How to choose an HDTV (TNT’s Step by Step guide to selecting a High Definition Television)

This is a very simple process intended to narrow your choices to a few HDTV’s. It looks long, but you should be able to skip sections, so it shouldn’t be that bad.

1) Determine where the HDTV will be placed. (Bedroom, Living Room, Kitchen, etc.)

2) Go to the room and figure out where the HDTV will go and where you will sit. This might be a good time for furniture re-arrangement. You may want to consider putting your HDTV in a place that does not get direct sun light, but is still within reasonable reach of an electric socket and cable or satellite hook-up. It’s just not pretty to see a bunch of cables running along the wall.

3) Measure the space available for the HDTV. If you have a cabinet, measure the width, height and depth, if you are placing it in a kitchen, make sure you have enough counter space, etc. Write these numbers down.

4) Measure the distance from your primary viewing area (where most of the viewing will be done, sitting or standing) to the HDTV. Write this number down and go to a store with a large selection of HDTVs. Print this guide out, bring a tape measure and the primary viewer(s).

5) At the store, measure from the floor displays, the distance that you wrote down in step #4, and see what size is most comfortable for THE PRIMARY VIEWER(S)! I know there are charts and “rules” that people have come up with, but EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT! There are people who sit at back of a movie theatre and there are people who sit all the way in the front. It is a matter of personal preference! Don’t let some salesperson or some stupid chart tell you otherwise! Choose a screen size (in inches measured diagonally) you prefer. This is your preferred screen size. If one person likes a large size and another prefers a small size, write down the larger size. The reason for this is that there are some HDTV’s with a zoom feature that lets you watch at 50% or less, so a 42” HDTV can show a 21” picture. There are no 19” HDTV’s that can show a 42” that I am aware of. ;) Also note that if you are watching standard definition programs PROPERLY on a widescreen HDTV, you WILL have black bars on the sides. Also the screen size will be noticeably smaller. So if you are used to a 27” Standard TV, you would need a 33” screen in order to display a 27” standard picture. For a standard 32”, 39” would be widescreen the equivalent. Simply multiply the standard TV size by 1.22 to get the widescreen equivalent. Now they don’t make 33” and 39” wide screen sets, so you will have to go to the next closest size, say a 32” or a 40”.

6) Now that you know what size HDTV you want, make sure that it fits within the dimensions you wrote down earlier. If it does not fit, the laws of physics require you to choose a television with a smaller cabinet. Notice I did not say smaller screen. You should check the dimensions of different HDTV’s. There are some thin bezel HDTV’s that might fit where a regular size TV may not.

7) If your preferred screen size (from Step #5) is less than 40” then your only choice is an LCD TV (There are exceptions like the 11” OLED from Sony, but this guide is meant to be simple) so you can skip to step 13. Otherwise, keep reading.

8) If you are reading this, your preferred screen size is 40” or larger. You have a choice of LCD, Plasma, LCoS and DLP. Now the latter two are typically rear projection units (not thin), and WERE cost effective options for screen sizes 60” and up. However, with the declining manufacturing costs of LCD’s and Plasmas, the difficulties of viewing rear projections sets at an angle and in brightly lit rooms, and the larger amount of space they occupy, these sets are quickly becoming an unattractive option and are hard to find in stores. You EFFECTIVELY have a choice of LCD or Plasma. First question. Will your HDTV be used with a computer or a media center PC? If so, go to step 9. Is the room you chose in step #1 bright? If so, please go to step 10. Will you be watching a lot of TV programs with constant tickers, like CNBC or ESPN News? If yes, please go to step 11. Will the HDTV be used to play a lot of video games with static images, such as games with status bars which are continuously displayed? If so, please go to step 11. Will this HDTV unit be left on for extended periods of time, such as in a Bar? If so go to step 11. Is being green important to you? Then go to step 12. If you’ve made it this far, you’re looking at a plasma. A plasma has very nice picture quality great for watching movies and sports with fast action. It has nice dark blacks and typically costs less than a comparable size LCD. Skip to step 15.

