Sony PS3 needs firmware update to support NTFS: over 4GB files

Simple use the program Swissknife http://www.compuapps.com/download/Swissknife/swissknife.htm
to format your external hard drive. This program allows hard drives up to 2 TB of space. It would be nice to have NTFS though…

Sony WILL NOT get in bed with Microsoft for NTFS support. They would most likely use an alternate journaling file system like ext3 or jfs.

I use ext3 for EVERYTHING, it works fine.
Sony does not need NTFS!

Wow, it took me 30 seconds to quick format my 250GB external to fat 32… Not an issue, Just educate yourself.

the best external hard drive is a … PC with TVersity !

With Sony’s announcement that future Blu-ray movies will include the same movie in a smaller format for download to your PSP, my thoughts are that they will offer an upgrade sometime soon…

I am fairly well educated in computing and all the readers are missing the point. It is easy to format a drive to FAT32 or create a partition for FAT32 on the external drive. I have done this and can watch my small divx anime episodes happily. But I have films in 1080p HD quality which are ver 4GB in size some are as large as 20GB, FAT32 does not allow you to store files over 4 GB so even though the PS3 supports playback of the files I cannot watch them from my external drive. I really do thick Sony should support the format though maybe it is not possible as its an MS thing.

So though it may take you 30 seconds to format yur HDD to FAT32 it still does not solve my, on a FAT32 drive you can’t watch large HD movies. problem

that sure will be a damn good thing. sine you can watch a lot of HD stuff that is usually >4gigs. this will be really helpfull.

Good article, had some god points. question though, why are using a 20gb ps3 in their picture?

You can play files larger than 4gb on the playstation.
It’s just a matter of finding something that will allow you to transfer files of that size.
If you try to use an NTFS format drive to transfer it’s a no go because the PS3 won’t recognise it.
You can use a the wireless connection (or wired) with no problem – transferring via wireless does take a long time though.
If you have HD H.264 file you can burn it on to a dual layer DVD and transfer from there.

I’ve done it and it works.

For your information the PS3 doesn’t use the FAT partion system – it uses a Sony propreitry partition system.

Thank you Dirk Bongo thats useful information, I still think it would be good if the PS3 could recognise NTFS but this is a good option. Do you know if you can format USB external drives with the Sony propreitry partition system. Is it possible using the PS3 format utility, if it is not that would be a good firmware update allowing you to create a Sony propreitry partition system partition on your external HDD.

I guess you could buy a 2.5 inch hard drive put into the PS3, format it, remove it again and put it into an enclosure.
It’s the only way I can think of getting the Sony partition system on an external drive.

My PS3 plays files over 4gb. Have only got it to work with VOBs, just change file extension to mpg.

Do you mean >4GB file on your external USB HDD or on the internal sony HDD. Because we know it play >4gb files on the internal HDD.

OK I get that Microsoft is a pain in the ass and who wants to deal with them to license NTFS, especially Sony. But cmon…FAT32 came out w/Windows 95. It slows annoyingly as its main inherent fault allows increasing fragmentation. And the 4GB file size limit is not workable moving forward. People say it’s only Windows users that have to deal w/NTFS (notwithstanding the Linux support), but anyone who has upgraded their Windows OS since 98 or ME probably has NTFS drives laying around. It’s completely retarded for Sony to ask us to go back and reformat (or format in the 1st place) with a 13 year old technology just b/c its not convenient for them.

Easy solution. Fomat the external HD in ext2 using a Linux O/S and the PS3 will recognise the format and you can save any size files to drive and copy them over to your PS3. Knoppix is a free version of linux which you can run from a CD to format the HD’s and copy the files from.

Hi Glassy,

I formatted my external HDD from NTFS to Linux ext2/3 thro’ Partition Magic 8. I’ve also installed a special program into my window’s OS to read and write the ext2/3 external HDD. Then i added a 7.5GB HD video file into the HDD and connected to my PS3. But the ps3 did not read any external drive with and without the 7.5GB file. Can you or anyone help me out?.

