Samsung forum: samsung tv ( LN32B650 ) timer complaint

ilovitz,

I can recall seeing this request maybe 3 or 4 times in the last year. I'm not suggesting it's not a good idea, but firmware is not as easy to program as many people think.

RF was selected because it's a connection that will deliver a picture without a secondary box needing to be on. Same with USB.

If HDMI-1 is selected, the television might turn on. But unless the cable/sat box is on (which requires you to leave it on all night), no picture is going to show up. A DVD player, likewise, wouldn't wake you up with content even though it will turn on with a disc in the tray - it would have to repeat all night, or it will wake you up to the menu. So the logic behind the decision makes sense to some degree (in that it wasn't just a thoughtless decision), but instead serves to be not something that meets your needs.

If there are numerous threads elsewhere, I'd be happy to take a look. But if it doesn't meet your needs, I encourage you to get something that delivers a solution for your needs. The other option is to wake up to OTA television or a thumbdrive movie with content that you want to wake up to, and then switch the channel.

I'm guessing this is not an answer you're excited about, but hopefully at least serves as an explanation to your inquiry.

--HDTech

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ilovitz,

I gave this a day to bump it back up to the top of the threads. Let's see if your theory proves to be correct.

I'm a pretty open guy when it comes to passing your comments upwards.

Modifying firmware is not easy, it's not a quick process and it isn't inexpensive. Those are the facts. So if a change is to be made like that, it would have to go across the entire product line and it has to be justified to spend the hours and time to do that.

I think adding more options for the timer is a good idea. It may be that we hear little feedback on it that it stays status quo - we can't respond to people who "tend to be quiet and don't post". I'll do what I can to bring attention to the issue. I don't like to see anyone unhappy or without a solution.

Rather than arrogance, I humbly submit that I don't foresee it being changed based on the number of responses. And even if it was overwhelming, it's not always something that we can do in product mid-life. Any additional responses would definitely go a long way into showing the popularity of modifying the feature as it is.

I apologize if that sounds discouraging, but I try to be straight-forward and not offer unrealistic expectations.

--HDTech

Online Brand Ambassador

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I suppose the only workaround is to connect the RF line out from the cable box to the TV. I can't wake up to HDTV, but I suppose my eyesight would be fuzzy enough in the morning anyway. Then I have to re-set the source to HDMI after the TV is already on.

Clumsy and surprising, but acceptable enough.

sethweinstein,

I will pass these comments up. I apologize that I didn't get to the post sooner. If you prefer to wake up to something that you know you like (such as music or a video), I believe there is also the option to have the thumbdrive play content as well.

But I catch the full scope of your comments, and I'm glad you spoke up.

--HDTech

Online Brand Ambassador

- Click here to visit the Samsung forum
- Click here to visit the Samsung store on CNET

I have DirecTV receiver and it does NOT have a way to do that; RFs in but no RF out. Tried the RCA jack input but it did not push a video or audio to the TV that would come up with the "Alarm" went off.

I can see where folk would dismiss all this tech stuff so if you want, start a new thread about HDMI and how that is an issue for a wake up.

But rather than annoy anyone with the technicals let's skip to solutions. Have you looked at the old IRBLASTERs?
Bob

I add my voice to those who are asking for an urgent solution to this very basic and popular functionality.

I too bought this TV for the master bedroom and like to use the TV as an alarm. As designed, the timers are completely useless (all four of them) for anyone with an HD setup. I was livid after installing this TV and discovering this fact - I worked my way up the phone support ladder letting them know of my displeasure.

I'm not a technical guy, but I simply do not understand why you would design an HD TV with timers that only work with a non-HD source. My HD DirecTV box doesn't even have an RF out.

