Firmware 2.5 Details
Just in case you guys haven’t seen what’s all in this update yet, here’s the official list:
Main features in system software update version 2.50
* PlayStation®Network
The account creation screens under [Sign Up for PlayStation®Network] and the menus under [Account Management] have been redesigned.
Other new or revised features in version 2.50
Users
* You now have an option to set the PS3 system to turn off automatically after a background download or installation of content has been completed. This option is available when you are turning off the system under [Users] > [Turn Off System] while content is being downloaded or installed.
Settings
* [BD/DVD Settings] has been renamed as [Video Settings].
* Under [Video Settings], the [Cinema Conversion] and [Upscale] options have been renamed as [BD/DVD Cinema Conversion] and [BD/DVD Upscaler], respectively.
* [Sequential Playback] and [50 Hz Video Output] have been added as options under [Video Settings].
* [DivX® VOD Registration Code] has been added under [System Settings]. You must use this registration code to authenticate and register the PS3 system to be able to play video files that are compatible with the DivX® VOD (Video On Demand) service on your system. For details, visit divx.com/vod/
* [Power Save Settings] has been added as an option under Settings. To save power, the PS3 system and Wireless controllers can be set to turn off automatically after a certain period of inactivity.
* Under [Accessory Settings] > [Audio Device Settings], the method for reconnecting Bluetooth® devices has been changed.
* Under [Accessory Settings] > [Keyboard Type], you can now choose the following keyboard types: [German Keyboard (Switzerland)], [French Keyboard (Canada)] and [French Keyboard (Switzerland)].
* In the keyboard layout for [German Keyboard], the “Y” and “Z” keys have been switched and the “Q” and “A” keys have been switched.
* Under [Printer Settings] > [Printer Selection], you can now select printers that support network connectivity. You can also select HP printers using the [HP] option.
Music
* You can now select one of nine volume output levels using the [Volume Control] setting on the control panel (or the mini-size control panel).
* [Pause] has been added as an icon on the mini-size control panel.
Video
* You can now select one of nine volume output levels using the [Volume Control] setting on the control panel.
* [Scene Search] has been added as an option on the control panel.
* You can now use the [Mosquito Noise Reduction] setting for video content that is saved on the hard disk or storage media. Use this setting to reduce mosquito noise that appears on the edges of visual images.
* During BD (BDAV) and DVD playback, a technique known as “chroma upsampling” is now automatically selected based on the movement of objects within the video content and then applied to enhance images in the content.
Game
* [Sync with Server] has been added as an option under [Trophy Collection].
* By pressing the PS button while playing PLAYSTATION 3 format software, you can now view information from the [Settings and Connection Status List] option under [Network Settings].*
* This feature is not available for use with some PLAYSTATION 3 format software.
Network
* Support for Adobe® Flash® Player 9 has been added to [Internet Browser].*
* “Adobe” and “Flash” are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries.
PlayStation®Network
* The way to disable the automatic sign-in option and the way to sign out from PlayStation®Network have been changed.
* In PlayStation®Store, the design of the [View Downloads] and [View Cart] buttons has been changed, and a [Redeem Codes] button has been added.
Try now - 
October 16th, 2008 at 10:42 am
Video and sound improvements are very welcome.
Something has also been fixed on the playback of large AVI files (>2GB), some of my files didn’t play anymore after the previous update that allowed AVI >4GB, but they are now playable again, yepee!
Only thing missing now would be a sound normalizer…
October 16th, 2008 at 10:59 am
“and the “Q” and “A” keys have been switched”
In preparation for a localized version of Jeopardy, I assume?
October 16th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
I also noticed that there is a new reference in your friends list. Underneath your friends name it states when they last logged in. Didn’t notice it before but noticed it yesterday. And i like the controller off setting.
October 16th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
The controller off setting is just what I needed. I couldn’t notice the shutdown after download setting, tho. Is it the system-auto shutdown that works for every situation?
October 16th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
The auto-controller off is a nice feature but I don’t see me using it. I use my PS3 a lot to watch videos and it’s annoying to keep turning on the controller. Wish you could manually select a time to controller shut off.
Emrah – For the shutdown after download, start some download then go all the way to the left to the users icon and select shut down from there. There you’ll get a prompt.
October 16th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
I’ve just installed the 2.50 version of the firmware. But I can’t seem to connect to the Playstation Store anymore. Is it down or is there some problem with the firmware? It is possible for me to download updates to games and go on the internet via the Playstation browser. But I can’t get on the store, neither the European nor the American one.
October 16th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Oh Nevermind. The store is taken offline for maintenance according to the official PS3 blog.
October 17th, 2008 at 3:08 am
I was expecting subtitle support in M2TS files or AVI files. Damn! It’s hard when you rip your foreign DVD collection for PS3-viewing purposes but with no subtitles on. How hard is this?
Something about the volume: It’s nice we now have more volume levels, but shouldn’t we be able to change the volume level from the BD remote control when video is playing (volume up, volume down buttons) instead of pressing triangle -> go to Volume -> click left or right ??
C’mon SONY! I want these by Xmas 2008!
October 17th, 2008 at 6:41 am
This update was pretty awesome. I first read of the details and didn’t think much of it, some useful features but things I already had on the 360. Nice to have them on the PS3 too but still it’s hard to get really excited about them. But I’ve gotta say I LOVE the scene search tool.
And the best feature I didn’t see coming is the auto-off feature. I heard power-saving, but didn’t realize that’s what it meant. My wife is notorious in our household for leaving the PS3 on all night after falling asleep through a DVD. This avoids that argument entirely. Playstation, keeping marriages together!
And of course the Flash update is pretty huge. We were just trying to get our PS3 setup to watch the Presidential debates since we don’t have TV but we ran into issues with the older version of the Flash player. We ended up just a TV antenna and firing up the Tivo again, but it’s still nice to know the PS3 now has an option to view TV shows instantly and legally through sites like Hulu. I’ll stick with free HD from the antenna, but it’s good to know there’s an alternate option! Especially for older TV.
October 17th, 2008 at 8:17 am
Any word on whether this fixes the stuttering issue when streaming mp4 files over a wireless network?
October 17th, 2008 at 9:37 am
Stuttering seems to have stopped! Streamed a 1/2 hour episode of TRS in mp4 with no issue. Finally the fix!
October 17th, 2008 at 10:21 am
I noticed these things:
- DivX now tends to lack, when watching via WiFi – it played perfectly before the update.
- MP4 (H.264/AAC) -files still lack, when watching via WiFi, but at least they don’t make the PS3 crash as they did before…
- When watching a movie, if you press the playstation-button, it automatically pauses the movie, instead for letting it run in the background, as it did before – WHY?
The end result is, as you can see, much worse than it was before. Nice 1 Sony…
October 19th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Yes I’m getting skipping on some divx with 2.50 where-as I did not get it before.
October 19th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
MKV? When can we get MKV container support. It’s now even supported by DIVX which is apparently officially supported by the PS3!