PS3 with 1TB External Hard Drive

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simon14

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#39852 20-Aug-2009 15:29

Has anyone ever used a 1tb external hard drve with the PS3?

Im told the external hard drive needs to be formatted to FAT32?

FAT32 can't hold files larger than 4gb so that's kind of stupid seeing most HD content is alrger than that size.

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#249079 20-Aug-2009 15:38

I have on an external and also NTFS formatted thumb drives/usb drives.

To get them to read is a bit of a trick, you have to scan for drives first in the PS3 xmb bar, then it'll find the drive, but show no files!!!!. Then you hit triangle and view files :) and it'll show, at least I think it's view files, I'll double check when I get home.

I seem to be able to play video files larger than 4gb if off an external NTFS drive or over the network off my MPC. But I've never actually uploaded them to the PS3, seeing I still have the original 80gb drive and it's getting quite full with all the game demos and PSN content I've been downloading

I have moved across the ditch. Now residing in Melbourne as a VOIP/Video Technical Trainer/Engineer.

simon14

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#249081 20-Aug-2009 15:43

Thanks mate, be great if you can see if you can view the files after hitting triangle with you NTFS drive.

As far as i've read, you can't.... but if you can test it out for me, that would be great.

garvani

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#249084 20-Aug-2009 15:49

You can format a FAT32 drive to over 1tb, just not in windows.. but that wasnt your question.
To get around this problem i first got a program called mkvtovob, which converted my >4gb mkv (not playable on the ps3) to multiple 4gb mp4 files. I got sick of this after a while and brought a Nas box, which dosnt have the 4gb problem as its formatted in ntfs..

sjadd

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#249099 20-Aug-2009 16:31

I haven't got around to trying this myself but another option is to install Yellow Dog Linux on your PS3, which has NTFS support.

garvani

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#249105 20-Aug-2009 16:58

yes you could install yellow dog.. and then not be able to play HD material anyway

.. (due to lack of gpu support in linux on ps3)

Canterbury

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#249923 23-Aug-2009 21:32

The PS3 wont read ntfs thru direct connect aside from loading linux.
are you trying to external connect your'e hdd thru USB or replacing the internal hdd and using the SATA port. Caution in using (E)SATA as the firmware wont detect drives larger than 500GB. This may have been fixed in the last six months as i haven't tried since.
I'm instead streaming HD content from PC using TVersity. Obvious down side is the PC has to be on as well.

simon14

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#249926 23-Aug-2009 21:35

i'm just trying to connect a 1tb external hard drive via USB as you can do with any usb drive.

Such a shame this doesn't work....

vinnieg

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#250408 25-Aug-2009 16:08

That's so strange, sorry man, my HDD wasn't 1tb big, but was read through NTFS, I was using a laptop drive only 250gb. I've got a 1TB here I can try rip out and test on the new PS3 though. Got my slim arriving next Thursday to be used as a media centre in the bedroom and when the missus wants to play singstar :)

I have moved across the ditch. Now residing in Melbourne as a VOIP/Video Technical Trainer/Engineer.

simon14

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#250412 25-Aug-2009 16:15

i'd love to get another ps3 for the bedroom.... me and the misses love gta4 and we play online a lot. Would be fun to play together sometimes :)

But then you have to buy two copies of each game too...

bazzer

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#250465 25-Aug-2009 18:48

vinnieg: That's so strange, sorry man, my HDD wasn't 1tb big, but was read through NTFS, I was using a laptop drive only 250gb. I've got a 1TB here I can try rip out and test on the new PS3 though. Got my slim arriving next Thursday to be used as a media centre in the bedroom and when the missus wants to play singstar :)

You are mistaken. PS3 can't read external NTFS drives. It just can't. It must have been FAT32 drive.

You can read 4+GB files over the network and stream them to your PS3 (the internal HDD can hold files larger than 4GB) but you can't read them from an external drive. Do a search.

Jaxson

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#250597 26-Aug-2009 09:27

Thanks Bazzer, that's exactly what I was wanting to know too, can the PS3 read external (usb connected) drives formatted in ntfs or does it have to be fat32. Cheers.

bazzer

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#250620 26-Aug-2009 10:41

Well, I tried it when I first got my PS3 and it didn't work. There's a chance they've changed something since then, but judging by the number of requests for Sony to add this feature I don't think they've done that yet.

Dinuir

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#250633 26-Aug-2009 11:04

Hi there, the PS3 cannot read any ntfs partitions including memory sticks. Media streaming is a way to get around this and who knows if firmware 3.00 will change this (unlikely I think)

simon14

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#250637 26-Aug-2009 11:31

The question is, can this be fixed by a software upgrade or is it due to the hardware they have used?

If it could in theory be fixed by a software upgrade, then there is hope at least...

bazzer

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#250638 26-Aug-2009 11:41

Of course it's software based, it's just that they'll never do it.

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