Samsung BR player with possible defect or is it the real problem? See Post #25 (1 Viewer)

[Roger Mathus]

The following is extracted from a notification sent yesterday from Samsung to player owners who registered their players. It clears up the speculation as to whether the new update addresses the filter issue. I downloaded and installed the firmware update last week and the results seem excellent.

Quote:

We are pleased to inform you that Samsung is providing a firmware upgrade for Samsung's BD-P1000 Blu-ray disc player.

This firmware update applies the following improvements:

* Enhanced compatibility and performance with new BD-Java titles
* Sharper picture with a modified noise reduction filter setting
* Reduced Blu-ray disc load time by 4-5 seconds
* Option to view 4:3 content on Blu-ray discs in 4:3 aspect ration
* No video stuttering while viewing movies with DTS soundtracks
* Fixes reversed speaker test tones in certain units
* Changes hourglass icon to colored dots


This upgrade is available free of charge to consumers via the following methods:

* As a download on Samsung's support center:
www.samsung.com/support
* As a download on Samsung's Blu-ray micro-site: www.samsung.com/bluray
* Or on firmware discs available upon request by calling Samsung Customer Service at: (800) SAMSUNG

The firmware upgrade is needed only for previously shipped BD-P1000 Blu-ray players. For new production, this firmware update has been applied at the factory since the recent release of BD Java titles.

Please note that all Samsung BD-P1000 players - including players sold since US market launch this Spring - are compatible with movies to be released on dual-layer (50G) BD-ROM discs from this Fall.

End Quote

 

[DBWestCoast]

Roger ... Thanks for the URL to Samsung's Blu-ray site. From there I was able to find more info related to running the upgrade
http://product.samsung.com/bluray/bdp1000upgrade.html

I am on a MAC and the download is Windows only. So I ordered the CD ROM from Samsung on Oct 20th and it arrived yesterday (Nov 8th). This CD ROM came from Samsung Parts - GPCA 18600 Broadwick St. Rancho Dominguez CA 90220. There were no instructions ... just the CD ROM itself. Unfortunately this CD ROM does not run when loaded. So I called Samsung again (today) and they are sending me another CD ROM. They said there was no way to expedite shipment so hopefully, in another 19 days or so, things will be looking better . You gotta laugh sometimes. Is this Karma for me being so miffed at Circuit City? They still refuse to admit their knowledge of any issues with the player.

 

[ppltd]

I have also downloaded and upgraded my Smasung, and low and behold, The Fifth Element still looks like crap. Took it to Best Buy and put it in the Pioneer they have on display. Still Crap. Guess it doesn't matter how good the hardware is, crap is crap. The problem, it seems, with all of the problem BD release is not the hardware, but the studio (Hear that Sony?). Brings to mind an some old computer lingo, 'Garbage in, Garbage out.'

 

[DBWestCoast]

I am curious to know if anyone has recently purchased a new Samsung BD-P1000 without being informed by the retailer of the need to install the firmware upgrade? :frowning: I suspect that there are electronics retailers who have older inventory (apparently any product shipped to the retailer before Sept 2006) of the BD-P1000 units that need to be upgraded to perform as advertised.

The sales pitch that I encountered at Circuit City was not just promoting the Samsung Blu-ray player, but also their 1080P HDTVs. There is a perfect symbiotic relationship between the two – the Samsung player and 1080P HDTV. As the pitch goes… “you can’t get the full benefit of viewing a 1080P output (only available via the Samsung Blu-ray player) UNLESS you also have a 1080P HDTV. So I walked of Circuit City with a brand new Samsung BD-P1000 Blu-ray player and a new Mitsubishi 1080P HDTV + HDMI cables and a bunch of Blu-ray DVDs.

I was in Circuit City twice before I bought and I encountered different sales reps on both visits … but they were armed with the same set of talking points

re the Samsung BD-P1000 Blu-ray player and 1080P HDTV:
•The Sam Blu-ray player picture can output a significantly higher resolution 1080P picture … up to five times better resolution verses regular HDTV.

•The only thing close to 1080P is 1080i but 1080P is higher resolution (i.e. “next best” was HD-DVD’s 1080i).

•You can only view a true 1080P picture on a 1080P HDTV.

•With the launch of the Sony PlayStation3, everyone will be moving to 1080P and Blu-ray.

•To get the very best performance from a 1080P HDTV, you will need to get a Blu-ray player … the only Blu-ray player available today is the Samsung BD-P1000.

By the way … I am happy with my Mitsubishi 1080P HDTV … and Samsung has been forthright about the problems with the BD-P1000 player . I just wish the electronics retailers would let consumers in on the facts about necessary fixes to defective inventory (for those that are keeping defective units on the shelves) … This would allow the consumer to make a better informed decision and perhaps might give them pause before writing out that $1,000 check for a “non-upgraded” BD-P1000.

 

[Roger Mathus]

DB WEST COAST wrote

Quote:

I am on a MAC and the download is Windows only. So I ordered the CD ROM from Samsung on Oct 20th and it arrived yesterday (Nov 8th). This CD ROM came from Samsung Parts - GPCA 18600 Broadwick St. Rancho Dominguez CA 90220. There were no instructions ... just the CD ROM itself. Unfortunately this CD ROM does not run when loaded. So I called Samsung again (today) and they are sending me another CD ROM. They said there was no way to expedite shipment so hopefully, in another 19 days or so, things will be looking better . You gotta laugh sometimes. Is this Karma for me being so miffed at Circuit City? They still refuse to admit their knowledge of any issues with the player.

End Quote

I use a Mac and I was able to easily download the firmware ZIP compressed file. I took the file to a local computer store and they un-compressed it and burned the image to a CD ROM. It took only a few minutes and they charged me $ 5. At home with the disc, the firmware upgrade went smoothly. Again, download worked fine on a MAC.

 

[Paul.S]

Dan: Respectfully, I think your expectation that Circuit City was/is going to remove the Samsung from shelves and/or sytematically inform customers of a firmware upgrade is unrealistic. At best I think you could hope that a tech geek employee might apprise a consumer of that, but to think it is/was going to become a corporate priority is unreasonable. I'd surmise that Circuit City would argue that the player is not "defective."

 

[LarryH]

So they are ignoring the on-line registration that was previously reported to line the customer up for a firmware upgrade on disc??

 

[Roger Mathus]

Like Toshiba, it appears that Samsung is providing the disc upon request. There is one post that indicates that Samsung sends out promptly. It appears that most early adopters are computer savy and download the firmware updates.

 

[Dave_P.]

Fox BD's have inserts telling you to check for upgraded firmware revisions from your player manufacturer.

 

[Larry Sutliff]

I finally got the final firmware disc from Samsung yesterday, and uploaded it. Finally, the picture on this machine has lost that slightly soft look, and well mastered BD's are on a par with HD DVD's. I spotchecked CORPSE BRIDE, and it definitely looks sharper after the upgrade. Even early BD's like T2 are more highdef and dimensional now. And XMEN 3 looked spectacular.

I'm now very happy with this machine, and will be more inclined to buy BD software on the same scale as I have been purchasing HD DVD's(which I also still fully support).

 

[Steve Blair]

Can someone send me a copy of the update disc? I've called samsung twice over the last month and it has never come :frowning: I'd be happy to pay shipping.

 

[Larry Sutliff]

Steve,
You've got mail.

 

[Steve Blair]

Thanks Larry. PM sent