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New PlayStation 3 version 1.80 software gives console new capabilities

Word from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe indicates that the PlayStation 3 will be receiving a significant firmware update on May 24, 2007. New for firmware version 1.80: upscaling of original PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games to 1080p when viewed on a compatible HD TV set.

With the announcement coming from the offices of Sony Europe, it’s still unknown if the upscaling of older PlayStation software is a result of the revised hardware’ssoftware emulation, meaning that the feature could be exclusive to the Euro-spec PS3. Currently, North American and Japanese PlayStation 3 utilize dedicated PS2 chips for the backwards compatibility of previous-generation titles.

Also on the upscaling front, the new 1.80 update will enable the PS3 to upscale DVD movies up to full 1080p as well. This feature was promised by Phil Harrison back in March, and now gives the PlayStation 3 similar DVD playback capabilities as most other standalone Blu-ray players.

Version 1.80 will finally enable Remote Play on gamers’ PSP across the Internet, allowing them to access their PS3 anywhere in the world where a broadband internet connection is available. The new firmware also allows users on a home network to view media content such as images, music and video on their PS3, that is stored on their DLNA3 enabled devices such as PCs and laptops elsewhere in the house.

Another quirky addition to the PlayStation 3 in 1.80 is the support for a selection of Epson printers, allowing the console to interface and print photo images stored on PS3’s hard disk or inserted storage media. Such changes reinforce Sony’s desire to make the PlayStation 3 the quintessential media machine.

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I thought this was a GAME machine?
By jrb531 on 5/23/07, Rating: 0
RE: I thought this was a GAME machine?
By bplewis24 on 5/23/2007 2:52:29 PM , Rating: 2
So now the PS3 shall be bashed for including DVD upscaling capabilities? I've heard it all.

Oh, and over on AVS Forums--you know, where the videophiles have been waiting for DVD upscaling for several months--they seem to believe that player upscaling is almost always better than the scaler in the display device. Take that for what it's worth. Perhaps you're the expert and they're all wrong though?

quote:
How about working on the "game" aspects of your "game machine" instead of tossing more $$$ at this stupid video player notion?


Umm, it is STILL arguably the best blu-ray player on the market, so it's not exactly a "stupid" video player. The new Pioneer out is probably a better bet for a stand-alone player at this point, but that's recent. And last I checked, Game upscaling of PS1 and PS2 titles is a "game" aspect.
Brandon


RE: I thought this was a GAME machine?
By cubby1223 on 5/24/2007 2:17:47 AM , Rating: 2
AVS is filled with too many who take the format war, and the console war, waaaayyy to personally.


By cubby1223 on 5/24/2007 2:25:20 AM , Rating: 1
Add: but the ones at AVS who talk rationally do all agree upscaling in the player is better.

And I just grabbed the new firmware for the PS3, and the difference in picture quality is like night & day, it's an amazing improvement that everyone is able to see.


RE: I thought this was a GAME machine?
By cubby1223 on 5/24/2007 2:29:53 AM , Rating: 2
Add more:

I just checked over at AVS, and here's one quote's already: "I have just completed the HQV tests on the PS3 on firmware 1.8. The good news is that the PS3 now passes ALL the tests on the DVD, cadence, interlacing, artifacting. The output is clearly superior over my Denon 3930CI DVD player. The PS3 extracts more detail from standard DVDs over anything else I have seen."


RE: I thought this was a GAME machine?
By Oxygenthief on 5/24/2007 3:18:27 AM , Rating: 2
cubby,

Could you post a link to that review?

If it is verifiable, I would say that the PS3 just got a second wind in the battle of the consoles. Not all HDTV's do upscaling, and the ones that do don't always do it well. Same goes for a/v receivers. Only a handful, mostly Denon, can cut it when it comes to upconversion. So the only real question, that your source seems to have verified cubby, is if it can perform better than a high end upscaling dvd player.

As a consumer I want the best bang for my buck. Up until now I was always considering a stand alone upconverting DVD player but now I may drop the dough on a PS3.

Thanks for the info.

Oxygenthief


By bplewis24 on 5/24/2007 11:04:57 PM , Rating: 1
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10...

There you go. It's not a professional review so much as it is a user review.

Brandon


By Acid Rain on 5/23/2007 3:00:22 PM , Rating: 2
Oh, just shut up...

man, how much complaining, if you don't like the price - no one is forcing you to buy it!

I find it hard to believe how much people can complain about PS3's price when Sony is actually loosing on each console...

sure, they probably will make profit sometime in the future, but right now they get high quality hardware for below it's price. and I for one think the BD is worth the extra price - if you think otherwise - no one is forcing you to buy it...


RE: I thought this was a GAME machine?
By OxBow on 5/23/2007 3:06:06 PM , Rating: 5
That's funny because I thought this was supposed to be an entertainment hub. I purchased my PS3 so I could watch blue ray movies and play games. It turns out to do a few other things that are nice, also.