NB: Before this, i have formatted my HDD to FAT32 and the ps3 worked well with no files larger than 4GB.

NTFS would be ideal. Lately, though, I’ve been using HFS File Server ( http://www.rejetto.com/hfs/ ) to transfer my HD movies. over to my PS3. Sure, it takes awhile, but you could always just leave it on overnight to transfer multiple files.

The best solution is a PC running TVersity. I have a 1GB switch so I simply stream anything I like from the PC to the PS3 as a Media Extender. Wireless can handle 720p but 1GB wired does 1080p. With 8 SATA connections in my PC I have potentially unlimted amounts of storage. NTFS, EXT3 or FAT32 doesn’t matter.

just got a 1TB external hd for xmas and just wondering wtf i do so that my ps3 can see it and i can actually use it

help plz sum1

haha I got a TB drive for x-mas too. I just plan to make a 15gb FAT32 partition and the rest NTFS. When I want to play/copy something to my ps3 ill just move it to the small partition.

Hi…for those of u who have read all the posts made on this discussion board, u will notice that “Dirk Bongo” and “Usaryan” have raised a good point about fixing this HDD recognition problem.

Since the PS3 has an internal HDD that incorporates the Sony proprietary partition system, (Not NTFS!!!) it seems right to think that the console will be able to recognize an external HDD that is also formatted with a Sony proprietary partition system.

So in regards to “Dirk Bongo’s” idea of buying a new laptop HDD, installing it into the PS3 and formatting it using the console (it would format the HDD with Sony proprietary partition system); this is a good idea….but my only question is…once that is done…can we transfer files (larger than 4gb of course) onto the newly formatted drive by connecting it to a PC (after putting the newly formatted HDD into a case with USB connection to use as an external HDD)???

Because…will windows be able to recognize the Sony proprietary partition system of the new HDD? if not, is there a special software that allows us to transfer files onto it?

my ps3 does play ntfs files no prob , could be related to the new firmware upgrade , or the quick format to get the remote to work , remember to press triangle on remote or controller or simply put all video files into a folder marked VIDEO (must be in caps)

hi jimbob. I interested to buy ps3 but from all forums I went there was clear message – ps3 is not supporting nfts. your files over 4gb are in VIDEO folder but where is this folder? could it be on an external disk (formated in nfts)? thanks for your comment

So – I store all of my divx encoded movies on a separate server and run Showtime. I run nero showtime as a mediaserver and (obviously) the PS3 as a client. I cannot get the PS3 to play files that are larger than 4GB in size. I can reduce the size by reducing the video bitrate – but I don’t want to sacrifice quality. This seems to be a different limitation unless whatever the protocol is (CLNS?) is locally bound to the limitations of the PS3 filesystem.

Any thoughts?

thanks

Tversity never worked smoothly. Works on 1 PC, not on other; works 1 file, not the other, even same thing.

Linux has an NTFS plugin for their kernel.
I’m pretty sure it can be ported to the PS3.

I agree will “Dirk Bongo” and “Usaryan”, and i beleave that most of the replys didnt understand the problem.

The easy solution is Sony suporting NTFS. A good reason for Sony not wanting to let you use >4GB files could be because of PS3 Backup games. Once they hack the PS3 to load backup’s they will have a problem to get games under 4GB.

My temporary solution for all you out there is MultiAVCHD,it creats a AVCHD from a MKV file and splits the files at 3.9G.

It took me less than 5m to creat a AVCHD from a 10G MKV file, the reason is it doesnt need to transcode the video so it’s like your reading a word document and saving it to PDF and it just takes the time necessary to write the 10G file to you external Fat32 Hard Drive.

I would prefer NTFS and MKV suporte, but for now i’m good this way.

