12/22/15 6:25 PM

My old Audio/Video Receiver sort of crapped out (video circuits went sideways though all the amps still work fine) just after I bought a new projector for the home theater. The new projector revealed the flaws in my 15 year old DVD player so for $60 I got a Blu-Ray player.

Now all three devices (Blu-Ray, AVR, projector) are asking for firmware updates. My video room is in the basement and enclosed in a poured concrete wall system so the Wi-Fi reception is weak from my wireless router on the 2nd floor. Too weak to do the firmware updates in any rational or reliable fashion.

Luckily I had a 40 ft. LAN cable that I could drop down the laundry chute and temporarily locate the wireless router in the video room. Firmware updates went quickly and without a glitch with high signal strength messages.

I wonder how often these devices will need to connect to the internet? I'm still using audio electronics from the 1970s so this is a bit of culture shock. At least my stove, fridge, furnace, washer, and drier don't demand to be hooked up. They CAN be hooked up to the network but they don't require it.

What a world, what a world.

12/22/15 7:18 PM

LOL


What a world, indeed. ;)

12/22/15 11:07 PM

What are the consequences of not updating the firmware? I would probably not worry about updating if the requests can be ignored or turned off, and the devices functioned properly.

12/23/15 6:38 AM

A few months back, 60 Minute did a piece on how easy it is to hack into the firmware of cars.

Just wait till your neighborhood wiz kid hack into your oven to overcook your turkey. LOL

12/23/15 5:07 PM

Time to pop for a range extender for your basement.

12/23/15 5:12 PM

Range extender? For how often you'd update, I'd just drop the 10base-T Cable down the duct again myself. Or leave it in the duct wire tired in a loop for later use. ;)

12/25/15 7:55 AM

I'm thinking/hoping that the firmware updates were all the equivalent of the OS updates you need to do when you first get a new computer. I would be surprised if the firmware changes more than 2X per year and as the components age the manufacturers will probably lose incentive for frequent updates. If I get the message again I'll just drop that LAN cable down the laundry chute and be happy :)
If I start being forced to watch the shopping channel or Fox "News" then I'll know my system has been hacked. Who sells a firewall for a Blu-ray player?