upgrade from xbox to...?

[Shortcut]

I'm considering upgrading to the current gen systems. i've come to the realization that five factors are going to influence my purchase decision. i did some research on each, though I feel i'm missing some info. would you guys please help me out here?

media center functionality - I don't have enough info to decide. I LOVE the functionality of XBMC, and I definitely want something that works like this app in my next console. Is it true that neither the ps3 and x360 offers XBMC-like functionality right now?

football games - PS3 gets the edge here. nfl 2k5 is my favorite game. can play this on ps3, but not on 360.

system exclusives - Push...I could go either way here.

reliability - not enough info to decide. i've definitely read about the 360's ring of doom, and disc-scratching issues. but since MS extended the warranty to 3 years, i guess it should be OK (though it still is a pain to have your console out for repairs...) I am not familiar with the ps3's reliability issues...what are they?

online experience - I don't have enough info to decide. I never subscribed to xbox live, so the online console experience will be brand new to me. is there a subscription fee for ps3 online? and how does the overall experience between the two services compare (e.g. is it easy to find/connect to online matches? are the download speeds comparable? etc)

 

[mlm]

Media Center - The functionality is pretty much the same right now. It's mostly done through streaming (you can hook up an external to the PS3, but I'm not sure about the 360), and you're limited in file formats unless you use a server that can transcode for you. They've been adding more formats to the PS3 though.

Reliability - There's already another thread here. PS3 is definitely more reliable, but it hasn't been out long enough/there aren't enough out there yet to see if there really will be problems.

Online - no fee for the PS3. Matches are limited on the PSN games due to low attachment, but the retail games are supposed to be better. We've had better download speeds with the PS3 than the 360 lately, but there's less stuff to download until (probably) later this year.

 

[Queasy]

They've added more video formats to the 360 as well. Still not the big two (Divx/Xvid) but I use the media center functionality of my 360s on a regular basis. The 360 also has Video Marketplace where you can rent movies in HD and SD and buy TV shows.

Reliability - if I were to get an Xbox360, I would ask to see the manufacture date and get one that was made within the last month or so. The PS3 has had some issues but they have been more random and not like the 360.

Online - Even though Live costs $50 a year (less if you find a good deal) it is totally worth it. The unified service really makes a difference. Download speeds? Mostly dependent on your provider. I've been downloading demos and trailers for the 360 the last two days and the download speed has been very good on my 3MB/S DSL connection.

Ultimately, it'll come down to what games that are on the systems that you want to play.

 

[DaveSimmons]

I'm waiting to buy a 360 until the 65nm Reliable Edition is out.

With 1.5+ million PS3s in the US and 8 months of use it's pretty clear that the PS3 really is in the normal failure rate for consumer electronics. Some die, but no mass deaths or major common flaws.

I own a PS3 now and am happy with it but I've mostly used it as a blu-ray player while I'm finishing up some PC games like Oblivion, KOTOR 2 and Vampire: Bloodlines. No complaints about the PS3 games I've looked at, I've just been too busy to decide whether to get Armored Core or Motorstorm yet.

If you don't mind paying MS $50/year online is stronger for the 360 and there are more players. The game library is stronger too with Dead Rising, Crackdown, Viva Pinata, etc.

> nfl 2k5 is my favorite game. can play this on ps3, but not on 360.

You could get a PS2 Slim now, then wait to buy a 360 until after the 65nm refresh and possibly the holdiay price drop.

 

[yowolabi]

Originally posted by: Shortcut

football games - PS3 gets the edge here. nfl 2k5 is my favorite game. can play this on ps3, but not on 360.

-One of the three football games coming out in the next month will be better than 2k5. At the very least All pro football 2k8 which is coming out in a week will be better, seeing as how it is made by the same people. The worst case scenario is that it is 2k5 with better graphics.

The football games will be better on the 360 than the ps3 this year, as they all run at 60fps on the 360 and 30fps on the ps3. Next year, with more development time, they should run the same on both systems. Also, they'll be a lot of people online playing them, as opposed to just a couple for 2k5.

- The ps3 online is free, but you get what you pay for. Online might be great for one game and suck for another. Some games that are online for the 360 aren't at all for the ps3. The ps3 experience will improve and get more consistent, but they also said it isn't guaranteed to stay free forever. My hunch is that at the time it gets on par with xbox live, they'll start charging.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: yowolabi
-One of the three football games coming out in the next month will be better than 2k5. At the very least All pro football 2k8 which is coming out in a week will be better, seeing as how it is made by the same people. The worst case scenario is that it is 2k5 with better graphics.

