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PlayStation 3 to learn Blu-ray Disc Profile 2.0 in upcoming software update

Despite the existence and standalone players on the market since 2006, the PlayStation 3 remains one of the most capable and easily upgradable of all Blu-ray Disc hardware. That point will ring true once again, as the PS3 will soon be upgraded to support Blu-ray Disc Profile 2.0, or BD-LIVE.

Coming as a part of firmware version 2.20, BD-LIVE adds the latest revisions in the Blu-ray Disc specification. Profile 2.0 adds the requirements for Ethernet connectivity and persistent storage, allowing for high-definition movies to access downloadable content and other extras.

"With Blu-ray established as the high-definition optical disc standard, more consumers are ready to jump in and take advantage of everything the format offers," said Scott A. Steinberg, vice president, product marketing, SCEA. "Whether you want to download movie extras, send ringtones to your phone, or play interactive games, BD-LIVE will offer exciting new ways to enjoy a Blu-ray movie. With these regular firmware updates and future-proofed technology, SCEA is making the 10-year lifecycle of PS3 possible."

In order for the PS3 to be fully upgraded to support BD Profile 2.0, the given console must have an Internet connection and at least 1GB of available local storage. Sony pointed out that its first two titles to support BD-LIVE are Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story and The 6th Day, both set for an early April release.

The 2.20 firmware will also bring about several other additions, such as a “resume play” option for users to pick up a Blu-ray Disc or DVD movie at the last stopped point, even if the disc has been ejected. A new “Mosquito noise reduction” option is set to improve movie playback. The PS3’s DivX and WMV playable will also begin supporting files larger than 2GB.

The new software will also improve connectivity between the PS3 and PSP. New copy options will allow users to easily transfer playlists of music and photos from console to handheld. The added “audio output device” will be a new Remote Play setting, enabling PSP to serve as a remote control for music played through PS3.

Finally, the PS3’s Internet browser will get a bit of a performance enhancement in terms of speed and the ability to stream video.

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1GB Question
By Kefner on 3/20/2008 4:34:49 PM , Rating: 2
It states it requires 1 GB of space, is this just to hold the downloaded file temporarily for installation, or is this going to be a constant file on the hard drive? I have the 80GB and really don't care, just curious.




RE: 1GB Question
By bplewis24 on 3/20/2008 4:59:13 PM , Rating: 3
The requirement of 1GB is not for the download of the firmware update for profile 2.0.

It is a standard by which all players striving to be profile 2.0 compliant must reach. So any player that is profile 2.0 compliant must have at minimum xx GB of memory available.

The reason, to answer your real question, is to store some of the data locally which is necessary to run some of the BD Live applications and use some of the BD Live features. The user pretty much dictates how much of this storage space is used up.

Brandon


RE: 1GB Question
By Snuffalufagus on 3/20/2008 5:12:00 PM , Rating: 5
they got to put that rootkit somewhere :)


RE: 1GB Question
By cubby1223 on 3/20/2008 11:00:38 PM , Rating: 2
Like someone else replied, it's for movies to store information or run applications from. On the PS3, the hard drive is the persistent memory. Other players might have a memory card slot, or use a usb flash drive.


PS3's Internet browser = poo
By Enoch2001 on 3/20/2008 4:39:47 PM , Rating: 5
I ranted about this over at Gizmodo and wonder if anyone here shares my sentiments: I wish Sony would fix the PS3's Internet browser, as I constantly get "out of memory" errors and it can't display pages. This seems ridiculous for a machine as beefy as a PS3 (this 'aint no PSP afterall)!

Also, since it plays back Quicktime and WMV, why the hell isn't there plugins for the Internet browser? I could honestly recommend the PS3 as an alternative Internet browsing machine if they would fix these items. And fix the Flash support to support the latest profile. ;-)

Is that too much to ask for?




RE: PS3's Internet browser = poo
By Murst on 3/20/08, Rating: 0
RE: PS3's Internet browser = poo
By ATC on 3/20/2008 11:37:51 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
constantly get "out of memory" errors

That's strange. I've been using the browser on the PS3 for a little under a year and never seen such errors or pages not loading. Granted I do my heavy browsing on my computer.

Are these errors happening only on specific sites?


RE: PS3's Internet browser = poo
By afkrotch on 3/21/2008 4:28:47 AM , Rating: 2
When does the PS3 playback quicktime files? Never heard that support was added. Neither has it ever worked. I'm on the latest firmware too.


