Playstation 3 Discussion

As a Systems Engineer you don't just give up on protecting your product. We're always 3 steps behind the people we're facing. And we're doing it against kids with nothing but time on their hands. Like my co-worker said, when we're closing our computers to go home, they're just opening them up to see what they can do.

Our stuff was getting circumvented regularly. Of course we have the upper hand again now. But I believe it will be a short amount of time until we're fighting the same battle again.

Yep, that's exactly how it is for us too, UGA.

I've thought about getting some Surround Sound headphones w/mic for my PS3. I'd want wireless. The only ones I saw on Game Stop's site (checked there because I have 135 store credit) are either wired or rated badly (4.3/10). Anyone have any suggestions/recommendations?

I've tried Trittons and I've tried Turtle Breachs, and I think they both suck. I've tried so many different headsets and none of them sound nearly as good as I'd want them too, so I'm sucking it up and just getting the Astro A40s. They get sparkling 10/10 reviews by just about everyone, and even though they're going to total $249, they're the best you can get and they're made to last.

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Originally Posted by I OU a Beatn

I've tried Trittons and I've tried Turtle Breachs, and I think they both suck. I've tried so many different headsets and none of them sound nearly as good as I'd want them too, so I'm sucking it up and just getting the Astro A40s. They get sparkling 10/10 reviews by just about everyone, and even though they're going to total $249, they're the best you can get and they're made to last.

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These look great, but again, they're not wireless. :( (unless I'm missing something)

Dunno if add-ons are needed and I didn't check shipping, but these are $200.

http://www.astrogaming.com/products/...4/A40-Headset/

You have to buy the mixamp to get surround sound, so that's why I said it would be $249.

If you absolutely need wireless(which from my experience, you'd be much better of sound quality wise with wired), then Turtle Beach is coming out with a new wireless "surround sound" headset designed specifically for PS3 for $249 which you can look at here. The reason why I have surround sound in quotations is because it's not true surround sound, and even though they say you can't tell the difference, I severely beg to differ. Cranking up the bass to an extreme does not = surround sound, which is all TB does with their headsets. Tritton, too.

But they make be the best bang for your buck if you want wireless and are coming out sometime in March.

Also, Turtle Beach still has their X41 which is wireless for $199, but that doesn't include the ability to use the mic for voice chat on PS3. The A40 and and the one I was talking about in my previous post do.

Is this worth a damn? If I gotta go wired, at least the price is nice and I can use my 135 credit.

http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/Prod...oduct_id=89630

It depends. It's the same exact thing as the PX21 model, which I believe is only about $80. Why that is so much more is because it comes with an audio processor that gives you the "surround sound experience." As I said, it's not true surround sound, but only simulated, and I can definitely tell the difference. I did have the PX21 for a period of time. The quality was okay. The sound itself wasn't really rich, but just really loud. There's also a really annoying constant background hiss. You can't notice it when there's enough going on in the game, but if you're just on the XMB, you always hear it.

You can chat on PSN with that thing, though, so it truly depends. If you want a rich, true surround sound experience, I'd go with the Astro A40. If that doesn't matter to you and you just want a headset that will allow you to hear footsteps and everything like that, then yeah, that will work. The dealbreaker for me with the PX21 is that it wasn't true surround sound and like I said, that god awful hiss bugged the shit out of me. I played it while playing Uncharted 2 where there are some quiet moments, and the hiss totally ruined it.

Actually, come to think of it, if you're willing to go wired and you want to go through Gamestop, this may be a good bet for you. It's about the same price as the PX21, but it's actual true surround sound. AKA, it has 8 speakers(4 in each ear piece). It also gives you the ability to chat on PSN, and comes with the audio processor, so it's technically better than the PX21 in just about every way. I haven't tried it, although the reviews I've read so far are definitely favorable, so that may be something you want to check out.

Thanks for all the info.

