Update #2: Success! After continuing to mess with this problem and the workaround below not doing the trick, I kept reading online and finally found a solution that works. I love you misio121!
- When your disk gets to the “Upgrade your firmware” notice screen on the disk
- Start randomly pressing R1/R2 and X all together – If you have the Bluetooth PS3 controller (like I do) that means pressing the “Next”, “Prev” and Blue “X” buttons all randomly together.
Spamming these buttons all together should eventually get you past the notice screen and to the FBI screen and home-free.
Happy Blu-raying!
Update #3: For the folks out there that can’t get “Update #2″ to work, Ryan has posted an additional workaround that works for him that you might want to give a try to:
- Disable Internet Connectivity on the PS3 (instructions below)
- As the disk starts to play, spam the Pause button until you get to the FBI warning screen then let it go
If you are like me or these guys… or these guys and have an original fat 60GB PS3 you may have noticed that How I Met Your Mother Season 4 Disk 1 (and in some cases 2 and 3) doesn’t play correctly in the PS3 and bails back to the XMB after the very first “Be sure to upgrade the firmware on you Blu-ray player” screen:
The two threads linked above provide the following two slightly different workarounds:
- Disable network/online on the PS3 or unplug it from your router so it’s offline.
- Start the movie
- When you get to the “Upgrade your firmware” screen seen above, hit PAUSE
- Press the GREEN TRIANGLE button to bring up the “control panel” screen
- Select the GOTO icon (looks like a curved arrow to the right)
- That will focus the time tracker and Title/Chapter elements at the bottom of the screen
- Press LEFT to focus the Chapter
- Press X to activate it then press UP to change to Chapter 2
- MODIFICATION: Some users reported that going to Chapter 1 worked for them.
- Press X to force the PS3 to load the 2nd chapter and skip the problematic tracks.
NOTE: We’ve added a video of the workaround below if you want to watch that instead.
Unfortunately trying this 5x in a row didn’t work for me, then I read some other posts talking about clearing the BD Data Utility cache. You do that by going to the “Video” section of the XMB and scrolling up to the top to the “BD Data Utility”, it’s just a folder of cached online resources from Blu-ray disks you’ve played.
You can bring up the Options menu on the “BD Data Utility” folder directly and select “Delete” to clear it and all it’s contents out. This is a safe operation as replaying any of those disks will just re-cache that data for use later:
Which I tried and then went back to trying the original workaround sequence to no avail.
I kept reading and eventually ran across some other “workarounds” that mentioned needing to go to the Settings > Video Settings PS3 top level system settings and change the “BD Internet Connection” setting to “Confirm” so I am asked to allow the BD player to go online before every movie:
Only after making all of these changes and then going through the original workaround did my original “fat” 60GB PS3 get past the firmware update notification screen and correctly move onto the FBI warning screen and then the trailers.
As of right now we have watched the first 2 episodes of Season 4 on Disk 1 without an issue.
I don’t know which part of this entire process was the “magic” that made it work, but from what I’ve read online people have had success by doing everything from just the workaround without even taking their PS3 offline to my case where I had to make every single tweak before it even worked.
I hope this tip saves you some time if you are running into the same issue.
Update #1: We’ve put together a video showing exactly how to go through the workaround above incase the text version of it is confusing:
Update #2: After a few days of fighting with this, I can say that there is no guarantee that this workaround will work the first time every time. When I play back Disk 1, there are still times that I have to walk through the workaround above 2-4x before the disk jumps to the FBI warning and moves on to the main menu.
Hopefully this will be fixed in the firmware update in the coming weeks from Sony.
I emailed Sony via the us.playstation.com website about the problem. Hopefully I’ll get a sensible reply that helps all of us solve this problem.
Spencer, thanks for doing that. Please keep us posted, this problem is driving me crazy
I received a reply. Unfortunately, it’s pretty basic and, above all, sounds automated. Here’s the transcript:
Response (Jeremy W.) 07/06/2010 01:06 PM
Hello Spencer,
We sympathize with the situation you are having with the PlayStation(R)3 computer entertainment system not reading the disc properly. Please try the following troubleshooting steps if you have not done so already, go to settings,system settings, restore default settings.
