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**This review is for the 80 GB PS 3, some features might not be available on other models.  Check local retailers for availability.** 

When you first start the Playstation 3, the sound of the orchestra warming up hints to the epic experience that you are about to enjoy. 

Hooking up the system was pretty easy thanks to the system self detect which asks you if you want to keep or change the settings to match your system's configurations.  I have my console hooked up to a HP w1907 computer monitor with an HDMI out to DVI in cable.  With the PS 3 hooked up like that, it found that 1080i would be the best choice, but I find that everything looks just a little bit crisper in 720p on my display, other TVs and monitors may vary.  I have the audio hooked up to my computer speakers in my little home office, so I have a nice area to get my game on.  So now its all connected and I'm at the home screen where the menu has options for Games, Network, Movies, Music, Photos, Settings, and Users.  

The next thing I wanted to do is set up the PS 3 on my home network, I hooked mine up on a wired connection, but it has built in 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi capabilities to get you online either way, so now I can register on the Playstation Network.  Connecting to PSN, either wired or wirelessly, is very easy and worth it, one of the few free things in life that actually is.  Once you get online you can do several things, besides access to the online gaming servers, like download PS One games, additional content for games, arcade and similar type games, PS 3 Eye games, PSP demos as well as full games for PSP, and game/video trailers amongst other things. Download prices vary, but they are not unreasonable.  My favorite thing that you can do over the network is play games and control your PS 3 with your PSP.  I like this feature so much because I happen to have a couple of great PS One titles, like Metal Gear: Solid and the first two Gran Tourismo games and they look great on the little PSP screen as well as the PS 3, of course.  Playing games on remote play only works for PS One games but its still a really cool feature.

Speaking of old Playstation games, the PS 3 is fully backwards compatible out of the box and without havig to download an emulator (That update that you have to get before playing original Xbox games on a Xbox 360) or using a separate controller that you had to buy.  You do however have to create PS One and PS 2 compatible memory slots on the system hard drive, but this is not hard to do at all with the memory card utility that comes installed on the system.  As stated before you can download PS One games to play off of the hard drive, I took a trip down memory lane and got Tekken 2 and Syphon Filter, both of which play in 4:3 aspect ratio.   

I downloaded Tekken 2 onto my PS 3 and then installed it on my PSP over ther USB cable.

 

From the old to the new, this PS 3 comes with a copy of Motorstorm and for a little more variety I picked up Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and Resistance: Fall of Man.  All of these games look fantastic with rich details and vibrant colors, these games pop on the screen and are all very fun to play.  Look for those game reviews coming soon.  I like how each game makes different use of the motion sensitivity and the fact that its all done with the classic controller that we all know and love makes it so much better.  The controller has gone through some minor upgrades like the PS button functions, wireless, and the trigger-ish styled L2 and R2 buttons.

As followed on Gamervision, Blu-Ray has won out over HD-DVD making the Blu-Ray functionality a huge bonus instead of an possible hadicap for the console.  I missed the promotion to get 5 free Blu-Ray movies when you get a PS 3, so I don't have any Blu-Ray movies yet.  That will change soon enough.  I am, as an Xbox 360 HD-DVD owner, very interested to watch a movie on Blu-Ray and compare the difference.  Not like it makes a difference, but I would like to know if the format is actually better or if Sony just shelled out enough money in exclusivity contracts to save their ass and make sure thier format was the all the studios were using.  That is a discussion for later.  I am also wanting to know if there are any movies that are must haves on Blu-Ray.  If you have any suggestions, post a comment on my page.

The 80 GB model that I got had been discontinued, so you might not be able to find it anymore, that all depends on your location.  It cost me $499.99 and I had to go to three stores to find it, but I had heard that the 40 GB wasn't as great and the difference in features was worth the extra $100 bucks.  There are rumors of a 120 GB PS 3 coming out, but there has been no formal announcement as of yet.  So if you are looking to get a PS 3 and you can find one, I suggest getting the 80 GB while you can.  If not, the 40 GB will still play the games in HD, but no HDMI and you'll still have to get a component cable.

Sony has put together quite a gaming package in the PS 3 and with games like The Agency, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, and Gran Tourismo 5 coming out, plus Blu-Ray, the PS 3 has a bright future ahead of it and is for sure going to be a good cash cow for the next decade at least.  I would recommend the PS 3 over the other two consoles if you are looking to get one of the three.  With everything it has to offer, its just a smarter choice at this time.

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