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Playstation 3 Media Server Setup

Nick Mokey By


BONUS ROUND: Copy frequently used files to PS3

Even a super-fast 5GHz 802.11n network can’t match the speed of files that live on the PS3 itself. I put my favorite albums, photos, and movies on the PS3′s internal drive via ripping, network copying, and copying from memory cards and USB drives.

To copy files from an external drive, computer, or card to the PS3: Select the folder you want to copy, press Fn+OK on the diNovo or triangle on a SixAxis controller, and choose Copy. Unfortunately you can’t listen to music — or do anything else — during copying.

PS3 Copy Screenshot

PS3 Copy Screenshot


The PS3′s 80GB internal hard drive gives you about 65GB for your own media — roomy enough for over 500 albums in 320Kbps MP3 format, or nearly 100 full-length movies in AVI format. If you need more room, the PS3′s hard drive is easily upgradable with any 2.5-inch SATA notebook drive and a screwdriver.

Ripping CDs is painless, though you can’t rip DVDs directly on a PS3. Insert the disc, navigate to it in the PS3 menu, and hit Fn+OK on the diNovo or the triangle button on a SixAxis controller. Select Options – Import. To change the default encoding format and bit rate, go to Settings – Music Settings – Audio CD Import and choose AAC, MP3, or ATRAC, up to 320Kbps. It takes 3-4 minutes to rip a CD to 320Kbps MP3.

PS3 Import Screenshot

PS3 Import Screenshot


The PS3 automatically grabs the artist/song info for CDs from the Internet, and it picks up ID3 tags from music files. When you copy items to the PS3′s internal hard drive, they show up in the PS3 menus as folders arranged alphabetically.


Extra Points: Organize your content on the PS3 by navigating to any folder and hitting Fn+OK (diNovo) or the triangle button (SixAxis controller) to access the Options menu. Scroll up, select Group Content, and choose an ID3 tag to group folders by. This helped me out because the music I copied to my PS3 was in a mishmash of Artist and Album folders; grouping them by Artist made it much easier to find items in a long list. You can also sort folders from the Options menu.

PS3 Group Screenshot

PS3 Group Screenshot


Cheat Codes for Common Problems

If your Windows computer still can’t see your PS3, go to Control Panel – Administrative Tools – Services. Scroll down to Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service and double-click on it. If the service isn’t already started, click on the Start button. Then go to Control Panel – Windows Firewall, and click on Change Settings (Vista only), and click on the Exceptions tab (Vista/XP). Make sure the boxes next to “UPnP Framework” and “Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service” is checked.

On your PS3, you may see some DLNA protocol error notifications (we did). Sometimes this was because one of our computers had gone to sleep, and sometimes it remained a mystery. And operation can be quirky: For example, suddenly the PS3 might temporarily become unable to copy multiple items, or it won’t find all the subfolders in a folder. Odd problems like these usually disappear quickly. If they don’t, try restarting your media server software and PS3.

If you’ve run into any other problems using this guide, please let us know in the Comments section!

