Firmware updates make PS3 better media streamer than Xbox 360
Filed under: Gaming, Sony Playstation 3
Do you own a standalone network media player? It has been revealed that HP and Linksys are discontinuing some of their media player products due to a decline in interest. Cnet has writtten an article about this and has suggest that both the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 offer great network media capabilities.
In the article which discusses the future of the standalone network media player, focus switches to the PS3 and 360 and the types of similar services they offer in comparison to rival products on the market.
They talk about the Xbox 360 being a full-on Windows Media Center Extender and network media player. They say the same thing about the PS3, adding that the recent DivX update makes the system ‘a more robust media streamer than the 360′.
Read the article in full above and let us know what your opinions are.
Xbox 360: Gaming or Media Streaming?
PS3 vs. Xbox 360: Game Delays
PlayOn Media Server: Stream Netflix to Xbox 360 and PS3
How Important is DivX and Xvid on the Xbox 360 or Sony PS3 to you?
I have to disagree with that. I use TVersity to stream from my PC and while I’d prefer to stream to my PS3 due to the quieter fan noise, I’ve found quite a few files haven’t played so have ended up streaming to my 360. I’ve also has similar problems viewing photos from a USB stick on my PS3, which have worked fine on the 360.
I agree, have never had any problems with playing videos from my PC to my PS3. My roommate hasn’t had the same luck however with his 360. Never had the picture issue that Slippy Sloppy speaks of, have several photo screen savers too.
Morne
Yeah, it wont play any WMV video file. And wasn’t Divx support added like 18 months ago? I have both PS3 and 360, and I have to say that the 360 media extender is real nice, but I like the PS3’s network abilities better. Although, most of my videos are WMV, so I find myself using the 360 more for streaming.
Have tried downloading a licence to play wma under the setting for your ps3. Done that and don’t have any problems playing wma formats. If you have firmware 2.40 the ps3 can play most of your files if they are well encoded.
If you are talking about the setting that enables WMV, then that is already done. It will play music encoded in MWV, but not video. Are you able to play video encoded in WMV?
The PS3 is the only 100% DivX compliant device. According to (drumroll please) the authors of DivX
Not to mention, currently, the best price for full blue-ray 2.0 (aka BD Live) – and can use the PS3 remote, which is bluetooth – no more crappy IR…
$300 – for that price you simply cannot find a better media center for your HD home entertainment center. Oh, it also plays games!
Windows 7 + Media Centre + *.mkv support = WIN
for mac streaming to ps3
ps3 media center is free and plays a lot more file types than medialink does which is a paid app
happy streaming
I like Connect360 works perfect, plays all the xvid TV shows perfectly. Worth the $20 or whatever i paid.
I must admit I’ve never had a problem streaming to my PS3, don’t own a 360 so can’t comment on that.
As long as the movie file is under 2GB you should be ok. Which files do you have trouble playing Slippy Sloppy? The PS3 is a fully certified DIVX product (which the 360 is not) so you shouldn’t have problems with DIVX files.
If it’s a Windows Media file type, then as Blackish05 says it’s simply a case of activating playback in the Video Options menu (you only need to do this once, I’m guessing Sony want to limit how much licence money they give to their biggest competitor so do it on a user by user basis?). I play/stream WMV files all the time without issue.
As for the photo thing, you’ve obviously not read the instructions on how to properly setup a USB drive’s file structure to work with the PS3 – you simply need to setup folders called MUSIC, VIDEO, PHOTO, GAME (for save files), SYSTEM (for firmware downloaded off the internet). These folders will allow one click autofind from the XMB – i.e. the Photo XMB area reads the PHOTO folder etc.
You can get to files that aren’t in their default locations by pressing Triangle and choosing Display All and browsing through the folder structure, but generally it’s easier to use the above folders.
The files were avi’s, I assume DIVX encoding. The PS3 could locate them but just wouldn’t play them. As for viewing photos I put in a USB stick and the PS3 couldn’t locate any data on the stick, so I put it in the 360 and it view and display them all.
It’s not that the ps3 couldn’t locate it, you have to press triangle on the usb device and choose display all. I had the same problem with movies on a flash drive until I found out about the triangle deal. I hope this helps.
Xbox360 Media Center + Windows 7 is a far more powerful Media extender than the PS3. (hell even with Vista Media Center/MC2005 it still is)
This guy has no idea what he is going on about. Sad thing is he works at cnet…sigh
just use PS3 Media Server its the best thing ever, u can stream HD movies with no lag, and u can stream with subtitles… its just amazing… never see something like thtat on 360…
agreed. i use this when i don’t feel like transferring video files to my external hard drive or onto my PS3. either way, PS3 is second to none as a media center.
That’s not completely true, because that same program works also with xbox 360(although it’s not yet as good as it is on PS3). PS3 media server is best streaming program, but it doesn’t make PS3 best streamer because that program works also with other devices… What would make PS3 the best media streamer is adding native support for mkv:s and subtitles(why sony won’t allow 3.party developer make video player program if they don’t want to make it by themself….???).
I have PS3 and I can’t get it to stream mp3s! it’s connected to my router via lan cable, it streams photos and movies fine but not the mp3. Pc is running Vista, I definitely added ps3 as a device under windows media. It actually sees the PC and the folder, but it doesn’t see the mp3 files. Has anyone got similar issues, problems with mp3 streaming and resolved it??
i agree the ps3 is a stronger system all together, i own both 360 and ps3, i like my 360 and love my ps3, but i honestly have to say the ps3 does everything better, sorry the psn network now is better, i have way more problems with xbox live now then psn, ps3 has way more storage capabilities, you can add 800 gig internal to 160 360, on ps3 you can add a tero, usb external, on the 360 cant do it, more space more media, also ps3 has internet browser, also whwn you go to friends house instead of removing your hard drive on 360, i bought a 16 gig usb memory slot , and put the stuff i want to take with me from my ps3, its great, i got a 16 gig usb card vs a 256mb card for 360 , and the usb card was cheaper, the usb card will not work with 360, for what ever reason. like i said the ps3 is better in every way, i could write the differences all day