If you still regularly use your PlayStation 3 (and why wouldn’t you, it’s an amazing machine) you may be somewhat surprised to hear that there is a firmware update out today.
It doesn’t add any new features, which is to be expected of a console about to celebrate its 18th birthday, but if you use your console as a Blu Ray player you’ll want to make sure to update as it contains keys for the Blu Ray software to ensure the latest releases play on the console.
Sony has been releasing annual updates for the Blu Ray player for a number of years now. Presumably when they stop the latest Blu Ray discs will no longer work in the console.
Obviously if you’re on custom firmware you probably shouldn’t update but the rest of us can go ahead and install the patch.
I don’t own a stand-alone Blu Ray player as I use my PS3 but do dedicated Blu Ray players need regular updates so new releases work? And if not does anyone know why the PS3 needs regular updates? Several Google searches failed to supply an answer.
I used to install home theaters for a living. Yes, bluray players need to be updated to be able to play latest releases. It’s kind of like DRM, but instead of needing to be constantly connected, it just gives it the new code once and it’s good for a while. Unlike DRM, they can’t just pull your license. As long as you can access a current bluray player, you can keep watching the disc.
The license is managed in reverse. Instead of pulling your license, they issue new keys to simply leave behind the old compromised DVD player keys that pirates were using to rip content digitally (without using the analog hole).
Where did customers get the new codes, was it embedded in the disks themselves?