At this point, I'm not sure what I'll do (if anything). I wish GS sold that Astro A40 or, at least, a decent wireless model. There is something that keeps telling me I'll be miserable with a wire. I do need a new headset (can't get my old one to pair with my new ps3 for some reason), but a set like this wouldn't be something I'd normally buy. It'd be a splurge based on having all that credit. If I can't get great sound, it's not worth it.

I was thinking of getting a headset myself. It doesn't matter to me wired v. wireless but the Astro site is confusing as hell to me and I'm not sure what option(s) I need. I'd only be using it on my PS3 so the Sharkoon is looking pretty good to me but perhaps I'm missing something about the Astro?

The Astro A40 is the best you can buy. It's 100% true surround sound, and they've been given perfect scores on every review I've read because of how easy it is to hook up, the sound quality, and all the features. If you just want the headset, you could get the A40 for $199, but it wouldn't be true surround sound. If you want true surround sound, then you want the A40 Audio system, that turns your headset into full surround sound as it comes with the audio mixamp. If you're looking for that, on their site go to Product > Audio Systems > A40 > Astro. Should be $249 and is the one I opted to go with. It should be here within the next few days so I'll post a review for you guys if you're interested.

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Originally Posted by I OU a Beatn

The Astro A40 is the best you can buy. It's 100% true surround sound, and they've been given perfect scores on every review I've read because of how easy it is to hook up, the sound quality, and all the features. If you just want the headset, you could get the A40 for $199, but it wouldn't be true surround sound. If you want true surround sound, then you want the A40 Audio system, that turns your headset into full surround sound as it comes with the audio mixamp. If you're looking for that, on their site go to Product > Audio Systems > A40 > Astro. Should be $249 and is the one I opted to go with. It should be here within the next few days so I'll post a review for you guys if you're interested.

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So if I go with the Audio system I don't have to buy the headset and "amp" (or whatever they call it) sepearately?

Right, separately they would be about $300, so if you're planning on both, you can save yourself $50 just by buying the bundle, which is definitely the better deal, IMO. With the mixamp it gives you surround sound, you can play multiple sources at once, it gives you the ability to use chat on PSN, etc...

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Originally Posted by I OU a Beatn

Right, separately they would be about $300, so if you're planning on both, you can save yourself $50 just by buying the bundle, which is definitely the better deal, IMO. With the mixamp it gives you surround sound, you can play multiple sources at once, it gives you the ability to use chat on PSN, etc...

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Gotcha. I'm sort of in a similar situation as steeler though only this time its Amazon I have a ton of credit I need to burn and of course the a40 system is more expensive on amazon than directly through their site. i'm also not sure that i'd personally consider it worth the extra $100 to get the a40 system over the sharkoon. Maybe my wife (who has been complaining about my ps3 noise lately) will get it for my upcoming birthday.

I didn't think anybody had figured out surround sound + wireless yet, because of the sheer amount of data and power you need. Those were the crucial limits, at least a couple years ago.

The A40 arrived today. It has a ton of wires, but the sound quality is unparalleled. It's an eargasm for sure.

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Originally Posted by I OU a Beatn

The A40 arrived today. It has a ton of wires, but the sound quality is unparalleled. It's an eargasm for sure.

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Awesome! What do you mean "a ton of wires"? How long are they?

That's my main complaint, they're long as hell. The USB cable that you run from the mixamp to the PS3/360 is a good 20-30 feet long. The RCA cables that run to your TV(which I will be replacing with an optical cable when it gets here - more on that in a second) is another 20 feet probably. It's nice for people that have big setups, but all my stuff is where where any 6 foot cable would work, so it just makes things messy. The actual cable going from the headset to the mixamp is probably about 6-8 feet long, so that's perfect for my setup. But like I said, I'm willing to deal with wires for a headset that sounds that good. I don't even have the surround sound enabled because I'm using the wrong cables and it still sounds utterly amazing.

Anyway, found out it doesn't come with an optical cable so I need to buy one. I go to walmart and it's $20. That seemed just a tad high to me, so I went to Best Buy. Guy tried to sell me a $100 "gold plated top of the line" optical cable and after I laughed at him, he told me the cheapest one he had was again $20.

