These are Amazing- A must have product
I trialed this product and they work perfectly, they are bulkier than the wired version but this doesn't matter as it allows you to sing from a distance without having to be restricted to wires. They allow a faster game set up as their are no wires to untangle. Excellent product, A must have for any Singstat fan.
Singstar without wires
Had these on pre-order as soon as they appeared on Amazon who dispatched the day before their release so I had them on day one. Firstly install is as simple as plugging in the new USB microphone receiver and putting the batteries in the microphones and turning them on. No new software is needed and according to the blurb they will work as will with the PS2 version of Singstar as well (untested).
The microphones are slightly larger than the wired versions however they feel slightly lighter or more balanced. IMHO they do feel better in the hand than the wired versions.
The power switch needs to be slid forwards and held for a few seconds to turn the mic on and off and sliding down puts it into a locked position. I was a little concerned about this switch as its position is under my hand whilst singing but after 50 or so songs we've still yet to have a accidental deactivation so I think this is me being overly worried.
Quality wise they work as well as the wired version, no white noise, sound distortion or problems playing the game. Range wise they work everywhere in our large living within 15-20 feet of the PS3 receiver.
I was hoping got the voice song selection feature that I'd heard about but apparently its a feature that's built into the latest versions of the PS3 Singstar disks (unconfirmed). With luck this feature will appear in the Singstar update in due course I doubt that they will want to support different branches of software.
So my conclusion is that they do what they say on the side of the tin, no extra bells or whistles (e.g. flashing lights etc.) which is a good thing. They do the job well and are uncomplicated.
My only gripe that they Sony should have made these available from day one.
A long time coming...
Despite the fact I've only owned the mics for two days now I can honestly say they're a sound investment for anyone who seems to whip Singstar out at every social event.
The mics come with 4 AA Sony batteries (2 per mic), a usb receiver with lead and a quaint little pouch for your mics. From what I've heard the batteries last for a long time as people who have been trialing the mics since christmas time say they are still on the original Sony batteries provided. The manual also recommends the use of rechargeable batteries to anyone concerned.
After a couple of days of solid use I haven't experienced a problem whatsoever (eg synch, buzzing) however the true test will come when I take them to a party later this week.
I think it's unfair that people slate the mics for being a little pricey when the competitor Lips is only marginally cheaper. You've also got to take into account that you're paying for the quality that is Singstar - after all, Lips lacks custom video features, a thriving online community and many songs in the store. But then I guess Lips does offer you the chance to tip your mic upside down and bang along to drums... Sony are merely doing what the majority asked for, mics without wires, simple. If you are taken in by new gimmicks, the next iteration of Singstar (Pop Edition) will offer voice recognition where you can say a song and it'll pop up, avoiding the need to pick up the pad.
If wires really do get on your nerves then I'd highly recommend this product, but don't expect any sort of overhaul, it's just your typical Singstar microphone.
Trying to be honest
This controller is perfect - cheap immitations are incomparable! I've had my PS2 for almost 3 years and play games such as GTA:SA (which uses predominantly the four 'action' buttons) and TimeSplitters:FP (where the shoulder buttons and D-Pad take heavy duty) and I have suffered none of the ill effects that other reviewers describe, this doesn't mean to say that they are all wrong, but I thought I had better share my good experience. The analog sticks take the most duty, the mistake that Nintendo had with their otherwise superb N64 controller was that these were very fragile, Sony's conversely are very sturdy and very simple to use. The shoulder buttons take most criticism, and I often hear people say that they come out, in three years this hasn't happened to me. I store my controller pads face up in a safe place, and never vent my frustration on my pads, and this formula has helped to keep my pads in immaculate condition.
Simply the best
The dualshock2 controller is identical to the orgininal dualshock, which was a favourite among gamers, apart from colour and the analogue feature.
This feature measures how hard you press a button. This is particually useful in driving games, pushing the accelerator button down hard will mean you "floor it" and speed off. While presing the same button lightly will mean you accelerate at a more relaxed pace.
I've had two dual shocks for over 4 years now, and if i'm totally hounest, I don't treat them very well. They go flying accross rooms in frustration quite often, yet have still worked fine to this day.
