Samsung fixes Avatar Blu-ray problems with firmware updates

Being stuck with a Blu-ray player that couldn't handle what is (probably) the most popular movie on the format of all-time sounds like a bit of a problem, which Samsung has moved quickly to resolve with firmware updates for its BD-UP5000 (to version 1.5) and BD-P1400 (to version 2.13) Blu-ray players. Forum reports indicate all is well on Pandora once users have upgraded to the new versions with no lingering BD+ DRM issues getting in their way. Of course, the question of why legitimate buyers had to wait several days just to play a movie that was still ripped and redistributed without copy protection as soon as it launched remains unanswered. So is anyone else still having Avatar playback problems, or is all well in your high bitrate neck of the woods?

[Cory Bauer Posted Apr 30th 2010 12:35PM]

I was very pleased to see Samsung get a firmware upgrade out the door in just 6 days for my BD-UP5000; I watched Avatar last night and it played flawlessly. It is absurd that they had to make firmware updates in the first place, just so Fox could deter piracy by all of 12 hours.

[UnnDunn Posted Apr 30th 2010 1:49PM]

Six days doesn't count as "moving quickly to resolve" a firmware issue that really shouldn't have been an issue in the first place.

To me, this just illustrates all that is wrong with Blu-ray.

[Cory Bauer Posted Apr 30th 2010 5:24PM]

@UnnDunn When your blu-ray player hasn't seen a firmware update in 18 months, six days by comparison is blazing fast response time. Which brings me to your second point; the need for updates to bring blu-ray compatibility are really few and far between.

[UnnDunn Posted Apr 30th 2010 8:06PM]

@Cory Bauer

It's not the firmware updates that bother me; it's the fact that these firmware updates are required for BD+, which is supposed to be part of the Blu-ray standard.

The Blu-ray Disc Association spent all this time and effort engineering BD+ and ROM Mark and AACS and such, but they couldn't work out some sort of mechanism to ensure that customers who buy a disc on release day would be able to expect it to work when they bring it home.

I mean, this isn't the first time this has happened. Why isn't there some mechanism whereby Fox can say "we're doing a new BD+" a month in advance, and it can seed all the player manufacturers with copies so they can update their firmware BEFORE the disc hits shelves?

[carg0 Posted Apr 30th 2010 6:37PM]

this constant "update your firmware" bullshit is spiraling out of control and it's getting to point where it should be illegal, or at the very least, heavily regulated.

these players and discs cost more than ever and now we have to worry every time we buy a new f*ing movie whether or not it'll play?

i didn't care for Avatar but as for this particular incident, someone should've been fired. absolutely inexcusable.

[(Unverified) Posted May 1st 2010 12:00AM]

@carg0

I agree it is annoying, but it used to be quite frequent for BD players, now it is a few times a year. Soon it will be every year or so.

[REnemy Posted May 1st 2010 6:22PM]

Even my Pioneer Elite had to have a firmware update! This anti-piracy pisses me off. Stop spending millions trying to protect content and spend that on products or R&D. People will steal, stop punishing those of is that paid our money.