Sony Blu-Ray Firmware updates rant
Polkitup2
Posts: 1,637
I have the Sony Blu-ray BDP-S300 and many Blu-ray movies freeze or skip or lock up the unit. It works great for all DVD movies and most blu ray movies but some, usually the ones I really want to watch, do not work. I have upgraded the firmware probably 5 times in the last 8 months. I don't believe the unit is defective, although I tell Sony that their product is defective every time I call customer support. So, is it just Sony that can't figure out their own format or do all manufacturs have these issues? Is the problem not with Sony or other vendors but the movie manufacturers not following the format? Anyhow, as a consumer who simply wants to watch a movie from start to end, I think that the industry could have done a better job. End of rant. 
Post edited by Polkitup2 on
Comments
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I own a Panasonic BR, did the upgrade and have never had a problem. Movies look and sound great (BR & regular format).Michael
In the beginning, all knowledge was new!
NORTH of 60° -
I think you've got reason to be frustrated with the format and the early dedicated player implementations. When you compare players like the s300 to the ps3, it's obvious that it was possible to make more bulletproof players from the start, just not at a price they could make money selling hardware at (the early ps3s gave you like over 800 bucks of hardware for a 600 buck retail price and I don't think that included things like the extra cost of marketing, development, overhead, etc.).
My guess would be that not including things like on-board memory and more expensive processing means that the headroom for a robust java implementation for all the bells and whistles of bd-live and bonus view disks is very limited. Since they have more than enough headroom and processing power to do a good java implementation on the ps3, it tends to be more bulletproof. When they write the firmware for the s300, it's much more of a challenge. So when studios write new disks (especially the good ones we all want to watch), they expose problems either on the software or the hardware side because of these thin implementations in the early blu-ray players.
Hopefully, as newer players come out with much better on-board hardware to meet profile 2.0 requirements, these type of problems will be much less frequent. Still a major pain to hit early player owners with. First movers often get hit with such things. But it doesn't make it any less frustrating. -
I own a PS3 and will be getting the new Pioneer BDP-23FD Blu-ray player when it comes out in April. It will be the top Blu-ray player on the market and won't bust your wallet. From comparing my last year's Pioneer blu-ray 1.1 profile to the PS3 the Pioneer produces a better picture and sound when hooked up to my Pioneer reciever. The new Pioneers will be all 2.0 profile and faster. Pioneer is a better dedicated product than Sony, Samsung and Panasonic when it comes to tv's, recievers, blu-rays.
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I think you'd better hurry up and buy a pioneer plasma TV if you love their stuff so much since last I heard they were exiting the market. They produced a great set, just not at a price point that resonated with the greater market. I hope they'll be able to stick around with their blu-ray players as budget players drop below $200. Not sure what criteria you are using in your viewing and listening tests to judge quality, but there are diminishing returns for your buck trying to improve on the ps3 level of performance.
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Yes, Pioneer is leaving the PDP market along with some others that did a few days ago. Pretty soon it will only be Panny, and we'll see how long that lasts with the current state of economy.
dv-
The top of the line BD player from Pioneer is the BDP-09FD. However, it will break the bank as it lists at $2200. Very impressive specs and build quality.
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Products/HomeEntertainment/Blu-rayDisc+DVD/EliteBlu-rayDiscPlayers/ci.BDP-09FD.Kuro
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Products/HomeEntertainment/Blu-rayDisc+DVD/EliteBlu-rayDiscPlayers/ci.BDP-09FD.Popup -
Not sure what criteria you are using in your viewing and listening tests to judge quality, but there are diminishing returns for your buck trying to improve on the ps3 level of performance.
I agree, however the PS3 will not bitstream audio and does no good if you have an older AVR/Pre without HDMI.