All the buttons are easily accesible and the controller is comfy for hands of all sizes. Which is more than I can say for the XBOX and Gamecube contollers.
If you are looking to replace your current PS2 controller, or want to purchase more for multiplayer fun with friends and family, I would reccomend no other controller. Except no immitations and go with the official and best.
Simply the Best
The dualshock2 controller is identical to the orgininal dualshock, which was a favourite among gamers, apart from colour and the analogue feature.
This feature measures how hard you press a button. This is particually useful in driving games, pushing the accelerator button down hard will mean you "floor it" and speed off. While presing the same button lightly will mean you accelerate at a more relaxed pace.
I've had two dual shocks for over 4 years now, and if i'm totally hounest, I don't treat them very well. They go flying accross rooms in frustration quite often, yet have still worked fine to this day.
All the buttons are easily accesible and the controller is comfy for hands of all sizes. Which is more than I can say for the XBOX and Gamecube contollers.
If you are looking to replace your current PS2 controller, or want to purchase more for multiplayer fun with friends and family, I would reccomend no other controller. Except no immitations and go with the official and best.
The official DualShock 2 analog controller by Sony for the Playstation 2 console.
Good all rounder.
The new xbox controllers are improved over the previous controller. The sticks on the controller for a start are more precise and feel more hard waring. The battery life is good u should get a good 25 hours out of them and u can switch the console on and off from the controller too which is a great added bonus of the new controllers.
SLICK
Very cool, saves alot of mess from cables, which i always used to trip up over on the old xbox. They only use 2 batteries, and i got mine with the xbox, aswell as pgr3 and a hardrive, as i have a core, so the controller included batteries which is handy. They have an extremely long life, i reccomend energiser as it has more power and uses less at a time, making it last ages! It is slick, stylish, comftorble and makes the old small controller for xbox seem humungous. Buy one (or 2,3,4) now.
You won't be dissapointed.
perfect!
Advantages: everything!
Disadvantages: doesn't come with a rechargeable battery...
I've liked games for a long time, since I was a little kid. I've used a lot of controllers before; pretty much all the Nintendo consoles, SEGA Consoles, all the Playstations and the original Xbox.
I use to be a Playstation man, but after my PS2 broke two times with laser errors, I had enough with Playstations and decided to get an Xbox. I remember waiting in the day it was meant to arrive, and I eagerly opened up the box and set it up. As soon as my hands clutched the Xbox controller (please note I purchased the Xbox a while after its release and my Xbox was shipped with the newer Mini S Controller), I fell in love with it. After my good experience with the original Xbox, I had to get a 360!
The Xbox 360's standard controller (both wired which is shipped out with the Arcade version of the console and the wireless version which is shipped out with the Premium and Elite version) fits in everyone's hands perfectly. When I say everyone's, I mean everyone's - from mine, to my girlfriends, my dads, and even my two younger sisters who are 8 and 13. They're suitable for the whole family!
The controls can usually be picked up from any shop that sells games, the odd supermarket and of course the world wide web! You can get them from Play.com for £29.99 with free delivery, and normally pick them up used at about £20. Although, I do recommend buying the 'Wireless Entertainment Pack' from Amazon.co.uk, you can buy it new from a marketplace seller for about £30 which includes Forza 2 and Viva Piñata.
Now the reason I mentioned how much the wireless controls are so early on in the review, is because I know most people (and me at first) think the controls are really expensive for what they are... But they ARE worth it. They're made of an incredibly strong plastic, i've dropped it a few times, or accidentally flicked it off my duvet covers on to my wooden floor but there's not a mark to be seen. On hard impact, the controller does usually turn off, but never have I experienced any problems - and besides if you're in a middle of a game and you drop your controller, if it turns off it pauses your game automatically!
I personally own both a black and white 360 controller, one of which was shipped out with my Elite console and the other with my wireless entertainment pack, which I got for £20 brand new as a deal when I purchased my Elite console from Amazon.co.uk. You can now also get the controllers in baby blue and baby pink for the same price from Play.com. There are also two Halo Limited Edition controllers, a Spartan one and a Covenant one (play Halo if you don't know what I'm on about!) which are about £10 more expensive.