9) An LCD is great for PC use because it will not burn in like a plasma. If you intend to hook up a PC to your TV, make sure it has an input that is compatible with your PC such as an RGB or DVI input.

10) An LCD is more visible in a bright room than a plasma HDTV because it is brighter. It also reduces glare because the screen is typically a matte finish. Please note that there are some LCDs with glossy screens which may have just as much glare as a plasma. Please choose an LCD with a matte finish if your room is bright. Skip to step 13.

11) An LCD is much less susceptible to burn in when compared to plasma TVs. Therefore an LCD is recommended if a lot of static images will be displayed for a long time, such as when a lot of video games will be played, or tickers on TV will be watched for extended periods. Please skip to step 13.

12) An LCD consumes significantly less energy than a plasma TV of similar size. If reducing your carbon footprint is high on your agenda, you may want to consider getting an LCD. You might also consider getting a smaller TV, as smaller sets consume less energy.

13) Now you know that you want an LCD HDTV. Remember, if you compromised with your significant other and chose a larger TV, choose a TV which has the ½ X zoom feature. If you intend to watch a lot of TV off axis, I recommend moving the TV set, but if you can’t, a plasma may be a better choice. However, many LCD’s now have great viewing angles, so you should be able to find one which works well for you. If you like to watch a lot of sports, or a lot of movies with fast action, go to step 14. Also, if you want the “Best of the Best of the Best, Sir!” go to step 14. Otherwise, skip to step 15.

14) If you watch programs with a lot of fast movement, you will probably want to consider one of the 120Hz LCD HDTVs. TV’s capable of 120Hz effectively double the frame rate of what you are watching. This can reduce the “blurring” some people notice on LCD TV’s. Now here comes a theme I will keep repeating. If you do not notice the ”blurring”, or do not see the difference between a regular 60Hz HDTV and a 120Hz HDTV or actually prefer the 60Hz HDTV, get the 60Hz because it is cheaper! Some people do not like the 120Hz feature because they feel it gives the image a “Soap Opera” look. If you like the 120Hz feature, make sure you check out the different brands, as different manufacturers implement the 120Hz technology differently, and you may prefer the picture quality of one better than another. So, if and only if you notice a difference and like it, a 120Hz LCD is your preferred television.

15) Now that you have selected the type of TV you want, you must now select the resolution. If you chose an LCD which is less than 37”, you basically have one choice which is 720p, so you can skip to Step 17.

16) Instead of having one standard resolution like in the good old days, you now have choice of 720p, 1080i and 1080p (although 1080i is a dying breed) and others which shall go nameless for simplicity’s sake. The 720 or 1080 refers to the number of lines of resolution. The higher the number, the more detailed the picture. The “p” stands for progressive and “i” stands for interlaced. An interlaced image is created by “painting” the odd numbered lines first and then the even lines. This process is repeated over and over. In a progressive image, ALL the lines, odd and even are “painted” progressively, or in sequence in the same time an interlaced image does just the odd lines. The end result is that with a progressive scan TV, you get a more stable picture with less flickering. Now, there’s a lot of opinion out there by a lot of people about what resolution is necessary at what screen size and at what viewing distance. Hogwash. It all depends on your preferred viewing distance (step 4), your eye sight, and your perceptive abilities. Some one with 20/20 vision will see a lot more detail than someone with 20/200. Also, some people either don’t notice or are not bothered by flickering. IT’S ALL UP TO YOU! You’re still at the store, right? Go to the CLOSEST distance you will be watching the TV from. This is the distance where you are most likely to notice any differences. Then compare 720p sets with 1080i and 1080p sets within the size you have chosen. One important thing to note, is that you must be comparing apples to apples; which is not always easy. If you are comparing two sets, you should make sure that the same source is going to the televisions you are comparing using the same type of input (HDMI/Component). If you are comparing two sources on the same TV (720p/1080p), you ideally want the same type of input as well. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. Electronics stores typically use whatever connection happens to be available at the time to hook up their televisions. Now you will have to make a very hard decision. You need to decide if you can see the difference. If you can, I recommend getting a 1080p set. Now some people will argue that there are no 1080p broadcasts out there. That may be true, but Blu-ray and Game consoles (PS3 and Xbox 360) output 1080p. And you never know what will happen in the future. So, if you can tell the difference, go for 1080p. If you can’t, save yourself a few bucks.

