Blu-Ray player cant play latest discs- SOGA?

Jonl

A Blu-Ray player was purchased with assistance from Tesco in May 2011. From April 2013 I found that some new Blu-Rays would not play at all (these are the discs for the correct region). Tesco technical support have confirmed that the firmware needs an update but there are no plans to offer this.

As I understand it, the Blu-Ray format itself hasn't changed and I'm not expecting the Blu-Ray player to start giving extra functionality that I never had to start with- I just simply want a player that plays Blu-Ray discs as I was advised this would. The software is embedded into and is an integral part of the Blu-Ray player; for this not to be updated by Tesco means that the player can't play all Blu-Ray discs which is the reason it was purchased.

I have written to Tesco explaining that, as they will not release an update, I feel that the player is not fit for purpose as I cannot watch all Blu-Rays. Tesco's view is that is worked on discs available at the time of purchase and is therefore fit for purpose.

I understand technology moves on, and clearly something that looks similar isn't neccesarily the same - a CD versus a DVD or a Blu-Ray for eample. However when advised that a player will play Blu-Ray discs I would expect it to continue to do so until it wears out or is replaced; if the player has functionality for it to be updated online and they have updated it previously, I would think it reasonable for the player to be updated. For Tesco not to update the player means that I cannot watch discs that should be viewable on a Blu-Ray player in my region.

Has anyone got a similar experience or can advise?

jacques_chirac

I can see their point of view - if you bought a tv pre digital you could not return it if it did not work after the switchover. The fault is not inherent as it was adequate at the time of purchase.

Is it a Technika model - if so I'm guessing it was not very expensive? After two years use any refund offered would be proportionate.

Jonl

jacques_chirac wrote: »

I can see their point of view - if you bought a tv pre digital you could not return it if it did not work after the switchover. The fault is not inherent as it was adequate at the time of purchase.

Is it a Technika model - if so I'm guessing it was not very expensive? After two years use any refund offered would be proportionate.

I get what you mean, and thank you for your reply - however, in the case of digital switchover the broadcast technology has changed, in the same way that storage changed from VHS to CD to DVD etc.

With this situation it's not that the format has changed, Tesco just aren't releasing an update which means that less than two years after purchasing, new Blu-Rays can't be viewed.

Yes it is Technika, it wasn't massively expensive as players go however I would expect it to be supported and able to play Blu-Rays for more than 2 years.

paddyrg

This is a crazy situation designed into the BluRay format in an attempt to prevent disc copying. Oversimplifying - the players have a magic number buried inside them, that number is required to extract the data from the disc. When that number became public knowledge it could have meant people could copy the newer BluRay files much like they copy DVD's. The response is to change the magic number in all new players and BluRay discs. You're suffering the fallout of this system.

The system clearly is going to screw things up for a load of people on a semiregular basis. Crazy thing is you're now more likely to pirate a movie than buy it as it is only the way to see a film. Only the law-abiding are punished by measures like this and the stupid FBI warnings that pirates just delete.

Jonl

paddyrg wrote: »

This is a crazy situation designed into the BluRay format in an attempt to prevent disc copying. Oversimplifying - the players have a magic number buried inside them, that number is required to extract the data from the disc. When that number became public knowledge it could have meant people could copy the newer BluRay files much like they copy DVD's. The response is to change the magic number in all new players and BluRay discs. You're suffering the fallout of this system.

The system clearly is going to screw things up for a load of people on a semiregular basis. Crazy thing is you're now more likely to pirate a movie than buy it as it is only the way to see a film. Only the law-abiding are punished by measures like this and the stupid FBI warnings that pirates just delete.

That makes some sense, thanks. If this change is protecting the format by design rather than technology simply advancing then I would expect it to be reasonable that the player continue to be able to be updated - and not for the retailer to decide that they aren't going to do this for a model within 2 years.

As a purchaser, I certainly didn't understand about magic numbers changing and that Tesco may decide not to update their player; however I would think it reasonable that a retailer should know this if they are going to sell and support the product.

bris

Technology is always moving forward, future proofing is impossible in some cases and not the retailers fault.

Tesco don't make Blu-ray players, it will be rebadged from a major manufacturer so Tesco have no control over the future updates or whether the chips used at the time are even capable of updating to new firmware.

halibut2209

But they are still the vendor and are bound by SOGA

jacques_chirac

halibut2209 wrote: »

But they are still the vendor and are bound by SOGA

Which leads to the question, how long would you expect a cheapy own brand dvd player to last? I'd be expecting three years at most.

dalesrider

Johl.

What model is it you have?

Tesco firmware update
Or have you tried to google model No and firmware?

You may find that while Tesco won't do anything the manufacture might.

Also try https://www.avforums.com

visidigi

Surely tesco can't see into the future and therefore the stance here is was it fit for purpose when bought, the answer to that question is yes. And it could play all discs released up to purchase at least. It's then worked for a further period of time without issue,

Is it that discs won't pay at all or that certain features won't play?

The blu ray discs have warning on them, but that still doesn't make tesco obligated to update the firmware, indeed in cheap machines this can sometimes never be possible...

Jonl

bris wrote: »

Technology is always moving forward, future proofing is impossible in some cases and not the retailers fault.

Tesco don't make Blu-ray players, it will be rebadged from a major manufacturer so Tesco have no control over the future updates or whether the chips used at the time are even capable of updating to new firmware.

I agree, but Tesco do choose whether or not to buy in the model and sell it to their customers; if it's own-branded, then they agree the specification and the support required from their supplier before selling to their customers. In this case it's not that technology has moved forward or that the unit cannot be updated - it seems that Tesco (or their supplier) have decided not to issue an update (or the supplier haven't been paid to issue an update), and this is the reason it won't play certain new discs.

I wasn't aware and was not told that a player that plays Bul-Rays may well not play them in two years time- a requirement that sounds reasonable. Had I been made aware of this, then I would not have purchased it. If it was a different format and technology had moved forward then I'd totally get it, but that is not the case.