http://blog.us.playstation.com/2009/06/23/ps3-firmware-v280-update/

Hello, I just wanted to provide everyone with a head’s up that the next PLAYSTATION 3 system software update (v2.80) will be coming soon. The playback quality of some PLAYSTATION 3 format software has been improved.

http://www.psu.com/Rumor--PS3-firmware-280-coming-tomorrow-News--a007636-p0.php
Sony may launch a new firmware update for the PlayStation 3 tomorrow. The update is rumored to include a new feature for the messaging and game invite system; however, we cannot confirm that at this time.

How about something to turn it off automatically after downloads finish? There is an option for this yet is there?

How about something to turn it off automatically after downloads finish? There is an option for this yet is there?That feature was added over a year ago. You are given that option before the download starts.

How about something to turn it off automatically after downloads finish? There is an option for this yet is there?

...I was so close to pre-order before I heard this :rolleyes:

It'll also install your dload automatically before it shuts off.

I don't think you're given that option before downloading. The way I do it is to queue all my downloads and then go all the way to the left, and all the way up on the XMB and select turn off system. Then it will ask if you want to turn it off after all d/ls complete.

I hope it deals with improving internet access for online gaming because since the last firmware my PS3 has had a difficult time getting access to the internet, I was frequently getting that DNS error message

...2.80 is available now.

Seems like a bare-bones game performance update.

...2.80 is available now.

FFS between the firmware updates, game patches and my slow ass internet I'm never going to get round to playing any of my new games online.

That feature was added over a year ago. You are given that option before the download starts.
For the updates, yes I use that.
...I was so close to pre-order before I heard this :rolleyes:
LOL WUT?
It'll also install your dload automatically before it shuts off.
I'm talking about demos, videos and such.
I don't think you're given that option before downloading. The way I do it is to queue all my downloads and then go all the way to the left, and all the way up on the XMB and select turn off system. Then it will ask if you want to turn it off after all d/ls complete.

Thanks. I usually que them, but I never turn of the PS3 in that fashion, so I guess I missed it. Thank you again.

Yeah the option to turn the system off after a download has been around for awhile. Just go to the turn system off option and the prompt will allow you to choose. It's a very nice feature, especially since it also installs the demos you download before it shuts off.

Enough of the older features. Any know what 2.80 gives us? I heard rumors of new avatars and cross-game invites. Anyone confirm???

Jetpax?

I hope it deals with improving internet access for online gaming because since the last firmware my PS3 has had a difficult time getting access to the internet, I was frequently getting that DNS error message

Check you router settings and ISP. No issues here on the East Coast...

Haven't heard of any PSN problems either. Are you running Wifi?

FFS between the firmware updates, game patches and my slow ass internet I'm never going to get round to playing any of my new games online.

You can download the update on your comp and save it onto a flash drive, then plug that drive into your PS3. So you could do that now if you wanted...

The firmware updates are annoying and take way too long but there are ways to minimize it.

What are the chances of getting a new visualizer for the music player? I know they added the space visualizer a really long time ago (which is sweet btw), but I'd love to at least be able to change the color from purple to something else on that standard one.

Is there a way to download one online somewhere? I listen to music a lot on my PS3.

I agree with the music screen saver. The Earth one is cool, but Id like to have some more. When hosting card games, parties, etc I stream my music frmom my PS3 and it would be nice to have some other cool screens going

I turn my TV off while playing music.

I turn my TV off while playing music.

I don't. The visualizer is sweet on my big TV.

Do not DL, my PS3 bricked!

Haha, J/K. :) So I dl'ed this last night but didn't have time to mess around with it. Any news on the changes yet besides that crummy one line explanation already out there?

The one thing I noticed is that all my previous videos that were working, then stopped working witht the last update, is now working again on my DNS-323 NAS with Twonky 4.x.

Seems that Sony got the message and fixed the problem. Besides that, haven't noticed anything else.

Any news on the changes yet besides that crummy one line explanation already out there?

SOCOM still randomly crashes so it defiantly didn't fix stability related to that game.

SOCOM still randomly crashes so it defiantly didn't fix stability related to that game.

Wouldn't you need a SOCOM patch to fix that?

Voice messaging on this thing yet?

I don't think you're given that option before downloading. The way I do it is to queue all my downloads and then go all the way to the left, and all the way up on the XMB and select turn off system. Then it will ask if you want to turn it off after all d/ls complete.

What?? I've had mine for a year and half and I didn't even know this, thanks!

