Sony Packs More Value Into the PS3; HDMI Now Included

One of consumer’s biggest and most valid gripes with the PlayStation 3 has long been the fact an HDMI cable is not included. This is mainly due to the fact that Sony has long been touting the PS3, as the high definition console, even offering ‘full 1080p’ gaming and movies. What good is a 1080p capable “High Definition” console when you’re given nothing more than a composite cable only capable of standard definition 480i? Admittedly, the missing HDMI cable was much more noticeable at launch when the PS3 cost $599, but who wouldn’t want a free HDMI cable packed in with each and every PS3?

[JonnyBigBoss]

Value beyond belief. This is a great bundle.

[hybridtheory12]

Agreed. LBP FTW. and in HD lol

[WhittO]

This is great because i know sooo many people who have a ps3 and dont have it plugged in via HDMI, even though they actually have a HD TV!lol.

One of the huge advantages of the PS3 is how great the XMB looks in 1080p lol, not to mention huge jump in quality in playing games in HD compared to SD.

[Hideo_Kojima]

I am sad for people who buy £60 cables.
This will at list stop them from going and being fooled by the people working in TV stores.

I get my wires for £2-3 of the internet.

[gtamike]

amazon they are cheap

[Motion]

Yeah, its cool that they throw them in there, but seriously, HDMI cables cost under $5.

http://www.amazon.com/HDMI-...

This one on amazon is under $3. And before anyone goes off saying that better quality ones cost $100, a digital connection is a digital connection. If it works it works, and spending more money won't improve the signal.

Now I'm not dissing sony, again its cool they throw them in there now, but from the article "Don’t believe this amazing value?", well, its not that amazing...in bulk the cables probably cost sony pennies.

[lagoonalight]

Bull. HDMI is still susceptible to losses ESPECIALLY if you run over 15 feet. I bought my bettercables silver serpent HDMI 1.4 cable for 40 bucks and it is the only one I'll ever need. To each their own. But don't go telling me some piece of **** 3 dollar cable can compare to a silver laced top breed 2 categories above it. There are plenty of specifications that better cables no pun intended have to pass that that 3 dollar one does not. Many of these things are related to distance but again that 3 dollar cable is not even 1.4. Many people do not realize that analogue signals can be used with much better signal across longer distances, also. Let me tell you: this cable would not be reliable over ten feet no doubt, and there are plenty of complaints about that cable on amazon. Do your research before blindly trusting hobos.

http://www.bettercables.com...

These guys are clearly not the most expensive but they manufacture GREAT products all around. There are other companies that offer just as good for even less if you care to research. I went with better cables because it is 1.4. There is a reason all those 1 and 2 star reviews exist on amazon. Cuz the cable is crap. You need to at least spend 10 bucks on a cable or you are GOING to be getting cheap cheap cheap crap.

[BigPenguin]

LagoonLight. You do not understand the difference between an analog signal and a digital one. With digital you either have the picture or you don't. It is not like analog where the picture gets progressively fizzier as it gets worse. The digital signal is sent through 1's and 0's.

I will try and explain it so you can understand. Imagine a ladder, it has rungs, and there will be a person moving up and down it. The rung they are on is a code, and its your job as a person 500 yards away to determine what rung they are on. So you watch them, and you do a pretty good job, but you are far away, so occasionally you mistake the 3rd rung for the 2nd, or the 7th rung for the 8th. You still have the general picture, but it is slightly fuzzy, because occasionally you make a mistake about what rung they are on. And the farther away you get, the worse you see them, so the more fuzzy you are about what rung they are on. This is analog.

Digital is the same in a lot of ways, there is a ladder, and person is on it, and you need to determine where on the ladder they are. Only this time, with a digital signal, they are either at the top of the ladder or the bottom(aka 1 or 0), so it is very easy to tell where they are now. Even when you go out past the distance that you would have had trouble with analog, you can still tell if they are on the top of bottom of the ladder easily. Because this is not an analog signal, it is a digital signal, and the only way you could mess it up is if something prevents you from seeing the ladder at all. This is why with a digital signal you either have the picture or you don't.

