# should I buy PS2
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-buy-ps2/90526
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [October 30, 2001, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-buy-ps2/90526 "2001-10-30T15:01:49Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@davesink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davesink)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2001, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-buy-ps2/90526/21 "2001-11-01T15:15:35Z")
Just another thing to add to the mix if you’re coming from N64 and like their exclusive title franchises.
While their forthcoming Gamecube doesn’t play standard DVDs, Panasonic is coming out with a hybrid player that DOES. Of course it isn’t out YET (slated for Dec. in Japan,) so if you need it NOW it’s not a consideration.
[http://members.aol.com/mips36/oct2k1old.htm](http://members.aol.com/mips36/oct2k1old.htm)
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### Author:  [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2001, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-buy-ps2/90526/22 "2001-11-01T15:31:24Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by bernse \*
>
> [li] The PS2 _is_ a real DVD player.[/li]
> [li] My “friend” that has a 36" WEGA (admittedly not a true HDTV but still a better res and picture than most of us poor saps) can’t tell a picture differnence between a PS2 and his standalone Toshiba (I think it was) $500 DVD player. And he is a picky SOB too and was looking to tear the image to shreds. He couldn’t, I couldn’t.[/li]
> [li] I, personally, have never had a problem with it playing_any DVD_ I’ve put into it. This ranges from rentals that have been rented/abused hundreds of times to new movies I’ve bought.[/li]
Then we agree to differ, then. It’s just not a very good DVD player, IMO. I think this a definite case of YMMV.
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### Author:  [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2001, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-buy-ps2/90526/23 "2001-11-01T21:20:21Z")
And _whoosh_… the great superhero SPOOFE arrives to save the day!
Slortar, did your friend get one of the first PS2’s to be shipped? Sony got a lot of criticism for the laser technology they put in the first 500,000 (or whatever the number was) units to be shipped. The laser reader was better suited for games (where the laser reads the disc ever couple seconds) and not very good for DVD’s (where the laser reads the disc constantly). This resulted in grainier images, and if you watch too many DVD’s, the laser could get overworked. Subsequent shippings of PS2’s had this flaw fixed.
Does that hypothesis work to everyone’s satisfaction?
By the way, I was at Circuit City the other day, and I noticed that Sony’s released a DVD-only player that also stands vertically, like the PS2 can. This DVD-only player also sold for $300. I just found that ironic… although it was capable of playing VCD’s and Mp3-CD’s, which I don’t believe the PS2 is capable of doing.
Oh, and KPM… a clarification, please…
> [@](#):
>
> It is worth $300 for a PS2 easily. I have not seen any grainy stuff on a DVD. I just use the regular controller for DVD’s and that’s OK for me. Someone who saw an Xbox said it is not as good as the PS2.
The X-Box DVD quality isn’t as good, or the X-Box games aren’t as good?
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### Author:  [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2001, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-buy-ps2/90526/24 "2001-11-01T23:59:39Z")
Tony Hawk 3 supports online play, but the network for this hasn’t been started up yet. You’ll also need add-on hardware to do this.
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### Author:  [@kpm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kpm)
#### Post date: [November 2, 2001, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-buy-ps2/90526/25 "2001-11-02T13:14:04Z")
The guy said the XBox games didn’t look quite as good as PS2 games. I bought the PS2 to play games not for DVDs, but the fact that it plays DVDs is a nice extra you get for free. I am not really into movies so I probably would have waited to get a DVD player. I would guess that when the XBox is officially released you will see lots of reviews comparing it to the PS2.
BTW, I am not a big fan of Microsoft, but I don’t hate them either. Since there are a lot of people who hate Microsoft you have to be wary when they review the XBox. If the person uses a Mac or Linux you can pretty much bet their XBox review might be at least somewhat biased.
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### Author:  [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)
#### Post date: [November 2, 2001, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-buy-ps2/90526/26 "2001-11-02T14:29:18Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by SPOOFE \*
> \*\*And _whoosh_… the great superhero SPOOFE arrives to save the day!
>
> Slortar, did your friend get one of the first PS2’s to be shipped? Sony got a lot of criticism for the laser technology they put in the first 500,000 (or whatever the number was) units to be shipped. The laser reader was better suited for games (where the laser reads the disc ever couple seconds) and not very good for DVD’s (where the laser reads the disc constantly). This resulted in grainier images, and if you watch too many DVD’s, the laser could get overworked. Subsequent shippings of PS2’s had this flaw fixed.
>
> Does that hypothesis work to everyone’s satisfaction?
>
> By the way, I was at Circuit City the other day, and I noticed that Sony’s released a DVD-only player that also stands vertically, like the PS2 can. This DVD-only player also sold for $300. I just found that ironic… although it was capable of playing VCD’s and Mp3-CD’s, which I don’t believe the PS2 is capable of doing.
>
> Oh, and KPM… a clarification, please…
>
> > [@](#):
> >
> > It is worth $300 for a PS2 easily. I have not seen any grainy stuff on a DVD. I just use the regular controller for DVD’s and that’s OK for me. Someone who saw an Xbox said it is not as good as the PS2.
>
> The X-Box DVD quality isn’t as good, or the X-Box games aren’t as good? \*\*
That works for me–he’s a real console freak. I haven’t counted yet, but wouldn’t be surprised if he has more than 8 or 9 consoles hooked up in his living room. That would also explain the occasional random lock-ups on DVD playback.
Spoofe-man saves the day. 😃
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