What does firmware mean?

[kalby8]

i just bought a sony s-300 and am having problems - why would i want to install something to a new player? I am going to return and get a better player

[Joe Cain]

A "better" player will still almost certainly require firmware updates in the foreseeable future. If it's really a problem for you, you may wish to recisnider whether you have the temperament to be an early adopter. Best of luck.

[Manco]

Your player is hardware. Firmware is the software that makes it do things.
Without firmware, you have a really nice looking brick to put on your coffee table.

YES... you need to keep you firmware up to date as the vendor fixes software bugs so your titles will play correctly. Every piece of modern computing equipment is operated by embedded computer programming logic/code called "firmware".

Welcome to the modern age.

[Sonny]

Thats just the way it is . Any player right now will need UPGRADES

[gvortex7]

A firmware is a computer program that is embedded in a hardware device (ex: a flash memory) which can improve performance, reliability and basic functionality of certain devices. Firmware upgrades to Blu-ray players and computer optical drives are essential. I wouldn't take the unit back just because you have to upgrade its firmware. That would be kind of silly.

[jclark67]

The firmware is the internal software that makes the player work. Because blu-ray and HD DVD are new technologies, there are bugs and inefficiencies that need to be worked out with firmware updates. Chances are that any player that you buy right now will need an update sometime in the future. These may be for bug fixes or additional functionality. It is kind of a pain, but it is what I guess you would call growing pains.

[kalby8]

how do i get the firmware update?

[gvortex7]

Originally Posted by kalby8

how do i get the firmware update?

Download it from Sony's support site and burn it onto a cd-r as an image file. It's essential that you burn it as an image otherwise it won't work.

Or, you can call Sony and have their tech support send you the latest firmware upgrade disc for your particular model.

When the disc is ready, just pop it into your player and follow the on-screen instruction for upgrading.

[kalby8]

will this rectify any problems that i have or prevent future problems on discs that i have not even purchased yet?

[gvortex7]

Originally Posted by kalby8

will this rectify any problems that i have or prevent future problems on discs that i have not even purchased yet?

New firmwares are released from time to time, so this will definitely not be the last time you'll be doing it. I thing you're just going to have to get used to that idea.

[Kristin Simard]

Originally Posted by kalby8

will this rectify any problems that i have or prevent future problems on discs that i have not even purchased yet?

It will likely rectify your current problems, however new BDs will continue to host newer features, resulting in the possible need to install newer firmware in the future.

It's like getting software updates on your computer.

[WarCraft]

Originally Posted by kalby8

will this rectify any problems that i have or prevent future problems on discs that i have not even purchased yet?

Yes it should ( unless the manufacturer stops supporting it -- which they call end-of-life for the product )

Its just like Windows ( 95, XP, Vista, etc ) or MAC -- you get updates from time to time -- sometimes in the guise of "security issues".

And if your player has a feature to check online if there is an update, you might want to ask someone knowledgeable to set it up for you so that when there is a new firmware it will automatically ask you if you want to upgrade it or not which is far more convenient than ordering or burning one yourself.

Cheers

[shatta]

another person that buys hardware without any knowledge of it....WTF..................its like buyin a gas stove and complaining why u need gas

[MacDaddyOJack]

The S300 is a pretty old player anyways. I'd take it back and get that new Panasonic BD30. It does everything, is fairly well priced, and as of this week it does not require any firmware updates

[richieb1971]

If your point is that your buying a new player to avoid doing a free firmware update I feel sorry for you. You'll be buying new players every month.

[EricJ]

Macs (and probably Windows too, though I doubt it) offer "Software updates" to their OSX 10.x system and programs periodically through automatic download, and it hasn't put my computer out of comission yet--

In fact, if you've got Bluetooth, most PS3's can download the--let's call them "Software updates" if it's too confusing--over a wireless connection.

[glenn22]

Originally Posted by kalby8

i just bought a sony s-300 and am having problems - why would i want to install something to a new player? I am going to return and get a better player

If upgrading firmware is such a problem for you, buy a PS3. As long as you're connected to the Internet (via ethernet cable or wireless WiFi) your firmware updates will download and install without much interaction from you.

And also, some games include newer firmware that will install on your PS3 when you put them in. Call of Duty 4 and Rachet & Clank both include the 1.94 firmware update for example.

[kalby8]

thank you all for the advice - i just called sony and they are sending me the firmware update disc.

[Manco]

Originally Posted by shatta

another person that buys hardware without any knowledge of it....WTF..................its like buyin a gas stove and complaining why u need gas

Your are right. For people whom are not tech savvy this kind be a rude awakening at first.

Being an early adopter is not for everyone.

[cawgijoe]

That's life in the day and age of everything being computer based.

If you have a satellite TV box as I do from Directv, every once in awhile they will download a firmware update to improve or fix a problem.

Look at it as a good thing. It improves and fixes problems.

If you own a box that can connect to the internet either by ethernet cable or wirelessly, then SW updates are easy. The second easiest thing is to download updates to a flash drive (PS3) or burn them to a cd and update that way. The third option is to have the manufacturer send the update.