James Delahunty
25 Mar 2008 17:39
The next firmware update for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) console has gotten much hype over the past couple of weeks, as it turned it into the first official Profile 2.0 Blu-ray hardware. There has been a lot of interest in BD-Live even though only two titles are currently available that provide extra web-based content (War and Saw IV) and two are scheduled for release in April (Walk Hard and The Sixth Day).
There was some speculation that the update would also bring "Portable Copy" support to the PSP as indicated at CES 2008, but that didn't happen. However, media integration with the PlayStation Portable (PSP) has been improved as reported and there is slightly better DivX support (file size limit addressed).
What didn't get as much media attention is the added support for Low to High LTH Blu-ray discs. These discs, included in "Blu-ray Disc Recordable Format Ver.1.2" specifications, use an organic dye recording layer. The technology will help to reduce the cost of making the discs because it eliminates the need for large-scale manufacturing plant investments, and will allow older modified CD-R and DVD-R manufacturing equipment to be used as part of the process.
Older Blu-ray hardware requires a firmware update to support these discs.