New PS3 firmware fiasco (2.42)....has it affected anyone here?

[heybtbm]

Fresh off the PS3 2.40 firmware "bricking" systems last month, Kotaku is reporting that the new (as of this week) 2.42 firmware is gimping peoples blu-ray drives. WTF?

I updated two days ago, but haven't played any games since. The thread at playstation.com shows case after case of unfortunate souls outraged by their newly malfunctioning PS3's. Has anyone here (with 2.42) had any problems?

[CosmicMonkey]

I didn't even know there was a new firmware update coming. It randomly popped up last night after I finished watching Snatch on DVD.

No problems with my drive, I've just tested the first 5 minutes of Hellboy on Blu-ray and it's fine. However, I'm unable to log on to the PS Store, it just keeps timing out. I'm not sure if it's my BT Homehub being crap again but I couldn't log on last night after the update or just now.

This is getting slightly annoying.

[roushimsx]

I started having problems a little before the 2.42 patch, updated, and my problems didn't get any better or worse. Frequently getting a 80029940 error when I pop in a BD movie, No Country For Old Men froze at the ~1:12:00 mark and skipped ahead to ~1:22:00, and I've had a few other problems in the past.

Just got my box in from Sony today to ship it back, but I'm wondering if I should even bother or if it's actually a firmware-related issue. Doesn't seem like anyone is actually posting their error codes, so it's kind of hard to correlate everything. Maybe it's the drive, maybe it's the movies.

On the discs it's been happening to me on, I can't see any scratches or cracks, but apparently some people are noticing some super fine hairline cracks in there. I dunno. I'll look a bit closer before I mail it in and cough up the $150.

[Chuplayer]

I noticed some strange static noises since updating to 2.40, but I only noticed them on one particular game, and it may be the game's fault, and it may be my TV's speakers fault, so I'm not sure. I did play the game (Stranglehold) last night with the 2.42 firmware, and I didn't notice any static.

[Poofta!]

my 60gigger has no issues with 2.42. i only have GT5 and heavenly sword though. no movies. the store works fine.


overall i think the ps3 firmware is one huge fuckup. im amazed they couldnt do a better (Or at least as good) a job as MS.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Happy to report no noticable issues here.

I've read that most firmware update issues come from people using weak/slow/frequently interrupted internet connections to download the firmware causing corrupted firmware getting installed.

Of course, why the PS3 doesn't do a firmware verify post download is beyond me.

[Trebuken]

I read what this firmware update is supposed to do but still can't determine it is doing anything.

Improves playback of some PS3 and PS1? games? How?

Adds some new DTS audio options. What does this support?

[monkeychemist]

I love my new PS3 but I have to admit that I hate the frequency of those damn firmware updates. I usually only have time to play on weekends and it seems like I'm always having to update to check out the PSN store and such. My wife was making fun of me the other day because all I wanted to to was play the new pixel junk demo and it took like an hour to download the firmware, then the demo, then install the game... ugh..

so no, I haven't experienced the problem, however I don't play that often.

[Puff-puff]

Wow! I'm glad I don't update my firmware when a new update gets released. Sometimes it's better to wait

:o

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Improves playback of some PS3 and PS1? games? How?

They'll rarely (if ever) divulge the specific bug fixes for games that haven't already been publicly "called out" as being broken/non functional.

[roushimsx]

I love my new PS3 but I have to admit that I hate the frequency of those damn firmware updates.

I'm all about the frequent updates, I just wish that they'd do it in such a way that you didn't have to download the entire damn update firmware each time. Maybe just being able to do the equivalent of a diff-patch / delta update / whatever.

[Joker T]

My PS3 is fine as far as I know.

People seem to complain about PS3's updates every time one is released.

[Half Japanese]

My ps3's been fine, but it does get extremely annoying having to download new firmware every month (or less). Not only that, but it seems like downloads from the ps3 store are much, much slower than those on the 360 marketplace.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

For what it's worth, more often than not the PS3 firmware updates usually include new, free features, and for a completely free online service, the PSN store has really come into it's own in terms of being streamlined and organized. (Much more organized than XBL these days ... what a freakin' mess of categories the blades and sections are over there, I can't WAIT for the re-design!)

