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Curious regarding firmware updates on BR player

 
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Curt Palme
CRT Tech



Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 24296
Location: Langley, BC

TV/Projector: All of them!


PostLink    Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 5:47 pm    Post subject: Curious regarding firmware updates on BR player Reply with quote


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So.. I finally..... FINALLY have Netflix in my theater. Yeah, way overdue, but not for lack of trying! Here's the saga.. and a question.

BR player # 1- Panasonic-- locked up every time I went to go to Netflix. Would have to unplug it to get it to unlock itself. Watched a few BRs with no issues. Like an idiot, I waited over a year, so there's no going back. It's about 18 months old.

BR # 2- Sony. No matter what I did, wirelessly or wired connection to the internet, it would not find an IP address. I first blamed my installer that ran the network cable, but connecting a laptop to the cable accessed the internet fine.
Needless to say, the 30 day Netflix free trial long expired as well, so I canceled. the Sony is maybe 8 months old.

Also, the Sony BR player managed to trigger my two Barcos on and off as I bounced through menus. Go figure.

Yesterday I finally got annoyed, called Netflix, explained that while I did get a free trial, I never was able to use it, and could they somehow give me another 30 days so I could see if my %#&%$ connection worked as I changed my router and added a 16 port switch. Amazingly, they complied, and their first tier customer service was really good.

So I installed the router and switch, confirmed via laptop that I had connectivity, and spent the better part of an hour on the phone with my internet supplier, who also was very helpful, going as far as suggesting that I do a firmware update on the Sony, and when I explained that it wouldn't connect to the internet, the guy went as far as emailing me a link from Sony, to update the firmware via DVD. Pretty impressive.

So it was going to be movie night last night, and the g/f and I headed out to either buy a new BR player and a couple of BR discs as backup. Laughing

So I explained the situation to the sales guy at the stereo store (not BB!), and he did say that it was indeed strange, and sold me an LG for $80 CDN. I came home, plugged it in, and instantly had Netflix and internet connectivity.

Not being happy with having two dud BR players here, I ended up taking them to my shop, and even though the CAT 5 cable came from the same switch, both found the internet there, go figure. Both came up with firmware update messages, and both then found Netflix.

So the question is twofold.. why do you think neither the Sony nor Panasonic worked in my racK? They are in a metal Middle Atlantic rack, an HD cable box above it, a VHS machine (!) below it that isn't being used. THe run from the switch is a lot shorter in my theater than it is in the shop.

Also, why, when both BR players did end up finding my internet connection in my shop, why was Netflix not found without the firmware update? I figured firmware updates were HDCP encryption updates, and little else, but of course I'm ignorant when it comes to all things computer related.
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nettwerkjohn




Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 915
Location: Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand


PostLink    Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 12:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Obviously both players were trying to save you endless hours sorting thru dross and substandard picture quality...

Smile
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AnalogRocks
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Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 26690
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

TV/Projector: Sony 1252Q, AMPRO 4000G


PostLink    Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 12:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Back when I was building my last HTPC I had no connectivity. Didn't matter if I tried the on board Ethernet port, an Ethernet to USB adaptor ( or 3 IIRC ) or even, as a last resort, changing the mother board.

I could drop my MSI netbook on the same cable and be off and running no problem. Likewise with my old Win98 laptop. No issues.

The fix? Changed out the Cat5e UTP (unshielded) cable to a Cat6 STP (shielded) and viola. BOTH mother boards worked, all three USB to Ethernet adaptors started working. So cables are important, and some things are just finicky as to what cables they like.

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barclay66




Joined: 27 Jun 2011
Posts: 1291
Location: Germany

TV/Projector: Marquee 9500 Ultra


PostLink    Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 8:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi,

I have been using a Sony BR player for years now (BDP S-370) and thankfully it has worked for all my applications right out of the box. What I can confirm is that it will modify the list of additional services (like Netflix and other channels) with every update that is installed. Some come up as new and some disappear. In addition, the services seem to be depending on the region where the device is being used. So I have some services that are available in Germany only. Maybe Netflix wasn't available in Your region when You tried or at least in the region where the BR player thought it would be used. I don't know if the region setting is controlled by the menus only. If it is determined by other parameters (maybe the IP-Address or the accessibility of certain URLs) it may as well contribute to the problem with missing services.

Problems with networking could be related to several things:

- Cabling (mentioned above already)
- Router settings (maybe some protocols don't get forwarded)
- IPv4/IPv6 Trouble (sometimes things work better with IPv4 only)
- Link Speed negotiation (some combinations simply won't work, setting speed manually could help)

Question 1: How do the BR players behave when You take them back to the HT? Do they work there now?
Question 2: What happens if You switch the router ports between shop and HT?
Question 3: Can You test with a different cable at the same switcher port being used for the HT?


[Rant]
On the other hand we all do know that we all have lost our right to value for the money:
For most of those modern digitally controlled devices we have been reduced to beta testers!

If I was getting one penny for every occasion where the standard solution to a problem was 'Try a firmware update', I would be a billionaire already. So it doesn't surprise me at all if some of a device's advertised functionalities don't work right out of the box...
[/Rant]

Regards,
barclay66
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Hild1995




Joined: 29 Aug 2016
Posts: 1



PostLink    Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2016 7:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

barclay66 wrote:
Hi,

I have been using a Sony BR player for years now (BDP S-370) and thankfully it has worked for all my applications right out of the box. What I can confirm is that it will modify the list of additional services (like Netflix and other channels) with every update that is installed. Some come up as new and some disappear. In addition, the services seem to be depending on the region where the device is being used. So I have some services that are available in Germany only. Maybe Netflix wasn't available in Your region when You tried or at least in the region where the BR player thought it would be used. I don't know if the region setting is controlled by the menus only. If it is determined by other parameters (maybe the IP-Address or the accessibility of certain URLs) it may as well contribute to the problem with missing services.
Best Website to buy phen375 http://ohdivinehealth.com/phen375-reviews/

Problems with networking could be related to several things:

- Cabling (mentioned above already)
- Router settings (maybe some protocols don't get forwarded)
- IPv4/IPv6 Trouble (sometimes things work better with IPv4 only)
- Link Speed negotiation (some combinations simply won't work, setting speed manually could help)

Question 1: How do the BR players behave when You take them back to the HT? Do they work there now?
Question 2: What happens if You switch the router ports between shop and HT?
Question 3: Can You test with a different cable at the same switcher port being used for the HT?


[Rant]
On the other hand we all do know that we all have lost our right to value for the money:
For most of those modern digitally controlled devices we have been reduced to beta testers!

If I was getting one penny for every occasion where the standard solution to a problem was 'Try a firmware update', I would be a billionaire already. So it doesn't surprise me at all if some of a device's advertised functionalities don't work right out of the box...
[/Rant]

Regards,
barclay66


i totaly agree on what you said. i have been also using Sony BR player just like you and it worked perfectly. there are really some areas that has a poor signal or worst, no signal at all. so the right way to avaail one is to make sure that your area has a good signal so your money and effort wil not be wasted. as we all know before we make an update, a strong credible signal is indeed a must have.
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