New Blu-ray 2.0 Spec Makes PS3 the Most Future-proof Player

With an unexpected announcement from Warner stating that the company would issue its movies on Blu-ray, the high-definition format war is over for many.

A new definition of Blu-ray is coming up, namely "Blu-ray 2.0". The 2.0 profile brings picture-in-picture and online functionality to Blu-ray discs; these movies will have "BD-Live" stickers on the case so you know certain features will require 2.0-compliant players.

Currently, the Playstation 3 is the only Blu-ray 2.0-compatible player available.

Below is a summary of the different requirements for the several Blu-ray standards:

• 1.0 is the launch profile, and secondary audio and video decoders are optional, as is local storage and network connectivity. The majority of standalone players fit into this category.
• 1.1 is the newer profile, and to take advantage of these discs, players need a secondary audio and video decoder to handle picture-in-picture, as well as at least 256MB of local storage for content.
• 2.0 is the profile of the future, requiring the two secondary decoders, 1GB of local storage for updates and content, and an Internet connection.