17) Now you should know, the size of the TV you want, the type of HDTV (LCD/Plasma), the resolution (720p/1080i/1080p), and whether you want a 120Hz panel. Now, here are some things I feel a HDTV MUST have, so you can knock off any that don’t. You should make sure your set has at least 1 HDMI input, preferably more. HDMI only requires one cable and makes hooking up your TV a breeze. I see it becoming standard in the future. You should also have at least one component video input. An ATSC tuner is necessary if you want to be able to get over-the-air broadcasts. Most large new sets should have an ATSC tuner, but if you’re going to be using a set top box, you don’t really need it. That’s it!

18) Up until now, we have only concerned ourselves with our wants, and not with what our budgets can accommodate. By now you probably have your eyes set on a pretty nice TV. So, if your ideal TV is a bit beyond your budget, what can you do? Shop around and look for sales. You may be able to find some nice deals on the internet from a trusted seller. Remember that returning items on the internet is often more difficult. Next, you must compromise. I suggest compromising in this order. First, look for sets without the 120Hz feature if you were hoping to get it. Next, go to a 1080i or 720p. Then, you can downsize by one or two sizes. You can often pay much less by getting a screen that is one size smaller. Lastly, you can wait. HDTV prices are always falling, and you can save up for the television as well. Good Luck!

What inspired me to write this was seeing a woman asking for advice from a sales associate at a local warehouse club. While the associate was surprisingly knowledgeable, he was just throwing facts at her. She started to get that “Although I thought I wanted to purchase a TV today, I’m so confused, I think I’m going to go home to think about it” look I have seen before. By coincidence, I saw her again at the checkout, and started talking to her. In the short time I talked to her while on line, I was able to give her some advice, but not enough for her to make an informed decision. I later thought how nice it would have been to have been able to just give her my blog address and walk her through the process. Although I know that she probably won’t be reading this blog, I hope that I can help others like her purchase the right HDTV for themselves.

I hope you found this guide useful. If you did, please tell your friends.

Review of the Seiko SKX031K2 Automatic Submariner Homage Mod by Yobokies

Click on Pictures to Enlarge

This is a review of the Seiko SKX031K2 Automatic Submariner Homage as Modified by Yobokies

I ordered this on the 30th of September and received it from Hong Kong on the 7th of October. I was in the market for a Submariner Homage, and after much research, I ended up purchasing this one. I also seriously considered the Orient 2ER00001B (Submariner Homage), Orient CEM65001B(Black Mako) and the Invicta 8926C (Submariner Homage with Coin Edge Bezel). All of these are below $200 and can be obtained for significantly less on the Internet. Now all of the above watches are fine watches and although very similar, have slight differences which allow them to appeal to different people with different tastes.

There were certain things which I was looking for in a submariner homage, and Yobokies' Mod ended up meeting my criteria. Specifically, I wanted a Submariner Homage with a coin edge bezel, Day/Date or Date with Cyclops (although Day/Date was preferred), a Solid Steel link Bracelet, good reliability, and Rolex Submariner style (Mercedes Style) hands.

