3 Questions for you pros :-)

1) Ok, I'm trying to decide which is better. Correct me if Im wrong. I set my hi def player for bitstream instead of PCM sound. Bitstream is better isn't it? PCM is more for analog receivers right?

2) What is all this talk about installing PS3 games before being able to play them. Is that true, I never heard of it before. How long does an install take if true.

3) How long did it take u guys to receive free HD DVD offer? I just sent for it.

Thanks ahead of time for your answers. I know some of it was touched on before, just wanted more definitive answers.

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[Post edited by wolvinator on Feb 16, 2008]

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2) What is all this talk about installing PS3 games before being able to play them. Is that true, I never heard of it before. How long does an install take if true.

I've heard that it can take anywhere from a few minutes to a half an hour or longer.

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3) How long did it take u guys to receive free HD DVD offer? I just sent for it.

Well it says to allow 8-10(12?) weeks Processing so... Roughly 3 Months. I sent mine out in January... expecting them Mid March. Well... Hoping mid march anyway.

You may not get them. While quantaties last...

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1) Ok, I'm trying to decide which is better. Correct me if Im wrong. I set my hi def player for bitstream instead of PCM sound. Bitstream is better isn't it? PCM is more for analog receivers right?

The problem with bitstream is if you want profile 1.1 (or HD DVD PiP). It's not a problem if you're not interested in these features, but bitstreaming only supports one stream at a time, and all receivers that I know of do not have the capability of decoding simultaneous audio codecs and mixing them regardless. Oh, it's just not profile 1.1, but any secondary sounds as well, such as the "click" sound on the pop up menus. Again, this may or may not be a problem for you.

PCM is indeed a digital lossless format BTW.

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2) What is all this talk about installing PS3 games before being able to play them. Is that true, I never heard of it before. How long does an install take if true.

I bought 3 games for the kids to play on the big screen for rewards for being err... good! I was there when we first inserted the Uncharted game, and also the Clank game. Neither installed anything except for the initial save game stuff and preferences. A check on the "saved game data utility" confirmed this. Perhaps other games work differently? But if games had to install fully to HD to play, I'd imagine the 40GB hard drive would fill up very quickly

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3) How long did it take u guys to receive free HD DVD offer? I just sent for it.

I didn't have such an offer here in Canada when I bought my HD DVD player over a year ago. So I can't answer that one.

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2) What is all this talk about installing PS3 games before being able to play them. Is that true, I never heard of it before. How long does an install take if true.

The only installation process when in reference to games is when you download them from the Playstation Store, the PS3 incorperates the same downloading principal as computers when downloading software. After you download it, you must install it. No disk game requires installation.

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[Post edited by tony1569 on Feb 16, 2008]

I purchased my ps3 strickly for blu playback. I only tried two games, and two arcade (classic) games.

Turok took about 11-12 mins to install. NFS Pro street took about 15 mins. Mortal kombat trylogy (classic) took about 5 mins. and Leemings Downloadable took about 7. I have other friends that have or rented rented more hardcore games... cant think of the name. and have gone up to like half hr almost... or about 22-25 mins.

This can easily chew you HD space on a 40 gig. I was down to about 18 gb. with the four games instlalled and about 12 HD trailers. and like 10 themes.

I work IT- so it was aesy to throw in a 160 gig I had around.. but i hate the fact that no one or site mentioned this... and i think it should be. I have other negatives i dont like about the ps3 vs 360. but thats not what you asked. when it comes to blu playback. i have no complaints.
I find it anoying how no one mentions this.

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[Post edited by kucoloco on Feb 16, 2008]

I hear Devil May Cry 4 has an ungodly long install time. So much that Capcom issued a statement saying to "Make a sandwich while you wait for it to install."

I think you're getting confused between loading and installation.

Nope.

http://www.penny-arcade.com/2008/02/06

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I think you're getting confused between loading and installation.

I'm not a console gamer, but that Shakira video did take over 15 minutes for me to download. Of course this was wifi, and I think the vacuum cleaner was being operated at the same time.

... Is you're Vacuum cleaner Web-Enabled?

Thanks for the info guys. Skyhawk, are you saying I should put it on PCM then or leave it bitstream as long as I'm not running two streams at the same time. On the install deal thats the first time I've heard of a game system doing that when you have a disc. Maybe it makes the game more lag free if it has some scenes of intense action going on.

PCM sounds damn fine to me, when you switch bewteen it and DTS or anything else and have the PS3 display on, you can see the MBPS shoot up to anywhere between 3-5, and you can hear it easily.


EDIT: btw, I have never had a PS3 game take more than a cpl minutes to install anything, and it takes up MINIMAL space, I have 36 gig left on my 40gb AND I have some DivX and music installed on the HDD.

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[Post edited by Blu_Bawla on Feb 16, 2008]

Skyhawk said:

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...but that Shakira video did take over 15 minutes for me to download. Of course this was wifi, and I think the vacuum cleaner was being operated at the same time

I just gotta ask it: Exactly what were you doing with the vacuum and the Shakira video at the same time?? Sounds painful.
(What? I know you were thinking it too!)

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[Post edited by MikesAFan on Feb 16, 2008]

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I hear Devil May Cry 4 has an ungodly long install time. So much that Capcom issued a statement saying to "Make a sandwich while you wait for it to install."

QFT

In all seriousness though. Yes every PS3 Game installs itself before you play. This can be short, 3-5 mins, up to 20 mins or so. This is the true with demos you download also. Weirdly you can play the demo for the same game on the 360 without installing it but on the ps3 it has to install. I assume this is due to the way the system is set up.

There should be no concerns about filling up your hard drive though. Unlike the 360 you can upgrade the Ps3's hard drive with any notebook drive you wish. I just purchased a new 360 for this reason along with the new HDMI output. The 20gb on my old one was full to the brim. (yes I know you can buy a new hard drive seperate but I had to have the HDMI!).

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[Post edited by markleville01 on Feb 16, 2008]

It works sort of like a PC with an OS like Windows uses a page/swap file.

Access times from the hard drive and/or RAM are far more faster than the read time from the CD/DVD/BD Optical Drive.

To keep the load times within reason, a large portion of the game pre-loads to the hard disk and into memory, to prevent 5 minute pauses to load the next scene/level/racetrack/map...ect

plus the blu disc speed/access time is not that fast. so some stuff needs to intall