Tomorrow is the day Sony will release its PlayStation 3’s 2.40 firmware. Even though, to many people, this one won’t be as exciting as the 2.20 release it will carry some significant improvements. Version 2.40 will allow users to access the XrossMediaBar (XMB) system navigation menu, as well as introduce ‘trophies’ similar to the achievements system used by the Xbox 360.

Sony posted two videos describing the newest main features:

Firmware (v.2.40) Walkthrough Part 1: the XMB

Firmware (v.2.40) Walkthrough Part 2: Trophies

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XMB seems to be a pretty cool feature and here’s what you’ll be able to do from the in-game XMB:

• Friend category
• View, send, receive messages
• Manage downloads
• Set the vibration feature of the controller
• Sign in to PlayStation Network
• Register friends
• Manage Bluetooth devices
• Terminate the game
• Music category
• Use the system BGM
• Work the system BGM operation panel
• Settings category
• Assign controllers
• View profiles
• Game category
• Set audio devices
• Use the voice changer

The Trophy system will allow gamers to “collect” trophies for their gaming achievements. According to Sony, many online games will have gold, silver and bronze trophies, with platinum available for those who snag all three.

The first games to support trophy system are:

• BUZZ! Quiz TV
• LittleBigPlanet
• MotorStorm Pacific Rift
• NBA 09 - PS3
• PAIN
• PixelJunk Eden
• Resistance 2
• SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation
• Warhawk

Bellow is a Q&A posted on the official Playstation 3 blog:

Will voice-messaging/private chat be featured in 2.40 as well? If not, can we expect to see this feature added in the future?

We are evaluating the opportunity to offer voice chat, but for this update, we wanted to focus on text messaging as the key priority for communications that our users have asked for.

Can you use the web browser in game?

No, you must exit the game before browsing the internet.

Will In-Game XMB come up during playback of PS2 games, Blu-Ray discs, and DVDs?

The XMB is an exclusive feature for PS3 game titles. Accessing the XMB during gameplay was the top request from our users, which we focused on for this update. However, we continually engage PS3 owners for feedback and will evaluate the opportunity to offer XMB access during movie playback in the future.

Can we go to the display settings and change anything there in-game (resolution, input, etc)?

No, you must exit the game before changing these settings.

Will it be possible to change in-game the sound output?

Yes, sound output changes are supported.

Will we be able to access the PLAYSTATION Store while in-game?

No, but you can view your downloads in progress.

Will we be able to stream music (either via media server or USB drive) for custom soundtracks or is it relegated to music stored on the HDD?

Currently only music stored on the HDD is accessible in games that support this feature. We’d also like to reiterate that Firmware v2.40 merely enables custom soundtracks. It’s up to developers to include this feature in upcoming games (or to patch existing ones).

Does 2.4 enable cross game invites? Will it down the line?

No, cross-game invites are not available in this system software update. We are evaluating opportunities to expand on the new features delivered in 2.40.

Will trophies be mandatory for all games release here on out?

We are working with developers to ensure that Trophies are supported across the board in the future.

Where is each player’s trophy stat info held? I am going to upgrade my hard drive and I don’t know if the trophies will still be on my account if I earn some and then get a new hard drive.

Trophies will be attached to users’ PSN ID. Trophy data needs to be synchronized to the online account on PSN to be transferred to the new PS3 system.

Will the patch automatically allocate unlocked trophies according to your saved files or would you have to do it again?

No, Trophies aren’t retroactive.

Can we view PSN profiles/Trophies from a PC using a Web browser? Will there be an API for web developers to access the PSN data, so online profiles can be created?

We’re evaluating these opportunities to expand where Trophies can be experienced.

Can you only compare trophies with friends that are online?

As long as a friend has a PSN account, you can compare trophies with them regardless of their online status.

Is there a limit to how many trophies the devs can put set by Sony?

There’s not a limit on number of trophies, but there’s a value assigned to each trophy. Developers must balance out the trophies that are available to stay within an overall value based on whether the game is considered large-scope or small-scope. Essentially, a user that has unlocked every trophy in one game would have the same level as a user that unlocked every trophy in another title, all titles (depending on scope) have the same overall impact on a users’ level.

Will new games have a cool little icon on the back saying “trophy compatible?”

We’re currently working on how Trophy support will be messaged to the consumer on our software packaging.

When you get a trophy, does it make a noise?

Currently, no. How quickly things can change - there *will* be a sound effect when you unlock a Trophy.

You can read more about the 2.40 update here!

Popularity: 86% [?]

Onkyo, the Japanese company that has been around since the mid-40’s, is finally planning on a Blu-ray player debut! After their failure at the Onkyo DV-HD805 HD-DVD player (They admitted only selling 2,000 units! Absolutely embarrassing!) Onkyo will be releasing a Blu-ray player by the end of the year. No further details were disclosed but they mentioned it will be the perfect match to their high-definition A/V receivers equipped with full HDMI processing of 1080p video and decoding of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio surround sound formats. Even though no pricing was announced I would not expect their first Blu-ray player to be a cheap one.

