Missing surround sound after firmware update for QN95B to v1640.9

[Alexey_RND]

Hi everyone!

I'm owner of TV Samsung Neo QLED QN95B (2022) 4K Mini-LED.

It's connected to my home theater system via A/V Receiver Denon by S/PDIF (optical) connection (HDMI is not available here). In Samsung TV Sound settings I set AUTO mode (not PCM, BYPASS is not available w/o HDMI connection) and selected OPTICAL output (not TV SPEAKERS). Sound goes to TV and then to AVR and connected speakers.

For a year I used the firmware v1430 and sound from AVR was fine (coded and decoded successfully): multi-channel sound, DD, DD+, etc! After update (yesterday) to firmware v1640.9 multi-channel sound is gone! (stereo only). I re-checked this on my different devices for exclude non-TV (firmware) issue. Also, i tried to reset sound settings with no effect.

I have a single way for odd bypass of this is to change OPTICAL output to SPEAKERS and back. After that multi-channel sound is returns. But this is not a solution as in the case of a single glitch. Because after TV turn-off and wait sometime and then turn-on it this issue is come back and need to do all again. It's annoying!

I believe that somewhere hidden some kind of sound setting which is reset after switching off and after my manipulation it is temporarily overwritten to its normal state.

Any ideas for resolve this issue? (need help) Please, not factory reset for just to check..

May be somebody faced with similar issue on other TV models and/or firmware versions?

Thank you!

[Obsydian]

It's tricky and I'm not sure, to be honest, the only thing I can think (not sure if possible) is to download the prior firmware, then roll back and see if that helps.

[Alexey_RND]

Thank you for answer!

I have thought about this case before. Not sure that this will be a good solution (if possible). As i know, downgrade often isn't supported and can lead to even bigger issues, because some inner settings after merge may not have a rollback option. Besides, i have no enough tech skills for that. 

Perhaps, this is not global issue and only a few "lucky" users faced of with that. So, for now, i can:

1. continue to use my bypass as i described above, similar as i change video mode

2. wait for the next firmware and hope that it will auto-solve this glitch

3. do factory reset and reconfigure all settings again

4. try to do firmware downgrade (if possible) via Samsung remote tech support

I would be glad if someone else can suggest something or has encountered something similar. It's bad, but it's always psychologically easier if you're not alone with an issue and this raise a chance for fix it.

Thank you!

[Ginga_p]

Have you tried arc. Guessing you have tried pcm

[Alexey_RND]

no. My AVR isn't support HDMI connection (incl. ARC/eARC). As i wrote above, "In Samsung TV Sound settings I set AUTO mode (not PCM!!!, BYPASS is not available w/o HDMI connection) and selected OPTICAL output (not TV SPEAKERS)". And with firmware v1430 that worked great. but with v1640.9 - not! I know that original PCM is work with 2.0 only, but this is not my case, because i set AUTO mode and with it surround sound worked fine before new update. Should be smth wrong with update and/or its bad influence on something. Also, i can force 5.1 sound via additional actions (described above). So, this is not PCM or not case. But here good point, why users can't use BYPASS mode with S/PIDF (optical) connection? An optical connection supported BYPASS mode on many other devices! I think that issue in the hangs output mode SPEAKERS vs OPTICAL on OS load. Otherwise, switching this setting would not solve my problem for the time being. Thank you!

[Ginga_p]

Sorry for not fully reading your post get your point. Do you have the receiver set to direct sound or processed

[Alexey_RND]

np. 

I'm not sure how to say it correctly about "direct sound or processed": "Sound goes to TV and then to AVR and connected speakers from it." Description: all my device connected to TV via HDMI (incl. v2.1), then sound goes from TV to AVR via a single optical cable. The AVR connected with TV by S/PIDF (optical) only (for receive sound from TV).  My AVR cannot be used for video transferring to TV! Hope, i was clear.

Addition: on firmware v1430 (incl.v1640) and other devices (consoles, SAT, Blu-ray, Zapetti media-player, etc) i always use a BYPASS mode for sound (all sound decoding on AVR side).  On TV i cannot set a BYPASS mode and therefore use AUTO, but it worked good before updating to the latest version. 

Please accept my apologies if I am repeating myself.

P.S. Another way is to return and use the legacy usage of S/PIDF (optical): each device connects to the AVR separately via S/PIDF (optical) which exclude centralized S/PIDF (optical) connection through TV. But this way related with more cables and button clicks.

Thank you!

[Ginga_p]

Yer know what your getting at on an amp you have an option to directly pass the sound pure from sources to speakers or turn on the processors for the amp to clean and upscale the sound. On my denon after one update i had to mess with this and changing tv to tv and optical output out of interest how do you down grade tv software as it doesnt recognise a lower number than it already has.

[Alexey_RND]

out of interest how do you down grade tv software as it doesnt recognise a lower number than it already has.

I don't downgraded a firmware and not sure that is possible. My current firmware is: 1640.9 (latest) with broken surround sound.  My prev. firmware was: 1430 with worked great surround sound w/o any of environment changes. 

I proceed from the fact that:
- if there was surround sound before (on frm.v1430)
- and it can be restored (on frm.v1640.9) by switching of sound output modes (each time): from OPTICAL output to TV SPEAKERS and back after
then reason of issue is smth here, e.g. hangs of SPEAKER mode on OS load

Sorry if I didn't get your  thoughts above. Thank you!

[Ginga_p]

Obsydian mentioned it in his post and you had thought about (if it was possible) guess i need to ask him. Sorry for no help or lack of communication