Playstation 3 and the Blu-Ray DVD Drive

The Playstation 3 console now comes equipped with the Blu-Ray DVD Drive. This is intended to aid the graphic and home entertainment options for the user. This is a new concept that most buyers are unlikely to be familiar with. However, Sony believes that once everyone starts using the new DVD Drive, they will love it. They are sure that the popularity of the DVD drive will quickly catch on.

With the Blu-Ray DVD Drive installed in the Playstation 3, users will have the option to watch DVD's on the console. Further to this is the ability to download DVD's via the internet to the systems hard drive. The Ultimate purpose behind the Blu-Ray DVD Drive is to allow user to record, rewrite, and playback any high definition video. It is highly anticipated that in the not to distant future, Blu-Ray technology will eliminate standard DVD's much in the same way that the have made VHS videos nearly obsolete. A major advantage to the Blu-Ray discs is that they have a protective layer in order to prevent scratches or damage as DVD often are. This is great news as nothing is more disappointing than to reach for your favourite DVD and find it to be damaged and unplayable.

Buyers of the Playstation 3 will appreciate the inclusion of the Blu-Ray DVD Drive. The DVD player itself is being marketed independently and selling very well for several hundred dollars. It is being widely anticipated that the Blu-Ray DVD Drive will be very well received by the electronic buffs worldwide who are excited by the prospect of having a DVD drive that be able to play, record, and rewrite the data they want. It is the best solution to have an all in one product.

In your interested in knowing the reasoning behind the naming of the DVD Drive, Blu-Ray came from the technology that was used when creating it. The system incorporates a blue-violet laser that is able to read and write date on the DVD drive. The following are some disc specifications that you should be aware of regarding the Blu-Ray DVD Drive. BD-ROM is a read only format for software, games, and movies. BD-R is a recordable format for high definition (HD) TV recordings as well as personal computer data storage. Finally, BD-RE is a re-writable format for HD TV recordings and personal computer data storage.

The Blu-Ray DVD Drive is as you would expect able to hold large amounts of data. A single layer disc will hold up to 27GB, whilst a dual layer disc will hold up to 54GB. To give an idea of the storage capabilities, the 27GB disk will have the ability to record up to 2 hours of high definition TV. On the same disk space, you could easily record up to 13 hours of regular TV. Whilst it is not necessary to have an internet connection to watch movies on the Blu-Ray DVD Drive, you will need one if it's your intention to download movies, watch movie trailers, or surf the internet.

The Blu-Ray DVD Drive is a truly fascinating piece of equipment. It is able to easily perform the basic tasks of a normal DVD Player, yet it offers users so much more. It is expected that this innovative system will soon catch on quickly once viewers that the time to appreciate all this system has to offer. For those that are still hesitant to use it, take some time to completely read the owner's manual as well as search the internet for additional information. Don't let such great advances in technology go to waste! - Jump straight in and start using all the features available to you.

For more information on the Blu-Ray DVD Drive try visiting www.andallconsoles.com, a popular games console website that provides console news, tips, and game reviews for the Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

Xbox 360 Backwards Compatibility

With the Xbox 360 getting more and more popular, more and more new exciting games will be coming out of the market. Gamers will be able to play more exciting as well as more visually remarkable games on their game console.

But some gamers may still miss playing some of their favorite games in the past that run on older Xbox models. In order to allow gamers to play their past favorites on their new Xbox 360, developers of the game console has made backward compatibility as part of the newer model's various exciting features.

Xbox 360 Backward compatibility is achieved through software emulation of the original Xbox game console. Emulated games make it possible for older Xbox games to be played in your new Xbox 360 game console. Doing so would allow the gamer with a few benefits on the side.

For one, the Xbox 360 is able to offer graphical enhancements because the old games are rendered in 720p, 1080i, or 1080p video resolution with anti-aliasing enabled rather than the older Xbox standard of 480p. Graphics become clearer and crispers and may even enhance the way the game is being played with a more powerful processor in store.