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Popularity: 28% [?]

I wouldn’t cancel my Blockbuster subscription yet but Sony has promised that they will start offering full movie downloads on their Playstation Network this summer. Yes, this summer! The new movie for PlayStation 3 home console will start in the U.S. and later in Europe and Japan! Kazuo Hirai, who heads Sony Corp.’s video game unit, mentioned all this on Thursday but said that more detials will only be available next month, possibly at E3.

Hirai said the company will strengthen its network services and further cut costs to achieve profitability in the Sony gaming business in the current fiscal year ending March 2009.

This is great news! We just hope they have moderate prices!

Popularity: 42% [?]

Warner is catch up with other studios that already started releasing BD-Live titles earlier this year. On a During the keynote address at the Entertainment Supply Chain Academy conference, president of Warner Bros. Technical Operations Darcy Antonellis mentioned that they are working on the first web-enabled Blu-ray titles, which should be ready for release by the end of 2008.

They have bold plans for their BD-Live title going as far as competing with other big names of the internet such as MySpace and YouTube for the consumers time and attention on the net.

“I think it has the ability to compete [with MySpace and YouTube] for a user’s time because you are taking them online and you’re able to create a community that we have never been able to do before,” Ms. Antonellis said. “That’s huge for us.”

Heck yeah, that’s huge! But they better create something very innovative and new with the BD-Live feature if they intend to steer traffic from MySpace and YouTube. I am sorry to be pessimistic here but I don’t think they will pull it off…

Popularity: 25% [?]

Whether you have or are planing on buying a Samsung Blu-ray player, we have some good news for you! Samsung launched a new website dedicated to their Blu-ray products. The site is divided in two areas “Blu-ray Owners” and “Looking to Buy”, consumers visiting the site will easily be able to access the information pertinent to their Blu-ray needs. Samsung offers FAQs, new product and firmware introductions, as well as the opportunity to chat live with a Samsung Blu-ray support specialist. Also, every week they will start a new “Topic” on the site to provide Samsung’s opinion on current Blu-ray product issues and to further educate consumers on the advantages of Blu-ray. This week’s topic is: How do I get the most out of my Blu-ray player?

“Now that Blu-ray is the future of HD, Samsung recognized the need to develop a single online location where current Blu-ray owners and those seeking more information can go to address their Blu-ray needs,” said Reid Sullivan, Vice President of Audio/Video & Digital Imaging at Samsung Electronics America. “With answers to nearly every Blu-ray question and access to trained Samsung tech support, we believe the Blu-ray Resource Center will help consumers maximize the performance of their Samsung Blu-ray player, pre or post sale.”

As far as Blu-ray is concerned Samsung always seems be a little ahead of the competition, releasing the first player, releasing the first HD-DVD/Blu-ray combo players and now this “Resource Center” website… They do a good job!

Popularity: 16% [?]

Even though we still do not have a 8x Blu-ray recorder on the market many companies are already getting things ready for it! One of them is the chip SCOMBO/UM2A, which will be one of the components that will make it possible. Current NEC drives can only burn Blu-ray at 5x, and many other commercially-available models are slower still, or don’t have Blu-ray burning at all. Bellow is a excerpt from TechOn, a Japanese technology blog that always has the lastest news:

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NEC Electronics Corp announced June 18, 2008, that it started shipping samples of SCOMBO/UM2A, an SoC chip designed for use in Blu-ray Disc (BD) systems that support 8x recording and playback, in Japan.

The company integrated the analog signal processing circuit, which controls an optical pickup unit, and the digital signal processing circuit, which performs data modulation and demodulation as well as error correction, into a single chip. The chip is targeted for use in personal computers and audio-visual equipment.

The company’s existing SoC chip, namely SCOMBO/UM, is only compatible with 5x recording and playback. In addition, SCOMBO/UM has the analog and digital signal processing circuits that are provided in separate chips.

This time, NEC Electronics employed a wideband analog signal processing circuit in order to support Blu-ray 8x recording and playback. The circuit was originally developed for use in 20x DVD systems. Furthermore, the company adopted the CMOS technology to produce the analog circuit, instead of using the BiCMOS technology.

As a result, the analog circuit can be integrated with the digital signal processing unit in a single chip. Compared with the company’s existing product, the footprint of the latest chip is 20% smaller, and the power consumption was reduced by 33% to 1.8W.

Along with the SCOMBO/UM2A, the company started shipping samples of the SCOMBO/UM2P, which only provides the Blu-ray playback function. SCOMBO/UM2P supports 5x recording and playback, instead of 8x. The sample price of SCOMBO/UM2A is ¥2,000 (US$18.54, price may vary depending on country), while SCOMBO/UM2P is priced at ¥1,500. Both models are manufactured based on the 0.15?m process technology at NEC Kumamoto Plant in Japan.

