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Samsung: 850 series - IR interference with cable boxes
Sorry
by earthearth - 1/24/09 4:58 PM In reply to: Glad it worked for you by kkreitzerI'm sorry if I came across as patronizing. I try to avoid that. But some of the people on this forum sound like royalty complaining that they only got 24 blackbirds rather than 5&20 in their pie.
And thanks for your advice: "but do us all a favor and don't give advice to people who aren't asking for it."
Get it?
Not Prolonged for Me
by RoadiJeff - 1/24/09 5:41 PM In reply to: Not Prolonged for Me by earthearthDid you do a careful evaluation of the TV picture before and after the swap? My set has an absolutely gorgeous picture but it also has the IR conflict with my Dish Network ViP722 receiver. I've overcome the IR problem with a Hot Link Pro repeater but I had to mount the sensor in a location that I sometimes have to switch hands to operate the remote to "see" around the corner.
I'd love a hardware fix on the TV but not if it means sacrificing even one bit of the beautiful picture I currently have. I know I could write down the settings before the board swap but I've read on other boards that hardware changes can sometimes do strange things that cannot be reversed.
PQ and Board Swap
by abcuster - 1/24/09 9:06 PM In reply to: Not Prolonged for Me by RoadiJeffRoadiJeff, not sure what you mean by "careful evaluation". My PQ looks the same to me after the board swap. Changing the board does nothing to your picture settings. You have to remember that your picture settings and PQ is more likely to change with a firmware update, not a hardware change.
No Loss of Picture Quality from Board Swap
by earthearth - 1/25/09 12:47 AM In reply to: Not Prolonged for Me by RoadiJeffI had the inverter boards swapped and there was no loss of picture quality at all. (In addition, the Samsung tech representative said on this thread that there is no loss.) It's important to remember the importance of the source signal when evaluating PQ. If, for example, you've been watching lots of Blu-Ray before the board swap, then after the swap the first thing you watch is a fuzzy local channel via cable--you'll see a fuzzy and disappointing picture. But don't blame the board swap. It's not the TV's fault.
My reference for eye-popping PQ is the Samsung 2500 Blu-Ray player fed into a Samsung 850. Even most ordinary non-Blu DVD's are astonishingly clean and realistic, thanks to a special HQV processor (and other technology) in the player. I've been sometimes unable to remember whether I was watching Blu-Ray or DVD. Like the 850 TV, this Blu-Ray unit contains technology (HQV for example) that's ahead of much of the competition.
I don't work for Samsung, and for decades I've nearly always bought Sony TV and video-related products because of their clear superiority to the competition (I did skip Betamax). In 2008 all that changed for me. I still compare the various options in the store, but I've ended up buying Samsung for my last three TV's and my Blu-Ray player. Why? The Samsungs are simply hands-down better than the rest.
No Loss of Picture Quality from Board Swap
by RoadiJeff - 1/26/09 6:00 PM In reply to: No Loss of Picture Quality from Board Swap by earthearthearthearth,
Thanks for the detailed reply. With the inverter board swap did they also do a firmware update? That seems to be the source for some PQ degrading issues when Samsung posted a firmware update on their website to fix the IR conflict.
FW 1002 and 1003 owners report a beautiful picture. Some who upgraded to 1004 have reported that they noticed their previously gorgeous picture became slightly degraded afterward.
Which version are you running?
Also, I did hours of research and read dozens of reviews when shopping for a Blu-Ray player several months ago. I looked at the Samsung 2500 and many others. After careful consideration I went with the Panasonic BD35.
Firmware & Blu-Ray Player Choice
by earthearth - 1/27/09 12:00 AM In reply to: No Loss of Picture Quality from Board Swap by RoadiJeff1. No, they didn't do a firmware change. But it's quite simple to do that. My unit came with FW1004, and while trying various possible solutions to the IR problem, I did a firmware change myself to FW1003. I didn't really notice much change, though the "cloud" issue seems a bit less obvious (over time, the clouding seems to be improving all by itself, but frankly I've never felt that issue had much impact on the actual picture quality--which as we all know is fantastic.
2. Your Panasonic BD35 looks like a good choice. It got a top rating in the "Sound and Vision Editor's Choice Awards" magazine. Then again, that same magazine also chose the Samsung BD-P2550 (same unit and the P2500, but without the Pandora music feature which I wouldn't have use for). About the Samsung their review says "flawless handling of both Blu-Ray and DVD video."
Final thoughts on this issue
by abcuster - 1/24/09 10:03 PM In reply to: Samsung by jimzzzakJimzzzak says:
"1. Although I have heard the problem called rare, there is no way to know that. If you look at the size of this thread, it is one of the largest in the Samsung forum suggesting that the problem may be 'not so rare' or even worse."
