PS3 General Discussion
- Thread starter Solid Lifters
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AMG.
Staff Emeritus
- 3,116
- NL, Leiden
- GTP_AMG
I tried searching for Custom avatar and it turned up 19 threads or so and the titles the search churned out didnt look promising so here goes.
I recently managed to change the picture of my login name (PSN ID) on the left hand side of the XMB? or whatever its called. I replaced the standard square face with one of my own pictures.
Question: is this also possible for my PSN ID in the list on the right hand side of that same menu, the one that shows your friends. I know you can choose from a PS3 standard list but they're hmm ..... how shall I put it politely ......
I'd like to replace mine with a jpg photo Ive taken.
AMG.
I recently managed to change the picture of my login name (PSN ID) on the left hand side of the XMB? or whatever its called. I replaced the standard square face with one of my own pictures.
Question: is this also possible for my PSN ID in the list on the right hand side of that same menu, the one that shows your friends. I know you can choose from a PS3 standard list but they're hmm ..... how shall I put it politely ......
I'd like to replace mine with a jpg photo Ive taken.
AMG.
- 2,343
- Atlanta, GA
- WallRunner51
I tried searching for Custom avatar and it turned up 19 threads or so and the titles the search churned out didnt look promising so here goes.
I recently managed to change the picture of my login name (PSN ID) on the left hand side of the XMB? or whatever its called. I replaced the standard square face with one of my own pictures.
Question: is this also possible for my PSN ID in the list on the right hand side of that same menu, the one that shows your friends. I know you can choose from a PS3 standard list but they're hmm ..... how shall I put it politely ......
I'd like to replace mine with a jpg photo Ive taken.
AMG.
Sorry, not available, and hasn't been announced yet either.
From,
Chris.
- 35,131
- NoDak
- Cy-Fi
In my opinion, the difference between 5.1 and 6.1, provided the equipment in question is comparable, is big. Going from 6.1 to 7.1 I don't see as draw for me. There's already a speaker behind you. Adding another, short of filling in a possible dead zone, isn't going to add much to a decent 6.1 system. Then there is always the "if I can, I'm going to" route so when my new receiver is purchased in the distant, distant future, I might very well go 7.1. Time will tell. Currently, though, 6.1 is sounding just fine in my living room.
- 6,009
- Austin, Texas
- D-Nitrate / GTP_DNitrate
Again, these are two different beasts.
One is the difference between the number of *channels.
*1.0, 2.0, 2.1, 4.0, 5.1, 6.1, 7.1, heck I've even listened to Tomlinson Holman's amazing 10.2 sound system that was custom built for Bjorn Dybdahl down in San Antonio.... amazing theater!
The other is the difference between the type of *audio signal, sampling rates, and bit rates used.
*MP3, AAC, WMA, Dolby Digital, DTS, DSD, PCM, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD
The fact remains that a bitstream Dolby Digital and DTS (as those are what you are limited to when using TOSLINK when transmitting a signal with more than two channels) is not able, due to the limitations of the codecs, to accurately reproduce the original master recording. On the other hand, PCM can do just that.
Now whether or not someone has a system (equipment and acoustics) that can better expose the differences or not, or if they have some limitations to their own hearing, is another factor all together, but the differences are real, measured and have been tested both in the lab and in real world blind testing.
The fact of the matter is, as good a job as they do, both Dolby Digital and DTS still have their limitations and even at high bit rates, like found on some premium DTS titles, they still lose data within the normal 20Hz – 20kHz range due to their compression.
If they didn't, neither Dolby nor DTS would have spent so much time and money on developing Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD.
Scaff
Moderator
- 29,181
- He/Him
- ScaffUK
As DN has explain excellently, you are still comparing different things here.
Even sticking with 5.1 alone the difference between the older standard Dolby Digital and DTS and the HD 'versions' Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD is significant, with uncompressed PCM being another step up.
You don't need to throw 7.1 into the mix to hear the difference. If you get an opportunity to listen to a set-up that will run the HD formats and pop in a BR that has a standard audio track and a PCM one. I would strongly suggest Black Hawk Down, you can then on disc switch between the Dolby Digital track and the PCM track, frankly I would be amazed if you can't hear the difference.
Personally its enough of a difference for me to be working towards an upgrade to my current receiver (a Sony DRG-710) which will only accept 2 channel PCM, having heard TrueHD, DTS-HD and PCM in demo rooms I'm putting money aside for an Onkyo 606 (or similar).
