PlayStation 4 won't play Blu-rays, DVDs or Stream out of the box
- Thread starter Poke
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LOL!
The story is just such a non-story! Get PS4, connect to power, TV and internet, download update and all is good. That's not even something new, most computers you buy have the same procedure!
The story is just such a non-story! Get PS4, connect to power, TV and internet, download update and all is good. That's not even something new, most computers you buy have the same procedure!
It's a day one software update that enables lots of features. I guarantee that the Xbox One will have a day one update too. Almost every new game console launches with more demand than they can handle. Now that the vast majority of these consoles will be connected to broadband, day one updates are a feasible way to start hardware production before the software is complete.
Yes, it would be better if you didn't have to download an update, but that's reality for electronic devices now. They want to start manufacturing these consoles as soon as possible to try and keep up with demand. There is a good chance that our day one preorders have been sitting somewhere ready to go for a month or more. This software update allows them to keep adding features and removing bugs right up until launch even though systems are already sitting on a pallet somewhere.
Yes, it would be better if you didn't have to download an update, but that's reality for electronic devices now. They want to start manufacturing these consoles as soon as possible to try and keep up with demand. There is a good chance that our day one preorders have been sitting somewhere ready to go for a month or more. This software update allows them to keep adding features and removing bugs right up until launch even though systems are already sitting on a pallet somewhere.
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That's a LITTLE f-ed up that this thing is crippled on launch day. To not be able to play video discs at all out of the box, while not a deal breaker for me makes little to no sense. And you KNOW people are going to have problems connecting and downloading the update. Also, not everyone hooks up their consoles to the internet. I know all of us here do, but my best friend's Xbox 360 is still using the blade interface. At least they're letting people play games immediately, but why the hell would blu ray and dvd functionality be tied to a software update? And yes, even though blu ray players often get firmware updates, I'm pretty sure none of them REQUIRE you to update before they work.
Sony will get a bit of flack for this (as they should) but I doubt it's enough to counter all the bad press M$ generated with their foul ups with the One's DRM.
Sony will get a bit of flack for this (as they should) but I doubt it's enough to counter all the bad press M$ generated with their foul ups with the One's DRM.
What percentage of today's gamers, esp PS4 users, would have any trouble downloading an update? This ain't for grannies and gramps.
That is my only problem with all of this. PSN's servers are notoriously slow for downloading games compared to Xbox Live and Steam. I think there is a chance that on launch day when everyone is trying to download this 300Mb update that their servers will have trouble with the load. If they have any problems with server load it will probably be ok by the next day.
As for people not connecting to the internet... I would argue that the people who don't connect to the internet probably aren't going to be the early adopters on a new game console. Plus anyone who doesn't connect their console to the internet will be missing out on almost every feature these consoles provide.
Now that both consoles have ethernet and WiFi built in, unlike the launch 360 model, there really is no excuse for not connecting to the internet unless you don't have it in your house. I'm pretty sure Microsoft said a day one update would be required to even play games back when they announced all their changes. People without broadband might just be SOL this generation. At least all the always online requirements have been squashed so it would be possible to take your consoles somewhere else to get the initial update and be done with it. Now that they got rid of that you don't need a constant, reliable connection. You just have to have one available to get the launch update.
I started in the firmware industry in the mid-70s. Back then, everything was masked ROMs. The cost to update was really high, so testing was long and extensive. That meant that product cycles were drawn out and we were often late to deliver.
So much better today with FLASH ROM and internet upload. You can cut development cycles and ship something workable while continuing to ferret out those lower level bugs you might not fix in the old days. Further, you don't have to wait for standards committees to finish the spec. Just make sure the hardware portion is solid and then handle improved feature sets with an upgrade. New codecs, HDMI 1.3, internet upgrades, etc. So much better.
So much better today with FLASH ROM and internet upload. You can cut development cycles and ship something workable while continuing to ferret out those lower level bugs you might not fix in the old days. Further, you don't have to wait for standards committees to finish the spec. Just make sure the hardware portion is solid and then handle improved feature sets with an upgrade. New codecs, HDMI 1.3, internet upgrades, etc. So much better.
But still, an update to play DVDs? You can get DVD players nowadays for less than baby formula. Why would you tie that functionality to a software update?
I would agree if the update wasn't going to be available at launch. If you had to wait weeks or months to get these very basic features it would be a problem. Because the update will be ready and waiting for us the first time we boot up our PS4s, I don't have a problem with it as long as the update goes smoothly.
You'd be surprised. Lots of people live in areas where there is no cable internet and/or dsl.
Well, according to an extensive FAQ on the PS Blog, the PS4 won't play audio CDs, MP3 files, and will not support DLNA media servers or external HDDs—period. This is such an incomprehensible step backwards I don't even know that I'll be making the next-gen jump until it's addressed. Prettier graphics and social media integration just isn't enough for me to justify a switch. Maybe it's time to start thinking about a gaming HTPC. 
Then they wouldn't likely be online gamers, which the new consoles seem to cater to.
Well, according to an extensive FAQ on the PS Blog, the PS4 won't play audio CDs, MP3 files, and will not support DLNA media servers or external HDDs—period. This is such an incomprehensible step backwards I don't even know that I'll be making the next-gen jump until it's addressed. Prettier graphics and social media integration just isn't enough for me to justify a switch. Maybe it's time to start thinking about a gaming HTPC.
This is astounding! Are they saving a few pennies on royalties?
More than half the blog comments are complaining about this, many saying they'll cancel their pre-orders. Yoshida is already Tweeting "Oh gee I didn't realize this would be an issue. Maybe we should look into it" or something to that effect.
I hope it's worth the money they are saving.
I don't mind the lack of CD playback but the missing DLNA is a little shocking. I never use it for video on my PS3 but I used to for audio before I got an Apple TV. Now that the PS4 will finally support background music playback I was hoping to be able to use DLNA to stream music from my PC like I have been doing on my 360 for years. I don't do this for story games on the 360 but I really like that feature on 360 while I am playing games like Halo, Call of Duty, and Battlefield online. The PS4 will support background music during games from Sony's music streaming service but I'm not paying for that. I really hope DLNA music streaming is added in a future software update.
