New PS3 update adds new Blu-ray, PSP features

Firmware 2.20 will be coming before the end of the month, and will bring with it Blu-ray Profile 2.0.

The upcoming firmware update for the PlayStation 3 is going to bring with it a whole host of new Blu-ray and PlayStation Portable features. System software update 2.20 will be released in "late March," according to Sony, and will add Blu-ray Disc Profile 2.0 (otherwise known as BD-Live) to the PS3. BD-Live allows those with suitable players to access more features on Blu-ray Discs, some of which require Web-based interaction.

The features will vary from product to product, but there will also be the option for "interactive movie-based games," which can be played against other players locally or over the Internet. To download BD-Live, users will need 1GB of free space.

Firmware update 2.20 will also "enhance PS3's relationship with PSP." Those who own both will now be able to copy music and photo playlists to their PSPs.

A host of other minor features will also be coming, including a "Resume Play" feature for Blu-ray and DVD movies, which will let film fans restart their movies from the exact point they left off, even if the disc has been removed from the drive.

It's not just one-way traffic either; the update adds at least one PSP feature that looks set to enhance the PS3 experience. The new Remote Play setting will allow the PSP to be used as a remote control for music played on the PS3. The PS3 Internet browser will also be enhanced to make streaming video viewable on Web sites, and Sony says that the browser's speed has also been improved.

DivX and WMV format videos over 2GB in size will now be playable, and "Mosquito Noise Reduction" will be added as an AV setting in the control panel for "improved movie playback."

258 Comments

  • ivanfred

    Posted Mar 25, 2008 4:12 pm PT

    locoidontknow You really need a PSP to if you have a PS3. It makes it completely worthwhile. Nice update
    =======================================
    Correct. I like being able to copy my music playlists to my PSP. The DVD/BD resume feature was long overdue.

  • painpas

    Posted Mar 25, 2008 1:59 pm PT

    Firmware update to be able to choose whatever resolution you want for your games. Good update here though.

  • harleyd_78

    Posted Mar 25, 2008 12:53 pm PT

    The update is able to be downloaded!!!!

  • bentleylax2

    Posted Mar 25, 2008 7:28 am PT

    im sure the streaming video and stuff is for all the ppl who watch porn on their PS3...lol

  • lilmp89

    Posted Mar 24, 2008 3:35 pm PT

    Good stuff. The resume play will be useful for me. I'm quite happy with improved streaming abilities and more compatability for divX and WMV. =)

  • Kenji_the_Wolf

    Posted Mar 24, 2008 3:16 pm PT

    "Mosquito Noise Reduction"... Que es?

  • NovaSky

    Posted Mar 24, 2008 1:36 pm PT

    Cool, yes but where the hell is my HOME Sony? Don't fuk with me on this one...

  • Yuck_Too

    Posted Mar 24, 2008 6:51 am PT

    I do feel truly sorry for anyone who bought a stand alone blu-ray player.

  • rocoswav

    Posted Mar 23, 2008 6:54 pm PT

    @KingMyro has your pc and laptop been able to do that with bluerays too "for years"?

  • KingMyro

    Posted Mar 23, 2008 3:35 pm PT

    Karmacodelc18 wrote
    "Nice. Being able to restart my movie even with the disc removed is a nice touch. File that under BRILLIANT" Yeah...its a BRILLIANT feature that your average pc or laptop has had standard for YEARS. My laptop has HP DVD PLAYER. You can remove a movie, watch another (or 10 more) pop it back in, and it still remembers your position. Why it took Sony this long (and the 360 STILL does not have this feature) is beyond me. What good is a hard drive if you dont use it?

  • Karmacodelc18

    Posted Mar 23, 2008 12:56 am PT

    Nice. Being able to restart my movie even with the disc removed is a nice touch. File that under BRILLIANT

  • muscled_arbiter

    Posted Mar 22, 2008 4:14 pm PT

    YEEHAH! Thank you SONY!!! Bigger Divx Files Sizes A+!

  • Obliterati

    Posted Mar 22, 2008 3:56 pm PT

    Looks like a good update. Thanks Sony!

  • rob3nelson posted Mar 22, 2008 10:05 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    rob3nelson

    Posted Mar 22, 2008 10:05 am PT (hide)

    @Proust
    You know darn well that you didn't own all of those HD-DVD players. It's a good thing all of your blu-ray players are PS3s as those who bought stand-alone players were cheated since they required complicated firmware updates every few months to play the latest movies. Even then many complained they still could not play every blu-ray movie. Not so for HD-DVD. Just read reviews for blu-ray players on Amazon.com if you don't believe me. I was going to buy one before reading them. Now I'm stuck having to pay $400 for something I really don't want just to watch movies. Congrats Sony. You're "spin machine" sure as brainwashed a lot of ignorant kids.

  • woofie13

    Posted Mar 22, 2008 10:02 am PT

    WOW! I'm crazy excited for this update!
    thank you sony!

