Sony BDP-S185 BDP-BX18 Blu-ray Disc player - Page 2

Anything's possible. As I mentioned above, the lockups usually occurred when scanning (ie fast-forward or reverse) on Blu-rays. It happened with several different off-the-shelf movies. The player also occasionally froze when viewing some HD resolution PNG images from a CD.

What firmware are you using, HDMe2?

I'll have to look and see... I know that I updated it and only bought it within the last month or so... so I have to assume I'm running whatever the latest firmware is.

I don't do a lot of scanning... I do some pausing, though... and every once in a while I do some rewinding to catch something I miss... but mostly watch things straight through... so maybe I'm just not trying the things that are most likely to cause the lockups.

Already returned the player, but the firmware installed on it was M09.R.0036, in case you're interested. I installed it a few weeks ago, and it still appears to be the most recent update right now. This update includes Cinavia content protection btw.

Windows version: http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/swu...99&mdl=BDPS185

Chris H. of Secrets has pointed out a potential flaw in my tests on the S185, S380 and S390 here, which could invalidate my previous assertion that there appears to be some green push in the YCbCr HDMI modes on these players. Based on his test results on the S590, it now appears possible that the green push I've been seeing in YCbCr mode could be due to YCbCr processing errors on my display, rather than in the players. If this is the case, then I apologize for any confusion on that.

However, his tests on the S590 also appear to confirm my earlier results that the RGB HDMI mode is indeed "broken" (to borrow his term) on these players, and they are clipping and pushing too much green in that mode.

I'll try to find an S590 with the same or similar hardware/software as the one Chris tested to see if it works the same way as the other Sony players in YCbCr & RGB modes on my display. If so, then that could mean that the YCbCr HDMI modes on the S185, S380 and S390 are working correctly (and potentially even "bit-perfect"), which needless to say would be a very good thing for such low cost players.

Regardless of how my S590 testing goes though, it already seems pretty clear from both our tests that the YCbCr HDMI modes (with the "Standard" Video Picture Quality setting) are a better way to go on all these players than the RGB mode. So I stand by my earlier recommendation on that.

More if/when I know more.

Edited by ADU - 11/13/12 at 3:27pm

So $39.99 for a refurbished unit direct from Sony is a good deal then?

yup i just got one for bedroom, were else can you get a Streaming Blu ray for $40

Delivered today, works without flaw. Not bad for 40 bucks.

FYI, there was a firmware update the other day (5/31 I think) to version 42 I believe. Not sure what it addresses, as I had not had any problems or unplayable discs.

Wow, I thought I got a good deal for this at costco for $70. Sounds like you guys scored big time!

The player seems to work great: only issue--there is quite a noticeable 'whir' or vibration with certain disks. Otherwise it is quiet during playback. Any fix for this?

Can anyone confirm/deny whether or not this player supports NetFlix 1080p and Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 audio for NetFlix?
Edited by dabl - 6/18/12 at 11:47am

I like this player. the only complaint I have is that it cannot remember the 'position' you where watching a movie at.

For example, I am watching a movie, and I click HOME, it takes me to the main menu XMB interface. If I click on the DVD icon (or BluRay) to get back to the movie, it starts from scratch. Real PITA.

My 5 yr old Sony DVD player was fantastic in this respect. not only that, it would remember the position of the last 10 discs, even after powering off! Why has Sony stopped supporting this awesome feature?

Has anybody run into trouble updating the firmware on their BDP-S185?

I ordered one off of Amazon for my girlfriend. It's currently using firmware version M09.R.0022. When I use the Network Update option in the XMB, the screen immediately goes black and responds to nothing except turning the unit off. I tried using a burned disc to update the firmware, and the same thing happens as soon as the disc was inserted. I even tried using standard RCA cables instead of an HDMI cable to see if it was that sort of issue, but no dice.

Google doesn't seem to reveal anything. I was curious as to whether or not this was a known issue before I deal with Sony or Amazon to get a replacement unit.

Thanks a lot.

