samsung_un55b8500_55_inch_1080p_240hz_led_hdtv
By Brad Moody
Bad day. Downloaded Amazon.com video on demand widget. Started widget and it said I needed firmware update. Went to software update screen and it confirmed that new software was available. Downloaded Version T-CHE9AUSAC-1009.2.
Went back to widgets. Couldn’t connect.
Went to network setup page and found all connection/setup information wiped.
Tried to re-enter manually and things began to go wrong. Tried to select “manual” and it wouldn’t allow selection. Screen did allow me to enter numbers manually however. Tried network test and joy, it proclaimed success.
Went back to widgets and again couldn’t connect. Went back to network set up screen and lo and behold all network set up information had been wiped again. Repeated same procedure with same results.
Auto setup of network did not function.
Assumed problem was with new version of software (firmware?). Tried to find prior version on Samsung site but nothing there!
Spent two hours on phone with Samsung “support” and the best they could do was promise to send “disk” of firmware in the mail. 7-14 biz days, naturally. Not clear that the firmware will be a correct or even an earlier version.
Absolutely clear that no one is USA support center knows anything about the networking features of this TV.
If you sell a TV for this much money and can’t support it any better, you are asking for trouble.
I wonder if Amazon knows that its video on demand widget is destroying the networking functionality of these machines?
CNET’s discussion of this unit says that it has now been discontinued, apparently because of a patent dispute with Sharp over the LED backlighting technology.
Beware