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In this age of changing specs and of formats constantly coming and going, software/firmware support is essential. Most companies do not do a good job of providing it. For example, my Tivo Series 3, which is supposed to deliver HD broadcasts in their native resolution, is now worthless. When I try to feed it high def broadcasts, it hangs, shows bad compression artifacts and then goes dead. It often has problems with standard definition broadcasts, although I can usually get it working. I have made Tivo aware of the problem and was promised the issue would be escalated to their engineers. Supposedly new software will be uploaded to my Tivo, but so far nothing. I'm not holding my breath. Meanwhile watching TV has become a PITA and I've simply given up watching HDTV broadcasts altogether as it bombs my Tivo.
On the other end of the spectrum, Sony's software/firmware support of the PS3 is absolutely phenomenal. Before I even cared about whether the PS3 was Blu-ray 1.1 or 2.0 compliant, Sony had upgraded the PS3 to be a 2.0 BD player. The only outstanding issue is DTS-HD MA decoding and now it looks like Sony will offer a firmware update on April 15 that does exactly that! I couldn't ask for better support or a more future-proof BD player. I still don't much care about the picture-in-picture or online features, but the lack of DTS-HD MA support was starting to bother me because it was being used on more titles. But as of next week, the PS3 will be able to handle all BD content that any studio throws at it--including all the high bitrate audio formats. I couldn't be happier.
-------------Call it, friendo.
Follow Ups:
If they weren't in such a hurry, and so sloppy, Sony could have and should have put video 2.0 into the Piss3's software from the start.
Instead of insisting Tivo build their series 3 correctly from the start, you thank them for eventually getting around to fixing their screw-ups.
Nothing like encouraging and rewarding incompetence.
Jack
-------------Call it, friendo.
.
Software and firmware updates allow hardware to stay current, even when more innovative hardware is introduced. There is an entire industry that proves it: computers. Maybe you've heard of them. TiVos and PS3s are nothing but specialized computers. The notion that you can make them futurproof, shipping on the release date with all necessary code to handle any formats or other technologies and bugs that will be thrown at them is silly and actually is part of the thinking that leads to poor product support.
-------------Call it, friendo.
You keep using the computer analogy, but it just doesn't work.
The BDA knew about video profile 2.0 when they launched the Piss3, they just couldn't figure out how to do it. The same,more or less, applies to TIVO 9they should have known too).
Updates to fix the unexpected or the unknown is one thing, updates because you couldn't figure out how to do features promised earlier, or do them correctly, is incompetence.
Why you insist on defending that is beyond me.
Jack
So companies like Tivo and Sony are incompetent? Why don't you start your own company and bless us all with competent engineering so that we can enjoy technology again.
The computer analogy is perfect because computers rely on software. Software bugs are ubiquitous and proper updates and software support are essential in optimizing hardware performance and offering the right features.
The PS3 has among the lowest failure rates of any hardware ever released. It needed to compete with XBox360, which was issued so prematurely that it had sky high failure rates and could not play either HD format. When it finally offered a $100
No one really cares about BD 2.0, but the PS3 supports that now, too, of course. In fact, there is no BD requirement or spec the PS3 does not support. So the only reason you're still biased against it is because you've been brainwashed over at AVS. Do all the haters there call it the Piss3?
TiVo is a different issue. There is clearly a bug in the code of their current software release that leads to the problems I and others have observed with HD broadcasts. The bug doesn't bother me nearly as much as Tivo's inability to quickly and honestly address the issue and deal with it. TiVo has instead been blaming it on its cable partners and basically pointing fingers everywhere but its own codewriters. Sony's updates for the PS3, on the other hand, have been very impressive.
Never had a problem with any update on the PS3.
-------------Call it, friendo.
That's good to know on both sides of the equation.. I want to upgrade the TIVO to HD in the prob vain hopes of it making regular TV look better.I will prob stick with Oppo, and by the time I go Blu-Ray the dust should have settled, but it is definitely something to watch for in case Oppo drops the ball...
PS3 has served me well. Next up, GT5 Prologue! :)
One of my guilty pleasures.
-------------Call it, friendo.
PS3 has served me well. Next up, GT5 Prologue! :)
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