It pretty much depends on the quality of the DACS and who is doing the processing for audio, which is the PS3's weakness, you have no choice. -
digitalvideo wrote: »I own a PS3 and will be getting the new Pioneer DP-23FD Blu-ray player when it comes out in April. It will be the top Blu-ray player on the market and won't bust your wallet. From comparing my last year's Pioneer blu-ray 1.1 profile to the PS3 the Pioneer produces a better picture and sound when hooked up to my Pioneer reciever. The new Pioneers will be all 2.0 profile and faster. Pioneer is a better dedicated product than Sony, Samsung and Panasonic when it comes to tv's, recievers, blu-rays.
According to a Pioneer rep over at AVS, the $600 BDP-23FD will use the same hardware as the current BFD-51FD, which can be had for $270 or so right now. It will just add 2.0 profile capabilities, which I really have no use for. I went ahead and got the 51, and so far I'm very pleased with it.
Top players this year should be the Pioneer BFD-09 and the Oppo BDP-83, if it's ever actually released. The Pioneers in April will be the last real Pioneer players, after that they will be made in a joint venture with Sharp. Kinda sad.
It is sad that three years after introduction, most Blu-Ray players are still slow, and buggy. -
I think even the BDP-23FD msrp is $600 IIRC. Pretty hefty introductory price as other player prices continue to drop.
Edit: William just beat me to the price quote...:). -
I agree, however the PS3 will not bitstream audio and does no good if you have an older AVR/Pre without HDMI.
It pretty much depends on the quality of the DACS and who is doing the processing for audio, which is the PS3's weakness, you have no choice.
I agree with analog outs being one of the best reasons to pass on a ps3 if you need them for older equipment. But the PCM that is output over HDMI is digital and I believe is the same PCM you get if you decode on the receiver/pre side. So it still uses the DACs in the receiver/pre as well as the receiver/pre digital processing modes. The only thing you have no choice on the ps3 side is True-HD/DTS-HD MA decoding (a rather simple straightforward digital encode to digital PCM decode conversion) which is not the same as digital analog conversion or the application of special receiver/pre processing modes. -
I agree, however the PS3 will not bitstream audio and does no good if you have an older AVR/Pre without HDMI.
It pretty much depends on the quality of the DACS and who is doing the processing for audio, which is the PS3's weakness, you have no choice.
The ps3 does bitstream. I had mine set to bitstream, and couldn't figure out how to get dolby tru hd because of it. All of my blu rays were getting processed to dolby digital, or dts. I finally changed my blu ray setting to linear pcm(or whatever it's called), and now my ps3 does the processing for me, and my receiver just says multi channel pcm. Everything sounds great since I stopped the bitstream, on the ps3. I don't know how bitstream works, but the ps3 will only send a dolby digital signal through bitstream. Nothing higher then that.
If you don't have HDMI on your AVR, you can just use optical on the ps3. That's how I used mine at first, and why I had mine set to bitstream. I had it for a couple of years before getting my new AVR with hdmi.Denon 1909, want to upgrade for pre outs
Fronts-polk RTi A5
center-polk CSi A4
Sides Polk FXi A6
rears- polk rm8's
sub-SVS pb-13 ultra
Blue ray-ps3
Panasonic plasma 50 inch
Buttkicker(don't use or need it anymore since getting the Ultra) -
You are correct. The ps3 can't bitstream lossless formats over hdmi but can bitstream all the old DVD formats. But as you found out, you can't bitstream TrueHD or DTS-HD MA over optical. Basically, the ps3 has the wrong hdmi 1.3 chip in it as it was the only one available in bulk when the ps3 was released in late 2006. Kind of bad on Sony that they keep this limitation on new models as they now have the choice to use the correct one.
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I agree with analog outs being one of the best reasons to pass on a ps3 if you need them for older equipment. But the PCM that is output over HDMI is digital and I believe is the same PCM you get if you decode on the receiver/pre side. So it still uses the DACs in the receiver/pre as well as the receiver/pre digital processing modes. The only thing you have no choice on the ps3 side is True-HD/DTS-HD MA decoding (a rather simple straightforward digital encode to digital PCM decode conversion) which is not the same as digital analog conversion or the application of special receiver/pre processing modes.
