Dan Ramer, writing for the website DVDfile, has written this open letter to film studios and the Blu-ray Disc Association concerning the slow loading time on Blu-ray players. An excerpt:
This writer sincerely believes that load delays and firmware issues represent a potential impediment to mainstream consumer acceptance of Blu-ray Disc. Having become used to the snappy load times of DVD menus, BD load delays might be perceived by non-enthusiasts as a step backward. And disc incompatibilities that require significant owner participation to resolve firmware issues will cause unwelcome aggravation at best, and confusion and frustration at worst. I’d like to think that the concept David inspired might solve these problems until such time as dedicated players become so powerful that load delays are a non-issue and Profile 2.0 (or higher) players dominate and overwhelmingly are connected to the Internet (or BD-J issues are all resolved, just like DVD playback glitches eventually went away). I can only hope that the studios and the BDA consider this suggested solution as a positive strategy that will help grow the Blu-ray Disc format. I, for one, very much want the Blu-ray Disc format to become a rousing financial success so I can continue to enjoy film from the very best high definition delivery system ever offered.
This is something to keep in mind in the midst of the holiday shopping season. There is a big push to move Blu-ray players this year but consumers may be wise to wait for the next generation of players which will probably address some of these issues and run more smoothly.