What the fuck is wrong with these companies? I go online, go to Amazon, order a gold plated toslink optical cable with 4.5 stars out of 5 on the review with 2 day shipping for $6 shipped. I really hope people are not gullible enough to pay that much for cables when they can get one that does the same for 1/10th the price.

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Originally Posted by I OU a Beatn

What the fuck is wrong with these companies? I go online, go to Amazon, order a gold plated toslink optical cable with 4.5 stars out of 5 on the review with 2 day shipping for $6 shipped. I really hope people are not gullible enough to pay that much for cables when they can get one that does the same for 1/10th the price.

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You overpaid ;)

I looked there but I know with optical cables, some of them are manufactured with really poor ends and then end up not wanting to stay in the input, so I decided to pay the extra $3 and be sure that I was getting a quality cable based on actual customer reviews. Usually, I do opt for monoprice because they're cheaper with cables than pretty much everyone else and their shipping is only like $2 most of the time. Either way, it's much better than $20. :D

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Originally Posted by I OU a Beatn

I really hope people are not gullible enough to pay that much for cables when they can get one that does the same for 1/10th the price.

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Surely no one's gullible enough to pay for stuff at Best Buy that they could get cheaper elsewhere. Naw.

I know they are. I worked at DirecTV for awhile and had multiple people tell me they had purchased "top of the line" HDMI cables for $70 or $80. "Cool...mine was $10."

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Originally Posted by I OU a Beatn

I know they are.

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Was sarcasm, my friend. The only time I get stuff from Best Buy is when they have brand new CDs on sale, or, in other words, when I can get something from Best Buy at practically the same price as Amazon, but without the hassle of shipping. Stuff is just far too expensive there.

I know you were being sarcastic, it's just funny that people actually pay those prices. Even Walmart. I was shocked to see they were charging $20 for a freakin' optical cable. Walmart is *usually* pretty good about that stuff in my experience.

Personally, I have a much easier time dealing with $20 for a $6 cable than I do with the prices of Monster cables at Best Buy.

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Originally Posted by I OU a Beatn

That's my main complaint, they're long as hell. The USB cable that you run from the mixamp to the PS3/360 is a good 20-30 feet long. The RCA cables that run to your TV(which I will be replacing with an optical cable when it gets here - more on that in a second) is another 20 feet probably. It's nice for people that have big setups, but all my stuff is where where any 6 foot cable would work, so it just makes things messy. The actual cable going from the headset to the mixamp is probably about 6-8 feet long, so that's perfect for my setup. But like I said, I'm willing to deal with wires for a headset that sounds that good. I don't even have the surround sound enabled because I'm using the wrong cables and it still sounds utterly amazing.

Anyway, found out it doesn't come with an optical cable so I need to buy one. I go to walmart and it's $20. That seemed just a tad high to me, so I went to Best Buy. Guy tried to sell me a $100 "gold plated top of the line" optical cable and after I laughed at him, he told me the cheapest one he had was again $20.

What the fuck is wrong with these companies? I go online, go to Amazon, order a gold plated toslink optical cable with 4.5 stars out of 5 on the review with 2 day shipping for $6 shipped. I really hope people are not gullible enough to pay that much for cables when they can get one that does the same for 1/10th the price.

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LOL this story is exactly why brick and mortar stores are a Dinosaur that are going to become extinct if they don't adjust. Best Buy has had AWFUL quarters lately. People go in to LOOK at the t.v. then they see their price and it is 10%-25% higher than they can get on Amazon or another online retailer.

Best Buy GameStop etc... are all about to go under.

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Originally Posted by CLW

Best Buy GameStop etc... are all about to go under.

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I don't think they're going to go under ... but they're going to need to adjust. There are still a lot of people who aren't willing to shop online. And there are still a lot of items that you don't want to wait for shipping from an online site.

Personally, I still bought my TV from Best Buy. Yes, it was more expensive, but I got three years with no interest and didn't have to concern myself with it being shipped. If I lived in a house that could be delivered to, that wouldn't have been a concern, but since I was literally changing apartments that week, I needed it from a brick and mortar. So we still have a need for brick and mortar ... they just need to reinvent themselves a little bit.

