The average mainstream consumer might reject all the required firmware updates

[HDTV1080P]

There is something that is bothering me a little bit about both the HD-DVD and BLU-RAY formats compared to the DVD format. When the DVD format first came out in 1997 most of the DVD players could only have their firmware updated by the factory service center. Then as years went by some companies offered firmware updates for some brands and models of DVD players on a CD-ROM disc. I remember the first generation DVD players would not support DTS audio and there was no firmware to upgrade first generation DVD players. My first DVD player I owned was a DVD-ROM drive in my computer. I then purchased a second generation combo DVD/Laserdisc Pioneer Elite DVL-91 that played DTS audio for DVD’s. My point is I have owned second and third generation Pioneer DVD players for over 7 years and have never needed a firmware update. Every new release DVD still plays without problems on a 7+ year old Pioneer DVD player with the original firmware. Now when using both the HD-DVD or BLU-RAY format from time to time people need firmware updates to play the latest movies. With the DVD format 99% of the time a firmware update is not needed even on second and third generation machines.
For both the HD-DVD and BLU-RAY format to be acceptable to the mainstream consumer both formats need more stability when playing back new releases. The average consumer is going to return the player and/or movie if it does not play. They are not even going to bother with a firmware update. Firmware updates are ideal to add new features to BLU-RAY and HD-DVD players while at the same time improving minor and major bugs. So I am all for firmware updates and I do not mind installing them, but the average consumer that is use to DVD is not going to mess around with connecting the player to the Internet or burning a disc in order to watch the latest movie. Hopefully in the future firmware updates will not be needed when playing most new releases on HD-DVD and BLU-RAY formats, I know of some mainstream consumers that will stick to the DVD format to keep things simple. In the future the ideal setup would be to have every HDTV player that has internet connection to be connected to the Internet and once every month the player should automatically turn on and download the latest firmware. This would make it simple for most people.

[zombieking]

I totally agree with this post. the average consumer won't bother with firmware updates and simply return the movie and/or player. I went through quite a dilemma as an average consumer, spending the last day or so trying to get both Pirates movies to play in my new sammy 1200.

Read what I had to do to make these work, and by the way, I have next to no computer knowledge.
1. Go to Samsung.com on their download center, type in serial no. of player, search for firmware update -- easy enough.
2. They give me 3 options -Samsung will mail out the firmware on disc. OK,
but I don't want to wait 7-10 days to watch my
new movies.
-Download via ethernet cable. Great, I need go
buy a 30' ethernet cable.
-Download file and burn onto CD-R/RW. Hmm, I'll
this one.
3. After I download the file, it says its a compressed file and needs to be uncompressed before its to be burned. HUH?
4. After a couple hours of cursing, I find a program that will extract this compressed file. YES! Soon I will be able to watch Pirates, movies which I have already seen by the way, in glorious HD.
5. Transfer file to burn program. It only takes a minute to burn and I run the disc over to my player, pop it in, only to get a "this disc will not play" message. Player spits out the disc like a child tasting broccoli for the first time.
6. No big deal. Probably a bad disc. Re-burn. Doing this only repeats step 5.
7. Ok now this is pissing me off. I call Samsung help center for advice and after putting me on hold twice for 15 min. the man tells me the file needs to be burned as an image file, whatever the hell that is. "Your burning program should have a burn image feature," he tells me. My computer is 5 yrs. old and has the same burn program it came installed with. Pretty soon the only burning image is gonna be the fire I set to my computer.
8. Now I have to look for a new burn program. This takes me a good part of the morning because the one I found was a rather large file and my connection is not the speediest.
9. New burn program is ready to go! I'm feeling refreshed so I transfer this file over and burn it as an image file.
10. My new sammy 1200 recognizes the disc and installs the fimware!! Rejoice, I can finally watch my movies. I had an 8 hr shift of work between all this also.

Now, after reading this, will the average consumer, who I am by the way, go through all this just to watch a movie. Yes I did, but does everyone have the
same amount of patience? I doubt it, even I was ready to throw in the towel. But I'm glad I stuck it out because both movies look and sound fantastic!!

