Growing up, I have fond memories of watching my favorite movies on VHS and DVD over and over again. When Blu-ray first hit the scene, I remember being blown away by how much better everything looked, with Casino Royale being the first movie I ever watched on the format.
But while Blu-ray’s 1080p HD quality was groundbreaking, I also remember how expensive it was to get into watching and collecting Blu-rays when the format first took off in the mid-to-late 2000s. Standalone Blu-ray players cost a pretty penny back then, like Samsung’s first BD-P1000 Blu-ray player, which launched in the US in 2006 for a whopping $1,000.
Fortunately, though, that high cost didn’t remain an issue for too long, as Sony came to the rescue with what was arguably one of the best Blu-ray players of all time: the PlayStation 3 (PS3), released in November 2006.
The PS3 delivered a massive graphics upgrade over the PS2 and included a built-in Blu-ray drive, letting you play the latest games and watch Blu-ray movies on the same console. With a price tag lower than most standalone Blu-ray players and the added bonus of being a gaming console, the PS3 was an incredible value.
I recently dusted off my PS3 after not using it for a while, and I was happy to discover that not only does its Blu-ray player still work like a charm all these years later, but Sony is also, surprisingly, still keeping the console updated as it approaches its 20th birthday.
Sony is still releasing updates for the PS3’s Blu-ray player
It last got updated in March
Sony has been in the hot seat lately over physical media, having announced in July that it will stop producing physical discs for the PS5 starting in 2028. But despite its shift away from physical media and toward digital, which really began when it launched the PS5 Digital Edition in 2020, Sony has been shockingly consistent about keeping the PS3’s Blu-ray player updated.
In March, Sony released PS3 system software update 4.93. While the company said the update mainly “improves system performance,” it also made another important change: it updated the PS3’s Blu-ray player encryption key, allowing the console to keep playing Blu-ray movies.
As Sony notes on its website:
“Please note, to play Blu-ray discs, your PS3 system needs a renewed Blu-ray player encryption key. Please update your PS3 system software to the latest version to renew the Blu-ray player encryption key.”
Considering the PS3 launched in 2006 and was succeeded by the PS4 in 2013, it’s really great to see Sony still going out of its way to update the console annually and keep its Blu-ray player working nearly 20 years later. It’s also a bit surprising, given how much the company has been moving away from physical media. And while I have my grievances with Sony over its decision to end PS5 disc production in 2028, I do appreciate that it’s kept the PS3’s Blu-ray player working all these years later.
QuizBlu-ray and DVD technology
Trivia challenge
From spinning discs to high-definition glory — how much do you really know about Blu-ray and DVD?
HistoryHardwareFormatsCapacityStandards
In what year was the DVD format officially launched for consumer use?
That’s right! DVD was officially launched in Japan in November 1996, before rolling out to North America in 1997. The format was developed by a consortium of major electronics companies including Sony, Panasonic, and Philips.
Not quite — DVD launched in Japan in November 1996. It then made its way to North American markets in 1997, quickly displacing VHS as the dominant home video format over the following years.
What colour laser does a standard Blu-ray player use to read discs?
Correct! Blu-ray players use a blue-violet laser with a wavelength of 405nm. This shorter wavelength compared to the red laser used in DVDs allows data to be packed much more densely on the disc surface.
The answer is blue-violet, with a wavelength of 405nm. This is actually what gives Blu-ray its name. The shorter wavelength compared to the red laser in DVDs is what enables the significantly higher storage capacity.
What is the storage capacity of a standard single-layer Blu-ray disc?
Spot on! A single-layer Blu-ray disc holds 25GB of data. Dual-layer discs double that to 50GB, while newer BDXL triple-layer discs can hold up to 100GB, making them ideal for 4K Ultra HD content.
The correct answer is 25GB for a single-layer Blu-ray disc. Dual-layer discs hold 50GB, which is why most feature films are released on dual-layer media to accommodate high-bitrate video and lossless audio tracks.
Which format did Blu-ray defeat in the high-definition disc format war of the mid-2000s?
Exactly right! Blu-ray defeated HD DVD in a format war that concluded in early 2008. The turning point came when Warner Bros. announced it would exclusively support Blu-ray, prompting Toshiba to discontinue HD DVD shortly after.
