BD-Live, is it safe?

[Clark Kent]

I don't believe we have seen any type of attack or virus aimed at Blu-ray players specifically via BD-Live. Some are more worried about their personal viewing habits possibly being tracked by the studios.

[Anti-SD]

Anyone know where I can find a list of titles that currently support BD-Live?

Thanks.

[WickyWoo]

A properly designed BD-Live player shouldn't even request an IP until a disc is loaded with an application with online features. The amount of effort, and the sheer number of variations of players, it would require to do so isn't worth anyone's time.

I'd expect a PS3 based virus before anything targeting BD Live

[ArkGuy]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

I don't believe we have seen any type of attack or virus aimed at Blu-ray players specifically via BD-Live. Some are more worried about their personal viewing habits possibly being tracked by the studios.

Nineteen forty-six, Mandrake. How does that coincide with your post-war Commie conspiracy, huh? It's incredibly obvious, isn't it? A foreign substance is introduced into our precious bodily fluids without the knowledge of the individual. Certainly without any choice. That's the way your hard-core Commie works.

[Anthony P]

I mean could connecting such a stand alone player to the internet infect the player with some kind of malware?

I am guessing in theory yes (just like some cell phones had malware created for them) but most likely no

Could it mess up the firmware or even brick it?

I seriously doubt it. After all this is a player, not a full PC, you should always be able to reboot it and reflash the original FW

Another thing that concerns me about connecting to the internet is that there was all this talk about the potential for disabling players or something like that remotely if something or other had been cracked ...

no. BD has BD+, BD+ which is on the disk can be programmed to check for specific cracks.

And ... what is the point of BD-Live anyway? I mean, you can download trailers through it, but you can download those anyway through your PC right? What could BD-Live offer that your PC doesn't?

many of us ask that same question (yawn). On a more serious note the idea behind live is that
1) it is easier then using an other device (click a link instead of remebering and typing in the address
2) it could have added value that is needed in he movie (for example DL extra subtitles, audio tracks, commentaries (audio or video)...)
3) it could be context sensitive for example
-- a) you are watching a Christmas story and you see the leg lamp on TV so you click on "shop" and it brings you to shopping site and you see the leg lamp and maybe a few other stuff that are on the screen at that time
-- b) you are watching the movie, there are extra featurettes that where not included on the disk, for example there is an explosion or a creature .... and so when you are watching the movie and it happens/appears then you click on menu and say, "hmm I am intrerested how they did it" and then it DL it
4) for the studio there is the fact that you also know the person has the disk in front of them ( so content is not general content available to just anyone)

[Anthony P]

PS don't forget BD-live is very precise (it is not a general browser) so the danger from malware isn't like on a PC where you go and DL a free demo game or a word document or.... and it comes with a trojan or something. For BD-live content to be an issue you would have to assume that a studio decided to create the virus put it on its site, create the content on the disk with a link to that malware and so that after you purchase their movie and use BD-live that it goes and DL that malware. Something that is extremely unlikely (and a studio that did that would automatically get publicly destroyed.

[zor]

I wonder if had the f war continued, Toshiba or some other company would have unofficially sponsored viruses for BD-Live or maybe some rogue HD DVD supporter could have done it on his own ...

I don't think BD-Live adds anything for me personally (except subtitle downloads, but I expect those to be on the disc from day 1 ... and if BDs end up having to be actually patched like games as opposed to features like subtitles being added I will not be happy! ... that will never happen right? ... players, yes, but discs I hope not). Aside from studios neglecting Bonus View, I also worry that BD-Live titles will be more expensive even though I have no use for the added features

[RUR]

Originally Posted by ArkGuy

Nineteen forty-six, Mandrake. How does that coincide with your post-war Commie conspiracy, huh? It's incredibly obvious, isn't it? A foreign substance is introduced into our precious bodily fluids without the knowledge of the individual. Certainly without any choice. That's the way your hard-core Commie works.

Purity of essence

On topic: I worry about BD-Live viruses about as much as I worry about getting hit by a meteorite. As Wicky said, it's more trouble than it's worth.