Standalone Blu-Ray player or PS3 (my shopping experience)

[Nidan]

(before I start, I must disclose that I own a XBOX360 and Wii)

Now today on the spur of the moment I decided to go out and buy a 60" plasma TV. Now while I was discussing with the sales person the TV, I also told him I wanted to buy a BLU-RAY player, and told him I would consider paying a little more for the PS3 (and had convinced my GF that i could buy it).

5 minutes later he had convinced me that I shouldn't buy the PS3. He first started by telling me that originally the PS3 was good value, but since the launch, Blu-ray players had dropped in price and that the PS3 no longer represented value.

Secondly as I told him I had a 7.2 channel sound system (Sony brand) he told me that the PS3 didn't support it(DOH) and obviously I would not get the benefit out of the sound system.

Luckily for Sony, he did convince me to buy the Sony Blu-ray player over the Samsung ( due to load speeds) and I negotiated the price for the player. To my amazement the SONY blu-ray player was AUD$300 and the PS3 was AUD$668 but if I brought the PS3 I would also need to buy the remote for another AUD$49.00.

In a way I now feel MS was right in not putting a Blu-ray player into the XBOX, as it has given me options.

On a side note, I paid for the Plasma and Blu-ray player, then found out I cant get them until tomorrow :( as the warehouse had closed.