I guess you could always argue in which does the better job in doing the decoding? You have no choice with the PS3. Most people state there is no difference because it's all digital, 1's and 0's, yada, yada, yada...
HDMI only carries digital signals, either bitstream or LPCM. To get the benefit of the players's DACs(something you can't do with the PS3), you must use the analog out connections.
There's no additional AD/DA conversion going on. This only happens once, either in the player (when using RCA analog cables) or in the receiver/processor (when using an HDMI cable).
I found this at AVS which explains the latter more in layman's terms:
Just to clarify, here's how it works with the HD lossless codecs (Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD MA). There aren't really two formats of DTS HD MA, just one that has to go through a particular set of processing steps.
1. Dolby TrueHD or DTS HD MA read from disc (as packeted data)
2. Packets are unzipped and the contents "released" as LPCM
3. LPCM undergoes digital-to-analog conversion
All we're really talking about is where steps two and three occur, either within the player or in an external component. When you "bitstream" the audio over HDMI, the packeted DolbyTrueHD or DTS HD MA goes out from the player intact all the way to your receiver or processor that has the decoders to unzip it. In this case,your player reads the data off the disc, but all processing is done in this external component.
Some BD players do step two themselves. So they unzip the codecs and convert to LPCM, then send that digital stream to your receiver/processor. Some players let you choose whether to bitstream or send LPCM, but others, like the PS3, will only send the already-decoded LCPM.
Finally, step three. The LPCM must go through some DACs to be converted to analog. These DACs are the oft-mentioned "analog section," and can be found in the player, the receiver, or both. The Pioneer 09FD has very capable (and expensive) DACs so that it can do step three above. (Many players have no DACs at all and cannot send analog out.) Some people want their player to perform this function, while other people have a receiver or processor where they want the DA conversion to take place.
So again, it's all about which components will perform steps two and three, and where you would prefer those steps to take place. -
The ps3 does bitstream.
Yes, but I'm talking about the newer audio codecs, I could careless about the rest.;)
The PS3 will not bitstream advanced audio formats to your AVR (i.e., it can only bitstream basic Dolby Digital and DTS surround audio formats). The PS3 can decode all of the Blu-ray Disc standard and optional audio formats and convert them to multichannel LPCM and pass that to your AVR via HDMI. Thus, to get the full advantage from the superior audio formats offered on BD, as compared to DVD, you must connect your PS3 to an AVR that has HDMI inputs that can accept multichannel LPCM. -
I guess you could always argue in which does the better job in doing the decoding? You have no choice with the PS3.
HDMI only carries digital signals, either bitstream or LPCM. To get the benefit of the players's DACs(something you can't do with the PS3), you must use the analog out connections.
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Finally, step three. The LPCM must go through some DACs to be converted to analog. These DACs are the oft-mentioned "analog section," and can be found in the player, the receiver, or both. The Pioneer 09FD has very capable (and expensive) DACs so that it can do step three above. (Many players have no DACs at all and cannot send analog out.) Some people want their player to perform this function, while other people have a receiver or processor where they want the DA conversion to take place.
So again, it's all about which components will perform steps two and three, and where you would prefer those steps to take place.
I don't think you would want the ps3's DACs doing the converting as the most these DACs were designed to handle was the stereo analog outs on the standard ps3 connector dongle. I understand when you say you have no choice, but unless we're talking a very high end blu-ray player with audiophile DACs, this is a minor point, especially at the ps3 price point. Most people in this price range would have better DACs in their receiver/pre.
