Samsung forum: LN52A750R1FXZA firmware problems with v1012.2 - Lost Dolby

Thank you much for responding!

I have an ATT Uverse set top box and a Samsung BD player connected to the television via HDMI. I have an optical cable (output) connected from the TV back to my receiver. Both boxes send Dolby Digital sound to the TV on the HDMI cables. Before the upgrade to 1012.2 the TV would port the Dolby Digital across to the outbound Optical connection. After the upgrade it only ports "Stereo" digital sound. I've tried every setting in the menu, including using the remote with the 10 second "exit" key to reset the whole TV to factory settings. I didn't change even one setting on any hardware after the firmware upgrade, but now the Dolby Digital sound will not port accross from the HDMI inputs to the Optical output.

Thank you very much for following up with me and listening to this (overly) detailed response.

Thank you again for helping me (on Christmas Eve!). The firmware is US version...or at least I bought it in Texas at Best Buy and am assuming it's a US model. I really appreciate your working with me on such a personal one-on-one like this and will be watching this thread for your instructions if you're able to find the file. Please do turn off your computer and go have a nice Christmas break with the rest of the team!

Merry Christmas!

I put in a request today. I'll have an answer shortly.

--HDTech

Online Brand Ambassador

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Just want you to know that I appreciate the effort you're making by helping me with this issue.

I'll stay tuned and Happy New Year!

Jesse T.

HDTech, just checking to see if you ever got clearance to release the previous tweaked verson of the firmware before version 1012.2? I would be interested to see if it restores the surround sound output on the optical audio output port (versus just stereo output). Thanks in advance.

LN52A750R1FXZA version SQ01
U.S. Model

Yes, my receiver would auto-sense the digital signal and switch to Dolby Digital through the optical out port with the factory installed firmware. When viewing a station that was transmitting only Stereo the receiver would switch back to digital Stereo. The optical port would pass out whatever was being sent into the TV on the HDMI cable. I hope that my memory is not faulty and that I'm not asking you to run in circles, but I will verify and list the results if the developers decide to allow us to try. If not, we'll wait until the next firmware upgrade and see if it truly is a coding issue.

After reading other forums on other sites there appears to be an industry wide point of not allowing any digital signal that feeds a TV via an HDMI cable to leave the TV. Apparently, the DRM licensing which allows the use of HDMI technology specifically forbids the device (TV) that decrypts the digital signal to pass that signal to any other device. If it passes the decrypted signal to another device it could be copied in it's decrypted state. I don't believe we will ever get digital surrond sound (or decrypted HDMI) out of a TV if the input was HDMI. That's why, IMO, all the other inputs will port surround sound out the optical port, and HDMI inputs won't.
If I did see my TV port HDMI surrond sound to the optical port, and I'm beginning to think I must have been wrong, I don't expect Samsung to release that version of the firmware again

I'd like to add my voice to this as well - it is very annoying that the TV won't pass 5.1 from the HDMI ports to the optical port.

Being in software design myself, I understand that there are an infinite number of change requests and an finite number of programmers to make them, and that the best way to get a feature worked on is to be able to demonstrate to Marketing that the feature is really important to the customers, so please count this as another request for this to be fixed.

I just updated a couple of days ago. I haven't noticed any sound problems except that it reset the TV sound settings by turning TruSurround off after I did the update. I do not have a home theater system hooked up to it though.

Here's what it says it fixes: This firmware will correct the following phenomenons some units may experience. -. For prevention : The TV will turn on and off continuously -. Flickering picture when connected through component source -. Subwoofer balance Error -. Energy Saving Auto setting Error * Add Film mode option off / Auto -> off / Auto 1 / Auto 2 * The firmware will be updated to the following version. -. LN**A750R1F : 1012.2 *

I updated b/c I was afraid of the off/on issue happening and not being able to fix it once it did.

I understand what you're saying jester. I don't use a receiver, only the TV's speakers and I use a pair of Tritton headphones via my PS3's optical audio and they are 5.1 . I certainly understand not wanting to add wires! When you pay this much for a TV AND upgrade to the newest (and presumably best) firmware it should just work without introducing new problems IMO.

I was just saying I haven't experienced any sound problems from the built-in speakers, but I wouldn't since they are only stereo and only output "virtual" surround sound w/ SRS TruSurround XT turned on.

