1. Which PS3 models have SD/SDHC card readers (in case I go for the Canon)?
60GB/80GB(old). However, the PS3 will recognize most USB card readers.
2. Which PS3 models have USB inputs?
The 60GB/80GB have four. all the others have two. You can use USB hubs if you run out of ports.
3. Can I connect any external USB hard drive to the PS3 USB input and view videos and pictures on it from there or is there a special PS3 USB hard drive like there is for 360? With 1hr HD video recorded with the camcorder taking up about 16GB of HD space even the 80gb PS3 would be filled up in no time. I have a 500gb USB hard drive and would be great if it could be connected to a PS3 and I could watch videos from there.
If the camera formats the videos in a common format such as MPEG2, you should be able to plug it into the USB port and access the files by selecting the camera's icon in the [Video] option. (If you don't see any files this way, click Triangle, select "View All", and navigate to the folder in the camera where the videos are stored NOTE: I have never tried this with a video camera, but I have done it with my digital camera and it works fine)
Also, the PS3 can recognize files on external harddrives, but they have to formatted with the FAT32 filesystem format, which kind of sucks because I think you'll have to partition your drive into 32GB partitions due to the filesystem's limitations. OTOH, any standard 2.5in SATA internal HDD can be used in the system if you want to.
4. How advanced is the PS3 interface for music? Does it come anywhere close to Windows Media Player and show album art, have support for playlists, random play mode, etc?
The PS3 has all the features of a standard media player. It can display album art, create and play playlists, find art on the internet (I believe it does this automatically, but I'm not sure if it's only when you rip a CD to the HDD; yes, you can do that) and it has repeat-album, repeat-track, and shuffle options. It also has several music visualizations divided into three modes: One is the standard "ribbon" that appears in the background of the XMB home menu unless you change the background to something else, anther is some standard visualisations much like WMP although they are more advanced; many with 3D effects. However, you can't select a specific visualization from this category, which kind of sucks. The third category (and by FAR the coolest) is a spectacular 3D model of Earth that the camera pans around from various angles. It's quite impressive (they used imagery from NASA's "Blue Marble" project and added dynamic lighting effects using the PS3's processor) Unfortunately, you can't pan the camera wherever you want, but it's still VERY cool and far, FAR better than any Earth simulation I have ever seen in my life.
5. Due to ridiculously higher costs of both camcorders in UK I am probably going to get the camcorder from the US. Does anyone know if I will be able to play the recordings on a PAL PS3 or would I also need to get the PS3 from the US?
I'm really not sure about this one and Sony's site doesn't mention any restrictions except region-locking. I personally think that HDD video is automatically formatted for the type of TV that you are using and afaik the NTSC/PAL locking is an artificial restriction that has nothing to do with the capabilities of the machine when non-region-locked HDD video is being played. However, I am not 100% sure about this one. You can look over the user's manual at http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/index.html if you want to.
6. I think I read somewhere that the PS3 remote is controlled by bluetooth. This may be a deal breaker for me as I use a touchscreen universal remote and this does not support bluetooth and don't want to have to use 2 different remotes (getting rid of remote clutter was the reason why I invested in an expensive universal remote in the first place). Does anyone know if there are any Blu Ray players (other than the PS3) that you can connect a USB hard drive to and access files from there?
If you want a blu-ray player that can do anything other than play BDs/DVDs, the PS3 is currently your only option. That being said though, I've heard that some USB dongles will provide compatibility with IR remotes, but I have never actually tried it so I'm not sure. (I use the controller when I'm watching video on my PS3)
Also, I just wanted to say that PS3 games CAN be region locked by the developers, but as far as I know, all PS3 games released so far are region-free. (Sony doesn't even stop you from setting up a PS3 account in a different region so you can access PS Store content there; though they have IP-blocked the US video store) Also, BD discs can be region-locked, but the VAST majority of them are not. However, the PS3 does region-lock DVDs and (if the system can play them) PS2 games. (not sure about PS1 games but I think it will play them from all regions)
Hope that helps.
Not trying to be a fanboy. Of course, it's hard when you own the best console eve... dang it