Some older Xbox games may also benefit from a great improvement in the rendered draw distance that is due to the newer system's greater memory bandwidth. But not all older games may be able to display these enhancements. There are some older game versions that do not perform that well in an emulated environment. Such games often exhibit a lower frame rate on the Xbox 360 than on the originals Xbox.

Before one can play emulated games on the Xbox 360, a hard drive and an emulation profile may be needed in order to play original Xbox games. There are updated emulation profiles that can be obtained through Xbox Live. Emulation profiles can also be obtained by burning the profiles downloaded from Xbox.com into a CD. One can also do it by ordering an update emulation profile disc from Microsoft.

There is a full list of Xbox 360 backward-compatible games maintained at Xbox.com which includes over 298 exciting game titles which is about 30 percent of the total Xbox game library. Microsoft intend to release more emulation profiles to the gaming public as they become available, with grand plans to make the entire Xbox library playable on the Xbox 360 game console.

With the backwards compatibility of the Xbox 360 will allow it to be easily embraced by more and more gamers. Not only will they be looking forward to the newest games to be released specially for the Xbox 360, gamers also have the option to go back to some games that they have loved to play in the past.

Not only that, some accessories that come with the Xbox 360 will even be able to enhance the gaming experience. Gamers will be able to take advantage of the Xbox 360's wireless capability and feature in order to make gaming even more exciting and convenient. Xbox 360 can make use of wireless controllers and headsets that each gamer can use to make game play even more enhancing.

Aside from the clearer and crisper video as well as excellent sounding audio that the Xbox 360 is able to dish out, the gamer would feel that he might be playing a different game when in fact it is a past favorite that is just given the Xbox 360 treatment with the Xbox 360 Backwards Compatibility.

If you would like more information on Xbox 360 Jason Hobbs runs 2 related websites Xbox 360 News and Xbox 360 Search Engine

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Wii Steals PS3's Thunder!

After the hegemony established by Sony’s PlayStation series in the gaming industry, it is the time for the race leader to sweat. The gaming consoles launched by Microsoft and Nintendo are competing with their product ‘chip by chip’ and what more the latest trend suggest that they are winning as well!

Launched last year, Microsoft’s X-Box 360 was a phenomenal success in the gaming console market and had better features than the PS2 but Sony was counting on it’s PS3 console to win back all the converts, alas they never considered the Wii factor. Both Nintendo’s Wii and Sony’s PS3 were launched in mid November and both the consoles had different USPs.

Where Nintendo went for an all out World wide launch in an overtly aggressive but somewhat cocky approach, the buzzword for PS3 remained ‘QUALITY’ a promise which they delivered but short supply meant less number of devices available and this led to the success of Nintendo Wii’s success.

By the end of November Wii had reportedly sold more than 600,000 Wii units and that is approximately twice the number of consoles that PS3 has sold in the same period! Now don’t jump onto any conclusions as the fact is that by the time PS3 will deliver all its orders by say the end of January the number of units sold might well be very much closer to what Nintendo has sold but as far as the initial sales are concerned Wii has piped the ‘big brother’ of online games industry.

This trend only highlights the fact that the revolution started by online computer games has evolved tremendously and now these ‘new age’ gaming consoles are replacing the Online Computer Games of the past and carving out a colossal gaming market for themselves in the present electronics industry.

Adam Jaylin is an online shopping expert at ukonlinemarket.co.uk, a site dedicated to Online Games and giving huge Cashback to its users.

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Playstation 3 (PS3) Hardware Summary

Playstation 3 (PS3) Hardware Summary For once, not all about the PS3 games, but the actual console itself

We've taken the PS3 technical specifications directly from Sony, and of course will update it as they do. The first part of this artcile details the bare bones specification, and the second part, for those not too familiar with CPU speeds and gigabit interfaces, we've provided an explanation of what these crytpic acronyms actually do!

