PS3: the only upgradable Blu-ray player

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Dedicated players can't upgrade via the internet

Jan 16, 2008

The PS3 is one of the cheapest Blu-ray playing machines on the market, yet ironically it's also one of the few players that can be upgraded to support new features to be introduced in future Blu-ray films.

The PS3's regular firmware updates and internal hard drive give it the potential to support features to be introduced in new 'Profile 2.0' Blu-ray films releasing later this year. These will allow you to access downloadable content such as trailers, feature films and ringtones.

But, as silly as it sounds, most of the current, pricier dedicated players won't support Profile 2.0 features simply because they lack internet access support.

Why has this happened? Due to a lack of a standards agreement prior to Blu-ray's release, it was decided that these different 'profiles' would be used to identify the new features as they are added the media format.

This means that early adopters of dedicated players will be left with machines incapable of future features, which Philips spokesperson and European chairman of the Blu-ray Disc Association, Frank Simonis, admits is "not an ideal situation."

But he reasons: "Whether you have a profile 1.0, or profile 1.1 machine, the playback is not disturbed. It's the high definition playback that consumers are seeking," reports the BBC.

So, the tip of the day: buy a bloody PS3 to play Blu-rays, people. It'll save you money in the long run.

For more info on the format war, check outDVDstruction.

Courtesy of CVG.