Sony Drops the PS3 price to $499

[some_dude]

Go ahead and plug your PC into a 46" and it will look like butt.

I've never seen games look like they do on my 360 and HDTV and I'm an old school PC gamer.

Say what you will. You're wrong.

Your 360 is a computer.... IBM triple core processor, ATI graphics adaptor, yadda, yadda, yadda....

[Venom]

Your 360 is a computer.... IBM triple core processor, ATI graphics adaptor, yadda, yadda, yadda....

Then why make a distinction between console and PC?

[exnihilo]

Just like plasma, the issues you described for LCD TV's have pretty much been eliminated too. IIRC, LCD has better contrast and viewing angles than Plasma... Also, I've read that plasma and LCD may soon be replaced by LED TV's...

I think the term was OLED. Here's an example of a keyboard that uses the technology. Pretty freakin' sweet.

cg

[ratherdashing]

Just like plasma, the issues you described for LCD TV's have pretty much been eliminated too. IIRC, LCD has better contrast and viewing angles than Plasma... Also, I've read that plasma and LCD may soon be replaced by LED TV's...

For brand new top-of-the-line LCD's, I think you're right. I just bought a 42" TV this weekend, and to my eye the mid-priced plasmas beat all the LCD's in the same price range. Once I started looking at the really high-end LCD's, it was obvious that they've at least caught up to plasma in terms of contrast and viewing angle. I suspect in a year or so the distinction between the two will be minimal.

[exnihilo]

Then why make a distinction between console and PC?

Marketing baby!

cg

[exnihilo]

For brand new top-of-the-line LCD's, I think you're right. I just bought a 42" TV this weekend, and to my eye the mid-priced plasmas beat all the LCD's in the same price range. Once I started looking at the really high-end LCD's, it was obvious that they've at least caught up to plasma in terms of contrast and viewing angle. I suspect in a year or so the distinction between the two will be minimal.

Especially now that the LCD market has demolished the 43" barrier

cg

[ratherdashing]

True, and what are they rated for now, 15,000 - 20,000 hours. CRT's realistically were only rated for 20,000 hours anyhow, so plasmas have come a long way in the longevity category too.

cg

Samsung and Panasonic are claiming a 60,000 hour lifetime for their plasmas. I would guess the real number is considerably lower than that, but nonetheless a modern plasma will last you a very long time.

[exnihilo]

Samsung and Panasonic are claiming a 60,000 hour lifetime for their plasmas. I would guess the real number is considerably lower than that, but nonetheless a modern plasma will last you a very long time.

I stand corrected. I was typing from memory, looks like I need an upgrade. That's about 7 years of non-stop use. Pretty impressive.

cg

[lex666]

I think the term was OLED. Here's an example of a keyboard that uses the technology. Pretty freakin' sweet.

cg

No, I was referring to LED DLP HDTV's:

http://dlp.com/hdtv/led_hdtvs.aspx

[some_dude]

Then why make a distinction between console and PC?

For the manufacturer?

Marketing.

For myself?

'Cause I can upgrade my PC on a regular basis and generally stay ahead of the console development curve, though I will admit that my PC is way behind the 360.... for a couple more months anyway.

[exnihilo]

No, I was referring to LED DLP HDTV's:

http://dlp.com/hdtv/led_hdtvs.aspx

Ah, tight. So what are they doing, just replacing the LCD's with miniature LED's?

cg

[Luís]

Do not want.

After buying my Genesis I swore I'd never get another console. They keep comming out with crap just as you're getting used to what you have and the games are always expensive as hell.

The only thing I'm planing on buying is the gameport. They actually ask for the public's input and I think they really hear it. Plus, with a 75$ price tag... Cya later, 7th generation.

[lex666]

Ah, tight. So what are they doing, just replacing the LCD's with miniature LED's?

cg

In the simplest of terms, yes.

I believe millions (maybe more) LEDs will individually contribute to complete the overall picture. This means any of the problems previously experienced with current HDTV's will be eliminated. LED's are said to be more reliable too, without the possibility of burnout.

[Imp]

it's still £425 over here. LOL.

lemme break it down - £425=..

2 used xbox 360s
6 used PS2s
28 USED GAMECUBES

and im betting the playstation 3 isn't 28 times as much fun as a gamecube.

if metal gear solid 4 comes out and is as good as MGS3, and the price drops to that equal to an XBOX 360, sony might have a sale. till then, i'm buying used PS2 games and gamecube games and having hours of fun with mates for £4 a time

tom

[FretFire]

Remember kiddies, at the end of the day, the PS3 is still a much more powerful machine than the 360 & Wii. Anyone here know what folding, or folding@home is. Go look up the statistics, esp. those between the PC (equivalent to the 360 processing power) and the PS3, In just a matter of weeks after coming onto the market the PS3 overtook the amount of data processed by all combined PC's running, some of them for years. I'm not arguing which system is "better" here, I don't care, I like my PC, but when people say the 360 can match the performance (and future performance) of a PS3 it just simply isn't true.

cg

The problem is that the PS3's strength is more in floating-point number crunching which is only somewhat important in gaming. Games use integer and vector math too, for things like AI and graphical processing. When you compare the 360s stronger general purpose processing (3 cores vs. PS3's one), slightly stronger graphics processing, and much higher memory bandwidth to the PS3s more powerful floating-point processing, everything breaks just about even.

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/617/617951p1.html

FWIW, the Cell is VERY impressive in something like a server application.

[Imp]

yeah, the cell technology is the simplest concept ever, i've read bits and bobs and it's so simple it can't help but work well... i like the sound of it

[Gamera]

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/617/617951p1.html

Even though most of that tech-talk goes over my head, it's an interesting article. I wonder who that Douglass C. Perry guy is though and if he's paid by Microsoft before I believe it.

If I understand basically what that article says though, the XBox 360 excels at allowing programmers to program the way they're used to. The PS3 is a different way of doing things and challenges programmers to think differently and find new solutions. And as long as every game continues to be the same 3D driving sim, fighting game, or first-person shoot-em-up, the PS3 is doomed.

[MikeS]

In the simplest of terms, yes.

I believe millions (maybe more) LEDs will individually contribute to complete the overall picture. This means any of the problems previously experienced with current HDTV's will be eliminated. LED's are said to be more reliable too, without the possibility of burnout.

The LED TVs are all rear projection units. The LEDs replace the tube or bulb as the light source and are supposed to last the life of the television. Last I checked the premium for the LED over the bulb was little more than the cost of the replacement bulb.

[FretFire]

Even though most of that tech-talk goes over my head, it's an interesting article. I wonder who that Douglass C. Perry guy is though and if he's paid by Microsoft before I believe it.

If I understand basically what that article says though, the XBox 360 excels at allowing programmers to program the way they're used to. The PS3 is a different way of doing things and challenges programmers to think differently and find new solutions. And as long as every game continues to be the same 3D driving sim, fighting game, or first-person shoot-em-up, the PS3 is doomed.

Sort of, but not quite. The Cell processor is just more difficult to develop for, even if you're creating the same ol' types of games. You've got one master processor handing jobs off to 7 smaller processors, each of which is specialized at different sorts of tasks. The 360 is basically just an overglorified PC, so it's a very familiar development platform.

Doug Perry is just a writer for IGN, a game review company. I'm sure they're sponsored by M$ and $ony, and I'm sure he's got a personal console preference.

[taphappy]

What advantages does the Wii or the 360 have over the PS3?

Has a gimmicky controller, and two (possible) modern classics in the future: Mario Galaxy and SSBB.