Updating The PS3

Last time I mentioned not updating the ps3 firmware unless the game needs it. Well guess what, the game needs it, and it always do. Online gaming is just not possible and forget about connecting to the playstation network unless you update to the latest firmware version. There was a few days of hesitation + paranoia before I risked updating my ps3, and even that was through the "storage media" method, not internet update. I downloaded the latest (version 2.01 at that time) firmware from sony playstation website, put it in a thumb drive, and updated the ps3 using that copy. Power outage during this process means a dead ps3, given that the process takes almost 10 minutes to complete, it was like a life and death situation.

Now it has been almost 2 weeks since the update and my ps3 is still going strong - and just recently played Kingdom of Heaven blu-ray movie :D

One more thing, on the 18th of december, the latest update v2.10 was announced by sony which has DivX playback as one of its features. But I'm having mixed feelings...

ps3 repaired

Finally its fixed. I got a call from the seller few days back telling me the ps3 is working, but just got the chance to check it out yesterday. A working ps3 aside, here is what I got,


Spoilt PS3 Blu-Ray Lens.
So they say, the replacement cost RM450 (130USD), enough money for two (or three) more games. But for now I'm content with a usable ps3, though both Resistance and Folklore will have to start from the very beginning at least I'm not stuck with playing demos anymore, but still GT5 demo is still awesome :)

Since I got a chance to meet the technician, I asked a few "tips and tricks" on how to avoid spoiling an expensive ps3. Here is what they have to say + my comments,

1. Never update your ps3 firmware using the internet.

I'm not quite sure but there are some merits about this. I did read somewhere (forgot source) about ps3 not reading any disc AFTER (corrupted) internet firmware update. They say corrupted firmware sometimes do not entirely render a ps3 unusable, it causes "erratic" behavior that can ruin gameplay (which is minor) and at worse toast the most sensitive piece of hardware in the ps3, the blu-ray lens. Sounds like bullshit ehh? Maybe, remember in the 90's reading certain sector of a hard disk can ruin the disk? So now what use is a ps3 if one cannot update its firmware? They answered...

2. Only update the firmware when your game needs it. The update will always come with your game disc and is guaranteed a clean one.

Awww... now I can't be excited with every latest firmware Sony release anymore. There is still the "update via storage media" method but having experienced a dead ps3 once... :(

3. bla bla bla...

The usual stuff, don't allow external vibration affecting the ps3, don't put it close to your loud speaker especially the sub-woofer, don't cramp it, always clean and never let dust covering the ps3, don't eject disc while a game is running, don't use your ps3 for pirated (or even original) DVDs because it is meant for blu-ray disc, don't duct-tape the ventilation...

Ok they didn't really said that but don't update to version 2.0 - its infested with bugs.

PS3 excitement lasted less than a week!

Having spent top money for the futuristic system with Resistance and Folklore, and downloaded GT5 prologue as well as other demos, my blood pressure must have slightly increased during the first few days due to adrenaline + lack of sleep. Being an avid PC FPS gamer, the six-axis felt clumsier than ever when I was playing Resistance. It is just awful to find myself struggling with the controller but not with the game itself. Embarrassing yet can still be dealt with.

The worse is yet to come though, four days after purchase I noticed that the ps3 was not able to read the Resistance game disc. Tried the other one... nothing happened. Tried a few audio cds and dvds... nada. nothing. By then I realized mine must have went kaput! Specifically the lens may have died of whatever unfathomable reason and now I'm left with a ps3 that can do anything except reading discs. To add to the bitterness Sony does not provide support for parallel imported units, and mine happened to be one, as well as all other ps3 in Malaysia. Being one of those lucky 1% failure rate ps3 owner is bad enough, but it gets even worse in countries that are not officially supported for Sony servicing. I now expect hefty charges for the ruined lens replacement. That one thing probably cost more than a quarter of a brand new unit. It hurts to be robbed of excitement in the first week! :(

The Entry

Oh wow I made a blog isn't that great?

Yeah really, as if anybody would care with another "blog" written by another unknown blogger wannabe dude. Why created in the first place? A chance to bitch about stuff that didn't go my way, or sometime when "good" things happen - just that doesn't happen much. Pretty boring stuff. I know, but then so what? Blogging is so easy your average grampas can do it. Honestly, I'm even more surprised of myself to actually do something like this, probably because of blogging is just too easy to start these days... no wonder those so called "veteran bloggers" are mad-bitching claiming "bloggers" are polluting the search engine results. Must be great when you're on the top huh? Those "before" you are just bunch of boring midgets posting expired stuff of "my job", my cat, or whatever applicable "my"s while you yourself are convinced that you are providing quality "content" amongst real contents. Get over it. No amount of angry seo "expert" will deter anyone from starting a blog. The search engine takes care of itself, the "experts" otherwise can just go back to "the caves" doing more optimization. Pulling a black hat maybe? Sigh~ now I'm the one complaining. So much of a first post.