So, now the buttons. There are four buttons which are located on the very top of the controller. The back two are known as triggers, and labelled LT & RT (Left Trigger & Right Trigger). These are commonly used for throwing grenades and shooting in first person shooters, brake/reverse and accelerate in racing games, rotating the camera angle in strategy games and skipping menus in the main Xbox 360 menus. The two buttons in front of this are known as LB & RB (which I imagine are Left Back & Right Back). These buttons don't really have any common commands... On the front of the controller are another ten buttons if you count the joysticks. I'll list them from left to right: Left Joystick, D-Pad, Back, Xbox 360 Guide, Start, Right Joystick and then of course some of command buttons, X, Y, A & B. The left and right joystick are of course for moving forward and backwards, and moving around, and a lot of the time (if playing a first person shooter) clicking the joysticks makes your character crouch or lay. The D-Pad is the old fashioned way of moving around, this isn't used for that much any more, but some games do support it. However, the D-Pad is more commonly used to change weapons, or even formations in sport simulation games. I find it's easier to search through the menus using the D-Pad sometimes, as I get carried away using the joystick and always end up scrolling past the option I want to select. The back and start button explain themselves, I hope! And the command buttons do different things in every game, although 'A' does always select options in the menus.
The Xbox Guide button, I love it! I won't go into too much detail of what the menu does when you access it using this button, but lets just say from this menu you can see how much battery power your controller has, what Xbox Live profile you're signed into, how many buddies you have online, how many new messages, easy access to your voice conversations and windows live messenger, what music you're listening too and the simple commands such as play/pause, stop, skip forward/backward and of course the option to quit the game and go to the main Xbox 360 Dashboard. The Xbox Guide button also has a light ring around it, which is split into quarters to show what controller you are using. For example, if you had another controller turned on, one would recommend controller one (the top left light would show) and the other would recommend controller two (the top right light would show).
The battery life is incredibly good, it lasts a good forty hours on a good pair of AA batteries, but of course you can use a battery pack which you can buy in matching colours for about £10. You then buy a lead known as 'Plug & Play' which plugs straight in to one of your 360's USB Ports so you can charge your controller whilst playing. You can also get a battery pack charger where you can attach up to two of your battery packs and fully charge them within a few hours. Unfortunately you can only get the charger in white, so if you're hoping to get one to match your elite console, you're out of luck! I personally use two rechargeable batteries in mine which I regularly charge overnight - I found this was a cheaper option as I already had the batteries and charger! The battery case/pack easily clips on to the back of the controller, and can be easily removed by holding down a button and pulling the battery off.
There's another tiny button on top of the control, which simply connects your controller to your 360. Although you can only connect your controller to one 360 at a time, so keep that in mind if you can't get your controller to work if you take it to a friends house!
There are two ports on the controller, one on the top and one on the bottom. The top is simply to connect the controller to a plug and play wire to charge the controller, and the other is so you can plug a headset in - although I recommend you buy a wireless headset (read my headset review if you want to know why)!
Overall, this is most definitely the best console controller I've ever used. It's comfortable, it fits in your hands perfectly, the buttons are easily accessible and don't hurt your hands after long periods of play (unlike the PS2/PS3's joysticks)! It looks excellent and fits in with the 360's style perfectly. If you don't have a 360, but play a lot of games on your Windows PC, I recommend getting the Microsoft 360 Controller for Windows, which is also wireless!
The Technical Stuff:
-2.4GHz wireless technology with 30-foot range.
-Lag-free play.
-Integrated headset port for Xbox LIVE play.
-Adjustable vibration feedback for longer battery life.
-New left and right shoulder buttons are designed for ease of use.
-The Xbox Guide Button at the centre of the controller gives you quick access to all your favourite Xbox 360 system activities.
Summary: best controller known to man, don't buy any other!
