Posted on 03/29/2013 4:57:22 AM PDT by Scooter100
I've had it with the Blu Ray format; how about you? It's left a mouth-puckering, sour, stinking taste in my mouth.
When the new (complete!) Star Wars (Blu Ray) came out, I waited patiently for two months for my PowerDVD software to be "updated", or "fixed", or "patched", or whatever code word they use now for "we messed up". I similarly waited weeks for Disney's "John Carter" updaters in order to watch that one. Buy a Blu Ray and you never know what's going to happen when you get it home. Great, huh? What a product.
Heaven knows how many Win7, Java, Cyberlink/PowerDVD, LG Blu Ray Disc Firmware downloads, updates, and expensive software upGRADES (my PC is my A/V system) that I've performed. And because of all this fiddling and tweaking, I am now the proud owner of Blu Ray movies that NO LONGER PLAY. Silly me, I thought the more updates you perform, the more movies you could watch….unh-unh, no way. These prize goofs can turn off half your library with one little code blunder, or worse, at a deliberately designed whim……and then have the gall to tell you that you need a new disc drive, or a new player, or a new $49.95 software upgrade to play discs THAT USED TO PLAY JUST FINE. And don't think I haven't tried. I spent months in a four-way futility with LG/Cyberlink/Win7 over who caused my Blu Ray of "The King's Speech" to stop working.
Listen up Blu Ray industry. Last weekend, I bought a movie and purposely got the DVD version because I really wasn't sure that my software/hardware system would be able to play the Blu Ray version. Now there's confidence, huh? And while I'm at it, let me bring to your attention the REAL REASON that they are packaging movies with both the DVD and Blu Ray versions in one box……it's not because you might want to upgrade from DVD to Blu Ray some day. Nope….no it's not. It's because the copy protection updates and "patches" they are constantly performing on Blu Ray, will most likely render your system unable to play them…..even though they USED TO PLAY. Want to watch it, well get out your wallets.
Blu Ray, you've lost me. I'm frickin' through with you forever. Not going to play your software games anymore. I took all your "Godfrey Daniel" BLUE discs down to the local public library and donated 'em. See ya later Blu Birds, best of luck.
I’ve had a Sony blue ray player for a few years now. Always works great.
But I have never upgraded it. I have no need to. I use it to watch movies and it does that great. There is a legal compatibility thing here. I rememder dealing with it regarding “Compact Cassettes” back in the 1970’s. To carry that label a cassette player had to play any cassette and a cassette had to play in any cassette deck. It was an issue with the four track cassette recorders because they used all four tracks to record in one direction.
I’ve assumed the same is true with Blue Ray, DVD, Laserdisk, etc. That is, if your player is a blue ray player, it MUST be able to play all blue ray discs, and if you have a blue ray disc, it must be able to play in any blue ray player.
Of course, I could be wrong about this, but if this compatibility is non-existent, it would kill sales of the format. That is the whole point of compatibility.
Also, players are so cheap now that I’d just replace one rather than upgrade it.
On a scale of 1 to 100, given the economic, political and social issues of the day, I'm unable to muster any concern.
Good luck with DVD.
Lately, playing newly purchased DVDs and even DVDs from Netflix means having to listen to previews and other commercials (in addition to the usual Gestapo copyright violation threat) before being allowed by the DVD format to access the actual movie.
You appear to have a stand alone player, looks as though the poster’s problem involves his use of a personal computer “(my PC is my A/V system)” as a go-between the DVD reader and the TV. imo
Hubby is the expert in this stuff, not me. But I think you need to get a dedicated blue ray player. We had a lot of problems when he was running the TV through a computer. The TV part worked OK, but with the blue rays we always had trouble.
That being said, although he refuses to watch any TV that is not in HD I don’t think he’s too crazy about the blue ray format.
Now, Directv needs to get game show network in HD (we had it with comcast) so that he doesn’t yell at me when I watch it.
I will say that technology that does not work as advertised really stinks. And that was not generally a problem back in the old, analog days. Things might break down, but they didn’t just NOT WORK.
My wife bought me a Blu-ray machine for Christmas (Samsung).
I took it out of the box, found a place for it in our entertainment center, went to store the following day for an HDMI cable, hooked everything up and turned the machine on.
Upon pressing the remote to open the tray, the tray came out and dropped onto the floor in from of the Blu-ray player.
I then unhooked everything, put the machine back in the box and we returned it to the store. I did not get a replacement.
I am still using my old tape player.
In fact I got a new one the other day from Salvation Army store for $4.50 plays the old tapes just fine.
They feel you don't own those warez/media you just pay rent on them.
And at that price, they are disposable.
Yep, I know what you are talking about from the problems friends have reported with top of the line players. They are the ones who are running into the most compatibility problems.
New bluray players are cheap. Why try to upgrade a DVD player?
Never-ever a problem with the 4 or 5 I have in various equipment. Laptops other computers and free standing units we have in the house.
You can get one for well under $100.
I have an older Panasonic BD player, had to send an e-mail to Panasonic requesting a software update once, no other issue at all. My BD library is now bigger than my DVD at over 800 discs. I will never go 3D, hate the whole concept, there thats my rant for the day.
I suggest the OP communicate with others over at the AVS Forums.
I have no problems with our Sony BR player or any of the other attachments to our TV including an Android on a stick device. All play 1080 no problem, same with Netflix or other streaming content.
What DOES give me a headache is the dang “soap opera effect” because of higher refresh rates. Our 52” Sharp has a beautiful picture but after awhile the soap opera effect becomes irritating.
I’m getting used to it but it’s taking me a long time.
Stop using VGA to connect your PC to your TV, and start using HDMI, and your BluRay movies will work again.
Buy a PS3 Player and then get Netflix ($8), Hulu Plus ($8) and Amazon Instant Video ($77/year)and you will have ZERO need for the Blu Ray Player. I have done this and do not have a single regret. Worried about money? Get rid of cable and just spend 16 dollars a month for Netflix and Hulu Plus and 77 dollars a year for the Amazon. Way cheaper than cable and you still get to watch current TV shows without commercials...a bonus!
how is it like the gestapo?
Steve Jobs called the BluRay spec “a big bucket of hurt”; I enjoy the high resolution and clean picture of BluRay, have never had a problem with any BluRay player (except this cheap Toshiba I got, HDMI-only, and noisy as hell), and have watched just one off a laptop, only problem was, no sound because it was DVI to HDMI (i.e. not the fault of the BluRay standard) so we plugged in external speakers.
Never bought one of those machines! Why? Remember Betamax and VHS? That’s why!
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