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Showing 73 comments

  1. How to get the most out of your new PlayStation 3 – Gaming Information Blog at 11:13pm 11th January 2012 [...] tips on how to set up the PS3 as a media center check out our advice for PC and [...]
  2. How to get the most out of your new PlayStation 3 | Gadget and Gadgets Reviews. at 4:48am 1st January 2012 [...] tips on how to set up the PS3 as a media center check out our advice for PC and [...]
  3. How to get the most out of your new PlayStation 3 | Science & Technology News at 3:55am 31st December 2011 [...] tips on how to set up the PS3 as a media center check out our advice for PC and [...]
  4. How to get the most out of your new PlayStation 3 (Digital Trends) | Way to SMS, Free Texting Online at 11:38pm 30th December 2011 [...] tips on how to set up the PS3 as a media center check out our advice for PC and [...]
  5. How to get the most out of your new PlayStation 3 | The World News at 4:31pm 30th December 2011 [...] tips on how to set up the PS3 as a media center check out our advice for PC and [...]
  6. ProjectGamers.com » Blog Archive » How to get the most out of your new PlayStation 3 at 4:36am 30th December 2011 [...] tips on how to set up the PS3 as a media center check out our advice for PC and [...]
  7. How to get the most out of your new PlayStation 3 | Virtual Data Room at 10:15pm 29th December 2011 [...] tips on how to set up the PS3 as a media center check out our advice for PC and [...]
  8. How to get the most out of your new PlayStation 3 | Softmodding.com at 7:05pm 29th December 2011 [...] tips on how to set up the PS3 as a media center check out our advice for PC and [...]
  9. How to get the most out of your new PlayStation 3 at 4:23pm 29th December 2011 [...] tips on how to set up the PS3 as a media center check out our advice for PC and [...]
  10. Buy Guaranteed Facebook Fans at 11:53pm 27th November 2011 Online Article... [...]very few websites that happen to be detailed below, from our point of view are undoubtedly well worth checking out[...]...
  11. Server setup | Imperialtaco at 11:11pm 28th May 2011 [...] Playstation 3 Media Server SetupLearn how to use your Playstation 3 as both a media server and a media hub with this easy guide. … Home » Gaming » Playstation 3 Media Server Setup … Xbox 360 Media Server Setup… By admin in Uncategorized  You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. [...]
  12. Andreas Metzner at 10:28pm 18th February 2011 Ummm i could not find the up np check box when directed to go throught the firewall setting ...found the wmp check sharing....thanks How can i find or make it come up on that service list?
  13. Sony PlayStation 3 – Owner’s Delight « Buy Green Seed Worlds Most Popular Blog Spot With All New Information You Will Need On How To Google Facebook YouTube Twitter at 3:03pm 7th February 2011 [...] electronics reviews,technology news and videos. Visit our site to benefit from discussions on PS3 media server and information.Author: Jacob BrownArticle Source: EzineArticles.comAnti-Cancer //interstitial ad [...]
  14. Get the reviews of Cirgon Encore Digital Media Server | MikesReview.net at 7:50pm 1st January 2011 [...] electronics reviews,technology news and videos. Visit our site to benefit from discussions on digital media servers and [...]
  15. William at 6:09am 23rd November 2010 Hi, I was wondering wheres the AOSS (AirStation One Tou ch Secure System) button is located for the ps3. Its something to do with wireless internet or wifi
  16. waddup at 2:41pm 21st November 2010 Do I need to keep my pc turned on to keep sharing media?
  17. John at 3:08pm 4th November 2010 I tried to follow the instructions to setup the ps3 but when it came selecting the ssid there was nothing like that on my screen. Where are the rest of the instructions to configure all the features you talked about?
  18. How To Get Hulu on Your PS3 | Stylish First at 4:54am 19th October 2010 [...] license negotiations, and Hulu may have been angling for an exclusive deal with either Sony of Microsoft, but nothing has come from that.  Whatever the reasons, the end result is that PS3 users got [...]
  19. Sony PlayStation 3 – Owner’s Delight | bawel.us at 4:08pm 9th October 2010 [...] electronics reviews,technology news and videos. Visit our site to benefit from discussions on PS3 media server and [...]