For assistance troubleshooting your PS3™ system reading the disc please refer to the enclosed information
Article Title: Movie (Blu-ray Disc / DVD) not loading or playing
Article Link: http://playstation.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/920
Article Title: Cleaning and maintenance
Article Link: http://playstation.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/802
When using the safe mode feature select option 3 restore file system
Article Title: Safe Mode
Article Link: http://playstation.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1488
Thanks for posting it, bummer that it’s a canned response.
I’m also having mixed success with the workaround… takes a few time for it to work.
Spencer,
Good news! After 22 (seriously) bad startups tonight trying to finish Disk 1 of HIMYM, I found a workaround that did the trick and udpated the post.
Just start spamming your R1/R2/X buttons all together when the firmware update screenshots up, and it should get you past the problem spot on the disk.
Sounds good! Sadly, we have to do this every time. I wish Sony would just patch up their blu-ray firmware to match everyone elses.
Again, thank you for the fix.
Is this just on DIsk 1 for you? We made it through Disk 2 and Disk 3 with no issues.
I guess you just have to knock out those 8 episodes or so, so you don’t have to get stuck on them anymore?
Yeah, discs 2 & 3 work perfectly.
Before I googled this issue, I had mailed netflix back season 4 disc1 3 times telling them that their disc isn’t working. Finally, I found this fix but it hasn’t worked for me yet. As I am writing this, I have attempted 18 times by either pausing or spamming r1r2 and x. I wish someone from Sony would fix this issue before it drives me nuts.
Do you have the PS3 blu-ray remote or are you using the normal controller (or the Logitech IR adapter?)
I have the same problem with 250GB. Disc 1 does not work but the other 2 disk work perfectly. I will try the suggestions when I get home from work and let you know it works. Hopefully Sony will just fix the Problem.
thank you!!! the work around never worked for me, but the spamming did on my second try. I got this from Netflix too and had already reported a problem, but luckily had not sent it back yet.
Robert, glad it helped! I know when we were sitting down to enjoy HIMWM and this popped up, my wife and I got *majorly* bummed out, thinking we wouldn’t be able to watch the first disk.
Disc 1 and 2 worked. Disc 3 didnt but thanks!!!!
jacob,
Even with the updated hacky trick to get past the startup screen?
I can’t even get past the startup screen. I tried all of these tips/
Damn… how many times did you try it? I actually had to try the workaround usually 5-10x until it would work.
If you could get it to work just once, you could watch that entire 3rd disc really fast
24X I think I did more times. I’m just pissed!
Oh jeez… that should have done it. When I started using the “spam the R1/R2/X buttons” trick, it only took like 1 or 2 times.
Is this a PS3 Slim? Is there any other player you have access to, to watch it?
That really sucks… my wife and I love that show, so we know the feeling of getting screwed out of watching it
I’ve been dealing with this issue quite a bit. I’ve actually been involved in both forum threads you posted (binarymelon). I have found one solution for me that works every time. Like one of your suggestions above make sure the HIMYM BD cannot connect to the internet. Once the disc begins to load just start pressing the pause button repeatedly. I don’t know why it works, but my theory is that you need to slow down the startup so any errors are handled before getting to certain portions of the disc. Once you get to the FBI warning screen you can just let it go and it should load.
Ryan, very much appreciate you following up here with the new workaround. I updated the post with a link to your comment and the info you mentioned for the Googlers finding this.
The community did a great job troubleshooting this, but it’s a real bummer that the folks behind the disk didn’t press updates and the PS3 update didn’t fix it.
Well, I tried everything and so far I can’t get disc 1 to work
I’ve tried everything 10+ times and nothing…you’d think by now we’d get a system update that would have fixed the issue
PJ none of the suggestions worked? The spamming of the keys?
Did you try praying?
I definitely tried praying lol. I’m actually really frustrated because it doesn’t seem like anything is going to work for whatever reason…I may have to buy the DVD just so I can watch it! D:
tried all the workarounds and none of them worked. finally had a breakthrough with the “mashing the pause button until you see the FBI warning” trick. worked on the first try. thanks!
steven,
Glad one of the workarounds did the trick!
In a little unrelated note, it would seem that the production staff confirmed that Season 5 will not be getting a blu-ray release due to “poor season 4 blu-ray sales”.
I don’t know. Maybe I should just sell my Blu-Ray of season 4 and hunt down a used copy of the DVD Season 4.
