UPDATE FOR PIONEER 51 and 05!

[Blu-RayLover]

I was wondering if anyone else who has a Pioneer player, received this message today?
Quote:

Important: Notice of Free Update for Pioneer BDP-51FD & BDP-05FD Blu-ray Disc Players

Dear Valued Customer

Thank you for registering your Elite® BDP-05FD Blu-ray Disc® player. In an effort to provide you with a high quality viewing experience, we would like to make you aware of a free service update to correct a playability issue affecting only a small number of Pioneer® BDP-51FD and BDP-05FD Blu-ray Disc® Players.

According to the information you provided to us when you registered your player, it appears that your player falls within the affected range of serial numbers listed below. As such, we ask that you please determine whether you need to obtain the free service update using the information provided below. If you are unsure or have any questions, please contact Pioneer Customer Service (Warranty & Service Department) for further direction. Our contact information is listed near the bottom of this message.

AFFECTED SERIAL NUMBERS:

1. For the Pioneer BDP-05FD, players with any of the following eleven serial numbers need to obtain the free service update:


HIEA010580CC HIEA011916CC
HIEA010883CC HIEA013239CC
HIEA010970CC HIEA014915CC
HIEA011018CC HIEA014952CC
HIEA011084CC HJEA015613CC
HIEA011897CC


2. For the Pioneer BDP-51FD, players with serial numbers falling within the following two ranges may need to obtain the free service update -- please see the highlighted note below to determine what you should do next:


HIEA014000CC - HJEA022600CC**
HHMP000001CC - HIMP005000CC**

** If the player's serial numbers falls within one of the above ranges, you will need to determine whether the player has a small black dot on the back panel of the player at the center of the air outlet (as depicted in the picture below).
If the player DOES HAVE the small black dot, it does NOT need the free service update because the update has already been installed.
If the player DOES NOT HAVE the small black dot, you need to contact Pioneer Customer Service (Warranty & Service Department) and provide the player's serial number, so that Pioneer can inform you whether the update has already been installed.
If you are unsure about how to proceed, please contact Pioneer Customer Service (Warranty & Service Department) for further direction.





PURPOSE OF THE FREE SERVICE UPDATE

The purpose of the free service update is to address a playability issue which causes only the affected players described above to be unable to play certain pre-recorded Blu-ray Disc titles due to a problem with the player (not with the Blu-ray Discs). When experiencing this playability issue, the affected players will either --

1. be unable to play the affected Blu-ray Disc title and instead display on the television screen a warning message as depicted below ("Warning. Your Blu-ray Player requires an update in order to play this disc. Please visit your Blu-ray Player manufacturer's website and follow their instructions to update your Blu-ray Player."), or

2. display on the television screen a message advising you to update your player, and then attempt to play the affected Blu-ray Disc title but the picture will be severely distorted.



AFFECTED SERIAL NUMBERS:

To obtain the free service update for an affected player or if you are unsure whether your player requires the free service update, please contact Pioneer Customer Service (Warranty & Service Department) toll free at 800-PIONEER (800-746-6337). Pioneer service representatives are available Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (Eastern Time), except on holidays.

Unfortunately, the service update cannot be downloaded via the Internet or performed using a disc. Rather, affected players must be sent to Pioneer so that we can directly perform the service update.

Sincerely,

Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc.

Unquote.

It seems Pioneer is having lots of problems with last years' batch of players. A friend of mine had to return his 05 back to Pioneer and then asked for a refund. He then purchased a Panasonic 55 and is very happy these days. I'm still holding on to my 05, with the hope I won't need this update. I find this notice a bit confusing or not very direct in the sense that I would expect a list of some Blu-ray titles that won't play on the unit. Or, give a full account of the serial numbers that are affected and not what might be considered a close proximity of the numbered series of affected players. I have a bad feeling Pioneer is trying to cover their tracks in some simple way, by the idea that it's best to call Customer Service and I wouldn't be so surprised if just about everyone who calls, will have to send his or her player back to the service center! I find it rather strange, that I live on the East coast and I received this notice at around 9:30 PM this evening. Obviously, the headquarters are closed and nothing can be done unitl Monday. I hope I can get through to somebody in Customer Service easy enough, before I'm placed on hold for who knows how long! Oh well, so goes today's ever changing, unpredictable technology! All of this comes at a very bad time, when I'm still waiting for the supposed DTS MA firmware update for the analog outputs!

[rragland]

Originally Posted by Blu-RayLover

I was wondering if anyone else who has a Pioneer player, received this message today?
Quote:

Important: Notice of Free Update for Pioneer BDP-51FD & BDP-05FD Blu-ray Disc Players

Dear Valued Customer

Thank you for registering your Elite® BDP-05FD Blu-ray Disc® player. In an effort to provide you with a high quality viewing experience, we would like to make you aware of a free service update to correct a playability issue affecting only a small number of Pioneer® BDP-51FD and BDP-05FD Blu-ray Disc® Players.