All of the above mentioned watches have a coin edge bezel, but only the Seiko had a "true" Coin edge, in that the grooves extend all the way through the thickness of the bezel. The others, including Rolex submariners, have for lack of a better term, "partial" coin edges, where the groves start at the top edge of the bezel and flare out towards the bottom. This effectively creates a micro scalloped bezel. I personally prefer the "true" coin edge. While on the topic of bezels, the Seiko's is bidirectional, as opposed to the others which are unidirectional. I personally don't care much either way, the unidirectional bezel being important if your life is on the line, the bidirectional being easier to handle. Another difference between the bezels besides the fonts used, is the fact that the Seiko does not have a lume dot at the 0 hour position. This I see as a negative, although one might argue that it might wear better over time, as one doesn't need to worry about the lume wearing off.

I personally love having a day/date feature, as I often forget the day of the week. The only reason I would have settled for a date with cyclops is because it is almost a prerequisite on a submariner homage. The Seiko has a nice silver border around the day/date. I loved the look of this compared to the other submariner homages where a hole is simply cut in the face. For me, the jury is still out on the cyclops feature. True, it looks cool and makes seeing the date easier, but it also forces you to look at the date head-on (perpendicular to the face) whereas without it, you can see the date from various angles. Also, the cyclops tends to attract dirt and scratches, so I prefer the Seiko on this feature.

A solid steel bracelet definitely makes a watch feel more substantial and solid. The other watches all come with solid steel bracelets, with the Invicta getting a lot of high praise. The Seiko, unfortunately, comes with a folded metal link bracelet. Enter Yobokies (Seikoboy spelled backwards). He offers a Seiko Super Oyster Bracelet as an option which I ordered. It is nice and solid, with screw type adjustment pins. It has a single deployment push-button clasp with Seiko logo. Yobokies also sends you the original bracelet which is not of the push button type. If you love your watches, you will surely appreciate the difference this bracelet makes over the stock bracelet.

With regards to reliability, both Seiko and Orient get high praise from owners. Invicta on the other hand seems to have its share of quality control issues. I'm not going to talk about what I have no experience with, as I have never owned an Invicta, but there are enough complaints about Invicta's customer service on the Internet to raise a few flags. Honestly, I may have purchased the Invicta were it not for the quality control issues. It has a nice display back which the others don't feature, hackability, manual winding and the previously mentioned nice bracelet. Who knows, when the itch comes back I may purchase an Invicta, but for now, I chose to go with a reliable watch.

The hands which come with the stock Seiko are arrow shaped, and not to my liking. The other watches besides the Mako have the Rolex Submariner style "Mercedes" hands. I like these hands for submariners. Yobokies, installs Mercedes hands on the Seiko. This in my opinion is much better than the stock hands. If I had to complain, it would be that the lume on the hands are ever so slightly whiter than the Seiko lume markers. Not a big deal, and definitely a big improvement over the stock hands.

In the end, the combination of the Day/Date feature, reliability, "true" coin edge bezel, and the fact that it was a mod lead me to choose the Seiko. Strangely, I find the fact that it is modified, cool and sexy.

One thing I didn't notice until I received the watch is that the Seiko face is not truly black. Rather, it is a very, very dark matte charcoal. I have fallen in love with this matte finish. The pictures don't do it justice, but the matte finish alone gives a more rugged, industrial feel to the watch. Had I known how nice this looks, it would have made my decision making precess that much easier.

The watch mechanically has 21 jewels, is not hackable, but is back hackable (the second hand can be stopped or even reversed with a slight backward twist of the crown). It also does not hand wind via the crown. The bezel as mentioned before is bi-directional and turns smoothly. The lume on the hands and markers are fine. It is water resistant to 100m and has a screw down crown.

One thing to note is that this watch is MODIFIED. Therefore, there is no warranty, and does not come with a box or instructions. It comes securely wrapped in clear plastic and Styrofoam. Yobokies was very quick to respond to my e-mails and a pleasure to deal with. To be clear, I am in no way affiliated with him nor have I ever met him.