The company plans to expand the mass-production scale from 300,000 units per month in the first half of fiscal 2008 to one million units per month by the end of fiscal 2008. The company hopes to increase its share (in terms of units) of SoC chips for BD systems from 40% in fiscal 2007 to 50% in fiscal 2008.

While enhancing recording and playback speeds, as well as reducing power consumption, NEC Electronics intends to promote the integration of the read-only chip and the company’s proprietary image processing SoC chip “EMMA.” It is reportedly under development and will be unveiled shortly although the company did not reveal the shipment schedule. The next-generation chip “supports 12-16x recording and playback in theory,” the company said.

Integrating analog and digital signal processing circuits into a single chip

Via: TechOn

Popularity: 18% [?]

After Paramount announced its come back to Blu-ray and release of a whole list of movies, they decided to start a website dedicated to Blu-ray format. It has information about what Blu-ray is, Blu-ray movies, new title releases, news about the format, etc. The website is very raw right now, with a lot of “coming soon”screens which is suprising, I would expect more from a big studio like Paramount, specially since they are already behind compared to the others so a few more weeks wait to finish the site would not make a difference and we would not have so many annoying “coming soon” pages… We assume they will be finishing these pages soon to prepare it to be the primary link on future Paramount BD-Live titles.

This is a little except we took from the site: “Paramount Home Entertainment introduces a whole new way to watch your favorite blockbusters! With any BD-Live enabled Blu-ray disc, you can download additional features right to your Blu-ray player, if your player is compatible with BD-Live (I.E., a Blu-ray Profile 2.0 player or newer) and is connected to the internet with a high-speed connection. And even better, new features are added all the time, so you can keep checking back for more first-look extras! Stay tuned for BD-Live movies from Paramount Home Entertainment.”

We’ve added Paramount’s site to our blogroll so you can easily access it!

Popularity: 13% [?]

Just like we mentioned last week, we smell a little price war going on and the latest strike is Amazon’s, which has lowered many of their Blu-ray movies to $15 in order to compete with Wal-mart’s prices. This is also in addition to the already available “Buy 2 Get 1 Free” promo. Amazon usually has better prices on Blu-ray movies but when Wal-mart took the plunge and started offering movies titles at $15, they had to react! Take advantage while it is still available!

Amazon’s $15 list includes:

• 3:10 to Yuma
• War
• 300
• Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
• The Host
• Syriana
• 16 Blocks
• The Last Samurai
• GoodFellas
• Blood Diamond
• Training Day
• Alexander Revisted: The Final Cut
• Deliverance
• Dog Day Afternoon
• Leathal Weapon
• The Getaway

Unfortunately Amazon did not create an exclusive page for this promo so if you are interested on it you have to dig through the titles… I know I know…a pain!

Popularity: 11% [?]

Rumors have surfaced about a new Samsung player arriving in September. I really hate rumors! Specially when they arrive out of the blue and with no back up whatsoever. According to a French forum the Samsung BD-P2500 is a profile 2.0 (BD-Live) player that will have the Silicon Optix (HQV/Reon VX) video processing chip for optimal DVD upconversion, and decoding support for both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. For those of you without HDMI receivers, the player will feature 7.1 analog outs. Priced at 449 Euros, this possible Samsung player will be competing head to head with the Panasonic DMP-BD50.

I really don’t know how true this is since Samsung just released their BD-P2400 which is BD-Live ready and only need a firmware upgrade to bring it up to profile 2.0. As soon as we get more information we will post it.

Source: Blu-ray.com

Popularity: 47% [?]

Since last month all the major players on the Blu-ray market started a small war, flooding us with offers to drive the Blu-ray sales. It started with Wal-mart offering the new Magnavox NB500MG9 for under $300. A fews weeks later we see Amazon and then Best Buy start throwing in baits to get consumers to buy Blu-ray movies and players from them. Amazon started slashing prices, bundling movies together and now has a HD week with amazing prices on the ‘Gold Box’ page. Best Buy is pushing their Insignia player with a $100 book of coupons. Now is Wal-mart’s turn again: They are also offering $100 in coupons but with the purchase of any Blu-ray player. Out of all these promotions, I would probably go with this last one because it is valid for any player including the Playstation 3. The PS3 has currently the best cost/benefit ratio, the promo basically makes the Sony console sell at $299. Besides being the only profile 2.0 player already selling, it has the potential to be upgraded with firmwares and you can also make your kids happy giving them games to play!

Or you can buy the mediocre Magnavox NB500MG9 for $198. Your choice!

They are also offering selected Blu-ray movie titles for 15 bucks! Some of the titles are: 3:10 to Yuma, War, Shooter, 300 and The Fifth Element.

Yes, this is great stuff and if you are waiting for a great opportunity to enter the “Blu” World this may be your chance! Check out their web site! This promo is valid from June 8 through June 14.

Popularity: 32% [?]