Updating Blu Ray Players

barx1963 (Malcolm) · #1 09-04-2016, 04:11 PM

I purchased a new Blu Ray move the other day, planning to sit down today and enjoy it while the beloved is at the Gym (my chance for a little sci fi time!!)
Anyhoo, after the 20th Cent Fox bit played a message came up saying that I had to update my player to play this disc. After a couple of swear words, I thought, cannot be too hard, jumped on the website of the manufacturer (LG) and sure enough, there is an update file and instructions. Dead easy, just load the file onto a USB stick, put it in the machine and turn it on, it will run it and all good.
THEN .... the pain begins. It does nothing!! So I have a look at the setup menu on the player and sure enough, there is an update function. I check that the device is connected to the net (it is!)and so run the update ... comes up with the message "Update is failed". Apart from the poor grammar, why no info?
So I ring LG customer service, they get me to do all the things I have already tried, with some minor variations, no it is beyond our capabilities so we have to upgrade you to the next level. Kind of makes you wonder why not just have the chaps who know how to do this stuff on the phone already, that way you don't have to pay the duds who do answer the phone.

Anyway, the nice lass then says someone will ring Monday... WTF?? I am at work Monday! "Oh well can we ring you at work?"say's she. WTF?? am I supposed to take my Blu Ray player to the office and fix it on my employers time!!

Then she starts going on about when I purchased it. I ask why that is relevant. Because if we have to get it fixed and it is out of warranty period, I will have to pay, says she. Once again.... WTF??? So the movie companies decide to issue discs that cannot be played without an update, the manufacturers provide an update system that doesn't work, and I have to pay to get it fixed??

Maybe I am just getting too old for all this??

Malcolm

Larryp (Laurie) · #2 09-04-2016, 04:37 PM

Return it to the place you bought it, and get a different brand-tell the shop to worry about it!
Perhaps the retailer can actually update it for you.

brian nordstrom (As avatar) · #3 09-04-2016, 05:01 PM

Take it back and get a Sony , these LG's are a lot like Samsung phones , APITA ! . Update this , download that and the next thing you have a phone memory full of rubbish you will never use and cant delete !!!

I had the same problem 3 weeks ago with a LG blu ray from Harvey Norman so I returded it the next day ( sunday ) no questions asked , they were good and replaced it with a Sony , awsome player out the box .

Good luck , where did you get it , by the way ?

Brian.

multiweb (Marc) · #4 09-04-2016, 05:15 PM

Unfortunately any firmware update in general can go horribly wrong if anything fails during the update process. If you download a corrupted image and the update is interrupted or fails for some reason you're in for a world of pain. Don't rely on phone support. They know sh|t. Unless you have an obvious Q&A such as how do I turn it on. Then they're all smile, talk for 10min on the operation of a power switch and ask you to fill in a satisfaction survey at the end of the call.

ZeroID (Brent) · #5 09-04-2016, 06:40 PM

Go SONY, theirs works and the updates when required also work.

barx1963 (Malcolm) · #6 09-04-2016, 10:23 PM

Well I managed to get it sorted! Only way to do it was to burn the .ROM file from the LG website onto a DVD and pop that into the machine. It just ran it and now all is good!!

Yet the recommended ways with a USB stick or online ... nada.

Irritating!

Malcolm

MattT · #7 10-04-2016, 12:15 AM

That's life....sorry thats a Sanyo ....as sung in the add by the great Oz singer Kerrie Biddell

I remember the late 70's....such a nice gal our Kerrie.

LG....stands for Load (of) Garbage

Good you got a result Malcolm.

Renato1 (Renato) · #8 10-04-2016, 06:06 AM

The player didn't work from the minute that you took it home. You are entitled to a full refund. Tell that to whoever sold it to you, and if they argue, you tell them that you will lodge a complaint with the ACCC for breaking Australian law. They would be stupid to not give you your money back, because you could make life miserable for them.

I have several Sony Wifi Blu-Ray players. I use them mainly to turn my dumb TVs into half smart TVs, using the Sony Entertainment (I can watch SBS on Demand, Netflix, ABC I View, YouTube etc through them), and they auto-update themselves without any problem.
Regards,
Renato

barx1963 (Malcolm) · #9 10-04-2016, 11:05 AM

The player has worked fine for 3 years, the hard drive recording works fine, never really bothered with the online stuff as we use the TV itself for that, and cannot be bothered learning 2 different ways to access the same content, so as far as the player itself is concerned I am fine with it, just this update that was a frustration!! And the fact why did we need to update it anyway?
All I wanted to do is watch a movie and I am fairly certain anything to do with the update is all the extra crap that they insist on putting on DVDs and Blu rays these day that no one looks at.

Rant over!!

Malcolm

RB (Andrew) · #10 10-04-2016, 11:06 AM

Glad you got it sorted Malcolm.

I refuse to buy LG.
I always use Panasonic or Sony players now.
Anyway glad you sorted it.

RB

UniPol · #11 10-04-2016, 11:29 AM

Same old story, someone buys brand X, goes wrong, tell everybody never buy that brand, they're are load of ****. Funny thing is I've got an LG microwave, dishwasher, tv, blu ray player, video/DVD recorder, fridge and nary a problem with any of them. Mind you, my LG purchases had a lot to do with the fact that there was an LG factory seconds outlet across the road from where I worked and their prices were seriously cheap. I've had lots of other brands over 40 plus years of marriage and can honestly say they all worked very well, just lucky I guess.

barx1963 (Malcolm) · #12 10-04-2016, 11:40 AM

We have had a mix of stuff over the years. LG washing machine was rubbish, other LG stuff we have had has been pretty good. The worst thing we have is a DVD recorder from Panasonic. Works fine just the menus are so non intuitive and it takes forever to load up a DVD if you want to play one and it doesn't indicate that it is loading, you just have to be patient and wait to see if it is going to start playing. It has been relegated to the #2 TV now!!

Anyway, the other good news I enjoyed the movie once I got to watch it!!

Malcolm

rustigsmed (Russell) · #13 10-04-2016, 12:32 PM

sounds like a PITA
on another note real 4k blue rays are out in australia very soon. people will be finally be able to make use of their 4k tvs ... if the film was recorded in 4k that is, and if it was then the special effects were done in 4k... most aren't but still.