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  1. #1
    Musicaholic Forums Moderator ForeverAutumn's Avatar
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    Question about Blu-ray technology

    My brother has a Samsung Blu-ray player that he bought in December, 2008. He rented a couple of Blu-ray disks over Christmas and had trouble playing them. He was told by someone at Blockbuster that he had to upgrade the player's software. So he did. But it didn't help.

    So, he went into Best Buy, where he bought the Samsung and someone there told him that Sony owns the Blu-ray technology and that they code the Blu-ray disks so that they can't be played in other brands. The guy then told him that he should only ever buy a Sony Blu-ray player (yet it was also a Best Buy employee who sold him the Samsung!).

    He has a bunch of Blu-ray disks that he bought in 2008 and early 2009 that work fine. It only seems to be new disks that won't play. Also, one of the movies he rented played fine for the first half and only the second half wouldn't play. He took it back to Blockbuster and exchanged it for another disk and had the same problem. In all he tried three disks...same problem on each disk.

    The Sony explanation sounds like a load of crap and bad business to me. Is there any validity in this explanation, or should my brother be looking for another reason that his BR player isn't working?

    Thanks.

  2. #2
    Shostakovich fan Feanor's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ForeverAutumn
    ....
    So, he went into Best Buy, where he bought the Samsung and someone there told him that Sony owns the Blu-ray technology and that they code the Blu-ray disks so that they can't be played in other brands. The guy then told him that he should only ever buy a Sony Blu-ray player (yet it was also a Best Buy employee who sold him the Samsung!).

    ....
    I once heard the BB sales staff get on-the-side commissions direct from manufacturers. But this might be just as big a steaming pile as the bit about buying only Sony BRPs.

    In my experience 4/5 of BB staff are ignorant a$$holes.

  3. #3
    Vinyl Fundamentalist Forums Moderator poppachubby's Avatar
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    Sounds like nonsense to me. Perhaps the store had a spiff/incentive for him to sell a specific model that day or week.

  4. #4
    M.P.S.E /AES/SMPTE member Sir Terrence the Terrible's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ForeverAutumn
    My brother has a Samsung Blu-ray player that he bought in December, 2008. He rented a couple of Blu-ray disks over Christmas and had trouble playing them. He was told by someone at Blockbuster that he had to upgrade the player's software. So he did. But it didn't help.
    Though Samsung has probably the worst Bluray players next to the cheapies, he probably needs to clean the disc thoroughly before putting them in the player. Rented disc get awfully dirty changing hands, and it could be that the Samsung is sensitive to smudges.

    So, he went into Best Buy, where he bought the Samsung and someone there told him that Sony owns the Blu-ray technology and that they code the Blu-ray disks so that they can't be played in other brands. The guy then told him that he should only ever buy a Sony Blu-ray player (yet it was also a Best Buy employee who sold him the Samsung!).
    Man, I need boots to get through this bull. Bluray disc are compressed and authored in various houses all over Hollywood. Secondly Bluray technology has many patents spread out over many manufacturers, not just Sony. Sony owns a few patents, Panasonic and Pioneer have others. Some Japanese and Taiwanese disc makers have patents on disc pressing, and others on the disc layer technology. If this were true, Bluray would not have ever gotten to the point it has.

    He has a bunch of Blu-ray disks that he bought in 2008 and early 2009 that work fine. It only seems to be new disks that won't play. Also, one of the movies he rented played fine for the first half and only the second half wouldn't play. He took it back to Blockbuster and exchanged it for another disk and had the same problem. In all he tried three disks...same problem on each disk.
    Did he download of order the disc for the firmware upgrades? With the exception of my PS3's, I always order the disc for firmware upgrades just to be sure that there are no hiccups during downloading.

    The Sony explanation sounds like a load of crap and bad business to me. Is there any validity in this explanation, or should my brother be looking for another reason that his BR player isn't working?

    Thanks.
    Its a load of ca ca. I would have him send it back to the manufacturer under the warranty and ask them to find the problem, or call customer service (I hate to send him down this hell tunnel, but it may be one of the only answers.)

