: Season 6 Disc 3 on it and it would give me combing artifacts and stuttering unless I change the video conversion mode to Video in the setup menu of the player. I tried a Sony Upconverting DVD player and I could leave the video conversion mode on Auto and that DVD would play just fine. Also Windows Media Player and Windows Media Center in Vista would give me the same combing artifacts on that disc and I don't know if there is a way to fix it in WMP or WMC. No combing artifacts on that disc on my brother's PS3. I haven't tried a USB flash drive on the S350. Would a USB flash drive allow multidisc resume DVD on the S350. A multidisc resume feature is important to me because I watch seasons of different TV shows and like to alternate discs of different TV shows depending on what I'm in the mood for without losing where I last left off on the discs. Should I get a PS3 instead of the Sony S350?

Well, I don't know of many players that will resume exactly where you left off if you eject it from the machine. However, you might check with someone who has a Panny 30. For some reason, I think it might (within reason; if you play a dozen different discs between the time you eject a certain disc and put it in again, it won't like keep that in its memory). I hope you are aware that if you had just left the DVD in the machine when you turned it off, it would pick up where it left off when you turn it on (at least it works that way for my S300).

Question for you: You chose "Three's Company" as a title to do testing for quality???

[PCFan]

Originally Posted by bluskies

Well, I don't know of many players that will resume exactly where you left off if you eject it from the machine. However, you might check with someone who has a Panny 30. For some reason, I think it might (within reason; if you play a dozen different discs between the time you eject a certain disc and put it in again, it won't like keep that in its memory). I hope you are aware that if you had just left the DVD in the machine when you turned it off, it would pick up where it left off when you turn it on (at least it works that way for my S300).

Question for you: You chose "Three's Company" as a title to do testing for quality???

I only tested it because I was having combing artifacts in the video.

[TadAmy]

I just bought a PS3 80G and there is absolutly no noise. I have no clue what you all are talking about in regards to noise. You must be watching movies with the sides of your head resting on the player. I have had three PS3 players and never had any problem with noise. Oh and also, the PS3 far and away out-perform's an S350. I had it, no comparison. I've also compared PS3 image to Pan DMP-30 and 35 and Sony S550. The PS3 was equal or better than all and you get to play games if you want. Isn't that cool!

[Acctingman]

I've also compared PS3 image to Pan DMP-30 and 35 and Sony S550. The PS3 was equal or better than all and you get to play games if you want. Isn't that cool!

Uhm....then how come almost every review I've read has said that the Sony 350 has better SD DVD & Blu-Ray playback over the PS3? I call BS.

[ricky tee78]

Originally Posted by Acctingman

Uhm....then how come almost every review I've read has said that the Sony 350 has better SD DVD & Blu-Ray playback over the PS3? I call BS.

with the latest firmware updates, I feel the ps3 has the best dvd upconverting I've seen. I was trained in upconverting for my last job so I know my stuff here. The only player i've seen do a better job was a denon player with an integrated faroudja chip, but that upconverting technology is unbeatable.

[prerich]

Originally Posted by PCFan

Actually I returned the DVD players because of other problems.

My PC is too loud for movie playback. Louder than the PS3 I used to have but at least I don't hear the speed of the fans change gears while watching a movie on my PC. Quiet scenes are hard to hear over my PC unless I wear headphones but I don't want to wear headphones while watching a movie unless it's night time and I don't want to wake up people plus DVDs tend to stutter randomly on my PC for some reason.

How many fans are you running and what type. Maybe time to change fans?

[prerich]

Originally Posted by ricky tee78

with the latest firmware updates, I feel the ps3 has the best dvd upconverting I've seen. I was trained in upconverting for my last job so I know my stuff here. The only player i've seen do a better job was a denon player with an integrated faroudja chip, but that upconverting technology is unbeatable.

Have you seen PC upconverting yet? All2hd looks pretty nice on WinDVD 9