PS3 - can you make it do more?

[phexac]

I wasn't sure which forum to post this in, so hope this is ok. I know that PS3 runs Linux, and since it has the basic parts of a normal computer (processor, memory, HD, network capabilities, GPU), I wonder if you can make it perform the same tasks as a regular computer. Basically, can you load Linux on it and use it browse internet say, and play movies off your CDs that are not DVD format, but are things like divx, mpeg, etc.

Basically, what do people here know can be done with PS3 to squeeze more use out of it.

Thanks.







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[DSF]

Since I don't own a PS3 I have no idea what is and isn't a legal use of the hardware, so I'm not going to link anything here. However, googling PS3 mods gave me quite a few interesting looking hits.

 

[erwos]

Yes, you can load Linux on the PS3. However: your day-to-day desktop experience is probably not going to be very good, because it only has 256mb of system RAM. Once in a while, it's fine. I don't know exactly how well it does with DivX/XviD - probably OK, I would imagine.

You probably wanted to post this in the consoles forum.

 

[Oil]

It should be fine except GPU (no Linux GPU driver for PS3) and limited memory (256mb). Everything else should work fine with Linux

 

[Sadaiyappan]

they actually sell ps3's with linux pre-installed.. and in the XMB (PS3 OS) there is an option to "install another OS" or install linux so I guess sony is supporting people who install linux on their ps3's.. i'm not sure why sony is supporting this my guess is just to counter microsoft xbox and counter microsoft vista..

it has only 256 mb of ram and drivers for the GPU haven't been released but it should still be enough for basic browsing and watching movies..

 

[Deeko]

I have Ubuntu on my PS3. It runs anything a PowerPC version of Linux w/ no 3D graphics driver would be expected to run, and not very fast. But it runs.

I use it to play my old Super Nintendo games on the big screen.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Sadaiyappan
they actually sell ps3's with linux pre-installed.. and in the XMB (PS3 OS) there is an option to "install another OS" or install linux so I guess sony is supporting people who install linux on their ps3's.. i'm not sure why sony is supporting this my guess is just to counter microsoft xbox and counter microsoft vista..

it has only 256 mb of ram and drivers for the GPU haven't been released but it should still be enough for basic browsing and watching movies..

It may be related to different tariffs on video games and computers in Europe.

 

[jhbball]

I heard about a media center app on Digg for the PS3. Any word on this if this is still around?

 

[erwos]

Originally posted by: jhbball
I heard about a media center app on Digg for the PS3. Any word on this if this is still around?

The PS3 has on-board media playback/streaming capabilities. I suppose you could also use mplayer on the Linux side, but without GPU access, it's probably not going to do well with anything high-resolution.

 

[Deeko]

The onboard stuff is pretty weak though, maybe he meant something better coming out?

 

[erwos]

Originally posted by: Deeko
The onboard stuff is pretty weak though, maybe he meant something better coming out?

How is it weak? It can handle WMV, H.264, DivX, and MPEG-2. It can't do MKV, but that hardly makes it worthless.

 

[stlcardinals]

The PS3 has the capability to play divx itself. You can share media from any PC on the same LAN using Windows Media Player. I stream divx movies to my PS3 using just the wireless and it plays them fine.

 

[jhbball]

I can stream movies just fine, and it plays them much better than my 360 does

 

[Deeko]

Originally posted by: erwos

Originally posted by: Deeko
The onboard stuff is pretty weak though, maybe he meant something better coming out?

How is it weak? It can handle WMV, H.264, DivX, and MPEG-2. It can't do MKV, but that hardly makes it worthless.

I'm searching my post for the word 'worthless' and mysteriously not finding it.

It's weak meaning it sucks to use. Yes, it is capable of playing a lot of things, but the interface is about as friendly as a unix command line.

 

[jhbball]

Originally posted by: Deeko

Originally posted by: erwos

Originally posted by: Deeko
The onboard stuff is pretty weak though, maybe he meant something better coming out?

How is it weak? It can handle WMV, H.264, DivX, and MPEG-2. It can't do MKV, but that hardly makes it worthless.

I'm searching my post for the word 'worthless' and mysteriously not finding it.

It's weak meaning it sucks to use. Yes, it is capable of playing a lot of things, but the interface is about as friendly as a unix command line.

I'm not sure why exactly, but I enjoy the PS3 interface much more than the Xbox360 interface.

 

[Eeezee]

Originally posted by: Deeko

Originally posted by: erwos

Originally posted by: Deeko
The onboard stuff is pretty weak though, maybe he meant something better coming out?

How is it weak? It can handle WMV, H.264, DivX, and MPEG-2. It can't do MKV, but that hardly makes it worthless.

I'm searching my post for the word 'worthless' and mysteriously not finding it.

It's weak meaning it sucks to use. Yes, it is capable of playing a lot of things, but the interface is about as friendly as a unix command line.

He didn't say you used the word "worthless." He used a similar word.

I don't see how it sucks to use. What's bad about it? It's certainly a lot more friendly than a command line.... your files are in a list and you select them to play them. You can do all of the standard media player functions easily (stop, fast forward, etc.). What's unfriendly about that?