great for games, but to enjoy a multimedia center in the living room with caution

about the qualities of the PS 3 as a game console has been sufficiently reported. and it is true: great graphics, no revolution and no vast difference to the x-box, but really great, what modern consoles afford there. the new controller is fun, especially the motion sensor I find prima (eg Metal Storm). all fine and more than a generation better than the PS2.

but just to play I had not actually bought the console, but because I wanted to use the living room as a good-looking entertainment center: So as a substitute of the DVD player, as a blue-ray player, as music and photo archive, as Internet access from the sofa , and also because the PS 3 does first a good impression: it is super fast installed and connected to TV, surround sound system and internet. the display of photos looks thanks to slide-show effects, and 1080i from superclass. SD cards can be read and copied quickly, as music from USB sticks. so far so good.

but ...

the design:
yes it's true, it looks all right and at first sight the living room accessible, with its glossy black casing. but only if it is. the lie acts (where the USB ports are), the lower part too high, making the ps 3 for optical monstrosity. and why was not walking by pulled right up to the edge of the case, will understand itself probably only the designer. so who emphasis on design, should be previously necessarily consider whether he can provide the PS 3.

the volume:
it is described by many as "barely perceptible". I can only strongly recommend a quick visit to the Hearing Care Professionals. the fan of 3 ps always run, certainly not among the quietest and are much louder than the example of my HDD Recorder, I had therefore already banned in a ventilated, but closed rack. I would do with the PS 3 prefer too, but fear, then she dies the heat death: the part is in some places so hot that you almost burn your finger on it.

the browser:
is not really even be used with keyboard. afraid there's only the upgrade with a Linux browser.

as DVD player makes the PS 3 is also not the best figure. In any case the picture is considerably worse than in my previous Panasonic DVD player. whether this is because conventional DVDs are given only with PAL resolution on the TV and probably only interlaced (?), no idea. In any case can not substitute for the PS 3 the DVD Player.

throughout so good, but not very good. it is certainly far from being a panacea, that I had actually hoped for.