Next PS3 firmware paves way for web-enabled Blu-ray

In light of the recent announcement of Lionsgate‘s BD-Live movies, the latest firmware update for the PlayStation 3 has been speculated to be released as early as this month already. We’re not sure if it’ll already have DivX technology, but here’s what movie studios expect: the next PS3 firmware could pave the way for interconnectivity functions of BD-Live Blu-ray movies.

How far can this go? Read more to find out.

In light of the recent announcement of Lionsgate‘s BD-Live movies, the latest firmware update for the PlayStation 3 has been speculated to be released as early as this month already. We’re not sure if it’ll already have DivX technology, but here’s what movie studios expect: the next PS3 firmware could pave the way for interconnectivity functions of BD-Live Blu-ray movies.

In the same conference in which Lionsgate made their announcement, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment executive VP Don Eklund expects that the new firmware will give the PS3 system a Profile v1.1 (PiP) upgrade.

This should include support for picture-in-picture interactivity that the HD-DVD camp already had for quite some time now as a standard. Eklund suggests that this firmware update would do good to roll out during this holiday season.

“We have an aggressive program underway to use network capabilities on our titles next year,” stated Eklund.

Meanwhile, he also forecasts that another future PS3 firmware update could eventually bump up the machine into a Profile v2.0 for full BD-Live support, thereby upping the ante once again on the never ending format wars.