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Silver Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 401 Registered: Feb-07 | Anyone have a Sharp BD-HP20U Blu-Ray player? I bought one a couple of days ago and I'm less than thrilled with it. It refuses to load some Blu-Ray discs, and freezes while watching standard DVDs? Other than that it works great, LOL. I see there's a recent firmware update for this machine. Would this help with these issues? |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 3628 Registered: Jul-04 | There's a lot of people having similar problems with HD players. It seems that some players work fine and others don't. I'd exchange it for another one. |
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Silver Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 408 Registered: Feb-07 | Updated the firmware on my player last night and it seemed to fix the problem of not loading certain blu-ray discs. Hopefully it fixes the freezing issues as well. Looking at the version number of the preloaded firmware, it seems like it had a very old version. |
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Silver Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 409 Registered: Feb-07 | Ended up returning the Sharp. The firmware fixed the problem of loading Blu-ray discs, but standard DVDs were locking up consistently. Grrrr.... piece of junk. |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 3631 Registered: Jul-04 | From reading other posts on HD players, it seems that some are problem free and others aren't. I don't know if it's brand/model so much as the individual players themselves. That said, Sharp isn't one of the front runners in HD players. Look at Toshiba or Sony. You can get a Sony Blu-Ray player + 10 free DVDs from Wal Mart.com right now for $358. If you want to go HD-DVD, you can get the Toshiba A3 player with 10 free DVDs for $172 from Amazon. |
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Gold Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 1933 Registered: Feb-04 | On black Friday I walked out of our HHGregg after being told they were already sold out of the $149 Toshiba A3 three hours after the store opened. I was pretty laid back about it, simply because I am not sold on either format completely. On black Saturday, they ran the same ad and this time I'm pissed-off. I go in 15 minutes after they opened and there's still no A3s. For the second time the salesman was quite willing to let me walk. This time I asked to see the manager on duty who assured me they had just sold through a mountain of these players and that they didn't have any in their main warehouse in Indianapolis. I suspected they didn't have any ever, but didn't say so. The manager offered to write me up for an A3, which is expected to arrive around Dec. 4. So I went ahead and paid for it. I have no idea if I'll like this machine, but I figure at the very least I'll have a decent upconverting DVD player, even if the HD DVD format doesn't make it. Obviously this is assuming the thing doesn't freeze up on playback...... |
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Silver Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 412 Registered: Feb-07 | I heard (and this is just hearsay) that a lot of HD DVD players have been going back due to not playing standard DVDs. |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 3632 Registered: Jul-04 | I haven't seen people posting with problems playind SD-DVDs. When people do have problems, it's HD-DVDs from what I've seen. Again, from what I've seen it seems to be individual players that have problems and not specific manufacters/models. |
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Gold Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 1936 Registered: Feb-04 | Who knows what the real story is with the players in either format? These companies are playing it so close to the vest. I do find it curious that you have to update the firmware on a current model right out of the box. At least for the Toshibas anyway. |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 3635 Registered: Jul-04 | New products needing firmware updates is nothing new. DVD burners can sometimes be 2 or 3 firmware updates behind out of the box. |
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Gold Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 1941 Registered: Feb-04 | Great. What ever happened to plug and play? Now we are supposed to pay somebody $300+ to make our TVs play right? Some poor soul buys a DVD player/recorder and they're supposed to screw around on the friggin' internet trying to burn a CD so their player plays without freezing? WTF? |
