PS3 2.60 firmware update available now, all 140MB of it
By Thomas Ricker 
posted January 21st 2009 3:44AM
posted January 21st 2009 3:44AM
posted January 21st 2009 3:44AM
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will this update play mkv files so i dont have to convert them cause thats pretty much all i ever use the ps3 for now...
since the editors bothered to link up the sony press release, i took the time to read it for you since it is the civic duty of the literate to help the illiterate.
no. no matroska support nor does divx support matroska encoded video.
consider a basic reading course! they're usually free at your local community college. you can google for a location nearest you. you may even be able to find a class with a schedule that's compatible with your work schedule at mcdonalds. your manager may even allow you some scheduling flexibility to help you attend the courses. it's never too late to learn how to read, and it will benefit you for a lifetime, especially instances where a literate citizen is unable to reach you in time to provide the answers you seek from within the jumbled mass of characters we call "english" printed within these pages. be inspired to get out there and read! :)
@instalife486 - that's basically what i do but right now it's an effort to get to work. do you stream your videos or use some other method?
"no matroska support nor does divx support matroska encoded video."
I'd like to point out that Matroska is a Container format, not a format of encoded media.
Hey Thomas...who cares! 140 mb isn't much compared to the 20 (very limited), 40, 60, 80, and 160 GB hard drives that are offered. I for one think its a crappy feature, and wish that full mkv support was added, but the DivX 3.11 support is more than welcome. Its not like the console is only sitting w/ 256 MB or something.
Let's start the rumor that Thomas hates free stuff!
Also the PS3 firmware isn't stored on hard drive. Its stored on an on-board static NAND Flash on the motherboard of the PS3. The firmware won't take any portion of your hard drive space. This is why if you upgrade your PS3 HDD with a common laptop one, the PS3 will still work and be able to format your new drive.
I don't think he's complaining about the room it will take up as much as the time to download, and that it seems like a hell of a lot bigger than it should be based on what is included.
The new firmware is stored on the hard drive as well now. It is so big it doesn't all fit in flash. As I found out when I updated the HDD in my PS3 a few months ago. Anything later that 2.x is too big.
So you need to have the full firmware on a USB memory stick or external drive when you swap out the internal hard drive now.
It's 140 megs because its not a patch, but rather a new firmware with the new features. Sony doesn't do little patches, they just offer new versions of the PS3 firmware to download and install over the old ones.
That's presumably because Sony don't understand the concept of modular code ?
It should not be necessary to update the entire operating system just to make small changes. Imagine having to reinstall Windows every time you received a small security patch.
@Hermoid
Would you really want to download all the previous patches first before getting to the latest version?
It's not because Sony doesn't understand patching. I'd venture a guess that it has more to do with hacking of the console. If you replace the entire firmware, there's less of a chance that someone set bits to allow a hack in a previous version that the patch doesn't cover.
@Knifa
Umm dude, you ARE downloading all the previous patches. It's cumulative so you're downloading everything all over again hence Hermiod's comment. That's why it's 140MB and takes forever to update as opposed to the 360's near instant updates (which also only happens a couple times a year, not a couple times a month).
"It should not be necessary to update the entire operating system just to make small changes."
Please explain that to the clever folk who create iTunes and iPhone updates.
To be fair, this is the exact same way Apple patches the Iphone. This is even more prevalent in entrprise-level devices. Not that I like it, but it's not that uncommon.
Maybe we're getting the PS3 update team's office party pictures included. 140MB... damn.
This is why the PS3 hasn't been hacked yet - every update wipes the entire OS and re-installs.
errrr.... so why has the psp been hacked? It used the same firmware updating process. I think it's a lil more than just the style of firmware updates.
The reason the PS3 hasn't been hacked is because Sony had the foresight to allow users to install 3rd party operating systems. The people that have historically cracked 3rd party code protection have been the homebrew developers; the pirates merely piggy-backed onto their hard work and benefited. By letting the homebrew developers to run their native code there's nobody left to crack hardware's protection; thus the pirates focused their efforts on other systems.
@Hermiod: difference of course is that reinstalling Windows costs half a day and, because it is better to do a clean install, also loses installed programs.
Updating PS3 firmware on the other hand is done in minutes with everything installed and configured intact. And that includes downloading.
