PS3 as home theatre source - skinning possible?

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timmmay

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#73562 15-Dec-2010 23:09

I use a PS3 to connect to my PC to play content - music, movies, and TV. It works perfectly with the PS3 media server software, but the UI on the PS3 is just ugly, not not really that user friendly.

For example if you choose to play a song you can't enqueue it then let it play while you queue up another one. Browsing is just ugly, like on an old PC.

Is there a way to replace the PS3 UI with something else? I don't mind jailbreaking or similar, but I want it to work with PS3 games, online, etc.

Jaxson

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#417996 16-Dec-2010 10:13

Ha I find the same thing. I really wish you could create folders to put the music into. Creating a playlist using a hand controller is painful as.

I can't help directly sorry, just to say that I would have thought by now there would be a bunch of aftermarket apps for the PS3 so you could buy other software to do this sort of thing better.

timmmay

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#418011 16-Dec-2010 10:38

You can browse folders on the PS 3 Media Server/PC fine. It's just painful and ugly.

I wonder if you can create playlists on the PC then import them to the PS3. I'll have to do a bit of googling one day when i'm bored. Preset playlists are only mildly helpful, I want to enqueue songs that I want to listen to right now.

Disrespective

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#418085 16-Dec-2010 13:10

Interesting question, I found the interface terrible and gave up and never thought about it twice. A quick google doesn't tell me much about re-skinning the gui to be more useful as the back end player is so limited. It also doesn't sound like much will be done in the future.

One thing I didn't realise was that you should be able to press the PS button whilst playing music to jump back to the xmb and continue searching for more music. No idea if this then lets you queue up music.

timmmay

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#418108 16-Dec-2010 13:55

Good tip on the PS button, i'll try that. The PS3 works well, it's just got a really ugly and not very user friendly UI.

bazzer

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#418156 16-Dec-2010 16:04

You also can't use the PS button under certain circumstances. Can't remember exactly, but for example, I think if you're using the upscaling algorithms, you have to stop playing to return to the XMB.

Disrespective

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#418416 17-Dec-2010 10:26

Yeah you need the audio source to not be upscaled. i.e. it needs to be 48khz as opposed to 44.1/88.2/176.4khz for the PS button to work.

timmmay

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#418444 17-Dec-2010 11:14

It comes via the PS3 media server on my PC, I could probably set it up to deliver the audio however the ps3 wants it, if it's not done already.