CPU Cell Processor PowerPC-base Core @3.2GHz 1 VMX vector unit per core 512KB L2 cache 7 x SPE @3.2GHz 7 x 128b 128 SIMD GPRs 7 x 256KB SRAM for SPE * 1 of 8 SPEs reserved for redundancy total floating point performance: 218 GFLOPS

GPU RSX @550MHz 1.8 TFLOPS floating point performance Full HD (up to 1080p) x 2 channels Multi-way programmable parallel floating point shader pipelines

Sound Dolby 5.1ch, DTS, LPCM, etc. (Cell- base processing)

Memory 256MB XDR Main RAM @3.2GHz 256MB GDDR3 VRAM @700MHz

System Bandwidth Main RAM 25.6GB/s VRAM 22.4GB/s RSX 20GB/s (write) + 15GB/s (read) SB<>

System Floating Point Performance 2 TFLOPS

Storage Either 20GB HDD or 60GB HDD

I/O USB Front x 4, Rear x 2 (USB2.0) Memory Stick standard/Duo, PRO x 1 SD standard/mini x 1 CompactFlash (Type I, II) x 1

Communication Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T) x 3 (input x 1 + output x 2) Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 b/g Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR)

Controller Bluetooth (up to 7) USB 2.0 (wired) Wi-Fi (PSP) Network (over IP)

AV Output Screen size: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p HDMI: HDMI out x 2 Analog: AV MULTI OUT x 1 Digital audio: DIGITAL OUT (OPTICAL) x 1

Disc Media CD PlayStation CD-ROM, PlayStation 2 CD-ROM, CD-DA, CD-DA (ROM), CD-R, CD-RW, SACD, SACD Hybrid (CD layer), SACD HD, DualDisc, DualDisc (audio side), DualDisc (DVD side) DVD: PlayStation 2 DVD-ROM, PlayStation 3 DVD-ROM, DVD-Video, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW Blu-ray Disc: PlayStation 3 BD-ROM, BD-Video, BD-ROM, BD-R, BD-RE

Ok, for those, like most, are not sure what all this babble means, here is the dummie sguide to all the technical specifications. Enjoy:

CPU CPU, or Central Processing Unit, is the brain of a computer or machine. Its primary job is to translate instructions and process data from programs that initiate it. In other words, you click a button, the CPU interprets that to mean kick the bad guy in the head, and resulting in favorite character executing a sublime round house kick. Pretty much all modern day CPUs have a microprocessor at their heart, increasing performance drastically from earlier methods. The PS3's CPU is built exclusively for the console, therefore is not extremely scalable, but packs a hell of a punch for your PS3 gaming needs

GPU GPU, or Graphics Pro, no Proceed, hang on, I cant imagine what it will be. Got it! Graphics Processing Unit! Is the daddy behind your visuals on the console, and is extremely powerful with graphic manipulation and rendering, as it is a dedicated piece of hardware. Whilst delivering atonishing Playstation 3 graphics, it also alleviates some of the load from the CPU, letting the brain get on with doing what it does best

Sound The PS3 will have Dolby 5.1CH speakers, synonomous with quality home theatre systems. In short, when you hear a few rounds cracking out of a semi automatic behind you, Japan hasnt invaded, its the game.

Memory Ever forgotton where you put that damn memory card? Well, the PS3 tries not to. The memory in the PS3 console is important, it never forgets where to picked up your last reward, villains you have slain, or puzzles you have solved. The more memory, the better. When information is stored in memory, it is much quicker for the system to retrieve that information, as opposed to reading it from the hard drive, in otherwise less hanging and skipping.