Chears,
Dpiano

note that its just a 250gb external..
and its quick formatt.. which may not be thorough enough..
it might not be an issue to you though, but it does not apply to everyone.

Idiots…

All my data on my drive that is ntfs, and I still need to use it on my PC as well. Everybody always wants to say something clever but do not have an idea whats going on in the real world!

Stop reading computer books!

PS3 needs NTFS! otherwise I will swictch to xbox

Lack of support for NTFS will make me look elsewhere.

In summary:

- PS3/Sony use their own propriety filesystem on INTERNAL HDDs. It supports SINGLES FILES larger than 4GB.

- PS3/Sony support EXTERNAL HDDs formatted using FAT32 filesystem. FAT32 only supports SINGLE FILES as large as 4GB.

- PS3/Sony don’t support NTFS because that is their competitors filesystem (MICROSOFT).

You can still play those single files larger than 4GB fully, from an EXTERNAL HDD if you split and chuck them in a MPG/VOB container.

OR

Simply put them inside a MPG/VOB container, and transfer directly to the INTERNAL HDD using PS3 Media Server. No splitting needed.

Both options are a waste of energy especially if you have as much high definition video as I do. So save yourself time and get a cheap WDTV bitches.

I find it quite interesting that WDTV will support NTFS drives and Sony wont. I also find it funny that Sony does support streaming from a PC Windows machine and network connectivity.

The simple answer is Sony just does not want to support NTFS formated drives, period. All other manufactures do (and so does Sony with it's laptops) why not Sony PS3?

Every other media playing device on the market (such as WDTV) supports NTFS except PS3. There is no excuse for this, it's 2010 get with the program!!!!!

the trick is to format your fat32 to a ntfs.if u go onto youtube and type in fat32->ntfs it will show u how,then you will be able to store much larger content than 4gbs,however for some stupid and very iritating reason my ps3 and probably urs too wont recognise the external hd if it is ntfs formated,so maybe once uv got ur over 4 gb info on the hd try to format it back to fat32 and then use with your ps3,sorry i couldn be more help

Just to educate some of you numbskulls xD

NTFS has been an opensource format for a LONG, LONG time, so taking on NTFS wouldn't be a problem at all, and certainly wouldn't be "jumping into bed with microsoft".

I just wanted to watch Avatar with the family on a 1080p File… I have converted my 1T External to NTFS to support the file size… Then Attempted to play via my Samsung 46" Yet the audio codecs are not supporting the file type… I converted the video file to be supported on PS3…. I can not find my HDD due to NTFS… Sigh, Guess im going to go buy the damn movie so I can return it tomorrow.

As long as you don’t have ANY files over 4 gigs in size. Educate yourself.

how do you format it in 30 secs

how did u do it

I want ntfs on ps3

If BottomSmacker is correct and NTFS is indeed open source now, then it shouldn't be a problem, and the only real reason for Sony NOT to adopt it in future firmware updates, maybe to hamper people backing up games. But surely if that's the case, then future jailbreaks could also incorporate NTFS compatibility?

best solution for those with external hard drives, is to go and but a media server that plays all files and plays all formats aprox. $120. and let sony deal with the loss. although there is a way to store your 4GB or more files with a FAT32 external hard drive, but that would mean splitting your files into seperate sections or partitions with tsmuxer, or just stream them from your computer with PS3MS, will play all files.copy to internal hard drive on ps3 and watch, delete when finished

eh what i i wanted to use my usb hhd that allredy is ntfs and loaded with movies, isnt there a driver so that playstation can support ntfs drives, that is what everybody wants to know not other faggy solutions with media server and crap like that. supose i have my computer a difrent place then my ps3 and my ps3 is not conected to the internet what do i do then……..i want the fucking driver someone please tell me

Just use a media server to transffer the files directly onto ur ps3 and it works wonders.

I have a quick question. I was looking at laptops at the sony website. Why does the viao run off of windows, but the ps3 cannot read NTFS? I find that really weird.