Regards
Scaff
- 1,291
- Vermont, USA
- GTP_Superwally, supahwally
LOL, this discussion has me researching newer HarmanKardon models, as I'd like to upgrade as well. I think the AVR 347 will be in my price range, I just have to be sure it supports the correct formats-I know it has two HDMI inputs, but I have to dig a little deeper.
As a side note, my Zalman USB sound card arrived on Monday, works fine with the PC, but I haven't tried it with the PS3. It has the added benefit of an optical output, so I can now listen to all the music stored on my computer via my home sound system. It was an unexpected bonus. 👍
- 6,009
- Austin, Texas
- D-Nitrate / GTP_DNitrate
I can tell you first hand that it does accept 7.1 PCM through HDMI...
OK. I went on a little electronic spending spree...
- Vizio VP504
- 50" 1080p Plasma
(was supposed to get the VP505 model with Silicon Optic's Reon Video Processor w/HQV Processingbut that's a story for another time)
- harman/kardon AVR 347
- 400w High Current Amp
- 7.1 Channel & Multi-Zone Audio Processor
- Faroudja DCDi Video Processor w/1080p Upconversion & HDMI Switching
- harman/kardon DVD 48
- SACD & DVD Player w/Faroudja DCDi 1080p Upconversion & HDMI
- harman/kardon HKTS 18
- 5 Identically Voiced 8 ohms Speakers
- 10" Subwoofer w/200w High Current Amp
- Hewlett Packard dv6643cl Bundle
- HP dv6643cl Laptop
- HP Bluetooth Laser Mouse
- Mobile Power Adapters
- Carrying Case
And yeah... I know, "Mr. Plasma Hater" bought a plasma?!?!?
I have a very good reason, and will explain later in the Electronics & Home Theater area.
The AVR 347 has so far proven to be an excellent receiver, and as expected, both the proprietary acoustic analyzer and the h/k Logic 7 digital sound processor are top notch. 👍
I'm still running it through all its paces, and currently in the middle of a two week long shootout with various HT gear, but from what I have seen and more importantly heard so far, I can confidently recommend the AVR 347 for both casual users to dedicated HT geeks.
:tup:
- 1,291
- Vermont, USA
- GTP_Superwally, supahwally
I'm speechless......
- 6,009
- Austin, Texas
- D-Nitrate / GTP_DNitrate
Actually, having a dedicated subwoofer can actually save you money.
Put it this way, without a separate subwoofer, you'll need a woofer in each of the five or seven speakers... none of which will be very good unless you are looking at full standing speakers that can easily cost several hundred dollars a piece. Other wise you'll be stuck with five low powered, low quality passive woofers with lots of distortion and no accurate bass management or crossover control... IE; lousy low frequency bass sounds.
Dedicated powered subwoofers can allow you to achieve a very good sound system without paying a fortune. They also offer a much more flexible installation, as low frequency bass is non-directional, so you can place the subwoofer any where in a room. This is also an advantage as you can then control where the low frequency *nulls are.
*Areas in a room where the signals cancel each other out, such that if you were sitting in that area of the room you wouldn’t hear any or very little bass... which is a very bad thing.
With speakers that have woofers, unfortunately they can actually create more nulls due to their fixed locations and their signal reflections.
This is one of the reasons, as seen in the pic I posted, that I opted for harman/kardon's satellite speaker system for our family room, as I didn't want large speakers dominating the room, but I also didn't want to go through all the trouble and expense of installing in-walls.
After some tweaking, they are proving to be quite impressive despite their VERY small size… and the sub’s performance is very impressive considering it’s very low cost.
I'm sure others feel the same way, and that we enjoy helping our fellow GTP members when we can, as it always comes full circle. I know some of this A/V stuff can sound really complicated at times, but the most important thing is to enjoy what you have. 👍
Scaff
Moderator
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- He/Him
- ScaffUK
Sorry but I can't agree with that at all.
For home cinema a sub adds so much more to the experience, as unless you have some very, very serious floorstanding speakers with major bass cones they just will not shift the same amount of air.
For me a sub needs a very good quality of amplification and at least a 10" driver, as its not just about hearing the bass, but feeling it as well.
My Monitor Audio BRW-10 is a great example of this, as its capable to moving a lot of air very quickly and it scenes such as the light-sabre duals in Star Wars you can feel it when they clash, or when the old lady opens up with the shotgun in Ratatouille.