One of the things they've showed off for 2k8 is the ability to customize team's colors, uniforms, logos, etc. You can bet that the 2k8 community will have league/roster files out that mirror the NFL in no time.

 

[agibby5]

I'd get a 360, that is if you dont mind 1 out of 3 have problems... and then if yours is one of those 1/3 that do, if you dont mind having to wait for a repaired/refurbished one to be sent to you in return. I don't know much about the PS3 or the Wii, but I've dealt with Xbox 360s plenty:

Mine died (3 rings, then 2 rings)
My friends died (3 rings)
I got a new one and my friend got a new one, both OK.

My count of defective units: 2/4 = 50% (although this isnt a representative sample, we got them at two different times/retailers) and that's not saying if the 2 replacement ones will die...

 

[PricklyPete]

Originally posted by: Queasy
They've added more video formats to the 360 as well. Still not the big two (Divx/Xvid) but I use the media center functionality of my 360s on a regular basis. The 360 also has Video Marketplace where you can rent movies in HD and SD and buy TV shows.

Reliability - if I were to get an Xbox360, I would ask to see the manufacture date and get one that was made within the last month or so. The PS3 has had some issues but they have been more random and not like the 360.

Online - Even though Live costs $50 a year (less if you find a good deal) it is totally worth it. The unified service really makes a difference. Download speeds? Mostly dependent on your provider. I've been downloading demos and trailers for the 360 the last two days and the download speed has been very good on my 3MB/S DSL connection.

Ultimately, it'll come down to what games that are on the systems that you want to play.

I second everything Queasy says. I want to emphasize how awesome Xbox Live is though. the built in friends list is phenomenal. Being able to invite friends to play in games and getting invitations is awesome. It allows developers to easily add a consistent multiplayer experience to the games which makes it much more accessible to players. I also love renting movies and buying shows (National Geographic channel rules) as I don't pay $80 a month for cable...but like to watch a show every once in a while (I can justify the cost of a show when I only watch a few a month).

The Media Center functionality is great in some ways...and lacking in others. The biggest was what Queasy said...not Divx/Xvid support. I've been using Transcode 360 on my Vista Media Center PC and it works just fine...but support for Divx/Xvid would really be the icing on the cake.

 

[PricklyPete]

Originally posted by: agibby5
I'd get a 360, that is if you dont mind 1 out of 3 have problems... and then if yours is one of those 1/3 that do, if you dont mind having to wait for a repaired/refurbished one to be sent to you in return. I don't know much about the PS3 or the Wii, but I've dealt with Xbox 360s plenty:

Mine died (3 rings, then 2 rings)
My friends died (3 rings)
I got a new one and my friend got a new one, both OK.

My count of defective units: 2/4 = 50% (although this isnt a representative sample, we got them at two different times/retailers) and that's not saying if the 2 replacement ones will die...

This is definitely a concern for anyone buying...I won't disagree...but my anecdotal evidence is exactly the opposite. I have had a box since March of 2006 without issue. None of my friends have had problems with theirs (8+ people) and they have bought them all at different times.

I wouldn't let this problem keep you from buying one. If your system lasts 3 years...it is pretty unlikely it is suddenly going to die after 4 years. Mine gets used so regularly that (several hours each day for either games or videos), that I'm positive it would have died already if it was going to die from a manufacturing defect.

 

[agibby5]

Originally posted by: PricklyPete

Originally posted by: agibby5
I'd get a 360, that is if you dont mind 1 out of 3 have problems... and then if yours is one of those 1/3 that do, if you dont mind having to wait for a repaired/refurbished one to be sent to you in return. I don't know much about the PS3 or the Wii, but I've dealt with Xbox 360s plenty:

Mine died (3 rings, then 2 rings)
My friends died (3 rings)
I got a new one and my friend got a new one, both OK.

My count of defective units: 2/4 = 50% (although this isnt a representative sample, we got them at two different times/retailers) and that's not saying if the 2 replacement ones will die...

This is definitely a concern for anyone buying...I won't disagree...but my anecdotal evidence is exactly the opposite. I have had a box since March of 2006 without issue. None of my friends have had problems with theirs (8+ people) and they have bought them all at different times.