I updated mine right out of the box new the first night... and have updated at least once since then. Pretty easy for me... so I'm inclined to think yours might have a problem. I've only updated via ethernet, not via disc though.

I have a bad optical device, KEM-470AAA/C2RP, on a BDP-BX18, and I find that replacements cost 2-3 times the cost of the players. They are also not that easy to replace due to the requirement to calibrate each one with text results from a 2D bar code on each device. I think I have found a work around where I do not need the Sony computer software to decode this code. My question is, what is the difference between the KEM-470AAA/C2RP and the KEM-470AAA (replacement for PS3 players)? The KEM-470AAA can be had for around $22.00 from China. Thanks for any help you can provide.

I bought a new player and had the same exact problem where it freezes and the screen goes black after I hit the Network Updates button. I called SONY and they sent a disc with the updates, but this also froze the screen. I returned the item and got another machine and SAME issue again with the second player. Does anyone know if there is anything I can do to fix this?

Can anyone tell me about the Netflix interface on this player? I am looking for a Blu-ray player with Netflix and I would like an interface that allows more search capabilities. I heard there were Netflix enable Blu ray players where you can search by actor name and wonder if the BDP-S185 can do that. If not this one, does anyone know of a player that has that feature?

thanks in advance.

 

I think some discs will force a restart, and some won't. Try hitting PLAY on the remote instead of ENTER (or vice-versa), after selecting the disc icon.

 

There probably is somethin about it in the manual, but I'm too lazy to look.

 

I ran into this issue as well. The S185 isn't very sturdily built, so even small drive vibrations make alot of noise. Badly mfr'd or warped discs could also possibly contribute to this.

 

I haven't found a great solution either. You could try reinserting the disc, or readjusting the position of the player (make sure the surface is level and all feet are firmly planted), or putting some rubber or felt coasters under the feet.

 

Much of the player is just cheap plastic though (many mfrs seem to be using more plastic this year, perhaps to cut mfr-ing costs), so it doesn't have much weight/inertia to it. FYI, the cover on the S390 is made of somewhat sturdier plastic than the S185. But I also had occasional vibration issues with that model as well because it's also quite lightly built.

When you consider how fast the disc spins and that it isn't being held down by a spindle... it doesn't take much of a warp to cause it to wobble and thus vibrate inside the floating chamber. Whenever I have seen this it is always due to a warped disc... I just take it out and carefully warp it the opposite way and then put it back in the player.

Guess I spoke too soon about not having problems.

Just in the past week I've began having two (probably related) problems.

If I go a day or two without using it, it will not turn on. Not the button and not the remote... I have to unplug it and then plug it back in... Then it will turn on... but if I'm watching a TV show, it turns off after each episode I watch. If I watch a movie, it turns off either after the previews OR after the movie sometimes.

So, not sure what exactly the deal is... since if it was an overheating or power issue it seems like it would turn off at the same time, not letting me watch entire episodes/movies of different lengths.

It could be the last firmware update... or I suppose it could be defective. These are the first signs of trouble since I bought the player a few months ago so it is under warranty, I'm just hoping that isn't the problem.

Sorry to hear about your difficulties, HDMe2.

 

I've been using the latest M09.R.0042 firmware for a few weeks, and don't recall noticing behavior like you describe. Only used it for playing for BDs and DVDs though, and no streaming.

 

I've experienced "lockups" on this model though, where the image freezes and a "hard-off" has to be done on the player. The lockups occurred when fast-foward or reverse scanning discs, and sometimes when displaying high-rez stills from a flash-drive. That was mainly on an older unit though with older firmware, and I haven't really attempted to reproduce the issue on my current S185.

 

The hardware on the S390 is probably very similar to the S185, so you might peruse the S390/S590 thread to see if anyone there has reported similar issues to yours.

 

I'll be returning my current S185 anyway because Sony hasn't released a fix for the green push/clipping in the HDMI RGB color mode on this model. (And it sounds like the latest S390/S590 firmware may correct that particular problem.)

