Who would like PS3 to have IR capability?

[nhaase]

I agreed with one thing in that C/Net article, "10 Things I Hate About the PS3," http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6449_7-...ml?tag=nl.e404

The thing I agree with is no IR capability. I have a Logitech Harmony remote, and would like to use that when watching BR movies. So who here would buy a small USB drive, not unlike a flash drive, that would accept IR signals and convert them to remote control inputs (play, pause, etc.) If possible, it would basically be like having your controller hard-wired in.

I have no idea how to accomplish this, I'm not a computer engineer, but I would grab one right away if Logitech made one. I say logitech because you update the remote via computer and they supply your update program with remote commands for new products, so they could make this and post it on the program.

I'm just trying to gauge people's interest in this. Maybe, if it seems substantial, we could email Logitech and they could see that there may be a market for this.

Also, if you read the first paragraph, the guy says people swamped him with emails about being hypocritical by NOT knocking the PS3, they said he sounded like a shill for Sony. So he was doing it to appease.

[ashwiggins]

I have the same remote and I agree its a problem. Hopefully Sony will release some type of gadget that will allow the PS3 to be IR. The logitech 880 is such an awesome remote and it sucks that my only compnent that doesn't work with it is the PS3. I bought the bluetooth remote for the PS3 but all in all its pretty unimpressive and I wasn't about to pay an extra $200 for the Harmony remote with RF built in to it so I could control the PS3. This is all on Sony and they need to find a way to fix it.

[nhaase]

That is the exact same remote I have, the 880, and yes, it is amazing.

[jorg]

to me blue toth is much better then ir but i think were all having letting go problems you wouldent complain if the ps3 has satilight radio but not anolog or would we. but to you what are the advantages of ir over blue-toth?

[nhaase]

Jorg, I'm not sure you really understand the nature of my thread.

It's not that I lose sleep or anything since the PS3 doesn't have IR capability, but I don't think that "which is better, Bluetooth or IR," even enters into this argument. The advantage of IR is that universale remotes have that technology. I use my Harmony to control my Xbox 360 when I want to. Performance-wise, bluetooth may well be better, but if you look at industry penetration, IR is at the core. If a dongle was made that could convert IR signals into remote commands, then anyone with a simple programmable remote could control the PS3, and still have just one remote.

So the advantage I care about is I don't know of a universal remote that transmits both IR and bluetooth, so to make a BT remote control everything else, you would have to convert BT signals to IR for your TV, cable box, and A/V receiver, and DVD player. Or, you convert IR to BT for ONE component, the PS3.

Also, satellite radio requires a subscription, and once again, how does that fit in? I'm not about to abandon Sony due to no IR, but it's one drawback if I had to name one. Not that it stops me from watching BR movies.

[ashwiggins]

Here's a Harmony remote (890) that will control both IR and RF, but its $400:

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/pr...ONTENTID=10930

I already bought the 880, so I don't see myself investing $600 in to a remote just to control the PS3. Hopefully Sony will come out with an adapter.

About which one is better, no doubt Bluetooth is better, but the PS3 is the only A/V device I own that uses Bluetooth, so it's agravating since it would have been very easy for Sony to include both IR and RF.

[Werewolk Killer]

Everyone wants the PS3 to go IR, but maybe the remotes should start working on Bluetooth. I program univeral remotes for a living and I tell you the RF is hit or miss 10% of the time and the ir is line of sight only.

Bluetooth has giving us the ablity to see the battery life on the tv screen (I have the blu-ray remote) and it has worked 100% so far without issue. I know most of us want to use one remote trust me I do too. However I hate dongles and other after thought devices. They seem to have as many issues as the problems they solve.

The reality is the PS3 is a game system, and I bet Sony feels if you want a ir controlled device get a stand alone blu-ray player.(not being smart a just telling like it is)

[jorg]

i see wel if you are willing to invest a small in mount your can go with this idea

http://www.remotecentral.com/articles/ps3-ir-remote.htm

i do not know if it will work with universal remote but it works with the ps2 ir remote

[nhaase]

Originally Posted by Werewolk Killer

Everyone wants the PS3 to go IR, but maybe the remotes should start working on Bluetooth. I program univeral remotes for a living and I tell you the RF is hit or miss 10% of the time and the ir is line of sight only.

Bluetooth has giving us the ablity to see the battery life on the tv screen (I have the blu-ray remote) and it has worked 100% so far without issue. I know most of us want to use one remote trust me I do too. However I hate dongles and other after thought devices. They seem to have as many issues as the problems they solve.

The reality is the PS3 is a game system, and I bet Sony feels if you want a ir controlled device get a stand alone blu-ray player.(not being smart a just telling like it is)

I agree with Werewolf Killer that moving to Bluetooth is a good idea, but I am speaking about present home theater setups, where the PS3 is the only BT item. Because of that fact, it makes sense, to me at least, that IR capability would more fully integrate the PS3 with the home theater. Also, and this is in response to your last paragraph, Sony has marketed the PS3 as they want it to be the centerpiece of your home entertainment system. If it is to be that, then either they should make a truly universal remote themselves, or the PS3 should have IR/RF capability. So yes, the PS3 is a game system, but SONY wants it to be more, and I think they messed up on part of that. Once again, this doesn't make me hate Sony, I just think they missed the mark here. Dongles and such can add to frustration, but I think that here it would be worth a shot.

Part of the reason Sony put the BR player in was to help win the format war, so it was surprising to me that they wouldn't put IR on there, to make sure you can use any remote, to add to the PS3's "centerpiece" of your home theater.

So, maybe in the future BT will be the remote transmitting technology for electronics. And that the PS3 was the first to put in BT technology in the home theater will add to its greatness, but right now I think they missed the target they set for themselves.

[nhaase]

Oh, and AshWiggins, I am very sure the 890 will not control the PS3, either. I haven't read anywhere that it can, as Bluetooth is a special trasmitting technology, not just RF.