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?

[voodoochild1974]

Gave up on Samsung now.

I always bought their stuff, I still have 11 tech items made by them in the house, but no more.

They got lazy with the phones around the S9, prices going up now to Apple levels and no innovation vs some Chinese firms.

The Q80R tv I had was good, but again, for the price, it did not leap over others. And the N850 soundbar....well they dropped support on that like a stone.

Any reply I ever get back from Samsung over the many, many years I have bought their stuff (going back to 2008) is "please keep checking for updates"

Now I lost faith in them and bought an LG C9 tv, it's amazing and way, way better than any Samsung I have had, but the main thing that has stood out to me is the replies I get from LG.

I have emailed twice about rumoured updates to add new things and also their standing on dead pixels and that, just peace of mind-stuff. Their replies gave me answers, not "keep checking for updates"

Now there might be loads of people who have had a bad time with LG, but so far for myself, the difference has been night and day.

[XL5]

Agree, if this is not sorted within the next 6 weeks when i plan to purchase 2 new 65" tv's i will be joining the LG oled club!

[voodoochild1974]

Samsung are relying on their name selling stuff these days.

Its a shame as years ago they were ahead in tech and had great competitive prices, but now they are behind and want extra money for it.

How the mighty have fallen.

[Deneon2000]

That's what I did, I'm the happy owner of the LG c9  now.  I'm steering all my friends away from anything Samsung (alot of people come to me for electronics purchasing advice).  I'm also going to retire my Smartthings for Hubitat.  Samsung needs to do what is right for their customers!

[PrMinisterGR]

So, any official word from Samsung yet? Can we tag someone from them so we at least have some word in here?

[phneutral]

It's a kick in the teeth from Samsung to their customers who forked out well over £1k for their flagship soundbar. I only bought mine last year just before all support was dropped in favour of the Q90R and now I see there's yet another flagship model replacing that.

Samsung, why must you saturate the market with so many iterations of the same thing with hardly any improvements?

Why not earn the trust of your customers by providing long term support for your products, especially when we've paid so much for them?

Is it really such a big deal to extend support for eArc ever-so-slightly back to the 2018 N850/N950 models you made such a song and dance about?

Eventually all AV products will have it, are you really happy to read and do nothing about so many complaints from your customers?

Surely doing what is right is more important than doing what is profitable?

[PrMinisterGR]

To add more salt in this, it seems like the brand-new HW-Q950T, does not accept TrueHD, DTS-MA and LPCM 7.1 via eARC. If I could roll my eyes more, they would do a full 360.

[XL5]

Hi Mate, Samsung keep rolling out these big promises regarding eArc and its promised applications all the way back to the n950, and are still rinsing customers of their hard earned...

The Q959T i also believe has smaller drivers than the last two incarnations due to its slimmer design.

Its introduction of cloth is IMHO is a step backwards..and the review statement

"The new design is softer and more lifestyle-friendly, with a cabinet wrapped in the now ubiquitous Kvadrat"

Is marketing piffle!

The one redeeming feature of the N950 & Q90 is that they feel as though they have been honed out of granite...

[PrMinisterGR]

Still no official word on this? Not even a "no"?

The funny thing is that the Q950T also has eARC problems. It presents an eARC interface but it doesn't pass full bandwidth. You get stereo PCM instead of LPCM 7.1, DTS instead of DTS-MA/DTS:X, and Atmos over DD+ instead of over TrueHD.

True quality. At least it sounds nice when it plays.

[XL5]

So it will remain so, you might get the LPCM 7.1 upgrade but they'll no doubt hold fire until the next incarnation. As Samsung are so predictable i reckon it'll be the T950...

K950..N950..Q950..T