PS3 primed, ready for Blu-ray Profile 2.0 update

The firmware update, which will allow the PlayStation 3 to play upcoming "BD-Live" Blu-ray discs, will make the console an even better Blu-ray bargain than it was before—at least until prices for stand-alone players start falling.

Engadget HD reports that the upcoming PS3 firmware update 2.20, which is due before the month is out, will let you access the downloadable, Net-enabled features and widgets that come with the latest Blu-ray movies.

Those Net-related features are part of the newest Blu-ray specification—Profile 2.0, a.k.a. BD-Live, which is only available on a handful of upcoming Blu-ray players.

As I've blogged about before, most available Blu-ray players only work with profiles 1.0 or 1.1, and except for the PlayStation 3, they can't be upgraded to Profile 2.0 (or even Profile 1.1, in the case of 1.0 decks).

And while Profile 2.0 Blu-ray players are beginning to trickle into stores—for example, Sony just announced a pair of upcoming 2.0 decks, and Panasonic has a 2.0 player set for later this year—they're still way too pricey.

Panasonic has yet to announce pricing on its DMP-BD50, but Sony's Profile 2.0 players—the BDP-S350 and BDP-S550—will sell for $400 and $500, respectively.

Compare that to $400 for the Blu-ray-equipped 40GB PlayStation 3, which comes with the added bonus of... you know, next-generation gaming and such.

Anyway, the free PS3 update should arrive in the next week or so (Engadget HD has details on all the other included improvements)—and to my mind, the firmware patch makes the PS3 the Blu-ray player to beat (lack of DTS-HD Master Audio support notwithstanding).

Related:
PS3 firmware 2.20 bringing BD-Live interactive Blu-ray this month [Engadget HD]