  20. Mexico at 4:15pm 24th September 2010 Hola Amigos
    1. Castian at 3:23am 30th September 2010 Que Pex
  21. Sony PlayStation 3 – Owner?s Delight « Best Resources for Gaming Information and News at 12:29pm 18th September 2010 [...] electronics reviews,technology news and videos. Visit our site to benefit from discussions on PS3 media server and [...]
  22. Kuba Jake Jozefczyk at 4:46pm 31st August 2010 my WMP doesnt recognize any devices when I open it, any thoughts on that, I go to Library, click Media Sharing but the box is empty, please help...
  23. Get the reviews of Cirgon Encore Digital Media Server | Digihedo.de at 11:45pm 29th August 2010 [...] electronics reviews,technology news and videos. Visit our site to benefit from discussions on digital media servers and [...]
  24. Sony PlayStation 3 – Owner?s Delight | Sony PlayStation Gizmos at 9:46am 19th August 2010 [...] electronics reviews,technology news and videos. Visit our site to benefit from discussions on PS3 media server and [...]
  25. Jeroen at 9:02am 17th August 2010 but my meter counts the gigabytes... are you sure they won't count to my limit? i hope my internet won't become slow one of these days =)
  26. Jeroen at 9:59pm 17th July 2010 i have a program that counts the downloadactivity on my pc, and when i use the sharing my pc is uploading this data to the ps3. This is for everyone the same but my question is if this counts with my downloadlimit. I can download 75gb a month but 1 movie is 10gb worth of uploading. So if this counts, i can't watch many movies per month. I've been looking around a bit and i found that if it's connected to the local network, it's not counting. But if it's connected to the internet it does counts so if anyone could pull out their internetcable or turn internet off while sharing or watching a movie and comment their observations here and if it still works without internet (pc, not the ps3) it would be greatly appriciated. thanx and greetings
    1. Dave at 12:19pm 7th August 2010 It doesn't count at all. The bandwidth is only being shared between your PC and the PS3. Your router controls this and thus your internet provider doesn't even know that anything is being streamed even when you're surfing the web at the same time. Consider this your own personal internet that is free and is only limited by connection types and router control. Things like Netflix and Pandora on the other hand are completely different and are requesting bandwidth from an external (Internet) source (ie a Netflix server).
  27. tversity convert at 4:45am 8th July 2010 TVersity BEST, PROGRAM, EVER! if you're having trouble with windows media player don't even bothed, d!cked around for hours with it, install TVersity and wollah, done,
  28. Frank at 2:20am 4th July 2010 How do you move control to your remote from the controller?
  29. david at 10:25pm 27th June 2010 i keep trying to do this but my ps3 wont show up in the share my media box. can someone please help me? what can i do to make the ps3 show up in the box? reply please
  30. Sony PlayStation 3 – Owner?s Delight | Console Spot at 4:18pm 25th June 2010 [...] electronics reviews,technology news and videos. Visit our site to benefit from discussions on PS3 media server and [...]
  31. Sony PlayStation 3 – Owner?s Delight — GadgetzBuzz.com - Tech news and gadget reviews at 1:53am 21st June 2010 [...] electronics reviews,technology news and videos. Visit our site to benefit from discussions on PS3 media server and [...]
  32. Sony PlayStation 3 – Owner’s Delight « FeverGame.Com at 12:47am 19th June 2010 [...] electronics reviews,technology news and videos. Visit our site to benefit from discussions on PS3 media server and [...]
  33. mfarney at 7:25am 3rd June 2010 I never took the time to learn how these game platforms can be used for other things than just playing games. My boys want a PS3 for Christmas and seeing how it's more than just for games, I think I'll get them one with the condition that I get to "play" with it too. I want to make it work as a media server. Thanks a lot for the tip!
    Mathew Farney | UK VPS
  34. Chuck Baldwin at 5:41pm 4th May 2010 PS3MediaServer works great on OS X too. Not sure why the article only mentions the windows version. Watching a movie from my Mac right now.
  35. jpcarvalhinho at 2:33am 21st April 2010 OK.. thxs...

