Opinion about "multi-mediacenter" devices

[Mr_Freaker]

When I buy a console, I only care about the games.

But these consoles offer a variety of different applications such as browsing the internet, watching movies, listening to music, watching TV, editing pictures, ....

 

To be honest, I don't care about those feautres (except for dvd's).

Does anyone of you care about those "all in one mediacenter" stuff?

 

 

[antithesis]

Multimedia support is important to me. I use the DLNA client on the PS3 to stream video and audio from a NAS pretty frequently.

 

However, the PS3 doesn't support a wide array of formats, for example MKV. In that case, I'll stream video from my Mac, NAS, iPhone or iPad to an Apple TV via AirPlay. I used to stream MP3s to the PS3 too, but these days I pipe it straight through a set of SONOS speakers via iPhone and iPad. In other words, the multimedia features of the PS3 were a strong factor in my decision to buy one.

 

Though the PS3 has largely been replaced by better hardware for that specific purpose, the NEED for multimedia devices is still very strong. I know more people in real life who use PS3s solely for streaming video and playing DVDs / Blu-Rays / CDs than those who use it for gaming.

 

As far as the PS4 goes, I want DLNA and MP3 support, but it's not a deal-breaker and I'm happy with Sony shifting focus almost entirely to gaming. But for people who are interested in an all-in-one device, the XB1 is the more attractive option at the moment, though it too doesn't yet have DLNA support.

Edited June 12, 2014 by ant1th3s1s

[Glaivewurm]

Multimedia support is important to me. I use the DLNA client on the PS3 to stream video and audio from a NAS pretty frequently.

 

However, the PS3 doesn't support a wide array of formats, for example MKV. In that case, I'll stream video from my Mac, NAS, iPhone or iPad to an Apple TV via AirPlay. I used to stream MP3s to the PS3 too, but these days I pipe it straight through a set of SONOS speakers via iPhone and iPad. In other words, the multimedia features of the PS3 were a strong factor in my decision to buy one, but they've since been replaced by better hardware for that specific purpose.

 

As far as the PS4 goes, I want DLNA and MP3 support, but it's not a deal-breaker and I'm happy with Sony shifting focus almost entirely to gaming. But for people who are interested in an all-in-one device, the XB1 is the more attractive option at the moment, though it too doesn't yet have DLNA support.

 

Wow this is a good response. I'm shocked that an outlying instance was outlined so quickly.

 

As I live in Australia, the price of media and such goods is much higher than in other places due to markups on imports outside of the norm. Not only does this mean the middleman has to shaft us to turn a profit, but it means that many foreign properties are never imported into Australia. While it is still possible to import these over the Internet, the restrictions on multimedia players in the time of the PS3's release made it difficult to play imported DVDs and such things in a way that suited the medium - on a TV. When I got my PS3, this was one of the many driving factors for me. The PS3 was a way in which, before the advent of the smart TV and the lifting of restrictions (at least to some degree) on video playback by region in conventional DVD players, I could watch all of the shows, movies and anime that had previously been denied me. So yes, I cared about the "all-in-one media center" stuff.

 

Is that still the case? Possibly not so much as before. Since the PS3 was not able to play MKV files from launch and this functionality was never patched in, I was obviously unable to play many "dubiously acquired" materials on the TV of my choosing. Now that I own a smart TV which can play MKV files, the need for the PS3 and the imports with regards to watching visual media has diminished significantly. However, as these circumstances clearly affected my decision to purchase a PS3, I can definitely get behind the idea of a gaming console as a "multi-media center".

[Yami]

For me it's kind of important because my PS3 is linked to my stereo. I'd hate to watch movies / listen to music (without headphone that is) in sh***y quality just because my PS3 doesn't support it...

[Memnoch]

Pretty important to be honest. One unit that does games, blu-rays and DVDs is pretty much what I wanted. Now i have a ps3, do I need a ps4 to do it too? probably not, but I feel that having one central unit to do everything is still a very good solution

[Willstown]

I did use my PS3 as the main way to view content stored on my NAS on the main living room tv.  When I picked up a PS4 I knew I needed a new solution, the PS3 wne to the den and I bought a raspberry pi, installing raspbmc.

 

Tbh now I prefer having the pi, it handles way more types of media file and the interface is so much better to navigate around. For a relatively small price and a tiny footprint it's a way better experience to browse media than a PS3 ever was.

 

I wouldn't be suprised if the PS4 gets media streaming in the future as a app, but I doubt it would be as good an experience as using a dedicated media center device.  Smart TV's are becoming more of a thing, so the need for media playing on the consoles is maybe diminishing a little now.