Another thing that will really help Blu-Ray move into the market (besides lower prices) is functional stabilization. They have GOT to get past all this "firmware upgrade" nonsense. Blu-Ray has not yet reached the plug-and-play functionality that DVD and VHS players had, where you just stick it in the slot and hit "play."
I was in Best Buy just last night, and some Joe the Plumber type was bringing his Blu-Ray player up to the Customer Service counter jabbering about some weird stuff it was doing (freezing, skipping, etc.) and said it was broken and wanted his money back. The CS person said it probably just needed a firmware upgrade, and the customer just looked at him with that deer-in-the-headlights blank stare, having utterly no idea what he was talking about, and demanded and got a refund.
We didn't have this with DVD and VHS players; it needs to STOP. It's ridiculous to buy a $500 Blu-Ray player, stick a popular movie in it and it won't play.
Ruark
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