Wouldn't you need a SOCOM patch to fix that?

From the firmware release details:

The playback quality of some PLAYSTATION 3 software has been improved.

I presumed improved playback quality of software may have referred to more stable games.

This game is the setup for FW 3.00

From the firmware release details:



I presumed improved playback quality of software may have referred to more stable games.

Most likely it's just better netcode or less ram usage by the xmb. If somethings crashing, that's a fix the Dev need to look into, not a sony optimization issue.

A word of caution: I've never had an issue with a firmware until this one. After installing it, my console sporadically freezes up when in the XMB (or possibly my bluetooth stops working for my controllers). I am then forced to shut it off with the switch on the back and restart it. It works just fine when playing games or watching movies, but displaying the XMB for any length of time is just asking for a freeze up.

Most likely it's just better netcode or less ram usage by the xmb. If somethings crashing, that's a fix the Dev need to look into, not a sony optimization issue.

Not necessarily true. What about GTA 4 crashing?

On the PSP the playback quality has improved line is usually code for fixed a hack.

A word of caution: I've never had an issue with a firmware until this one. After installing it, my console sporadically freezes up when in the XMB (or possibly my bluetooth stops working for my controllers). I am then forced to shut it off with the switch on the back and restart it. It works just fine when playing games or watching movies, but displaying the XMB for any length of time is just asking for a freeze up.

What you're experiencing most likely has nothing to do with the FW and is likely a hardware issue.

Failure of the BT/wireless card in PS3s isn't especially common, but it has happened to a few folks, myself included. Some people have it happen while in the XMB while others have it happen while playing a movie. In my case, it happens periodically whenever I turn on the PS3.

Until it fails completely, various workarounds work for some people- for instance, I've been able to get it to sync at times by doing a hard restart using the toggle switch on the back of the console. Other times, I've had to connect the controller via usb and that would get it to sync.

The best long-term solution is either send your console to Sony for repair if you're still in warrany, or to spend $15 for a replacement card on eBay and install it yourself.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1074483

Not necessarily true. What about GTA 4 crashing?

hmmm, tell you the truth, I don't remember. Didn't R* release a patch simultaneously?

I played SF4 last night for 3+ hours and did not install this update and was not prompted to. Is it mandatory like the past ones?

I played SF4 last night for 3+ hours and did not install this update and was not prompted to. Is it mandatory like the past ones?Nope.

A word of caution: I've never had an issue with a firmware until this one. After installing it, my console sporadically freezes up when in the XMB (or possibly my bluetooth stops working for my controllers). I am then forced to shut it off with the switch on the back and restart it. It works just fine when playing games or watching movies, but displaying the XMB for any length of time is just asking for a freeze up.

What model ps3 do you have? My launch 60gb started exhibiting similar behavior around January, then the controllers completely lost sync and would not connect wirelessly, then BT went out altogether, then wifi went out, finally giving up the ghost in form of YLOD. All that happened in the span of about 3 days -but it started with random freezes and more frequent controller dropouts.

Seems that every firmware update has machines that freeze or otherwise act strange. I haven't had any problems *knocks on wood* but I discovered something in the official site. Sony says that you need to plug in your controller and use it wired while doing a firmware update. Having the controller plugged in is listed as a requirement, and they say not to do the update unless you can plug the controller in!

I quote: "You must have the SIXAXIS wireless controller connected to the PLAYSTATION 3 system directly via a USB cable before you attempt to do a System Update. If you do not have a USB cable to connect the SIXAXIS wireless controller , do not attempt to do the System Update."

Strong language! This little tidbit was found in the Knowledge Center in the list of top answers to questions. Link (http://playstation.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/playstation.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=275&p_sid=8XIxCfBj). The instructions that are on the main page do not mention having to connect the controller.

Maybe this info is left over from the early days of PS3 and we don't have to worry about the controllers when updating anymore. I've never connected mine during an update, and so far so good here! Anybody else find this interesting?

Maybe this info is left over from the early days of PS3 and we don't have to worry about the controllers when updating anymore. I've never connected mine during an update, and so far so good here! Anybody else find this interesting?

It is.

Before an earlier FW update, this was the only way to do it. They just haven't updated the language.

Yeah. Nowadays I use my Blu-Ray remote to do the firmware upgrades, when I'm not going to do anymore with the PS3. And zero issues.

Whoa, I just realized that I played FNR4 yesterday, and watched some movies on PlayOn and it never asked me to update. I'll force an update when I get home.

