Bluray disks have this "feature" that allows them to "phone home" over the internet whenever you load them. They claim this "BD LIVE" is a benefit for me. I really don't like this, as it slows down the loading of bluray disks significantly, and in reality, most disks just download ads or previews and make it take even longer to launch the actual movie (you know... the whole point of loading the disk in the first place).

We got a copy of "9" from netflix yesterday and tried to watch it. First off someone in my household had set the PS3 to allow BD live internet connections (likely to use the netflix streaming disk). Sony is moronic because you can't have this setting per-disk or even per-session (like, ask each time you launch the disk). Your choices are either to enable it globally, or "confirm" which means each time you insert a bluray disk with bd live "features" (practically every bluray disk on earth, it seems), you are prompted to either "allow" or "deny" -- if you click "allow" it changes the global setting to always allow all disks. I've previously documented on this forum how this feature totally sucks.

Anyway, the "9" movie was loading and flashed a screen "downloading live content" and it started showing me ads (for a phone or something). There was no way to cancel it or skip it or anything. I got tired of watching the ad so I exited the disk, set the setting to forbid BD LIVE disks from accessing the internet, and restarted the movie. I click "deny" again on the "confirm" page and the movie starts to load... but not really.

The disk literally would not play w/out bd live access. It gets to a loading screen then freezes and shows a black screen. This is completely, utterly, 100% moronic, unethical, and wrong and it should be illegal.

This whole "phone home" craze that is going on with software drives me up the wall. I really, really, really can't wait until I can stream all movies from netflix or someone else and skip this whole bluray experience. I love HD but it feels like the format is constantly trying to **** me.

Were HD-DVDs like this? I wish they had won instead of Sony and bluray.

Maybe it jsut didnt want you to watch 9. It wasnt a great movie you know!

I've never had that issue with HD DVD's - not on PC, 360 player or standalone.

My roommate and I have watched hundreds of blurays on his PS3... we've never encountered this.

Is your ps3 connected to the internet? If so, how do you know it's not downloading stuff? Most disks nowadays have bd live content that loads automatically.

Also, do you have any idea how hard it is to search and get information about the movie "9" and bd issues? Searching for the number 9 is completely worthless

I looked on the amazon reviews & forums and other people are having same or similar problems. Although I suspect they weren't able to track down the bd live issue because most people probably don't hook up their MOVIE PLAYER to the internet. *sigh*

The PS3 was connected to the internet sporadically. When we could leach it, it would be leaching it. So probably only a few BluRays were played with internet connection.
So that might be why we never experienced it.

just watch the short film on youtube. its hundreds of times better.

also, ill take your PS3 off your hands!

And to think they actually wonder why people pirate stuff. I don't mind paying for a movie! I do mind paying for a movie and being forced to watch advertisements anyway!

I think I pirate things because there is about a 85% chance that something is going to suck. No one likes paying for things that suck.

What's that? Bluray is a terrible format just like we knew it was 5 years ago, yet the tech community let Sony shove it down our throats anyway? Shocker!

that's because it died before the studios got the idea that they could do it

A lot of people seem to not care that 1/4 of the cable TV they pay for is advertisements, more if you count infomercials and similar channels devoted to ads. I don't get it.

LOL Speaking of PS3 mine just gave me the yellow light of death yesterday. Turns on for a few seconds then yellow lights and turns off. Apparently it's the exact same as the RROD on the Xbox 360 and my warranty just ran out I believe (I cannot find it so I am unsure if I still have a few months or not). If this is the case I have to pay 150.00 to Sony to give me a refurbished unit, which isn't happening. I paid 600+ for this when it came out, I want a ****ing new system, not a used one.

150 for a refurbished replacement when you're out of warranty sounds like a really good deal

My PS3 is making really loud noises when we watch dvds on it. Odd that it only happens on dvds and not blurays or games. It's almost like they use a different spinning motor? It used to be near silent, now I have to turn the volume way up. Haven't had any issues with the xbox (not counting live)... although the drive has always been loud (as loud as your typical cheapy computer drive),

Then go spend $300 and get one.

Or use a [url=www.americanexpress.com/buyersassurance/]credit card[/url] next time so it would still be under warranty.

Can't get a CC, not eligible for one due to outstanding student loans, etc etc.

I would rather spend 300 for a new one, instead of paying 150 for a refurbished one. When you pay close to 1000 dollars for something, you expect to have a new instead of used one for a replacement device when something goes wrong. Especially with Sony touting "oh this is a 10 year system etc etc". I know things mess up, that's expected especially with tech these days, but asking me to pay 150 is a lot.



