HTPC vs PS3 as a media center.

[brett_day]

Originally Posted by camper

Not sure if it's been said, but there is more money to be made in the living room than in the home office. Getting people indoctrinated into playing home videos and pictures on their big screen TV will cause them to develop a taste to do more. Since most people are sheep and all want to be head of the flock, Joe Public will not be content with just a picture slideshow if Mr. Jones next door has his set to music.

Right now the ability to view pics via a USB drive on a TV is a definite marketing scheme, but as soon as you can increase that capability and offer 'more' through a media center that inserts seemlessly into your TV stand you'll see that dynamic change.

The PS3 has taken Microsoft's lead from the XBox and made their own media center.



I wouldn't say that's true in all cases. I'm a techie, and I have only a vague interest in building a HTPC. Of course, I'm suffering IT burnout in a big way, so I might be less typical. Still, I have the skills and know-how to put together a HTPC and simply don't want to be bothered. If I wanted a HTPC, I'd simply buy one prebuilt because my time is not worth the money I'd save.

Right now, I use my 360 as a media center extender, since my whole house is networked with cat 5e gigabit. I can pull my photo's and movies and MP3's right through the 360, and since that's piped through my reciever (only running the 360 through component video & fiber audio) I have a pretty decent stereo. Since the 360 hasn't included a web browsing capability (a major irritant for me) I can't get streaming audio or video 'on the fly' but I think I can get some content using the 360 as an extender--I haven't played wiht it much. So technically, with the PC I have right now, if I put in a tuner card (I happen to have an old one) I could probably use it as a DVR. So technically, if I add a BD to my PC (not likely, not down there enough) I'd have a HTPC right now.

Anyway, I think I'm tangenting, but can the PS3 connect to an existing PC and pull the media files (pics, MP3's, & movies) to play on your TV?

~Camper

yes it can! the ps3 is an excellent media extender...works just like the 360. I have the media on my pc stream wirelessly to the ps3.