    About PC! = windows you are very right... my bad. it's the oversimplifications of life that get us in tight spots.
  36. HUGGYBEAR at 7:49pm 20th April 2010 Your PC is the server serving the media through the network to the PS3 which is the client. Yes, the person who wrote the article is dumb.
  37. HUGGYBEAR at 7:43pm 20th April 2010 Yes, you are very correct. This would not make the PS3 a media server, this would merely setup your PC as a media server to be used with your PS3.

    And a Mac is a PC (personal computer)... PC does NOT = windows
    1. Casey at 1:18pm 24th November 2010 Maybe not technically does PC=Windows, but in reality it does. It is so common a usage in our society that it has become interchangeable with Windows/Microsoft. You hear it all the time. "Do you have a PC or a Mac." I would suggest getting used to it since it has been in use for well over a decade and doesn't look like it's going anywhere. Personally, I think you make perfect sense, but just get passed it and save yourself the frustration.
      1. Casey at 1:20pm 24th November 2010 Oh, now I see you were just clarifying an earlier post. Nevermind.
  38. webediving at 5:30am 12th March 2010 you need to do mac for both ps3 and the computer,not just the one
  39. corey at 12:50pm 11th March 2010 I am having the same problem. any suggestions
  40. spook54 at 2:34pm 10th March 2010 hi guys im quit stupid,when it comes to computer things, can anyone explaine to me how to wireless send itunes about 35gb worth to my ps3 80gb, the blue wireless light is not on any more after i used a lan cabel,to try to link the too im fed up with it the ps3 picks up 8/9 wire less cons all securty protected i have to use a dongel for internet access, marc
  41. Chris at 9:24am 14th February 2010 Were is the server? A server serves media through the network to other clients. This looks mor like a client
  42. Ian Bell at 11:04am 12th February 2010 Try Tveristy.
  43. alexk82 at 9:12am 12th February 2010 is there something free that will allow you to stream hulu?
  44. Ian Bell at 11:05pm 3rd February 2010 hmm not sure. I use Tversity for streaming movies to my PC, I find it works better and more smoothly than the native built in Windows Media Player capabilities of the PS3. Plus Tversity is free.
  45. ride4lyfe at 9:09pm 3rd February 2010 i had problem after problem and spent half the day trying to get WMP 11 to work. I installed PS3 Media Server and within minutes, i was watching a movie on my HDTV via my PS3 and home network. i recommend it 100%
  46. kayroo at 1:45am 3rd February 2010 ten feet maybe. Negative. like right now i downloaded house and have been watching it and it hasnt stuttered once. so i guess it only does it on some movies. also, i removed it from my computer and re downloaded pms. do you think that might have fixed it?
  47. Ian Bell at 12:23pm 2nd February 2010 How far away are you streaming it from? Does it do it with all movies?
  48. kayroo at 12:02pm 2nd February 2010 sorry not enough info.....i have a 80gb ps3 and ps3 media server and i am streaming from my laptop computer and when i'm watching a movie it stops or stutters every few seconds. how do i fix this problem?
  49. kayroo at 11:36am 2nd February 2010 i have an 80gb ps3 and ps3 media server but when i watch movies it studders all the time. how do i fix this?
  50. jiminohio at 1:31pm 31st January 2010 1/31/10 downloaded PS3 Media Server, and it works GREAT !!! THANKS !!!
  51. Brandon at 3:59pm 26th January 2010 Question, my brother and I are tinkering around trying to get the PS3 Media Server to work. I tapped into the router and enabled MAC Address Cloning and what happens is the PS3 can connect to the computer through the router, however, I can no longer access the Internet through the computer. When I disable MAC Address Cloning I can no longer connect to the computer through the PS3, however, I can resume use of the Internet on the computer. Any thoughts on how I can use the computer as a media server AND be able to connect to the Internet on the computer?
  52. tom_naza at 6:09am 19th December 2009 duh!!

    Gr8 Tut!
    But I still prefer PS3 MediaServer. The only 1 where I got working subtitles.
    Does anyone knows if it's possible to capture the PS3MS stream on my WM6 PDA (HTC TYNYII)?
  53. dang at 6:22pm 13th December 2009 The point is being able to watch your movies that are on a hard drive on your TV, or to listen to your music through your home theater system instead of having to watch them on your computer.
  54. james braselton at 6:13pm 13th December 2009 HI THERE WHATS THE POINT OF HAVEING CONSOLES AS MEDIA SEVERS DO YOU HAVE ANY CLUE HOW LONG A HARD DRIVE I WOULD ONLY USE ONE IF I COULD CAN GET ONE WITH A LIGHTING FAST SSD SOLID STATE FLASH DRIVES 10,000 RPM VOLOCI-RAPTORS OR 15,000 RPM CHEETEAS HARD DRIVES OR LASER HARD DRIVES 160 TB/S OR 160 TERABYTES PER SECOND OR NANOSPHERS AT 2.5 TIMES FASTER THEN LIGHT SPEED I REALY WANT LIGHTING FAST ACESS TOO MY MEDIA FILES
  55. Ian Bell at 10:55am 11th December 2009 I use Tversity at home and it seems to work fine. I haven't accessed Hulu in a while, but it worked last time I tried.
  56. Chantel at 10:18am 11th December 2009 Is there anything out there to integrate the HULU and Netflix for MAC? Playon is simply PC.
  57. joaocarvalhinho at 9:21am 30th November 2009 Well... just tell me one thing I must be getting wrong:

