Logitech Harmony PS3 Adapter: Overcome Sony's Bluetooth Fetish

[admin]

One of the coolest features of the Sony PlayStation 3 is a Bluetooth remote control. If you spring for the reasonably priced optional remote there’s no need to point it at the device like any old IR remote. You can gleefully pause, play or rewind movies played back on your PS3 from the bathroom. But, that brings us to one the PS3’s fattest shortcomings, its lack of an IR remote option. So, your big fancy universal remote control can’t provide you a PS3 option. Suddenly Sony’s big-bad convergent media device is looking rather short on convenience.

Discuss "Logitech Harmony PS3 Adapter: Overcome Sony’s Bluetooth Fetish" here. Read the article.

 

[nickboros]

Now, if somebody could be up with a solution for the loud fan noise I would be all set. I just relocated my PS3 in the basement directly below my living room because anytime that the room temperature is over 65 degrees the fan noise is unbearable. It used to just be upconverting dvd's that would make the fan noise quite loud, then just recently when playing PS3 games and even blu-ray's I ended up having the same problem. Now the problem is solved with the PS3 in the basement, but anytime that I want to change a disc I have to go down the the basement to change it.

 

[GlocksRock]

I plan on getting one as soon as they become available at the local best buy, but who knows when that will be. I'm sure they can't keep them in stock anywhere at the moment.

 

[Matt34]

I plan on getting one as soon as they become available at the local best buy, but who knows when that will be. I'm sure they can't keep them in stock anywhere at the moment.

I had to order mine online and they were on backorder, it said they should be shipping this week.

You every try that "turbo" cooling fan I see them selling at BB? Is it quite?

 

[Wayde Robson]

Now, if somebody could be up with a solution for the loud fan noise I would be all set.

Interesting situation Nickboros. I'm a PS3 convert from Xbox 360 just because of the Xbox's loud fan noise. I simply couldn't take it anymore. My God booting it up is like a 747.

I find PS3 quiet as a dead bird - and I love the sound of that! Maybe my room is cooler, but comparing the two units - Xbox 360's fan comes on as soon as you start it up. PS3 fan seems to be something it reserves for high heat situations. I'd look to cool your room.

 

[GlocksRock]

I used to have a nyko intercooler on the 360, but took it off as I heard it can cause more harm than good.

 

[sholling]

I'll wait for the price to drop to a more reasonable $30.

 

[nickboros]

Wayde,

I can't see running the air conditioning to keep the room cool just for the PS3. I'm betting that the real issue is that there is cat hair clogged inside the unit from some of my wife's cats. When I first got the PS3, a year ago from January, the fan would never come on when playing a blu-ray or a PS3 game. The fan would only come on about a half hour after playing a DVD (probably because of the upconverting) and stay on the entire time. But, the fan was whisper quiet and didn't bother me at all, in fact it helped mask the slight hum from my Pioneer Kuro. Like I mentioned above, it is quite unbearable all the time now. But, its not like I would want to open up the unit to clean it out. I have no problem opening up a desktop computer to clean it, but the PS3 looks as if it wasn't made to be opened up very easily.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

I like my Nyko BluWave adapter but if this thing turns the PS3 on and off, I will likely get it.

 

[Biggiesized]

If you have a loud PS3, chances are its an older one (20 GB or 60 GB). I have a third generation model (80 GB without PS2 compatibility) and it's completely silent. Only uses about 110 W too.

 

[nickboros]

Biggiesized,

I have an 80 gig PS3. I bought it a year ago from January when the 60 gig's could only be found on ebay and even the 80 gig's were hard to find in stores. I had to go to several stores so that I could get the 80 gig. I also wanted to make sure that I could play PS2 games as well. But, I wasn't aware of the underscan issue on all PS2 games. So I don't even use this feature on the PS3.

While I was at work yesterday in a computer lab I noticed something though. There are 12 identical Dell computers that were all installed at the same time a few years ago. Two of the twelve have obnoxious fans that sound like a 747 just when you are surfing the internet. It is always the same 2 out of the 12. I think that the same type of thing is going on with the PS3. I'm just one of the lucky ones to get an annoying PS3 (could be an overly sensitive fan of an internal component that is getting too hot or extra cat hair clogged up in there...who knows).

