Sony today announced that firmware 2.20 for the PlayStation 3 will be released later this month. The firmware will conform to the Blu-ray Profile 2.0 spec, adding support for BD-Live features such as “downloadable video content, ringtones, games, and more.” Other additional firmware features and changes will include:

* “Resume play” will enable PS3 system to start playing a Blu-ray disc
and DVD at the point it was stopped, even if the disc had been
removed.
* “Audio Output Device” will be a new Remote Play setting, enabling PSP
to serve as a remote control for music played through PS3.
* PS3 system’s Internet browser will be enhanced: Video files directly
linked from a Web page will be able to be streamed, and the browser’s
view speed will be improved.
* DivX and WMV format videos that are larger than 2GB will be playable.
* “Mosquito Noise Reduction” will be added as an AV setting in the
control panel of the DVD/BD player for improved movie playback.

The first BD-Live enabled movie titles, namely Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story and The 6th Day, will be released next month on April 8. Both titles will include extra content that can be accessed online.

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