Now I admit, there is a slight advantage of not getting the cheapest cables, and this is to get the shielding, which many of the 5cent cables lack. This is typically what causes the flickering in cheaper cables. It is caused from being to near other electronics, which have an EMF which can screw with things. But you can get shielding on most of the $2 HDMI cables, so it is still not needed to get even the $20 ones.

Stop spreading your misinformation, just because you were so stupid you purchased something expensive and unneeded does not mean you have the right to try and trick others into making a bad decision as well.

[travelguy2k]

but really over lnger distances. I have a projector, i spent $40 on a 50 foot cable that had "handshake" issues. i upgraded my cable to the best that Monster sells $299 (35 feet) at bestbuy or 80 bucks on ebay, and i have never had an issue since. Plus as the standard changes 1.3 - 1.4 + so will the requirments of the cables to be able to send this extra info.

But in normal circumstances, any HDMI cable will work.

[dude_uk]

all i gotta say is.. pwned ;)

[Motion]

I'll give you that, no contest. I've had terrible luck trying to use a 6ft cable over 10ft as well.

However, we're not talking 10-50' cables here. The ps3 is going to come with a 6' hdmi, and that is what I linked to on amazon. True, you may get some higher end plugs/casing on a more expensive cable, which may hold up to being moved around better over time. Like I said before, with a digital signal it either works or it doesn't.

Oh, and p.s.
Amazon does have HDMI 1.4 cables in the $5 dollar range, and with 4-5 star reviews.

[nycredude]

Motion

In theory you are correct but in real life it's not always so cut and dry. Some cheap ass cables are of very poor quality and may have defects which WILL effect the performance. I am not saying that anyone should by the expensive cables as they are a rip off but you should research where and what brand you buy from.

Also most of us on N4g knows you can get a cheap cable online but you still have to pay for it, it's still not as cheap as free and it still has to be shipped. It's much more convenient to get it out of the box. I don't know about you but I frequently am willing to pay a bit more to get something right away than wait for it, as most people are.

Weather you think so or not this IS a big deal cause of the convenience factor and plus most casual people will see this as a huge plus!

I forgot about the free game also...

[sikbeta]

"As if the 250GB PS3 SKU wasn’t already a great value, being only $50 more than the 120GB SKU and featuring double the HDD capacity. Now, the 250 SKU will be packed with a 6-foot HDMI cable and the Greatest Hit’s Game of the Year Edition of LittleBigPlanet. Here’s the kicker, it’s still only $349.99!"

Awesome Deal!!!

[R_aVe_N]

Think I might get my daughter this bundle or another bundle like it for xmas.

[BakedGoods]

You mean you might get *yourself* this bundle. Hah, I always disguise my guilty pleasures as gifts for the wife/kids.

[SlaughterMeister]

That's pretty sick.

[Consoldtobots]

all they have to do is start packing in USB headsets and fanboys heads will begin to explode everywhere. "does not compute, does not compute, cannot whine about sony anymore aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh" BOOOOOM!

[thehitman]

The Sony Bluetooth headset and cross game chat together release firmware will really pick up the PSN community.

[Consoldtobots]

you really expect Sony to start packing bluetooth headsets with PS3s?
nice thought but wishful thinking.

[SaiyanFury]

To those people that argued Sony not including about no component/HDMI cable in the package, not everyone has an HDTV. My best friend in town close to me has only a standard TV, so no component cable nor HDMI would benefit him. Good on Sony for including an HDMI cable. That said, before Sony including a cable, a reasonably informed person could easily find a cheap, long HDMI cable online. I bought my main 12' HDMI cable online for 20 dollars. I guess some other people haven't done the same research. :)

[maawdawg]

Yes it is nice that they are including something that they should have all along. MS should be as well so hopefully they will follow Sony's example here. Their cost for an HDMI cable is nominal and shorting the customer all this time was ridiculous. To include something now that should have been there all along and call it a value bundle is not to my taste in the least.

Any informed consumer can head over to monoprice or another source and get a 6' cable for <$5. People who pay $50-100 for an HDMI cable deserve to have their wallets emptied for it for not doing their research in some cases.

