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]

Samsung tvs don't do dolby Vision, they are pushing hdr10 as their choice, its just to save money.

[PrMinisterGR]

I understood the Soundbar, not the TVs. I get what you mean. The sound bar works with Dolby Vision as far as I have seen, the only real issue it has is eARC.

[Terry-Reynolds]

please also update the Samsung HW-N950, in its day it was said that they would also support earc

[PrMinisterGR]

It is frustrating when you see that it's basically the same software platform for all of them, but they just don't try to enable it. If there was an beta program, I am certain that most of us would be glad to help.

[PrMinisterGR]

I don't know if the lack of any communication from Samsung about this is bad or good
Anybody else did any digging in the firmware files?

[fnikols]

They are probably keeping quiet expecting this to go away.

I hope I'm wrong and that they are working on it.

[PrMinisterGR]

They would probably retain a lot of us as customers if they did that. 

[MKS28]

Any Samsung representative here in this community can confirm whether there will be a software update? Release note? I would like to see what other bugs would be fixed I have been waiting for almost a year.... getting impatient and have been thinking to sell this sound bar and buy another brand. Any good recommendations?

[PrMinisterGR]

I guess they are just waiting for us to blindly shut up. Reviewers won't speak of this because otherwise Samsung would not send them review copies. This is disgusting.

[meerkat_mafia]

Very disappointed, was also told this would be added to my N950.. otherwise i would have never purchased..

I'm in the same boat as everyone else, if this does not get added, then i have no trust in Samsung as a brand anymore..

No Samsung brand of any product will be purchased and i will tell as many people who will listen.

poor form Samsung..