Getting More Out Of Your PS3

PSP Connectivity

The PS3 also has connectivity features with the handheld PlayStation Portable. Among other things, these features include remote play, which lets you use your PSP to access music, photos, videos, and other media on your PS3. In a way, this turns your PSP into a remote control of sorts by having your PSP control functions on your PS3 by way of the scrolling Xross Media Bar (XMB) interface. To access this functionality, you'll need your PSP updated to the latest firmware and a more recent model of the PS3 with Wi-Fi enabled (that is, any model of the PS3 newer than the original 20GB hard drive model).

Netflix & Streaming Video

While you can download a variety of movies and TV shows from the PlayStation Store, the PS3 also supports Netflix movie streaming. Until recently, a proprietary disc from Netflix was required to stream movies. Now all you need to do is setup your account and watch to your heart's content.

The PS3 also has many other ways to stream media. You can read more about them in our Streaming Video on the Console story.

High-Definition Video & Audio

Getting an HDTV will really improve the quality of your PlayStation 3 experience. The console supports both 1080p and 720p resolutions for games and Blu-ray movies. (You can find suggestions for a good HDTV on CNET.) As we mentioned in the PS3 hardware and accessories section, you'll also probably want to grab HDMI cables to get the absolute best visual quality. On that note, a surround-sound audio system goes very well with the PlayStation 3. Games run in Dolby Digital, and you can't really experience Blu-ray movies in all their glory until you've heard DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD. You can find recommendations for surround sound and home theater setups at CNET.com.