Anynet+/HDMI Issue
by Brewske - 9/19/09 12:22 AM In reply to: Update to anynet issue by Samsung_HD_Tech
I've had similar issues. I have a LN52B750 tv w/ a BD-P4600 and Dish HD Satellite DVR all connected to a Yamaha RX-V565 Home Theater. The receiver may be unique, in that it has the capability of turning HDMI signals on or off and also the the ability of allowing them through in Standby mode or not. My story starts with the TV with FW 1008. With this with the HT HDMI and Standy both set to ON, the anynet+ would see the HT but not add it to the Anynet+ list. When I would turn on the TV with the HT connected to Dish the BD automatically would Switch on and change the HDMI control on the HT to the BD. When I'd switch it back to Dish quickly it would again switch it back to the BD. After that I would again switch the HT to Dish. It would stay on Dish for maybe 15 minutes until the BD would turn off, causing the TV to switch from the HDMI input that it was getting the Dish feed from, to the off air "fuzz". Thus requiring me to change the source back to the HT, via the tv remote. Quite annoying as you can imagine. It gets longer. If I turn of the HDMI and the passthrough then I can still turn on the BD from the TV remote with out it switching the HT automatically and all of the other drama mentioned. Not what I want it to do but ok. The other day after I checked out the samsung support site and found these forums I noticed the 1010.4 FW. I downloaded it went home and checked my tv. My tv was reporting a 1012 FW available. I figured I'd go with the newest firmware but wanted to check with a tech before doing so. I contacted Samsung tech support and asked what the firmwares were meant to address. After skirting the question for quite a while he asked what kind of problems I was having. I said some anynet/hdmi issues and he said that the FW could address that go ahead and install it. I did install the 1012. It basically acted the same as the 1008 FW with the exception some menu items were greyed out that previously weren't and when you went to set up anynet+ it had a option of receiver on/off. I set receiver on and tryed it out with the HT settings turned on. It acted basically the same as 2008 with the BD switching everything and eventually turning the tv to "fuzz". I didn't like it so I rolled back to 2008 and figured I would try the 1010 FW and see if it was any better. The 1010 FW acted about the same but when I used the volume on the tv remote it actually popped up with the Receiver model info under a anynet+ sign. Oh and when you turned off the tv, the HT would also turn off. Pretty handy. But with the BD doing the same crud it wasn't worth the hassle for me. So now my HT HDMI settings are both turned off. I was debating rolling back to 2008 FW again when I noticed that now my tv is offering a 1011 FW. Not sure if I want to try that one as well. Perhaps I should call tech support for Samsung and Yamaha and maybe between the two of them I can atleast get my system working right and possibly help them figure out what the conflict is. Seems like it should be as easy as making the HT the "master" of the system so to speak, guess not, must be some sort of HDCP conflict. Seems like it's definitely between the tv and BD. Just wanted to let everyone know it seems Samsung really is working hard to get this issue worked out. I'm guessing since it doesn't seem like anyone at Samsung wants to tell what all the TV firmware updates address, they haven't quite gotten it solved but feel they are close to the fix. HD-Tech, can you shed some light on it or maybe give me some ideas to try to get the anynet+/hdmi-cec working? By the way, thanks for all your hard work and the hard work everyone else is doing. I really, really love my TV and BD. Had a few issues with the BD, did FW update. Perfect. Just finished updating the newest FW's on the BD tonight. Will let you know if I have any problems but I'm suspecting not. Thanks again in advance for any help or info you may be able to give.

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ProcessingPost 8 of 10 | Next unread | Back to topAny updates?
by ABarisol - 10/8/09 6:21 AM In reply to: Anynet settings (if available) question by Samsung_HD_Tech
If there is a firmware update will this thread be notified? I too am disappointed in the Anynet "feature" of returning to the COAX input. It would be nice if the product managers could add a setting for a "Default Video Source" that the system always returns to or selects on power-up.

I'm also a recent Sony convert and I really like the picture quality of my Sammy (LN40A650) but this Anynet issue is quite an annoyance.

This has been posted elsewhere but seems to be basically the same issue. Maybe both could be done at once if possible.

Thanks.

Message was edited by: admin to remove email address to prevent spam harvesters from picking it up.

Please add me to the list of folks that want HDMI selectable as a source for the timer!!!

I have no other sources in my bedroom other than an always-on HDMI source. Timer is completely useless to me as it is. My previous old crap tv worked great as an alarm clock, and I *love* the picture on this new Samsung TV (PN42B450), but I cannot use the timer function at all without being able to select HDMI as the auto-on source.

Stick the options in there please! I just downloaded a firmware update from Samsung hoping it would have the new feature. But nope. So I searched some forums and here I am. Hope this gets added one day soon ... I miss my TV timer!

I'm signing up for this forum for the express purpose of voicing my disappointment in what seems like a 'no-brainer' feature.

Samsung needs to 'step up to the plate' and do a firmware update that addresses this.

Add me to the list of people ticked about no longer being able to use the alarm feature on my bedroom Samsung LN32 series. Cable company recently required digital boxes on all TVs. After installing this the alarm feature is grayed out and will not work. There has to be a sensible work-around. My brand new Comcast cable box has no on/off switch so being off is not the problem. It is on 24/7 keeping the electric meter running.

If it's about what audio file types I'd try MP3 first.
Bob

Just suggesting you try MP3.

This response is absurd. How dare you say that you thought about this and decided against it? Your argument is either that A) People are too stupid to figure out that they need to leave the cable box on or B) People don't have the right to leave their cable box on as they choose. The other option being ignored is the possibility that the cable company (as RCN, and probably others, does) also has a timer for the cable box.

You cannot simply say that people either have no right to do what many already do anyway, or that they are too incompetent to figure it out. I heavily rely on having a TV that can wake me up in the morning. I have a grand total of 5 alarms, and the only one that keeps me awake is the TV. I absolutely demand that this feature be added (which your oxymoronic post declares to be difficult, yet makes clear that it wasn't too difficult to enable for other, non-useful functions) as an available software upgrade. I have recently purchased an HDTV from Samsung, and I promise you that I will give it poor marks and talk it down to everybody I can until this issue is resolved.