After the HW-Q90r eARC update, I did a little digging in the firmware files. Is there a reason that the HW-N950 didn't get eARC

[PrMinisterGR]

Top is the info.txt from the latest HW-N950, bottom is the text from the eARC update of HW-Q90r.

As you can see it's just generic Tizen. The hardware in both sound bards is basically identical, and whatever differences there are, shouldn't influence eARC which is basically a software feature.

Things get even more interesting when we open the HW-Q90r firmware file with a HEX editor. The HW-N950 (SAT-HKA18WWC) is literally mentioned in the file headers.

I see this as a huge f*ck you from Samsung. There was an implicit promise that the HW-N950 would get eARC, and seeing how it seems to be literally baked in the firmware (it's just a Tizen distro with software features after all), it feels wrong doubly so.

Are we getting this update or not?

[N950-eARC]

I knew this would be the case, I mentioned on another forum that the firmware would be near enough identical.

It's disgusting how they can't put the minimal amount of effort in to release this for what is essentially the same bit of kit. Great way to shaft customers who've spent $1500 on your kit with no support after a year in.

[PrMinisterGR]

It is truly terrible, especially telling reviewers that it would be supported eventually.
If I wasn't afraid to brick mine, I would attempt to flash it. The problem is that I have so few trust in them that I'm afraid they have no checks and the flash might go through and brick my soundbar.

[N950-eARC]

I can imagine someone will try to do that at some point, I certainly won't be the pioneer though!

[PrMinisterGR]

So, zero response at all? Why not make customers happy ONCE with your update schedule Samsung, it looks like your actual engineers have already done the work.

[PrMinisterGR]

Apparently there were rumours leaked to some reviewers that we might get this alongside this generation of sounders (which makes sense with a casual look at the update files). Any response from Samsung?

[voodoochild1974]

Both the Q80..90R tvs had earc mentioned in many reviews as a future update, as did HW N850 and 950, yet  nothing on either.

Last I knew was it was coming in May, so will give it May and June due to world situation, after that, if nothing, I am done with Samsung.

When the company was growing they seemed much better, now they rule they don't seem to care or even try (take the no dolby Vision BS)

If they fail on  this, my next phone, tv, soundbar will  ot be with Samsung, and that's  not saying other companies don't mess up, its just lost confidence in Samsung. 

[PrMinisterGR]

I am not even aware of any Dolby Vision issue yet. What's up with that? I am really annoyed with eARC, since I have a C9, and I have to be either between getting 5.1 audio via the TV, or lose HDMI VRR and advanced video features if I connect the PC and my Playstation on the Soundbar itself.
eARC would solve everything, since the TV already supports it (and they are supposed to fix the Dolby MAT issues soon, at least LG made a commitment to that).

[voodoochild1974]

Samsung don't support dolby vision, just hdr, hdr 10.
Basically they don't want to pay the licence for dolby vision.

[PrMinisterGR]

I thought they were simply forwarding any video signal and just processing audio.