I hope that this review might shed some light on the differences among various submariner homages, and introduce the possibility of modded watches to those looking for that perfect Submariner homage.

Orient Automatic Day / Date Watch Review (CET05001W)

Click on images for full size images.

This is a review of the Orient Automatic Day/Date (CET05001W) which I purchased at DiscountWatchsStore.com.

Price / Service / Delivery / Packaging

I ordered it on Friday, and it was at my doorstep on Monday from CT to NY. No complaints there. The price ($109, use coupon code PRE10 to get 10% off) was the best I could find on the Internet from an Authorized Dealer, and only a few dollars more than on e-bay. For a few bucks, I definitely prefer to have a manufacturer's warranty, although Orient watches have a great reputation in terms of reliability. Also, you get a nice Tiffany colored Microfiber Cloth with your purchase. The watch came packed in a plain brown cardboard box with some crumpled brown paper holding the watch box in place. Nothing to write home about, but it got the job done. The watch came in a black presentation box with instructions and a warranty card. Upon opening, the watch appeared to be handled. There was some dirt on the underside where the case meets the bracelet, and the sticker on the back which has the model number printed, was worn. The thin, clear plastic which usually covers and protects the bracelet was also absent. Additionally, although I ordered the bracelet unsized, the bracelet was sized to the smallest size, and additional links were included in a plastic bag, which I found unusual, as most watches come from the factory with all links attached. I called to confirm, and they were refreshingly honest and told me that sometimes watches are returned because customers just don't like the look/color/size and subsequently resold, after making sure there is nothing wrong with the watch. He told me that if there was anything wrong with the watch, they would gladly take it back. I'm OK with a returned watch, as one can't realistically expect these companies to return an item to the manufacturer just because a customer didn't like it. The watch I received didn't have any scratches, so I'm satisfied with the purchase.

Watch

Mechanically, the watch features 21 jewels and can not be hand wound by the crown. It is not hackable, but is back hackable (the second hand can be stopped by applying a slight backwards twist to the crown and holding it). The second hand sweeps relatively nicely, and steadily without any play. The face is a nice whitish silver with blue markings and dark blue hands. In the right light, they turn a cobalt blue. The face is beautifully textured which was the main feature which drew me to this watch. This watch comes in black and blue variants, but the white appealed to me most because the silver plays with light the most. There is a day subdial at 3 o'clock and a 24hr subdial at 11 o'clock. At the 6 o'clock position is the date window, and underneath is printed: Japan BK ET05-Aoo T. Only the hour and minute hands are lumed, the second hand is not. Round hour markings along the periphery are lumed as well. The watch is rated at 50m water resistance, and has a stainless steel case. The Crown is not a screw down type, but has the Orient twin lion insignia etched in it. The bracelet is composed of sold steel links, and has a decent feel to it, although I would prefer it to be a bit more substantial. There are 5 rows of links, and the second and fourth rows are polished, while the remaining rows are brushed. The clasp is of the push-button single deployment type with the Orient logo imprinted on the face. For the price I paid, I believe this is a great watch. It easily can pass for a $300+ watch. Gorgeous face, elegant looks, with a solid watch movement. Highly recommended.

SONY Playstation3 Dualshock3 Controller vs. Sixaxis vs. Dualshock2 Review

This is a review of the Japanese Playstation3 Dualshock3 Controller (Ceramic White version).

The Dualshock3 is the successor to the PS3 Sixaxis controller. Already out in Japan, the Dualshock3 is due to be released on April 15th in the United States. I was able to get a Dualshock3 in December from a friend in Japan. The good news is that the Japanese version works without problem on the American PS3. The Dualshock3 is currently available in two flavors: Ceramic White and Black. I got the white one and find it useful to differentiate between the Dualshock3 and the Black Sixaxis I own.

The main difference between the two controllers is the Dualshock function which causes the controller to vibrate during game play. This is similar to the function on the Dualshock2 which was available on the PS2. There are some subtle differences though.

