DRM Screw up disables Samsung Blu-ray players

[admin]

A failed firmware update from Samsung has made it impossible to play Warner and Universal Blu-ray movies on their BD-Px600 range of Blu-ray players, including the BD-P4600.

The error, which appears to be related to a broken DRM implementation (hence the very specific, studio related problem), and Samsung are already offering an older version to allow users to successfully downgrade.

But not all users are reporting a successful downgrade, and it could be weeks before these users get an updated firmware to fix this issue.

This incident highlights the dangers of both firmware updates, in that too many are being released by electronic manufacturers without proper testing, and of DRM that allows (whether accidentally, or deliberately) entire movie libraries to become obsolete just via a simple firmware upgrade.

More:

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/blu-ray-players/1279708/firmware-flaw-blocks-samsung-bd-px600-players

[dr_ml422]

A failed firmware update from Samsung has made it impossible to play Warner and Universal Blu-ray movies on their BD-Px600 range of Blu-ray players, including the BD-P4600.

The error, which appears to be related to a broken DRM implementation (hence the very specific, studio related problem), and Samsung are already offering an older version to allow users to successfully downgrade.

But not all users are reporting a successful downgrade, and it could be weeks before these users get an updated firmware to fix this issue.

This incident highlights the dangers of both firmware updates, in that too many are being released by electronic manufacturers without proper testing, and of DRM that allows (whether accidentally, or deliberately) entire movie libraries to become obsolete just via a simple firmware upgrade.

More:

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/blu-r...-px600-players

Is your free bundled player one of these? Would really be something else after waiting so long to get it. If indeed it did take long.

[admin]

No, it was a BD-C6900, not a P series. Haven't used it much, other than to play the single 3D movie I have. I still prefer using the PS3 to play Blu-ray movies. The C6900 loads discs faster than the PS3, but the PS3 kills it in terms of response times (when you press a button on the remote, how long it takes for the player to respond). Picture quality seems roughly equal.

I still also have to rely on my HD-XE1 HD DVD player to play US/NTSC DVDs, since the C6900 can't do 24 Hz output for NTSC DVDs - the PS3 can, but it can't be made region-free (the C6900 is DVD region free with a simple remote hack, Blu-ray still region locked).

[dr_ml422]

They better get all this straightened out and soon. Just from this info it's crazy to have to be using a different player just for a DVD etc... Especially when such an animal like the PS3 is available. All this prolly factors into a lot of the future of Blu-ray etc... Then they cry about hacks and pirates.