What Is Firmware & How Is It Connected With Blu-ray Players?

You may have heard of the word Firmware before and

wondered just what the heck it was? And no, it is not

referring to the latest fashions worn by office workers

in a John Grisham movie!



Firmware is very similar, in meaning and function, to

software. While software is what enables computers

to function or work; firmware is a computer program

that's embedded in a hardware device, such as a Blu-ray

Player, to make it function or work properly.



As you can see by its name, firmware is rooted somewhere

between hardware and software. Wikipedia defines it as:

"In computing, firmware is a computer program that is

embedded in a hardware device, for example a microcontroller.

It can also be provided on flash memory or as a binary image

file that can be uploaded onto existing hardware by a user."



Firmware is needed to make your Blu-ray player perform

its many functions such as displaying movies and other

features. A microprocessor usually runs its computer

programming, just like you have in software, but it's

linked to a piece of hardware which could not run or

function without it. This firmware lays out a set of

rules which allows the hardware to function and

provides a way for the software to interact with the

hardware. That's the main reason many people describe

firmware as "software for hardware".



Firmware can be permanently stored and may not even

need a power source. It's usually stored in read

only memory chips or ROMs. The major advantage of

firmware is that, even while it is permanent, it

can be rewritten or updated. So improvements can

be made by adding new features & functions or even

fixing errors on a device. Take for example, when a

Blu-ray Player is released it may not have certain

features, but these can be added at a later time by

updating the firmware.



However, firmware does have one major drawback, since

upgrading the software only may not be enough to correct

a problem or update a feature. Sometimes, you have

to also upgrade the hardware as well, if your present

hardware can't support the upgrade.





How To Upgrade Your Firmware?



It is generally recommended, if you're upgrading any

firmware that you contact the manufacturer, who will

have the latest firmware available. Now, there are

two ways you can upgrade your firmware: directly download

the upgrade into your hardware device or you can get the

update on a CD or some other media. Either way, both

methods are relatively painless and can be quickly and

easily done. Your electronic device will instantly have

its new feature or any errors will be fixed.



Many devices, such as some Blu-ray Players, which

have an Internet connection provides the easiest

method of updating your firmware. You simply log

on to the manufacturer's homepage and follow the

instruction given for updating your firmware. Many

times, this can be accomplished by downloading

directly to the electronic device. Other times,

you may be required to download to your hard-drive

or some other device such as a memory card, then

transfer the upgrade to your electronic device.



Just remember, firmware can be found in almost every

electronic device. And since you can easily upgrade

your firmware, this procedure greatly prolongs the

use of the device, giving it much more durability.

In other words, firmware lets you enjoy many of your

electronic gadgets such as your Blu-ray Player, for

a longer period of time before you have to buy a new

machine. Since this can save you a lot of money over

the long haul, that's reason enough for you to fully

understand firmware and how it works in your many

electronic devices.





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