The Sony Playstation 3 is not only one of the top gaming systems available, it is also widely used as a high-definition Blu-ray Disc player in home theater systems. Unfortunately, one problem with the PS3 is that the unit may not be controlled with the same universal remote you use for the rest of your AV components. The Sony Playstation 3 does not have an InfraRed (IR) receiver which means it cannot understand the commands sent from most universal remote controls. Instead, Sony chose the new Bluetooth protocol exclusively for wireless control. That raises the question… How do you control movie playback on your Sony Playstation 3?

This complete guide has all the answers:

1) USING THE SONY SIXAXIS PS3 GAME CONTROLLER FOR MOVIE PLAYBACK
You may use the Sony Sixaxis gamepad to control movie playback but Sony doesn’t make it easy. The Sixaxis does not have any labels specific to movie play back and there is no quick reference key map in either the owner’s manual or the Getting Started guide which means you’re on your own.

2) SONY BLU-RAY DISC REMOTE CONTROL
Sony has many optional accessories for the Playstation 3 and the Blu-ray Disc Remote Control is their solution for convenient movie playback. This is a Bluetooth device that communicates wirelessly with your PS3 just like the SIXAXIS controller. There are 51 buttons and very little set-up is required. The only problem is that the Sony remote will send you back to the old days of juggling your remotes. You'll use one remote for yout tv and the Sony remote fot the PlayStation 3.

3) IR to USB CONTROL SOLUTIONS
Fortunately, other manufacturers recognized that a lot of Harmony, URC, RTI and Pronto remote owners would want to use their universal remote to control the Sony Playstation 3 along with their other AV Components. So, several vendors quickly introduced affordable USB devices. These IR to USB dongles allow you to send IR commands from your universal remote to a device plugged into the USB port on the Play Station 3. These USB solutions are limited in that they can only access the ~25 commands that Sony has made available to the USB control and they cannot turn on the PS3 system. In order for the USB solutions to work the PS3 must first be powered on manually.

a. NYKO BLUWAVE INFRARED REMOTE FOR PS3
The Nyko Bluwave was one of the first IR-USB remotes available for the Playstation 3. The USB dongle measures just shorter than two inches long and has chrome accents, if you like that sort of thing. The included Nyko handheld remote is also wrapped in chrome and has 14 transport control buttons plus an additional 11 buttons including the colored X, O, square and triangle plus L and R 1-3, just like the SIXAXIS controller. These buttons are helpful if you’re trying to navigate out of game play or in other Playstation menus. The Nyko buttons may be taught to any learning remote but are not always reliable. The codes have also been included in many IR databases including the popular Logitech Harmony online library.

b. SCHMARTZ PS3IRX1
The Schmartz IR-USB adapter does not include it's own handheld remote, just the USB dongle. But, that's okay since the main reason for these devices is to use a universal remote anyway. The PS3IRX1 is the only IR-USB solution that was designed for professional installations requiring the Sony Playstation 3 and excels in 3 important categories… Design, Set-up, and Support.

Design - The PS3IRX1 is a slim USB dongle contoured to the shape of the original Playstation 3 but still fits and works perfectly with the new PS3 Slim. The PS3IRX1 protrudes less than a quarter of an inch – that’s up to an eighth of the size of the Nyko dongle.

Set-up - The Schmartz PS3IRX1 gives you access to all 31 commands available through the PS3’s USB connection. These commands can be added to most universal remotes quickly and easily by setting up a Sony DVD Player or Playstation 2 IR control device. If you’re using a Logitech Harmony Remote the set-up is even easier than that since the Schmartz PS3IRX1 is already included in the Harmony online library. HEX codes are also available from Remote Shoppe or the Schmartz Support Forums for custom installers programming Philips Pronto, UEI, Nevo, URC and RTI control systems.

Support – We proudly support every remote we sell at RemoteShoppe.com but the Schmartz PS3IRX1 is the only IR-USB solution that is also supported by the engineers with a support forum at www.schmartz.com.

4) IR TO BLUETOOTH CONVERTERS
If you’re keeping score you may have noticed that none of the IR to USB solutions give you access to the same 51 commands as the Sony Bluetooth Remote. Unfortunately there are just some commands that may not be controlled via USB and therefore require a Bluetooth device. One such function is POWER ON. That’s right, since there is no power going to the USB ports while the Playstation is in standby mode the IR-USB dongles cannot turn on the component. Many users have accepted this limitation of the USB devices because the PS3 does turn on automatically when you put in a new disk but, for many others, anything short of a perfect control solution is just unacceptable. Some enterprising inventors solved this problem as well by making small, stand-alone devices that receive the IR signal from your control system and then send a Bluetooth command to the Playstation 3. This approach gives you ALL of the same functionality as the Sony Bluetooth Remote from the convenience of your existing universal control system.

