It only does everything

When you're building your home theater setup, it's important to make sure you're not missing out on any of your favorite content. Sure you have an iPod, but you didn't really start using your CDs as frisbees did you? And you've got a new TV capable of 1080p video processing, but are you really ready to use your DVDs as coasters and re-buy the Blu-rays? So make sure that when you upgrade, you can still play all the movies and music you want to. Here to help is the Sony PlayStation3. Maybe you've heard of it, maybe not. But trust us, you want to know more. This is one home theater component to replace many, for about the same price as any one of those components.

Plunge into the deep Blu waters

Hopefully by now you've heard of Blu-ray technology. These discs have become very popular in the last couple years. They use a super-narrow blue laser to read and write the discs as opposed to the wide red laser of CD and DVD players. Because they can read such narrow areas, about five times more content can be put on the same disc. Because of that, Blu-rays are the format used to carry the very latest in video technology, since they have enough space to hold Full HD video along with uncompressed multi-channel audio and plenty of special features. In case you're not familiar with Full HD, it's the highest video resolution available today, offering about six times more detail than standard TV programs or DVDs. So with Blu-ray discs, your video looks and sounds far more realistic than ever before. Luckily for you, the PS3 is a full-featured Blu-ray player, reading the highest-definition video content and playing it back. Many games even use Blu-ray discs because they can be more detailed and offer more on a single disc than ever before. By the way, the PlayStation3 is the only gaming console that has a Blu-ray player, so try not to make your friends with Microsoft or Nintendo systems jealous. A couple notes, though: to really enjoy the 1080p video on Blu-ray discs, you need a TV that can display that resolution. While you can play those movies on lower-resolution TVs, including 720p HDTVs, it won't look as good as on a 1080p screen. You also need an HDMI cable (sold separately), since that's the only cable that can handle that much information at once.

Oh yeah, and it's a PlayStation

Sure, the PS3 slim has a Blu-ray player built right in, so you can use it to enjoy the highest-quality movies available, but don't be fooled into thinking that this PlayStation's primary purpose is watching movies. At its heart, the PS3 is still a PlayStation. It was built to use for playing games. All of the many other great features are icing on the cake, and what a delicious cake it is. The PlayStation3 is one of the most powerful consoles available, capable of faster, more advanced processing than the Nintendo Wii. Its main challenger is Microsoft's XBox 360. The 360 has some great qualities, and a great exclusive game or two, but the PS3 has several things the 360 doesn't. First of all, the Blu-ray player in the PlayStation is good for more than just movies. Games can also be put on Blu-ray discs, so they can use a lot more storage than XBox games. This might mean better graphics for the same game, more features, or even entirely different games. Second of all, the PS3's online community is free. So is an XBox LIVE membership, or so they want you to believe. The thing is, XBox LIVE's free memberships really only allow you to buy things. If you want to play games or even watch them, plan on shelling out at least $50 per year. Sony wanted to created a more open online platform, so to access the basic features like online gaming or interaction, you won't be charged. Next, to match the hard drive on the PS3 slim, you'd need an XBox 360 Elite, which is only slightly cheaper, but with a LIVE membership, costs just as much in the first year alone. Speaking of costs, the PS3 has built-in Wi-Fi, whereas to get Wi-Fi on an XBox takes a $100 adapter. And one more point related to price: if you want a bigger hard drive on the PS3, you can swap it out with a standard hard drive easily. XBox 360's use proprietary hard drives that cost a lot more per GB.

But what of the games?

So if they PS3 has so many great things about it, why are some people so devoted to XBox instead? Well, usually the answer lies in one of two reasons. First of all, the XBox 360 came out about a year earlier, so many people didn't want to wait to get their hands on this generation of consoles. Secondly, the XBox is the only console that can play the Halo series, which is tremendously popular. Aside from Halo, though, the PS3 has most of the games the XBox does, including the Guitar Hero and Rock Band games, EA Sports games, the Call of Duty series, BioShock, Fallout 3, and pretty much any other great game you can think of. However, there are several really great PlayStation exclusives, including Resistance: Fall of Man and its sequel, God of War III, Grand Turismo 5 and its Prologue, Infamous, LittleBigPlanet, the Metal Gear series, SOCOM series, MotorStorm, and the Uncharted series. So, when it comes right down to it, the PlayStation3 simply beats the XBox 360 for its selection of great games, since it has all the best non-exclusive games and a better selection of PS3-only games. The bottom line is that even if the PS3 were only a game console, it would still stand out as excellent.