[Sudo]

I've never had any problems updating my firmware, and it usually downloads extremely fast.

[Nintendo Gamer]

.....

[MegaDrive20XX]

Mine froze on me 3 times today.

Once while playing Soul Calibur 4. I got a message during the game, I paused, and went to check the message. When I came back, the game was stuck

Twice, when I was in the middle of Stranglehold, I shot down a door, walked in, and the game stopped right there, yet you could hear in the background, people speaking and a car driving away...

Third, is when I was downloading a demo and it beeped and shut off automatically.

Could these problems be related to the firmware?

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Mine froze on me 3 times today.

Once while playing Soul Calibur 4. I got a message during the game, I paused, and went to check the message. When I came back, the game was stuck

Twice, when I was in the middle of Stranglehold, I shot down a door, walked in, and the game stopped right there, yet you could hear in the background, people speaking and a car driving away...

Third, is when I was downloading a demo and it beeped and shut off automatically.

Could these problems be related to the firmware?

Sounds like it could be going by the descriptions of similar issues.

What make/model PS3 do you have??

[aclbandit]

I'm just happily reporting that I've never had trouble after firmware updates at all on my 60GB PS3.

...I've also only had it about a month now, so... um... I probably don't count.

[MegaDrive20XX]

Sounds like it could be going by the descriptions of similar issues.

What make/model PS3 do you have??

The 80GB MGS4 Bundle, I bought it June 12th

[G-Boobie]

No problems here. My girlfriend and assorted guests have played thirty hours or more since the update and everything is A-OK.

[Poofta!]

For what it's worth, more often than not the PS3 firmware updates usually include new, free features, and for a completely free online service, the PSN store has really come into it's own in terms of being streamlined and organized. (Much more organized than XBL these days ... what a freakin' mess of categories the blades and sections are over there, I can't WAIT for the re-design!)

dude... are you kidding? the psn store is a complete cluster fuck of uncategorized shit. xbl isn't perfect, hell its far from perfect, but its still eons ahead of psn.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

dude... are you kidding? the psn store is a complete cluster fuck of uncategorized shit. xbl isn't perfect, hell its far from perfect, but its still eons ahead of psn.

It's hardly a "clusterfuck".

Have you seen it since it's been updated (twice now) from it's old internet browser form?

I'd hardly call it disorganized either.

Two main selections Games / Videos (TV, Movie, etc.)

From the games section you've got


New Releases
Downloadable Games
All A-Z
Add-Ons
Demos
Trailers
Themes/Wallpapers
Staff Picks


and each of those selections breaks down into easily navigatible sections which include everything from chronological releases, to A-Z listings, to Genres.

It also helps navigating the "New Release" area that each item icon on the PSN has it's own color-coded and labeled bar at the bottom explaining what it is (VIDEO/THEME/WALLPAPER/MUSIC/TRAILER/DEMO/GAME).

And, it's all on ONE screen in ONE store, not spread out between practically THREE (or more) separate blades/sections like XBL (ie, you can find game videos randomly in NEW RELEASES, or GAMES, or GAME VIDEOS, or VIDEO MARKETPLACE) sorry man, but in it's current state I think XBL wins the prize for being a clusterfuck.

I can't even count the amount of times I've been pissed off to no end to see a game like Street Fighter II Turbo HD, or Penny Arcade in the NEW RELEASE section only to find that the only thing there is a fucking 100 point GAMERPIC.

And what the hell is the deal with the XNA Demos? Is the download section for those supposed to be some kind of "secret code"?? ... You have to like, go to your XBLA Arcade section and hit the Y button? How about giving the creators some credit and giving them their own freakin' labeled section!

XBLA needs a serious graphical overhaul and re-organization, and I'm sure MS knows that, which has to be one of many reasons they're revising the 360 menu interface.

Don't get me wrong ... I love the content on XBL, I just want MS to get their shit in order and get it organized, it's GROWN out of control, and it simply needs to be revised just like PSN was to great success IMO.

