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About to do my first firmware update:nervous

#1
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3/12/09 at 8:50pm
  • Joined: December 2005
  • Post Count: 524
Well, I checked the Panny website every so often to see if my BD30 needs an update and low and behold my 2.6 machine is now not current to the update level of 2.8.

Everything plays well, the only issue so far I had is on Pinocchio where when I try to figure out using the status bar for selecting chapters it made the player hang up.

I downloaded and uncompressed the update and put it on CD using Nero and it's waiting to be installed.

Then I go through the internet and see all sorts of firmware update horror stories for the Panny BD30 and other machines.

"discs that used to work, doesn't work any more" "It's worse since the firmware"

So, should I install this update if the only problem I have so far is the one described above? And is there a way to reverse the update should it wreck havoc with my player?
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#2
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3/13/09 at 7:52am
  • Joined: June 1999
  • Location: Central Arkansas
  • Post Count: 2,540

Re: About to do my first firmware update:nervous

It depends on the update itself. Some firmware updates on certain players can be overwritten by previous firmware updates, some cannot. Toshiba HD-DVD players were a perfect example of this. Once you upgraded the firmware to a certain version, you were unable to go back to the previous versions if you had trouble. However, any new problems which were unexpectedly created by the update were usually addressed by a new update within a very short window.

Personally, I have never had a problem updating firmware and I try to keep the most current level on my BD player (Sony BDP-S300). In my experience, as long as you follow the instructions precisely and do not interrupt the player and the power does not go off unexpectedly during the process, your player will be ok.

I have read horror stories of players bricking during firmware updates but I believe those are not only few and far between, but are usually caused by the user not following directions.
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#3
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3/13/09 at 1:11pm
  • Joined: December 2005
  • Post Count: 524

Re: About to do my first firmware update:nervous

Quote:
Originally Posted by Clinton McClure
It depends on the update itself. Some firmware updates on certain players can be overwritten by previous firmware updates, some cannot. Toshiba HD-DVD players were a perfect example of this. Once you upgraded the firmware to a certain version, you were unable to go back to the previous versions if you had trouble. However, any new problems which were unexpectedly created by the update were usually addressed by a new update within a very short window.

Personally, I have never had a problem updating firmwarwe and I try to keep the most current level on my BD player (Sony BDP-S300). In my experience, as long as you follow the instructions precisely and do not interrupt the player and the power does not go off unexpectedly during the process, your player will be ok.

I have read horror stories of players bricking during firmware updates but I believe those are not only few and far between, but are usually caused by the user not following directions.

I updated last night with no problems and no changes in overall player behavior. However, the player still can't seem to handle the status bar from Pinocchio (for attempting to select chapters) but now the disc simply stops instead of the player feezing up.
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#4
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3/13/09 at 2:24pm
  • Joined: February 2001
  • Post Count: 277

Re: About to do my first firmware update:nervous

Your disc may be defective, as I have a BD30 (firmware 2.8) and no problems
with 'Pinocchio'. And I have used the status bar to select a different scene of the movie with no problem.

 

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#5
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3/13/09 at 6:39pm
  • Joined: August 1999
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Re: About to do my first firmware update:nervous

I have a Panasonic 30 player. I have done the updates. some people have problems doing them. I never had a problem. it was eaiser then doing the HDdvd updates. do you have the star wars clone wars? I cann't get the bitstream to work on mine with using the onkyo 605 receiver.

Jacob

My Home Theater Equipment:

Philips 47pfl7403D/F7 Onkyo 605 7.1 Receiver Aiwa Speakers and Sub woofer Panasonic 80 Blu ray  Toshiba bdx2000 Sony PlayStation 3 Blu ray Direct TV in HD with DVR

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#6
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3/13/09 at 7:47pm
  • Joined: December 2005
  • Post Count: 524

Re: About to do my first firmware update:nervous

Quote:
Originally Posted by TheBat
I have a Panasonic 30 player. I have done the updates. some people have problems doing them. I never had a problem. it was eaiser then doing the HDdvd updates. do you have the star wars clone wars? I cann't get the bitstream to work on mine with using the onkyo 605 receiver.

Jacob

Unfortunately, I don't have Clone Wars and my current set up uses the 5.1 line outs rather than bitstream.
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#7
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3/14/09 at 9:21am
  • Joined: August 1999
  • Post Count: 2,601

Re: About to do my first firmware update:nervous

no problem.
thanks for responding.. any luck with the update firmware?

Jacob

My Home Theater Equipment:

Philips 47pfl7403D/F7 Onkyo 605 7.1 Receiver Aiwa Speakers and Sub woofer Panasonic 80 Blu ray  Toshiba bdx2000 Sony PlayStation 3 Blu ray Direct TV in HD with DVR

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#8
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3/14/09 at 12:22pm
  • Joined: December 2005
  • Post Count: 524

Re: About to do my first firmware update:nervous

Quote:
Originally Posted by TheBat
no problem.
thanks for responding.. any luck with the update firmware?

Jacob


Well, the update went just fine but the problem with the status bar in the Pinocchio disc still remains. I checked out the status bar on Sleeping Beauty (which I also got) and that work works fine. I am considering the possibility that it might be the disc, although nothing else is performing badly on it.
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#9
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3/17/09 at 6:31am
  • Joined: July 2001
  • Location: Whittier, California
  • Post Count: 2,598

Re: About to do my first firmware update:nervous

If you have friends nearby that have bluray/ps3 players I would try your Pinocchio disc in there players. If it plays with no problems then I would email Panasonic and ask them if they plan to release a firmware update to fix the problem. This would be a quick way to figure out if the disc is defective or if it is your player that has issues. I almost returned a bluray because the player freaked out every time I tried to play it. I was going to blame it on the disc and instead of returning it quickly. I asked my neighbor to try it in his PS3 and bam, it played with no problem. So I then knew I had to update my player instead of returning a disc that really was not defective. I currenlty own 160 bluray titles so I feel that getting a defective disc would be very rare. I have a Sony BDP-S300 with the most current update and Pinocchio plays just fine. Anyway I would check the disc out in a few other players and then go from there, hope this helps.

1080p High Definition SupporterLossless Audio Supporter Current Library: 221 DVD's / 70 HD-DVD's / 181 Blu-ray's (251 HD Titles)

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