Upconvert? Yes. Firmware updates? Yes on that one too. Don't want to start the war over again, but this was one way that HD-DVD had one up on Blu in that you COULD hook your player up to your router and do the updates (unless you have a PS3, which connects wirelessly methinks) and it was a pain...
I've been purple (having both Blu and HD) since a little after Christmas (was HD-DVD on the Friday b4 Black Friday) and I guess I'm glad that the war is supposedly close to being over, but I've found it hard to pull the trigger on a few on-sale Blu's because I have the SD and mentally can't...