Like I said, 'unzipping' TrueHD and DTS-HD MA to PCM is a simple and straightforward process. (That's why it's called lossless audio. If the digital PCM result varied depending on the equipment used, it really wouldn't be an identical translation of the original master.) The real sound quality improvements (for people who can't spend a big chunk of money on player side DACs) will come from the quality of their receiver/pre digital processing and DAC capabilities. The DACs are especially important handling the digital to analog conversion of the signal so it can be sent to the analog speakers. This DAC result will vary quite a lot depending on the equipment used since there is no 'exact' way of going from digital to an analog result.
I understand what you mean by not having a choice in where this DAC processing takes place. But for the vast majority of people, they would want it to take place in their receiver/pre anyways as midrange and lower players just wouldn't have audiophile DACs in the first place. Certainly not the ps3 whether or not it had multichannel analog outs. -
You are correct, I wouldn't either... I've had my head in the BDP-09FD's rear since it's been out, so that's where I'm at right now.;)
I'm looking for the best video/audio I can get, and the PS3 is just a little behind the power curve unless you spend a big chunk of change.
Don't get me wrong, the the PS3 is an incredible machine for the buck, you can't do any better. Especially if you have the older 60g model, like I do.:) -
I guess you could always argue in which does the better job in doing the decoding?
That's not arguable. They are the same.You have no choice with the PS3. Most people state there is no difference because it's all digital, 1's and 0's, yada, yada, yada...
HDMI only carries digital signals, either bitstream or LPCM. To get the benefit of the players's DACs(something you can't do with the PS3), you must use the analog out connections.
There's no additional AD/DA conversion going on. This only happens once, either in the player (when using RCA analog cables) or in the receiver/processor (when using an HDMI cable).
Not necessarily. Any more these days, people expect the receiver to do some DSP stuff (bass management, EQ), and that's going to be done in the digital domain whether you run analog in or digital in. So there can be additional AD/DA steps. -
Re: PS3 outputs via HDMI, etc.
When I got my Denon AVR-988 off of Amazon, one of the topics was TrueHD from a PS3 and an Xbox360. Here's a little spiel from one of the reviewers
(I just cut and paste because I'm lazy
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"Denon AVR-988 is a fully loaded receiver. 1080P upconversion is real. I am connecting PS3 via HDMI "8m ~ 33ft 400 Series Cable", XBOX 360 via THX Certified Component Cable and have it upconverted to 1080P, Dish Network FTA receiver via Component cable THX1000 Series and upconverted to 1080P.
Now what is interested is the picture quality of the FTA Receiver (ViewSat Ultra) on 112" Fixed Projection Screen. The picture is really beautiful. I am sitting about 10 feet away from 112" and using Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 1080UB (top of the line 1080P HDMI v. 1.3). I connected the receiver directly to the projector and the picture just didn't look as good. So this receiver upconverts signals to higher resolution (of course not close to HD sharpness).
Also, I connected all devices through Fiber Optic Cables except for PS3 HDMI. Two things I noticed:
1- To get the True HD sound set up your PS3 to Linear PCM and NOT Bit Stream. This is because the PS3 decodes the raw HD Sound internally `using complicated mathematical equation' and then sends it to the Denon receiver in Linear Code Pulses (Linear PCM stand for Linear Pulse Code Modulation) so you end up with True Uncompressed sound but with no little light indicator on the front display of your Denon Reciever . So go to set up on PS3 (I think BD AUDIO) and set it up to PCM Linear; and then set the Denon to either Direct or Pure Direct (Pure Direct since you are using HDMI). Of course nothing will show on the Denon front Display but you are getting HD Sounds and to prove it PRESS DISPLAY on the PS3 remote and it will show Dolby Digital HD or DTS HD or Multi Channel PCM. Now to get the Denon Front display show HD SOUNDS you need a Blu-ray player and does bit streaming which means the raw material/sound is sent purely to the receiver so it can decode it internally (of course using a complicated mathematic equation) and then output as Dolby True HD or DTS-HD and that's when the Light Indicator will light up. Which one is better Linear PCM from PS3 or Bit Streaming to the receiver? Not sure, but it all depends on the system that does the decoding. I mean we don't have super ears to distinguish the difference (maybe there is/maybe there isn't) but the point is you are GETTING Dolby True HD/DTS HD sound. Maybe once Blu-ray players get cheaper, then you upgrade or at least try it yourself and see if it makes a world of difference or not.