 

Interesting idea on the warped discs. Maybe I'll give your tip a try next time I get some really bad vibrations on these players.

Aside from some testing of streaming, I haven't really done much of that either.

For what it's worth... I did a "reset to system defaults" and then re-configured all of my settings... and I was able to play several episodes on that TV show (Archer Season 1 Blu-ray) so... I'll see if that sticks and it works again the next time I go to use it.

I know my old Samsung player actually recommended a reset to defaults after every firmware upgrade. I don't believe you should have to, but I suppose I could see if sometimes they "forget" their firmware update uses data differently or something and the only way to fix it is a reset.

Anyway, I'll be keeping a more watchful eye on this for a while.

The first time I experienced this was actually with a CD... a U2 CD... whichever one contained "Mysterious Ways"... anyway, I was playing it, and it was skipping and warbling something awful. I took it out and looked at it, and it was clean and scratch-free... but was really warped... so I carefully warped it the opposite way and never had any troubles again.

From then forward, I developed a habit of semi-warping any CD, DVD, or Blu-ray the first time I play it and haven't encountered that issue since.

 

I agree that you probably shouldn't have to do a total reset after an update. But I've found that things seem to work better if you do. So I've gotten into the habit of doing that as well.

 

I wonder if perhaps there were some settings on the player (prior to the Reset) that could have caused or contributed to the behavior you describe. One of the first things I do when configuring a player like this is turn off all the features that my older 34XBR800 TV and other hardware don't support. There is no HDMI input on my TV, for example, and the DVI-HDCP input does not support 1080p, 24fps, YCbCr or Deep Color, so I changed the SCREEN SETTINGS for all those parameters from AUTO to something appropriate for my particular TV:

 

PARAMETER:	DEFAULT SETTING:	NEW SETTING FOR MY TV:
Video Output	HDMI/Auto	HDMI/1080i
BD/DVD-ROM 1080p/24fps Output	Auto	Off
YCbCr/RGB (HDMI)	Auto	RGB
HDMI Deep Color Output	Auto	Off

 

My TV does not support HDMI audio either, so I also made the following changes to the AUDIO SETTINGS to improve sound quality on the standard Left/Right RCA audio jacks.

 

PARAMETER:	DEFAULT SETTING:	NEW SETTING FOR MY TV:
BD Audio MIX Setting	On	Off
Audio DRC	Auto	Off
Downmix	Stereo	Surround

 

Switching the BD Audio Mix Setting Off enables HD multi-channel output. Turning Audio DRC off produces a more dynamic sound, with no compression. And the Surround Downmix setting improves the "depth" of multi-channel tracks (using a virtual surround technique) when using the RCA outputs. (This works pretty well with headphones btw.)

 

Since my player currently has no internet connection, I also switched the BD Internet Connection parameter in the BD/DVD VIEWING SETTINGS to "Do Not Allow", and turned Off the Software Update Notification in the SYSTEM SETTINGS. And I disabled the HDMI Bravia Sync paramaters in the SYSTEM SETTINGS, since my TV doesn't support those either.

 

PARAMETER:	DEFAULT SETTING:	NEW SETTING FOR MY TV:
Control for HDMI	On	Off
HDMI: Linked to TV-off	On	Off

 

I'm not suggesting that other folks should use these settings for their own TVs, just illustrating how you can turn alot of junk off that might cause some unnecessary grief, if your gear does not support it.

 

Another potential cause of your difficulties could be the Cinavia content protection which was probably introduced during some of the most recent software updates. I don't really know too much about it, but if the Cinavia software detects something that for one reason or another it doesn't think is legit, perhaps it might try to turn the player off. You can read more about that here...

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinavia

 

Edited by ADU - 9/1/12 at 4:07pm

 

This issue is covered in the TROUBLESHOOTING section at the end of the manual under "OTHERS". It explains why the Resume function will not work in some instances.

 

There are also some notes about the Resume feature in the REMOTE instructions, under the "STOP" button.