At least having it in the box will protect the uninformed customers and grandmas buying gifts from listening to the people at Bestbuy (and the like) who push the Monster cables with the systems for no reason.

[lagoonalight]

You people are the ones that need to do your research. This piece of **** cable has some of the worst ratings on amazon and these cables in general are bottom of the barrel in comaprison to other cables that actually HAVE RATINGS TO SHOW THEIR WORTH. HDMI is rated in categories and of course there are specifications that it has to pass relating to all kinds of different things. Just because someone told you digital is digital does not make your 3 dollar crap product the best out there.

People would not market better cables if there were absolutely no differences. It's like beef. There are all kinds of it but some are just more tasteful and expensive. If you are paying a hundred bucks for a 3 foot cable yes you may be getting ripped off but you still have one hell of a cable that will never break. Can't say the same about the cheap connectors, conductors, and shielding in the 5 dollar cables. Half of them bust after a year or two and half of them are fine for a couple years before crapping out. But I don't care. I will still go with better cables HDMI 1.4 to be sure my TV is the best it can be. Why pay a grand or two for a TV and then skimp on connections because you cannot bear to spend 30 more dollars. All I need is 3 feet and I'll be damned if I'm going to trust some 3 dollar product with dated HDMI specs.

[maawdawg]

I guarantee that my digital signal is exactly the same as your digital signal over my $4, 6' cable.

It is a digital signal, all it has to do is get through the cable, and they are rated for signal loss specs. Head on over to bluejeans cable and read up on ratings systems and check out the certifications on monoprice's cables.
http://www.bluejeanscable.c...

There is no such thing as "1080p certification", which many big companies brag about as a selling point. All cables with 1.3 certification have passed a signal loss test over their length via ATC testing.

For the price of your $80-100 dollar cable that provides the same signal I can buy 20 replacement cables if mine ever degrades or breaks, which they don't do anyway. It is just a wire sitting between two points, it isn't doing physical work.

Just because someone said "this Monster cable transmits better" doesn't mean you didn't get $75 dollars stolen out of your wallet for the same exact picture on your TV as I look at when I play a game or watch a movie on my $4 cable.

People market "better cables" because there are tons of people who believe they NEED IT, or feel they are going to have an inferior service unless they buy the thing with the thing with the highest price tag. Why not fill a market void if people will spend a ridiculous amount on something so far over required certification it makes no sense? That is what Monster is doing.

Me drinking my coffee out of a $3 ceramic mug and you drinking yours out of a giant jewel encrusted gold chalice that costs $200,000 doesn't make the coffee any different.

There are reasons places like AVS forum and cnet are completely against overpriced HDMI.

http://www.avsforum.com/
http://reviews.cnet.com/hdm...

CNET rates electronics as a business and they use exclusively monoprice (bargain) cables to do so.

[NeoBasch]

Anybody know if this is 1.3 or 1.4? If the latter, than new PS3 owners will be ready for the 3D upgrade later this year. ;)

[Syronicus]

First they take away the Other OS feature without my say and now they are giving us HDMI cables with every PS3 sold? I never authorized this! I'm gonna sue!

/sarcasm

[Godmars290]

Still, they might be doing it - at last - because of plans to blitz its value as a media system.

Still...

[Tony-A]

Great deal!

[DarkBlood]

im thinking now that i plan to get a ps2 cuz i have a 80 gig fatty so i'll just play my ps2 games on a regular ps2 for the first time and get a slim ps3 for whatever its worth but not sure if i'll get much out of it though

[supremacy]

time they started doing this, i hope this is something permanent with regards to the HDMI cable.

I mean every unit should come with one from now on.

[SonyNGP]

Implying that HDMI cables aren't cheap as all hell.

[Vortex3D]

It's interesting that PS3 didn't include HDMI cable and now it does. X360 Elite used to include HDMI cable and now it doesn't.

I don't think Sony sells Sony branded HDMI cable and since the cable is so cheap now, it costs nothing to include one. Great to advertise on the box it includes a HDMI cable that most buyers need.

Microsoft sells Microsoft branded HDMI cable and of course, they want to sell the HDMI cable.

