LG BD390 Bluray - No More Firmware Updates

A

allengarman

Audioholic Intern
My LG BD390 Bluray player is no longer playing most discs. LG's customer service indicated that they will not provide any more software updates. The last update was August 2011.

I will not be buying any more LG products.

Does anyone have suggestions on firms that provide ongoing support?
 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
Few if any of them are going to provide support for your player for "life". The player will outlast how long you will get support for it, and this is to be expected to some extent. That said, Oppo is still releasing firmware for my 83SE :)
 
mtrycrafts

mtrycrafts

Seriously, I have no life.
Unfortunately we are seeing a disposable product market with BD players, at least the lower end ones. After a while it is just recycled.
 
A

allengarman

Audioholic Intern
The LG BD390 is about 3 years old and I paid approximately $300. I cannot understand why LG would not update the software on all of its models. The programming must be nearly identical. Consumers do not buy this type of product with the expectation that it will be obsolete in less than three years.
 
Adam

Adam

Audioholic Jedi
Are you sure that it's the firmware causing your issues with discs playing?

Also, I did a little reading online just now, and some people seem have luck by reverting to older firmware versions. Here is a link to one site with several versions for download. I can't speak to if any of that will work for you, though.
 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
The fact that it is not playing "most discs" would indicate a more serious issue than firmware might fix.
 
A

allengarman

Audioholic Intern
The player continues to play DVDs and most older Blurays, but is playing fewer new releases. Recently it would not play Stolen and Dark Tide. I spent some time online with LG's help desk. The rep confirmed that I am using the most recent firmware and that my problem is most likely related to new discs, given that older Blurays and standard DVDs play without any problems. I converted my Netflix subscription back from Bluray to DVD, as it is frustrating to keep returning so many unplayable discs.

Adam, thank you for the older firmware versions link. I will give one a try.
 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
If they confirmed that, then I'd sell it or move it to another room and replace it. Not the inexpensive answer, but probably the answer unfortunately. I presumed "most discs" meant even older ones, which would indicate something going south in the player usually, but only new discs would mean it is a decoder issue. I've run into it with Oppo before and since they are local, I took them one disc so they could see it and they said the studios release new encoding on their movies every few months so it will continue to happen going forward. Since the most recent one though, I haven't run into any discs that I can't play.
 
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
If they confirmed that, then I'd sell it or move it to another room and replace it. Not the inexpensive answer, but probably the answer unfortunately. I presumed "most discs" meant even older ones, which would indicate something going south in the player usually, but only new discs would mean it is a decoder issue. I've run into it with Oppo before and since they are local, I took them one disc so they could see it and they said the studios release new encoding on their movies every few months so it will continue to happen going forward. Since the most recent one though, I haven't run into any discs that I can't play.
This really is outrageous if you think about it. Recycling is a very benign word for what actually happens. The truth is that very little from an electronics device is salvageable. Recycling is really a euphemism for dump our toxic junk on the third world.

I suspect LG's actions may be illegal, as by federal law a manufacturer is obliged to supply parts for seven years from the date of last manufacture. I don't know if firmware can be put in the category of spare parts. There is also a reasonable effort get out issue. So if a supplier runs out of a particular IC, as they are generally only manufactured once, that gets them off the hook.

The other issue is that the studios are in charge of the code changes, and there could well be issues in the BIOS of the players, that make it impossible for the manufacturers to comply with issues they could not foresee.

I have long thought this issue requires changes to federal regulations. Unfortunately the politicians are star struck by Hollywood creeps, especially the current outfit.

One solution for you is to consider building an HTPC, with Arcsoft software. I think arc soft plan to continue to stay in the game. They do require periodic fees to cover the cost of writing the software for updates, which is reasonable.

The other thing, rather than going the recycling route, manufacturers should consider charging for these firmware updates required by the absolute sewers inhabiting Hollywood. The OP should note that they are the real villains and not LG. So rather than boycott LG, you should consider boycotting Hollywood's offerings.
 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
I am sure part of it is "designed in obsolescence". Manufacturers realize that if they make something that lasts 10yrs, then people don't need to buy a new one. On the flip side, if they have to continue to support it, they need resources to basically keep checking and then, as pointed out, to actually release a fix.

In terms of a player, it is no different than any software company. Yes, their software may continue to work as long as you continue to use the hardware you originally installed in on forever too...:) Once a player is no longer manufactured, the manufacturer does not have an obligation to continue to issue firmware or they can simply state "no longer supported" after a period of time. Just like Microsoft and all large software companies have a point at which they officially no longer want to provide resources to maintain legacy software because it is not in their best interest.
 
3db

3db

Audioholic Slumlord
This is intrinsically wrong that we manufacturer to throw away. Its a wonder that we haven't polluted ourselves off the face of this earth. Its a false economy based on nothing but economic greed. The dollar is the almighty god once again. :mad:
 
slipperybidness

slipperybidness

Audioholic Warlord
This is one of the real advantages of using the PS3 as a BRP. It gets firmware releases regularly. I have never encountered a BD that it wouldn't play.
 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
This is one of the real advantages of using the PS3 as a BRP. It gets firmware releases regularly. I have never encountered a BD that it wouldn't play.
I have, but only one so far. Not to mention, the PS3 isn't the kind of player I'm interested in for audio. I pretty much only use it for 3D since my 83SE doesn't do 3D.
 
3db

3db

Audioholic Slumlord
I have, but only one so far. Not to mention, the PS3 isn't the kind of player I'm interested in for audio. I pretty much only use it for 3D since my 83SE doesn't do 3D.
How about the new Total Recall BluRay? Its been tripping up everything out there with Samsung already having released a firmware upgrade to get around the issue. .
 
M

Malcolm02

Audiophyte
I have the same player with the same problem. I bought the James Bond complete set on blu-ray and it doesn't play at least half of them. Why it plays some and not others from the same set is a mystery. I moved the player into the office and upgraded to an Oppo that has yet to fail to play a disc, and I couldn't be happier.
 
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