Samsung products - Blu-Ray Players

symian · January 29th, 2011, 07:50 PM

If you have a Samsung Blu-Ray player and it is working good enough, NEVER do a firmware update if prompted to. I did, and now my P1590 won't play Blu-rays. It will play DVDs and CDs, and Netflix streaming works, but no Blu-rays. A friend of mine has a later model and did a firmware update and now he can't play SOME discs, but can play others. It depends, for his player, on the studio that produced the disc. I've searched around for fixes for my problem but to no avail. I have, however, run into many threads where other people have experience the same problem I am having.

My father has the same model, from the same production batch, that I have. He ignores the "new firmware available" prompts so his firmware is back at version BEv2.08. His player still works properly. Me, I decided to keep the firmware up to date and my player, since BEv2.09 has not been able to play Blu-Ray discs. I am now at BEv2.13 and can't play any Blu-Rays. His keeps chugging along with no issues, even with brand new Blu-Ray releases.

Here's the big stinker: Starting with BEv2.09, the ability to downgrade to an earlier firmware version has been locked out. Prior to that version you could downgrade to older firmware versions. Why was this capability locked out? Because when you call, Samsung support will tell you that your player is broken, and that it is not related to the new firmware. Downgrading the firmware gave the customer the ability to prove them wrong by taking the firmware back to an earlier one and being able to play Blu-Rays again.

I know that the majority of Samsung Blu-Ray players owners do not keep their player connected via networking, but as more and more people begin to connect their players, more and more people will begin to experience this issue. So, NEVER do a firmware upgrade if prompted when you do connect your player to a network. You may well regret it.

**Welderman** · January 29th, 2011, 11:07 PM

Bloody Hell Mate, Sounds to complicated, That's why i opt watch My old movies on VHS...

symian · January 30th, 2011, 02:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by welderman

Bloody Hell Mate, Sounds to complicated, That's why i opt watch My old movies on VHS...

*chuckle*

I still have VHS, as well as DVD and even LaserDisc. I do try to play VHS from time to time, but the fast forward and slo-mo is so, umm, slow, I can't take it for long.

symian · January 30th, 2011, 04:22 AM

I called Samsung support today and talked to a support tech named Frank. I told him what happened after I installed the firmware upgrade and he said that it was all my fault.

"If your device was working properly you should NOT have installed the new firmware. You should only install an update when you are experiencing problems with your device. The notice of updated firmware is an option that lets you know when one is available, but it should only be installed if you are experiencing issues with the device. New firmware is not for everyone, only for those experiencing problems with their device. By installing that firmware when it was not needed, you damaged your player, and I can't even give you the option to send it in, because it cannot be repaired. You ruined the Blu-Ray part of your unit by installing that firmware. Sorry, but I cannot help you."

That was at 8:20PM EST tonight, January 28th, 2011.

I guess this fellow thinks that everyone on the planet is an idiot. Firmware is used to fix issues, certainly. It is also used to add features, improve quality, and increase compatibility. I know that. I don't think he does, or ever did. Heck, when I got my player it had Netflix and Pandora fuctionality, but a later firmware update gave me Blockbuster and YouTube functionality too. Mr. Samsung support tech apparently had no idea about that. Such is the state of technical support these days. :/

But, thankfully, I purchased a 3 year extended service contract when I got this BD Player at Sam's Club. I called that service company and they are sending me a pre-paid package to send the unit to them for repair or replacement. I am SO glad that I spent that additional $25 bucks. I'll be out my player for 2 weeks to a month, but I will get it back in working order, no thanks at all to Samsung.

FYI to folks out there. Leave well enough alone when it comes to Firmware updates on Samsung products. And tell your friends, post on websites, and let people know before they mess their players up.

**otiscleotus** · January 30th, 2011, 06:57 AM

After seeing the quality of Samsung products that friends have bought I've never had the lapse of judgement to purchase any myself.

haliose · January 30th, 2011, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by symian

I called Samsung support today and talked to a support tech named Frank. I told him what happened after I installed the firmware upgrade and he said that it was all my fault.

"If your device was working properly you should NOT have installed the new firmware. You should only install an update when you are experiencing problems with your device. The notice of updated firmware is an option that lets you know when one is available, but it should only be installed if you are experiencing issues with the device. New firmware is not for everyone, only for those experiencing problems with their device. By installing that firmware when it was not needed, you damaged your player, and I can't even give you the option to send it in, because it cannot be repaired. You ruined the Blu-Ray part of your unit by installing that firmware. Sorry, but I cannot help you."

That was at 8:20PM EST tonight, January 28th, 2011.

I guess this fellow thinks that everyone on the planet is an idiot. Firmware is used to fix issues, certainly. It is also used to add features, improve quality, and increase compatibility. I know that. I don't think he does, or ever did. Heck, when I got my player it had Netflix and Pandora fuctionality, but a later firmware update gave me Blockbuster and YouTube functionality too. Mr. Samsung support tech apparently had no idea about that. Such is the state of technical support these days. :/

But, thankfully, I purchased a 3 year extended service contract when I got this BD Player at Sam's Club. I called that service company and they are sending me a pre-paid package to send the unit to them for repair or replacement. I am SO glad that I spent that additional $25 bucks. I'll be out my player for 2 weeks to a month, but I will get it back in working order, no thanks at all to Samsung.