One thing I remember reading through online forums (don't remember which one it was) that someone has the PS3, which sends Linear PCM, and his friend got the Panasonic Blu-ray Player DMP-BD30K, which Bit Streams, and they both have the Denon AVR-2808, which an equivalent same exact model as Denon AVR-988 except of the extra remote for the 2nd zone and three sources/zones instead of two for the AVR-988, the person was asking how in the world the sound coming from the PS3 (Linear PCM) to the Denon is the same to the sound from the Bit Streaming player. Therefore, in the end I do believe that it really doesn't matter if you are using a Bit Streaming Player or Linear PCM as the bottom line this Denon AVR-988 receiver handles the HD Sound beautifully.
Now let's get to the second thing that I noticed:
2- For the XBOX 360 (connected through Fiber Optic Cable) when I press Direct (note: pure direct won't work as it is connected through Component and have it upconverted to 1080P which means the Video Processor needs to be working and what Pure Direct does is Turns off all video AND audio circuits for optimum pure signal from the source - HDMI just passes from source to the projector) the Denon front display is off (Typical) and I get 2-CH Clear totally Uncompressed sound that is coming from the Front L/R speakers. No surprise for two reasons:
A) Xbox 360 is connected to the receiver via Fiber Optic Cable which doesn't have enough Bandwidth to carry up to 7.1 of uncompressed audio in forms of either bits or codes.
DIRECT mode is ON, which means no audio processing is working in the receiver.
Now you are probably wondering what if I get an Xbox 360 with HDMI output, will I get Linear PCM sent to the receiver or will it Bit Stream?
The answer is NEITHER. Why? Because the Xbox 360 or "Microsoft" doesn't have a built-in decoder and it just doesn't have the firmware or update to make it produce Dolby-HD or DTS-HD. Note: Sony didn't have it few months ago; but they added a firmware which updated the PS3. So, indeed the PS3 is the ultimate in Home Theatre as it makes a great Blu-ray Player and a Game/Entertainment system. Note: there is no benefit of getting HDMI converter for 360 as you will not get HD-Sound.
You can of course get Dolby Digital/DTS through Fiber Optic Cable and that is when the Audio Processing needs to be on in the receiver (i.e don't use Direct mode). When you switch between DIRECT on and off, you will 100% notice the compression difference (DIRECT ON: PURE CLEAR UNCOMPRESSED SOUND) (DIRECT OFF: Compressed Dolby Digital/DTS) now, the original Dolby Digital/DTS isn't the worst thing you hear, but you just need to increase the volume to compensate for the compressing. Also, DTS or always less compressed that Dolby Digital, so choose DTS when you go the DVD menu set-up option. But the thing is, Denon AVR-988 is very close in performance to any High Current Amplifier (when you don't take advantage of the HD Audio and of course 1080P Up-Conversion) like the Harman Kardon Receivers.
The bottom line is:
If you need simplified connection between the receiver and the TV get the Denon AVR-988 as one single HDMI cable from the receiver to the TV will do the job
ALSO
If you have PS3 or any Blu-Ray player and you are into Blu-ray movies, then you owe it to yourself to own a receiver that processes HD Sound with the most updated version of HDMI 1.3. DENON IS A GREAT CHOICE AND WELL KNOWN IN HOME THEATRE WORLD.
Sal Palooza -
digitalvideo wrote: »Pioneer is a better dedicated product than Sony, Samsung and Panasonic when it comes to tv's, recievers, blu-rays.
That's funny, Pioneer is getting out of the tv and dvd business from what I've read. They'll be using Panny panels and Sharp dvd guts from now on. My info came from this site. Great dedication. Glad you got your Kuro, I'm guessing.