Doesn't really matter does it?
There is a fix:
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-13973_102-0.html?forumID=146&threadID=313706&messageID=2951405&tag=forums06;posts#2951405
jimzzzak also says:
"2. The tech support that Samsung is providing people who call with this problem is pretty poor by some reports. Some people are even told to replace their cable box and the new invertor board fix is not even offered. Also it may take 2-3 weeks of waiting for tech support to even come out and that may be after the consumer has been dealing with the problem for weeks or months trying to figure out what the problem is and getting denials from some Samsung techs."
I didn't have that problem at all after I discovered....
There is a fix (with detailed instructions included):
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-13973_102-0.html?forumID=146&threadID=313706&messageID=2951405&tag=forums06;posts#2951405
jimzzzak also mentions:
"3. If one wants to purchase an 850 and is wondering whether their peripherals will work or not, Samsung has not made the list of affected peripherals known although one can go through each post in this very long thread to find the information out. That's pretty convenient."
Is a list really necessary if ---
There is a fix:
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-13973_102-0.html?forumID=146&threadID=313706&messageID=2951405&tag=forums06;posts#2951405
Oh - and another thing jimzzzak brought up:
"All in all I find Samsung's efforts good but very suboptimal."
Seems to me that Samsung_HD-Tech wrote that Samsung's position would be to take care of the problem - if all you would do is check out the following link (in case you missed it):
There is a fix (for those who wish to receive it):
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-13973_102-0.html?forumID=146&threadID=313706&messageID=2951405&tag=forums06;posts#2951405
Seriously though, it may have taken a while for this issue to be resolved by Samsung, but they have acknowledged that there is a problem, and have offered a correction to the problem. You also have to remember that this is not a Samsung-specific phenomenon, but an issue that plagues other brands as well. PLUS, ANY peripheral that is controlled by IR signal is susceptible to this interference - irregardless of type or age. Therefore, a comprehensive list of affected components is not only impossible, but useless.
We are fortunate to have a forum that is monitored by a Samsung representative (good luck finding that elsewhere). Be glad that you found this forum to research this issue. Yes, I'm sure there are many other owners who have probably returned their set because of the issue, or they have simply waited several minutes for the IR interference issue to disappear. For those that do call for technical support, I'm betting that this info is quickly filtering down to the frontline telephone customer service reps.
I think this thread has finally gone full circle. Mr. Samsung_HD_Tech, perhaps you could put a "SUGGESTED FIX" sticky at the top of the forum for new visitors?
[he humbly steps off of his soapbox, turns off the lights, and reclines in the easychair to fully enjoy his *fixed* Samsung 850 - and a piece of blackbird pie....]
Final thoughts on this issue
by Samsung_HD_Tech
- 1/26/09 1:07 PM
In reply to: Final thoughts on this issue by abcuster
Here's my take on it.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Jimmmzak started this thread out of what I believe is concern for his consumer dollar and desire for value. I don't fault that; rather, I think it's smart consumerism. He did his research, found a product that better suited his needs (as did several others), and I'm glad it has worked out in his best interest. I couldn't promise a fix at the time; I don't control those things. My job is to help people the best I can, make recommendations and help people understand the technology they are considering. I do a few things here that are outside of my job description because I believe it to be the right thing to do.
So that it's said, everyone's opinion is welcome.
You are correct that this is not a Samsung-only phenonemon. But it included us and we fixed it. I guess there are philosophical discussions about why we might or might not have tested this one particular IR frequency with 100+ different cable boxes and satellite receivers. I can't speak to that.
If someone wants to take exception to my statement that this is a rare issue, that's perfectly fine with me. Perception is reality, and if that's someone's perception, I accept that it's their reality - that's what they see. I'm not here to argue or justify any of that. In the end, not everyone will be satisfied with the answer and I don't control that either. I made that statement based on X units sold versus X complaints on the site I'm at as well as some of the other forums out there. But I don't deal with numbers. I deal with people.
It's also perfectly logical to consider a rare possibility that a new cable box 5 years from now could potentially interfere with a CRT TV's IR made 10 years ago. We could have that discussion, but my focus is to fix the affected users in the here and now.
That said, it's my perception that it's rare enough that it doesn't merit its own sticky post. I'm not afraid of people coming on and seeing the discussion and the resulting fix.
Several posters here have noted a fix in a week or so. Different service centers in different areas serving different customers will vary. As much as I'd like to, I have no control over that either.
