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I feel Sony never made the transition to software. I have owned a lot of Sony products over the years and the older devices I had like VCRs (which had little s

I feel Sony never made the transition to software. I have owned a lot of Sony products over the years and the older devices I had like VCRs (which had little software) where infinitely better. For example the a Blu-ray/Surround Sound System I bought a couple of months ago is terrible and maybe one of the worst products I have ever bought. It takes 60 seconds to boot up (So the Sony TV turns on and is displaying with in 5 seconds, but there is no sound through the sound system for a minute!!!) in addition, the DLNA client on the unit often becomes unresponsive and refuses to accept simple pause commands while watching video. In today's world, if you can't do software well, you will fail. PS: I loved my Minidisc player back in 1999 - I was sad it didn't have more success, well, up until I got my first iPod.

sxcurry 14y ago
Totally agree - my new Sony Blu-ray player may be electronically OK, but boy the software/firmware is awful. Horrible interface, slow startup, crummy remote, and an obtrusive software update notice that pops up a few minutes into a DVD. My new flat screen TV was a Samsung - I'm just not going to buy any more Sony gear, and I don't think they will survive.
ChuckMcM 14y ago
"I feel Sony never made the transition to software." Actually it might be more accurate to say Sony has yet to make the transition to 'systems' away from 'solutions'. I also found it kind of funny a person talks about Game Consoles when talking about Sony, that is a small part of Sony, historically Sony has sold products where they manufactured all of the key technologies. They were one of the first vertically integrated companies that I encountered. It can be very powerful to be integrated in that way because you control your own destiny, you make your own screens, you make your own electronics, you make your own machines to make your products. They got disrupted by the Koreans and the Chinese who started picking out 'parts' of the things that Sony made and making those so that others could build 'Sony like' products without having to be vertically integrated. Samsung, Quanta, LG, Hyundai, Etc. All willing to sell the part you want against the others selling the same part, defacto standards emerge, change happens at the feature level not the function level. Everyone starts selling a 'flat screen' TV and while we argue over Plasma vs LCD we get motion compensation, viewing angle improvements, contrast tweaks, Etc. So many things Sony did, and then tried to 'lock in' control. Their e-readers, their computers, their TVs, their media players, their game consoles. Lock in gave them control but people generally start rejecting external controls at about age 13 and rarely get more complacent as they get older :-). It will be very interesting to see how they evolve (or don't). But their asset ratios aren't a problem it is their execution that is a problem.
- duaneb 14y ago
  > Lock in gave them control but people generally start rejecting external controls at about age 13 and rarely get more complacent as they get older :-) I would like to agree with you but for the success of iOS, Facebook, wireless subscriptions.... At least in the US (I am not sure how much the US comprises Sony's profits) people care much less about actual capability than they do about convenience and marketing. Or at least that is what it feels like.

sxcurry 14y ago

Totally agree - my new Sony Blu-ray player may be electronically OK, but boy the software/firmware is awful. Horrible interface, slow startup, crummy remote, and an obtrusive software update notice that pops up a few minutes into a DVD. My new flat screen TV was a Samsung - I'm just not going to buy any more Sony gear, and I don't think they will survive.

ChuckMcM 14y ago

"I feel Sony never made the transition to software." Actually it might be more accurate to say Sony has yet to make the transition to 'systems' away from 'solutions'. I also found it kind of funny a person talks about Game Consoles when talking about Sony, that is a small part of Sony, historically Sony has sold products where they manufactured all of the key technologies. They were one of the first vertically integrated companies that I encountered. It can be very powerful to be integrated in that way because you control your own destiny, you make your own screens, you make your own electronics, you make your own machines to make your products. They got disrupted by the Koreans and the Chinese who started picking out 'parts' of the things that Sony made and making those so that others could build 'Sony like' products without having to be vertically integrated. Samsung, Quanta, LG, Hyundai, Etc. All willing to sell the part you want against the others selling the same part, defacto standards emerge, change happens at the feature level not the function level. Everyone starts selling a 'flat screen' TV and while we argue over Plasma vs LCD we get motion compensation, viewing angle improvements, contrast tweaks, Etc. So many things Sony did, and then tried to 'lock in' control. Their e-readers, their computers, their TVs, their media players, their game consoles. Lock in gave them control but people generally start rejecting external controls at about age 13 and rarely get more complacent as they get older :-). It will be very interesting to see how they evolve (or don't). But their asset ratios aren't a problem it is their execution that is a problem.

duaneb 14y ago
> Lock in gave them control but people generally start rejecting external controls at about age 13 and rarely get more complacent as they get older :-) I would like to agree with you but for the success of iOS, Facebook, wireless subscriptions.... At least in the US (I am not sure how much the US comprises Sony's profits) people care much less about actual capability than they do about convenience and marketing. Or at least that is what it feels like.