For instance, I thought the whole photo/media card reader thing was a gimmick, however, my wife really enjoys that. Being able to add a printer is just one more perk. My wife actually likes the slide show feature and has put all our family photos on the PS3 just for that purpose. The web browser works fine now (it didn't at first but it's a nice perk, something the Wii & 360 don't have integrated).

The PS3 is more than just a game machine. If all you want to do is play games, that's fine. Others, however, myself included, like to do more than that and the PS3 delivers there quite well.

As for the argument that why worry about scaling since most TV's do it already. I think you miss the point. Scaling is a basic issue, even if 98% of the sets out there do this, that still leaves 2% SOL. With a couple million units on the market, that leaves tens of thousands of people without. It might not matter to you, but it does to them.

The PS3 has worked it's way into my families entertainment mix much better than our 360 has. We use it more and more all the time. The Wii and 360 are good for games, but that's about it. With the PS3 I browse the web, check my e-mail, pan through family photos, download trailers, videos and games, fold in addition to what I initially got it for, watching movies and playing games.

On the 360 I play a couple games, that's it. My son likes to play some games on the Wii, and I've used it to check the weather. Both consoles can do more, but it's quite cumbersome to do so. The PS3 is making this easier all the time.

As for the GAMES that are supposed to be coming out for the GAME machine, they're coming. The PS3 and the Wii are both in the post launch doldrums for games, just like the 360 was this time last year. Myself, I am enjoying Resistance and Motorstorm. MGS, FFXIII etc. are coming out this fall or early next year. Meanwhile, by the time I get bored with Resistance and Motorstorm, Lair will be out, and it looks great.

I don't see anything to complain about, personally. Obviously, I'm in the minority, but this is one happy minority.


By masher2 (blog) on 5/23/2007 3:53:05 PM , Rating: 3
> "Scaling is a basic issue, even if 98% of the sets out there do this, that still leaves 2% SOL."

If a set has native 1080p resolution, it has to scale a lower-quality signal just to display it. And if it doesn't have that native resolution, then 1080p scaling is pointless anywhere. Essentially all HDTVs scale. The issue is the quality of the scaling.

The only exception to this would be a CRT-based HDTV that could potentially display a lower-resolution signal without scaling. But as far as I know, no such beast was ever built.


RE: I thought this was a GAME machine?
By vdig on 5/23/2007 4:16:47 PM , Rating: 5
The Wii most definitely has a browser that you can use, and I picked it up while it was free. The PS3 may have had it at launch, but as you have said, it did not work until it was patched.

The Wii also handles camera images - it just can't print them. For the purposes of showing off to visitors, it would suffice just as well... unless you have a Sony camera, of course. Therefore, the Wii is also not just a game machine, although Nintendo will say that it is a game machine first, and extra features are indeed gravy. Obviously, Sony is going the other way in regards to this mentality.

The 360? Download media from Live, of course. Mind you, since I have a PC, I prefer not to pay for much from Live unless it is exclusive to the 360. The 360 is pretty good at handling media, and can network to stream media from your PC akin to what the PS3 is now becoming.

Finally, to address the heart of the subject. The PS3, to me, is seen by most as a game machine that attempts to become something it is not. Luckily, that transformation is occurring much faster than I had expected. Then again, it will need to improve on all fronts rapidly to be able to offer significantly more than the competition, thereby justifying its worth. As a game machine, it currently is lacking. As a media hub, it is maturing rapidly. As a BR player, it is very, VERY nice - I just watched Casino Royale at 110 inches wide. As a $599 USD unit, to the public eye, the cost is just too much... for now.


By Faust0 on 5/23/2007 10:03:59 PM , Rating: 1
quote:

The Wii most definitely has a browser that you can use,


He wasn't saying the wii's browser was dysfunctional, it feels like a last minute add-on unlike the ps3 which pretty seamless and straightforward.

quote:
and I picked it up while it was free.


i guess now it isn't

quote:

The PS3 may have had it at launch, but as you have said, it did not work until it was patched.


what are you alluding to by reiterating this? point?

quote:


The Wii also handles camera images - it just can't print them. For the purposes of showing off to visitors, it would suffice just as well... unless you have a Sony camera, of course. Therefore, the Wii is also not just a game machine, although Nintendo will say that it is a game machine first, and extra features are indeed gravy. Obviously, Sony is going the other way in regards to this mentality.



fanboy dribble.

quote:
The 360? Download media from Live, of course. Mind you, since I have a PC, I prefer not to pay for much from Live unless it is exclusive to the 360. The 360 is pretty good at handling media, and can network to stream media from your PC akin to what the PS3 is now becoming.


more dribble.

quote:
Finally, to address the heart of the subject.


Yes, Thank You!!!

quote:
The PS3, to me, is seen by most as a game machine that attempts to become something it is not. Luckily, that transformation is occurring much faster than I had expected. Then again, it will need to improve on all fronts rapidly to be able to offer significantly more than the competition, thereby justifying its worth. As a game machine, it currently is lacking.


