PS3 Update Changes Default HDTV Output Resolution

Sony yesterday released an online update for their PlayStation 3 game console that corrects previously reported upconversion issues for consumers with 1080i HDTV monitors, but presents new issues for those with 720p monitors.

As we reported in our recent review of the PS3's high-def playback capabilities, the launch version of the PS3 was only capable of upconverting 720p to 1080p (and not 1080i) As a result, 1080i HDTV owners had no choice but to watch 720p content *downconverted* to 480p.

Yesterday's update (available at this link) corrects the conversion priorities so that 1080i is now "preferred" over 720p. Good for 1080i HDTV owners, but not such good news for (the much larger number of) 720p HDTV owners who will now have to rely on their TV's built-in scaler to convert the 1080i signal to 720p.