PS3 for beginners

How do I connect to the net?

Simply select ‘yes’ to everything in your Internet Connection (under ‘Settings’) and PS3 should find the net and be up and running. For any problems, just phone your internet service provider and tell them you’ve got a PS3 - you’ll need to know the primary and secondary DNS numbers they use. Choose ‘Manual’ rather than ‘Auto’ and enter those digits into the settings.

How do I add Friends?

Like any good party, the trick is being invited. Your PS Network ID is the key here. Tell this to a friend and they can send you a Friend Request message from their PS3. The friend request will then appear on your PS3. Simply say ‘Yes’ and both of you will have icons for each other on your machines. Now sending a message is just a click away, as is the ability to see when their PS3 is switched on and what they’re playing.

How do I download stuff from the store?

The PS Store is in your PS3’s Network menu. Select this for many free and reasonably priced downloads. We find the best way to keep abreast of what’s hot is to check the ‘Recent Additions’ and ‘Top Downloads’ charts on the right of the front page. Simply click on them to start the download. Then choose ‘Perform in Background’ to do other things on your PS3 while they download. Sadly you can’t yet play movies or games while downloading, but you can still surf the net without pausing the process.

How do I play music and video on my PS3?

All music and video appear on the Music and Video menus. Simple. Insert a CD and you can rip it to your hard drive from the Music menu. Video is slightly tougher. No, you can’t rip DVDs or Blu-rays. Movies have to be in the right (MP4) format to play. These are easily available from the PS Store.

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