High-performance wireless gaming is here! Using optimised technology, the Xbox 360 Wireless Controller lets you enjoy a 30-foot range and up to 40 hours of life on the two included AA batteries - and when they run low, you're give ample warning so you can connect a Play & Charge Kit for uninterrupted play. Plug the Xbox 360 Headset into the controller for the full two-way voice communication: a wireless first.
A lot better than you'd think
It's all very odd.
When the SIXAXIS spec was first published, there was a little fuss from gamers about the lack of vibration support. At the time, I was fairly ambivalent about this deprecation, and so after finally getting my ps3 began gaming without issue.
- But something was missing -
I couldn't place it exactly, but there was certainly a lack of immersion when racing cars or shooting mexican militia. The SIXAXIS has a good (albeit 'cheap' feeling) design, and yet I yearned to use my 360 controllers with my ps3.
Yesterday I played through the RaceDriver:GRID demo with the DUALSHOCK3, and whilst I didn't immediatley notice any difference, the fact that I felt finally like I was actually sat in that car made it all so very clear.
The range of vibrations generated by the controller in your hands adds a significant amount of extra sensory information.
The difference is like having slowly lost your sense of smell, then suddenly got it back again overnight. Your dominant senses haven't changed, but somehow you 'know' more than you did before.
Every hill bump, every fender-bender, each clipped barrier is an event that is transmitted to your subconscious and relates to the occurrence on-screen. "Ooh" you might say, "I bounced of that curb quite hard, I hope I didn't mess up the tracking".
This is what you are paying for, and now that I have it I can never look back.
The only negatives of the DUALSHOCK3 design are also true of the SIXAXIS:
I think the handles are too small and lack the right shape for my hands. I also think the L2 and R2 buttons need to be recessed and made more trigger like.
That all said, this controller still delivers on it's claims, and the vibration function has more finesse that older designs (e.g. DUALSHOCK2, N64 rumble pack).
So what are you waiting for? Get one, make sure your games are up-to-date and support the vibration function, and see for yourself.
Such an Improvement!
I gave myself the choice to buy a Dualshock 3 or a game, and to be honest i was torn between it, i mean c'mon £40 for a control pad that just has the rumble feature added to it!
But i made the choice to get a Dualshock 3 and i admit i was slightly dissapointed with it at first, until i tried playing a game with the Sixaxis again, that is.
There is such a huge difference with entertainment in games with the Dualshock 3, i adore the controller now! and to be honest im not sure i could play with the Sixaxis again!
There a plenty of noticable differences:
It has rumble (obviously)
It is heavier, but not dramitically heavier, it makes the control feel much better and as others say not as cheap.
It has different plastic case, the Sixaxis is all shiny and slippery while the Dualshock 3 has a less shiny case and is much more firm to hold, its a small difference but it makes the control pad a hell of alot better!
The analog sticks are much easier to press in, a little push and it will go in.
The L2 and R2 buttons are slightly more inwards then the Sixaxis and they feel harder to push in, which feels much better in my opinion.
What can i say about the Dualshock 3? Well i can not play on my PS3 without it now, if you have a choice between a game and a Dualshock 3, absolutely go for the Dualshock, its a small difference but makes the PS3 just that much better to play on!
Buy one! or two, or three, its up to you!
Other improvements over the Sixaxis
Here are some other improvements I have noticed over the old Sixaxis pad :
- The plastic case is not so shiny, and feels less slippery if greasy.
- The plastic case is stronger and doesn't creak.
- The L2 and R2 triggers seem slightly easier to press in and the plastic is more grippy, so your fingers don't slip off so much.
- Clicking the analog sticks in feels slightly easier.
Obviously it also rumbles, and don't worry about the extra weight, it's not much different to a Dual Shock 2.
PS3 Dualshock Wireless Controller (with Rumble function)
Just does the job
After almost feinting at the price of Sony's own DVD remote, I plopped for this little thing. Best thing I ever did - it doesn't have the same amount of options as Sony's, but as far as I'm concerned, the provided essential buttons (Forward, Back, Chapters etc) are all you need. Obviously their a significant difference in the amount of options for standard DVD and Blu-Ray, but given my collection is mostly standard DVD, this is all I need.