Whoa, I just realized that I played FNR4 yesterday, and watched some movies on PlayOn and it never asked me to update. I'll force an update when I get home.

Don't. If it's not mandatory, don't do it. I haven't updated my system either.

PS3 Firmware 3.0 - Grief reporting, reputation system, background patches, multiple audio outputs, more (http://www.vg247.com/2009/06/26/ps3-firmware-30-grief-reporting-reputation-system-background-patches-multiple-audio-more/)

Rumor
VG247 has learnt that PS3 Firmware 3.0, “a completely new system” for the console, is to release pre-Christmas with a raft of major feature updates.

The software upgrade has been described to us as “a huge overhaul”, and was compared to NXE “in some respects”.

The before-rumoured reputation system will be included. We were told that, “A reputation system in which users will be able to evaluate each other will be provided for… game applications.

“There will be a new API available to so the user can… allow users and also obtain users’ reputation.”

A “grief reporting system” will be included in the update, allowing gamers to take screens of offensive players and submit them to Sony. Apparently this is going to be similar to the LBP system, and is likely to include a text input.

Firmware 3.0 will allow patches will be downloaded in the background, meaning you’ll no longer have to sit staring at the screen while Random Shooter updates itself with a 500Mb fix.

There’s more. Simultaneous HDMI and digital optical outputting will be included in the release, a move likely to bring big smiles to the audio heads in the crowd.

We’ve been told a lot more on this, but you’ll just have to wait. Rest assured, 3.0 will be significant. Just remember where you heard it first.

All I know is that I'm going to enjoy the summer first before thinking about the holidays.:cool::p

PS3 Firmware 3.0 - Grief reporting, reputation system, background patches, multiple audio outputs, more (http://www.vg247.com/2009/06/26/ps3-firmware-30-grief-reporting-reputation-system-background-patches-multiple-audio-more/)

Rumor


All I know is that I'm going to enjoy the summer first before thinking about the holidays.:cool::p

Sony's Response (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=16725254#post16725254)

I think the surest sign of a stupid rumor is the X.0 as a MAJOR UPDATE OMG. I don't quite know why I remember this, but when the FW was like 1.9 everyone was convinced 2.0 was gonna be the in-game XMB update... and when it wasn't Sony got predictably pilloried.

this FW update addressed the problem of slow movie loads when browsing movies on an external HDD. Before the update it would take 10-15 minutes to populate all the movies on the HDD. post 2.80 load time is money. thanks Sony!

I updated.. no issues.

I think the surest sign of a stupid rumor is the X.0 as a MAJOR UPDATE OMG. I don't quite know why I remember this, but when the FW was like 1.9 everyone was convinced 2.0 was gonna be the in-game XMB update... and when it wasn't Sony got predictably pilloried.

Quoted for truth. Although I wouldn't be surprised if an overhaul came about (it could use it simply because with all the stuff they've been adding, the XMB is cluttered and I wish the Friends List loaded faster and was more streamlined, etc), but I'm not getting my hopes up for anything until Sony announces it.

“Those rumors are completely untrue, nothing has been announced or confirmed for upcoming PlayStation firmware, and this is just wild speculation,”

- SCEA Director of Corporate Communications Patrick Seybold.

So much for the latest random rumor.

The software upgrade has been described to us as “a huge overhaul”, and was compared to NXE “in some respects”.Totally bogus.

It would be dumb to change the XMB to the same degree that MS changed the blade system with NXE. The XMB is the most intuitive, user-friendly console interface out there. My understanding is that Sony wants to spread the same core XMB interface to other hardware along with PSN access. I'm willing to bet that the XMB will stay as it is through the PS3's lifetime.

As for some of the other rumored "fixes," seems highly unlikely.

-In-game screenshots have been promised/rumored for a long time. I have a hard time believing that grief reporting would be the way they finally make it into an FW update.

-Reputation is the most useless part of Xbox Live member data. I don't know anyone who bothers with it. Pointless thing to waste time/money developing.

-Background patch updates? No. Patches are rarely very large ("500MB"?!). Only major updates to major titles (like Burnout) have taken very long. Otherwise, it's a matter of seconds, and I'm trying to play that game, not another one.

-As for simultaneous HDMI/optical audio output, are there people who still care? It's easy enough to switch in the sound settings.

Sounds pretty bogus all around IMO.

Totally bogus.

It would be dumb to change the XMB to the same degree that MS changed the blade system with NXE. The XMB is the most intuitive, user-friendly console interface out there. My understanding is that Sony wants to spread the same core XMB interface to other hardware along with PSN access.

