http://www.gamespot.com/news/6188112...stnews;title;2

Latest 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.
By Emma Boyes, GameSpot UK
Posted Mar 20, 2008 4:50 am PT
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 title to title, 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 across 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 allow film fans to 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, allowing streaming video to be viewable on Web sites, and Sony claims 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."

Sweet.

Awesome news.

DTS HD MA decoding...no?

[Cartman voice]SUPER sweet![/Cartman voice]

Sweet fancy Moses! I though for certain we see a couple additional updates before we got 2.0!!!! So what will be the first 2.0 Blu-ray release? I'd be all up for waiting until The Dark Knight is released!

Since Universal was big in having so many online options for HD-DVD, maybe they'll port over the options to BD - when they decide to actually start releasing on BD.....but I would think it wouldn't be that hard to do that since they already have servers setup, now it doesn't have to go to waste.

No DTS-MA, but all the other features are very welcomed. PS3 continues to be the best piece of hardware I've ever owned.

actually, just read this on blu-ray.com, confirms the first 2.0 titles. But really....Dewey Cox?

"In conjunction with the release of this BD-Live upgrade, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release 'Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story' and 'The 6th Day', both of which will feature exclusive BD-Live content to show off the potential of the upgrade. Additionally, films such as Lionsgate's 'War' and 'Saw IV', which were released earlier this year, already have BD-Live features right on the disc."

Sounds great. I was not really expecting this until the Panasonic BD50 came out...which is now looking like like April/early May.

If this is true...then will the Sony S350 be 2.0 the day it comes out? Its shipping with 1.1, but there should be no reason why it won't be 2.0 via firmware update the same day if the PS3 has it.

And also - The 6th Day? Really? I mean I'm up for seeing what 2.0 content can do, but I ain't buying EITHER of those flicks to try it.

That's great news. For some reason I wasn't expecting a Profile 2.0 firmware update so soon. I'll wait a bit after the firmware update is launched (until I read that many people have successfully updated with that newest firmware) before I actually update mine.

Resume Play!!!!!!

i'm not sure we should get too excited. in the press release for europe, the footnote says that Resume Play is not supported for BD-J titles.

Resume Play FTW!

Thats odd. Is java running when I'm watching a movie?

i would imagine it is a technical limitation similar to that of HD DVDs with advanced content not being able to resume, but i don't really know for sure. it'll be interesting to see how it actually works once we get the update.

Dude -- Java is running even when the disc is just sitting on your shelf: stealing your account numbers, kicking your dog, and framing you for a variety of deviant and/or felonious acts. Bad Java!! Booo!! Boooo!!!!

dude, you owe me a new keyboard and cup of coffee ...

I'm sorry. You can have mine.

It may of not been their most commercially successful film, but it was critically well liked (74% fresh @ rt) and is an award nominated (2 golden globe noms (Song, actor) flick with a few recognizable names attached (Reilly, Apatow).

It's the type of release that should be overflowing with extras. The bigger WTF is The 6th Day.

I liked The 6th Day

Me neither, but those are the titles they're happening to release when it's available. Did it have to be something special? Looking at Sony's upcoming titles for the next couple of months, they don't have anything big on the way. Well, I doubt they'd have 2.0 features on Baron Munchausen or A Passage to India.

It's just like when Fox released Hitman as the first title with a digital copy. It just happened to be the next title in line when the feature was ready.

I probably won't bother with the resume feature. I don't think I could keep track of which discs have Java and which don't.

So let's guess it will be the 27th since that is the last update day of the month. I do seem to recall that they have put out system updates on other days of the month but I may be wrong. Looking forward to this update though.

Excellent! DVD/BD bookmarking has been my stickler for a while - I knew we'd get it eventually! Best thing is, if this happens on the 27th, that'll be 2 days before my front projector and 92 inch screen install!

I wonder if this means I'll be able to stream movies from my Netflix account to my PS3. That would be super extra awesome. I had the idea to try it a few weeks ago but it wouldn't work .