Sony BDP-S570 Nearly Went Out of Window Tonight!
Over the weekend I finally got to start watching the much-anticipated Game of Thrones on BD. I was really getting into it by the end of the third episode, but there were other calls on my time. Reluctantly, I ceased my viewing until this evening.
As I sat down for a bite to eat, I decided to set up my viewing for episode four. The Sony froze! Why? It had been fine over the weekend. I wasted ages, and my meal went cold, but to no avail. No matter what I tried, the darned disc would NOT play! At random, I grabbed an alternate disc...which played with no problem. I tried the second GoT disc again - nothing. Each time I had to disconnect the power for the 'player at the socket to restart the Sony and also eject the disc. I was getting increasingly frustrated. 
I then resorted to a sensible step - I consulted Google. Lo and behold, after a few minutes I found advice that has worked: go into the BP menu system and the setup for BD viewing where you can change some key settings. There, disable internet access when playing, and also select the external (rear) memory option. No USB stick is actually required despite the message. It works! Stupid, but it does work. It may be that either will work, but I've not bothered to test that.
I wasted a good three parts of an hour finding that out - I am NOT impressed Sony and HBO! 
Yeah, and sometimes they try to make it just that little bit too 'clever'.
In my case, I liken it to my brain....it's got all this potential, of which I only use a (very) small percentage. 
Meanwhile the plots thicken...
....like lumpy custard? 
It's better than shark-infested.
Having managed to get to episode 5 of the series tonight, I am genuinely regretting having read the book last year - I know too much - the supense is lacking! Note to self: cease reading the second book!
Young man, to get the suspense back...you need a better cable!
The series is good, but is the book better?
Did you mean better or more expensive/exotic? 
As for book vs TV series - that's a debate for another forum area...I don't want to get caught out on that one!
Just a quick update: once the 'player was adjusted, I had no problems watching the rest of the series...until I cam to the last disc and episode 10. In this case I did actually have to put a memory stick in the USB slot before it would play! How frustrating and foolish! Fortunately, I have a 16Gb USB drive which I had to hand.
A most entertaining series, marred by irritating hardware/software issues.
Bluray not working you say? Winter is coming..
A long winter indeed without Bluray to watch! Perhaps it's time to teach the direwolf the game of 'fetch' to pass those long winter...years!
Technology, don't you just love it!
"Everything has been said before, but since nobody listens we have to keep going back and beginning all over again." André Gide