 

If I exit playback by pressing the HOME button (instead of STOP), I can usually pick up where I left off again. I don't know if the "stop point" is retained after the player is turned off though if you exit playback with the HOME button. It's probably one of those things you have to figure out by trial and error.

 

It's possible some discs may not support/work with the Resume function as well. Many BDs don't work with the REPEAT feature for example, which is somewhat similar.

Edited by ADU - 8/9/12 at 1:37pm

I just bought this as a player for my second bedroom, a few questions please if anyone could answer:

1) I only want to play dvds and blurays, dont want internet, will this unit work fine NOT hooked up to the internet at all? I would have trouble hooking up even if i wanted too as in my condo it would mean running a wire thru many rooms.

2) I have a Panny 3-1/2 years old in another room, never have done a firmware update, works fine. If i only play discs and dont use the internet on this Sony, can I ignore firmware updates on this unit too? I would have to with no internet connection anyway, right?

3) HDMI out should connect fine into a receiver with a surround sound system in my bedroom i assume. I only ask this because on a Best Buy forum some guy said he couldnt connect this unit to his surround sound system but didnt go into details.

Thanks for any answers guys. I am very low tech, and again, am only looking to play back my dvds and blurays and do nothing else.

#1 -> As far as I know, yes. I have mine hooked up to internet... but as long as you don't care about BD-Live (I don't) then you should be fine.

#2 -> Hard to say. I previously had a Samsung that needed regular updates to play new movies... and ultimately stopped getting those updates and stopped playing some new movies! Thus my buying the Sony... You're probably lucky if you've had that Panasonic 3+ years and not yet found a disc that you couldn't play without a firmware update. You can go to Sony's Web site and download an image to burn to a blank disc and update the firmware that way if need be.

#3 -> No troubles with my audio receiver. Without details, it would be hard to say why the other guy you mention had trouble with his.

Thanks HDme2.

You know, this firmware update crap is just that, a bunch of crap. What do old people do, or dumb people, or really low-tech people? Everyone doesnt have someone to help them. I dont understand why, if you dont want to do anything with the internet, a new disc should need a firmware update just to play it from the player on your tv without using any extra features.

+1

In the good old days any DVD would play in any DVD player without any need for firmware updates. Blu-ray should work the same, but the lack of authoring standards means every cute little trick some developer can think of can throw any player for a loop. So Blu-ray really sucks in that regard. It shouldn't be that way, but it is. And just imagine the untold millions of dollars required to maintain firmwares for every player out there. And when all is said and done, they're still less functional than a DVD (can resume many discs, slow loading, can't skip previews, endless updates). It's a total mess. Thanks a lot, sony.

I agree... it isn't just the fancy menu coding or BD-Live or whatever that causes issues... but the Blu-ray spec had negotiated in to be able to change encryption keys if studios wanted... and that was in part motivated by DVD encryption being broken and studios wanting a way to recover from that if it happened with Blu-ray.

But I always argued that special features are one thing... but there's no reason why a consumer shouldn't expect to be able to buy any Blu-ray player and play any movie. Bells and whistles aside, the fact that sometimes that isn't true without a firmware update... and some with older players are left hanging and unable to play new movies... that's just poor design for customer support that probably would be noticed more if our entire economy hadn't gone south.

The "advantage" in the poor economy is that complaining customers are fewer... imagine some of the playability errors at the height of DVD popularity and the negative press companies would have suffered... but I have a Samsung that can't play about half of all Disney Blu-rays released in the last couple of years... Disney... as popular as they are... and a lot of people like me are out there and had to buy a new Blu-ray player after only a couple of years to be able to play their movies.

Well... so much for that theory... the problem came back. It looks like if I don't use this thing every day, it goes into hibernation... and won't come on unless I unplug it... then sometimes locks up and has to be reset. I don't know what happened... but it happened fairly recently to become unreliable. Once I get it "working" it seems to go fine and play whatever I want to watch... but then goes back to misbehaving the next day.