Mini Remote is not like Sony Remote
I have bought this little thing cause of the style. It really looks like a small PS3 - the rate is not exactly the same.
The function is not very bad, but what you cannot see is that this remote controller is using a stick to connect to the system. That is a hidden information. Exactly I have bought three of them. When you are unlucky then this silver stripe is not really good made.
On the first hand there is the cheap material and the silver stripe which is not chrome, on the other hand it is very slow; that means you have to hold the button for a second and some times it pushs this button two times.
So it was not that fun for me to buy it.
Not very good
Have been trying out a few IR remotes for my PS3 as I use it as a Blu-ray player and use a Harmony One universal remote.
Thought I could teach the commands to my Harmony One, I was wrong.
Half the buttons didn't respond when pressed (either teaching my Harmony or pointing at PS3) the buttons that did work kept getting stuck within the remote.
It's cheap so you get excatly what you pay for.
Probably better off getting the Logic3 remote, it's a bit more expensive but it works!
Superb!
If you really need a remote for your PS2, this is the one to get. It costs a little bit more than the "unofficial" ones, but it is worth it. I have seen many of the cheap remotes, and the quality does not even come close to this. It also matches perfectly the lines of the PS2. Included is a DVD player version 2.10 upgrade. You will need a memory card with 2.2 MB available to install it. If you have one of the newer PS2 versions you won't need it since it is already installed in ROM. All in all a complete and superb remote solution.
If you have a new Ps2 it's a great deal.
Just a small point that needs to be mentioned due to what has been written in previous reviews. New Ps2s do NOT need any space on the memory card for the drivers, as they already come with version 2.10E. This makes the whole proposition more attractive, as you simply plug and play.
Nice, but what took them so long?
At last, after almost a full year, the official DVD remote is released. You wonder why it took so long, it should definately have been released at launch, if not bundled with the machine. After all, you have just paid £299 (well, I did anyway) and you wouldn't expect a stand alone DVD player to come with no remote, or one you had to have physically plugged in with a lead.
The remote is nice, nothing to get excited about really, it feels solid unlike some of the third party ones that have been released. The looks fit in with the PS2 well with the ridge around the outside. However, the master stroke is the CD that comes with it that you can download onto memory card. It gives you version 2.10 of the DVD player and although it takes up a massive 2.2MB of memory card space (over a quarter!) it gives you new functions like slow motion, 3-speed rewind/fast forward and, most usefully, an on-screen counter. The lack of a counter had annoyed me immensly about the original player.
If you already have a third-party remote, it's probably not worth shelling out - perhaps Sony has shot itself in the foot here by not releasing it earlier. However, it is well worth £20 if you are at all serious about using your black slab to play DVDs.
barely worked
Well maybe it was a faulty one, but it sort of worked, but very badly. Press a button a few times and eventually something happened.
I have since binned it and bought the official Sony one, which for little extra money is bluetooth and fully functional as a gamepad! I would steer well clear...
Perfect for programming your universal IR remote control
As others have said, the actual remote control is not exactly a work of art - badly designed and unresponsive, which really makes you think of it as being next to useless. However, that's not why you ought to buy this - you ought to buy this for the IR dongle that you plug into your PS3 and to use the rubbish remote once (and only once) to program your universal remote so that all of your kit is still controlled via a single remote.
As it turns out one of my universal remote's in-built set of IR codes for a Sony DVD player actually worked all of the transport commands (play, FF, chapter+-, etc), and all I had to was teach it the cursor control and a couple of others - the whole process took less than 10 minutes and the Logic remote is now buried in a drawer. The universal remote also now works the main PS3 menu screens, so as long as the PS3 is turned on you can browse through the menus, go to the PS3 store, etc., all from the comfort of one remote control
Awful remote but good to use with universal remote
This is extremely poorly made and the remote is useless. However, it's very good to use with infra-red universal remotes such as the Logitech Harmony series.
It is now known by the Logitech Harmony database so just add a new device called "Logic3 PS3 Remote" and you'll all set.
PS3 Black Infra-Red Slimline Remote Control
It's ok ...
