Feature Requests: Ambient Mode

[SteebMo]

Hello All,

After reading every possible thread about Ambient Mode and all of it's missing capability, I wanted to submit a feature-request list for future software updates to the QLED TVs.  These items are taken from discussions on this community that are very common:

1.) Display user-uploaded photos in FULL SCREEN and/or allow adjustment of the matte size.  - The (huge) photo frames/mattes in "Mono 4k" and "Mono Matte" take up way more screen area than the photo inside of them.  Users want to be able to SEE the photos that they upload to their big, fancy TV's just like the "Artwork" mode that's bundled to the TV.

2.) Use any photo as a "Background" image.  - For many, the automatic Background feature doesn't properly estimate what is really there.  Uploading an actual photo of the wall (without the TV blocking the center) would help more users get the effect that this features is advertised to do.

3.) Access to the Art Store, like The Frame TVs.  - This gets requested a LOT and I think it's a missed opportunity for Samsung.  People are willing to PAY Samsung for access to art pieces (and also to support the creators), but this feature is blocked?  Why not let users decide that they want a more feature-rich TV than The Frame model AND access to similar features for buying/displaying artwork?

4.) Gallery / Slideshow from a USB stick.  - Again, I think that The Frame TV offers this.  Ambient Mode will already do a slideshow of images from a Samsung Cloud account... why not just read the photos from a USB drive plugged into the TV?  For those of us that are photographers, this can be much easier to manage (especially because I think it's basically impossible to upload photos from a laptop directly to a Samsung Cloud account).

5.) Disable sounds in Ambient Mode.  - Users are complaining that certain ambient modes that play sounds will interrupt music being played on a connected BT/Sonos speaker/Sound Bar to play the TV sounds instead.

To be honest, Ambient Mode is one of the reasons that I chose this TV over Sony and LG OLEDs.  However, after experiencing how basic the functionality really is (to the point where we may never even use it), I'm considering returning the TV and switching brands.

Does anyone else have a request to add to the list?  I really hope that Samsung will hear us and consider some of these items.

[LKB]

Question for the Forum Moderator:  

As this lengthy thread has made glaringly obvious, Samsung customers are not at all pleased with what appears to be Samsung's deliberate and ongoing misrepresentation of Ambient Mode and its capabilities.  These complaints have been consistent and longstanding, and coming in for many months . . . with zero response from Samsung.

Does Samsung have ANYTHING to say in response?  Are these complaints even being seen by / shown to anyone at Samsung?

Or is it that Samsung could not care less, now that it has our money? 

[D700]

For crying out loud, at least give us the ability to display images full screen, without border or background. I could edit in my own matting a hundred times over in the time I have invested trying to get ambient mode looking right.

You're wasting our time Samsung and frankly, LG is looking better and better.

[Liquidmonkey]

Did anyone follow CES?

Was there an update or any mention of ambient mode there for 2020?

I did not notice personally but maybe someone else had eagle eyes? 

[AntS]

Hi all,

Just a post to say that the Community team don’t currently have any direct feedback avenue for feature requests/suggestions for products outside of Smartphones/Tablets/Wearables on Community, and so aren’t able to give you feedback on those requests/suggestions - other than to say "Thanks for posting that/those! ".

But there are Samsung staff besides us who read stuff from the Community, so I think it’s great that you’re sharing your thoughts and ideas here. 

[LKB]

While I thank the moderator for at least acknowledging the inquiry (on the US forum, the response would be to censor the post and ban the poster), the response encapsulates the problem with Samsung these days.

When I first started trying to solve the problems with Ambient Mode over a year ago, both Samsung and SmartThings CS could not help, and both said I should go to the Samsung Community forums for help.  I did so (both on the US and Euro boards).  As we have all observed, Samsung has been of no help at all.

Now it's confirmed: not only are our questiona and complaints about the fraudulent nature of Ambient Mode not being read by anyone at Samsung, the moderator indicates that there's not even any mechanism for him to forward them to anyone at Samsung who might be able to respond. 

