Current Blu-ray Players Won't Play Upcoming BD Disc Features
Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:33AM EST
See Comments (20)
Pop a new DVD into even the oldest of DVD players and chances are good it will work just fine. But while Blu-ray players are just one year old, things are already looking problematic for owners of current-generation hardware. Namely, upcoming "enhancements" to the Blu-ray disc format mean that some content the new discs won't play on existing Blu-ray players.
The details are complicated: Current Blu-ray players use the Profile 1.0 standard. Profile 1.1 discs will play on 1.0 hardware, but their bonus features won't. (These will be labeled as "Bonus View" discs.) October 2008 will bring us Profile 2.0, which will add Internet features to discs and will be labeled "BD Live." These features won't play on 1.0 or 1.1 players, either. Theoretically, the main content on future discs will still play on 1.0 hardware, but the reality remains to be seen.
The one exception to the above rule: Sony's PlayStation 3, which can be updated with new firmware and, reportedly, will be able to handle all of these formats.
Blu-ray execs say that the HD DVD format war is responsible for the rush to get Blu-ray out, and why it was shipped in what was basically an unfinished state. (Those Internet features in Profile 2.0 were used as one of Blu-ray's big selling points before it was ever released, remember?) BetaNews asked the developer of BD Live if they were worried about a backlash from early adopters. The response: "They knew what they were getting in to."
See, it's your fault, in the end.
LINK: Blu-ray: Early adopters knew what they were getting into
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2 Posted by m_knopp on Mon Jan 14, 2008 1:25PM EST Report Abuse
Don't forget the part of the blame that squarely rest on HD DVD's shoulders for being ready for release before Blu-Ray thus forcing the Blu-Ray format to be released prematurely. I don't see what early adopters could possibly get upset about, I mean didn't every $400-$500 Blu-Ray player have a big disclaimers stating that they were only partially compliant? I say mark another win up for Sony's PR department. Catch them next week as they throw puppies into raging rivers and blame it on gravity.
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3 Posted by kupriaa1 on Mon Jan 14, 2008 1:35PM EST Report Abuse
could havent said it any better m_knopp
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4 Posted by vochoa0371 on Mon Jan 14, 2008 2:10PM EST Report Abuse
I did notice I was not able to play one of my movies on my Blu-Ray Philips BDP9000 player. People claim that there is no firmware upgrade but there is. Just go over to philips.com and grab this years firmware upgrade and hope you have a cd burner to extract the ISO file. Just turn on TV. Turn on Blu-ray player and insert CD with extracted ISO file. Blu-ray player will start CD and prompt if you would like to updater firmware. Click yes and be patient. Insert movie you were not able to play before like "Live Free or Die Hard, Spiderman 3, and Fantastic 4 The Rise of the Silver Surfer". I had to wait for the update that came up early this year. No complaints but if you are not techy and have a CD burner on your computer. Well, that is tough. If there are brands of Blu-ray players out there that do not provide firmware upgrades, give them a call and see what they can do for you. You never know.
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5 Posted by rogueist on Mon Jan 14, 2008 2:13PM EST Report Abuse
Buy an HD player today! I see them for under $150 all over the place now! BD is dead!
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1 Posted by klacour on Mon Jan 14, 2008 1:23PM EST Report Abuse
"You've been Beta-Maxed!" I know your last comment was tongue in cheek, but truely, it is the fault of the consumer for prematurely picking either side in this stupid HD fight. Why have both Blu-Ray AND HD-DVD sales been tepid? Because most people were staying on the sidelines while the camps slugged it out. Even with Warner's announcement last week at CES08, anyone who bought into either format early got what they deserved. The typical "early adopters" do know what they are getting into - they are willing to pay the price to be the first on the block with a new technology. They will not be the ones crying about this change in "standards". But others who ignorantly wade into untest waters will become shark food. And I throw all the Apple Fanboys who bought an iPhone "first" in that ship of fools. The funny thing is, most HDTVs out there cannot even PLAY these disk at a full 1080p! But people run out and grab these players and wonder why their HD movies don't look as good as they did in the store.