    Where does this setup configure PS3 as a MEDIA SERVER? I could see as a mediastreamer, a media player of networked files... but a server?

    I wish I could use it as a web SERVER, a mail SERVER, and a file/media SERVER (replacing a NAS)... without loosing it's beautifull interface (i.e. by installing linux)...

    I could then offload all the content of my computers to the PS3, play them on the tele and Stereo when desired, and still have them available on my laptops when the computers are on the network... this is a media server type of usage... not the one you describe.

    But never the less... great piece! very detailed, and lot's of alternatives for MEDIA SERVER software for your PC and Mac... not for PS3.
  58. Paulo at 7:56am 25th November 2009 Great how to - worked like a charm, took 10 min to setup - thanks for mentioning the mystery dlna errors.
  59. iway at 1:40pm 24th November 2009 the set up its the easiest with mac os x and the ps3 playing music and pictures is extremely easy however the videos buffer too much its choppy and you cant really enjoy watching a movie or video of any sort.
  60. dayne at 10:59pm 20th November 2009 Matt you just have to share the folders with your files in them. right click on the folder you want to share then properties, sharing tab then enable. easy as.........
  61. matt at 12:18am 19th November 2009 not a very good guide but it gets the general idea out there. was still quite a challenge.

    i finally got it to find my pc, but all the folders were empty. anyone know the folder on my pc i got to put my files in to so my ps3 can find them?
  62. just passing through at 3:48pm 18th November 2009 Deano, you'd have to setup static ip addresses for each and use a crossover cable to connect the two.
  63. Deano at 1:36am 16th November 2009 hi i dont have a routour just a laptop with wirless a HDTVand ps3 and i was wondering can i use my ethernet cable through my laptop to the ps3 and share my media through that i tried it once but it failed and does it need to be connected to the internet through the cable if i want to put my movies and music onto the ps3 from my laptop :)
  64. Bane at 10:32am 3rd November 2009 @james Yes, it is.
  65. Dammy at 5:55am 31st October 2009 As far as am concern play stations is d best keep it up.
  66. James at 6:10pm 27th October 2009 Chris, is that better than Tversity you think?
  67. chris at 5:37pm 27th October 2009 PlayOn from http://www.themediamall.com/playon fixes that Hulu problem for PS3 users. It allows you to stream HULU as well as Netflix on the PS3 after entering your netflix account information. PS3 Media Server and PlayOn are the way to go!
    1. jim at 7:35pm 13th July 2010 Hey i have a ps3 and cant seem to be able toplay in either wmp or real player, also it wont play in flash hd. what can I do? thanks.
      1. Andrew at 3:21am 3rd August 2010 With WMP, you need to make sure sharing is enabled, there are plenty of youtube videos showing how to do this. Also, make sure you're under "music" in the XMB if you're playing music, video if video etc. otherwise, the ps3 won't see the files. I've never set it up with real player, so I'm no help there. As for flash hd, I assume you mean usb thumbdrives or harddrives, you need to make sure the files are in a folder located inside the root folder that the ps3 file system can understand. example: E:MUSICmusicfile.mp3 Make sure you create a folder called MUSIC for music, VIDEO for videos, and PICTURE for pictures, otherwise the ps3 can't see the files...
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