PS3 - network/HDD question

[undesign]

Hi

I've been debating whether to buy a PS3 for quite some time, and with the Rand going to ****, now is probably a good time.

I have an external HDD that I want to connect to the PS3 to act as sort of a NAS drive (?) - my 2nd HDD on my PC is used for music and videos and I would like to back it up automatically via my wireless home network to the external HDD hooked up to the PS3. Is it possible?

Thanks

 

[Xyber]

Your external drive needs to be FAT32 formated for the PS3 to pick it up.

If I understand correctly, you want to copy from your PC to the external drive
connected to your PS3? Not possible. I think about the only time the PS3 and PC
will chat is when your PC acts as a media server.

But hey, its and external drive. Just hook it up to the PC, copy the movies and
music and connect to PS3 again. The PS3 supports quite a range of codecs with
the latest firmware installed.

[edit] concerning actual NAS drives, I don't have experience with it but do a
google search for "PS3 + NAS", there seems to be quite a few results
concerning it. Maybe you will find a better answer there.

 

[undesign]

Yes, that is exactly what I wanted to do. I have this playtime multimedia player but is is real crappy - terrible interface, no firmware upgrades etc. etc Thought I could just plug it into PS3 as external HDD and voila!

I wanted to use it as a backup device and also as part of the media centre solution (for music and videos, and not to use the PS3's HDD to conserve space for games). Is it possible to backup straight to the PS3's HDD?

I know I could stream, but backing up to the PS3 is a elegant solution for me - making use of existing xtra hdd, backup up media files etc.

FAT32 is also an issue - minor, but still. File limit of 4Gb I think?

*EDIT*

Forgot to mention, it is a royal PITA to unplug external drive from behind TV unit, plug into computer, and back.

 

[Kerrrang!]

Reformat your external HDD to FAT32 using an application called swissknife. Just google it. It does away with the file limit and will give you the storage of your external HDD.

 

[undesign]

Thanks, but I still need to get the files there in the first place. Physically carrying HDD from PS3 to PC to PS3 is not going to work - I was hoping I could use wireless connection.

Ah well!

 

[Info Guy 101]

Reformat your external HDD to FAT32 using an application called swissknife. Just google it. It does away with the file limit and will give you the storage of your external HDD.

If I remember you can just format the external hdd with your PS3 but I'll check on my PS3 this evening

 

[Info Guy 101]

Ok checked you can format via system settings - format utility but you can only format memory stick, sd memory card, compactflash(R), hard disk

 

[Xyber]

I see what your saying iris. It would be great if you can just keep that HDD at the back. I actually had 2 external drives on my PS3 (1Tb total) but it was too much of a pitta to plug 'em out (with the power and such behind the TV) everytime I wanted to transfer new files. So I ended up setting up a 2nd PC behind the TV, still not the solution I want cause now I sit with wireless key/mouse though I can probably just go buy one of those remotes that one can use with a pc.

That Diskstation mentioned in this thread seems like a good solution.