It's already the user menu in their Bravia TVs along with the PSP (obviously) and other cameras , I believe.

FYI, this update blocks out the use of Hulu.

http://gizmodo.com/5303546/ps3-no-longer-supporting-hulu

All the more reason to get PlayOn. They're running a special until tomorrow for $19.99 with coupon code "PLAYON1999". I spent $30 on it and it's the best thing I've gotten for my PS3. I use it daily.

www.themediamall.com/playon

I noticed over the weekend that my controller now shows up in the #1 slot even when I have other dongles are plugged in. Don't know if the update is responsible as I wasn't paying attention too closely prior to that.

I noticed over the weekend that my controller now shows up in the #1 slot even when I have other dongles are plugged in.

This isn't the case for me... controller defaults to #2, no matter how I turn on the PS3.

FYI, this update blocks out the use of Hulu.

http://gizmodo.com/5303546/ps3-no-longer-supporting-hulu

All the more reason to get PlayOn. They're running a special until tomorrow for $19.99 with coupon code "PLAYON1999". I spent $30 on it and it's the best thing I've gotten for my PS3. I use it daily.

www.themediamall.com/playon
It's not the firmware.


The Hulu TOS was just updated as of June 26, and although we haven't found any PS3-specific passages, changing a browser's user-string to match the console reveals it is definitely being specifically blocked.

http://kotaku.com/5303207/that-hulu-that-your-ps3-wont-do

I noticed over the weekend that my controller now shows up in the #1 slot even when I have other dongles are plugged in. Don't know if the update is responsible as I wasn't paying attention too closely prior to that.

I noticed this, too! It also puts my RB guitar on #7 now, which made me think my guitar was busted for two days before I even thought of checking that in the XMB :rolleyes:

This isn't the case for me... controller defaults to #2, no matter how I turn on the PS3.

It doesn't seem to work for all devices. My Nyko guitar adapter and Buzz dongle get moved down, but my arcade stick defaults to #1.

I suspect what's really happening is it's checking for known devices and pushing them down the line, rather than just assigning the controller port 1. If you have something that isn't in their list, it doesn't get reassigned. My arcade stick is from Arcade in a Box and uses a custom PCB, so it's not a mass market item.

What do you have that gets port 1?

I have a USB to PS2 adapter, with a PS2 IR receiver plugged in. Defaults to #1 still.

I have a USB to PS2 adapter, with a PS2 IR receiver plugged in. Defaults to #1 still.

Well, that makes sense. Most of those adapters are made by off-brands, so I guess they're not recognized either.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/167966/sonys_eric_lempel_on_ps3_updates_firmware_rumors.html

Game On: There's a rumor circulating that Sony has something big planned for the PlayStation 3 this year, a firmware update on the order of Microsoft's New Xbox Experience. True or false?

Eric Lempel: We've released a bunch of firmware updates to date, and we'll continue to do that. We're aiming to release them quarterly, and sometimes there are a lot of great consumer features in them, and other times they're just updates to help things behind the scenes. I should say that a lot of times when we do these updates, there's a ton of stuff in them for our developers, and consumers don't see the benefits of those until they play some of those games that come out later on.

I think it's important to know, a lot of people wonder why we do these updates when it just says something about security enhancements or that playability of software will be better. Actually, behind the scenes, there are reams of documents sometimes with improvements for developers, where they can take advantage of a bunch of new tools, or new ways to allocate memory, or other ways to improve performance. So I'd start off by saying that.

You'll definitely see another firmware update this year, but it won't be like what the rumors say. We're working on some consumer features that consumers will definitely like, but it's nothing like what you're reading about, and at this time I don't want to confirm any of those features because they're not completely locked down yet. We're looking pretty good, and timing is a little rough, but just in terms of that rumor, it's not the case.

GO: Have you guys talked about something down the line, be it six months or two years, of doing something radical with the interface along the lines of Microsoft's NXE?

EL: We always look at different things. Behind the scenes we do a ton of research and I think sometimes you see some of that research out there through questionnaires. But we're always looking into what consumer want and gauging the appetite for change.

What we find is that people really like our current interface. We did redesign the PlayStation Store last April to make some improvements, make it faster, make it better, and we're always listening to consumers. But right now the XMB [XrossMediaBar] is an Emmy Award-winning interface and people like it. They're very comfortable with it. So we're not looking to do anything radical. We'll still do some research behind the scenes and see what can we do to make things better, or how can we make it so consumers find content faster, but right now we're pretty happy with it. No plans right now to do anything like what the competitor has done.

