HDD's own Josh Zyber Brings the Rain to Blu-Con 2010 & BD-Live

[Attebery]

HDD's own Josh Zyber Brings the Rain to Blu-Con 2010 & BD-Live

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/sh...__BD-Live/5773

[Mobe1969]

I've disabled BD internet access now. It has enhanced my viewing experience. Faster loading time, less rubbish, and no lockups. It is great.

It was ironic The Office Season 6 was mentioned in the article considering the number of people that had issues with episodes just freezing until they turned of internet connectivity...

[JAC35]

I don't get what is being said about digital copy. Limited time offer etc. Does this mean DC's are time bombed?

[DeathKnight]

if a WiFi signal drops out mid-firmware update, the hardware could end up "bricked" (non operational) because part of the firmware process involves deleting the old firmware, or operating system.

The player shouldn't be reliant on an active connection to fully complete a firmware upgrade. It's only used during an upgrade to download the update (if you choose to get it that way). The only thing that should brick a player is if it loses power during a firmware update.

[Cochise]

I don't get what is being said about digital copy. Limited time offer etc. Does this mean DC's are time bombed?

I have no use for digital copies and have never used one. But from what I've read in the trading forums, there's a printed activation code that has to be entered before it will let you copy the DC to a device, and it's the activation code that has a time limit on it. The DCs themselves are not time limited - once they're copied, they'll play forever.

[fitprod]

You have a limited time to download them. But yes... Essentially digital copies can be time bombed to no longer work. That is part of the problem I have with BD-Live enabled discs and digital downloads.

Aside from a class action lawsuit, there's nothing stopping the studios from ultimately going, "We have a new version, so you'll have to buy it." and selling a kill command that disables the BD or Digital Copy. This was actually done on the Kung Fu Panda Blu-ray, where the Noodle making segment is not longer accessible. - Technically, everything we buy is under a license agreement with the studios. (Read all of the Warnings show before & after a film plays...)

fitprod

[Cochise]

The player shouldn't be reliant on an active connection to fully complete a firmware upgrade. It's only used during an upgrade to download the update (if you choose to get it that way). The only thing that should brick a player is if it loses power during a firmware update.

For a player, yes - they have enough memory to store the FW download & do a checksum before attempting to install and over-write the current FW. But the sentence before what you quoted is key: "Amazon customers may be calling out for more built-in WiFi, but both D&M Holdings and Panasonic are wary of WiFi for everything, especially AV Receivers". Consumer electronic devices like AV receivers typically don't have surplus memory to store downloads, they would be over-writing the FW as it downloads.

[JAC35]

There's a printed activation code that has to be entered before it will let you copy the DC to a device. The DCs themselves are not time limited - once they're copied, they'll play forever.

Well only as long as that device is operational. If you move to a new device and that activation code no longer works the shiny disc becomes nothing more than a coaster. I'm assuming the DC is still DRM'ed so no backup copy will work. This is BS!! I can take a computer and install my copy of Windows 98 on it to this very day even though MS no longer supports that O-S and still use it.

[reidw]

You're right about the time limit applying to the activation code but here's my experience. I bought a copy of the Matrix that included a digital copy about a year after its BD release date. I specifically wanted the DC for my IPOD as well as the BD for my home theatre. Unfortunately DC had just expired. I went back to the store to demand my money back but they wouldn't give a refund. They argued that there was nothing wrong with BD itself. The fact that I couldn't use the DC was my problem not a manufacturing defect. In anger I left the whole package on the counter and walked out.

Since then I've checked at several other stores and have found they all still have a copy or two of The Matrix complete with a expired DC. There seems to be no sense of responsibility at Warner's that the copies with expired DCs need to be removed and replaced either with an updated digital copy or with no digital copy if the offer is over. The consumer should not be taken advantage of this way.

[mathprof]

Tropic Thunder has awesome BD Live material. It seems to be endless, and it's hysterical. I wish more studios would put as much effort into BD Live. I love having it; it's like an endless list of extras attached to the movie.

[gravis778]

You're right about the time limit applying to the activation code but here's my experience. I bought a copy of the Matrix that included a digital copy about a year after its BD release date. I specifically wanted the DC for my IPOD as well as the BD for my home theatre. Unfortunately DC had just expired. I went back to the store to demand my money back but they wouldn't give a refund. They argued that there was nothing wrong with BD itself. The fact that I couldn't use the DC was my problem not a manufacturing defect. In anger I left the whole package on the counter and walked out.

Since then I've checked at several other stores and have found they all still have a copy or two of The Matrix complete with a expired DC. There seems to be no sense of responsibility at Warner's that the copies with expired DCs need to be removed and replaced either with an updated digital copy or with no digital copy if the offer is over. The consumer should not be taken advantage of this way.

The timebomb limit is BS. I had this issue with Kitt Kitridge. My iPhone only has 16 gig, so I cycle my videos and music I have on it. When I upgraded to Windows 7, this included reinstalling iTunes. Everything I bought in the store was backed up, and simply authorizing that computer made me able to use it for my iTunes purchaces. But I had to reactivate my digital copies. Many were expired, so I can no longer view them.

I find DRM on DCs stupid. I just now use either streaming Netflix, or rip the DVDs. Its better than having a disc with a DRM'd copy of the movie that you can no longer watch.

As for BD-Live - I have seen a few good uses for it. Harry Potter had the feature where they had a scheduled viewing, and the actors would respond to user questions. Star Trek gets Nasa Press stories. New Fox movies will download features and add them to the main menu. Prince Caspian allowed downloading of bonus features that were not finished when the disc went to print. All these are great uses of the technology.

[Krawk]

I thought it funny Josh mentioned issues with yet another FOX title.
Fox will be the downfall of the format and/or the primary cause of bootlegging. Eventually manufacturers will "no longer support older model players" and Fox will continue to play with their DRM schemes. Regarding players - try explaining to someone they need to cough up another $200 because FOX keeps breaking things.

BD Live - 2 movies I have personally noticed take forever to load even though I have no network connection. T2 Skynet Edition and Rambo (4). T2 even requires several extra button presses to get past the nag screens.