Live data from Hacker News

Sony software updates breaks movie theater projectors

bsky.app

121–129 of 129 posts

Re: Sony software updates breaks movie theater projectors

#121
post #6

Earlier 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…

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.

Oh wow. Sony did actually pay, $65 per person.

It took 7 years though:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OtherOS

Re: Sony software updates breaks movie theater projectors

#122

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.

Any insight as to why they exited the movie projector business? I am also pretty sure they will honour any maintain contract?

Re: Sony software updates breaks movie theater projectors

#123
post #122

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.

Any insight as to why they exited the movie projector business? I am also pretty sure they will honour any maintain contract?

They left because their liquid crystal panels suffered from chronic burn-in and the cost of replacing them was no longer economically feasible. It was tolerable when “virtual print fees” were subsidizing the transition from 35mm film to digital but now that era is over and movie theaters owners are smart enough to buy DLP projectors which don’t suffer from the burn in problem.

Re: Sony software updates breaks movie theater projectors

#124

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…

The user experience of machines in the healthcare field is abysmal. You'd think that someone would have thought about your use case, but they either didn't, or they did and said "Well, that'll never happen because ".

Re: Sony software updates breaks movie theater projectors

#125
post #97
post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>but it's not my liability: you should secure your property, or said differently "your problems aren't my problem" But we're talking about you deliberately not securing or even actively reducing the security of your property in a manner that could reasonably be predicted to lead to harm to other's property, and that harm occuring, through no fault of the harmed party. You're not supposed to store loaded guns unsecure…

> But we're talking about you deliberately not securing or even actively reducing the security of your property We have different preferences about what's the right security/freedom ratio. > You're not supposed to store loaded guns unsecured on your front porch (not around here anyways). I don't think the government or anyone has any say about where or how I may keep my guns. People believe they might have a say, so…

I think a world without any form of meaningful protection or regulation sounds very dystopian and not like one I would choose to live in under our current capitalist society.

Even the author of the “theorem” you cite indicated that he didn’t believe it to be practical.

Re: Sony software updates breaks movie theater projectors

#126
post #31

Earlier 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?

Yes.

Re: Sony software updates breaks movie theater projectors

#127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

The user experience of machines in the healthcare field is abysmal. You'd think that someone would have thought about your use case, but they either didn't, or they did and said "Well, that'll never happen because ".

The reality is someone in management said "we need the machine to lock out under X condition for Y reason" and an engineer said "that's a bad idea because Z also someone could die" and management said "do it anyway" and the engineer chose to implement it versus undergo significant financial hardship of quitting their job and finding another one

Re: Sony software updates breaks movie theater projectors

#128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Any idea if these projectors could be made to work with other sources that don't require DRM? As much as this sucks for movie theaters, it could also be the deal of the century for a home theater build if you know the right people...

I don't think you'd want to pay the power bill for one, nor would you want to have a large enough screen to not have it burn your retinas. That said I believe some of them do allow that (no clue what models or availability) since you can rent out theaters to play games on your own computer or console, https://www.cinemark.com/private-events/gaming/

Sure, maybe you wouldn't want it for a personal movie screen, since it's massive overkill for home use, but... you could definitely get use out of it for projection mapping your home and have the most amazing holiday displays on the block.

Re: Sony software updates breaks movie theater projectors

#129
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 would say that if a manufacturer releases something with software attached then they should also have to release the source code with a time lock so that people would be empowered to dig through the waste bins of electronic history and be able to find/make/learn/do more with it.
Post reply on HN