dwpatterson,
Sort of... but let me clarify.
Blu-Ray offers javascript coding, which allows for interactive features, such as loaded movie menus and software applications. The reality is that we, like most manufacturers, don't get access to Blu-Ray titles before they come out. The studios are reluctant to hand over those titles before they're available for sale.
So if I could speak from my perspective, it's not so much that they're worried about copy piracy from consumers (though that will always be a concern, of course!), but more of the fact that a new release winds up on the latest P2P filesharing program.
The real issue is expanding the realm of Blu-Ray by using new encoding features to make each release better and more interactive. To do that, there are some scripts that are made for the disc that we aren't always aware of until we get the actual disc - the earliest we can get them is release day. As we hear of these issues, we actually test the disc in question, verify the issue, and then send it to engineering to make it compatible with our units.
Some of these scripts may find their way on one certain player beforehand, and that is because the Blu-Ray player manufacturer is also a member of the major picture studios.
In short, the firmwares address the new Java-coding rather than, say, a copyright hack or MPAA mandate. Our players are set to not allow duplication by way of HDCP features, and merely disabling copy-protection is a felony - even if you don't copy a disc, and that's per the DMCA of 1998 - and since the penalties are high, it's kind of expected that the copy issues are pretty clear cut and defined. That's not the reason we update the players to the best of my knowledge. So we update them as a direct result of new scripts and encoding and menu/picture features that are added on prior to our knowledge. So we, and most other Blu-Ray manufacturers discover this and have to "catch up", so to speak.
The good news is that this isn't going to last forever, and has significantly descreased, considering the number of Blu-Ray titles that have had no problems whatsoever with the current coding as it is.
At some point, I'd expect the industry to find a standard, but that hasn't happened quite yet. But we'll support those titles that have issues; sometimes it just takes time, and I can appreciate your frustration in having to wait. We also would love to not have to rush after the release of a best selling disc so our customers could eventually watch what they've purchased. But the best we CAN do, and the best we DO do, is support the media as quickly as possible when we're notified of these issues.
I hope that helps clear up some confusion.
--HDTech