NTSC-UK Import PlayStation 3 FAQ v2.0 [updated: 18/04/2007]

[sj33]

What you say is correct. RGB Scart is your best option on a non-HD TV (unless your lucky enough to have a non-HD TV with Component). You will be able to play any PS3 game from anywhere, though UK games will be in 50Hz in SD as you said, which an NTSC PS3 cannot do. Just stick to US/JPN discs.

Downloads from any region work, though I dunno if UK PS1/2 games will.

You will be able to play Japanese PS1/2 discs, Region 3 DVD's and US/JP Blu-Ray films.

[JamesS]

Some UK games work on an NTSC PS3 in SD. VF5 certainly does, and runs in 60Hz. I think it just depends on the game. PS1 downloads from the UK store don't work, as they try to run at 50Hz. I think all the other downloads I've tried from the UK store are okay, though.

[Zapp$ter]

Ah ok. Cheers for the replies.

I think I do have component on the tv. It's a Panasonic Viera but in the SD flavour. I'm sure I remember seeing the connection at the back. I suppose I better check it out.

[Len]

So I've gone and f@cked the hd on my machine, keep getting the 'file system is corrupt press x to restore' msg. Which just loops round and round.

Anyway, I can either buy a new hd (not a big deal) or I assume plug the bust one into my pc and reformat it.

Is that possible...? Thoughts appreciated...

[sj33]

The HDD's are laptop-style SATA, so while you can plug it into a PC, I suspect you might need an adaptor of sorts.

[Len]

Yeh that's cool, just need to use a 2.5 to 3.5 adaptor. Will give it a whirl...

[Strolls]

The HDD's are laptop-style SATA, so while you can plug it into a PC, I suspect you might need an adaptor of sorts.

Naw, just leave it dangling out the side. If you've got an SATA PC then the cables are the same fitting - it's only the physical size of the drive that's a problem if you want to bolt it in place in the desktop PC's case.

SATA is nicer than parallel EIDE in this way.

Len: I think you'll be fine if you reformat it in your PC. I tried more than one type of file-system on mine, it doesn't matter - the PS3 has a proprietary FS that you can't recreate on a PC, so when you out the disk back in the PS3 it says "unrecognised FS" or "hd not initialised" or something, "would you like to format?"

This will (obviously) cause the PS3 to create a fresh new filesystem on the hard-drive and is probably more reliable than trying to fix the damaged one.

You can also do a chkdisk of the drive whilst it's in your PC. Format it NTFS or whatever first.

Stroller.

[Len]

Excellent stuff, thx a lot. From what I've read/googled everyone says to reformat it to fat32 first but then again if the ps3 reformats it again s'pose it doesn't really matter.

May as well try this before buying as new one...

[buddha]

Haven't imported for a while and I just went to order Minna No Golf 5 from play-asia only to discover they're no longer shipping PS3 games to europe.

So where is everyone getting their japanese PS3 games from?

[Len]

Yes-Asia for me...

[Len]

Excellent stuff, thx a lot. From what I've read/googled everyone says to reformat it to fat32 first but then again if the ps3 reformats it again s'pose it doesn't really matter.

May as well try this before buying as new one...

It worked...thx f@ck! Lost my saves for MS and RFoM but can grab all the rest if needed.

Phew...

[Papercut]

Good to hear, I've wondered what could be done about the hdisk going.

Speaking of which ... is there any good way to backup the hdisk contents? I've seen the system backup option, but that complains that my memory card isn't big enough.

Does anyone have an idea what the backup to memory card actually does? Is there any way to pull files off the hdisk directly instead?

Also, looking at a Linux install, would that require the disk repartitioning, or just an amount of disk space set aside as a Linux partition?

[Len]

I thought you could choose what exactly you want to copy off if yr card isn't big enough...?

And can you not just link it to yr pc via media server gubbins and just back yr stuff up on that...? That was gonna be my next move/attempt...

[Strolls]

Does anyone have an idea what the backup to memory card actually does?

I used this before installing Linux on my first PS3. That actually died on the first reboot after the Linux install - I was able to boot back to gameos but it would lock up solid within a few minutes.

After I got a warranty replacement PS3 - not the same one - I was able to restore everything back from the CF card and my Resistance & Motorstorm saves work fine. I had a few HD trailers but they were small enough to fit on the 4gig card.

I think if you need to back up more you may be able to use a USB hard-drive, but I don't know for sure.

Also, looking at a Linux install, would that require the disk repartitioning, or just an amount of disk space set aside as a Linux partition?

You need to repartition to install Linux, although you can use the "backup system" to save your save-games & restore them afterwards.

The PS3 sets aside 10gig of space for Linux & formats the remainder for PS3. When you boot up from a Linux installation CD the 10gig is seen as /dev/sda and you create / and swap partitions within that. Linux cannot see the space reserved for the PS3 ("gameos").

Stroller.



EDIT: Oh! I should add that Linux installed fine on my replacement PS3 and I can now dual-boot between PS3 gaming and PS3 Linux quite happily, although I have to admit that I haven't spent much time getting stuff working under Linux since.

Although it might look might suspicious, "I installed Linux, rebooted and my PS3 died", I'm sure that the problem I encountered was unrelated to the Linux install. If anything Linux exacerbated an existing problem on the PS3, and if I hadn't installed Linux it would have failed later, anyway. That's what I keep telling myself, at least.

[Kubrick]

Is there any way to pull files off the hdisk directly instead?

For small files like game saves and videos you can use a PSP if you have one.

Connect the PSP via USB cable and put it in "USB mode" and the PS3 offers it as a storage destination when you try and copy something.

Unfortunately, some save files can't be copied though. Like Minna no Golf 5...