In other words, despite this board being set up by Samsung and touted as a way for its customers to get answers from Samsung about problems, it's merely a Potemkin Village for appearance purposes . . . we can ask all the questions and complain all we want, but for all effective purposes Samsung treats it like the employee sugggestion box that feeds directly into the trash can. 

I find it hard to believe that the moderators truly do not have *any* communications mechanisms with the TV side of Samsung (if that is true, then how could they possibly get up to date answers to technical questions).   How hard can it be to send an e-mail saying, "community members are raising persistent questions about whether Ambient Mode will ever perform as advertised -- can I get somebody to comment or give them some information?" 

[D700]

"Thanks for posting that/those! ".

Wow, that sarcasm is not appreciated.

Its clear there's no genuine engagement here with Samsung, so the forums are basically a low cost therapeutical cushion between Samsung and the end user. Get other customers to respond to complaints and requests for info. 

Well, I have plenty of choice and you can be assured it won't be Samsung. Off to shop this weekend for new washer and dryer.

[Agglo]

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@D700 wrote:

"the forums are basically a low cost therapeutical cushion between Samsung and the end user. Get other customers to respond to complaints and requests for info."

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Well said. 

I guess if you want proper Ambient Mode capabilites get a Chromecast. 

And next time buy LG or whatever. 

Over and out - this forum is useless, customer lost. 

[Lapadopo]

Dear moderator, thanks for your post that clearly shows Samsung's "who cares what do customers say after we sell them a product" policy 👎😢🤥

[Mdew]

I have a 2019 with Art Mode. Installed app and it recognizes my TV. Wish I could add my own artwork full-screen from gallery photos without a mat.

[ISung4Sam]

TV cannot display ambient photos is full screen?  Only framed?  Appears to be false advertising to me.

[rogers_kp]

Yes, I am regretting my purchase of "2020 55" Q700T QLED 8K HDR Smart TV"

[D700]

Yeah they show what look like full screen pictures

[Quernemoen]

Agreed.  I just bought the samsung q80 and was hoping to display my photos in full screen like the artwork mode photos.  I couldnt believe this was not possible and spent 2 days trying to figure out what I was missing.  Forcing us to use the border makes the photos cropped and closer to 55" on my 75" display.  Showing what looks like the wall is cool but feels gimmicky when forced to use it instead of displaying my photos full screen.  Hopefully Samsung provides an update and fixes this flaw.  Otherwise, I live the tv.

[Quernemoen]

Thru gallery

Ambient mode with narrow cropping

[Liquidmonkey]

Thank you for sharing.

A shame that Samsung is silent about this. 

[Quernemoen]

Hey Samsung, could you make it so we can watch TV with the 10" border as well?  I bought a 75" tv but viewing the picture 50% smaller might be cool for 5 minutes like it is for displaying pictures in ambient mode.

[Quernemoen]

The border "wall" /frame looks dumb when the lights are off. It's a gimmick that is cool for 5 minutes. Then you just want to see your pictures.

[D700]

To Samsung: 

I realize now, after more research, that you probably don't want to cannabalize sales of "The Frame" TVs by offering full features of Ambient mode in other lines.

I'd ask you to consider: Would you rather keep full features of ambient for "The Frame" or distribute Ambient mode as a full feature across all your TVs so that Samsung TVs becomes synanamous with the feature? Why keep it as a niche feature when we've all got these dark gray lifeless expanses in our rooms itching for content. What about a free streaming Art show supported by single, sponsored visual ad 1x day? Think of the opportunities.

Its 2020, we want low energy screensavers for our TVs.

[Mdew]

How did you do this?

[hgb1960]

I bought a Q90R (2019) last week and ambient mode seemed cool. But it's a pain, not only the huge borders but also the cropping of my beautiful photographs. I have to cut of way too much on the long sides to make them fit. What a shame this is... Useless this way!!
By the way, otherwise it is a great tv, the ambient mode is a big bummer though...