To start with my review, as one previewer before said, "does everything it says", BUT there are still a few points which makes it not a 5 star accessories.
First of all, be aware that even if it looks matte on the photo it's glossy black, which means that every fingerprint is clearly visible. Also, as the buttons are rubber instead of plastic, it's difficult to polish the surface.
The top panel is easy to slide but has no well defined endpoints. So it can be moved about a tenth of an inch in any end position. Therefore I have the feeling, when holding it like a remote, that it's a bit waggly.
The keyboard is foil based which means that it has hard pressure points. But anyhow I have the feeling that some buttons have to be pushed harder than others to be recognized and sometimes appear twice afterwards. Unfortunately the keyboard has no backlight which shouldn't be a problem with the used technology. Writing in a badly lit environment is nearly impossible as there are also no navigation hints on F and J as on common keyboards. Typing URLs and short messages are ok as the writing speed is rather slow, limited by the used technology. Anyway it's still much faster than writing with the dualshock controller.
Basically it can be used as a controller as it has two thumb sticks for the right and left analogue sticks, which looks like the one on a PSP. Playing might be difficult anyway as the shoulderbuttons are above the sicks on the keyboard and difficult to reach while using the sticks.
I would recommend that remote to people who want a remote control for their PS3 and who have not already a wireless keyboard attached, or who want to have the possibility to write some messages from the couch without the need of a table.
In summery I have to say that the remote is ok. It's not a technical highlight nor a very high-class manufactured device. Therefore I give 3 stars as for 20£ there is no backlight function and the latching mechanism of the slide panel is a bit sloppy.
AVOID this one
3-in-1 Media Remote (PS3)
Decide to return this unit straightaway. Build quality is rubbish, the clear black olastic is very scratched even upon arrival, and unused for the first time. The back unit does clip firmly to the front, so there is a 'bulge' in the middel and slight gap where the two pieces should join. The black plastic adhesive back plugs are badly stuck on, and come off easily.
Idea is great, and there must be demand for such a device. it is just that this one is not very good.
Don't bother - Wait for a quality Sony one
Firstly I was disappointed by the cheap feel of this remote - especially the battery cover which seemed too difficult to clip in and out due to the cheap plastic, and will probably be broken off in a couple of months.
The next thing I tried was logging into Facebook on the PS3...in the end it took me around 15 very frustrating minutes to get my email address and password typed in on the QWERTY keyboard !!
Typing a none-visible password of letters and numbers, was a nightmare ! You could see that some keypresses were ignored, and some were entered twice(that seemed to happen a lot as you let go of the NUM shift key).
Finding the @(at) sign took some doing as well...it didn't match the printing on the keys!
Selecting links on the internet did not work with the QWERTY's X button, but did with the large X key on the outside of the remote !?
Next I decided to see if it was at least useful for watching DVDs...put one in, got to the main menu, and could NOT find any button on the front which would start the movie !! Maybe it was because I was losing the will to live by now, but I tried all the buttons on the front like start, select, X, play> etc.. but none would make it start. At this, I gave up and shipped it straight back to Amazon.
Seeing another review on here makes me wonder if I just got a dodgy unit, but I would not risk it again. I'd much prefer to wait and buy something quality from Sony.
Wicked Looking Remote!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......................
Good Looking Remote looks awesome plays good and deosnt need batterys and you get a wicked looking charging dock and great services provided by amazon
perfect
I have tryed a few remotes but this one is the best by far, It looks really good to and really easy to use to, just plug the charging dock receiver into the usb socket and its ready to use.
Great little gizmo!
Does exactly what it says on the tin. Plug it into the usb socket on ps3, let it charge and away you go. Sliding cover is neat and blue lit buttons are a nice touch. Recommended.
Super Slim Bespoke Blu-Ray & Media Remote Control for your PS3. Designed to compliment the style and look of your favourite console.
A great invention in the right conditions
The Playstation 2 Eyetoy camera, when used with special games, allows you to see or capture images of yourself on screen.
