PS3 USB Question

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rockovreality

17 posts

Geek

#39524 15-Aug-2009 21:27

Hey there. I am going to buy a new tv and need to decide whether i need one with usb input for music, photo and video playback.

I might just buy a ps3 instead, so can you please tell me if it is possibly to play music photos and video off a usb on a ps3?

Will that work or not? any help would be much appreciated!! thanks in advance.

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friedCrumpet

268 posts

Ultimate Geek

#247159 16-Aug-2009 11:18

rockovreality: Hey there. I am going to buy a new tv and need to decide whether i need one with usb input for music, photo and video playback.

I might just buy a ps3 instead, so can you please tell me if it is possibly to play music photos and video off a usb on a ps3?

Will that work or not? any help would be much appreciated!! thanks in advance.

Yes. There are a few formats that it won't play (check google) - however it's likely to play far more formats than any TV you buy.

Wills1

710 posts

Ultimate Geek

#247302 16-Aug-2009 18:40

Your better off streaming media to the ps3 using something like PS3 media server,
It transcodes everything

bazzer

3392 posts

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#247451 17-Aug-2009 07:54

Why is that better?

xpd

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#247472 17-Aug-2009 08:59

I assume because you dont need to copy everything to USB devices to watch it, stream straight from PC. Also ensures everything that you try playing will work because it gets transcoded to formats that the PS3 can handle.

Altho, a friend of mine dosent use the media server and hasnt found anything that his PS3 wont play :)

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tstone

333 posts

Ultimate Geek

#247473 17-Aug-2009 09:00

I find PS3 Media Server to be an excellent product that worked for all video formats that I threw at it, at an acceptable quality, straight 'out of the box'. I don't have to convert my video files to a format that the PS3 recognised. I don't have to carry physical media to my my PS3 any more to watch something I have recorded. Since I have a wired LAN at home I can get enough bandwidth for quite reasonable quality pictures on my HDTV via this method.

bazzer

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#247478 17-Aug-2009 09:03

Ditto. I mean I have used it, but I just keep everything on an external drive anyway, so plugging that into my PS3 is pretty convenient. Pretty much plays everything, but it doesn't play mkv with remuxing into a different container.

I just don't see enough big advantages to streaming to say "Your [sic] better off streaming" so I was wondering if there was something I was missing... I guess if you have your computer on 24/7 it's OK, but I don't. So to have to turn on my PC so I can watch something on my PS3 is a hassle.

stevonz

397 posts

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#247511 17-Aug-2009 10:24

External USB device has to be FAT not NTFS too... we store the majority of our media on the 1TB HDD and stream brand new stuff which hasn't yet made it to the 1TB HDD :-)

Cheers, Stevo

plas

396 posts

Ultimate Geek

#247633 17-Aug-2009 13:10

I use a NAS running a DLNA server which streams great to the PS3 and you dont need to keep your PC running 24/7

NZtechfreak

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#248192 18-Aug-2009 14:58

You can use USB, as others have confirmed.

I've done, and do, both. I find it more convenient to do from a drive, since I'm on wireless and streaming is a little iffy at times, but if speed isn't an issue then over a network is fine.

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rockovreality

17 posts

Geek

#248296 18-Aug-2009 19:17

Thanks for all the replys its much appreciated!!

So what is this PS3 media server? Is it something i buy to plug in to the ps3 or what?

I have a belkin wireless router and a wireless laptop...

Wills1

710 posts

Ultimate Geek

#248355 18-Aug-2009 21:04

Its freeware you install and run from your computer

http://www.videohelp.com/tools/PS3_Media_Server

friedCrumpet

268 posts

Ultimate Geek

#248468 19-Aug-2009 08:10

If you are using wireless and a laptop only, the media server solution probably won't be as convenient as just plugging in a hard drive.