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Home Media Magazine has posted an interesting article, and it's something I've been thinking more and more about lately.
During my recent research into buying a 3D TV, eventually settling on the Samsung 58" Plasma, the issue of firmware popped up quite frequently. With manufacturers releasing new equipment with ever increasing frequency and with more and more features, the chance that *all* the features will work on launch is a small one to say the least. This is where firmware updates come in, allowing manufacturers a second, sometimes fifth or tenth chance, to fix issues that tend to pop up. The Samsung 3D plasma I mentioned has already had a firmware update or two, despite being less than a month old (and still not appearing at all places here in Australia). Many sets today can even download firmware updates "over the air", and can even turn itself on (and off, hopefully), during the night to make the update.
Which brings up to firmware updates for Blu-ray players. Unlike TVs, in which manufacturers issue updates to usually fix things, or add new features - most of these updates are optional if you're not seriously affected by whatever is being fixed, Blu-ray player updates are not very optional at all. New features on discs, copy protection issues, means that firmware updates have to be done before some movies can even be played. Have a look inside your Blu-ray movie's case, there's usually an insert in there telling you to update your player's firmware.
But the problem is that not everyone has their Blu-ray player connected online, or know how to download updates to their USB thumb drive (assuming they even have one), and then have the required knowhow to make the update without seriously screwing something up. But this is exactly what is required if Blu-ray is to become mainstream, to expect mom and pop (and grandma and grandpa) users to be able to make the update, or risk not being able to play new movies. And since Blu-ray players don't have connections to the TV aerial, even "over the air" updates are out of the question.
It seems like the who mandatory firmware update issue came about by designed because the computer guy that designed it can't imagine anyone not having their own home network, as opposed to someone that works within the limitations of consumer electronics (or rather, the limitations imposed on the damn things by the people that use them).
The fact is that the term "firmware" is unfamiliar to probably 90% of the movie player owner user base, and while many are willing to learn all about it and have the resources to make firmware updates virtually painless, there will always be a large group of people that will get stuck on a screen that tells them they need to upgrade their player's firmware to continue, and have no idea what to do next. And that's a problem the Blu-ray Disc Association has to solve if they truly want Blu-ray to replace DVDs.
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During my recent research into buying a 3D TV, eventually settling on the Samsung 58" Plasma, the issue of firmware popped up quite frequently. With manufacturers releasing new equipment with ever increasing frequency and with more and more features, the chance that *all* the features will work on launch is a small one to say the least. This is where firmware updates come in, allowing manufacturers a second, sometimes fifth or tenth chance, to fix issues that tend to pop up. The Samsung 3D plasma I mentioned has already had a firmware update or two, despite being less than a month old (and still not appearing at all places here in Australia). Many sets today can even download firmware updates "over the air", and can even turn itself on (and off, hopefully), during the night to make the update.
Which brings up to firmware updates for Blu-ray players. Unlike TVs, in which manufacturers issue updates to usually fix things, or add new features - most of these updates are optional if you're not seriously affected by whatever is being fixed, Blu-ray player updates are not very optional at all. New features on discs, copy protection issues, means that firmware updates have to be done before some movies can even be played. Have a look inside your Blu-ray movie's case, there's usually an insert in there telling you to update your player's firmware.
But the problem is that not everyone has their Blu-ray player connected online, or know how to download updates to their USB thumb drive (assuming they even have one), and then have the required knowhow to make the update without seriously screwing something up. But this is exactly what is required if Blu-ray is to become mainstream, to expect mom and pop (and grandma and grandpa) users to be able to make the update, or risk not being able to play new movies. And since Blu-ray players don't have connections to the TV aerial, even "over the air" updates are out of the question.
It seems like the who mandatory firmware update issue came about by designed because the computer guy that designed it can't imagine anyone not having their own home network, as opposed to someone that works within the limitations of consumer electronics (or rather, the limitations imposed on the damn things by the people that use them).
The fact is that the term "firmware" is unfamiliar to probably 90% of the movie player owner user base, and while many are willing to learn all about it and have the resources to make firmware updates virtually painless, there will always be a large group of people that will get stuck on a screen that tells them they need to upgrade their player's firmware to continue, and have no idea what to do next. And that's a problem the Blu-ray Disc Association has to solve if they truly want Blu-ray to replace DVDs.
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