Blu-Rays and updates...

[nekrosoft13]

Originally Posted by Redeemed

Is there a way around this, other than avoiding Blu-Ray altogether?

Like, a free BD player/decoder that doesn't require updates?

no, be it stand alone or PC player, it will need updates from time to time.
just get a wifi model player and add it to your network and it will ask to update automatically.

Originally Posted by Sazar

Good thing you bought a PS3 like everyone likely recommended so you wouldn't have to worry about this stuff...

won't have to worry about what? PS3 also has to be updated

[mullet]

Originally Posted by betterdan

Umm standalones have wifi too.
Mine doesn't however, I've got it hard wired to the router but if it needs an update it tells you and downloads it. Can't get much easier.

[Redeemed]

Not everybody has the ability to connect their player to the internet without much difficulty.

Right now I don't have internet to my computer... need a new router/DSL modem with greater range and a wireless card- don't have the money for either.

I can also reference my parents- cable modem is in the living room, yes- wireless router is in the back of the house where the computers are. Running a cable from the router to a blu ray player would be a huge PITA. And they're too "frugle" to opt for the wireless player.

I'd honestly this alone would stop them from ever purchasing blu-ray players. And most people around where they live think the same.

Sony really is exluding a fair number of people from being buyers simply because of this idiocy. Mostly referring to elderly/middle aged folk that don't posses the technical know-how to do this, and don't frankly care enough to fork out the money to have it done.

Heck, this is annoying enough for me- cause I'm limited to DSL... maybe I'll just buy my movies off of iTunes, or get them in HD DVD if I can find a copy (I have an HD-DVD/BD combo drive). Most HD movies on iTunes aren't 1080, but that's fine with me. When you have 4 other computers sharing your DSL connection, even a small 5MB file can take for freakin' ever to DL.

Originally Posted by Redeemed

Not everybody has the ability to connect their player to the internet without much difficulty.

Right now I don't have internet to my computer... need a new router/DSL modem with greater range and a wireless card- don't have the money for either.

I can also reference my parents- cable modem is in the living room, yes- wireless router is in the back of the house where the computers are. Running a cable from the router to a blu ray player would be a huge PITA. And they're too "frugle" to opt for the wireless player.

I'd honestly this alone would stop them from ever purchasing blu-ray players. And most people around where they live think the same.

Sony really is exluding a fair number of people from being buyers simply because of this idiocy. Mostly referring to elderly/middle aged folk that don't posses the technical know-how to do this, and don't frankly care enough to fork out the money to have it done.

Heck, this is annoying enough for me- cause I'm limited to DSL... maybe I'll just buy my movies off of iTunes, or get them in HD DVD if I can find a copy (I have an HD-DVD/BD combo drive). Most HD movies on iTunes aren't 1080, but that's fine with me. When you have 4 other computers sharing your DSL connection, even a small 5MB file can take for freakin' ever to DL.

I don't think technology should be held back because people can't afford something or because they don't understand it. Hell think about our computers, lots of people can't afford some of the stuff people have here and even more don't understand how to put it together to make it work. Does that make the parts stupid to make? No.

My router and cable modem are in a separte computer room from my tv and blu ray player in the living room. Like I said, my blu ray player isn't wireless (neither is my Directv HD DVR and my XBOX 360) but I ran a ethernet cable from the router to their location along with a $20 10/100 switch and hooked them all up to it for cheap. Sure the cable is going along the floor under a couple of rugs but screw it, we don't live in a Baetter Homes and Garden house and the wife isn't bitching about it so no big deal.

I do think they should have finalized blu ray before coming out with it though but then HD DVD was already out so they had to hurry up or surely lose out. That's why I was rooting for HD DVD, it was cheaper, was more mature etc. Ahh well, we are stuck with blu ray now.

[ViN86]

Originally Posted by betterdan

Umm standalones have wifi too.
Mine doesn't however, I've got it hard wired to the router but if it needs an update it tells you and downloads it. Can't get much easier.

I don't consider you to be an average consumer tbh.

Originally Posted by ViN86

I don't consider you to be an average consumer tbh.

Ok but how does that change the fact that standalone players have wifi too and are easy to update. It tells you when it needs an update then does it. If you can use a PS3 with wifi you can use a blu ray player with wifi.
Can't get much easier.

[ViN86]

Originally Posted by betterdan

Ok but how does that change the fact that standalone players have wifi too and are easy to update. It tells you when it needs an update then does it. If you can use a PS3 with wifi you can use a blu ray player with wifi.
Can't get much easier.

It doesn't. I never said it did.

Older BD players don't have that. That's what I said. Fine, people who buy new players are all set. There are still lots of people out there without WiFi, that have no idea why their player won't play their new BD.

[nekrosoft13]

Originally Posted by ViN86

It doesn't. I never said it did.

Older BD players don't have that. That's what I said. Fine, people who buy new players are all set. There are still lots of people out there without WiFi, that have no idea why their player won't play their new BD.

They should know WHY, when I ran into disc won't play scenario, the BD player displayed information on the screen that it needs to be updated to play this disc.

You don't need technical skills to go to Google type the model number and update. Some people just don't want to bother.

Instructions are provided by the manufacturer


plus most BD players that don't have WiFi do have ethernet port. In the manual it does say what it is for, and that it is recommended to hook it up.

people simply need to get used to it, its no different then hooking up Audio/Video cables or telephone cable into your satellite receiver.

[ViN86]

You're giving people way too much credit nekro.

[bacon12]

You really are, most people would freak out when they get a message like that. The fact of the matter is consumers shouldn't have to update an appliance like this just to get a disk to play a movie. I could see all the extras not working, but jeebus the movie should play.

This is one of the reasons BR adoption isn't what we all thought it would be by now. Sony won the war yet seems determined to turn the victory into a loss.

[nekrosoft13]

Originally Posted by bacon12

You really are, most people would freak out when they get a message like that. The fact of the matter is consumers shouldn't have to update an appliance like this just to get a disk to play a movie. I could see all the extras not working, but jeebus the movie should play.

This is one of the reasons BR adoption isn't what we all thought it would be by now. Sony won the war yet seems determined to turn the victory into a loss.

while i agree with that, its really nothing new. updating "appliance" has been going around even before Blu-ray arrived. Cable and Satellite boxes have been updating themself for years and years.

My Satellite box does the update process every two weeks or so around 2-3am.

What I'm trying to get at is that this is the new norm.

[bacon12]

Yes and it requires no user input or a wifi or wired internet connection. Its seamless.

You can't ask tech illiterate people to do manual firmware updates to watch a freaking movie. Its stupid beyond anything I have ever heard, and what is worse the new keys get decrypted as soon as they are released, the disks get ripped and uploaded to trackers the moment they are released.

What is the point?