PS3=Upgrading TV, A/V Rec. and more? (Xbox, HDMI, movies)

[Hungry For Cheese]

So I may be getting a PS3 for XMAS....never know what my g/f could do....(got me a $400 jacket last year and we'd only known each other for 5 months and were not even together).

Anyways I have a great old 36" Sony tube TV that works for me in every way possible. But obviously if I get a PS3 I'd want to utilize its full capabilities. So I was thinking a 32" LCD 1080P would work in a small room. Then I got into the whole (720P vs. 1080P and how not much is in 1080P) debate about which TV to get. I figure I might as well get the 1080P now...seeing as I am the type of person to keep something until it breaks.

But...all my speakers (5.1 surround) are ran by a A/V rec. that I know can't have HDMI inputs because it was made years ago. Now I'd love to play PS3 and hear it through my speakers and rumbling subwoofer. Will this be possible with the old A/V cables? You know...red/white and yellow. Sure the sound might not be as clear and great as intended, but it could work.

Here is the deal...I don't want to dish out $600-1000 on a new LCD TV...then $350 on decent A/V when my Pioneer is like brand new(bought in 2006).

Realistically...can I even run the PS3 as is now with my old Sony tube TV as well? I know I won't be getting 720P or 1080P....but I could always wait and buy later. I am still using a DirecTV box from the late 90s...so no HDMI TV input either from TV. I guess I could just get a LCD and listen to the crappy speakers on the TV...but I've always wanted to play my XBOX on my surround but never got to it....(too many components...VCR, DVD, DirecTV so no spare input)


Hopefully she listens and DOES NOT get me a PS3...more headache than good probably. Wish she'd just buy me a gun...but being in L.A. it would just become a dang home protection and I already have one.

[Dd714]

You can run the PS3 with your sony tube TV using component or composite cables with no problem at all and get an excellent gaming experience. I used it for 6 months with a non-HDTV rear projection TV before making the high def TV upgrade.

You will get the best picture, of course, with a 1080P set and you can get full potential out of the PS3's blue ray abilities. Now, no broadcast TV is in 1080P yet, but it makes your set a little more future proof when they start. 1080i is pretty common for broadcast HD so I would skip the 780 and by all means go 1080P, the bigger the set the better. Or buy the PS3 this christmas and the HDTV next christmas and use the tube TV until then.

Now - audio is a little bit more tricky. The PS3 has several audio connection options - HDMI, composite, component, and optical. I have my HDMI connected to the TV AND an optical cable connected to my home theater system and I get true 5.1 dolby sound coming into the system. Does your AV have an optical connection? If not, then you can still use the two component cables for the left/right audio input and have the AV decode a simulated 5.1 signal and that works almost as well.

[Hungry For Cheese]

Yea man, I am currently running optical right now to give me the 5.1....watching movies is awesome and its one thing I will NOT give up. lol...hopefully not.

I have the Pioneer VSX-515-K