According to the information you provided to us when you registered your player, it appears that your player falls within the affected range of serial numbers listed below. As such, we ask that you please determine whether you need to obtain the free service update using the information provided below. If you are unsure or have any questions, please contact Pioneer Customer Service (Warranty & Service Department) for further direction. Our contact information is listed near the bottom of this message.

AFFECTED SERIAL NUMBERS:

1. For the Pioneer BDP-05FD, players with any of the following eleven serial numbers need to obtain the free service update:


HIEA010580CC HIEA011916CC
HIEA010883CC HIEA013239CC
HIEA010970CC HIEA014915CC
HIEA011018CC HIEA014952CC
HIEA011084CC HJEA015613CC
HIEA011897CC


2. For the Pioneer BDP-51FD, players with serial numbers falling within the following two ranges may need to obtain the free service update -- please see the highlighted note below to determine what you should do next:


HIEA014000CC - HJEA022600CC**
HHMP000001CC - HIMP005000CC**

** If the player's serial numbers falls within one of the above ranges, you will need to determine whether the player has a small black dot on the back panel of the player at the center of the air outlet (as depicted in the picture below).
If the player DOES HAVE the small black dot, it does NOT need the free service update because the update has already been installed.
If the player DOES NOT HAVE the small black dot, you need to contact Pioneer Customer Service (Warranty & Service Department) and provide the player's serial number, so that Pioneer can inform you whether the update has already been installed.
If you are unsure about how to proceed, please contact Pioneer Customer Service (Warranty & Service Department) for further direction.





PURPOSE OF THE FREE SERVICE UPDATE

The purpose of the free service update is to address a playability issue which causes only the affected players described above to be unable to play certain pre-recorded Blu-ray Disc titles due to a problem with the player (not with the Blu-ray Discs). When experiencing this playability issue, the affected players will either --

1. be unable to play the affected Blu-ray Disc title and instead display on the television screen a warning message as depicted below ("Warning. Your Blu-ray Player requires an update in order to play this disc. Please visit your Blu-ray Player manufacturer's website and follow their instructions to update your Blu-ray Player."), or

2. display on the television screen a message advising you to update your player, and then attempt to play the affected Blu-ray Disc title but the picture will be severely distorted.



AFFECTED SERIAL NUMBERS:

To obtain the free service update for an affected player or if you are unsure whether your player requires the free service update, please contact Pioneer Customer Service (Warranty & Service Department) toll free at 800-PIONEER (800-746-6337). Pioneer service representatives are available Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (Eastern Time), except on holidays.

Unfortunately, the service update cannot be downloaded via the Internet or performed using a disc. Rather, affected players must be sent to Pioneer so that we can directly perform the service update.

Sincerely,

Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc.

Unquote.

It seems Pioneer is having lots of problems with last years' batch of players. A friend of mine had to return his 05 back to Pioneer and then asked for a refund. He then purchased a Panasonic 55 and is very happy these days. I'm still holding on to my 05, with the hope I won't need this update. I find this notice a bit confusing or not very direct in the sense that I would expect a list of some Blu-ray titles that won't play on the unit. Or, give a full account of the serial numbers that are affected and not what might be considered a close proximity of the numbered series of affected players. I have a bad feeling Pioneer is trying to cover their tracks in some simple way, by the idea that it's best to call Customer Service and I wouldn't be so surprised if just about everyone who calls, will have to send his or her player back to the service center! I find it rather strange, that I live on the East coast and I received this notice at around 9:30 PM this evening. Obviously, the headquarters are closed and nothing can be done unitl Monday. I hope I can get through to somebody in Customer Service easy enough, before I'm placed on hold for who knows how long! Oh well, so goes today's ever changing, unpredictable technology! All of this comes at a very bad time, when I'm still waiting for the supposed DTS MA firmware update for the analog outputs!

Yes, I received the same message, but my BDP-05FD serial # is HGEA000378CC and is not included on the list of affected units. However, there is no black dot on my unit. My player has a manufacture date of July '08

With the exception of a few damaged discs from Netflix, I have not had any discs that weren't playable, especially since loading all of the firmware upgrades.

I had heard about some issues with "The Wrestler" not being playable, but my unit played it without so much as a hiccup.

[HD Man]

I received this message from Pioneer as well. I'm going to check on the serial numbers this evening, but I haven't had any problems playing any discs to date. I heard one way to check to see if you need the update is if you have problems playing Quantum of Solace. My copy plays great and I'm extremely happy with this player.

So happy with the PQ, I'm thinking of getting another player. These machines really built like tanks!!

[Blu-RayLover]

So far, the Service Center told me today that the only affected units are those with the serial numbers listed. If this be the case, then it isn't as serious a problem as I thought. My serial number doesn't come anywhere near those listed. It will be interesting to see in the coming months what else might happen. After all, these firmware updates are something of a way of life now for all of us to contend with. Although I've had my "ups & downs" with Pioneer in the past 40 years of purchasing their equipment, I'll just keep the faith and stay with what I've always felt is a leader in this industry