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About the Playstation 3
The Playstation 3 is Sony's third iteration into the home gaming market. The system is rife with advanced features, supporting 1080p high-definition output, bluetooth compatibility (which is used by default for detecting the wireless controllers), a 3.2ghz processor, a graphics card designed by NVIDIA and a disk drive capable of reading blu-ray disks, DVDs, CD-ROMs and other forms of optical media. Additionally, the system is designed to run online via the Playstation Network, used for matchmaking in gaming, chatting, web browsing and for disseminating system and software updates.
What Is Blu-Ray?
Blu-ray, the apparent successor to DVDs, is a medium for optical data storage. So named because of the bluish-violet beam used to read and write data (as opposed to the red beam used on standard DVD players), Blu-Ray marks a vast increase in storage capacity and realism in home entertainment. A single blu-ray disc can store over five times the data of a DVD disc, up to 25gb on a single layer. In fact, the current state of the art is to utilize a 20 layer disc, allowing for 500gb of storage---an unprecedented amount.
Advantages
But what does all that extra storage space mean to the average consumer? In short, it means higher video quality and a better grade of audio reproduction in their media. Images appear sharper, colors are more vivid, and audio is more lifelike (possible 7.1 channels versus 5.1 on DVD). Blu-ray represents the same kind of leap in quality over DVDs that DVDs represented over VHS cassette tapes---it is the next evolution in home media. For a generalized comparison between Blu-Ray and DVD, see the attached image.
Costs
Although blu-ray discs are currently slightly more expensive than ordinary DVDs, the cost difference is not that much greater than that seen during the progression from VHS to DVD. Proponents of blu-ray maintain that costs will decrease over time as the actual production expense of creating a blu-ray disc is similar to that of a DVD. The cost of blu-ray players is also dropping rapidly, and it should continue to decline. The Playstation 3 in 2009 costs $400 new, for the 80gb model.
Considerations
So why should someone choose the more expensive PS3 blu-ray player over another? With the Playstation, you receive a fully functional home gaming solution in addition to the blu-ray features. And another compelling reason to prefer the Playstation over a less expensive model is its online connectivity. Through the Playstation network, you can receive important updates to the system, which allow for a level of versatility in function unmatched by conventional players. As blu-ray is still a relatively new and evolving technology, the updatability of the Playstation ensures that its owner will never be shunted to the wayside by unforeseen advancements. All in all, for those looking to advance their home theaters to the next level, Playstation blu-ray provides a functional solution for a reasonable cost.