Watch it. That's exactly what mine did a few months before it started to go. The fan was extremely loud when playing dvds but not games, and then blamo, the YLOD.

Fixed.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

not fixed. Last I checked haing a credit card does not mean you're in debbt. Back to topic, wookie.

I didn't say it did but since I'm not allowed to go off topic in threads I will say that I recently saw a bluray DVD player on Amazon for $90. It was fairly well rated and did not include any type of ethernet or wireless connection. I believe it had a USB slot if you needed to update firmware.

I can't blame Brian for not liking these features in the PS3 but I have to be somewhat skeptical because Brian somehow always seems to have problems with consoles that few others here report. Having said that, I can't help but hope that these are widespread issues that finally manage to wake up the PS fanboys that so fanatically support each mediocre console Sony puts out. But it's got bluray! Yeah, and a diminished gaming experience compared to the 360 (which, of course, is not without its own problems).

Something like over 50% of credit card users pay all their bills on time, so the companies make all their profit from a minority. I think it was in a list of "Top 5 Things About Credit Card Companies They Don't Want You To Know" or something like that, probably from Cracked.

Here it is, last paragraph of #2: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/29/AR2010012902504.html?wprss=rss_print/outlook Interesting little statistic.

If I continue to respond to your (plural your) comments about credit cards I'll get reprimanded for not staying on topic. Go figure.

Yeah go figure you'd get in trouble for starting the off-topic. No more on the subject by anyone.

Anyway, refurbished can be a good idea in some cases, but I generally only go for refurbished when they offer warranty comparable with the original product warranty.

That's my issue here CM. I don't want a refurbished machine that doesn't come with a warranty that's at least as long as the original. A refurbished machine HAS to be more likely to break down than one that hasn't been... Thus the warranty offered on the one more likely to break should be longer than the 90 days that Sony apparently offers with their replacement systems.

Not to mention that if I pay 600+ bucks for something... I want something that is worth at least half of the original price i paid, especially since we're not even half way through it's life cycle.

I dunno about ps3's, but with xbox 360's the refurbished ones were much less likely to break down, as they'd fixed the main reason for the RROD.
Of course now that they've properly fixed it, a brand new machine is actually better

I've got the Halo 3 Edition of the Xbox 360. I've tried to google around to see what the failure rate was for RROD's on these ones but I can't find a concrete answer to that one.

My PS3 was one of the first models off the line, I was hoping it would hold out for a while but alas, my Xbox 360 has lasted longer.

Mind you, I literally used my PS3 every single day. I used to run the Folding app on it when I wasn't running it and I watched it several times daily and nightly for movies and games obviously. So I did get a LOT of use out of it for sure. I'm just miffed about the value of the system I'd be getting back in turn for the value of this one. That and I don't have 150 bucks.

On a related note, my SNES still works. >.>

That's because it's made out of good old Nintendium

When my Elite died I got a "refurbished" unit for $100 from Microsoft. Funny thing is that it was only two month old by the date code on the data plaque when I got it so I don't know how refurbished it really was. Generally, considering a refurbished unit is going to come with a standard warranty and give you the same option to replace later it as good of or better value than the original price of the PS3 (which I thought was a poor value to start with at $600).

Didn't they just say the refurbished units from Sony only comes with a 90 day warranty?

Was that in this thread? I think I read it but I somehow got sidetracked with something else silly! That is crappy if that is the case. Reinforces my thoughts on how I would like Sony to fail. That is sad because I like Sony (non-gaming) hardware. I just hate their approach towards media and games.

you sound like a whiney 13 year old. please kindly shut your face.

Also, I wouldnt mind having a PS3... but Im pretty sure GT5 is never coming out so I guess I don't have a reason to get one yet.

I've watch probably 100 blu-rays or more on my PS3, it's always connected to the Internet, and I never have problems with bd-live loading taking a long time. Trailers are also incredibly easy to skip. Just pound the next chapter button till you get to the menu. Easy as pie.

Why, because I don't like Sony's policies as they relate to media and games? I'm sure I'm hardly alone here in that regard. Besides, I can type with my face shut.

Final Fantasy XIII!

This operation is not available here.

Is apparently terrible. It's getting really bad reviews in Japan.



On every disk I've played, I was able to skip trailers by hitting Disc Menu. Make sure it's Disc menu, and not any of the other menu options.

Besides that, isn't it a multi-platform game? I'm not aware of a compelling reason to get the PS3 version over the 360.