- fix yourself common problem of ps3 gazan
Sony new PS3 -- except for the price Review
Sony new PS3 -- except for the price Review
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The good: The Super Slim PlayStation 3 shrinks a powerful gaming machine into an even tinier package while maintaining the same features as its predecessors: a great gaming library and a strong array of streaming services, including Netflix, Amazon, Vudu, and NFL Sunday Ticket.
The bad: It seems Sony isn't yet able to bring down the price of the PS3, even though some cost-cutting design choices have been made. The Super Slim PS3's odd sliding disc tray and glossy plastic encasing make it appear cheap. Also, a few annoyances like not including HD cables and the lack of an infrared IR port should have been resolved by now.
The bottom line: The latest PS3 slims down to its smallest size ever while retaining everything we like -- and a few things we don't -- about the PlayStation 3 gaming console.
Sony still hasn't confirmed when we'll see a PlayStation 4 -- bet on late 2013 as the earliest. In the meantime, though, the venerable PlayStation 3 has gotten a face-lift. We've dubbed it the "Super Slim PlayStation 3," since this third iteration of the console is the thinnest and smallest yet. It's logical to assume that this will probably be the last PlayStation 3 design change before its successor, so it allows us to take a look at the console as a whole to see how far it really has come.
If you're someone who hasn't yet purchased a game console this generation or owns another system, or is simply trying to discover if the Super Slim is worth the upgrade, this review should serve as an answer to all of those scenarios.
What you need to know about the Super Slim PS3 is that it will first be available in two bundle-only packages. The first, a 250GB model, will ship September 25 for $270 and include Uncharted 3 plus the full download-only game Dust 514 (along with some subsequent DLC).
The second bundle will go for $300 and include a 500GB PS3 with Assassin's Creed III packed in. That version will go on sale the same day as the game it's bundled with, October 30.
It's likely the Super Slim PS3 will be offered outside of a bundle (especially given I discovered the Uncharted 3 box was just a removable sleeve on top of a "plain" PS3 box), but as of this writing it's offered only in those two bundles. Of course, each of these bundles includes one DualShock3 controller.
The entire PS3 family.
Design
In look, shape, and design aesthetic, the Super Slim PS3 resembles something of a hybrid between the PS3 Slim and the original PlayStation 3 that was released back in 2006. That said, it's much smaller, measuring 11.4 inches wide by 2.36 inches tall by 9.05 inches deep. It's 20 percent smaller and 25 percent lighter than its immediate predecessor, the PS3 Slim.
At first look, the Super Slim PS3 is surprisingly small. It lacks the bulk the original PS3 had and the surface area the Slim PS3 takes up. It's much more in line with the size of the smaller Xbox 360 and won't be as inconvenient in your home theater setup.
With this PS3, Sony has adopted a non-motorized sliding disc cover instead of a slot-loading disc tray. It's completely analog, meaning you can open it manually by sliding the plastic cover right to left, or by hitting the eject button that rests on the front. This also means the cover must be manually closed. Sometimes it doesn't catch and you feel like you're using one of those old credit card imprinter machines. In short, it feels cheap. You don't realize how convenient autoloading disc trays are until they're gone. Whether it was to cut costs or save space, this move is ultimately a step back.
At least you can swap out games while the console is off.
This disc tray might be a bigger deal than you think, especially if you're like me and keep your consoles in a shelf or cabinet. Now that it's a top-loading device, you'll really need to make sure you store the PS3 in an area that gives you enough room to pop discs in and out. Also, keeping the PS3 on a shelf doesn't give you whole lot of visibility, so you may find yourself fishing around the slot to make sure the disc is properly mounted on the spindle. This leaves room for damaging the parts inside the PS3 and possibly scratching a disc.
Like the others before it, this PS3 can sit horizontally or vertically. Sony recommends using a stand for the vertical orientation, but I was able to play games reliably without one.
The Super Slim PS3 feels sturdier vertically than the PS3 Slim.
Aside from the disc tray, the Super Slim PS3 is the same powerful gaming machine we've all come to know and love, just in a smaller box. It definitely lacks the heft and sense of build quality of the original PS3, and the move from matte plastic (of the Slim PS3) back to the fingerprint-magnet shiny gloss is a disappointment.
While this doesn't come as any surprise by now, the Super Slim PS3 does not have an infrared (IR) port for remote controls. I'll never understand the decision to leave it out again and again, but I guess Sony has its reasons.
There are also only two USB ports up front just like on the Slim PS3, but with all the Move and other USB-powered peripherals Sony has put out over the years, bumping those slots up to four would be a better idea.
Around back are all the usual suspects: Ethernet, HDMI, optical out, and AV multi out. But, for reasons that exist well beyond my comprehension, included once again in the box is a completely useless composite AV cable. One of the most powerful 1080p Blu-ray capable HD video gaming machines on Earth and they include a composite cable in the box. You cannot get an HD signal from composite cables. It was forgivable in 2006 but now it's a joke.
