PlayStation 3 Firmware Adds AVC High Profile Playback

New PlayStation 3 firmware improves AVC playback, backwards compatibility

Sony Computer Entertainment has released a new firmware update for the PlayStation 3, bringing it up to version 1.82.

The update brings with it only a pair of publicized additions. New for 1.82 is support for playback of AVC High Profile (H.264/MPEG-4) format video, a high image quality encoding method used by Blu-ray Discs and other media, has been added.

“Hopefully this update is moving us closer to the audio playback features many of you commented about,” wrote Eric Lempel, director of PlayStation Network operations. “We’re continuing to evaluate and improve things across the board, including PS2 software compatibility. Thanks for all of your support and feedback, keep it coming!”

Also improved is the system backwards compatibility with original PlayStation and PlayStation 2 titles, though Sony makes no mention of which titles specifically were addressed. Instead, Sony recommends gamers looking to play legacy games on the PS3 to refer to the backwards compatibility database.

The new firmware is considered an incremental update following the major additions from the 1.80 software, which added PSone, PS2 and DVD upscaling to 1080p.

A 1.81 update was also released following the 1.80, adding an RGB Full Range setting for HDMI users and improving network connection stability used for some online PlayStation 2 games.