PS3: 1.70 Firmware Update Out Now

[Gradthrawn]

No 1.61, 1.62, or even a 1.65, just straight to 1.70. Please note, that's not a complaint, just an observation. Don't ask me what it does, or why it has warranted a .X increase. I'm just letting everyone know it would be a good time to give Folding a break and update. As SCEA updates their site, I'll update this post. I'll share any results I have, as well.

 

[Gradthrawn]

Alright.

• Play downloaded PSN PSOne games on the PS3 (instead of just the PSP)
• Vibration support for PS2/PS1 accessories that support vibration in PS2/PS1 games.

If I find anything else, I'll post it.

 

[Fu3lFr3nzy]

Vibration support for PS2/PS1 accessories that support vibration in PS2/PS1 games

Now theres some news! about time Sony

 

[Gradthrawn]

I also like how they've added a "Main Update Features" page to the update process. It's there a page or two after you accept the user agreement. Doesn't look like it will be as detailed as the full list on Playstation.com, but its better than nothing and having to wait a day for them to update the website.

I haven't been able to get previously purchased PSOne downloaded games to play. It either requires some type of specific procedure, or perhaps more likely, a different download. As long as I don't have to pay twice, I'm happy.

 

[patsu]

I'm still poking around. Did they add a new screen saver idle-time option "After 5 minute" ? I swore I selected the shortest one (which was 10 minutes) for Folding@Home.

 

[xmu]

I'm still poking around. Did they add a new screen saver idle-time option "After 5 minute" ? I swore I selected the shortest one (which was 10 minutes) for Folding@Home.

Nah, I have 1.60 and it has 5 minutes.

 

[patsu]

Ok I'm seeing things then.

 

[Titanio]

Wonderful news about the downloadable PSone games. Finally. Although it appears something needs to be done on the PS Store end to make this work, which hasn't happened yet. Word is it might be next week.

I'll be buying quite a few titles over time, I imagine. I'm guessing they will start putting up more PSone games more frequently now that their audience is bigger (i.e. potentially every PS3 owner, rather than PS3 owners with PSPs as before). It's a great way for them to boost their DLC selection without significant new investment..a fairly powerful complement to the new stuff they're doing.

 

[Arwin]

There are some backward compatibility issues fixed as well for Europe. Apparently among the games now working in Europe there are GT4 (with a few minor glitches) and I think they fixed PES6 online.

 

[DieH@rd]

PS1 games [the ones curently @ PSN] are still not playable @ ps3. I guess that they just added emulator into firmware.

 

[pelly]

Perhaps I'm just too wrapped up with graphics and progression....but I just can't get over how many people get excited when they get to play their ancient PS1 games on a "next-gen" console they just spent $600 for (although I understand the PSP ties). Still, I wish Sony would direct those development efforts towards helping get more PS3 games out since our library of titles is still painfully small....

 

[Rolf N]

I'll be brief as I'm somewhat in a hurry.

• Ratchet&Clank 3 unchanged (doesn't run)
• Star Ocean 3 unchanged (black screen, must navigate the menus blindly to quit out of the game)
• Letterboxing issues over HDMI unchanged (FF X, Devil May Cry 1, Kingdom Hearts etc)
• FF XII FMV interlacing issue over HDMI still present
• Less issues in Jak&Daxter 3. Some polygons still are miscolored/seamy, e.g. when that bird thing acts as the king's advisor in the opening sequence immediately before the "catch all thingies" movement tutorial mission. But AFAICT it's much much better now (I've seen five or six instances of the problem with 1.60, in the same sequence)
• FF X rendering issues resolved.
• All GTA: San Andreas issues resolved (excessive dithering, hickups when colliding with stuff)
• Kingdom Hearts rendering issues resolved
• FF X-2 menu music issue resolved, FMV audio sync somewhat improved (still has problems)
• Champions: Return To Arms now runs! Quite well actually, if it weren't for the distorted audio (dialog especially).

 

[DaWizeGuy]

Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance also works now.

Will test later

 

[Rainbow Man]

What about those Bluray scaling issues there was so much talk about a couple months ago?

Like didn't it scale down to 480p for some wacky reason if oyur TV set could do 720P but not 1080P/i?

This is sort of important to me because on my HD set I get "signal out of range" if I try 1080i over HDMI. Doesn't happen over component (only tried with 360; no component lead for playstation).
Peace.

 

[djskribbles]

What about those Bluray scaling issues there was so much talk about a couple months ago?

Like didn't it scale down to 480p for some wacky reason if oyur TV set could do 720P but not 1080P/i?

This is sort of important to me because on my HD set I get "signal out of range" if I try 1080i over HDMI. Doesn't happen over component (only tried with 360; no component lead for playstation).
Peace.

its not really an issue; more like, atm, it lacks the feature. blu-ray movies are only encoded to 480/1080i/p and the ps3 does not scale them to 720p. some standalone blu-ray players will do this. afaik, 1.7 does not fix this "issue", and i honestly don't think this is very high on Sony's priority list, as most (if not all) HD sets support 1080i.

 

[Gradthrawn]

its not really an issue; more like, atm, it lacks the feature. blu-ray movies are only encoded to 480/1080i/p and the ps3 does not scale them to 720p. some standalone blu-ray players will do this. afaik, 1.7 does not fix this "issue", and i honestly don't think this is very high on Sony's priority list, as most (if not all) HD sets support 1080i.

The problem isn't so much 1080i support as it is how some 720p sets handle a 1080i signal. IIRC, some deinterlace it and convert the signal to 540p, then scale it to the sets native resolution. Some detail is lost in the process for some, while others have a much softer picture than what it should be.

 

[Diamond.G]

its not really an issue; more like, atm, it lacks the feature. blu-ray movies are only encoded to 480/1080i/p and the ps3 does not scale them to 720p. some standalone blu-ray players will do this. afaik, 1.7 does not fix this "issue", and i honestly don't think this is very high on Sony's priority list, as most (if not all) HD sets support 1080i.

I am pretty sure there is only a 1080P encode on a BR disk. The PS3 is infact scaling the 1080P disc to 480i/p and just doing the right 3:2 pulldown for 1080i. For whatever reason Sony isn't allowing the PS3 to scale to 720p. I have noted on my own TV that it's 1080i scaling creates a softer image than just sending it the 720p signal (native).

 

[djskribbles]

I am pretty sure there is only a 1080P encode on a BR disk. The PS3 is infact scaling the 1080P disc to 480i/p and just doing the right 3:2 pulldown for 1080i. For whatever reason Sony isn't allowing the PS3 to scale to 720p. I have noted on my own TV that it's 1080i scaling creates a softer image than just sending it the 720p signal (native).

i think you're right about BR movies being encoded to 1080p only.

as for 1080i looking softer, i think it depends on how good your scaler is and the source. GT:HD looks sharper in 1080i (but i like how it looks in 720p more) than it does at 720p on my 720p native LCD TV. that is the only thing i've compared, though. my set (westinghouse ltv-32w1) has a faroudja dcdi deinterlacer, which is very good. i'm guessing in most cases, there will be little difference between 1080i and 720p on 720p native sets. it is, however, always better to run at your sets native res.