But for retailers, they don't like needed accessories included because now they can't bundle the expensive HDMI cable with PS3.

[Anon1974]

When the PS3 launched back in 2007, HDMI cables would have been wasted for 90% of PS3 owners. Everything was still component and most HDTV's sold up to that point had DVI or component, and component did most people just fine. Same with home theater receivers. It was component and optical cables.

Probably saved Sony a bundle back then for something that hardly anyone would have been using. Now it's different.

[vhero]

I dunno about warranted but people who were upgrading from PS2 to PS3 were used to SCART/RGB and most were still using a CRT TV its only in the last year where LCD and Plasma TV's have truly taken over as the mainstream TV. It makes sense to move with the times. If more homes have CRT TV's include a SCART/RGB cable if most have LCDs/Plasma include HDMI *simples*. MS used to include one until they realised they could make money from it selling separate. Plus when they included it was around the time they really pushed for console sales right now all they care about its getting some of that investment back.

[skyblue14213]

Try meritline.com, I got my hdmi cable on special for less than $5-$7(free shipping) on meritline(which sells decent quality things generally at good prices) also dinodirect.com I heard is cheap too.

[TANUKI]

This just makes the PS3 bundles even more valuable! If I saw that Little Big Planet and HDMI sticker beside it, that would signal to me INSTANT buy.

[badz149]

or you'll end up with more ps3 than you can manage! just joking LOL! but this is really a great deal! nice job Sony!

[michael1023]

with the PS3 being so "we are the ultimate graphics experience" it should have brought an HDMI cable since the beginning.

[AtatakaiSamurai]

If you bought an HDtv, you should have already gotten an HDMI cable to watch it well before you got your PS3.

Second, if you could afford an HDtv back then and a PS3 you could easily afford a simple HDMI cord @ $9.99-19.99 even if you went crazy and bought one for $100. You could afford it.

and, I have never seen anyone hound HDtv manufactures about not including HDMI cables with their tv sets and those are THE actual tv sets but ofcourse, Sony is always the one that has to deliver beyond everyone else... and still get 8.9/10

[mantisimo]

I got a 60gig at launch and didn't get my HD TV until last September so putting an HD cable in to the box would have been a waste for me as it would have been lost at the back of the cupboard or chewed by the dog or used as bondage st....well you get the idea, by the time I needed it. So I bought a £3.00 (about $6.00) cable when I got the TV and its fantastic.

The TV store assistant got very cross when I said I wouldnt pay £100 ($200) for a cable that he said was the only way to go. I told him the best recent research showed that as the signal is digital and doesn't lose clarity until you go over say 6m (18 ft) distance away and even then the drop off is negligable (until you go to a certain distance can't remember) so the cheapest cable you can get for say up to 4m length is the best way to go.

Mine works like a dream (3m generic chinese cable).

Printed the info and on a crowded afternoon with customers waiting to buy HD cables I loudly proclaimed to the TV store man my findings and left the info on his desk. Mwoohaa ha!

Info came from WHICH a very respected consumer group.

[Consoldtobots]

I hate to be a grammar nazi but the correct phrase is "moot point".

[branchedout]

You late, late adopters get everything!

I was overjoyed when I bought my 40GB fatty for $400!
It came with no game!
It had no HDMI!

Though I do believe the OG's of the place beat me out on it.
I missed out on PS2 compatability for it.

[El_Colombiano]

Pshhhhh $400....try $600 for the biggest, loudest and HOTTEST PS3 ever created. I love her.

[TANUKI]

agreed, El_Colombiano! lol

[Perkel]

yeah and buy sony hdmi , second pad, and two games... it was easly over 700$

[KilZoneGeneralStrife]

Research people.dont get taken for a ride.I bought high quality locally manufactured hdmi cables that set me back 8 U.S dollars.I live in south africa,I converted the amount.the monster cables were about 90 U.S dollars.

[Britney Spears]

very nice deal but i think the hdmi is part of the bungle and won't be standard from now on. Either way we shall see eventually.