Accessing the HDD is simple.
If there's one thing I'm really impressed with in the Super Slim PS3's design, it's the user-replaceable hard drive. Just like with the original and the Slim, owners can buy their own SATA hard drive and replace the stock one. Best of all, replacing the HDD in the Super Slim is the easiest yet. Simply sliding off the side panel reveals the drive bay, which can quickly be unscrewed.
Features
Keep in mind that the new Super Slim PS3 doesn't feature anything new beyond its smaller size and storage capacities. It's the same ultracapable media hub it's always been, so for a deeper look into that specific functionality, it's worth checking out our past PS3 reviews.
The PlayStation Store offers TV shows, movies, and more.
on PS3 Problems you can fix yourself
The PS3 is quite rapidly becoming as big a player at needing repair work as the Xbox 360. I don’t quite know the statistics but I know that over the past couple of years it has increased. Some of the PS3 problems have been blogged to death so I will only cover them briefly. Other problems have not been so well covered and these are the ones that are actually pretty easy and simple to fix yourself.
YLOD
The first I have to mention is the infamous Yellow light of death. This is most probably the most common fault with the PS3 and one of the worst. This problem is most likely caused by the PS3 overheating and warping inside that causes solder joints to break. There is a small chance it could be power related but it is nearly always overheating. Basically this means that you could be happily playing on your PS3 and it will just freeze. After attempting to mash the controller to try and get it to work you resort to switching the PS3 off and on to see if it will get it out of the crash. This is where you will see the green light, flash yellow for one second and then turn red. The YLOD is a common problem that I get and can be fixed with the correct equipment. Contact us if you have this problem and want a quote for this repair.
Not reading Discs
This is probably the 2ndmost common problem with the PS3. This is where a time has come that your PS3 will no longer play games. This can appear overtime and sometimes starts with the drive being very temperamental. Sometimes it will read the discs sometimes it won’t. Sometimes it will play a DVD but not a blu-ray. Regardless of how temperamental it is it boils down to the fact that the laser is on its way out. The laser can be replaced and this will fix the problem. Contact us if you want a quote for a laser replacement.
Now we have the 2 most common problems out of the way this now brings me to the main reason I am posting. There are quite a few PS3 problems I get that I simply solve over the phone as they are very simple to fix. One of the problems is the same symptoms as the above, “not reading discs”. If you do get this problem and your PS3 won’t play any games. The first thing to try is to play a blu-ray movie. It sounds ridiculous but I have had many PS3s that will not play games but will play movies. This obviously means that the laser is working OK and if you do ever encounter this problem where it will play the movies but not the games, it’s usually down to a faulty update on the PS3 hard drive. Formatting the hard drive will fix this. If you think you have this problem make sure you test a game and movie several times to be sure it is this problem because once you format the PS3 hard drive, all saves ,data, profiles … gone. All your data is deleted. The other option is to put another hard drive in the PS3 to see if this fixes the problem. This can be a better way of finding out; if you are savvy enough to change the hard drive (it’s not too difficult).
PS3 turns on but nothing is on the screen
This problem I have seen quite a bit and has another quick fix all thanks to a recovery mode that is on the PS3. The recovery mode lets you restore the PS3 to its true original settings so if there are any bugs with the system, they get removed. The PS3 turning on and nothing on the screen is the most common bug but there are others such as the PS3 can read the disc but goes blank when trying to play it. Right now down to getting the PS3 into recovery mode.
Put PS3 into recovery mode
- With the PlayStation on standby turn the PS3 on but do not remove your finger from the power button. This will eventually turn off again but it will make a clicking noise and sound a little bit different from the normal shut down.
- Then turn on the PS3 again and again, hold your finger down on the power button. Now this is the part where you must listen carefully. There will be a first beep when your turn the PS3 back on, then another beep. Finally there will be a double beep; this is the point where you remove your finger from the power button.
- Now this has reset the PS3 and it will go into recovery mode. You may have to plug in the controller to the PS3 via the USB cable to use it.
- Once the PS3 has loaded into recover mode you will be given a few options.
- Restart (restarts Ps3)
- Restore Default Settings (Restores PS3 settings. Warning this deletes profile data)
- Restore File System (Restores PS3 firmware)
- Rebuild Database (Resets PS3 database. Removes all pics, music and games directories. All data on hard drive is still kept.)
- Restore PS3 System (All of the above and it deletes the hard drive data.)
- System Update (Updates the PS3 firmware)
- From this you can pick an option to restore. Usually it is best to pick “Restore PS3 System” this performs most options but again be warned that this will delete all your data.
Once you have picked the correct option you should be up and running again.
That brings me to an end of the common PS3 problems that can be fixed for free. There are always a few where these techniques will not work fully. If you have any problems please contact me either by telephone, email, or twitter and I would be glad to help. Also if anyone has any other common problems or any updates to my method please comment below.
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