That kind of effect you just can't get without a sub, for me that .1 is all important, to the degree that I am thinking of a future upgrade that will daisy chain subs to end up with a 7.2 system.
Regards
Scaff
- 24,553
- Frankfort, KY
- GTP_FoolKiller
- FoolKiller1979
- 2,099
- icelt
- II icelt II
@DN - wow, color me jealous 
For no apparent reason my intuition is thinking it's more of a living room setup though. And no SVS for the sub?
Now here's some interesting poop on the next-gen wars:
Nielsen Reveals US Console Usage Data
For no apparent reason my intuition is thinking it's more of a living room setup though. And no SVS for the sub?Now here's some interesting poop on the next-gen wars:
Nielsen Reveals US Console Usage Data
www.next-gen.biz/
By Tom Ivan
While Nintendo's Wii may be the fastest selling current gen console, its Microsoft's Xbox 360 that's getting the most play time, according to consumer research group Nielsen.
ImageNielsen data collected from April 2007 to February 2008 illustrated that gamers between the ages of 10 and 26 spent almost 63 percent of their gaming time playing Xbox 360. The same age group spent a quarter of their time playing Wii and only 12 percent of their time playing PS3. The Xbox 360 also racked up the greatest average number of play sessions per day, the longest play sessions in minutes, and the largest average usage in days per month.
In the 26 plus age group, the Xbox 360 commanded over half of total console play time per minute. The Wii took a 28 percent share of play time, while the PS3 took just shy of 20 percent. On average, PS3 users played 2.57 sessions daily, compared to 2.2 sessions for Xbox 360 and 1.8 for Wii. Average session length time for Xbox 360 users was 55 minutes, compared to 52 minutes for PS3 users and 47 minutes for Wii users. Gamers used their PS3s on 22 days of each month, compared to 19 days per month for Xbox 360 and 12 days per month for Wii.
Brad Raczka, marketing manager at Nielsen Games, told Next-Gen that the data was recorded using the companys people meters installed in homes nationwide. The unique electronic measurement system enables the firm to capture data from TVs 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week.
The people meters are in 14,000+ households which contain 33,000+ individuals. Videogame consoles have roughly 40 percent penetration within that audience, Raczka said in an email.
Individuals in the household log in [become active] when they turn on the TV and the meter measures the activity (TV viewing, DVR use, DVD use, game console use, etc.) from there. The key is that the numbers are real activity numbers, not study/survey based.
- 24,553
- Frankfort, KY
- GTP_FoolKiller
- FoolKiller1979
- 19,311
- Inland Empire SoCal
- SOLID_LIFTERS
I just learned that PSN downloadable games can be legally shared with up to 5 other users (based on a game-by-game basis, of course). Content like GH songs downloaded from the PSN can also be shared, but full games like GT5P downloaded cannot be shared.
Anybody else heard about this and what games, or other downloaded content, can be shared? Is there list someplace?
Anybody else heard about this and what games, or other downloaded content, can be shared? Is there list someplace?
- 2,061
Do it if you want, you'll screw yourself if your PS3 breaks.
Your account get's 5 activations, after that, you can't use any of the content on any other console.
You have to share your account and password with someone else. You have to trust that person dearly, otherwise you're putting your money in jeopardy.
It's not wise.
Your account get's 5 activations, after that, you can't use any of the content on any other console.
You have to share your account and password with someone else. You have to trust that person dearly, otherwise you're putting your money in jeopardy.
It's not wise.
- 19,311
- Inland Empire SoCal
- SOLID_LIFTERS
So that's it. Makes sense. I would never do it.
Is there a way to change the keyboard settings from QWERTY to AZERTY?
XBM => hardware settings => keyboard ( type) => dutch keyboard. These setting have nothing to do with QWERTY or AZERTY.
Our pc is broken, so I have to surf the internet using the PS3 and a AZERTY keyboardm which is not easy. It takes me for ever to write a few lines.
XBM => hardware settings => keyboard ( type) => dutch keyboard. These setting have nothing to do with QWERTY or AZERTY.
Our pc is broken, so I have to surf the internet using the PS3 and a AZERTY keyboardm which is not easy. It takes me for ever to write a few lines.
- 6,009
- Austin, Texas
- D-Nitrate / GTP_DNitrate
I've asked the following question before in the official Game Save thread, but so far without any responses, so I thought I'd try and ask it here as well:
Eric.
Premium
- 8,515
- GTP_Eric
- Ebiggs
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