Many Players Need Firmware Update To Play Spider-Man 3 on Blu-ray

[DaViD Boulet]

I do agree that the need to provide updates is an inconvenience. What I suggested was that it's not as dramatic/overriding a "problem" as was suggested. If you wanted internet connectivity in your player to supply updates more conveniently, why didn't you get a PS3? Did you not know that your existing player wasn't fully 1.1 compliant? Were you not aware that the BD players you chose to purchase lacked an ethernet port? These questions don't negate the legitimate issue that updates need to be applied to existing hardware to ensure compatibility with forthcoming discs. However, it does bring to light that consumers have choices among BD hardware options that can minimize the issue considerably.

My primary objection was to your assertion of *additional* problems such as old discs not playing on new players. That was the point I took the strongest issue with. I'm assuming by your silence on that particular issue in the continued discussion we're in agreement that those were red-herring concerns.

By all means, continue meaningful discussion about the real issues: such as the potential need of having to apply updates to old hardware to play new profile software. In doing so, it might be prudent to suggest obvious solutions, such as choosing to purchase a BD player that provides ethernet connectivity so that such updates can be performed easily and with a minimum of inconvenience (the PS3 even offers wireless connectivity, making such any would-be updates even easier to apply). You might also try mentioning how in a year's time, once new profile discs have been produced and area available to manufacturers during product development, that the entire issue will be moot as forthcoming hardware will work as desired... plug and play.

[Darren]

Originally Posted by DaViD Boulet

David,
No. All old discs will play in all new players.

Not all discs, exactly, such as BD discs from the UK and other regions, which may have played on players before a region coding block was snuck in on one of the firmware upgrades AND on newer units.

[DaViD Boulet]

Darren,

you raise an excellent point (though I consider the issue of new players honoring region-coding to be slightly different than discs rendered unplayable by firmware incompatibility).

I'm not 100% clear on the details of the relaxed region-coding restriction for current gear. Can you help explain? When does mandatory region recognition go into effect (or has it already)?