  • Proust

    Posted Mar 22, 2008 9:32 am PT

    Great update. All my Blu-ray players are PS3, and its what I recommend to friends and family - my spend more on a cheaper player. As for HD-DVD it was the inferrior product. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and admit you spent money on a losing product because it was cheap and not because it was the best. I bought several HD-dvd players (1 for $600). No regrets. As long as you bought your HD-DVD at least 8 months ago I'm sure you got your money's worth. And now all the movies will have all the features with twice the capacity (and lets face it HDplayers were crap, I should know I own 3 different models - is it really much to ask the player to respond quickly when I press a button on the remote?)

  • zer0ne

    Posted Mar 22, 2008 4:11 am PT

    PS3 rocks!

    As firmware keeps updating the console capabilities and adding more features, its no brainier that Sony is not afraid of Microsoft lead time on their XBox 360 release. Who knows, Microsoft will release another next-gen console to keep in pace with PS3.

  • realSHOTKILL

    Posted Mar 22, 2008 12:40 am PT

    pretty good update. nice job Sony! to all the the people complaining about HD DVD vs. Blu-ray crap...the cares...HD DVD lost. No one supported it and its name sucks. lets be honest here. Why are you fighting when Blu-ray allready won? Even if HD DVD had features Blu-ray didn't...since HD DVD is pretty much dead now, Blu-ray can use some of the features that made HD DVD worth buying.

  • Serious

    Posted Mar 21, 2008 11:56 pm PT

    Wow sony keep the goodies coming. Its great to see all of these new and cool features. Next make the Blu Ray region free and it will rock. and the games I can't say enough. I thought card games were stupid but now that I have played Eye of Judgment I've changed my mind. That's what I love about Sony they think out of the box and towards the future. I can't wait for Pixar to re-release the Incredibles in blu ray and I look forward to Advent children, Batman Begins, Appleseed and others. I love playing games with my friends on weekends but after awhile they thumbs get tired and its time for a burger run and watching crystal clear HD movies on my 40 in Hdtv is awesome. And being able to cruise the internet on the big screen is cool as well. Heck I'm doing this on my PS3 right now. something none of the other console can do.

  • rob3nelson

    Posted Mar 21, 2008 10:57 pm PT

    @MannysMedia
    Not the ole 1090i vs. 1080p crap again. I thought this was resolved. Un;less you've got 100" flat screen, you won't notice a bit of difference between 1080i and 1080p. This just shows me once again how much Sony fanboys are brainwashed by the Sony marketing hype. I'm glad I'm not in Sony's pocket.

  • rob3nelson

    Posted Mar 21, 2008 10:53 pm PT

    Tech-Head
    Son. You're obviously not much of a movie buff. Where have you been boy? Part of the reason true movie buffs like me bought dvds in the fist place was for all the extras that came with them. If you've watched Up in Smoke, Nice Dreams, or 2001 Space Oddyssey countless times like me, you buy the dvd mainly for the extras. Heck, if I just wanted to see the movie, I'd wait for it to appear on cable. I have all the movie channels. But, Sony fanboyz like you have no idea what either gamers or movie buffs want. That's why I said that Sony winning the hd wars was bad for movie buffs. You've just confirmed this opinion for me. Case closed.

  • 1keyblade

    Posted Mar 21, 2008 3:52 pm PT

    Awesome! I cant wait for this update.

  • juan99692k6

    Posted Mar 21, 2008 1:54 pm PT

    they need to work with the flash player for the browser. Still sucks that we can't play movie clips. like that

  • LoganTheGame

    Posted Mar 21, 2008 1:08 pm PT

    Tech-head.

    I bought a PS3 for Blu Ray and the fact that I like owning all the consoles.

    simple.

  • Tech-head

    Posted Mar 21, 2008 12:30 pm PT

    rob3nelson,

    Why is BD winning not good for movie buffs?

    BD is just now joining the party in terms of interactive content, agreed. A real movie buff cares about the movie, not online games, pop-up trivia and all that other nonsense.

    The HD-DVD camp kills me. They get all bent out of shape over no interactive features but they are totally fine with having inferior audio options to Blu-ray.

    Hmmm... which is more important, winning T-shirts, or watching movies with the best possible sound that is available?

    For a real movie buff rob3nelson, which I am, that answer is easy.

  • Tech-head

    Posted Mar 21, 2008 12:22 pm PT

    imortiferus,

    Please stop being ridiculous. There are plenty of BD players out there and most of them are not made by Sony. For you to think that all of the other manufacturers allowed Sony to come in and dumb down their products so that everyone would by PS3's is so laughable that it is bordering on psychotic.

    HD-DVD had standards that all players had to have certain things like ethernet ports and such. There were no rules in place that said that a BD player had to have those things, but that doesn't mean that they could not put them in if they wanted to. If their player is obsolete, it is their own fault, not Sony's.

  • Stevo_the_gamer

    Posted Mar 21, 2008 12:05 pm PT

    Well that's cool.

  • hovanPS3

    Posted Mar 21, 2008 11:54 am PT

    Got to love Sony...

  • capt_pepper23

    Posted Mar 21, 2008 11:48 am PT

    cool

  • souporchan

    Posted Mar 21, 2008 11:35 am PT

    Nice update, Sony.