[Lothars]

dude... are you kidding? the psn store is a complete cluster fuck of uncategorized shit. xbl isn't perfect, hell its far from perfect, but its still eons ahead of psn.

Well I always knew that your blind but that proves it,

I find the PSN store is 100x better to find stuff than 360 store, especially with how slow 360 store is, it's just brutal.

[videogameking26]

No problem here on my 80 gig since I got the 2.42 firm update

[G-Boobie]

dude... are you kidding? the psn store is a complete cluster fuck of uncategorized shit. xbl isn't perfect, hell its far from perfect, but its still eons ahead of psn.

Dude, yer nuts. End of story.

[roushimsx]

Did some testing last night with watching some movies and didn't have any problems. I'm going to side with "super small hairline cracks" causing my previous problems and I'll make more of a point to carefully inspect each disc I get in the mail before I watch 'em. I guess the going theory is that the mail sorting machines are causing problems because BDs are more susceptible to cracking than DVDs? Hrm.

At least they don't scratch as easily.

Still no problems with games.

[Oobgarm]

No problems here. Movies and games work A-OK.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Just to cover most bases on this issue, I ran a used copy of the Silent Hill movie that I picked up on Blu Ray last year (but never got around to watching) and played an extended game of Warhawk (Blu-Ray version) online and experienced absolutely zero issues with the system shutting down or flaking out.

I suppose only time will tell, but I've been very careful with my firmware downloads and very lucky with my lack of hardware issues with the PS3 so far.

If people are experiencing outrageously long download times on the PSN for things like firmware - that is, not "uniform" downloads with slow but evenly spaced out percentage increases, I'd STRONGLY reccomend changing your routers channel #.

I had mine on the default channel for the better part of a year and couldn't believe how awful the PSN's download speed was ... until I changed the channel to 1 and the DL speed increased by 25 to 50 percent. Could have been unreleated, but, again, everything I've read about corrupt firmware problems calls out bad/slow DL connections.

[roushimsx]

Could have been unreleated, but, again, everything I've read about corrupt firmware problems calls out bad/slow DL connections.

That or people should download the firmware directly (http://boardsus.playstation.com/playstation/board/message?board.id=ps3&thread.id=3041626) and update from there. Or plug their PS3 into a router (either as part of a wireless bridge or just right by the modem).

Aside from microcracks in discs which I guess are hard as hell to see, only a few retail discs have had problems...I think the latest Harry Potter was one of them? Apparently you had to mail in the disc to get a proper replacement.

[heybtbm]

It sounds like most people aren't experiencing problems...which is great. I'm still going to hold off using my PS3 until I can back-up my PS1/PS2/PS3 save files.

[mailman187666]

no issues here, and I've played PS2+3 games, blueray, and regular DVD.

[CelticJobber]

No issues for me after playing Soul Calibur IV for over 25 hours since upgrading to 2.42. But I haven't tried any Blu-Ray movies since the update.

[Ed Oscuro]

Of course, why the PS3 doesn't do a firmware verify post download is beyond me.
No kidding. That is elementary! It should also ask people when to install and please not to be turning off the PlayStation 3 or parachuting into a thunderstorm with the PS3 strapped to your back else you have a brick.

[maxlords]

I've never had any problems updating my firmware, and it usually downloads extremely fast.


How fast is fast? Mine seems to take around 15-20 minutes for a firmware update every time. Pisses me off to no end. On the upside...no issues at all.

[RPG_Fanatic]

i downloaded the new update and watched Silent Hill on Blu-ray last night and no problems.

[exit]

Well I had a slight problem with SSDHD and Drake's Fortune, they both seemed to take a minute to load, which is even stranger for SSDHD since it's running directly off the drive. I'm starting to think that SSDHD was acting that way because of a background download and Drake's Fortune it's self had just been updated (which has problems of it's own), since I had no problems afterward.

I've noticed ever since 2.40 that a lot of people are complaining about problems and were trying to blame Sony in some way for their system crapping out on them. I'm sure a large majority of them are either doing something they aren't supposed to be doing (i.e. messing with firmware), or are just outright mistreating their system and want to blame someone for their ignorance.