Current Events > Is there a better media player than a PS3 + USB Drive?

(+) Yeah! (+)

My 12 year old PS3 is being used to-date as a media player when I can't find an old show through streaming apps. Every time I use it, I wish all my media was on it, and that I never have to use anything else. The XMB is lightning fast in comparison to modern console menus, and the video player is arguably the best in history. Photo viewing is great on it too, and music is not bad.

Conversely, when I use streaming apps, I find myself frustrated a good bit of the time due to a ton of minor and major greivances. When I stream, it's primarily through my reasonably spec'd PC and a keyboard w/ a touchpad on it (Logitech K4000), or through consoles/smart TV. Even for local media, VLC player, which I've used since 2006, sucks to be quite honest.

So, 12 years later, is there something better out there? If you haven't used the PS3's video player extensively, please don't weigh in.

I've always loved VLC for PC media.
Edit: I haven't used the PS3 media player, so I didn't vote.

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kirbyakaZ posted...

I've always loved VLC for PC media.

It's the best for PC media, but it's still clunky and lacks so many features in comparison to the PS3's video player.

kirbyakaZ posted...

I've always loved VLC for PC media.
Edit: I haven't used the PS3 media player, so I didn't vote.

Thanks for honoring that. Also nice I was just playing Beat Saber earlier; finally getting the Linkin Park songs on Expert down.

I switched to Pot Player on PC many years ago because it is loaded with so many more features than any of the other media players. But you have to set up and reconfigure a lot into keyboard shortcuts, because the interface can be a bit clunky in some peoples eyes. And then they started bundling ads, but you could click off the installation of the ad service. So then they stopped letting you do even that. Version 1.7.18958 was the last great ad-free version.

Unfortunately, I've never used the PS3 anything. I've never even touched a controller or the console. So I can't help you there.

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I prefer having MP3s directly on the PS3's hard drive itself, so I can do little things like add images to them, and retain how many times a track was played.

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plex

but I'm not sure if thats on PS3

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King Rial posted...

I switched to Pot Player on PC many years ago because it is loaded with so many more features than any of the other media players. But you have to set up and reconfigure a lot into keyboard shortcuts, because the interface can be a bit clunky in some peoples eyes. And then they started bundling ads, but you could click off the installation of the ad service. So then they stopped letting you do even that. Version 1.7.18958 was the last great ad-free version.

Unfortunately, I've never used the PS3 anything. I've never even touched a controller or the console. So I can't help you there.

Ah gotcha; yeah the interface, hardware, and performance on the PS3 were very much the opposite of clunky, and there wasn't a feature to add beyond separate issues like having infinite media. I wish you had a chance to use it at one point. I'll take a look into Pot Player for sure.

Kisai posted...

I prefer having MP3s directly on the PS3's hard drive itself, so I can do little things like add images to them, and retain how many times a track was played.

Or play it as in-game music which some games enabled; I used to play Dragonforce while playing Super Stardust: HD which paired nicely. I wish GTA:IV had a radio station that pulled from the mp3 list and peppered commercials/DJs/etc in between songs.

Parappa09 posted...

plex

but I'm not sure if thats on PS3

I think Plex looks promising, I hope the interface works as well as it looks. How is playback? Can't you use a console remote as a controller for that?

Kodi is on Xbox One. Seems like it could cut out the middle man in your case. Runs pretty smoothly if you set it up right.
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Console-wise no.

PS4's media player is so fucking godawful I have to switch to my Fire TV w/VLC if I want to play anything besides mp4s.

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ArianaGrandSlam posted...

Xbox One + USB drive, honestly. could never get the PS3 to recognize partitions above 16GB, but I slap my 1TB hard drive into the Xbox and can watch tons of shit without having to move it around first

i did get my mileage out of the PS3 one for a couple years though, had all of BTAS transferred over to the PS3s hard drive so I could just watch it without even plugging anything in

I have an XBox One and haven't tried it at all yet. I'll give it a shot just to see what it's like, even though it feels lateral since there isn't going to be the opportunity to play 4K footage over USB, etc.

The PS4 and XBox One menus are notoriously horrendous; if I have to curse while trying to get to a TV show or movie it kind of defeats the point. The PS3 XMB is no-nonsense, hence the love.

Jagr_68 posted...

Console-wise no.

PS4's media player is so fucking godawful I have to switch to my Fire TV w/VLC if I want to play anything besides mp4s.

I hate the PS4 so much; I only got it for GTA:V's update before it was on PC, and for a possible Gran Turismo which never really came out. Consoles are getting worse and worse; the future was bright back in the day...

Smashingpmkns posted...

Kodi is on Xbox One. Seems like it could cut out the middle man in your case. Runs pretty smoothly if you set it up right.

I'll give it a shot, looks promising.

jimmycudo posted...

I hate the PS4 so much; I only got it for GTA:V's update before it was on PC, and for a possible Gran Turismo which never really came out. Consoles are getting worse and worse; the future was bright back in the day...

Yeah the barebones interface is absolutely unacceptable in 2020. People should've slammed that feature way harder last gen.

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PS3 was so good at playing most anything. That was my Netflix before Netflix was a super power streaming service.

Any media player compatible with MadVR is superior
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sLaCkEr408___RJ posted...

PS3 was so good at playing most anything. That was my Netflix before Netflix was a super power streaming service.

Same, and it still is my Netflix when my thousands of dollars poured in to streaming services fails to keep a show up when I want to watch it. Physical media is so much better.

Jagr_68 posted...

Yeah the barebones interface is absolutely unacceptable in 2020. People should've slammed that feature way harder last gen.

I know! I swear, I watched the PS5 press release just to see the UI; it's still crap. I don't get it, usually 14 years means progress.

MarthGoomba posted...

Any media player compatible with MadVR is superior

Still looks like a normal mouse + kbd UI; does the playback shine?

jimmycudo posted...

Still looks like a normal mouse + kbd UI; does the playback shine?

The image quality from it is the best you can possibly get
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MarthGoomba posted...

The image quality from it is the best you can possibly get

Ah gotcha. Thanks for the rec.