There are an increasing number of PS2 games with which the Eyetoy can be used. It is, obviously, an essential part of the 'Eyetoy...' series of games, where your body becomes the controller! It is also compatible with a few regular games, such as Singstar. Rather than buying just the camera, it might be better value to get the package which comes with an Eyetoy: Play game.
The problem is that the camera needs the right amount of light in order to display your image clearly. As long as you have a well-lit, spacious room to play in, you'll have loads of fun with the Eyetoy Camera!
other good thing about the eye toy
theres is other cool thing about the ps2 eye toy and that if you know the hack you can uses it as a web cam for the pc and it has anamzing picture and sound better then most web cams in the shop and they are good fun to play on the ps2 i have payed some games with it but it not my type of fun but my sister loves it so yop notch :D
Buy the package with the camera and a game instead
I made the mistake of buying this for £20 when you can get the camera bundled with eyetoy games for £30. If you buy the camera on its own you will end up spending another 20 quid to buy the eyetoy games almost immediately - not much point in having the camera without the games.
The two stars refers to the fact that the camera on its own is not good value compared with the package.
Xbox Live Vision Review
A good idea with some great potential but for the time being that's all it is. I think it's great that the camera can be used as a normal webcam, being a USB, you can just plug it into your PC.
The camera is reasonably clear, however you can take a higher advantages of the effects on the 360. After taking a photo, to set as your personal gamerpicture, or to send to a friend, you can add various effects, including the common settings like black and white, sepia, negative, as well as special lens effects that expand, inflate, or reflect the picture, as well as many more.
When i purchased this item, it comes with a one month free gold membership on xbox live, an extra headset for online chatting (worth about £14.99 at the time), and a code to download UNO full xbox live arcade game. Great if you have friends over with the headset, so you can all talk to different people, and UNO isn't a bad way to boost your gamerscore.
Similar to the Sony Eyetoy, on playstation 2, you can use it to control characters. However there is few games this is compatible with. TotemBall, (a free arcade game that requires the camera) is not the greatest of games, but, for the younger generation it can be fun. Basically you control a ball rolling around a level, by moving your arms up and down in fountains to control the speed and direction. Doesn't sound great, because basically it isn't, specially when you already have perfectly good games to play on.
You can also have video conversations and calls with other xbox live members but they must have a gold membership to view and send their own (if they have the cam), or they can just watch, (with gold).
Another great feature that the visioncam can be used for is 'Gameface' technology. Despite only being in one game, this shows great potential for personalising characters. The only game supporting this so far is Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas. I don't own this game but I would say - aswell as many other people - that it's possible one of the greatest shooters on xbox 360 so far. In multiplayer you create your own characeter, when the camera is connected, you set up to take a photo, line up your face in good lighting in the box shown on screen, then take a photo, repeat it again from the side. After quite a long wait, that, providing it works, is worth it, a photo appears on your soldier that doesn't look identical, but looks quite good. Unfortunately, I don't think you can arm your character with various headgear, like scars, balaclavas and goggles but you unlock an achievement worth 20 or 30 gamerpoints which is a highish benefit if you have a low score like me :)
Despite a high asking price, with all the extras and potential included it is worth buying. However it's also worth waiting for to hope the price lowers and more games include the gameface technology.
Hope this review was helpful to anyone considering buying this item.
Great FUN, as Totemball is FREE!
A great piece of kit. You can have so much fun creating your own custom head by adding stupid masks, etc, (on Rainbow Six Vegasthat is). It can also be used in a lot of other games, either as an essential piece of kit (Totemball) or as a fun extra (Uno).
Uno code (to download it for free) is included with it, as well as a 1 month xbox live gold subscription and a wired headset (they can break easily as mine did). Also, although the code is not included in the pack, you can download Totemball, as a "FREE OFFER" when plugging in the camera. So it does come with the camera, sort of; Totemball is actually quite entertaining too. Uno is also a great addition to the kit.
No regrets in buying it, great fun, and enjoy.
P.S. This link shows list of all the games that make use of the camera plus much more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_Live_Vision_Camera
All you Xbox Live Owners really need to get this!!