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Silver Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 421 Registered: Feb-07 | I agree John. The way the salesguy explained it to me when I was returning the Blu-ray player was that updates were the way of life now, and it will only get worse. The idea is that HD-DVD/BR will become consumer oriented and product placement will become more prevelant. See a product you like in the movie you're watching? Buy it via your DVD player while watching a movie. |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 3636 Registered: Jul-04 | DVD burners, not standalone recorders. Standalone recorders sometimes need firmware updates too though. Sometimes to fix media compatibility issues, sometimes for other stuff. The Toshiba standalone I use has an update for finalization problems with 16x media. The recorder I use doesn't have problems with 16x discs, but I saw one of the exact same model number that did. I don't think all this made in China crap there is these days is adjusted as good at the factory as the made in Japan stuff was. That's my theory on why stuff varies so much from one unit to the next, even in the same model number. Who knows though, maybe they just push production to get stuff in the market before it's really ready. |
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Silver Member Username: Rysa3Houston, Texas Post Number: 249 Registered: Nov-06 | Just an FYI. The firmware updating for the Toshiba HD-DVD players is easy. You dont have to burn anything if you dont want. Its just done via ethernet directly to the player, pretty much automated. Its a great idea. People arent having any problems on the HD-DVD side, and standards, especially on the audio side, are set in a way that the Blu Ray side is all over the road, as far as the audio in the various blu ray players. I totally agree that the Hi Def players on both sides are still actively evolving with neither truely ready fro prime time, but HD-DVD is much closer, although Blu Ray has some theoretical technical advantages, as yet unrealized and not available. |
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Silver Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 422 Registered: Feb-07 | Marc, why do you think HD-DVD is closer to prime time than Blu-ray? |
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Silver Member Username: Rysa3Houston, Texas Post Number: 250 Registered: Nov-06 | David, Thank you for your question. Firstly, Universal studios has created a website dedicated to HD-DVD to explain in video format presentation about the capabilities that HD-DVD has right now. I think if you google HD-DVD and Universal studios you could come up with it. I'll try and get around to posting the link. It clearly demonstrates the interactive features, and before we wll say " I dont care about any of those" I'd suggest a looksee at the very least. Blu Ray has no interactive features at this time to speak of, despite demoing for years (3) at CES why their interactivity is supoerior. Point 1: Blu Ray interactivity was advertised but was not ready for prime time. Point 2: Blu Ray has long touted its increased storage space on its disk. 50 GB vs 30 GB. Reality, there are only two plants in the world that can make 50 GB Blu Ray disks. They have very low yield rates due to production problems. Many of those that do come to market dont play correctly. Most blu ry dosks are 25 GB, not 50 at this time. 50 GB disks for blu ray are not ready for prime time. HD-DVD on the other hand, has higher yield rates, lower production costs, and all of their disks are one size and they work mostly. HD-DVD wins here as far as reday for prime time relative to blu ray. Point 3; Consistency in player function-- HD-DVD has a stanadradized requirement list of what disks and players MUST have as far as audio selections; Meaning Dolby true-HD, DTS-HD regular DTS 5.1 etc. Their players all have similar( though not exactly identical) abilities and the disks definetly do. Blu Ray doesnt have this standard. The players are all diffrent as are the disks. You dont know what you are gonna get for an audio result with a blu ray set up. Its clear with HD-DVD what will happen when you play an HD-DVD disk. HD-DVD is closer to prime time. ( still getting better though) Point 4: Early Obsolescence for Blu Ray player early adopters; What to say? The Blu Ray standards werent set when the players strted coming out; Blu Ray players today will not be able to fully play the Blu Ray disks of tomorrow ( like 2008). Specifically, in orde to establish interactivity, Blu Ray is moving towards BDi codec. Currently this is not what Bku Ray uses. Tomorrow's blu ray players will play BDi, todays wont. Aint no firmware update gonna fix this. HD-DVD players will play the disks of tomorrow today and wont be obsolete per se. HD-DVD is closer to prime time. I could go on and on wth these type of comparisons. But I hope I have at least I explained my comment as you had asked. |
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Silver Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 424 Registered: Feb-07 | Marc, thank you for the very informative response. It sounds to me after reading this that HD is the more stable platform right now. |
