Running a PS3 through my PC

Soldato
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Currently I have my PS3 hooked up to my monitor via HDMI and everything is hunkydory since the monitor has built in speakers. However, partly because I'm looking at playing some coop games while chatting on mumble/skype, and partly because I'd much rather use my PC headphones, I'd like to run everything through my PC. That way my microphone won't pick up everything coming from the speakers, and I can be lazy and not fiddle around for the 'switch input' button on the back of the monitor.

But, how best to do this? From what I know, I couldn't use HDMI because of all the DRM/Copy protection stuff, so I would need to use (and buy) a component cable. I have a composite cable, but this only does low quality SD resolutions, which to me kinda negates part of the reason for having a PS3 in the first place.

But... a PC card that can deal with component video seems to be ~£80 which is kinda expensive for what I want. Or am I looking at the wrong things?

Final option is to use HDMI to the monitor, but then use the composite cable I have just for audio. I could get an adaptor to turn the left and right audio into a 3.5mm jack... but then what? I'd somehow need to run that through my PC so I could hear it, but I'm already using all the ports on my X-Fi Xtreme Gamer soundcard.
There has to be a fairly cheap way of doing this, right?
 
Wouldn't there be a significant delay between the actual game play and what's being shown?

I'd suggest getting a new headset over running everything through your PC which seems way too confusing. Just get a headset that is PS3 compatible and your good to go, can you not get everyone to chat on PS3? £80 can get you a decent gaming headset as well.

YOUR BASKET
1 x Thrustmaster Y250P Gaming Headset PS3 & PC Edition £49.99
1 x Ozone Gaming Gear Onda 3HX Universal Gaming Headset, PS3/ XBOX 360/ PC £41.99
Total : £100.68 (includes shipping : £7.25).



You also have the choice of Turtle Beeches & Trittons for PS3 gaming headsets.
 
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I have an old Avertv capturehd card that can be found for under £80. Have used it without issue for playing ps3 games via hdmi and component. The hdcp issue does stop you recording from hdmi though (without hacked drivers).
 
rather than getting a capture card would there be anyway to merge the sound from 2 devices (pc and ps3) into one output so he could plug is headphones into it and hear skype and windows along side bf3 or what ever is being played on the ps3 then plug the mic jack into the pc?
 
could make the sound from the ps3 a line in to the pc maybe and have it always playing the background or something

edit this would probably only cost you a fiver for an audio jack cable then you could set skype to use your headset mic and get somehting like audacity or some sound recording program and have the line in from the ps3 playing through your headset
 
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What I did with my 360 is use an adapter to get the audio cables to 3.5mm, then plugged that into one of these:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CB-080-OK&groupid=1929&catid=1685

The speakers/headphones plug into the male end using a 3.5mm coupler, and the PC into the other hole using a 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable.

I think they are meant to be used the other way though (one input, two outputs), as sometimes if my 360 was plugged in but turned off, my PC would be at half volume and I would have to unplug the 360 from the wall. This did not bother me though as the plug is directly next to my feet and it's not very hard to do. It's also a lot easier to do this than go round the back of PC switching wires about.

I did try the line in on my PC before this but found the quality was not that great, although could have probably been the soundcard/cable.

I had two monitors so I could use 360 and PC at the same time.
 
So, the setup I have is this:

2 monitors, one for console, one for PC.
xbox connected to one monitor,
Optical Audio output from PC and Xbox to a Toslink 4 way switch. This outputs to one device (headphones).
Usb cable from the switch, to the PC.

If I set the switch (using remote control) to point at the console it picks up the audio and outputs it to my A50s. Skype on my pc goes through the USB connection and also into the headphones. So a nice all in one setup.

The xbox requiress an extra lead for the microphone, so if I'm in a party I'll disconnect from Skype and plug the lead into my phones and into the controller - jobs done.
 
Does your monitor have a headphone jack?

Either im being really stupid and pointing out something obvious that wont work, or everyone is over complicating it.

Get a second monitor/TV for the console, run a cable from its headphone port to the Mic port on your PC, not soundcard, then click on the little box on the sound mixer recording properties in windows to "Listen to this device"

It will output to your default audio device (Headset) and Skype will also use it at the same time. You can then control volume of Skype/PS3 via the Audio Mixer in Windows.

Also, look in to a KVM Switch, as it might be easier then pressing the button on the monitor, though a little expensive to save the effort.
 
Thanks for all the replies, guys. Oliver, can you do that? I disabled the on-board sound on my mobo when I got the soundcard, because I was under the impression that having it enabled as well as having a sound card would cause all sorts of issues, meaning that the headphone jack on the mobo won't work? Or is this not the case? If so, like you say I can easily just plug it in with the 3.5mm jack.
 
Thanks for all the replies, guys. Oliver, can you do that? I disabled the on-board sound on my mobo when I got the soundcard, because I was under the impression that having it enabled as well as having a sound card would cause all sorts of issues, meaning that the headphone jack on the mobo won't work? Or is this not the case? If so, like you say I can easily just plug it in with the 3.5mm jack.

you wont have disabled the onboard mic ports just the onboard sound output not the input slots i think
 
Thanks for all the replies, guys. Oliver, can you do that? I disabled the on-board sound on my mobo when I got the soundcard, because I was under the impression that having it enabled as well as having a sound card would cause all sorts of issues, meaning that the headphone jack on the mobo won't work? Or is this not the case? If so, like you say I can easily just plug it in with the 3.5mm jack.

When I used my cheapo soundcard I could also use the onboard and mix I believe. Games/Movies/General Windows will use whatever you select as the default in the Playback/Recording devices tab when right clicking the speaker icon on your task bar. So in theory, you select the soundcard as default output and input then click properties for the onboard input device on the 'Recording' tab then go to the listen tab and check 'Listen to this device'. It will then output to your default audio output device :)
 
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