 

[Gaigebacca]

I have one of the original 60GB versions, and it ran quiet for the longest time, but lately it has gotten pretty loud when the fan really kicks in. So I can attest that it isnt just an isolated issue with your PS3. Even at its loudest tho, it is still ~5-10 dB quieter than my old 360. I might take mine apart and clean it, since it is past warranty anyways .

 

[Wayde Robson]

If you have a loud PS3, chances are its an older one (20 GB or 60 GB). I have a third generation model (80 GB without PS2 compatibility) and it's completely silent. Only uses about 110 W too.

That must be what I have. My PS3 is so quiet I can be playing it when girlfriend's reading and she doesn't even know.

It's so quiet I can use its green and blue LED's as a night-light in my kid's room.

My PS3 is so quiet... okay... I got nuthin' this time.

 

[Wayde Robson]

Honestly Tom! It's very, very quiet, at least for me.

I just listened to the AVRant podcast and Tom questions the quietness claims.

To you guys hearing a loud PS3 it might have been addressed in the version. I had a review PS3 when it first came out - the one that had SACD decoding and PS2 emotion engine chips - and that fan did kick on regularly even though was just before Christmas and I had it setup in the basement where i live in Canada - it was damned cold.

My new PS3 is the new striped down model. I have yet to see a day that gets up to 75 degrees, I got the PS3 in the winter so it hasn't had to perform in a hot environment. I can assure you when that fan isn't on it's dead silent. Compared to the Xbox 360 - OMG.

I definitely agree though, PSN suxorz compared to XBL - there is no comparison. All the little intangibles about XBL become apparent, things you might not even put into a "review" unless you'd used both systems.

My favourite feature of XBL that PSN misses is the ability to perma-mute an account.

When I'm playing Call of Duty 5 on PSN, as I do more than I care to admit... I hear some doofus playing rap music through his headset - I'd love to perma-mute. Sadly, I can only mute after the game starts. When we're back into the lobby I have to hear the idiot again and can't re-mute until the game starts.

Why is it always rap music? If you're just looking to annoy why not an endless loop of puking sounds or farting or something really disgusting. I think that would annoy everyone in your game far more and it would be kind of original, I'd almost have to give kudos to the ill mannered kid who pulled that off - just before I mute them.

God I miss XBL's ability to decide that I never, ever, ever want to hear a sound from a certain XBL account ever again, no matter what game.

 

[GlocksRock]

I had one of the original very first 40 gig PS3s and it was dead silent, I never heard the fan come on, ever. The bluetooth inside of it has some issues where it wouldn't stay synced with the remote, so I had to RMA it. I also bought a second 40 gig PS3 for my bedroom, and it's fan turns out fairly quickly, even though the room isn't that warm/hot, and even with just playing a dvd, it comes on and can get fairly loud. When Sonly sent me a different (refurbed) 40 gig PS3, it's fan comes on often and loudly just like my other one. So I'm not sure what the deal is the some PS3's being loud, and others not... I just wish they were all silent... at least it's still not as loud as the 360. However the dvd drive on the 360 is very loud as well, once you rip the game to the hard drive and play it from there instead of from the disc itself, it becomes much quieter.

 

[GlocksRock]

Just got the Harmony PS3 adapter today, and I like it very much. Not much to say about it other than it does what it's supposed to do, and it's so nice having it turn the unit on and off with the activities button.

 

[Matt34]

Just got the Harmony PS3 adapter today, and I like it very much. Not much to say about it other than it does what it's supposed to do, and it's so nice having it turn the unit on and off with the activities button.

I can't wait to get mine and be able to back to one remote again.

 

[Flag-Matic]

I'll wait for the price to drop to a more reasonable $30.

I agree. I just can't do $60 since my $10 nyko solution is good enough.

 

[Matt34]

I finally got mine installed today, one remote to control them all!! Works perfectly and the unit is barely noticeable.

 

[Seth=L]

Does it use batteries?