Ok, I guess I can take a few minutes to post something. Thanks for making me guilty, Jim.
I purchased a PS3 a few weeks ago to enjoy the gleeful bliss that is the Blu-ray Disc. I was planning on getting a stand-alone player, but a few features, namely Wi-Fi (for updates and BD Live) and the ability to play Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, made the PlayStation 3 the winner in my book of entirely too-low standards.
For years I’ve had a PC tethered to my TV to play video files or music (and Puzzle Fighter emulated in MAME!), and more recently to use for Netflix’s Watch Instantly streaming feature. Though Blu-ray was what I was going for, I was pleased to discover that the PS3 also was a great solution to play media via my home network.
Using software that acts as a “media server,” you can stream files from a computer on your network to the PlayStation. The icing on the cake is that this software can also be used to transcode media on the fly — meaning that file types that the PS3 does not support can be converted into a stream that is playable. There are several software options available to do this, but the catch is that some of them sort of… suck.
I started out with Nero MediaHome, then tinkered with TVersity, but neither of them cut the mustard (am I using too many food related sayings?). There was not enough customization available, nor could I get many of my video files to convert into something I’d want to watch. Also, both of these options depend on indexing a library of your media, rather than being able to see what’s available on the fly. TVersity does have some interesting RSS support, which I still continue to play with a bit.
Finally, I found PS3 Media Server, and it is by far the best I’ve tried so far. Completely free and currently in active development, this thing will play anything, I tell ya. The first time I used it I was streaming 1080p video with 5.1 surround over Wi-Fi within minutes. Craziness. A few positives:
- Handling restrictive situations like streaming over Wi-Fi require minimal tweaking.
- Live file viewing — no “indexing” required to view your media. Recently, a media library feature has been added, but it’s optional.
- Read some basic instructions and ensure you have the proper codecs. You can play anything. MKV, OGM, H.264, 720p, 1080p, surround sound, whatever.
- “Issues” tracking system on Google Code. Track issues and see them resolved, or make suggestions for features.
Though I can’t say enough about PS3 Media Server, I do have a second love, that fills a different niche: PlayOn, from Media Mall Technologies. From the site:
If you have a PLAYSTATION 3, Xbox 360, or HP MediaSmart TV, PlayOn lets you watch Netflix, Hulu, CBS, YouTube, ESPN and more on your TV. Check it out with a 14 day free trial.
We will also be adding support for Nintendo Wii in early 2009. Stay tuned!
I use Netflix Watch Instantly a ton through PlayOn, and it has worked nearly flawlessly. Basically, it shows you what’s in your Instant queue on the Netflix site, including the box art and summary. From reading through the Media Mall forums, there are some issues, including problems with “silverlight enabled” accounts. The free trial is there for a reason, so check it out.
My one lingering “fear” is that Netflix will eventually somehow shut PlayOn down or block it. It is not officially supported, so I’m not sure what will happen in the long run. I’m not so much worried about losing the money I spent on the license, but the ability to play my movies and shows through my PS3!