Lacking what? The Wii is lacking. The Xbox 360 is lacking. be more specific. Hardware-wise rock solid, i do agree that the ps3 is lacking on a solid library of games that are fun and enjoyable.

quote:
As a media hub, it is maturing rapidly.


Again with this evolution and pompous overtone; "Luckily, that transformation is occurring much faster than I had expected." It was designed a "media hub", launched as a "media hub", is a "media hub", and is being refined to better than the competition's, Microsoft, "media hub".

quote:
As a BR player, it is very, VERY nice - I just watched Casino Royale at 110 inches wide. As a $599 USD unit, to the public eye, the cost is just too much... for now.


find a blu-ray player, a standalone player, cheaper than $600.


RE: I thought this was a GAME machine?
By nayy on 5/23/2007 8:09:21 PM , Rating: 2
The PS3 is a great piece of hardware, and sony is working hard trying to make it reach it's full potential adding new features and fixing bugs and short comings.
It's the gaming part of it that worries me, sure there are some great games in the way, but try to put your self in the place of a game developer about to sign a deal, 360 has a much lager installed base and is out selling PS3 more than 2:1. Would you give PS3 an exclusive title? Sony is going to have a lot of trouble in a couple years simply because right now it makes a lot more sense to develop for 360.


RE: I thought this was a GAME machine?
By jadedeath on 5/23/2007 11:40:18 PM , Rating: 2
People said the exact same thing about the 360 a year ago.

To be honest, if I were a developer I'd start making stuff for the PS3 exclusively, and here's why:

1} Sony has a ton of money, if you went to them as a developer and said "I want to make a game that will be PS3 only and use up 99% of a Blu-Ray disk" I'm sure they'd be all over it.

2} The disk size itself, It's the main advantage of the PS3, they're having trouble backscaling GTA4 to fit on a DVD9, and more-and-more games are coming out on the 360 that you can finish within a few hours {5-6} of gaming Wouldn't you want to excite your fans with a game that could take weeks or even months of hardcore gaming to finish? Why not invest in a system that you don't have to buy an extra service just so you can get more content for your games?

2a} It looks like Blu-Ray is going to win the war, so why not get yourself a Blu-Ray player that also plays games?

Logan


RE: I thought this was a GAME machine?
By Munkles on 5/24/2007 8:37:19 AM , Rating: 2
Sony DOES have lots of money, but MS has more.

There ARE games that take weeks of hardcore gaming to complete..... "Their" called WoW. - and they can fit on dual layer discs just fine.

No arguments for your third point. I do NOT like blu-ray but it does look like it will win. As much as I do not like Sony, I will probably end up buying a ps3 soon. Even I cant deny that the ps3 is one hell of a deal.


RE: I thought this was a GAME machine?
By jadedeath on 5/24/2007 9:15:38 AM , Rating: 1
"Sony DOES have lots of money, but MS has more."

I sincerely doubt that, as I think it's an urban myth. Bill Gates might be the richest man in the world, But Sony stock is worth almost double that of Microsoft. Microsoft is known for one thing on the market, Windows, Sony produces {and makes money on} Televisions, Computers, Cell-Phones, MP3 Players, Game Systems, DVD Players, etc. etc. etc.

One game that takes weeks to complete {at the start of which killing small furry animals in the forest for XP} that is an MMO really doesn't support your argument. I mean you could claim that Starcraft could take weeks to complete, but it's a resource gathering, micromanaging, RTS.

Plus WoW is on two disks if you wanted the full experience {last time I checked} Why not slap both the game and the expansion on one disk for a special edition when Sony releases the Blu-Ray notebook?

What I was actually talking about is something like MGS or Final Fantasy having amazing cut scenes AND a huge environment to explore, I mean if Mercenaries 2 has a huge environment {2 actually} and if it only takes up X amount of the Blu-Ray disk can you imagine what it'll be doing in a few years when they decide to take advantage of it?

That's why I'm thinking of picking up a PS3, I mean it's not a spectacular lineup of games now, but it's got Blu-Ray and the games will come. Just gotta give it time, like the 360 had time to come out with stuff.

Logan


RE: I thought this was a GAME machine?
By nayy on 5/24/2007 10:03:08 AM , Rating: 3
Please do some research,

1st stock price does not tell you how much money a company has

2nd Sony's Revenue is about 40% greater than microsoft's but microsoft's operating income is 10 times bigger than sony's (here is a clue: software has better profit margin than hardware and electronics)

3rd Sony's Revenue has declined for 2 years in a row, while microsft has been growing for the last 4 years,

Trust me, fiancially Microsoft is in much better shape than Sony

http://www.microsoft.com/msft/reports/ar06/flashve...

http://www.hoovers.com/sony/--ID__41885,period__A-...


RE: I thought this was a GAME machine?
By jadedeath on 5/24/07, Rating: 0