Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) announced today availability of the latest version of the PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3) firmware. Version 1.80 features upscaling of PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games, and DVD movies up to full 1080p HD resolution when viewed on a compatible HD TV set.

The capability to upscale DVDs to HD quality is a feature normally only associated with top range DVD players, and its inclusion in the latest firmware upgrade now allows PS3 owners with an existing DVD collection to dramatically enhance the viewing pleasure of their DVD collection when viewed through a compatible HD TV set1. Not only can DVD movies be enhanced to full 1080p HD quality but so too will PlayStation 2 and PlayStation games be upscaled to provide much improved gaming pleasure.

In a comprehensive update to PS3’s already impressive capabilities, Version 1.80 also allows users to enjoy Remote Play on their PSP across the internet, allowing them to access their PS3 anywhere in the world where a broadband internet connection is available2.

Version 1.80 also allows users on a home network to seamlessly view and play rich 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, reinforcing PS3’s credentials as a home entertainment hub that truly deserves pride of place in the Living Room.

A host of other enhancements include the ability to print photo images stored on PS3’s hard disk or inserted storage media to a selection of Epson printers.

PS3 owners will be able to upgrade their PS3 with the latest Version 1.80 firmware from 24th May 2007.

Notes

1. DVD-ROM (including DVD Video content) can only be upscaled with HDMI compatible TV sets.

2. Use of Remote Play requires a powered up PS3 with Version 1.80 as well as PSP firmware version 3.50 which will be available at the end of May.

3. DLNA – Digital Living Network Alliance. For more info on DLNA, please see http://www.dlna.org/en/consumer/home

LINK

God of War II just got even better...

Upscaling, that' s just a poor effort on Sony' s part. I was hoping the games would be rendered in 480p and above, like with 360 BC.

Version 1.80 also allows users on a home network to seamlessly view and play rich 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, reinforcing PS3’s credentials as a home entertainment hub that truly deserves pride of place in the Living Room.

Glad to hear it has this now. Hopefully this pushes MS to stop being pricks about making 360 users buy Vista in order to access PC stored content on their 360' s.

Upscaling, that' s just a poor effort on Sony' s part. I was hoping the games would be rendered in 480p and above, like with 360 BC.

Remember that the ps3 has full backwards compatability with the entire library of ps2 games(japan and North America), and even in Europe the list of games that are BC is much larger than the 360' s.

edit:quotes

Playing PS1 games in upscaled 1080p? I just spunked myself.

Wait... no, nevermind.

I' m only bitter because they don' t support VGA yet.[:' (]

Playing PS1 games in upscaled 1080p? I just spunked myself.

Wait... no, nevermind.

I' m only bitter because they don' t support VGA yet.

I thought you used a monitor for gaming? If so, why not just use an HDMI to DVI cable. Thats what a lot of people do.

The update is out and it includes 720p Blu-Ray playback!

The DVD and BC upscaling is actually pretty damn awesome... it smooths everything out and removes a lot of aliasing. Everything looks much cleaner.

They' ve added ' Super White' and ' Full range HDR' options to the display settings and they take care of the low contrast/washed out aspect of some PS3 games. The colours look much more vivid (check out the initial area in the Sigma demo ), the blacks look darker and the whites look whiter. Obviously.

They' ve added 1080p24, but i can' t tell the difference between that and 1080p30...

PAL BC has received a boost. I' m not sure to what extent but i know that MGS2 and ZOE2 both work now.

Playing PS1 games in upscaled 1080p? I just spunked myself.

Wait... no, nevermind.

I' m only bitter because they don' t support VGA yet.

I thought you used a monitor for gaming? If so, why not just use an HDMI to DVI cable. Thats what a lot of people do.

I only use CRT. They stopped making DVI CRT' s ages ago. Personally, I can' t see why everybody is so quick to jump to LCD. There' s still big issues with them, and there' s no reason why we can' t have a couple high-end CRTs on the market.

Which brings me to PS3' s VGA support. It' d be a relatively simple solution, and people would embrace the idea for sure (how many of us here are running VGA for our 360' s, eh?), but simple just doesn' t seem to be their forte.

There' s still big issues with them, and there' s no reason why we can' t have a couple high-end CRTs on the market.

I agree. Imo LCDs took off way too fast, I bet it has more to do with manufacturers wanting to save on shipping costs than it does with quality.

I blamed it more on Meglomerate-Marts wanting to overwhelm the average consumer with a new high-tech abbreviation, but that' s just me.

Because no one likes 300lbs distorted image monitors. CRT is never coming back, there' s no reason for Sony to support obsolete technology.

Because no one likes 300lbs distorted image monitors. CRT is never coming back, there' s no reason for Sony to support obsolete technology.

Which is why the only cable they support out of the box is composite?

DuhHurrr!!!

Actually they support Component and HDMI as well, dumbass.

out of the box

DuhHurrr!!!

Oh my god, are you implying that composite is obsolete?

90% of TVs owned todayonly take composite, SDTVs sell more than HDTVs, it is the standard you dumb ***. Learn the definition of obsolete.

NO ONE owns a CRT TV, it' s dead, nobody buys that shit, it doesn' t sell, if you' re gonna buy an HDTV or Monitor you don' t buy CRT unless you are a dumb ass. Thus, it is obsolete.

And I know most TVs that are composite are tube TVs, but that isn' t the point *** face.

Actually I' m pretty sure even CRT TVs all come with component, you must be really fucking stupid to buy a CRT with only VGA.

CRT' s are flexible for multiple resolutions whilst maintaining quality. LCD' s have a native resolution, and setting it to anything but will result in image degration. However, a CRT' s sharpness can be affected by soft edges or flawed focus whereas if an LCD is set to it' s native resolution the picture will be perfectly sharp.

Oh my god, are you implying that composite is obsolete?

90% of TVs owned todayonly take composite, SDTVs sell more than HDTVs, it is the standard you dumb ***. Learn the definition of obsolete.

Re-read the Merriam Webster page you double checked before you posted. Composite video is what we call " technically obsolete" .

NO ONE owns a CRT TV

Except over half of America, but other than that, yeah.

but that isn' t the point *** face.

You censor @$$ but not Sh17?

Anyway, back on topic; God of War II looks amazing in 576p (though not in 720p - it looks blurry) with smoothing enabled.

720p Blu-Ray playback is nice and the DVD upscaling is pretty sweet too.

I haven' t tried the media sharing yet. Have any of you guys?

PS2 games all look like shit.

And Eddie it censors by itself, I' m not so much of a pussy that I would censor my own posts. Whoever made this board is a dumb *** Fuck should be four ****' s, not three ***

Anyway, back on topic; God of War II looks amazing in 576p (though not in 720p - it looks blurry) with smoothing enabled.

Tried anything else other than God of War 2?