RE: PS3's Internet browser = poo
By walk2k on 3/21/2008 2:12:01 PM , Rating: 2
it doesn't do quicktime but who cares.

the version of flash is a little out of date, some sites complain (but YouTube works).

it is a little slow considering the cell is about 12x faster than any current desktop CPU.

I've gotten "out of memory" when I had 2-3 media-heavy pages open at the same time (solution, close pages) .


dts=ma
By omnicronx on 3/20/2008 6:18:25 PM , Rating: 3
*crosses fingers for DTS-HD MA*




RE: dts=ma
By cubby1223 on 3/20/2008 10:57:16 PM , Rating: 2
Not in this firmware update. It'll come for sure, just don't know when.


RE: dts=ma
By omnicronx on 3/21/2008 2:59:14 AM , Rating: 3
I know, its just i have so many DTS-MA movies, and I feel as though my new receiver is just being wasted. I didnt realize when i bought the PS3 that it could only decode DTS-core..


By feraltoad on 3/21/2008 3:33:04 AM , Rating: 2
Could someone clarify that. Does that mean I have to have the PS3 ethernet hooked up? Or does that mean any player needs to be HAVE ethernet in order to qualify for Profile 2? Also, does "ethernet" mean I'd have to string a CAT5 cable and forgo the included wireless? I hope I am misunderstanding this and a cable is not a necessity.




By afkrotch on 3/21/2008 4:33:27 AM , Rating: 2
I just means the player requires an ethernet connection, not that it needs to be hooked up. If that were the case, then they'd mark on the box "Profile 2.0 compliant, only when given an internet connection."


By cubby1223 on 3/21/2008 6:49:16 PM , Rating: 2
A movie will *never* require an internet connection to play the main feature.


Linksys NAS200 with the PS3
By smanral on 3/24/2008 7:59:34 AM , Rating: 2
I hope the update sorts out some of the media streaming issue I am having with the Linksys NAS200 that I recently picked up.

Though the NAS200 has a built-in media server the PS3 is unable to play AVI (XviD/DivX) and MPEG file formats from the NAS device. Basically pops up an unsupported file type error. I initially thought its something to do with the NAS but the same setup works on the Xbox 360 :-( Anybody else having the same problem?

P.S. The NAS200 uses the standard UPnP MediaServer protocol.




Gaming Console
By electriple9 on 3/25/2008 8:01:06 AM , Rating: 2
The PS3 is a gaming console, that can also play bluray. Sony was nice enough to give a free web browser, that it bette then nothing. So please dont complain it sucks. Its good enough for a gaming console.
Thanks




Makes me wonder...
By daftrok on 3/20/08, Rating: -1
RE: Makes me wonder...
By deeznuts on 3/20/2008 3:38:25 PM , Rating: 3
Because not everyone is you. Some people want a standalone. Some people want features PS3 hasn't implemented yet (or can't). Some people want a regular looking component.


RE: Makes me wonder...
By dubldwn on 3/20/2008 3:44:34 PM , Rating: 2
I think I'm somewhere in between. I only buy components if they look like cooking appliances and I'm an idiot.


RE: Makes me wonder...
By jpeyton on 3/20/2008 4:08:19 PM , Rating: 3
quote:
The PS3’s DivX and WMV playable will also begin supporting files larger than 2GB.


YES! No more worrying about file sizes on my 1080p Blu-Ray-to-DivX encodes.


RE: Makes me wonder...
By Scott66 on 3/20/2008 3:52:25 PM , Rating: 2
What features are you talking about?


RE: Makes me wonder...
By lakingsgeek on 3/20/2008 4:01:39 PM , Rating: 5
IR sensor!

I have a PS3 that i now use as a blu-ray and DVD player. I like it, it's a good piece of hardware. However, the moment there is a profile 2.0 player for $200 I'm going to buy it. I hate not having built in IR and I don't like the idea of putting a lot of wear and tear on my PS3's optical drive from all the movies I watch.

I have the blu-wave IR adapter but it still can't turn the PS3 on or off. Plus it almost always gets recognized as the systems 1st payer controller, so I have to go into the PS menu to change it so I can play games with the sixaxis.


RE: Makes me wonder...
By lakingsgeek on 3/20/2008 4:04:44 PM , Rating: 2
Forgot to mention that I'm very glad they are finally giving it a resume playback feature, something that has been in cheap-o standard DVD players for years.


