Latest PS3 Firmware Updates

[ChrisF]

Every time I see "Qriocity" I read "atrocity". Not the best name imho.

Sony also announced plans to introduce “Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity™”, a new, cloud-based, digital music service.

i.e. You're gonna have a harder time ripping the DRM off it.

[Number45]

So everyone is calling this cloud based? Please get your saves up there Sony, even if it's a Plus only feature (In fact I'd pay more for the peace of mind)!

[JP]

There's more information online now and it seems they did say that it will be available to third parties at a later date. Maybe they want it going to a smaller group of people first while they sort out whatever issues with service?

Looking at the press which covers more details on Qriocity as well as the Music Unlimited service it seems that they do want it on as many devices as possible eventually.

There's no mention of third parties in the press release so that may be some time away. It's difficult to know exactly how it'll work as they didn't really give specific details.

In November 2009, Sony Corporation (Sony) said that it was developing a network service platform called Sony Online Services (SOLS), which is now called Qriocity™. Qriocity is a network service platform that connects many of Sony’s network-enabled devices and allows consumers to enjoy high quality entertainment across multiple devices. Via Qriocity, Sony will deliver a variety of digital entertainment content and services that are “powered by Qriocity”, including video, music, game applications, and e-books over time, and through these services, and in combination with its networked devices, Sony aims to bring new and exciting entertainment experiences to customers.

Today at the IFA 2010 show in Berlin, Sony announced that “Video On Demand powered by Qriocity™”, a premium streaming video service, will be available this fall in five European countries including France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K. With “Video On Demand powered by Qriocity,” customers can choose from hundreds of box office hits from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, Lionsgate, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM), NBC Universal International Television Distribution, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, The Walt Disney Company, and Warner Bros. Digital Distribution, as well as popular content from top local studios. Many movies are available in High Definition (HD) as well as Standard Definition (SD), and all can be rented at the touch of a button on Sony’s 2010 models of network-enabled BRAVIA® TVs and Blu-ray Disc™ players, and Blu-ray Home Theater systems. “Video On Demand powered by Qriocity” has been available in the U.S. since April 2010.

Sony also announced plans to introduce “Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity™”, a new, cloud-based, digital music service. Available by year’s end, “Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity” will give music lovers access to millions of songs stored and synchronized through the cloud. “Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity” will initially be available across Sony’s 2010 models of network-enabled BRAVIA TVs, Blu-ray Disc players, Blu-ray Home Theater systems , as well as PlayStation®3 computer entertainment systems and VAIOs and other personal computers, and will become increasingly available on a range of Sony’s portable devices.

“Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity” brings together the features cited as most important by music enthusiasts. With access to a huge library of songs through the cloud, users can discover new music through channels personalized to their tastes on multiple devices and without the requirement to manage digital music files. The convenience resulting from this new consumer music experience will further enhance the value of music, thus creating new opportunities for the industry. Details of the service plan will be announced in the future.

“We are excited to offer our customers high quality, cloud-based entertainment experiences across many of Sony’s network-enabled devices,” said Kazuo Hirai, President of Networked Products & Services Group, Sony Corporation. “Services ‘powered by Qriocity’ will revolutionize the way that users play, listen, watch, share, communicate, learn, discover and create their digital entertainment content.”

[Number45]

I saw something that specifically mentioned Vaio laptops. I can't for the life of me understand why they'd lock the PC platform to their hardware only (Not like it won't be circumvented soon enough anyway...).

[JP]

Have they said it won't be available via PSPs or phones? I've not seen that mentioned anywhere to be honest.

The website seems to suggest that it will be available on the PSP. The PSP already has access to your PlayStation wallet but I'm not sure if any phones do at the moment.

[Brad]

Not Sony Ericsson phones then? Or the PSP? FFS! Come on Sony!

[JP]

Following on from this...

May as well post this here I suppose.

After the last firmware update I noticed a new logo when signing in to my account online...


Searching took me to this page registered to Sony Network Entertainment International and an option to sign in. As it's the same sign in page as PSN pages I tried but was told it wan't available in the UK but I got in with my US account.

Once you're in it lets you link Bravia TVs, blu-ray players, PS3s and PSPs to your account to stream films to compatible devices. It already had a our PS3 & PSP linked to the account.

Anyway, just thought it was worth mentioning and if anybody has a recent Bravia or Sony blu-ray player they may want to link them to their account so they can stream directly to them.

Some more details have been announced today.

Today at IFA 2010 in Berlin, Sony announced that Music Unlimited Powered by Qriocity, a cloud-based digital music service, will be coming to PlayStation 3 later this year.

The service will give you access to millions of songs that are stored and synchronised through the cloud and can be accessed via PS3, BRAVIA TVs, Blu-ray Disc players, Blu-ray Home Theatre systems and VAIO computers, with one single account and without the need to manage digital files.

Further details, including exactly when and in which countries Music Unlimited Powered by Qriocity will launch, will be announced soon.

?We are excited to offer our customers high quality, cloud-based entertainment experiences across many of Sony?s network-enabled devices,? said Kazuo Hirai, President of Networked Products & Services Group, Sony Corporation. ?Services ?powered by Qriocity? will revolutionize the way that users play, listen, watch, share, communicate, learn, discover and create their digital entertainment content.?

We?ll share any further details here on the PlayStation Blog as and when we receive them.

[J0e Musashi]

Dunno if this is a new development, but I now get the iPlayer icon on my US PS3 when using my UK account. I swear that it didn't appear with non-EU consoles.

It happened on the next update once iPlayer had been introduced.

[kernow]

Theres an update of 3.41 out also which fixes the 'upgrading your hard disk' issue.

its still 3.41 so pointless to upgrade unless you're specifically affected.

[sj33]

Dunno if this is a new development, but I now get the iPlayer icon on my US PS3 when using my UK account. I swear that it didn't appear with non-EU consoles.

[kernow]

Any secret underground list as usual telling you what the updates were? Or was it simply the shop and incremental future updates this time?

[C']

No problems at all for myself this morning either. Came down the line really quick. In fact, it took longer to install than download.

I read this morning that they may now be patching the OS rather than making you download the entire thing each time.

[Number45]

Download it direct from the link I posted if it's giving you grief.

[teddymeow]

Anyone having issues downloading this? I get to 40% and "an error occurs".

Done it 4 times now.

[JP]

I really have no interest in Facebook or the other stuff mentioned about this update but we do only get to see the updates that affect as as users while there are often updates on the developer side which we probably never get told about.

Some of the information being revealed about v3.41 is that it now allows for incremental firmware updates which means that instead of downloading the complete firmware package it will from now on just download the changes which will make firmware updates far less noticeable in the future, particularly if you're using the auto download option.

It's not the most interesting thing in the world but there's always been complaints about downloading the whole package in the past.