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=78299"SOME PEOPLE CALL ME MAURICE,
CAUSE I SPEAK OF THE POMPITIOUS OF LOVE" -
digitalvideo wrote: »The new Pioneers will be all 2.0 profile and faster. Pioneer is a better dedicated product than Sony, Samsung and Panasonic when it comes to tv's, recievers, blu-rays.
That's a very bold statement. The new Pioneers BD players should be pretty good, but I highly doubt they'll be tons better that Panasonic. I've had my BD30 for quite some time, and it has had zero issues, few updates here and there and that was it. Panasonic has gotten it right a long time ago with the format and will continue to make excellent players. I do like Pioneer and considering one of their new BR models since I do have the Elite SC07 in my setup. Lets hope they got it right, fixed the lock ups, increased those slow load times, etc.Shoot the jumper.....................BALLIN.............!!!!!
Home Theater Pics in the Showcase :cool:
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showcase/view.php?userid=73580 -
I have the Sony Blu-ray BDP-S300 and many Blu-ray movies freeze or skip or lock up the unit. It works great for all DVD movies and most blu ray movies but some, usually the ones I really want to watch, do not work. I have upgraded the firmware probably 5 times in the last 8 months. I don't believe the unit is defective, although I tell Sony that their product is defective every time I call customer support. So, is it just Sony that can't figure out their own format or do all manufacturs have these issues? Is the problem not with Sony or other vendors but the movie manufacturers not following the format? Anyhow, as a consumer who simply wants to watch a movie from start to end, I think that the industry could have done a better job. End of rant.
To get back to the original rant, yes the 300 had problems playing certain discs - and I agree completely that Sony did not get it right and should have (although the disc industry contributed a little). Sony did seem to correct most of the problems with the 350. I played with it when I was shopping in December and it seemed fine on the several discs I tried. The Pioneer wasn't out so I bought the Panasonic BD35 because the up-conversion was sightly better than the Sony. I'm sure the Pioneer (from what I've heard) is a good player but it wasn't out. Zero problems with the Panasonic. I've only got around 10 discs so far but I've thrown a couple dozen rentals at it. My needs are pretty simple - play the damn movie from start to finish.
[QUOTE=digitalvideo;1006461Pioneer is a better dedicated product than Sony, Samsung and Panasonic when it comes to tv's, recievers, blu-rays.[/QUOTE]
As mentioned, pretty gross generalization.Sony 60'' SXRD 1080p
Amp = Carver AV-705THX 5-Channel
Processor = NAD T747
Panasonic BD35 Blu-Ray
Main = SDA-1C Studio with RD0s, spikes, XO rebuild, rings, I/C upgrade
Center=Polk CS10, Surround = Athena Dipoles, Sub= Boston 12HO
Music/Video Streaming = Netgear NEO550
TT = Audio Technica -
Finally had enough with the Sony BDP-S300, it is in the trash where it belongs.
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I was browsing around and see that the Samsung BDP-1600 has been released. Might have to check that one out.
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I was browsing around and see that the Samsung BDP-1600 has been released. Might have to check that one out.
I dunno...I'm not entirely confident with any 'new' BD players. The AVS forum is ripe with threads about quirks, shortcomings, updates, and secret tricks owners must endure with BD players - any brand.
Kinda like a first year car model....you NEVER buy a first year car....I should know...I bought a first year VW Rabbit...what a horrible mistake that was!
Wait and see is my advice - then buy.
H9: If you don't trust what you are hearing, then maybe you need to be less invested in a hobby which all the pleasure comes from listening to music. -
Polkitup2,
Just did a 4.5 firmware update on my Sony S-300. All seems to be working ok so I will keep my fingers crossed. The update allows player to output HD Audio along with other stuff. I called Sony and they sent out the update for free. BB wanted $30 since "they were getting alot of demand" for updates. Might be a good idea to get a copy direct from Sony and see if it helps. Good luck.......... -
I had the 4.5 update and still have problems. What Sony does is when they get enough complaints about new movies that won't play, they put a new firmware update. This sucks for me since most of the movies I watch are new releases and I'm the guy that finds all the problems.