  • mintvilla144

    Posted Mar 21, 2008 10:50 am PT

    lol makes me laugh when xbox fanboys go on about that it already had the resume play option for dvds, hmmmm like anyone can watch a dvd on their xbox with the noise them things make!! lol

  • imortiferus posted Mar 21, 2008 9:37 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    imortiferus

    Posted Mar 21, 2008 9:37 am PT (hide)

    Ohh Sony... nice to see that you are putting this massive effort on PS3 while letting the rest of the Blue Ray stand alone player owning world rust into obsolescence.

    Why can't Blue Ray owners not upgrade to profile 2, heck even 1.1? Oh that right, cause Sony crippled the hardware for the sake of their flagship player... the PS3. Upgrading was one area where HD-DVD was MILES ahead of BR all players came standard with that. Class action lawsuit? ohh I think thats coming. Or does sony think people will upgrade the full spec BR players that they are realesing this year?

    Any hoot though for PS3 owners this is fabulous! Enjoy

  • ChoadS

    Posted Mar 21, 2008 9:13 am PT

    Dude HD-DVD's format has always supported 1080p the first player didn't have 1080p and the low-end players don't.

  • GANGSTA287

    Posted Mar 21, 2008 8:46 am PT

    umm... i'm pretty sure video runs in 1080i at the best 1080i and 1080p both run at the same resolution... I'm not an expert on this, but my TV is a 1080p but when I'm running blu-ray movies it claims its on 1080i....
    whearas when i'm running games in 720p it claims to be running on 1080p...

    MannysMedia rob3nelson

    dude on day one HD-DVD was 1080i, blueray has always been 1080p.

  • MannysMedia

    Posted Mar 21, 2008 8:38 am PT

    rob3nelson

    dude on day one HD-DVD was 1080i, blueray has always been 1080p.

  • rob3nelson

    Posted Mar 21, 2008 8:09 am PT

    This just goes to show you how behind the curve Sony is. HD-DVD had all of these features from day one. I am far being impressed by the Blu-Ray technology >The only benefit it seems to offer is more storage space. Everything else about it - particularly the firmware - seems subpar. But like the inferior VHS technology, we're all going to be forced to buy into it - sooner or later. This is not a good time for those of us who are movie buffs.

  • fuelhandler

    Posted Mar 21, 2008 7:16 am PT

    lightningbugx, I have had several DVD players that had the "resume" function for DVDs which were being played. My 4 year old Panasonic 5-Disc unit could do this, as could my 3 year old 5-Disc Sony. My current HDMI upconverting Pioneer unit remembers where the DVD left off as well. This feature only works with the last half dozen discs played however. There must be a small amount of flash memory to index the discs in these machines. Anyway, my point is this feature has been around in DVD players for at least 4 years based on my experience. Looking forward to this feature on the PS3, as we use it as our primary movie machine on the living room TV and my wife has mentioned that she misses the resume feature.

  • mafdys

    Posted Mar 21, 2008 4:57 am PT

    SWEET, i like these updates!

  • lightningbugx

    Posted Mar 21, 2008 4:31 am PT

    How much of the HD-DVD features have been adopted into Blu-ray that the original Blu-ray backers thought were not needed?

    HD-DVD may have been a losing battle, but it did win some battles.

    The reason why DVD players did not have the special Resume Function described here is because DVD players did not have an internal storage device. The internal data storage is new to High definition format players.

  • MSG-Deathscythe

    Posted Mar 21, 2008 2:49 am PT

    these things sound good but have to wait. almost done with gow : coo and eagerly waiting for ff : cc. march is psp heaven.

  • kavadias1981

    Posted Mar 21, 2008 2:40 am PT

    I love the PS3

  • Franzkill

    Posted Mar 21, 2008 2:24 am PT

    dcmdream don't get me wrong I miss the old days too when it was just the Mega Drive and SNES but comments like that really get on my nerves sometimes.

    If you want to go back to playing Golden Axe and Alex Kidd all day long then be our guests but instead of having this stoic nature about games never wanting to change and develop mabye you should look at the entire world in general?

    Change happens my friend...

  • steveguttenberg

    Posted Mar 21, 2008 2:19 am PT

    DVD players should have had that "resume play" feature years ago. So this is good.

  • p00phead

    Posted Mar 21, 2008 12:58 am PT

    great new features love sonys firmware updates

  • Dungeoncrawler1

    Posted Mar 20, 2008 11:13 pm PT

    Thanks Sony! I've been awaiting the browser upgrade. It will be nice to stream videos over 2GB.

  • NandoSupes

    Posted Mar 20, 2008 8:27 pm PT

    this is going to be an excellent update,but where the hell is XMB in game and Home?,come on Sony get it done lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • MontanaJefe

    Posted Mar 20, 2008 8:24 pm PT

    Any improvements to the browser cant hurt maybe now it can be used as more than a novel feature in my house.

  • Shishio817

    Posted Mar 20, 2008 7:49 pm PT

    Sweet.

  • renobryce

    Posted Mar 20, 2008 7:49 pm PT

    sweet keep it up sony and maybe someday ill be able to use my ps3 for something other than the best darn dvd player ever

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