I've offered my personal assistance to those who have needed it here, and will continue to do so. Some will appreciate it. Some will expect it. Some will handle it on their own. And some will say, "whatever". I'm here to serve each of those equally. It doesn't matter to me where I fit into the equation as long as the problem is resolved.
I might add that the lack of requests for additional assistance (I've had one? two?) either speaks to the fact that our service center is handling this properly on a wide scale, or that this is indeed pretty rare.
I have not made the list of affected peripherals known because I do not have clearance to release information on an internal document - a document I used to notify people that a fix was available and how to be the first in line for it without divulging sensitive information. I don't apologize for that, so if that's worthy of scorn, so be it. I dislike sounding insensitive, but I suppose that's going to have to be an inevitable, and hopefully occasional part of my job. I figured most people would understand, but regardless, that's my responsibility. Peer pressure, nor public scorn, nor unanimous demands from members here will make me release information that I'm not cleared to.
We're a global company. I personally serve a global audience. I'll make some mistakes on occasion, or drop the ball on a few things. I can still boast a 99% accuracy rate (my own personal goal) on the information I provide, and I'm proud of that.
What keeps me on my toes is knowing that someone will always be there to point it out when I (or we) do error. There are no shortage of critics, and I am very much aware that I'm in the spotlight and that every word I type is subject to criticism, review, perception or verification from fans and critics alike. So I try to be forward, honest, genuine and helpful to everyone. It will never be enough for some, and it will make all the difference in the world for others. No focus groups could ever replace customer feedback, so I welcome it.
I strive to impress our customers, potential customers and onlookers every day. I work to make sure my company is properly represented (and protected when applicable) and that my boss is happy with the job I do, improve communication on issues that our consumers have and carry the responsibility of representing thousands of hard-working employees on a world-class website like C|Net.
I'm not above criticism, and I see it as an opportunity to improve something when I have the ability to do so. I appreciate the feedback provided by all users here.
Reminder: We have a fix and I've personally offered to assist with any problems they might encounter.
--HDTech
imagine the possibilities
- Click here to visit the Samsung forum
- Click here to visit the Samsung store on CNET
Help for LN52A850
by chriscasto - 1/26/09 3:22 PM In reply to: Final thoughts on this issue by Samsung_HD_Tech
HDTech,
I'll accept your offer for help. I have monitored this thread since discovering that I have this issue in December. I am stuck in the system. How does someone contact you?
chriscasto...
by Samsung_HD_Tech - 1/26/09 6:12 PM
In reply to: Help for LN52A850 by chriscasto
chriscasto,
Sorry to hear that.
Please let me know what your service transaction number is.
It should start with a 4001xxxx, 2001xxxxx or similar number.
Also, please verify your model number. I'll be able to respond from there.
--HDTech
imagine the possibilities
- Click here to visit the Samsung forum
- Click here to visit the Samsung store on CNET
Accepting Your Help
by chriscasto - 1/27/09 12:40 PM In reply to: chriscasto... by Samsung_HD_Tech
Thank you. My transaction # is 4002959091. I have an LN52A850.
Got it!
by Samsung_HD_Tech - 1/29/09 11:47 PM
In reply to: Accepting Your Help by chriscasto
I got the transaction number and will be reviewing it today (Friday).
I apologize for the delay.
--HDTech
imagine the possibilities
- Click here to visit the Samsung forum
- Click here to visit the Samsung store on CNET
Parts Ordered
by Samsung_HD_Tech - 1/30/09 1:03 PM
In reply to: Accepting Your Help by chriscasto
I have checked, and your parts were ordered on the 28th. Once they receive the parts, they will be contacting you to set up an appointment.
Let me know if you haven't heard anything in a week and I'll be happy to follow up.
--HDTech
imagine the possibilities
- Click here to visit the Samsung forum
- Click here to visit the Samsung store on CNET
Part ordered?
by sohonyc - 1/30/09 2:20 PM In reply to: Parts Ordered by Samsung_HD_Tech
Dear Samsung HD Tech: I used the Samsung website to set up my service ticket (4003082315). I spoke with a local service provider representative in the NYC area (Williston Park was the company name, I believe) and I conveyed that I'll be expecting replacement of the inverter PCB's as noted on this forum as well as on the Samsung website. They acknowledged my statements but I'm not sure if they believed me, so I wanted to check if the parts have been ordered for this ticket. Can you please help me verify this? I appreciate all your help (for me as well as all the others).
Happy to.....
by Samsung_HD_Tech - 2/1/09 9:19 PM
In reply to: Part ordered? by sohonyc
sohonyc,
I will check first thing Monday when the service requests are updated.
--HDTech
imagine the possibilities
- Click here to visit the Samsung forum
- Click here to visit the Samsung store on CNET
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