I wouldn't let this problem keep you from buying one. If your system lasts 3 years...it is pretty unlikely it is suddenly going to die after 4 years. Mine gets used so regularly that (several hours each day for either games or videos), that I'm positive it would have died already if it was going to die from a manufacturing defect.

What area of the country are you and your friends in?

 

[Shortcut]

thanks for the advice, fellas. good advice, all around!

for now, i picked up a ps3 to try it out. looks ok so far...i'm streaming avi/divx to it via tversity, and i picked up a ps2 copy of nfl 2k5 for a few bucks. i've got my media center and football action on!

i'll see how i like it. i'm still debating whether to get ncaa 2008 or not...the graphics are purdy, but it appears ea declined to add co-op to it this year. and heavenly sword looks interesting; like a god of war mixed with DOA.

 

[tatteredpotato]

What codecs does the PS3 stream natively?

 

[dwell]

Originally posted by: BlameCanada
What codecs does the PS3 stream natively?

Natively, not much, just the mpeg formats I think. With Tversity and the Combined Community Codec Pack just about everything works transcoded.

 

[tatteredpotato]

Originally posted by: Chris

Originally posted by: BlameCanada
What codecs does the PS3 stream natively?

Natively, not much, just the mpeg formats I think. With Tversity and the Combined Community Codec Pack just about everything works transcoded.

True, but when I tried Tversity with my 360 the quality was just too low for what I'd like. Back then the 360 only had WMV, but now with the h.264 support I've just been transcoding my videos into that and its been working good. Also since the PS3 supports it too (I think) it seems like a pretty good format to keep my library in.

 

[hans030390]

Media Center - My PS3 streams most of photos/music/videos through WMP11. The quality is excellent for me, though I'm connected through an ethernet cable. I'm not sure how the 360 works, but the PS3 has been great with this for me.

Football games - Wouldn't know a thing...

Exclusives - 360 has better exclusives CURRENTLY, but come spring/mid 2008 (and anything before), PS3 will have some excellent games out (Heavenly Sword, Lair, Killzone 2, MGS4, LittleBigPlanet, etc). Resistance is the best exclusive out for the PS3 currently, though there are a few other great games available that are also on 360 (Oblivion, R6: Vegas, etc).

Reliability - The PS3 is extremely reliable, so far. The issues are random, minor, and rare at best. My USB ports usually don't work, but I'm like the only one with the problem (I think it was a firmware update that screwed them up...they work fine with Linux). The warranty is good (1 year), and I've heard their repair/return service is easy and quick.

Online - PS3 has a simple online, but it works well. There's a decent store, you have your basic account and friends list (no achievements or anything as advanced as a gamercard), and games usually run great online. Best of all, it's free (Live is $50 a month). Being used to PC online gaming, the PS3 was a big step up for me with online services. (I get a 10 Mbps speed online, little to no lag, and great download speeds)

 

[tatteredpotato]

Originally posted by: hans030390
Media Center - My PS3 streams most of photos/music/videos through WMP11. The quality is excellent for me, though I'm connected through an ethernet cable. I'm not sure how the 360 works, but the PS3 has been great with this for me.

Football games - Wouldn't know a thing...

Exclusives - 360 has better exclusives CURRENTLY, but come spring/mid 2008 (and anything before), PS3 will have some excellent games out (Heavenly Sword, Lair, Killzone 2, MGS4, LittleBigPlanet, etc). Resistance is the best exclusive out for the PS3 currently, though there are a few other great games available that are also on 360 (Oblivion, R6: Vegas, etc).

Reliability - The PS3 is extremely reliable, so far. The issues are random, minor, and rare at best. My USB ports usually don't work, but I'm like the only one with the problem (I think it was a firmware update that screwed them up...they work fine with Linux). The warranty is good (1 year), and I've heard their repair/return service is easy and quick.

Online - PS3 has a simple online, but it works well. There's a decent store, you have your basic account and friends list (no achievements or anything as advanced as a gamercard), and games usually run great online. Best of all, it's free (Live is $50 a month). Being used to PC online gaming, the PS3 was a big step up for me with online services. (I get a 10 Mbps speed online, little to no lag, and great download speeds)

I'd agree with that for the most part.

Media functions on the 360 are very easy, although it can be a little picky when it comes to Codecs. I use the Zune software to stream all my Music, Videos and photos over ethernet.