So who cares if the upgrade file is 140MB or 10MB if it is done in minutes? Maybe those with a seriously slow internet connection (but here in the Netherlands at least almost all people who own a PS3 in the first place have at minimum a 4 megabit internet connection).
I am in spain and have 50... :)
It should just be a matter of updating the components within the OS that have actually been changed. Most of that 140mb is code you've already got.
I'm in Japan and I have 1 Gbit/s connection (USD 50/month). Not that I ever see all of that speed, but within the country it's a breeze. Downloading 2.60 took all of 15 seconds... :)
In Australia, at present, the average connection is 256k with 6gb (per month) of downloads...140mb is a HUGE chunk out of our shit quotas.
Yes, Australian internet sucks.
@ Adderz
That is not completely the 'internets fault' it is because people do not know anything and bundle their internet with ridiculous phone plans from that great loving company called Telstra we have here. I have a 20gb 1.5mb and i only pay AU$50... you just have to look around.. www.whirlpool.net.au has a very good broadband plan search.
Agreed with the above comment about the download situation here in Australia.
I myself am just outside of a main city but this restricts me to satellite broadband - 1Mbps with 1GB peak and 2GB offpeak downloads (offpeak is between 11pm and 6am or something similar). Slowed to 64k after usage.
So to be able to use the internet at faster-than-dialup speeds during the day (so that I can actually use the PSN) I need to download this after 11pm... and it's taken up more than 1/20th of my allocation just for offpeak.
In general they should keep download sizes as low as possible regardless of today's broadband
Please Aussies explain to me why your country has such horrid internet plans... No pipe?
Its because we have a monopoly who owns the infrastructure,
Its because we have a Communications minister who doesnt know how the internet works and is trying everything he can to make it worse,
Its because we are relatively sparsely distributed over a large country,
Its because only a few of us know better than to get tel$ra,
That is truly terrible. 2 gigs a month? Seriously? WTF
This just cements the fact that sony are rubbish -.-
You Brits and your weird rules about singular vs. plural.
"Hey! Metallica are playing at the arena next week!"
Of course, you invented the language, so I guess you retain final authority on what are considered a plural entities and what are singular. It just sounds weird to us Yanks.
What are you talking about?
"Sony are rubbish"
vs.
"Sony is rubbish"
@Smart People Play Tuba
That's actually technically correct here in the US as well. But, personally, I agree. I've always thought it rather absurd that single companies are referred to in the plural. That doesn't make sense. Sure, you could argue that a company is a group of people, but it's still a single company. Plus, almost everything a group of something (e.g. people are groups of cells).
Vidikron are correct about the cell thing. I have adjusted accordingly.
We appreciate the effort.
and the crowd are loving it
I love this discussion! You guys is hilarious.
140mb, lol, what is this 1997? Big deal. My last cellphone update was about 250mbs! (iPhone)
exactly...
I dont know which is more worrying, 140MB OS for a full blow multi media device that has to run games, home, web browser, application store, multi media, wi-fi, blue tooth. a full hd interface, blu-ray, and a whole host of other stuff, or a 250 MB OS that has to run a phone, play music and cant copy and paste, I think some one needs to make their code more efficient!
Does it fix:
1. Overscan issue when playing divx videos? Very annoying when watching subtitled videos.
2. Ability to recognize/play videos properly from a network shared drive?
I hear they have a document called, "The release notes". Could be interesting to people who want to know about the changes and fixes they've included in the new patch and/or firmware.
Its very unlikely that Sony will ever give you support regarding just mounting a network share and play directly from it. On the other hand it isnt such an problem to just install a UPnP server and stream your files. I use myself Tombserver or what´s it called and it works excellent with easy support for mp3/divx/jpg´s.
@Thomas Ricker: "Seriously Sony, 140MB for a new Photo Gallery application and DivX 3.11 support?" This comment really makes you look like dumb.
140MB is the size of the full firmware. Every single firmware release since the beginning have been 120MB+.
Try to get to know what you're talking about next time.
I think he resembles dumb's brother dim more. Yes, he really looks like dim.
Im glad i got the 160 gig ps3. I can see myself upgrading it to a 500 gig drive once the warranty is out.
upgrading your HD does NOT void your warranty. Sony is one of the few manufacturers in the world that actually encourages you to do so. So much so they have instruction printed in their manual, and readily available on all their official websites
Why wait? Sony lets you upgrade your hard-drive within the warranty.