RE: Makes me wonder...
By walk2k on 3/20/2008 4:18:09 PM , Rating: 2
Agreed! So annoying with all of the trailers and ads they stuff at the beginning of blu-rays.


RE: Makes me wonder...
By HighWing on 3/20/08, Rating: 0
RE: Makes me wonder...
By PontifexMaximus on 3/20/2008 4:36:16 PM , Rating: 4
IR will integrate into your universal remote control, bluetooth won't. If you want one universal that controls everything, you need IR codes. Then, if you want to get more elaborate, you can implement RF or a network of IR repeaters to control from nearly anywhere in the house.


RE: Makes me wonder...
By Murst on 3/20/2008 5:52:32 PM , Rating: 2
IR will probably start dying a slow death in a few years once people realize that they don't need LoS w/ bluetooth. You can put all of your devices in a cabinet, close the doors, and still control it w/ a bluetooth remote.

Probably the only reason why electronics are still going w/ IR is due to price, but the price difference will go down over time.


RE: Makes me wonder...
By MattCoz on 3/20/2008 7:09:38 PM , Rating: 3
But "in a few years" doesn't help us right now. Maybe a better question is, why don't universal remotes come with bluetooth? *gives evil eye to Logitech*


RE: Makes me wonder...
By lakingsgeek on 3/20/2008 7:30:12 PM , Rating: 3
Someone already said it but i'll say it again anyway. Universal remotes. They use IR because EVERY other piece of equipment in your home theater setup uses IR. The PS3 is the only thing that doesn't.

I have a pretty nice home theaters setup. It requires a bunch of different commands from various remotes to turn on to any given function. The TV, audio receiver, and PS3 all need to be turned on. Then each piece of equipment needs to be set to the correct input. That's five commands right there with three different remotes. With my Harmony 880 I push a single button and it does it all...except for turning on the PS3.

Bluetooth, while great for things like wireless headsets and video game controllers, just isn't necessary for DVD/BD players. IR isn't going anywhere anytime soon. It's just way too entrenched in the home theater market.

I have to say, that IR to bluetooth converter sounds like a good idea. I'll look into it, but ideally I still would like a standalone player.


RE: Makes me wonder...
By Armorize on 3/20/2008 4:30:12 PM , Rating: 2
ya know they do make a bluetooth remote. It came out pretty much the same time as the ps3 was released. Its only 25 bucks. Id rather have that than an IR remote. Cause then you have to use one of your usb ports.


RE: Makes me wonder...
By snorkel01 on 3/20/2008 6:14:12 PM , Rating: 2
http://www.ir2bt.com/

Nice elegant solution to the IR problem with the PS3 and since it's a IR to BT converter the power on and off are fully functional.


RE: Makes me wonder...
By walk2k on 3/21/2008 1:13:38 PM , Rating: 2
That's neat, but $55?

Be nice when Logitech comes out with a BT-enabled Harmony.

Though, it will probably be more than $55.


RE: Makes me wonder...
By Aaron M on 3/20/2008 11:23:28 PM , Rating: 2
I agree, in that I use a Harmony Remote, myself, and am disappointed that the PS3 is the only component in my system that I need a separate remote for. However, Bluetooth really is a better solution for remote controls, due to its reach and zero-line-of-sight capabilities. The only disadvantage Bluetooth has, compared to infrared, is support in current components. I think manufacturers should start making dual-method components, supporting both IR and Bluetooth. Eventually, Bluetooth would become entrenched enough to outnumber IR-only components, and the situation will be reversed, with one universal remote controlling all but one legacy IR-only component.

Let technology advance, people!


RE: Makes me wonder...
By feraltoad on 3/21/2008 2:16:44 AM , Rating: 2
WAIT!!! You can buy an IR Remote for the PS3!!!

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000...

Though most people who want the IR, have a universal remote (Harmon4ever!) and will use the included remote once to program their Uni, and then stow it in a drawer. The one above uses a small dongle like a flash drive! Fingers crossed the refresh of the HarmonyOne will be IR plus BT, and I think it will given the other PS3 accessories currently made by Logitech.

Sony totally dropped the ball on not including IR. BT is an excellent idea and I hope it, or an equivalent wireless technology, does supercede IR, but you can't just drop the de facto standard. Flyings cars in the future does not make malls in the sky a good idea in the present.