As for online, I've never used the PSN, but XBL is definitely worth the $50/year right now, but if you keep an eye out you can usually pick up a 13 month card cheap somewhere over the year (one was just posted here the other day).

The guide being accessible during game play is a brilliant move on MS's part and makes me wonder how I lived without it. The 360 was obviously built around the idea of Xbox Live, and it shows.

 

[bucwylde23]

Despite the reliability issues people are experiencing, I'd still say 100% go for the 360.

I've had one over a year now and have had no problems. I bought a 1 year extended service contract and purchased the 360 at costco for an added warranty

The biggest and best reason to get a 360 is Xbox live. I was on vacation last week and came home this week to a TON of new stuff to download from E3. I spent most of Monday evening just downloading and watching trailers and playing demo's and I still am not done yet. There is a ton of stuff available especially for you since you would be new to it all.
The online play is great, and there are a heck of a lot of people. Once you get a decent friends list going you can easily avoid most of the annoying kids on Live and have a heck of a lot more fun. (See the AT Gamertag Thread 2.0 in this forum)

I've even downloaded/rented a few movies on the marketplace. While the price could be better, there is a very nice selection and because I am too lazy to go out and rent a movie, it was well worth it. I always get great download speeds, even on things like the halo 3 beta on the day it came out.

I really think that you can't go wrong with the 360 at this point. There are a LOT of great games coming up very soon to add to the already great list of games.

My friend bought a ps3 just after launch, and is now regretting it. He's been trying to pawn off his PS3 with no luck just so he can get a 360. I don't doubt the ps3 will be a very good system eventually, but right now it's not worth it in my opinion. (Unless you want a blu ray player) I'll be buying a PS3 next year sometime most likely, but after a price drop and when there are many more games available.

 

[PricklyPete]

Originally posted by: BlameCanada

As for online, I've never used the PSN, but XBL is definitely worth the $50/year right now, but if you keep an eye out you can usually pick up a 13 month card cheap somewhere over the year (one was just posted here the other day).

The guide being accessible during game play is a brilliant move on MS's part and makes me wonder how I lived without it. The 360 was obviously built around the idea of Xbox Live, and it shows.

Enough really can't be said about how slick Xbox Live is...especially when compared to the PSN network. Being able to pull the "Guide" at anytime (while you're playing or whatever) and checking what you're friends are playing, starting up private chats, or inviting friends or recent people you've played with to play a game with you is just awesome. MS clearly put a lot of time into designing the Xbox Live components...Sony seems to have put very little time/effort into it..and it shows.

In the playstation world, developers are really on their own on how they implement their online experience. There are no global friends list to interact with...there are no achievements or gamerscores. There is no guaranteed VOIP. Someone can't invite me to play one game while I'm in the in middle of a separate game. Online gaming between friends has to be much more planned to be successful....not very fun. This lack of support from Sony has led a lot of developers to drop the online component of their game when making the PS3 edition. In other cases (Rainbow Six: Vegas), the games online component is lauded on the Xbox 360 and panned on the PS3.

The worst part is that Sony has put themselves in a bit of a pickle development wise. It will be a lot harder to do "post development" on online API's to support a lot of the features they would need to support in order to match teh 360. Hopefully they'll think of something...but they've got a long road (and likely a wait till the next generation) before they can come close to Xbox Live.

 

[hans030390]

Oh, I forgot to mention Home on PS3...it should be a pretty exciting online "component" (couldn't think of another word), similar to live in many aspects. It would suck if it was all 3d, but I've heard you can access all of the stuff from your XMB. It should beef up the PSN quite a bit.

I doubt the PSN will ever reach the status of Live, but for being free, it's really good. My friends and I enjoy using it (one was a previous 360 owner and said he really misses nothing). Like previously mentioned by others, it's not accessible from in game (except Resistance now), and the online services vary from game to game.

Still, I went from PC onling gaming to the PSN...I really like it. I suppose I'd probably jump on Live if I didn't have to pay for it (I'm really not into that).

Oh waits! PS3 has teh interweb browser!!! OMG! Eat that Live!

 

[Yreka]

Originally posted by: Shortcut


football games - PS3 gets the edge here. nfl 2k5 is my favorite game. can play this on ps3, but not on 360.

Haha right on.. That was one of the first games I bought for my PS3.. $2 well spent