Although the Playstation 3 maybe a multimedia machine, looks like only a small percent of gamers actually do other things on it other than play games. And Blu-ray certainly isn't too happy about the PS3 not having a role in the disc format war, since after all it is one of few machines with Blu-ray drive.

Sony's PlayStation 3 console will not have any effect on the final outcome of the high-definition disc battle between Blu-ray and HD DVD . New research shows that of the 80 per cent of US households which own a games console, only 13 per cent actually use it to watch movies.

Many console-owners are not even aware that their games machine can play DVD movies.

"Today's next-generation games consoles such as the Xbox 360 or Sony PS3 are true digital multimedia powerhouses," commented Dale Gilliam III, director of primary research and author of the report at The Diffusion Group .

"Yet very few of these devices are connected to the internet. And even though these same platforms may feature a high-definition DVD playback system, very few consumers are using them for non-gaming media applications," he said.

Supernouva via tech.co.uk »