Bad First Blu Ray Experience - Advice Needed

[Matt4511]

Hi, all.

I bought a Samsung BD-UP5000 today, hooked it up to my Toshiba DLP via HDMI. All seems to be going well. It upconverted an SD DVD nicely, and I tested an HD DVD. Played normally and with full functionality. No problems.

My Blu Ray test, however, failed. I rented Resident Evil Extinction from Blockbuster. It loads in about 25-30 seconds, main screen works. All previews play, standard FBI disclaimers, etc, also display just fine. All the extra features on the disk work.

The movie won't play.

When I select play movie, what I get is the movie's audio, no visual for about 40 seconds. Then it cuts to a dude talking into the camera, but the movie's audio remains. What it is, I realized after some tweaking, is the image of a commentary track but the audio of the movie. When I press stop, it will VERY BRIEFLY display the appropriate imagery, then stop and return to the main menu.

This also happens if I access any part of the movie through the chapter selection menu: normal audio, no image, then a picture of a dude sitting in a chair speaking into the camera.

Ladies and gentlemen, I dropped a thousand bucks on this player tonight. Is it faulty, or did I rent a bad disc?

Any help will be appreciated.

[owa]

I'd check to see if your player has any firmware updates. The blu-ray you're trying is one of the first to use profile 1.1 PiP so you'll probably need everything up-to-date for things to work properly. You might want to try an older blu-ray also (if you can) just to make sure it's not the blu-ray capability in general that's messed up.

[blitz6speed]

There is a known issue with RE Extinction and the Samsung combo player. Try something else.

[Matt4511]

Originally Posted by blitz6speed

There is a known issue with RE Extinction and the Samsung combo player. Try something else.

This means that others have experienced the same thing, right, and not that my player is faulty?

Even if others disagree with the choice of player?

Like I said, total newb.

[gvortex7]

Actually, there's been a known issue with every Blu-ray player Samsung made so far. Those issues are the players themselves. I'd suggest avoiding them and picking up PS3, DMP-BD30 or one of the upcoming full profile stand alones.

[doctorD]

Originally Posted by Matt4511

This means that others have experienced the same thing, right, and not that my player is faulty?

Even if others disagree with the choice of player?

Like I said, total newb.

Try the firmware upgrade first...if that doesn't work then you may want to exchange the player. If the same happens, then I would probably get a different brand player.

[Blu As Hell]

Originally Posted by doctorD

Try the firmware upgrade first...if that doesn't work then you may want to exchange the player. If the same happens, then I would probably get a different brand player.

I agree with the good doctor. I would personally suggest not to get a samsung player, they are known not to play movies.

[clyon]

Originally Posted by Matt4511

This means that others have experienced the same thing, right, and not that my player is faulty?

Even if others disagree with the choice of player?

Like I said, total newb.

sounds like that needs an update, all 3 of the RE movies work on my 1200

[Matt4511]

Thanks everyone. I've really dug around and apparently, the player is having difficulty with very, very recent disc releases, and it's being addressed by a firmware update due out in a few weeks. Seemingly some other players from LG and a few others are choking on the new discs, too.

I should have spent tonight working on my thesis, but instead did a crash course in Blu Ray and HD DVD terminology. It was fun.

Thanks for all your help!

[mystiksuicide]

Why in the world would you buy a combo when the end of the war is in sight. Your better of buying a good blu-ray player and some crappy Toshiba.

[Marcusarilius]

Its called Samsung...

[bryaaaant]

Honestly, I would just return the player and get a PS3 instead - the HD-DVD format will definitely be dead soon due to the fact that only one major studio will be left supporting them in the very near future. Warner has dropped support for the HD-DVD format and it turns out that Paramount (possibly including Dreamworks), one of the only 2 major studios left exclusively supporting them, had a contract get-out clause in which they're allowed to drop HD-DVD and support Blu-Ray instead if Warner drops HD-DVD - which Warner just announced a few days ago. According to Financial Times, this will likely result in Paramount supporting Blu-Ray, ultimately effectively ending HD-DVD.

Do the smart thing and save yourself a few hundred bucks in the process.

NOTE: Also, If I'm not mistaken, I believe PS3 is widely accepted to be the best Blu-Ray player currently out in the market.