Comments on: PS3 firmware 2.50 adds support for Flash 9--but don't expect glitch-free Hulu viewing

The 2.50 firmware is now available for download on the PS3. Flash 9 video compatibility is among the included improvements, but it's not smooth enough for flawless playback of video sites such as Hulu.com.

[newsjeff]

Haven't Dl'd it yet.. just waiting to see if it bricks any PS3's first. Yes the Flash 9 support is great... I was always frustrated trying to watch online video from many sites. No such luck until now. Now maybe they will work. Just wish the PS3 would read a wider variety of video formats from digital cameras and flash based camcorders. I want to be able to record a short clip on a digicam and then plug the memory card in and watch it on my PS3 and TV and save the clip to the PS3 hard drive. Some formats work, but a lot don't.

[adachan]

How do you guys plan to stream HD content over 802.11g? The best speeds I get over G (which is in the psp) are 1.5 megabytes per second. This amounts to around 10megabits per second. HD content is higher than this. DVD mpeg-2 is around 8megabits per second. If HD video is not higher than 5 megabits per sec its not even worth saying its HD. Just watch the SD stream, it will look less pixelated especially for flash video.

[adachan]

My bad -- thought this was about psp....

[Mikelarry85]

i downloaded it and had an issue with vodpod.com everytime i went to this site and tried to exit the browser my ps3 froze and i had to restart it. anyone had an issue with this site as well?

[hafenbrack]

It's great that they updated to support Flash 9, hopefully this support continues and viewing content from Hulu, Amazon, etc. will become "seemless" so that the PS3 can truly be the all-in-one media box.

[craigmcrae]

I've repeatedly tried to access hulu, and am met with screen/system freezes. 2.5 (US at least) seems to be a bust for me. Possibly my 1st gen machine? Who knows... Anyone else?

[Cheese McBeese]

What a HUGE (HUGE) disappointment. I'll concede that this is a step in the right direction, but I'm shocked that Sony would release garbage like this. MOST flash web sites are only partially supported and many do not work at all.

MESSAGE TO SONY: You make beautiful devices but you don't understand software. Please partner with a company that does.

[AmarKap713]

You know I don't get it...why does Sony have such a hard time with making a Web Browser? Is web browser a complicated piece of software to write? The PS/3 can play freaking Metal Gear Solid 4 and that seems so much more complicated than a web browser to program. There has got to be horsepower in this PS3 box to make this happen. I mean give me an nice interface to bookmark website...to call them up easily...to zoom in, zoom out...fill to screen...and of course to watch Hulu...and lastly...I'm not sure if its our wireless or what...but Internet is so freaking slow to render the pages...

Anyway, it is okay...the PS3 is awesome and I bought it for the games not to surf the internet...but they a browser...I just don't know why its so hard to get this right...and make it useable.

[Cheese McBeese]

Just did some testing with Yellow Dog Linux. Even worse. You have to wrestle with the weaknesses of the Sony flash support AND the weaknesses of Yellow Dog Linux 6.0 at the same time. Total garbage. Not suitable for anyone with a life.

[HHaller2]

Hulu access is a very, very big deal.

Thank goodness Sony is finally getting their act together with Flash support. Hopefully they keep improving on it.

[BarnabeeJones]

Hey John P. Falcone,

Nice job on the article. It seems that you are starting to write much more objectively. Thanks for holding the negative sarcasm also.

hulu doesn't work on ps3....big surprise