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Gold Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 1945 Registered: Feb-04 | To even the most casual observer, it has been obvious that Blu-ray was pushed out into the market prematurely. Obviously the Blu-ray group (Sony, et.al.) didn't want HD DVD to get a strong foothold, so Blu-ray was marketed before it was a complete system. Sony's long-term corporate arrogance and its total disdain for its loyal customers is to blame. I have no idea how Sony has been able to garner such brand loyalty over the years. When I talk to some of the big-box electronic store salesmen around town, they tell me that people walk out with Blu-ray machines simply because it says "SONY" on the faceplate. I also blame Microsoft for fostering this "sell it now, fix it later" mentality. These days nobody buys a new PC and doesn't expect to spend hours fiddlefarting around with drivers and other bullcrap just to get it to work. (Contrast that with plugging in a new Apple computer.) That is why I was so disappointed to find out that I had to do the same thing with a brand new third generation HD DVD player. This is like buying a new Ferrari and then having to pay Guido to "upgrade" the car so it'll go over 60 MPH. |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 3637 Registered: Jul-04 | You got one part wrong Marc, the HD-DVD players produced up until now may or may not play the triple layer discs that they got the go ahead to produce. |
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Silver Member Username: Rysa3Houston, Texas Post Number: 253 Registered: Nov-06 | Hi David, I see your point. Can you name one triple layer disk that is available for purchase? Also, by triple layer I am assuming that you mean HD-DVD on one side, and Sd-DVD on the other. I could be wrong on this assumption so please correct me on it. |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 3638 Registered: Jul-04 | No, I mean three layers on one side. HD-DVD has got the go ahead from the DVD forum to make triple layer discs, so both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray will hold about the same amount of info. But wheather the discs will play in existing players is unkown. They try to say that players will play the discs at the end of the article, including first-gen players, but neither Toshiba or the DVD forum will confirm that. http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/storage/display/20071118073411_Enlarged_Triple_Laye r_HD_DVD_Finally_Gets_Approved.html |
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Silver Member Username: Rysa3Houston, Texas Post Number: 254 Registered: Nov-06 | That article says that Toshiba and the "dvd forum" have not confirmed that these essentially new disc types will play on existing players. It only says that some online forums say they might, but its not clear who is saying that. There aren't any of these discs for sale that I know of, and no plans to manufacture them, otherthan an "OK" from a "DVD- forum" group. I would suggest that these triple layer discs are not HD-DVD or Blu Ray-- but a third type of Hi Def media. The difference between blu ray and HD-DVD is essentially the casing right now, not even the coding language at this point. This seems like a new type of casing/container, and thus isnt really HD-DVD or Blu Ray. If these things wont play on HD-DVD players, they won't ever be released most likely. A need for a third player type just wont fly. |
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Gold Member Username: SamijubalPost Number: 3640 Registered: Jul-04 | Toshiba is doing everything it can to get an edge on Blu-Ray. If they think it will help to advertise more storage, they will make the discs. They've been trying to do this for awhile now. Manufacterers don't care much if the people that bought players now have incompatible machines, the past has proved that. |
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Gold Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 1947 Registered: Feb-04 | Early adopters pay a price not only in dollars, but in a high early obsolescence risk. There'll always be those who will pay big bucks to be beta testers. The temporary bragging rights they get seems to be worth it to them. |
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Silver Member Username: Rysa3Houston, Texas Post Number: 255 Registered: Nov-06 | David, Actually, I gotta tell you, when it comes to the actual HD-DVDs as well as players, Toshiba is following a slow methodical course. This is very diffrent than Blu Ray. Its not the same at all. Now as far as these free Hd-DVds when you buy a plyer thing, then of course I agree with you there, as well as the very low price points of their players. Those 3 layer discs will not come out until they are fully compatible with existing players. We already know to gain interactivity, blu ray will need to change the codec, or at least plans to, which will make current Blu ray players partially obsolete. In the long run, I personally don't think it will matter; on the cost part, Blu Ray is struggling to be a niche, like SACD or DVD-A, Toshiba is going after SD-DVD, and has a long way to go for sure. |
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New member Username: MgrtekPost Number: 1 Registered: Jan-08 | My Sharp BD-HP20U can't connect , using HDMI, to my Toshibas 52HMX84 display. It did for 3 weeks and last night I lost the signal. I exchange the unit and still have the same problem. I have switched cables and HDMI ports on the display but the sharp fails to indentify to HDMI port in setup. Has anyone had this problem?? |