Topic: Do DVD players (hardware, free standing boxes) need to be updated?

[DaleReid]

I'm not sure if this is best in Chit-Chat, or in Tech Corner, so this seems to be the least intolerant, so I'm asking here.

I have a friend who doesn't have a computer (yes, I know) and he doesn't have internet at his very rural home.

He watches some movies on the disks, abut also has a USB chip plug in on the front and gets some movies and tv shows from his brother to play on his TV, using the DVD player as sort of an interface (his tv is old enough it has HDMI but no real plug in for a chip directly.

On my Samsung Smart TV at home, I every now and then get a message to update the firmware over the WiFi that the TV is connected to. He, of course has neither that new of a tv nor the ability to see WiFi.

A few days ago he was frustrated that a chip he wanted to watch had video, but no sound.  I got the chip and plugged it into my Win10 computer and of course all was peachy, great video, great sound.

In addition, on that chip there was another program which he swears he hadn't been enjoying a third Coors, and just didn't show up on his screen as a choice.

I'm wondering if something I recall from  many years ago that DVD or Blu-ray discs had firmware upgrades embedded with the movie release, and there was some way to use that disc to bring the dvd player up to latest codecs and all.  Am I hallucinating?

What is with the video playing and the sound not?  I'd think that the sound would be pretty established and no real updates needed, while the video for things like 264 and 265 codecs being tweaked all the time.

I could have him bring his LG DVD Blu-ray to my place sometime and try to bring it up to the latest and greatest firmware, but is this what the root problem is? 

It just seems strange that the video plays and the sound doesn't, and that on my File Explorer I see files that are listed and play, but don't show up on his screen to choose. 

Can someone enlighten me and chase any misconceptions I have about this problem out of my mind from years ago?
Dale

[davidmc36]

I don't think you are crazy about the data update from disc but I dont remember details.

It is easy to conceive that some recent movie file simply uses a CoDec that the DVD player does not have ability to decode one or both video/audio streams. They are very much two separate items packed in the same file.

I could also see the older setop box unable to properly read the TOC on a chip layed down by new computer.

[Garth Bock]

By chip do you mean a USB thumb drive ? Right ? What video format is the file that doesn't show up ? Some older players can't see all the formats that a Win10 computer can because of it's codecs. Sticking a disc in won't upgrade an older players. Does his player have an Ethernet connector or is WiFi? If not then it won't upgrade. I have an old player that only plays AVCHD, AVIs, and MP4s but not WMVs and MOVs. I have a friend that won't buy a new smart Blu-ray player because that's how they track what you are watching (Facepalm). So his old player won't play a lot of the newer commercial discs. As for his TV getting an update... Visio updated mine and screwed up part of it and won't admit it. Sometimes being offline can be good.

[davidmc36]

.....Sticking a disc in won't upgrade an older players. ....

Depends on what you are trying to update. I seem to remember doing this with my first B Ray.

https://youtu.be/F_zvDBsQhFo