TOKYO--Sony Computer Entertainment has released a new patch for the PSP that updates the handheld's system software to version 2.50. The update gives the PSP a number of new features, with the biggest addition being the Location Free Player option.

PSP owners will be able to watch TV and play back video recordings through the Internet using the handheld's wireless LAN connection and one of Sony's Location Free TV Base Stations (LF-PK1). The LF-PK1 is a network-enabled TV tuner that lets PCs remotely view television, and it sells for around the price of 29,800 yen ($260).

By hooking up the base station to the Internet, PSP owners can remotely access and check out various TV shows, even if they're overseas. The base station also connects to DVD-HDD recorders and other home video equipment, letting PSP owners remotely play back recordings from their homes.

The PSP update to 2.50 comes with other convenient features as well, one of which is the function to automatically sync the hardware's clock to the correct time via Internet connection.

Sony Computer Entertainment warns that this update to 2.50 is only for Japanese PSPs with model numbers of PSP-1000, PSP-1000 K, or PSP-1000 KCW. There are no guarantees that the patch will operate properly on other PSPs. The company will release patches for PSPs in other countries in the near future, as soon as they are ready.

Details on the 2.50 update patch are below:

Network Functions:
- Added Location Free Player support
- Added Auto-Select and Unicode (UTF-8) as text encoding options in Internet browser
- Added function to save display mode and font size settings in Internet browser
- Internet browser now saves form input history

Video Functions:
- Added capability to play back copyright protected movies saved on Memory Stick Duo.

Settings Functions:
- Added function to automatically set time and date through Internet, via wireless LAN.
- Added WPA-PSK(AES) as network security format.

Miscellaneous Functions:
- Added Korean input through keyboard.