Hope they get this issue resolved for those that own HT equip. I would, but I don't have room right now .

hi,

is that also possible with the LE46A756 series?


greetings

HI! This is for jesterjr as well as the unusually responsive and helpful (for service reps) Technician who has been trying to help resolve this issue. I have a back ground in Home Theater installations---more the hardware (hookup) part than programming or custom construction sides. From what I have been able to learn, through a lot of trial, error, and online forums, the problem being experienced here* is not Samsung's fault and I don't believe anything they do can fix it. (*jesterjr said he was able to get DD via HDMI from his U-Verse Set Top Box [STB] into his TV and using the TV's optical output, send the digital bitstream back to his receiver, until a firmware update on the TV caused the 5.1 bitstream to drop to Stereo.) I have only JUST added the AT&T U-verse STB to my home theater and have learned, the hard way, that AT&T is not sending the full digital audio out via the HDMI output. While the cable is capable of it, the STB only sends DD, or 5.1 audio, via it's optical (Toslink or SPDIF) output. The length of the threads on ATT's sites discussing why customers can "see" (hear) DD via their receivers, which usually show some kind of display to inform you that it is seeing the 5.1 feed, go on and on. The people who have narrowed down the problem to the fact that the STB isn't even sending DD via HDMI have suggested using the optical connection in tandem WITH the HDMI cable. This will work if your receiver will allow you to assign an optical input to the same source as the HDMI input, but usually, it seems the audio coming from the HDMI cable "overrides" the digital signal coming in via the Toslink (opt.) cable. An alternative option seems to be using the optical cable for audio, and a component (Red, Green, Blue RCA) cable. This generally means you have to change inputs on the TV as well as the receiver, creating more headache. ATT cust support (Tier 1) told me today, after checking with someone higher up, that they ARE working to resolve this issue (it DOES seem to be well known) within 2009. Considering that the reason DVI went away to be replaced by HDMI was because the later ADDED audio, in particular, the digital bitstream, the delay in executing this upgrade, which should be simply firmware, is inexcusable. The posts complaining about this stretch back to the very beginning of U-verse's release. There are other "handshake" issues with audio drop-outs and picture problems related to all the different HDMI formats in the industry (particularly problems involving DRM and HDCP--look those up if you want even MORE information overload), but this problem seems a rather small one. My Pioneer Elite up-converting DVD player has the option to send the DD stream via HDMI OR optical (or digital coax) outputs--all chosen quite simply in the setup menu. No such menu seems to exist on the U-Verse STB.

As for the occasional few who seem to think they are, in fact, seeing DD via HDMI from their STB, I propose that they have their surround settings set to Pro Logic II or some other format that will make use of the 5.1 (or even 7.1) speakers in their system by simulating a surround track from a stereo (Linear PCM) feed. I've done side by side comparisons of the same live, HD show, and while PL II will give you sound from all the speakers, it is not the actual DD bitstream, and it doesn't sound AS impressive as the original, of course. I'm heading to the AT&T shop tonight to see about what I can find out as far as why I'm paying an additional $10/month for my HD pictures, but can't get the DD unless I use an additional optical cable.

I have not resolved the question of whether or not you can push resolutions greater than 720p via component cables...I think you can go up to 1080i (which is U-verse's limit--and I think Satellite and Cable, too). But I know the simplification of using a single cable from each device into the receiver and out to one input on the TV is a HUGE deal. Shoot, even my Vista Media PC has an HDMI output with DD out. I sure hope ATT gets their act together. I also help this little dissertation helps some people out there. Huge kudos to the Samsung tech for trying to help Jesterjr out. Samsung TV's seem to be getting bad reps on the street due to "lag time" on start up, and some handshake issues, but at least somebody at their end is trying to keep us customers happy. FYI, the complaints about the tv's are NOT about picture quality...just software and firmware issues. I can be reached at yahoo with my same screen name, if anyone wants to pick my brain one-on-one (or point out errors or omissions), if you really want. I'm in the Chicago area and have a Sceptre 46" LCD that I bought new from TigerDirect right after Thanksgiving. It has a couple shortcomings, but the price couldn't be beat for the size and the pic is really quite nice.

I'll try to follow up if I find out anything else.

Daniel (DMGadget)