Don't redecorate yet

Although the console itself is worthy of praise, it isn't the only great thing on the PS3 — we already mentioned how it can play Blu-ray movies. You might be wondering if the PlayStation3's ability to play Blu-ray discs means that your DVD collection is now a worthless stack of discs destined to become a shiny mobile. But before you go looking for sticks and string, listen to this: your DVDs aren't dead. The Blu-ray player on the PS3 will just as seamlessly play your DVDs as it will Blu-ray discs. You don't need to hook up any extra cables, download any other programs, buy any adaptors, or keep your old DVD player plugged in. It's as simple as putting it in the PlayStation and selecting the disc from the xross Media Bar. And on top of that, you can play CDs or even rip them to the 120GB hard drive. Some games even let you use your stored music to create a customized soundtrack while you play.

But that's not all!

By this point, hopefully you're starting to realize that the PS3 is not just a gaming console. It's not just a Blu-ray player. It's not even just a disc reader. It's each of those, but so much more than any one of them. It's a home entertainment hub! Aside from playing a tremendous selection of DVDs, Blu-ray discs, CDs, and games, it will network as well as almost any home electronic. Using the Wi-Fi or the ethernet port, you can easily connect to your home network and access files from your PC including movies, music, and photos. But if your media isn't on your computer, don't fret. There are two USB ports to allow you integrate a very wide variety of content from sources like memory cards, flash drives, or external hard drives, although adapters may be required. You can then either play those files or store them to the hard drive for later use. In addition, if you have a PSP, you can read files from that PSP, or write files to the PSP. Finally, you can access a wide variety of games, demos, and movies (although some will need to be purchased to use) using the free PlayStationNetwork membership to expand your media library. Like we said before, the PS3 can replace multiple electronic devices for the price of one device.

The world is waiting

One of the best features of the PS3 is the free membership to the PlayStationNetwork. By creating an account and connecting to your home network, you can use the PS3 to access a vast variety of downloadable games, demos, TV shows, and movies including HD titles. Some are free and some will cost you a few bucks, but either way you can find thousands of entertainment options without even standing up. You can also find a wide variety of free and for-sale downloadable content specific to the games you play, like extra tracks for a music game, or extra levels for other games. But that's just the store portion. The PSN also lets you play online multiplayer games with other gamers from around the world. Many games will even let you use additional microphones to chat with your competitors. If battling online foes isn't really your thing, you could always try watching a game as a spectator, or just comparing stats and trophies on games to other gamers online. And it doesn't end there! PSN also provides a rich environment for interaction with friends. It's also a great way to meet new people. And with additional accessories you can even do things like chat on QWERTY keyboards just for the PS3 controller, show off your game progress, or send messages. One accessory will even let you video-chat or record and edit movies. One note, though: Just like the internet on your computer, it's not always a safe place for children since interaction isn't tightly regulated, so make sure to monitor children's use of PSN.

Sound good? Just wait.

We mentioned before that the PS3 Slim can play the Full HD 1080p video found on Blu-ray discs. But video is only half the equation when it comes to Blu-ray movies. The other half, of course, is audio, and believe us, the PS3 does not come up short. It will output the 7.1-channel uncompressed audio found on Blu-ray videos. It can decode the dts-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD uncompressed audio tracks found on those discs so you can get the audio the director wanted you to hear. But if you don't want to decode the audio internally, the PS3 Slim will bitstream the audio to your receiver, something older PlayStation 3 models won't do. This is great if you've got a good home theater receiver. This takes an HDMI cable, but it's well worth it. You can even send PCM audio like that found on CDs.

What's in the box?

Your purchase of the PlayStation 3 Slim from vanns.com includes all of the following: free PlayStationNetwork membership, AC power cord, AV cable, USB cable, DUALSHOCK3 wireless controller, and the PlayStation3 Slim 120GB.

Comparison Specifications

• 120GB HDD for storing games, music, videos, and photos
• Blu-ray player
• Internet ready with ethernet port and built-in Wi-Fi
• Two USB ports
• HDMI output for 1080p resolution (cable not included)
• Plays DVDs and CDs
• Cell Broadband Engine advanced microprocessor
• Plays PlayStation3 games
• Includes DUALSHOCK3 wireless controller with SIXAXIS functionality
• Includes free PlayStationNetwork membership

Additional Specifications

• Power cord, AV cable, and USB cable included
• Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR) for up to 7 wireless controllers
• Outputs 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, or 1080p video
• Bravia Sync
• Digital optical audio output
• About 1/3 thinner, lighter, and less energy usage than previous 80GB/160GB PS3
• Not compatible with PlayStation2 games; compatible with a few select PlayStation titles (not common)
• xross Media Bar

Dimensional Specifications

• Dimensions: 11.42" W x 2.56" H x 11.42" D
• Weight: 7.1 lbs

Sony PlayStation3 120GB Warranty Details

1-year limited manufacturer's parts and labor warranty

More reasons to buy the Sony PlayStation3 120GB from Vanns.com

• Free Shipping!
• No Sales Tax!
• Vanns.com is a Fully Authorized Dealer (Learn More)
• The Sony PlayStation3 120GB is Brand New
• The Sony PlayStation3 120GB Ships in a Factory Sealed Box