For one example, I still can't fathom who would buy appliances from Best Buy rather than Lowe's, Home Depot, etc.

Do we have a dedicated thread for the PS Phone?

Anyone know if you'll be able to play any game you own or if it's only dedicated titles that will play on it. What would be cool is if I can hope on it and do recruiting and other NCAA dynasty functions.

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Originally Posted by psuexv

Anyone know if you'll be able to play any game you own or if it's only dedicated titles that will play on it.

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Only dedicated titles. Sony has partnered with Unity (aka Unity3D) to port games to the platform. The Xperia Play is effectively just the first phone to be certified for the Playstation Suite. I would bet you'll see a lot of PSOne classics and Minis, but certainly nothing of the PS3 level on the Xperia Play. It's good, but not that good.

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Originally Posted by psuexv

What would be cool is if I can hope on it and do recruiting and other NCAA dynasty functions.

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I would expect you'd be limited to doing this trough the Dynasty Wire, just like any other computer.

Steeler did you ever bite the bullet on a set of headphones? The wife asked me for a bday list and she balked at paying $250 for headphones but seemed somewhat more likely to grab $150 ones. So it looks like I may be getting the Sharkoon on Friday.

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Originally Posted by CLW

Steeler did you ever bite the bullet on a set of headphones? The wife asked me for a bday list and she balked at paying $250 for headphones but seemed somewhat more likely to grab $150 ones. So it looks like I may be getting the Sharkoon on Friday.

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That is just nuts. Even $150 for headphones (even if they are surround sound ones) is just crazy. Give me my $20 Sennheiser HD 202's over those any day.

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Originally Posted by morsdraconis

my $20 Sennheiser HD 202's

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The ones that cost $60+ on Amazon?

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Originally Posted by CLW

Steeler did you ever bite the bullet on a set of headphones? The wife asked me for a bday list and she balked at paying $250 for headphones but seemed somewhat more likely to grab $150 ones. So it looks like I may be getting the Sharkoon on Friday.

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No, I didn't. Ultimately, I've decided that until I can get a wireless set with high end sound capabilities, it's not worth it to me. It's not a need for me, it'd be a splurge. With 135 in credit at Gamestop, I considered it. But when I discovered that the technology hasn't come as far as I'd hoped, it seemed like a waste to blow that kind of money on something I wouldn't be 100% satisfied with.

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Originally Posted by JeffHCross

The ones that cost $60+ on Amazon?

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Actually, it's these but I usually buy them from here (though they are out of stock at the moment and they're $29.99 instead of $19.99 like they were before).

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Originally Posted by morsdraconis

That is just nuts. Even $150 for headphones (even if they are surround sound ones) is just crazy. Give me my $20 Sennheiser HD 202's over those any day.

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I guess it depends on what you use them for. I travel a lot, so I don't just use them for gaming, but for listening to music/movies and like I said...a lot of my gaming is done at night, and they're perfect then, too. I'm also extremely picky in audio quality and out of all the headsets I've tried, the A40s just completely blow away everything else. Granted, a $200 pair of headphones probably isn't needed by a lot of people, but for what I'm using them for, they're perfect and worth every penny.

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Originally Posted by morsdraconis

Actually, it's these but I usually buy them from here (though they are out of stock at the moment and they're $29.99 instead of $19.99 like they were before).

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Wowsa. Never seen that much of a price difference between Amazon and NewEgg. Those are the same ones I found, and I found two separate listings. Meant to put $55+.

IGN: Xperia Play Hands-On

And thus, one of my concerns about reviews of the Xperia Play is realized. All about the gameplay ... nothing about how the phone hardware works as a ... phone.

Anyone have Dragon's Lair from the PS Store? That game was amazing when I was a kid. It was the most amazing game we'd ever seen and it never really got topped. Anyway, I downloaded it last night. I'd forgotten how much the game resembles Heavy Rain in the way you play and how it plays out.