FYI to folks out there. Leave well enough alone when it comes to Firmware updates on Samsung products. And tell your friends, post on websites, and let people know before they mess their players up.

i myself swear by samsung products,and yes the man is right firmware is only there if YOU need it not a software to download that u have to use,unlike the rubbish PS3 witch needs it badly.

Fantazmaster · January 30th, 2011, 11:26 AM

Yes like Symian,I have had a very similar experience with a C-6500 Samsung Blu-Ray player.In my case I was indeed having problems connecting this player
to my Cisco wireless router and did perform a firmware upgrade as suggested on the Samsung website in order to solve this connection issue.

I can tell you that this suggested upgrade did not resolve this connection issue
at all.Fortunately there was an excellent solution to this connection issue on one of the tech support forums that solved this connection issue in about 5 minutes by applying a few connection tweaks.I found this solution via Google search and am still stunned that Samsung has not posted this easy fix solution on their website.

That is another issue I have with Samsung,their website IMHO looks like the result of a junior high school "Let's Build A Website" contest.Navigation to different sections of the site often results in the former sections sticking in place when the new pages load.Their "Questions" sections serves as their tech support forum and is not in forum format,rather when one clicks on a question,various answers appear below that question,a cumbersome format if there ever was one.
Notably,when I tried to post an answer on this wireless network connection issue with this easy 5 minute fix,I got a message about "Submission Not Allowed".E-mailed Samsung and they told me in reply that the department in charge of the website would be notified of this issue,Have not heard from Samsung in the past two weeks,I do not intend to waste my time further
with this inadequate website of theirs ,For that matter, I will certainly refrain from purchasing any other Samsung products.

symian · January 30th, 2011, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haliose

i myself swear by samsung products,and yes the man is right firmware is only there if YOU need it not a software to download that u have to use,unlike the rubbish PS3 witch needs it badly.

Err. Well, on the Samsung website it reads:

It is important to keep your Blu-ray player up to date with the latest firmware to ensure an optimal movie-watching experience.

And this is cut and pasted directly from the manual:

Firmware Upgrade Notification

The popup menu appears when a newer version of the firrmware is available from SAMSUNG update server than that of the Blu-ray Disc Player, if the Blu-ray Disc Player is connected to the network and powered on.

Yes

: Select this to upgrade now.

no : Select this if you plan to upgrade later.

---

It doesn't read "No, my player is working correctly." or give an option to turn the notifications off. No, it reads Yes, do the upgrade, or No, I plan to do it later. Not "I do not plan to install the update" or "No, I don't need this update."

If there is a selective need for an update, it should not be widely or casually distributed.

haliose · January 30th, 2011, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by symian

Err. Well, on the Samsung website it reads:

It is important to keep your Blu-ray player up to date with the latest firmware to ensure an optimal movie-watching experience.

And this is cut and pasted directly from the manual:

Firmware Upgrade Notification

The popup menu appears when a newer version of the firrmware is available from SAMSUNG update server than that of the Blu-ray Disc Player, if the Blu-ray Disc Player is connected to the network and powered on.

Yes

: Select this to upgrade now.

no : Select this if you plan to upgrade later.

---

It doesn't read "No, my player is working correctly." or give an option to turn the notifications off. No, it reads Yes, do the upgrade, or No, I plan to do it later. Not "I do not plan to install the update" or "No, I don't need this update."

If there is a selective need for an update, it should not be widely or casually distributed.

agreed on that point yes,it should read my player or phone is up to date i dont need this now option.but bear in mind its not samsunga software its firmwares software

symian · January 30th, 2011, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haliose

agreed on that point yes,it should read my player or phone is up to date i dont need this now option.but bear in mind its not samsunga software its firmwares software

Ah! But it does not inform you what is in the update. One update gave me Blockbuster and YouTube capabilities, and another gave me a more stable network configuration. And if you decide to skip, say, BEv2.09 because you don't need it, and then BEv2.13 has something in it you want or need, you still get the 2.09 changes included in the 2.13 edition. Other than never to install an update at all and accept the probable little bugs that remain in your version, it is a no-win situation.

For me, from now on, I am accepting what I have when I have it with Samsung products and will pass any firmware updates like they are dead squirrels on the side of the road. I have no desire for roadkill.

