Sony PlayStation 3 Slim Console (250GB Model)

After purchasing a 40" Sony Bravia we were looking to buy a BlueRay Player - the price difference between a nice BD Player and the PS3 Slim was not hugely different so I opted for the PS3. My only other foray in to games consoles was an X-Box many years ago (which I have mainly used for playing back DVDs! The PS3 has surprised me in so many ways...

1)It's set up was very straight forward via HDMIDI cable.

2)It automatically picked up our WIFI (I thought this would have to be an extra purchase). So I can now surf the net 'big screen style!)

3)No extras are required to watch DVDs (I purchased a DVD remote for £14 as my parents found it easier to use than the controller)

4)BBC Iplayer (and Five on Demand) finally comes into its own - the streaming quality and resolution on full screen are quite incredible. (From those that I have tried, the only one I can't play is the ITV one)

5)The resolution on PS3 Games is pin sharp, the Dual Shock controller takes a bit of getting use to until you realise it moves with you! - I would recommend the Wireless mics if you want to use SingStar

I have barley touched the surface of this product yet but, if you are looking for a multimedia player that covers BlueRay, WIFI and gaming I would really recommend this to you!

This is the new ps3 slim which i invested in shortly after they came out, the workings of console itself is the same as the original ps3 but the shell is considerably smaller and the scale on which is made and works is smaller to save power and money. This means it easier to move about becuase its smaller and lighter, its also uses about a third less energy now also.
As a games console the ps3 is excellent, it may not have as good a library of games as the xbox and it may not have as good an online service, but its online is free which is great and the games it has are now starting to show the difference graphically between the xbox and ps3 e.g. uncharted 2 against any xbox game will show the ps3 to be considerably more powerful.In saying this i don't mean the ps3 has bad games it still has some great exclusives e.g. metal gear, uncharted, killzone and little big planet to name but a few. So don't be too much put off by the 360's catalogue.
Another advantage is that you don't need to pay for the additional bits and bobs that you do with xbox e.g. if you want to go wireless its built into the ps3 but with the xbox its around £60 for the adapter, the batteries are built in rechargable with the playstation the xbox requires a play and charge kit at around £15.
The ps3 is also a media playback machine, it can play just about any common file type thrown at it except .mkv, it plays music, videos , dvds, pictures but another big advantage is it a blu-ray player built in, and not a awful quality blu-ray player , a very high quality one doe to the magnitide of processing power supporting the ps3. This is the 250GB model also, this gives you a huge amount of room to save any media you may be wanting, so you can wirelessly transfer videos over from your pc and watch them on a tv rather than a monitor. Or if you want install a full operating system on it, the hard drive has the room for it.
The only minor concern with it is it can heat up a lot when playing this is because its been smaller and therefore the heat will have more of an effect against the casing, but i just hope that it isn't too detrimental on the workings of the ps3.

I decided I wanted a second PS3 to go in my office, so I can play my games whenever I feel like, rather than sitting there sulking when I've been kicked off the big LCD TV in the lounge so that she-who-must-be-obeyed can watch the latest installment of some stick insect parading down a catwalk wearing bin liners!

I've still got the original launch model (60GB with the extra features) and still liked the glossy black finish, the well built feel and the quiet and hushed tones of the fan, even when it's on full. It's a solid and impressive bit of kit.

So, I was somewhat worried that the new machine was going to be some flimsy plastic affair, a bit like my XBox 360. Thankfully, this is not the case at all. It's as solid as the original machine, and the matt-black affect is much better in the flesh, than in the photos you see. It's not rough at all, and it feels well built. It sits well with other black home cinema gear and is definitely smaller than the original - flatter, less height (if both lying down) but just as deep.

Addressing one issue that I noticed in a lot of these reviews, regarding fan noise. Mine simply does not make any annoying sounds. It's quieter than the original PS3. It is not silent like some have said - no fan in a confined space would be, but it doesn't make as much noise - I'd say by at least a half, over the original unit. The fan comes on a little earlier when the machine is idling, compared to the original, but again, this is to be expected as there is less space in the machine now. It most certainly cannot be heard over any games. If your machine is doing this, it is faulty, and should be returned.

Overall, it's the typical high quality Sony kit, that looks very smart and is more accepted in the lounge, than the outgoing model due to the smaller size.