[ForROME]

A bit late, but a very nice move. What they really need is to push a Headset to get the online community flowing better

[Ven1000]

I also saw that you can buy LBP GOY Edition with DualShock 3 controller for $59.99 What we have here is two great deals. Again, the value has always been better than the 360 but this is just adding more to that.

[Figboy]

i dropped $650 on my PS3 back in early 2007, so i didn't have a problem with dropping the extra $8.99 it cost me to get an HDMI cable from newegg.

places like Best Buy prey on the naivety of the average consumer who thinks that $80 is a reasonable price for HDMI cables, or that, because the cable COSTS $80, that makes it a quality cable.

my $9 cable has done everything it's needed to do, and i still have it connected to my PS3 now. i even have a second HDMI cable for when i get my PS3 Slim for my wife (unless of course, i get a PS3 that comes with an HDMI cable itself.

like much concerning the PS3, people blow these things way out of proportion and try to turn something rather small, into this epic failure on Sony's part that will somehow DOOOOOM the PS3.

[PS360PCROCKS]

Bout time!! I'm glad to see this, gives consumers a fool free way to HD gaming.

[Nitrowolf2]

they bundle this, now all what Sony has to do is Bundle MICs with every PS3 (or bundle an Eyetoy)

[SolidMGSnake]

Now that PS3's are cheaper to produce. Why not throw in a cheap HDMI cable?

[UnKnOwN-pRoPhEcY]

..after looking everywhere for a new 250GB after my 80GB went YLOD on me, i finally find one!! YES! .... no extras, no bundle, but a better price on a decent hard drive.. not even gonna waste my time swapping it.. Sony would just bundle something better the next week :(

[Whackedorange]

When i first bought the PS3 i was suprised that there was no HDMI cable included in the package since afterall Sony have advertised the ps3 as the HD console but pleased that things have changed

[mookins]

Nice.

[BannedForNineYears]

http://www.amazon.com/HDMI-...
2 dollar hdmi cables????????????!!!!!!!!!!! WTHHHHHHH?!?!?! What's the catch!!?!??!!?!?!?!? WTH?!?! I bought mine for 59 dollars!!!!!! Where was this when I bought mine?!

-is not happy.....o.o-

[Michael-Jackson]

3Ft/1m are only $2 (China, reliable aye?) on Ebay with shipping worldwide, saw them at retail stores and they charge WAY too much, even Madcatz. This Bundle I assume includes official Sony HDMI cable...I heard that it doesn't really improve the quality.

[El_Colombiano]

The catch is you save mass amounts of money vs. store bought. I cringe at Best Buy prices on HDMI cables. That is what I love about digital signal; you either get the image or you don't.

[Perkel]

it's digital signal so anyone that bought hdmi over 2-3$ is an idiot.

[maawdawg]

Plus they all have to go through the same certifications to get to the marketplace in the first place, besides the fact that is a 0/1 digital signal. The problem is not everyone knows that and stores often tell people the opposite to sell the higher priced product.

I got three 6' HDMI cables from monoprice for <$15, after tax, shipped when I ordered last. It makes me sick when a big box store employee pushes an $80 Monster cable on someone who just sits there nodding and believing them. I normally tell them not to bother and offer some cheap alternatives. I don't care if it is right in front of the sales person either.

[branchedout]

I wanted my cable in 3 days, not 2 weeks.
So I paid $4. Pricey, but worth the speedup in time.

[dizzleK]

even if you could order hdmi cables for a penny it's still one less thing the consumer needs to buy or do, they can get maximum enjoyment straight out of the box and not a week from now when cables are delivered. only gamers ever consider free, hassle-free shit a bad thing. *shakes head*

[infekt]

Nice to see the cables included so that clueless consumers dont get ripped off with the retailers pushing to sell unnecessarily expensive cables (Ie. Monster). All HDMI cables carry digital signals that don't degrade as easily as component. Even if the cables are not included they are cheaper than a Whopper combo.

Check Monoprice.com. ( http://www.monoprice.com/pr... )

[T3mpr1x]

Not enticing to me, since I think I got one of the best deals on HDMI cables ever. A Woot-Off had 6 foot 1.3b cables for $3.99 each. So I bought three, and $5 shipping brought the total to $17. But then I guess they had less in stock than they thought, so as a consolation I received three 12-foot cables instead. Woot!
Oh but anyway not bad freebies in this deal, especially LBP GOTY edition.

