Blu-ray Player - Finally Someone Gets It!

[SCDVD]

Vizio has announced a sub $150 blu-ray player.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2338658,00.asp

[yoda313]

The Ethernet equipped VBR100 also integrates 1 Gbyte of internal storage, so its BD-Live streaming multimedia support (with supporting Blu-ray movie titles) should be good to go right out of the box. The Vizio VBR100 Blu-ray Player is expected to arrive in April.

So it has bd-live - does that mean it is a profile 2.0 player or what? If its no 2.0 then its not worth it for people to buy (as a longterm use player).

[SCDVD]

I don't know. It's scheduled for release in April. I guess we will have to wait until Vizio posts more information about it on their web site. Another benefit is this is likely to put price pressure on their competitors. I believe the ultimate marketing "sweet spot" is sub $100.

[misterbill]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Feature BD-Video
BD-Live = Profile 2.0

[cal_tony]

So it has bd-live - does that mean it is a profile 2.0 player or what? If its no 2.0 then its not worth it for people to buy (as a longterm use player).

Why not?
I have a PS3 with profile 2 and have no intention of ever hooking the device up to the internet. As long as bluRay disks continue to play on the device that's good enough for me.

Tony

[FulciLives]

How can you have a PS3 without hooking it up to the internet? I mean you need firmware updates at the very least not to mention all the various downloads available from the PSN Store and then there are multiplayer on-line games etc.

So silly to have a PS3 and NOT hook it up to the internet. People are insane. I have no respect for humanity as a whole.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[orsetto]

Well, to be fair, a lot of people with no interest whatsoever in videogames heeded the early HDTV advice: if you wanted a Blu Ray player for your big-screen HDTV, the PS3 was really the only one for a long time that was both reliable and affordable. The most common recommendation here and elsewhere was buy a PS3 until the dust settled on BluRay set tops. Even today the PS3 is considered a safer bet than current set top units. Though technically you DO have to get it online occasionally for firmware upgrades: the easy/reliable updates are what make it such a good BD player.

[Ai Haibara]

To be fair, though, you CAN update the PS3's firmware without ever connecting the PS3 to the net. Sony's firmware update pages (for both the PSP and PS3) allow you to download the firmware updates using a PC. I've done that myself - downloaded the PS3 updates on a couple of occasions, copied them off to an SD card (you have to have the proper directory structure, though), and the PS3's Update feature can then find and install it.

I don't have the page links handy, though.

Edit: The 'PC Update' section on Sony's site: http://www.us.playstation.com/Support/SystemUpdates/PS3/pc_update.html#update_PC

[yoda313]

Actually you would still need an internet connection for the firmware updates. Just not necessary to have it connected to the console.

I guess if you kept it totally landlocked and fixed to a single firmware you're only restrictions would be new restrictions on future bluray titles. You could still play ps3 games of course. And since you wouldn't be playing online obviously you wouldn't "have" to have the latest update for the game.

But I do see fulcilives point - current gen consoles are much more fullfilling when coupled with a broadband internet connection. Even if you don't use it for multimedia downloads the bonus content for games is essential. I love buying new tracks for Rockband and Guitar Hero on the 360 - yes I have both

[cal_tony]

Excuse me!!

Need Profile 2 for Firmware updates online?

Late last year I posted my disfavor with the BD process because I loaded a rented movie into my PS3 and a screen popped up and said that I had to upgrade my firmware to continue using my player. The firmware was on on the movie disk and that was that. It upgraded itself when I clicked agree. No online connection needed.

I bought the PS3 to play movies not games. My TV and the connected devices are for my passive use. I have no intention of ever interacting with it. I live in whats called rural america. My internet connection is slow. Even with my satellite connection, the speed is still too slow to download or stream movies.

It's a TV not a computer.

Tony

[MOVIEGEEK]

I have a BD35 which has BD Live but I turn it off,I just want to watch the movie not surf the internet.I can update the firmware with a CD-R or the ethernet.I use my ethernet connection for my Roku box so I can watch Netflix on my HDTV.
This new Vizio player looks promising and I might buy one to put in the bedroom.