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Sony software updates breaks movie theater projectors

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Re: Sony software updates breaks movie theater projectors

#71
post #59

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.

Honestly, is that better? Leaving all the devices set to EOL and get bricked or whatever feels pretty wasteful.

The studios set the requirements. A certificate that never expires would never fly with their need to control DRM as tightly as possible.

If Sony was still in the business, they would offer a certificate renewal for a small fee like the other manufacturers have done.

The root problem is that Sony exited the market and left a lot of cinema owners out to dry with the looming cost of $50,000+ per auditorium for replacement projectors.

Re: Sony software updates breaks movie theater projectors

#72
post #6

Super 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…

> 1. Upgrades may be performed but never behind the user's back.

> 2. In particular, the user determines exactly when an upgrade is performed.

Haha, at last, yes !! Take that stupid windows XP countdown to reboot !!

Re: Sony software updates breaks movie theater projectors

#74
post #59

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.

Honestly, is that better? Leaving all the devices set to EOL and get bricked or whatever feels pretty wasteful.

Having a short term cert seems wasteful too.

How frequently does Sony change its identity. They should have a 999 year cert expiration and then check a revocation list in the off chance they Sony gets its private keys rooted.

Re: Sony software updates breaks movie theater projectors

#75

Super 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…

Daikin semi-bricked my 3 aircon units in the middle of the summer with a firmware upgrade.

Re: Sony software updates breaks movie theater projectors

#76

Super 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…

[deleted]

Re: Sony software updates breaks movie theater projectors

#77
post #6

Super 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…

I have a PS3 and Sony removed the ability to load Linux on the device. Basically a class action lawsuit was filed because of the removal . The class action was ruled that they were liable.

For number 3 if we allowed for people to roll back any update that can include Teslas where they are doing OTA safety updates so that wouldn’t work out.

Re: Sony software updates breaks movie theater projectors

#78
post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly, is that better? Leaving all the devices set to EOL and get bricked or whatever feels pretty wasteful.

The studios set the requirements. A certificate that never expires would never fly with their need to control DRM as tightly as possible. If Sony was still in the business, they would offer a certificate renewal for a small fee like the other manufacturers have done. The root problem is that Sony exited the market and left a lot of cinema owners out to dry with the looming cost of $50,000+ per auditorium for replacem…

IMHO a certificate that expires at the same time as the copyright on a film, and DRM that then "fails open", makes the most sense.

Re: Sony software updates breaks movie theater projectors

#79

I wonder how much longer until we have a military or medical device that doesn't work killing people because a DRM certificate expired...

Ohh this has already started. Happened to me the other day: machine for rectal air insufflation under x-ray guidance to allow reduction of an intussusception (a condition where the bowel folds in on itself). It primarily affects young children and if the procedure fails they require an open operation. Failure to treat the intussusception eventually results in bowel perforation, peritonitis and potentially death.

Went to start the procedure, machine reports it’s ready to work, all set up, assistant presses start, cryptic error messages. No way to fix. Turns out our license has improperly expired for reasons unknown. No way to override.

It’s past 5 pm Friday of the New Year’s weekend. No one on call for the company has any idea how to fix. Took three hours repeatedly phoning the company to finally get put through to an engineer who gave us magic series of button presses and codes to get the machine working.

We used to have a purely mechanical machine, maintained in house by an on site engineer. Now we have to deal with this. There is only one company making these machines, so no competition. Progress.

Re: Sony software updates breaks movie theater projectors

#80
post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly, is that better? Leaving all the devices set to EOL and get bricked or whatever feels pretty wasteful.

The studios set the requirements. A certificate that never expires would never fly with their need to control DRM as tightly as possible. If Sony was still in the business, they would offer a certificate renewal for a small fee like the other manufacturers have done. The root problem is that Sony exited the market and left a lot of cinema owners out to dry with the looming cost of $50,000+ per auditorium for replacem…

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