[GasCat]

There will be a small percentage who do not know what to do. They can try to follow the instructions, wait for a disc that perfoms an update or take it into a shop to get updated for 50 bucks.

Computers sometimes require FW updates or reinstallation of software. How many are in the hands of tech ignorant people? A computer vs a Blu-Ray player...which is more complex?

[WriteSimply]

At the moment, all of you here are not average mainstream consumer. When that time comes, BD-Live player may be the default el-cheapo player while the Managed Copy one becomes the premium model.

That means firmware updates are automatic, should the user have internet connection to begin with. It's accepted fact that even with iTunes and Media Player, you constantly need updates anyway.


fuad

[bwillcox]

I would expect that by the time Blu-ray has made it to the mainstream consumer the need for firmware updates will have greatly lessened and most consumers won't be bothered much (any?) if they don't keep their units updated.

Also, as an anticdote, my first DVD player (a Toshiba purchased in the spring of '97) wasn't very reliable and wouldn't play all DVDs that came out within the next year either (I replaced it within the first year). Maybe if I could have conveniently upgraded its firmware it would have survived longer?

[mikey p]

Originally Posted by GasCat

There will be a small percentage who do not know what to do. They can try to follow the instructions, wait for a disc that perfoms an update or take it into a shop to get updated for 50 bucks.

Computers sometimes require FW updates or reinstallation of software. How many are in the hands of tech ignorant people? A computer vs a Blu-Ray player...which is more complex?

It would seem there are a lot of these folks at M$AVS who have no idea what to do and/or make toast of their players in the process, how, I'd have no idea? Both formats have these kind of owners, who SHOULD pay a shop to actually do the work. Only in MHO, YMMV.

[DrinkMore]

I guess - be happy there are FIRMWARE UPDATES to begin with.

This day and age that should be the norm, but there was a time where there were no such things. Now their are many choices. It is a pain yes. Most consumers will attempt it themselves and one of the following will happen..

1 - They will fail and ask a family member for help (the family geek).

2 - They will call support and have the disk mailed.

3 - They will take it back to the store to return it or get help.

[dialog_gvf]

I agree that things will need to become more stable for the mainstream.

But, we are decidely in the early adopter phase right now. And any complaints right now show the general lack of understanding of what it means to be an early adopter:

- You pay a lot
- New features may not ever be available on your unit
- Updates may and usually will be necessary to handle issues
- Your choice may die off

Once again the PS/3 has show itself to be the right choice for those less inclined to the above.

Gary

[PS3plus52XBR2]

I also think that as blu-ray becomes more mainstream, it will require less updates. Same thing with hd-dvd, if it makes it. I think companies are in a rush to get their products out that the products all have room for improvement, hence the updates. But the dust will settle.

I also gotta say the the last firmware update for the PS3 is so great! It really has the potential to take over your living room.

[HDTV1080P]

Perhaps in the future Internet connections to all BLU-RAY players will become a standard. Then the ideal setup would be once or twice every month the BLU-RAY player would turn itself on and go check to see if there is a firmware update. If there was a firmware update then the BLU-RAY player would automatically install the firmware. This should be the default setting. Then in the menu an option to disable automatic firmware updates would please some users that do not want their player to update the firmware.
This would make it easy for the mainstream consumer. Perhaps BD-live one day with internet connection will become a mandatory feature on new BLU-RAY players just like PIP capability is mandated on all new BLU-RAY players after October 31 2007.

[TheOmegaSoldier]

This is one of the things that will make it slower to adopt.

In the argument of computer vs. blu-ray player, which is more complex - people expect computerse to have trouble, they always have and always will. Movie players are designed for entertainment. pop it in and go.

Bob can pop a cd into his 11 year old cd player and it works. It doesn't need an update.

Sue can pop a dvd into her 6 year old dvd player, it's fine.

James pops pirates into his blu-ray player and it requires an update, and now he must spend time figuring out how. This will not be the last time it needs an update. When his friends say "what's wrong with the movie why won't it play? You spent eight hundred dollars on this thing? " They won't be buying one after this impression.

i am in complete agreement with the original poster. i've had several problems already trying to promote this format to my friends and family, we need to lessen issues like this in order for it to ever "replace dvd in 3 years" like they want it to.