January 29th, 2011, 07:50 PM	#1
symian Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 251 Thanks: 12,359 Thanked 2,650 Times in 248 Posts	Samsung products - Blu-Ray Players If you have a Samsung Blu-Ray player and it is working good enough, NEVER do a firmware update if prompted to. I did, and now my P1590 won't play Blu-rays. It will play DVDs and CDs, and Netflix streaming works, but no Blu-rays. A friend of mine has a later model and did a firmware update and now he can't play SOME discs, but can play others. It depends, for his player, on the studio that produced the disc. I've searched around for fixes for my problem but to no avail. I have, however, run into many threads where other people have experience the same problem I am having. My father has the same model, from the same production batch, that I have. He ignores the "new firmware available" prompts so his firmware is back at version BEv2.08. His player still works properly. Me, I decided to keep the firmware up to date and my player, since BEv2.09 has not been able to play Blu-Ray discs. I am now at BEv2.13 and can't play any Blu-Rays. His keeps chugging along with no issues, even with brand new Blu-Ray releases. Here's the big stinker: Starting with BEv2.09, the ability to downgrade to an earlier firmware version has been locked out. Prior to that version you could downgrade to older firmware versions. Why was this capability locked out? Because when you call, Samsung support will tell you that your player is broken, and that it is not related to the new firmware. Downgrading the firmware gave the customer the ability to prove them wrong by taking the firmware back to an earlier one and being able to play Blu-Rays again. I know that the majority of Samsung Blu-Ray players owners do not keep their player connected via networking, but as more and more people begin to connect their players, more and more people will begin to experience this issue. So, NEVER do a firmware upgrade if prompted when you do connect your player to a network. You may well regret it. __________________ Respectfully yours, ~ Symian

January 30th, 2011, 04:22 AM	#4
symian Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 251 Thanks: 12,359 Thanked 2,650 Times in 248 Posts	I called Samsung support today and talked to a support tech named Frank. I told him what happened after I installed the firmware upgrade and he said that it was all my fault. "If your device was working properly you should NOT have installed the new firmware. You should only install an update when you are experiencing problems with your device. The notice of updated firmware is an option that lets you know when one is available, but it should only be installed if you are experiencing issues with the device. New firmware is not for everyone, only for those experiencing problems with their device. By installing that firmware when it was not needed, you damaged your player, and I can't even give you the option to send it in, because it cannot be repaired. You ruined the Blu-Ray part of your unit by installing that firmware. Sorry, but I cannot help you." That was at 8:20PM EST tonight, January 28th, 2011. I guess this fellow thinks that everyone on the planet is an idiot. Firmware is used to fix issues, certainly. It is also used to add features, improve quality, and increase compatibility. I know that. I don't think he does, or ever did. Heck, when I got my player it had Netflix and Pandora fuctionality, but a later firmware update gave me Blockbuster and YouTube functionality too. Mr. Samsung support tech apparently had no idea about that. Such is the state of technical support these days. :/ But, thankfully, I purchased a 3 year extended service contract when I got this BD Player at Sam's Club. I called that service company and they are sending me a pre-paid package to send the unit to them for repair or replacement. I am SO glad that I spent that additional $25 bucks. I'll be out my player for 2 weeks to a month, but I will get it back in working order, no thanks at all to Samsung. FYI to folks out there. Leave well enough alone when it comes to Firmware updates on Samsung products. And tell your friends, post on websites, and let people know before they mess their players up. __________________ Respectfully yours, ~ Symian

January 30th, 2011, 06:57 AM	#5
otiscleotus Proprietor of the Baulsaglough Nuclear Waste Dump Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Minnebraska Posts: 5,424 Thanks: 26,442 Thanked 103,762 Times in 5,473 Posts	After seeing the quality of Samsung products that friends have bought I've never had the lapse of judgement to purchase any myself. __________________ Novosibirsk model indexes: To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

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January 29th, 2011, 11:07 PM	#2
Welderman Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: County of Champions Posts: 3,707 Thanks: 55,074 Thanked 64,245 Times in 3,729 Posts	Bloody Hell Mate, Sounds to complicated, That's why i opt watch My old movies on VHS...

January 30th, 2011, 11:26 AM	#7
Fantazmaster Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 54 Thanks: 1,734 Thanked 537 Times in 53 Posts	Yes like Symian,I have had a very similar experience with a C-6500 Samsung Blu-Ray player.In my case I was indeed having problems connecting this player to my Cisco wireless router and did perform a firmware upgrade as suggested on the Samsung website in order to solve this connection issue. I can tell you that this suggested upgrade did not resolve this connection issue at all.Fortunately there was an excellent solution to this connection issue on one of the tech support forums that solved this connection issue in about 5 minutes by applying a few connection tweaks.I found this solution via Google search and am still stunned that Samsung has not posted this easy fix solution on their website. That is another issue I have with Samsung,their website IMHO looks like the result of a junior high school "Let's Build A Website" contest.Navigation to different sections of the site often results in the former sections sticking in place when the new pages load.Their "Questions" sections serves as their tech support forum and is not in forum format,rather when one clicks on a question,various answers appear below that question,a cumbersome format if there ever was one. Notably,when I tried to post an answer on this wireless network connection issue with this easy 5 minute fix,I got a message about "Submission Not Allowed".E-mailed Samsung and they told me in reply that the department in charge of the website would be notified of this issue,Have not heard from Samsung in the past two weeks,I do not intend to waste my time further with this inadequate website of theirs ,For that matter, I will certainly refrain from purchasing any other Samsung products.