System Bandwidth Is somewhat a speculative term, which is hard, or near impossible to prove. It is a complex assumption, involving the capacity of certain items to communicate with each other, how fast they do it, how much resources they use. If you want more information, try a quantum computing night course. System Floating Point Performance System Floating Point Performance is an indicator of the computer or consoles performance especially when extensively using floating point calculations. The PS3 has 2 TFLOPS (obviously), which equates to 1012 FLOPS (naturally). In layman's terms, the console can compute advanced calculations prety damn quickly

Storage Everyone loves lots of storage space. For the car, home or office, you just cant get enough sometimes. The Playstation 3 likes space too, it has lots of data and information to store, when it needs to permanently remember things, or the memory cant cope. With either 20GB or 60GB hard drive space, you have enough room to swing 10 cats tied together with string.

I/O I/O, I/O, its off to work we go. I/O (Input/Output), is the speed and type of devices that the PS3 reads from or writes to. As you can see, there's a few gadgets you can plug in to the console.

Communication Communication is the key to success, and this model of Playstation has taken a leap from its predecessor, and is now hooked up to the information super highway, or internet as we often say. Multi-player online gaming is now a thing of the present with the snazzy new PS3

Controller Controllers basically control (yep, control) how different components communicate, and interface with each other. Generally, this applies to peripherals (not on board). Exciting stuff.

AV Output AV Output is the method of displaying output, the visuals you see when running amock in GTA. You could have the best GPU, but without any mechanism to pipe it on to your screen, your screwed.

Disc Media Obviosuly, what type of disks your Playstation 3 can read. There's quite a few supported formats, so check em out

And thats all folks, be sure to check out PS3 Cheats for all your Playstation 3 hints, tips, information and cheats...

Check out PS3 Cheats for all your Playstation 3 hints, tips, information and cheats...

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Leep

What is XBox360?

Xbox 360 is the successor to Xbox video game console from Microsoft. It was referred to in the past as Xbox Next or Xbox 2 or simply Project Xenon. Microsoft has scheduled its launch just before Christmas of 2005, the biggest shopping season although it was unveiled on 12.05.2005 on MTV. Xbox 360 is an answer to Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Nintendo’s Revolution game consoles. Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system as it is fully known as would usher a totally new era of high definition digital entertainment which is personalized and connected always.

Who designed the Xbox 360?

Xbox 360 is designed by the very innovative Astro studios, San Francisco, USA in collaboration with Hers Experimental Design Laboratory, Osaka, Japan, resulting in sleek and stylish exterior packed with powerful hardware, software and services.

The Xbox 360 comes with:

Xbox Gamer Guide: An entertainment gateway that connects to your games, movie, friends, music and available downloadable content. The Xbox Guide Button, a one touch interface gives you instant access to content you want, be it the gamer card of the player who just invited you to play, or to new downloadable content for the game you are currently running.

Personalized interface:

Xbox 360 lets you create your own customised system for a unique experience. With changeable facia plates, it is very easy to change the make up of your console. Power on your system and you can customize the look and feel of the System Guide and Gamer Guide with various unique skins. The faces and skins can form a unique combination to reflect your personality.

Ring of Light:

The Xbox 360 console is divided into four glowing quadrants which are also collectively called the Ring of Light. This Ring of Light, along with the Xbox Guide button controls the entire system. The guide button visually connects you to your games. The Guide button apart from connecting and controlling your experience also controls the startup and shutdown of the system. . The Xbox 360 supports both wired and wireless controllers and accessories by the virtue of which all operations can be controlled from the comfort of your couch.

Xbox Live:

Xbox 360’s Xbox Live is where games and entertainment come alive. This is a unified interface where you can play with anyone, anytime anywhere. By connecting your Xbox 360 to a broadband internet connection, you can instantly access Xbox Live Silver, to announce your digital identity via your gamer tag or gamer card. You can talk to others using voice chat, and access the Xbox Live Marketplace — all right out of the box, at no extra cost. When you upgrade to Xbox Live Gold, you get access to the ever exciting world of online multiplayer gaming. By using intelligent matchmaking, and accessing all your achievements and statistics, Xbox Live Gold brings you nearer to your competition at your terms.