[kasasensei]

Sony is stupid on that point. No hdmi with the only console that can do REAL 1080p and have an HD-media drive built-in.
So stupid...

[Ravenor]

List me some native 1080P retail boxed games. Native, not upscaled.

[kasasensei]

Where exactly did you see "games only"?
The major purpose is about the bluray movies...
That is still a big advantage of the ps3 over the 360, but even with movies packages there was no hdmi cable inside! That's a non-sense especially when you see that a lot of people are buying the ps3 for games AND watching real high definition movies!
And, by the way, your question is useless... because you need hdmi to play 720 or 1080 games or movies... So why are you talking about "only 1080p retail games"? Non-sense! XD

[mac4u10]

PSN says hiiiiii

[etownone]

Anyone looking for cheap cables monoprice.com is the place to go.

Anyways, Im definitely a pro-360 fan, but I gotta admit that the PS3 is by far the best future proof entertainment console out there and at the best value. Even used ps3's still keep their value while used 360's can be found dirt cheap.

[The Wood]

but im not sure its worth ordering to the UK

we have these people

http://www.avland.co.uk/pro...

[patterson]

Sony's headed in the right direction with this bundle. If I didn't already have one, this would be the one to get.

[ImmortalLegend]

I think they should just go ahead and bundle a headset with the PS3 now. Even if it's wired, anything will do. I really don't see why it's so hard for them to include it. Anyways, this is a pretty good deal though.

[mac4u10]

Microsoft stopped doing this, i guess they will only have to jump back to adding HDMI

It confuses consumers, some people still think they are playing in high def and think the visuals are really good lol

[SlaughterMeister]

HDMI should have been straight out of the box from the start.

[PS360_37]

To be honest, as a console that is touted as being the superior HD console/media experience, you would expect to get one.

I was a little upset when i opened my box and realized that I would have to wait to play my PS3 in HD because it didn't come with one.

[Corrwin]

That'll certainly make it worthwhile!

[ReBurn]

I wonder if this means that Sony might reduce the price of their HDMI/USB cable bundle to something more reasonable? $5 worth of cables for $39.99 to $59.99 is a bad deal.

[Captain Tuttle]

My local Costco has had these bundles for years. 360 no. PS3 yes.

[ReBurn]

Costco always has the sweet deals. I love buying stuff from Costco.

[Keltik82]

That is all that needs to be said.

[AliTheBrit19]

Cool

But I'm fairly sure my Xbox 360 Super Elite came with HDMI too, or maybe it was just the normal Elite.

[EXID]

say what you want about an hdmi not being that great of a deal, but the fact that it's free, and is the official one doesn't hurt, either. i'd rather have the one that this bundle comes with rather than some "$3" dollar cable from amazon, know what i mean?

[MikeTyson]

PSN community is getting better.

[ZILLA]

wow,another reason why buying a P S 3 is the greatest deal EVER.

[playnation]

wow just wow , teh comment i made yesterday was deleted!!! loool talk abo0ut xbox fanboys as admins , shame on you N$G!

[sam2236]

It should've came with the PS3 in the first place what with Sony marketing the console as a HD powerhouse and all.

I bought my HDMI cable for €40 for Christ's sake!

[air1]

about frikin time.. i never understood why they didnt add it day 1, its not like sony doesnt make hdmi cords. the ps3 aint ish with out hdmi

[jacksonsgames]

Damn good bundle.

[Tsar4ever01]

All they need do for ALL SKU's is add the HDMI cable with the SCEA Bluetooth headset. And THAT could be use as a premise for how they'd sell the PLATSTATION 4!!

[htguy]

I agree Monoprice is cheap, and I try to support them as an AVS sponsor. But they have had some major credit card security breaches (just google Monoprice credit cards) and I feel they can't be trusted. No sense in saving a few bucks, only to have your card stolen. My coworker had to remove $2000 worth of junk from his Monoprice-stolen card.

I will stick with Amazon.