What do Blu-ray movies look like on PS3?
Surprisingly excellent. Blacks are hard black and the image looks rock-steady and ultra-crisp. Pausing playback gave images that looked for all the world like hi-res photos being displayed on a large PC monitor. Our Stealth Blu-ray test disc looked pin-sharp and the dramatic CG scenes were rendered so accurately the result looked digitally overly clean and fake. S.W.A.T on the other hand was so detailed it actually showed up the grain of the film (yes, Blu-ray can be too good when it comes to older movies). Here’s hoping old '70s classics undergo a hi-def remastering before release on Blu-ray.
What do Blu-ray movies sound like on PS3?
Got a Dolby Digital surround amp? Then PS3 will fit right in. It has the same digital optical out on the back as PS2 and delivers punchy 5.1 sound (five speakers and a subwoofer).
What we’ve yet to test is Dolby’s new standard True HD, which is a sound system that copies the actual soundtrack that you hear at the cinema 'bit-for-bit' rather than compress and re-digitise it. The improvement, we're told, can be heard even by the most casual of film watchers, with more detailed sub-woofer and sharper between-speaker surround imaging. Plus the support for seven speakers rather than five. However, with True HD amps costing over £1000 and the current crop of discs not featuring the standard we'll have to 'make do' with Dolby Digital 5.1 for now.
Is Blu-ray on PS3 fast?
In our tests, our PS3 took just three seconds from insertion to the BD-ROM being picked up by the menu. One click later and we had the Sony Pictures intro less than 15 seconds later. And navigating around complex front-end menus felt identical to DVD – fast and responsive - albeit with stunningly sharp, PC-style text and furniture. It’s worth pointing out that at no stage, even with the most vigorous back and forward shuffling, pausing, menu selecting did the machine hiccup or pause once.
Will there be a proper Blu-ray remote for PS3?
Yep. An official remote control - that uses Bluetooth wireless technology - will be available on launch day for £17.99 (24.99 euros). However, the PS3 pads are perfectly capable of doing the job.
Does PS3 play DVDs as well as Blu-ray?
Yes, and while there’s no upscaling at present (the process of digitally increasing the resolution of the 720 by 480 image right up to 1920 by 1080) we certainly rate PS3’s DVD playback in excess of PS2’s. And Sony has said that genuine DVD upscaling (which should in theory give an even sharper, hi-def-like image from your old DVDs) should be added in a future upgrade to the firmware.
Can I play Blu-ray movies on a DVD player?
No. Can't be done.
Will Blu-ray movies play on my standard definition TV?
Blu-ray movies will play on any standard def TV set, but obviously you'll want to watch them on an HD TV to really appreciate the improvement in quality.
Does Blu-ray have region coding?
Oh yes. Region A is North America, South America, East Asia (except China). Region B is Europe and Africa. Region C is China, Russia and other countries. So, if you want to watch Blu-ray movies in the UK on a PAL PS3, you'll want Region B discs.
How much do Blu-ray movies cost?
Right now they sell for around £25.
What movies are available to watch on Blu-ray?
There's currently only a limited number of Blu-ray movies available in the UK (there should be around 40 titles on shelves by the end of March), but a steady trickle of new releases is scheduled throughout 2007.
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