Games:

Xbox 360 redefines the whole gaming experience in terms of what they look like, sound like, feel like, and play like in order to engage you like never before. All Xbox 360 titles have resolutions of 1080i and 720p resolution in 16:9 widescreen formats, anti-aliasing support for movie-like graphics and of course, multi-channel surround sound. Not to mention you can amplify your music, photos, video, and TV. You can watch DVD movies in the comfort of your couch. Xbox 360 also supports progressive-scan DVD’s. The Xbox 360 hard drive can be used to rip music and share your latest albums and pictures with friends and family.

Xbox 360 Accessories Fact Sheet

A successor of the Xbox gaming system, Microsoft’s new Xbox 360 and its unique line of Xbox 360 system accessories extend your digital entertainment experience beyond the console.

Xbox 360 Faceplates

A never before feature – Xbox 360 is centralized around gamers. As a fully customizable design, Xbox 360 gives you the freedom of changing the look of the console to reflect your tastes and personality. The face plates like most Nokia Cellular phones can be changed with extreme ease to express your moods or your sense of style.

* Interchangeable faceplates allow you to create a unique system.

* Find cool, swappable and changeable cutting-edge designs.

* Faceplates come in a lot of varieties and designs.

* Regardless of chosen faceplates, the system remains fully functional.

Xbox 360 Memory Unit

Xbox 360 comes with a 64MB memory unit to further enhance your gaming experience. This memory unit facilitates you to save the in-game achievements and gamer profiles. These units are portable and enable you to start off from where you left quickly and easily. You can easily carry around the Memory Unit in a carrying case which is extremely portable and can fit on a keychain. This memory unit is absolute plug’n’play. Xbox 360 can hold up to two memory units, thus making it upgradeable.

Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote

The Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote is designed in such a way that it becomes an integrated control center for the entire Xbox 360 system. The Media Remote facilitates your entry into the world of digital entertainment by the touch of a single button. Play DVD’s, music, control your TV and your PC with a single integrated controller. This option is to let you kick back, relax, and enjoy the ride.

Accessories Designed for Xbox Live

Xbox Live Camera

The Xbox Live Camera for Xbox 360 lets you video chat and message with your friends and gives up the true gaming and entertainment experience. As an integrated part of Xbox 360’s Xbox Live experience you can connect and communicate with friends while playing, listening to music or watching movies. When you play motion-detection-enabled games online the Xbox live camera inserts you into the game and helps you control the characters.

Xbox 360 Headset

The Xbox 360 Headset enlivens the online gaming experience beyond your imagination helping you to talk to friends, your team mates to finalize strategies or trash talk your opponents out of the game through Xbox Live, all this during play time. Xbox Live also comes with a message service which you can use to leave short vocal messages for your family or friends.

Xbox 360 Wireless Networking Adapter

The Xbox 360 Wireless Networking Adapter takes your Xbox 360 experience way beyond your home, synchronizing with the Xbox 360 main system seamlessly. You can transfer videos and music to your Xbox 360 system from your PC with ease, chat up your colleagues and friends, play games using Xbox Live, and more without wiring it all up.

Xbox 360 Wireless Controller

Xbox 360 through the optimized wireless technology offers the ultimate in wireless gaming within a 30 ft range for 40 hours with the help of 2 AA batteries. With warning systems in place you can plug & charge with ample notice for uninterrupted playing. The wireless controller also supports the Xbox 360 headset for voice communication. The wireless controller has all the functionality of the standard controller enabling you to use all the gaming and entertainment features from your couch. The wired controller comes with a 9 ft cable.

XBox 360 Modchips will be available shortly after the release of the XBox 360 at www.cheapmodchips.net, who guarantee the lowest prices and quickest service on the web! These will allow your XBox 360 to host even more features and the ability to backup games!

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