Digital cinema tech here. Sony hasn’t been releasing updates since they exited the business in 2020.
This is likely an expired certificate related to the encryption on the movie files.
Sony software updates breaks movie theater projectors
41–50 of 129 posts
Re: Sony software updates breaks movie theater projectors
#42Earlier quoted context omitted.
Not gonna happen in a million years
Some of those suggestions are things that sound good at first glance but are simply not great ideas. For example, support for downgrades means you a security vulnerability can be reintroduced by a malicious user which may not be desirable. Writing software that’s backwards and forwards compatible across all releases can be extremely expensive to impossible (eg a feature in your application that requires a new OS or y…
> For example, support for downgrades means you a security vulnerability can be reintroduced by a malicious user which may not be desirable.
Backports exist because of this reason. Just added them as a requirement to the list of rules above.
Re: Sony software updates breaks movie theater projectors
#43Earlier quoted context omitted.
There is a negotiation over the agreement. If you don’t agree with an agreement, then buy a different product. Thats how all agreements work. It’s just not very fun to negotiate when there’s a large power imbalance.
Same logic as why you need worker/renter rights, just find another employer/apartment. Sorry that the toaster shocked your wife, but you could have just gotten a different one with better safety standards. It is great that the government protects consumers. Otherwise, everyone would need to spend hours researching everything before making a rare purchase.
You're conflating human rights and safety issues with broken projector software which seems disingenuous.
> Otherwise, everyone would need to spend hours researching everything before making a rare purchase
On this issue specifically, these projectors seem to be in the tens (possibly hundreds) of thousands of dollars so some research and due diligence doesn't seem that far fetched.
Re: Sony software updates breaks movie theater projectors
#44Is there something where a projector needs to be connected to the internet? This seems as silly as bluetooth speakers like Sonos needing an internet connection. Perhaps someone can share what is needed here and why it's connected.
IIUC, movies are delivered to local storage via the internet, and those files are heavily DRMd, the DRM is checked synchronously when films are played.
That sounds roughly correct based on when I worked at a theatre, although back then they mailed you drives. Worth noting that the movies are encrypted and you only get decryption keys at release.
But Sony hasn’t made projectors in a while. I suspect this was something like an expired certificate rather than an actual software update.
Re: Sony software updates breaks movie theater projectors
#45Super curious if there's any kind of contractual recourse where theaters can recoup the lost income from Sony. It's one thing if a projector breaks mechanically or due to a pre-existing bug; it's another thing when an update breaks it. In an age where updates are increasingly the norm, I wonder if there's legislation needed to hold manufacturers accountable for updates that break otherwise perfectly-functioning hardw…
> In an age where updates are increasingly the norm, I wonder if there's legislation needed to hold manufacturers accountable for updates that break otherwise perfectly-functioning hardware? Maybe there should be a law that says: 1. Upgrades may be performed but never behind the user's back. 2. In particular, the user determines exactly when an upgrade is performed. 3. The user may roll back any update at any time. 4…
My take on this is back when software was distributed on media like CDs, new versions were better. Updates were discrete, marketed and expensive. They had to be good!
Continuous updates continue to permeate, including into things that are still surprisingly connected to the internet in the first place.
I think that in time, forced updates will cause enough trouble that people will become more conscious of and dislike them. For some, one bad update is all it will take.
So, I think it's worth waiting to see if anti-update competitors appear before regulating this.
Re: Sony software updates breaks movie theater projectors
#46Earlier quoted context omitted.
Because I have no negotiating power. Every license agreement says there's no recourse, so I can't pick one that does have it. There's a major free-market failure because there's no negotiation over the agreement. There's no representative for consumers pushing back. So that representative needs to be the government. This is the entire reason for consumer protection laws.
There is a negotiation over the agreement. If you don’t agree with an agreement, then buy a different product. Thats how all agreements work. It’s just not very fun to negotiate when there’s a large power imbalance.
> It’s just not very fun to negotiate when there’s a large power imbalance.
Indeed, which is why people may choose to band together in a bigger bargaining block to improve their position and possibly even achieve greater power than the other party. For example, they could choose to form a single block that represents the citizens of an entire country.
Re: Sony software updates breaks movie theater projectors
#47Earlier quoted context omitted.
Some of those suggestions are things that sound good at first glance but are simply not great ideas. For example, support for downgrades means you a security vulnerability can be reintroduced by a malicious user which may not be desirable. Writing software that’s backwards and forwards compatible across all releases can be extremely expensive to impossible (eg a feature in your application that requires a new OS or y…
> Some of those suggestions are things that sound good at first glance but are simply not great ideas. Actually, yes they are. I'm not a big fan of legislation, but the upgrade crazyness has to stop at some point! > For example, support for downgrades means you a security vulnerability can be reintroduced by a malicious user which may not be desirable What if "I, the user" deem it "desirable"? I'm holding to bios wit…
Regular bios updates rub me the wrong way. Wife's lappy recently decided to update it of its own volition too. I was livid, but thankfully nothing broke. I hate that OS can do it, but I hate more the fact that bios is clearly less reliable..
Re: Sony software updates breaks movie theater projectors
#48Earlier quoted context omitted.
> In an age where updates are increasingly the norm, I wonder if there's legislation needed to hold manufacturers accountable for updates that break otherwise perfectly-functioning hardware? Maybe there should be a law that says: 1. Upgrades may be performed but never behind the user's back. 2. In particular, the user determines exactly when an upgrade is performed. 3. The user may roll back any update at any time. 4…
Windows 10 forced an updated on my PC and deleted all my personal files. I paid a forensic data firm four digits to get about half my data back.
Could you tell us more about this?
Were you keeping your personal files in the usual "Documents" and "Videos" and such laid out by Microsoft? Or somewhere else?
Re: Sony software updates breaks movie theater projectors
#49Earlier quoted context omitted.
There is a negotiation over the agreement. If you don’t agree with an agreement, then buy a different product. Thats how all agreements work. It’s just not very fun to negotiate when there’s a large power imbalance.
> It’s just not very fun to negotiate when there’s a large power imbalance. Indeed, which is why people may choose to band together in a bigger bargaining block to improve their position and possibly even achieve greater power than the other party. For example, they could choose to form a single block that represents the citizens of an entire country.
That seems like the opposite of the original comment, which was a desire to negotiate on an individual level.
Re: Sony software updates breaks movie theater projectors
#50Earlier quoted context omitted.
Windows 10 forced an updated on my PC and deleted all my personal files. I paid a forensic data firm four digits to get about half my data back.
Could you tell us more about this? Were you keeping your personal files in the usual "Documents" and "Videos" and such laid out by Microsoft? Or somewhere else?
Not the one you're responding to, but my guess is this: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18189139