This probably is the best accessory out for the Xbox360 at the moment, bar the wireless controller. The Vision camera really is tiny, it has to be seen to be believed..it looks a hell of a lot nicer than the Eyetoy ever did on the PS2. For the price, the camera comes bundled with the Xbox Live headset,(which i do find uncomfortable however), and the Xbox Live Arcade game, UNO. This probably is the most addictive game I have played from the Arcade games, its so easy to pick up, and its brillant when played online through Xbox Live, as you can see and hear your opponents through the Vision camera.
The killer feature however, is the ability to use the camera with PCs, im using it right now on MSN Messenger. Its easy to set-up too, as Windows automatically finds the necessary driver. The only downside however, is the lack of options available, and I havent yet figured out how to take the 1.3MP photos as the box suggests (maybe thats only on XBox Live).
But to sum up, Xbox Live is the killer app that the PS3 never will have anything like, and with Microsoft churning out accessories like the Xbox Live Vision camera, its easy to see why theres only one Next-Gen console worth investing in....
Nothing bad to say.. but a cable shouldn't do much wrong
Cable works exactly as expected. Seems to be of very high quality - sturdy and durable. I wouldn't say it is worth the current price (or anywhere near it) but if you're getting it for free with your Xbox as part of Amazon's offer, be happy.
Free is good
Bundled with my PS3 from Amazon. It successfully manages to transport 1s and zeroes from the console to my TV saving me having to do the job, so well done HDMI cable.
Cheap, decent, but take note: does not support 1080p ps3
This cable is definitely cheap for what you're getting. Some prices for HDMI cables out there are simply extortionate. If you have an HD Ready TV that supports 720p / 1080i max then by all means buy this cable. However, I bought this cable in the hopes that I would be able to play my Playstation 3 in 1080p, but unfortunately this cable only seemed to support the ps3 up to 1080i/720p, the 1080p option simply showed a black 'no input' screen on the full HD LG 37LH7000. Testing the ps3 and tv with the xbox 360 HDMI cable resulted in proper 1080p input, but this cable won't. This isn't the biggest problem, but for those of you out there that have the ever cheaper full HD tvs be aware this may not support 1080p on all devices (at least not the PS3).
So, it's cheap, has decent build quality, and comes via fast delivery.
But ... no ps3 1080p compatibilty.
seems like agood deal, get the cheapest possible cable
As demonstrated on the last gadget show, there is no point whatsoever in buying an expensive hdmi cable,so if you want HD for your HD telly and are gonna connect it to a PS3 or any other HDMI source, it really doesnt matter which you use as all it does is send O's and 1's digitally. so you either get the picture or not, they are allgoing to be the same quality whichever cable you buy.
If this works when you get it and you have payed the minimal amount possible,then i reckon it's a good purchase for your PS3.
Personally, when I bought my PS3 from currys last year, I asked them to throw me one in FOC, and they did cos I bought my telly from there too, which was good, the cable was priced at £10, so not bad for nowt. In summary though, they're all the same so pay as little as possible for one.
LOSS OF QUALITY? HA! ITS DIGITAL!
I don't understand why people seem to think that buying a more expensive HDMI cable will result in better video/audio quality.
IT"S DIGITAL! It doesn't suffer from degradation in that way like an analog cable.
In the music industry i see people spending a fortune on expensive digital optical cables thinking they are gonna get cleaner audio.
Fact is a better quality digital cable will do 2 things better.
1: it could be more robust, build quality is surely worth money in my opinion.
2: Assuming a better manurfacturing process the cable will be less likely to cause dropouts.
As far as quality goes though digital is digital is digital, don't be fooled by expensive cables unless you want a more robust well made cable.
Got an HD Tv ? Want 1080p? Buy one of these!
So you got yourself a PS3 and your own HD Tv....Nice!
....But too make full use out of the PS3 graphical power you will need too buy this. Amazing the difference in quality the HDMI cable provides!
HDMI GOLD CABLE 2.0 METERS To watch your High Definition TV you must also have a High Definition cable to connect to your DVD player. An HDMI Gold Cable is essential to ensure you get the very best quality picture for your viewing pleasure.
