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Get the best out of blinkbox on PS3

Posted: 13/05/10

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With blinkbox on the PlayStation 3 now, there's now a real alternative to Sky Movies and FilmFlex. Just connect your PS3 to the TV in your lounge, hit blinkbox.com from your PS3 web browser, select from 1,000+ movies and watch immediately, and in DVD quality.

Some pointers to make sure you get the best experience:

1) Get the latest firmware

Whether you have just purchased your console, or had one for a while, make sure you check for any PS3 firmware updates. blinkbox works great with the latest version of the PS3 firmware.

2) Make sure your connection is fast enough

If your home WIFI can consistently sustain a 2-3mbps connection to your PS3 you'll be fine watching blinkbox. If you're getting slower speeds, try connecting directly to your router using an ethernet cable (the PS3 has an ethernet port on the back). Wired ethernet connections are almost always quicker than WIFI ones. If you're getting sub-2mbps, even when wired into your modem/router, consider selecting low or medium quality on the player, and speak to your ISP about increasing your speeds.

3) Connect your PS3 to your TV with a HDMI cable

This will ensure you get the optimum display resolution for both the site UI and full-screen video playback. If you're using a composite/Scart connection to your TV, the viewing experience won't be as good.

4) Set Display Area to standard

The PS3 browser has its display area set to full-pixel by standard, this causes over-scan to occur on some TVs. You'll know if this is happening to you as you'll see the edges of the player cropped off your TV screen when in full-screen playback mode. Press the TRIANGLE button to open the browser settings menu, select "Tools", then "Display Area". Select "Standard Size".

5) It's streaming only

The blinkbox service on the PS3 is designed to be video-on-demand (VOD), which means instant play. File downloads from blinkbox aren't available on the PS3, and files you've downloaded from blinkbox on your PC and then transferred to your PS3 aren't likely to work. It's easier and quicker just to stream the movies when you want to watch them.

Blinkbox

Keywords for this post: blinkbox, iptv, vod, video, movies, tv, online, flash, streaming, playstation 3, ps3