PS3 Firmware Update 2.20 Enables New Blu-ray Content

Sony has announced that the late-March system software update 2.20 for PlayStation 3 will add Blu-ray Disc Profile 2.0 (BD-Live), which enables interactive features like downloadable video content, ringtones, games, and more on Blu-ray discs. The system update will also enable photo and music playlists on PS3 to be copied to the PSP, among other new features SCEA says are geared at increasing PS3's functionality as a "home entertainment hub." Some additional features include "resume play," or the ability to start playing a Blu-ray disc and DVD at the point it was stopped; a new Remote Play setting, "Audio Output Device," which enables PSP to serve as a remote control for music played on PS3; playability of DivX and WMV format videos larger than 2 GB, and the AV setting "Mosquito Noise Reduction." SCEA product marketing vice president Scott Steinberg commented, "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. 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."