GO: When Microsoft debuted its NXE, it was shift from an interface that moved left and right to an axial thing, where you moved more visually left-right and up-down, kind of like the XMB, just with the vertex sitting down in the lower left corner and everything slightly stylized. What was your reaction to that?

EL: You know, I didn't really think about it that way. I mean, I saw some comparisons when it came out, but that's very interesting that you say that. You know, hey, it's great, if they like our interface and want to copy it, as long as that's legal, sure. I don't really know how they go about making their plans or the strategy behind them, but if they've found that we're doing something right and they want to copy that, more power to them.

GO: I've been reading through the reactions to your last PlayStation Blog post, the one about the 2.8 update, and noticed that a lot of the folks who reacted less positively to that particular update were doing so because they wanted more detail about what was in the update. Why the lack of disclosure there?

EL: Well basically in the updates that we do on the blog, it's really to tell consumers this is what you can do today with your PS3, or in the next few days when we release a firmware update. It isn't about diving into the tech and letting them know six months from now you're going to see a game that may have better effects in a certain area because we've put this in such and such update. That's not as digestible for the majority of consumers. It just won't work.

I mean, there are consumers interested in the tech, and they can probably deep dive in developer forums on that, but we usually don't release a lot of our developer info except to our licensed developers. It's kind of separating the consumer experience from the developer experience.

So, you know, that's why I'd love for them to understand that when we do these things, there's a lot of reason behind it, there's a lot of work that goes into it, a lot of testing, but they don't always get to see the benefits immediately. The blog is really to talk about here's what you can do with it, not here's what a developer you know and like might be able to pull off in the next six months.

GO: Have you ever considered separating out the updates into nondependent components? To allow some features to come out or get patched faster than others?

EL: You know, we very much thought about that, and actually with 2.8 we implemented something that we didn't talk a lot about. We actually gave consumers the option to update. What I mean by that is, prior to 2.8 you had to update. So you'd turn on your PS3 and it would say, you know, if you want to go in the store, if you want to play an online game, or go into PlayStation Home, it would say there's an update available, please update before moving any further.

With 2.8 it was an option. Users didn't have to update when we released it, and actually weren't prompted to do so, because there wasn't any consumer-specific functionality. I'd say a majority of consumers out there who just wait to get hit by these updates didn't even know about it. They might still not know about it.

GO: What about universal chat, by which I mean voice chat outside games. You can currently chat with other gamers from within an online game, but not when you drop out.

EL: Yeah, definitely, we realize that a lot of people want that. It's one of the most requested features, and it is something we're looking into. It's a very complex feature, but we are looking into it.

GO: Search functions for memory cards to find save files faster?

EL: That's actually something we're not working on right now, but it's something we can look at. I have seen that requested a couple times, but I think when we look at the priority list, it's not very high up there.

GO: How about the battery-life-of-controller glitch, where it cuts off the system time when you tap the PS button? I keep seeing that pop up, but it's like this weird fifty-fifty thing, where fifty percent are angry about it, and other fifty percent are angry at the people who're angry about it.

EL: You know, I'll tell you, I personally don't like that either, and it's something that's definitely being corrected. You can put me in the angry camp.

GO: Your reaction to Hulu [the online video service] apparently blocking PS3 users from watching videos in the browser?

EL: Last week we stared hearing that, and we've tested it out here, and it does seem you can't access Hulu. You can access the site, but when you go to play a video, you get an error message. We're not quite sure why that is. If I speculate I might guess it's because they refined their list of supported browsers and we were a victim, or maybe they're intentionally blocking the PS3, but right now it doesn't work, and you'd really have to talk to Hulu about why that is. We have an open browser, there's a ton of sites that do work, and it's compatible with other video streaming sites like YouTube and music streaming sites, so. But it's true, Hulu's not working right now and I'm not really sure why.

GO: Do any of your guys ever pick up the phone and just say hey, what are you guys [Hulu] doing?

EL: Yeah, sometimes we do. It depends. That is something we'll probably look into, but at the same time, our browser's there to let our users do what they want and browse wherever they want, and we can't always chase down all these sites and say hey, how come it's not working today? The browser's built on unique code, so it's not like any of the other browsers out there, and there are some things that are just incompatible.

Good: Most updates will now be optional
Bad: We still won't tell you everything in an update, just trust us, they're good for you

Some nice info in there. Glad he addressed the cryptic update info.