10 Reasons to Install the PlayStation 3 as a Blu-ray Player(and 3 cons)

[saprano]

Im back with a vengeance

05.06.2008 — Sony’s PlayStation 3 should be the Blu-ray player you install in your customers’ home theaters.

While it may not be the perfect device for the completely networked home, the PS3 offers a host of features that other Blu-ray players lack.

Now that the format war is a thing of the past, there are plenty of Blu-ray options to choose from, but the PS3 is the way to go.

Here are 10 reasons why you should install the PlayStation 3 as your clients’ Blu-ray player.

It’s Future Proof
A lot has been made about Blu-ray’s many different specifications, and how many of the players first introduced would not be able to handle the features rolled out in the future.

The PS3 has been prepared for any future updates to the Blu-ray specification, with its internal hard drive and Internet connectivity. Many of the stand-alone players introduced by manufacturers are missing these crucial components, meaning that they can’t use newer picture-in-picture and online interactivity, accessible via ...

Profile 2.0
The PS3 received its Profile 2.0 (BD-Live) update earlier this year, making it the first Blu-ray player to support the features.

While there aren’t too many discs out with BD-Live features, and it’s way more likely your customer actually just wants to watch movies in HD, there’s no reason to primarily offer a player that can’t handle everything Blu-ray offers.

It Plays Games, Too!

Gaming is becoming a bigger and bigger part of the home theater experience, with some videogame sales outpacing movie debuts.

According to Ted Green of the Stratecon Group, many integrators at a recent seminar said they are installing the PS3 as a gaming machine, and the Blu-ray just happened to come along.

Need a run-down on some popular games? Here are 8 games you need to know about any why.

The Market is There

Gamers are ripe for high-end A/V systems, according to research from THX and the Nielsen Research Group (NRG).

The research found that 44 percent of PS3 owners have the console in the living room or den, suggesting that it’s being used as an entertainment hub and not a toy in a kid’s bedroom. Fifty-one percent of PS3 owners watch movies on the system, and 54 percent have at least a 5.1 audio setup.

More than the two main competing systems, 71 percent of respondents have the PS3 connected on an HD display (66 percent of Xbox 360 owners and 65 of Nintendo Wii owners).

The Price is Right
In the custom world, most clients are able to pay higher prices for superior products. When it comes to the mass-marketed PS3, the MSRP of $399 (40 GB model) is easily swallowed when considering everything that it does.

Obviously, this presents a margin problem (since there really isn’t any). But, like with nearly all consumer-oriented products, that’s normally the reality.

Networking Functionality, DLNA-compliant
The PS3 has both Ethernet and Wi-Fi networking capabilities, providing online access for gaming, firmware updates and media streaming.

It’s a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) compliant system, meaning it can connect to networked PCs to stream music, movies, pictures and more.

DTS-HD Audio
Sony added support for DTS-HD Master Audio in April, answering the prayers of many audiophiles waiting for the desperately.

While the audio codec has been available in other Blu-ray players, its addition to the PS3 rounds out the general wish list among home theater gurus (it also received upconverting capabilities after its launch).

TV, Movie Downloads Coming
On the PlayStation blog, Sony confirmed that rumors of video downloads coming to the PS3 are indeed true.

While I don’t have any new announcements here for the PlayStation Nation, it’s already been confirmed that we’ll be offering a video service for PS3 in a way that separates the service from others you’ve seen or used. Ultimately the goal of the PLAYSTATION Network service will be to break through the overwhelming clutter of digital media to give you the TV, movies and gaming content you want. More on this very soon …

The Xbox 360 has had digital downloads for some time now, so while the PS3 would only be catching up, it potentially gets rid of one more box to install in a rack.

Sony’s Gaming Business is On the Rise

While the system’s introduction wasn’t easy, Sony’s gaming business announced that sales were up 31.2 percent in the third quarter, thanks mostly to the PS3.

With the format war ending, standalone Blu-ray players have seen lackluster sales, according to NPD research, while PS3 sales in March were up 98 percent year over year. Yeah, you can’t do an apples-and-oranges comparison, but given its affordability as a Blu-ray player, there’s undoubtedly some correlation.

It’s Rack-Mountable

Rounding out its home theater usage, the PS3 can be installed in a rack.

For a system in a closet, this is a must.

3 Reasons Not to Install the PS3 as a Blu-ray Player

Even with all of the reasons to use a PlayStation 3 in place of a standalone Blu-ray player, there are still a few things missing for custom installers.

No IR Control

The PS3’s remote situation is ugly, making it difficult to properly control. You can either do a klunky workaround, buy a USB dongle, or hope that the IR4PS3 remote does the job.

No RS-232 It’s not totally a surprise, given the mass-market audience, but it sure would be nice if the PS3 had RS-232. Home automation is a bit more difficult without the control standard.

No Margins

You’re not going to make any money selling PS3s. For a custom-targeted Blu-ray player, check out Sony’s BDP-S2000ES, part of its Elevated Standard line.

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