Hi All,

This sounds pretty interesting, has anyone seen a blu-ray device yet?

Sony announced last week it plans to release new firmware for its PlayStation 3 video game console. The new update will expose new capabilities in the PS3's Blu-ray Disc player.

The free update for PS3 users in North America was to be posted by the weekend.

Blu-ray Disc is the heir apparent to the crown of high-definition optical media formats. The format battled against HD DVD, which manufacturer Toshiba recently discontinued.

The updated firmware enables Blu-ray Disc Profile 2.0, or BD-Live, to be supported on the PS3. BD-Live enables Blu-ray Disc makers to incorporate additional interactive features including downloadable video content, ringtones, games and more.

The firmware also exposes "Portable Copy," which enables PS3 users to copy a standard-definition version of the Blu-ray movie to a PlayStation Portable (PSP). You can transfer music and photo playlists from the PS3 to the PSP and use the PSP as a remote control for music playback using "Remote Play." DivX and WMV playback functionality has been improved, along with new Internet browser settings and additional AV settings.

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