oday PlayStation fans have much to be thankful for with the PS3 firmware 2.30 and revamped PlayStation Store, which launched early this morning. With the release comes a powerful new audio update, a completely redesigned store interface and a slew of new or revised features sure to make the shopping experience increasingly functional as well as enjoyable. PS3 owners will also be able to play catch-up starting today with all the downloadable content they missed the past few weeks. Read on for the play-by-play of all the new features and our hands-on impressions of the new design.

Audio Updates
The newest PlayStation 3 firmware update includes an addition sure to make an audiophile giddy: DTS-HD Master Audio output for Blu-ray videos is now available with firmware 2.30, an upgrade that will put audio capabilities on par with the PlayStation 3’s graphic capacity.

Eric Lempel, director of PlayStation Network Operations, clarified the update for those of us who are less audio savvy. “DTS-HD Master Audio is literally bit-for-bit identical to the studio master recording and makes movie soundtracks and sound effects truly come to life. The technology delivers audio at the incredibly high rate of 24.5 mega-bits per second (Mbps) on Blu-ray disc, which is significantly higher than standard DVDs. DTS-HD Master Audio also offers 7.1 audio channels at 96k sampling frequency/24 bit depths, so you’ll be totally immersed in the sound. The firmware update adds DTS-HD High Resolution Audio as well, which is a similar output technology that requires less disc space.” This specific audio update has been requested by PlayStation fans in the past, and the Sony team seems happy to deliver.

PlayStation Store
A heap of small design revisions equal a more streamlined experience with the new PlayStation Store. The store is now a native application; it’s no longer a Web-based store, which makes the experience more fluid and dynamic. The most noticeable change is the usability factor in browsing content.

The new interface is broken down into eight primary content categories for easy browsing. The previous version of the PlayStation Store only had four categories, so the change makes it easier to find the exact content you are looking for – whether it’s games, demos or other media. Below is a laundry list of what the new store sub-categories have to offer.

New Releases: The New Releases tab is the central hub for all new downloadable content each week. The left side of the menu highlights popular downloads, such as Pixel Junk Monsters or Flow. The right side of the menu features a checkerboard of media content, each labeled with what type of media it is. Currently, the number one new release is the Gran Turismo 5 Trailer, launching with the new store update. Clicking on any particular media download displays a description, price, ESRB rating and purchasing options for the viewer. If there’s more than one piece of content currently available for that title, all the downloadable content is displayed on the screen. Another pleasant new feature allows you to watch fullscreen videos and view screenshots without exiting the PlayStation Store.

The update also makes it easier to keep track of past and current purchases. When you add an item into your shopping cart, the main menu thumbnail is marked with a shopping-cart icon. Similarly, when you purchase a game, it’s marked with a red bag icon as opposed to disappearing from your store interface completely, as it did in previous versions.

Downloadable Games: From the Downloadable Games menu, you can find what you are looking for a variety of different ways. Search options include newest titles, PSP games, PS3 Eye-enabled options and classic PlayStation One games. You can also search by top downloads and genres – or if you’re simply browsing for something to catch your eye, you can view all downloads from A-Z. Selecting a game brings up the description, rating, price and purchasing options – similar to above.

View All By Title: This one is fairly self explanatory, allowing users to search through all downloadable content by title as opposed to category.

Add-ons: The add-ons tab breaks further down into two categories. Users can search for content for both disk-based games and downloadable games as they choose. Navigation is standard once you select the content you wish to download.

Demos: Users can browse demos by genre, release date, top downloaded or skip straight to the all-encompassing A-Z list. PSP-specific demos are also available.

Videos: The video tab allows users to check out new and upcoming game trailers, SD and HD movie trailers and videos from Blu-ray disk movie releases.

Themes & Wallpapers: Similar to Demos and Videos, you can search this category by newest releases, or skip to browsing all themes and all wallpapers. The variety of options makes it easy to find specific content or stumble upon something new.

Featured items: This section will bring recommended items from PlayStation team to the attention of users. A thumbnail gallery full of suggested content will change as the Sony folks see fit. Currently, the game Warhawk, Flow bundle and Burnout Paradise demo all have places on this elite list.

There’s no doubt that the new store is streamlined and intuitive. I had no problems searching out content in the forefront of my mind and found intriguing new items along the way. At this point in time it seems safe to say Firmware 2.30 is a success, and was undoubtedly worth delaying rocking out to “Still Alive” for a few weeks.