Blu-ray is set for an upgrade, adding more features including picture in picture which is great news in the format war. There is however a rather ugly downside to it. Most of the stand alone players currently in homes don’t have the required hardware allowing them to take advantage of these new upgrades.

 

You may have noticed some Blu-ray disks have a note printed on them informing users of the need to upgrade their players firmware - "To ensure the best possible viewing experience, your Blu-ray disc player may need a firmware or software update." These warnings are not in relation to the new features, rather improvements in playback.

 

If you’re a feature freak as many of us are your out of luck for the time being. For those who have recently purchased a stand alone player – hopefully you still have the ability to return and exchange it for a compatible unit.