RE: Makes me wonder...
By PontifexMaximus on 3/20/2008 4:29:36 PM , Rating: 4
As far as I know...it mainly comes down to audio codecs.
The PS3 doesn't support DTS-HD (HR or MA) in any fashion yet. It will only play the DTS Core which is like normal lossy DTS on a DVD. The PS3 doesn't bitstream any of the newer "hi-def" codecs such as Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-HD High Resolution, or DTS-HD Master Audio. It will, however, decode the Dolby hi-def codecs to LPCM over HDMI. Finally, the PS3 has no analog outputs. So, if you have an older receiver with no HDMI inputs, your only choice for hi-def sound is to buy a standalone with analog outputs and proper decoders such as the upcoming Panasonic BD-50. Or, buy a receiver with HDMI and a player that can bitstream or decode to LPCM.

There are other complaints such as the bluetooth remote for the PS3 not integrating into one's universal remote, but there are hardware modifications and add-ons that can be purchased to support IR. Also, some complain about the PS3's noise compared to a standalone. Though, I've also heard the new 40GB models are quieter.

To me, the most important limitation with the PS3 is the hi-def audio codecs. I have a Paradigm Reference system, so I'm first and foremost an audiophile then became a videophile after getting my Pioneer Kuro. While, I haven't yet experienced the DTS or Dolby lossless hi-def codecs, I have experienced the uncompressed PCM soundtracks on some of the Blu-ray discs and it is significantly better than the Dolby Digital core soundtrack. Lossless Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA will be the same way. I find the hi-def audio experience to be nearly as significant as the hi-def video experience. It really is that much better than what's on a DVD.

Here are some grids on audio codec support in players:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=98...
http://www.idoblu.co.uk/page2%20Blu-ray%20Players....

The second link above suggests the PS3 can decode DTS-HD HR to LPCM via HDMI. As far as I know, this is not yet the case. The PS3 only supports the DD+ and Dolby TrueHD decoding via LPCM to HDMI, so the avsforum link is the correct one. Sony has not said anything yet as to whether the PS3 will ever support either DTS-HD codec. Nevertheless, the PS3 will never have analog outputs so a standalone would be your only choice for that.


RE: Makes me wonder...
By Netscorer on 3/20/2008 9:16:18 PM , Rating: 2
Just windering why did you omit from your choices the toslink connection that PS3 has and that works great with receiverrs not equipped with HDMI switchers? Does PS3 limit what can be streamed over toslink to the receiver?


RE: Makes me wonder...
By cmdrdredd on 3/20/2008 11:37:53 PM , Rating: 2
Netscorer, Toslink (optical) can only support Dolby Digital and DTS. It cannot support the bitrates of TrueHD and DTS-HD MA.

DTS has stated in the past that the PS3 is capable of decoding the DTS-HD information on a disk and sending the LPCM stream to your receiver, but it's up to Sony to impliment it.


RE: Makes me wonder...
By whirabomber on 3/21/2008 7:28:21 AM , Rating: 2
What all does the PS3 support over the fiber optics audio out then? I don't use hdmi audio if I can help it, so I am just left wondering.


RE: Makes me wonder...
By walk2k on 3/20/2008 4:14:40 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
first two titles to support BD-LIVE are Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story and The 6th Day, both set for an early April release .
so much for "blu-ray isn't a complete format blahblah" eh?


RE: Makes me wonder...
By bldckstark on 3/20/2008 4:34:48 PM , Rating: 2
Most of the crap people have pointed out as faults with the PS3 as a BR player on this forum today have been standard on the 360 & HD-DVD player since inception. I didn't realize that all these items were not already incorporated into BR. My HD-DVD player had none of these issues. Great menu system that operated while the movie played, resume at point of stop, add on downloadable content, IR, etc.

I watched Smokin' Aces on the HD-DVD and it had a hit-man tracking overlay on the screen that you could pop up whenever you wanted to locate any particular killer. It was excellent.


RE: Makes me wonder...
By walk2k on 3/21/2008 2:08:00 PM , Rating: 2
WOOOOOOOOSHH!!

right over his head.


RE: Makes me wonder...
By Locutus465 on 3/20/2008 5:31:17 PM , Rating: 2
Personally I like the BD-P1400's abililty to bitstream all advanced codec's to my Onkyo 605. I'm not going to switch out primary blu players until I can get an affordable profile 2.0 player that can bitstream all codec's.


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