Blu-ray: Is it too much to ask for Hulu+ and Netflix stream w subtitles?

[glen]

I have an LG BD550.
I assume LG is a fairly wizbang brand, is it too much to ask for Hulu+ and Netflix stream with subtitles?
Shouldn't that be standard?
What are you all using, and does it have those features?

 

[glen]

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[postmortemIA]

nope, I got bit older Samsung player. Same story. Most blu ray players suck in that domain.
BTW smart phone with HDMI out -problem solved.

 

[phats1313]

Wish I could stream from the internet, I only have 1.5mbps DSL so the fastest I can download at is around 160KB/sec. Fastest option in my area :'(

 

[Modelworks]

Let me give you some insight on why most of the online functions suck on players. A company uses a development kit for the chipset in the player and hands that off to a firmware programmer. That programmer can be inside the company or farmed out. The programmer is given a set of task to implement and often the same code will be used for multiple players with just a few compiler changes. In the end what you get is a very generic customer experience with features like subtitles left out because the programmer was just told to implement netflix support , once the videos play they don't care about the special features of the service.

If the service makes changes or updates the user is often not going to get those changes because the programmer is now on another job. The device manufacturer can decide to pay for another programmer to update the code but often will not and just tell consumers to buy another device.

Firmware programmers are one of the fields not many people go into even though demand is high. It is sort of like BIOS programmers, you don't see many people going into that because of the knowledge involved. Not only do you have to know the hardware inside and out but also the software.


If you have an xbox 360 then those can do subtitles, 5.1 sound,etc. The reason their client is up to date is because MS pays to keep it that way. I think many people are under the assumption that netflix makes all these apps on players but that isn't true, netflix supplies the api and source , it is up to the device company to implement it.

 

[glen]

Wow, interesting answer. I assumed it was something like that. I suppose it is virtually impossible to add a feature once the initial programing is done? Or can they add it with a firmware update? The BD 550 does ask me to update the firmware occationally, but that has not added any features that I have noticed. The google suggests most updates are for Digital rights management.

I suppose I will have to get a new player with these features, which I assume are on most brand new players these days. So, if I decide it is worth $125, I will buy a new player. $125 is enough to get a player with these latest features, isn't it?
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[glen]

How much is an Xbox 360?
Sounds like it might be a great blu-ray player which is frequently updated. What are the cons to an Xbox360?

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[queequeg99]

Sounds like it might be a great blu-ray player which is frequently updated. What are the cons to an Xbox360?

For starters, it doesn't play blu rays.

 

[glen]

Shee...
Well, can I get a decent one for around 125?

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[piasabird]

I watch a lot of korean videos buy I think the video is hardcoded with the subtitles or something like that. Usually the video comes from Dramafever or viki or some other site. Many of the videos have links from HULU.

This may not be what you think. Most streaming I have seen on the Internet is like 360k. I think they edit the video to enhance the closeups and lower the quality on the background to make it stream properly.

 

[LokutusofBorg]

I just watched a stream from Netflix Saturday night on my WDTV Live SMP and when I hit the subtitles button on the remote, the subtitles started showing on the streamed picture. The movie was Shutter Island, btw.

 

[queequeg99]

I just watched a stream from Netflix Saturday night on my WDTV Live SMP and when I hit the subtitles button on the remote, the subtitles started showing on the streamed picture. The movie was Shutter Island, btw.

Lokutus implies a point that the OP needs to take into account - the movie itself needs to have subtitles. After seeing this thread, I did a little googling and it appears that a relatively large percentage of movies that Netflix streams do not support subtitles (even if the DVD or BD disk does). The article I read (dated February 2011) indicated that about 30% of Netflix streaming movies supported this feature. That percentage was supposed to go up to 80% by year end. I have no idea if it did (I'm on a crappy 1.5mbps internet service and don't stream).

 

[glen]

Lokutus implies a point that the OP needs to take into account - the movie itself needs to have subtitles. After seeing this thread, I did a little googling and it appears that a relatively large percentage of movies that Netflix streams do not support subtitles (even if the DVD or BD disk does). The article I read (dated February 2011) indicated that about 30% of Netflix streaming movies supported this feature. That percentage was supposed to go up to 80% by year end. I have no idea if it did (I'm on a crappy 1.5mbps internet service and don't stream).

True, but I have taken that into account.
I can see which movies have subtitle by playing them on my computer.
The issue is whether the problem with the Blue-ray can or will be remedied with firmware updates.

 

[glen]

Bumping this thread to find out if there is a recomended player in the $125 range, or to find out that most folks find $125 a bad price point, and I need to spend more or less.

 

[LokutusofBorg]

I was really set on having a bluray player that was also a good streamer (network especially, but Netflix as well). I have thoroughly given up on that quest now. We had an LG bluray player that didn't even get timely updates to be able to play new *blurays* for frak's sake! Let alone updates to upgrade the streaming services. I bought a PS3 and gave the LG away.

The PS3 is the best bluray player out there, IMO. People that like the higher end players will call me crazy here, but so be it. Sony owns the bluray spec, don't they? There has never been a bluray that PS3 wouldn't play since we've owned it. Even brand spanking new releases.

The WDTV Hub/SMP has the same Netflix interface as the PS3, which as I understand it, is the most feature-rich Netflix experience you can get. I can play HD, 5.1 and subtitles on my WDTV. I can do this on my PS3 as well, but it uses 170W. The WDTV uses 7W. For those reasons the WDTV is the best Netflix streamer out there, IMO.

I don't use Hulu so I can't comment on anything related to that.

 

[glen]

I was really set on having a bluray player that was also a good streamer (network especially, but Netflix as well). I have thoroughly given up on that quest now. We had an LG bluray player that didn't even get timely updates to be able to play new *blurays* for frak's sake! Let alone updates to upgrade the streaming services. I bought a PS3 and gave the LG away.

The WDTV Hub/SMP has the same Netflix interface as the PS3, which as I understand it, is the most feature-rich Netflix experience you can get. I can play HD, 5.1 and subtitles on my WDTV. I can do this on my PS3 as well, but it uses 170W. The WDTV uses 7W.

The best bluray player out there, IMO, is the PS3. People that like the higher end players will call me crazy here, but so be it. Sony owns the bluray spec, don't they? There has never been a bluray that PS3 wouldn't play since we've owned it. Even brand spanking new releases.

The best Netflix streamer out there, IMO, is the WDTV. It has every feature available for Netflix and uses minimal power, as I mentioned.

I don't use Hulu so I can't comment on anything related to that.

Thank you!