>[A PS3] would be able to connect to your server
It is a Good Idea to use a dedicated data server - and not a PS3, desktop or laptop - to store the data.
>as well as internet radio
Ditto SB3.
>and be able to play Hi-def audio
Ditto SB3 up to 24/48 and via a DAC more.
>which will actually be more audiophile quality then CD.
A matter of opinion.
>As far as a Blu-ray player, the PS3 is still the best choice
Ok.
>Also, if you want internet radio or video, the PS3 can do that as well.
Ok on video part, SB3 does internet radio too.
>It has a built-in browser, and can connect to the internet via ethernet
>or wifi. You can even install Linux as a second operating system using the
>free Red Dog Linux. The system supports it.
Yes, because it's a computer. You need a display. I don't know what physical noise a PS3 produces but an SB3 is completely silent. For me, I don't want a computer no matter how "silent" in my listening room...but I don't have HT there.
>I should note though that the PS3 still has enough storage for
>a 300 CD collection, with plenty to spare (my estimate would be about 13.5
>GB out of 80 GB if music is stored uncompressed and average CD is 45 min).
Not even close by my reckoning. The average CD
album disc takes about 300Mb in lossless. That's about 100Gb for 300 album discs (or 200Gb uncompressed). And that's for red book CDs. I'm not sure what the so-called-superior hi rez formats would take up, but a heck of a lot more. See my earlier point about a dedicated data server.
>It will also look up CD names and organize them. You can also create playlists.
Like an SB3.
>Also the hard drive is upgradeable with off the
>shelf notebook hard drives.
Which are more expensive and smaller in capacity than regular drives, like in a dedicated data server for example.
>I would still consider the PS3 for all the above.
Definitely (but only with a data server)!
>If you really want high quality audio, get an audiophile HDMI
>D/A converter with
Not much experience with that. But with an SB3 or PS3 you could get a truly world class DAC like a Benchmark DAC1 and connect via S/PDIF (I'm assuming PS3 has a S/PDIF out) if you want.
>There are actually quite a few discs available aside from Blu-ray concerts
>that have higher quality sound. Gavin brought one over recently, and it
>sounded great in comparison to CD. I think those will become more common
>going forward. Might as well have that capability.
See numerous threads re: hi def mastering. There are CDs that "sound better than CD" too...it's the mastering which makes things sound good. The statement that hi rez FORMATS are audibly better than CD red book is marketing. At the very least this is a totally unproved statement. <rant>Hi Rez music is mostly DRMed to death, that of it which isn't would eat up the space on a PS3 in a flash and it is more expensive to buy. The labels might, on occasion, lift their increasingly mediocre standard of production temporarily just to perpetuate this myth. In my opinion, hi rez music is an
outrageous lie told by the music industry to further its
DRM aims.</rant> Phew, don't know what came over me, sorry.
>Oh, and did I mention how awesome playing HD full surround games on a huge screen is?
No doubt!
Regards,
Darren