The correct answer is HD DVD, backed primarily by Toshiba and Microsoft. The format war ended in February 2008 when Toshiba officially discontinued HD DVD after Warner Bros. threw its exclusive support behind Blu-ray.
What is the maximum video resolution supported by a standard Blu-ray disc (not Ultra HD)?
That’s correct! Standard Blu-ray supports up to 1080p (Full HD) resolution at up to 60 frames per second. It was a massive leap over DVD’s 480p standard definition, and helped drive widespread adoption of HD televisions.
Standard Blu-ray tops out at 1080p Full HD resolution. This was a significant upgrade over DVD’s 480p and helped establish the format as the premium home video choice — until 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray arrived to raise the bar again.
Which company originally developed the DVD format alongside JVC, Sony, and others?
Correct! Philips was one of the founding members of the DVD Consortium alongside Sony, Panasonic, Hitachi, JVC, and others. Philips had already co-developed the CD format with Sony, so its involvement in DVD was a natural progression.
The answer is Philips, which co-developed the DVD standard alongside Sony, Panasonic, JVC, and Hitachi among others. Philips had significant experience in optical disc technology, having previously co-invented the CD with Sony back in the early 1980s.
What laser wavelength does a standard DVD player use to read discs?
Well done! DVD players use a red laser with a wavelength of 650nm. This is shorter than the 780nm infrared laser used in CD players, allowing DVDs to store more data, but longer than Blu-ray’s 405nm laser which enables even denser storage.
DVD players use a 650nm red laser. For comparison, CD players use a 780nm infrared laser, while Blu-ray uses a 405nm blue-violet laser. The progression to shorter wavelengths is what has driven increases in optical disc storage capacity over the decades.
What does the acronym ‘BD-ROM’ stand for in Blu-ray terminology?
Correct! BD-ROM stands for Blu-ray Disc Read-Only Memory. It is the standard format used for commercially pressed Blu-ray movies and games, as opposed to BD-R (recordable) or BD-RE (rewritable) formats used for home recording.
BD-ROM stands for Blu-ray Disc Read-Only Memory. This is the pre-pressed, non-recordable format you find on commercial movie and game releases. The Blu-ray family also includes BD-R for write-once recording and BD-RE for rewritable discs.
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How does the PS3’s Blu-ray player perform?
It’s still impressive, even in 2026
Despite being cheaper than many standalone Blu-ray players in 2006, the PS3’s built-in Blu-ray player remains surprisingly formidable. Discs load quickly, menu navigation is smooth, chapter skipping is snappy, and, most importantly, picture quality still looks superb.
Sony even updated the PS3’s Blu-ray player to support 3D Blu-rays, a format that never really took off. Still, some movies had pretty cool 3D releases, including Avatar, Gravity, and Tron: Legacy.
When it comes to audio, all PS3 models support Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, which the console can decode internally and output as linear PCM, which still sounds excellent today. However, only the PS3 Slim and later “Super Slim” models support bitstream output for these lossless audio formats, allowing you to send the original audio streams to a compatible AV receiver for decoding.
The biggest complaint you’ll often hear about the PS3’s Blu-ray player is that it’s louder than standalone Blu-ray players. That’s certainly been my experience, but since I always tuck my consoles away in my TV unit, I never actually hear the PS3 when I’m sitting on the couch. I only notice the noise when I’m standing right next to it, so it’s never been a big deal for me.
The PS3’s biggest drawback is that it can’t play 4K UHD discs. But since the format wasn’t even a thing when the console launched, you can’t really hold that against it.
All things considered, if you have an old PS3 collecting dust in your closet or storage, I highly recommend pulling it out, updating it, and giving it a try. Its Blu-ray player still holds up remarkably well, and if you have a Blu-ray collection, it’s a great way to revisit your favorite movies without needing a newer player. If you’re looking for a cheap Blu-ray player, the PS3 is also a solid option, as you can often find one for a reasonable price at retro game stores, Ebay, or on Facebook Marketplace.
If you’d rather have an inexpensive console that can play both Blu-ray and 4K UHD discs, though, the Xbox One S isn’t a bad option.