PS3 Dualshock3 versus PS3 Sixaxis:

The first thing you notice is that the Dualshock3 at 192.0 grams is significantly heavier than the Sixaxis at 137.1 grams. This added weight is due to the rumble mechanism. If you're used to the old PS2 Dualshock2 controller, you'll like this better. I've owned this for over 3 months now and one thing I've noticed is that the analog joystick seems to be a bit more sensitive on the Dualshock3 than on the Sixaxis. This can be both a good thing and a bad thing. I suppose the greater sensitivity lends itself to finer control, but I also find myself slicing a lot more golf shots with the Dualshock3 because it is harder to move the joystick straight up and down. The difference between the two controllers is significant enough that I specifically use the Sixaxis over the Dualshock3 when playing golf games. If you're already used to the PS2 Dualshock2's vibrating controller, the Dualshock3 brings back what's been missing from PS2 games like Champions: Return to Arms, and adds another dimension to PS3 games like Motorstorm and Burnout Paradise. Battery life for the Dualshock3 is shorter than the Sixaxis with the vibration function enabled, but seems comparable with it disabled. With regards to the Sixaxis function, I didn't notice much of a difference between the two.

PS3 Dualshock3 versus PS2 Dualshock2:

Besides having the obvious differences like the addition of Sixaxis control and the new variable control R2 and L2 trigger buttons, the Dualshock3 is ever so slightly heavier than the Dualshock2. I'm guessing this is due to the added battery. However, if you were given one without the other to compare it to, it would be quite difficult to notice any difference in weight. In terms of analog joystick sensitivity, I would say that the Dualshock2 is similar to the Sixaxis, and that the Dualshock3 is more sensitive. The rumble feature on the Dualshock3 seems stronger than my PS2 controller, but not as precise. For example, in Champions: Return to Arms, the heart beat feels more realistic on the PS2. On the Dualshock3, it feels stronger, but more sloppy.

In summary, if you've owned a PS2 and miss the vibration function of the Dualshock2, the Dualshock3 is a definite buy. If you were never a big fan of the vibration function, but are uncomfortable with the weight of the Sixaxis, you might get one just for the heft and leave the vibration function off. If you're into golf games like I am, you may not want to get rid of your Sixaxis as I sincerely feel that the Sixaxis is a more forgiving "club". When all is said and done, there's little to complain about this upgrade to a classic design.

Thing Fling's "The Almost Mystery Box XXXII - Mystery Cables"

I just received my "The Almost Mystery Box XXXII - Mystery Cables" from Thing Fling via UPS and wanted to share what I received. Another nice box from Thing Fling!

Top Row from Left:

4- Monster Car Audio interlink 101XLN 1m

1- Monster Car Audio interlink 101 3m

1- Monster Video 3 1m

1- Monster Bass XLN 100 2.5m

2- Monster DVI400 2m

Middle Row from Left:

1- Leviton Phone Handset Cord 7ft

3- Monster Fire Link Cables (Loose)

1- 50' Cat 5e Flat Patch Cable

1- Monster Car Audio interlink 101XLN 3m

1- Richland Coaxial Cable (Loose)

1- Monster THX S-Video cable 4m

3- Generic Composite AV Cables (Loose)

1- Acoustic Research PR120 S-Video cable 3ft

1- Philips PXT1000 Composite Video Cable 6ft

1- RCA Fire Wire Cable 6ft

1- RCA Component Video & Optical Digital Audio Cables 6ft

Bottom Row From Left:

1- Monster Bass 300 2m

2- Philips Fire Wire Cable 6ft

1- Monster Standard interlink 200 Composite to Mini plug (Loose)

3- Gemini Retractable Cat 5e cables 3.9ft

2- Gemini Retractable USB cables 2.6ft

1- Monster Camlink 400 S-Video/Audio Cable (Loose)

3- Generic USB Cables

Overall not bad for $25 Shipped. I was hoping for a HDMI cable which I have gotten in the past, but you can't complain when you get 37 cables (28 not including loose cables) when you were promised 25. Click here to visit Thing Fling and see the details of the deal.

