Sony announced Thursday plans to release new firmware for its PlayStation 3 video game console. The new update will expose new capabilities in the PS3’s Blu-ray Disc player. It’s a free update for PS3 users in North America and will be posted on Friday.
Blu-ray Disc is the heir apparent to the crown of high-definition optical media formats. The format battled against HD DVD, which manufacturer Toshiba recently discontinued.
The updated firmware enables Blu-ray Disc Profile 2.0, or BD-Live, to be supported on the PS3. BD-Live enables Blu-ray Disc makers to incorporate aditional interactive features including downloadable video content, ringtones, games and more.
The firmware also exposes “Portable Copy,” which enables PS3 users to copy a standard-definition version of the Blu-ray movie to a PlayStation Portable (PSP). You can transfer music and photo playlists from the PS3 to the PSP and use the PSP as a remote control for music playback using “Remote Play.” DivX and WMV playback functionality has been improved, along with new Internet browser settings and additional AV settings.
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