I wonder if they can look at the stats of the S4 blu-ray sales and see how many were returned because of this.
As long as the show stays on the air, I think I’m indifferent about DVD or Blu-ray.
I have a 60gb original PS and the spaming worked for me after the first try thank you for the help!!!! I did turn the BD online option to confirm first though
Jlobstein, glad to hear it! That was the only thing that worked for me too consistently.
Thanks!! the 2nd option worked the first time for me. i sent back this disc once already to netflix, now its working great!!
John, glad I helped! I did the same, sent it back a few times before I realized it was an issue that wasn’t gonna get fixed and started digging.
Pause method worked a charm!
Glad to hear it! Seasons 4 was great to boot
This saved my friday night! I pressed R1 a bunch of times to get past firmware update screen. First time I hit R1, L1, and x on ps3 controller and it got to a chapter 1 that lasted 1 second and went back to title after I hit R1 (or 1 second passed). SOOOOOOOOO I did it the next time and hit L1 and X a bunch of times to try and keep it on the mysterious Chapter 1 screen. Well all it did was stay black for aminute and never reached the chapter one screen. So I let go and it started! Stupid PS3.
Josh, really glad we could help with your Friday night — we absolutely know what it’s like to sit down to enjoy some HIMYM and have it not work (that’s how I found mine to not be working before I wrote this) – was a big bummer.
Thanks to all of you! Spamming didn’t work at all for me, but here’s what worked on the first try, in this order:
Erase BD data utility
Set BD Internet to “confirm”
Unplug Ethernet cord (or disable your wifi)
Then start the disc, pause it at the error, press triangle, go to “go to” and select chapter 2. Then after that start hitting pause repeatedly and viola, after a bit comes the FBI screen! Hope this helps someone else who couldn’t use other attempts
Matt thanks for the post — it is really odd how 1 of like 4 different workarounds work for a different subset of people… I can only imagine what is wrong with this disk =/
So glad I found you guys – I thought I was going mad with the disk not working!
I imported the Blu-Ray from the US (I’m in the UK with a Slim PS3 with a new 400GB HDD) and was thinking it was a problem with the disk. Thinking originally it was a problem with the disk I really didn’t want to go through the hassle of returning it (this would’ve been an expensive hassle!).
Reading the thead I found a similar workaround to some of the previous guys worked.
1) Deleted BD Cache
2) Switch BD Internet Connect to “Confirm”
3) Switched Internet Connection in Network Settings to “Disabled”.
4) Played disc and did the Goto Chapter 2 thing at the black upgrade firmware screen.
4) Spammed pause button (I’m using the official Blu-Ray remote).
5) FBI Screen and smiles
Thanks!
PS Just tried again – internet connection back on but saying “No” to connecting to the prompt when asked to go online to do the BD thing. Spamming pause button on own didn’t work, but combined with the Goto Chapter 2 thing it did. Still happy
Simon Beach’s reply worked for me. I called Sony and they had no idea how to fix it. They had no idea what was wrong.
Simon, glad you got it working. I can’t believe they haven’t pressed new disks or issued a firmware patch for this yet… HIMYM is a popular show =/
Well thanks again – yeah I love the show and was looking to get Season 5 on Blu-ray when it came out too
spaming pause work on 320 gb ps3 fw 3.56…
the disk 1 also plays perfectly (with no help) under fw 3.15 in 60gb ps3!
so it is a clearly fw-problem!
Thanks for the info, that is even more frustrating that they broke something and haven’t fixed it yet.
Had this problem, and tried all the spamming techniques w/o success — with my Harmony remote (using USB IR adapter). Many many attempts, no love.
Switched the the standard controller, and within 2 or 3 tries of Chapter jump + pause spamming got it working.
Joseph, glad you got it working. Which harmony do you have? I have a 7-series (750 or something) and I do notice a lag with buttons… for example I can’t spam the Vol UP/DOWN buttons to change volume, it seems to send a button press every 500ms or so, so I just have to hold it. I guess it probably wasn’t “spamming” the signals fast enough for the Blu-ray codes.
Out of curiosity, how do you like the USB IR adapter? Is it the Logitech one? Have been thinking about getting that one.
I have had 3 box-sets for Jurassic Park because the first disc would just not load. Your tip about deleting the cache! Worked a treat! Huge thank you!