Before we go over the IR-Bluetooth converters available today we'd like to point out that a major reason for the 2011 update to this review is that many products available just a year ago have been discontinued. The ps3toothfairy Elite, the ir2bt and ir2btci have all been discontinued and further production is not expected. Schmartz has also updated the PS3IR-PRO model and discontinued the PS3IR-500 model so that they now have just one pro level converter in their product line (the PS3IR-1000). There are still many choices available today:

a. Logitech Harmony PS3 Adapter
The Logitech Harmony PS3 Adapter is one of the most affordable IR to Bluetooth solutions available today and is a logical choice for users that own a Harmony remote control. However, it is important to note that this is also the only adapter in this category that is not firmware-upgradeable by the user. That means that there is always a risk that Sony will release a firmware update for the PS3 that may make the Harmony Adapter useless or at least require that it be sent to Logitech tech support for repair.

The Harmony PS3 Adapter is made exclusively for Harmony remotes. Just plug it in, press a small button at the bottom of it to pair it to your Playstation 3, and add the new device to your remote and everything will work as expected. If you are using another universal remote brand the set-up will not be as easy and you will not be able to get support from Logitech. Click here for Pronto HEX codes made available by RemoteCentral if you'd still like to program your universal remote with the Harmony PS3 adapter.

b. wb_electronics RE-BL X
WB Electronics is an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) from Denmark whose products may be familiar to you under a different name brand.  They have decided to release their IR to Bluetooth Adapter under their own brand known as the RE-BL X. Remote Shoppe is happy to be your exclusive US retailer.

The RE-BL X has the same suggested retail price as the Logitech Adapter but is a true universal device that will work with any control system. The RE-BL X is completely firmware upgradeable and also has many advanced features and IR distribution capabilities.

Basic installation of the RE-BL X is plug and play. Just install the included AA batteries or connect the power supply and go to the Remote Accessory menu of your PlayStation 3 and the two will automatically pair and be ready to use. Program your universal remote with the standard PS2 or Sony DVD player codes or use the available HEX codes and you're done. However, there are also many more options if needed. The RE-BL X advanced features may be accessed by downloading this free programming software utility. If you have other Sony DVD players in the home you may choose from any one of 4 available IR code sets.

You may also use the software programming to create custom macros, and to activate the IR receiver/extenders functions. That's right, in addition to being an excellent IR to Bluetooth converter, the RE-BL X has IR distribution features for advanced applications. If you want to hide the RE-BL X away in a cabinet with the rest of your devices you may want the RE-BL X with IR receiver kit. Just place the small receiver in line of site of your control system, plug the 6' cable into your RE-BL X and it will surely receive all of your commands.

Or, you may want to keep the small RE-BL X in line of sight and use the IR repeater functions to pass commands to your hidden equipment. The RE-BL X with IR Extender bundle includes a quad IR emitter for control of 4 devices. Just place the RE-BL X in line of sight of your control system and it will take every IR command and pass it through to the emitters. As you can see, this is a very powerful and versatile system!

c. Schmartz PS3IR-1000
The Schmartz PS3IR-1000 is a second generation device from the engineers at Schmartz built on the success of the PS3IR-PRO. The PS3IR-1000 is much smaller than the previous model and has all of the same capabilities, and more. Like all Schmartz products, the PS3IR-1000 is completely firmware upgradeable and supported by the actual product designers right here in the USA.

The Schmartz PS3IR-1000 comes packaged with an AC power supply and a USB cable for power sensing capability. Just plug that cable into a USB port on your PS3 and the Schmartz adapter will know whether your Playstation is on or off and will not send it duplicate commands. This prevents you from turning your PS3 ON when it is already off every time you use a "SYSTEM OFF" command popular with more advanced control programming. If you have ever needed to use the HELP button on a Logitech remote you know how easy it is for the remote (even one with Smart State Technology) to lose track of your devices. The power sensing capability eliminates that guesswork and the Schmart PS3IR-1000 makes the final decision on whether a power command should be sent to the PlayStation 3.

A unique feature of the PS3IR-1000 is that it can literally be used with ANY remote control that has learning capability. Just download the free Schmartz programming utility and connect the PS3IR-1000 to your computer and you can send IR commands through the box directly to your remote control and learn all of the commands - including ones that may not already be in your remote's database. This is the reason we recommend the Schmartz PS3IR-1000 for use with older remotes with outdated databases and other remotes like the URC RF20 or One for All remotes with incomplete databases for these IR to Bluetooth adapters.

d. Audio Authority C-1071A BlueBeam
The Audio Authority BlueBeam is also a second generation device with updated features and increased reliability from the original unit. The new and improved BlueBeam model is the C-1071A as opposed to the C-1071 (the A in the part number denotes the new model).

Audio Authority has a respected reputation with Custom Installers and system programmers across the country and are well known for building devices that address unique challenges in an installation environment. Like the other IR to Bluetooth devices listed, the Audio Authority BlueBeam does a great job of solving the control issues with the PS3 and allows you complete control of all the Bluetooth commands from any universal remote.

The BlueBeam C-1071A saves installation time on the job site with it's new auto-pairing capability and rock-solid operation. Time is money, and when you show up with a pre-programmed remote and have it paired with your customer's PlayStation 3 in less than a minute you will definitely make a good impression.

Regardless of which solution you choose for your Sony Playstation 3, Remote Shoppe is your source. If you still have questions about which unit will work best with your remote please contact our knowledgeable technical staff by email or call us at 877-487-0702.