This week saw BlinkBox launch an optimised version of their website on the PS3 adding yet another video portal to the console. In the past few years media functions have became a major feature of a console. Here we take a quick look at what these machines can do.
The Wii is the least media friendly of the current crop of consoles. You can look at photos stored on SD card, but not watch films through that or even on DVD. Thanks to the browser you can however watch iPlayer, YouTube and a bunch of flash streaming sites. It’s a shame that the console that is in the most homes has the least functions – but does mean you are more likely to actually play games on it!
The Xbox 360 is no slouch with a full array of video options. You can plug in a USB hard drive and play a range of file formats, stream video over a network, watch DVDs, subscribe to Sky TV without needing a satellite dish and download films from the Marketplace. Sadly, the console has no browser shutting the doors to YouTube and iPlayer. There is an add-on to watch HD DVDs, and you can pick up a nice selection of discs for cheap now, but you will have to stick with older releases with the film studios opting for Blu Ray as the HD disc standard.
Alongside BlinkBox, the PS3 has access to iPlayer and YouTube through it’s browser. You can download films through the PSN Video Store, watch DVDs and HD Blu-Rays, stream content over a network or from an attached hard drive. A rather nifty add on for the PS3 is PlayTv which adds PVR functionality to the console allowing to record programmes to the PS3 Hard Disc. Most of Europe and Australia can watch HD through the device, but the powers that be in the UK have chosen a different broadcast system for Freeview HD meaning that the unit can not pick up the signal for the HD channels.
There is something for everyone in all the consoles. Wii fans will love the ability to catch up on TV with iPlayer, Xbox 360 owners can watch films on demand and have Sky without the hassle of a dish and PS3 owners can enjoy HD Blu Ray films and record Freeview programmes. I personally would love to see optimised versions of IT Player, 4OD and Demand Five on the systems so I can abandon choppy video on my laptop. What would you like to see in the next firmware updates or even next-gen consoles, in terms of added functionality; or would you rather just play the games?
