This isn't necessarily the best place to ask, but is there any one here willing and able to give me a decent rundown of the pros and cons of the PS3 vs a dedicated Blue Ray player OTHER, and I do mean OTHER than the ability to play games as well?
It'll always have the latest Blu Ray firmware compared to other players, within the limitations of the hardware. I say limitations due to 3D which requires HDMI 1.4, while the PS3 has HDMI 1.3. I guess the CELL processor compensates for that.
It's still a very nice blu ray player. But nowadays decent players can be had for under $150, and it's going to be pushing under $100 soon. As recently as 12-18 months ago, the PS3 was basically the BEST blu ray player under $299 due to it's fast loading times, constant firmware updates, etc. But nowadays blu ray players are coming with faster boot times, HDMI 1.4, 3D with 7.1 PCM sound (something the PS3 is not capable of). etc. Although I believe the true 3D players with HDMI 1.4 are still pushing towards the PS3 price point anyway. So for the $299 you get a player capable of 3D (albeit without PCM surround sound if played in 3D), you get a player that will have constantly updated and easily accessible firmware, and you get the games library.
I'm actually thinking about getting a standalone player to go along with my PS3. Not because I'm looking for a "better" player, but because I don't want to burn out my PS3. I watch a ton of films, in addition to the games. I need to replace my standalone DVD player which I used to watch DVD's and play music CD's, so I might as well replace it with a standalone blu ray player rather than burn up the PS3. The PS3 gets a little hot even while playing movies, and the fan is audible during silent scenes, which is the main negative for me.
Basicaly I would not get a PS3 at this point if I was *only* looking to play movies. The games and "multimedia" capabilities are basically the biggest reasons to own a PS3, not as a standalone blu ray player.
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