How to install a new Playstation 3 hard drive and NOT lose your data

Transfer your games, game-saves, video and music from your old Playstation 3 (PS3) HD to a new one.

What you will need:
1) A PC
2) External USB HD with at least as much capacity as the data you want to transfer over.
3) The 2.5" SATA HD you are going to install. (It must be a SATA 2.5" laptop HD)
4) A GOOD Philips head screwdriver.

What to do in a nutshell:
1) Format an external USB HD as Fat32
2) Connect external USB HD to PS3
3) Back up existing PS3 HD to external USB HD
4) Install new 2.5" SATA HD
5) Restore external USB HD data to new PS3 HD

What to do step by step:

Step 1: Format an external USB HD as FAT32!!!
Turn on your PC and connect the external USB drive to your PC. If you have a 20 GB PS3, then you can just format your drive as FAT32 and go to the next step. The PS3 only recognizes the FAT32 format so a NTFS formatted drive WILL NOT WORK.

If you need to save more than 32GB, then you will need to use a program like Western Digital's Data Life Guard Tools to format your HD as FAT32. Click here and download the Data Life Guard Tools. Install the program following directions. Plug in your USB HD and run the program. Click on "Set Up Your Hard Drive". Click on the USB tab, select your device and click next. Check "Select this box if you want to change advanced options". Then check "Custom Partition" and click next. Delete any partitions you may have. Slide the slider to 100% and click on "Properties". Check "FAT32"and hit OK. Click on "Add Partition" and then click next. Click "Erase", next, then "Yes". Click "Done" and close out the program. Your External USB HD is ready to use!

Step 2: Connect external USB HD to PS3
Remove your external USB Hard Drive from your PC and connect it to the PS3’s USB ports. Turn on PS3.

Step 3: Back up existing PS3 HD to external USB HD
On your Xross Media Bar (XMB) Go to Settings>System Settings>Backup Utility>Backup and follow directions (Copying a 60GB took me about 90 minutes).

Step 4: Install new 2.5" SATA HD
Power down your PS3 and turn off the PS3 with the switch in the back. Unplug your PS3.
Stand the PS3 on its Right side. On the top (left side of PS3), you should see a plastic cover with a sticker on it. Remove this cover. (I found the best way to do this without scratching anything is to put your fingernail in the slot on one end and squeeze the cover by pushing towards the other end. This will cause the cover to arch and the middle section of the cover should bulge towards you. While doing this, grab the bulging part of the cover with your other hand and pull up.) After the cover is removed, unscrew the blue screw making sure it doesn’t fall inside the unit. Flip up the wire handle and slide towards the front of the unit. Then slide the hard drive and bracket assembly out. There are four small silver screws that hold the HD in its bracket. A word of caution. The screws holding the HD to the HD bracket are VERY TIGHT. Make sure you have a good Philips head screwdriver and be careful not to strip the head of the screws. Before you remove the HD, compare it to the new one and make sure they are similar and also note its orientation with respect to the bracket. Remove the screws and replace the HD. Replace the 4 screws. Slide the HD back into the PS3 and then slide it towards the rear of the unit. Replace the blue screw and fold down the wire handle. Replace the plastic cover. Plug the PS3 back in and turn it on. The PS3 will now detect an unformatted drive and ask you of you want to format. Hit yes and restart the system when done formatting.

Step 5: Restore external USB HD data to new PS3 HD
Go to Settings>System Settings>Backup Utility>Restore and follow directions (Wait another 90 minutes). Restart.

That's it. You’re done.
If everything went well, all of your games, game saves, music, and videos, should be there. If you were part way through a video, it will even remember where you left off as well! Enjoy your new PS3!