    If he can take it back and get a Panasonic, Sony, or any other comparable model from the major's other than Samsung he would probably be better off.
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  5. #5
    Musicaholic Forums Moderator ForeverAutumn's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sir Terrence the Terrible
    Though Samsung has probably the worst Bluray players next to the cheapies, he probably needs to clean the disc thoroughly before putting them in the player. Rented disc get awfully dirty changing hands, and it could be that the Samsung is sensitive to smudges.
    Thanks Sir T. I was hoping that you'd chime in here.

    Knowing my brother, I'd have to say that he didn't bother to clean the disk (idiot! I know). But he tried three different disks and says that they all stopped playing at the same spot. That's his claim...I wasn't there.

    Quote Originally Posted by Sir T
    Man, I need boots to get through this bull. Bluray disc are compressed and authored in various houses all over Hollywood. Secondly Bluray technology has many patents spread out over many manufacturers, not just Sony. Sony owns a few patents, Panasonic and Pioneer have others. Some Japanese and Taiwanese disc makers have patents on disc pressing, and others on the disc layer technology. If this were true, Bluray would not have ever gotten to the point it has.
    That's what I thought.

    Quote Originally Posted by Sir T
    Did he download of order the disc for the firmware upgrades? With the exception of my PS3's, I always order the disc for firmware upgrades just to be sure that there are no hiccups during downloading.
    No, he upgraded via the internet.

    Quote Originally Posted by Sir T
    Its a load of ca ca. I would have him send it back to the manufacturer under the warranty and ask them to find the problem, or call customer service (I hate to send him down this hell tunnel, but it may be one of the only answers.)

    If he can take it back and get a Panasonic, Sony, or any other comparable model from the major's other than Samsung he would probably be better off.
    Unfortunately, the warranty on the player has expired, but I'll let my brother know what you've said and he can deal with the problem however he sees fit.

    Thanks!

    Oh, and just as an aside. This isn't for BarryL (in case anyone is wondering why he isn't posting himself), I have two brothers.

  6. #6
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    I have two Samsung BD-P1200 that are still working great, they are good players actually. Your brother needs to check the manual to see how to verify the firmware version and check Samsung's website to be sure he has the latest one. It could also be a dirty disc. I'd call Samsung and have them send your brother the firmware update. I updated my 1200 using a disc and have not had a problem. In fact, the 1200 played a recent movie my Marantz would not play. The Marantz played it after a firmware update. Back to the firmware disc, after I updated my 1200 via a disc, my daughter updated her Samsung BD-P1500 via the internet and hers would not play the movie we were having problems with but mine would. If nothing has changed Samsung's customer service via the phone is good. Forget ever getting a response via email though.

  7. #7
    Musicaholic Forums Moderator ForeverAutumn's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mr Peabody
    I have two Samsung BD-P1200 that are still working great, they are good players actually. Your brother needs to check the manual to see how to verify the firmware version and check Samsung's website to be sure he has the latest one. It could also be a dirty disc. I'd call Samsung and have them send your brother the firmware update. I updated my 1200 using a disc and have not had a problem. In fact, the 1200 played a recent movie my Marantz would not play. The Marantz played it after a firmware update. Back to the firmware disc, after I updated my 1200 via a disc, my daughter updated her Samsung BD-P1500 via the internet and hers would not play the movie we were having problems with but mine would. If nothing has changed Samsung's customer service via the phone is good. Forget ever getting a response via email though.
    Thanks Mr. Peabody, I'll pass that on. I asked him about cleaning the disk and he said that he did clean the first one and then Blockbuster cleaned the subsequent disks. I mentioned that he should do the update via a disk and he's going to call Samsung next week.

    BTW. I was also wrong about other new disks not working. It was just the one movie, but he tried five different disks of the same film!

  8. #8
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    That's how it works for me, I don't think to check the websites all the time for firmware updates, so eventually I will rent or buy a movie and it won't play, then I will know to check for an update. Every time so far the update has fixed the problem. It's not the disc itself, it's the particular movie. Something is encoded on it that will require firmware update, usually it's a Java compatibility issue but others could be a feature included in the disc.

  9. #9
    all around good guy Jim Clark's Avatar
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    Not Barry...too danged funny. Happy New Year FA.

    jc
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  10. #10
    Forum Regular pixelthis's Avatar
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    Cool

    I have had BLU discs that looked pristine, but wouldn't play until I wiped em off.
    And Sony doesnt code discs to only play in their players, that would probably be a
    violation , SEC or otherwise, that would attract the federales.
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