As Eric tracy said, I am a little wary of the Blu Ray format, I may consider an upconverting player until the dust settles. What I do know is that whatever I purchase it won't be a Sony. I really like my Sami HDTV, maybe Sami is the next Sony? On the bright side I get to go shopping for new player today!
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Picked up the Samsung BD-P1600. Got it hard wired to my LAN - the Pandora feature is really cool. Haven't even played a movie yet, still listening to tunes!
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I've got the S-300 and never had a problem other than it's slower than ****. The last update I did was in the 4.2 range. Anyway, the slowness factor did create a couple of user errors on my part in the beginning. I would retry before the disk fully loaded and it locked up. I had to unplug a couple of times and it loaded right up. The last update I did decreased load times and it's been slow, but sweet since. I'll probably pass it on to my kids once the new Oppo (sans bugs and w/DVD A support) is released.
Combo rig:
Onkyo NR1007 pre-pro, Carver TFM 45(fronts), Carver TFM 35 (surrounds)
SDA 1C, CS400i, SDA 2B
PB13Ultra RO
BW Silvers
Oppo BDP-83SE -
Most stand alone players have problems. This is why I own the Ps3. I would love to pick up a dedicated Blu ray player but none of them are up to my standards. Not to mention the Ps3 is fine. I have to older 80g it plays SACD over HDMI and it's cool. It has a built in hard drive for me to rip music to. Thats cool 2 but there is one thing I hate about it, It does not have the ability to pass HDMI audio and Analog audio as well. This is a problem for me as If I want to use the media on it, I can either pump it around the house or only play it in the family room where my theater is. This sucks. But I have a back up plan, I have Airport from Apple and I also use a Ipod. So I got house music covered. It would have been cool to use the Ps3. I don't know if the Xbox360 can do this as I have HDMI connected but it has the connector to use Analog as well. if it works, I may load up Christmas music or something on it for the holidays. 2 many options.
So the new Elite 23fd is coming out. We shall see if it's worth it. I will not buy it unless I test the **** out of it first. I amost picked up a BDP05FD as it's one bad **** player but it's buggy as well. It's already been through 3 firmware updates. No Ethernet port on the back and no BD live. Sucks.
Ditch that BDPs300 and pick up a Ps3. The panasonic 35 and 55 are really nice, I have no problems with them ever except Discrete codes. So it's still beat. Wait and see if the Elite 23 is any good or the Oppo 83.
DanDan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. -
I have had the same problems with my new player that the original poster did. It played part of a couple BRD just fine and the 5.1 analog sound was awesome.
But then the discs started freezing up....Miami Vice in the same place. Then the machine kept freezing up. I did a firmware upgrade although it did not seem to be for solving the problems I was having.
Then after playing one disc part way through, it stopped again and would not properly load the discs....I tried 4 different discs.
So...do I try another one...or wait for Oppo's BRD? Or something else? The Sony has had good reviews -
i have the same problem the only thin is tha my Blu-ray stop workin the first time i try to upgrade my filmware and, SONY say that there was nothing thy can doI have the Sony Blu-ray BDP-S300 and many Blu-ray movies freeze or skip or lock up the unit. It works great for all DVD movies and most blu ray movies but some, usually the ones I really want to watch, do not work. I have upgraded the firmware probably 5 times in the last 8 months. I don't believe the unit is defective, although I tell Sony that their product is defective every time I call customer support. So, is it just Sony that can't figure out their own format or do all manufacturs have these issues? Is the problem not with Sony or other vendors but the movie manufacturers not following the format? Anyhow, as a consumer who simply wants to watch a movie from start to end, I think that the industry could have done a better job. End of rant.
