About SteebMo

SteebMo · ‎03-06-2020

Chatted with Samsung support today (I am in the US) and they were at least able to confirm that this HAS been reported as a known issue. I tried to be persistant (politely), to ask that my instance of the issue be added to the number of cases. I said several times that the severity of the issue is high because a function of the product is 'broken' as a result of this firmware release. Unfortunately, the only answer that can be given is that we all wait for the next firmware release (with no timeline of when that will be) and cross our fingers that the issue is addressed at that time. I tried to illustrate as well that there are reports of the issue dating back several months already, but all it does is 1. make me hope that the fix is further along as a result, and 2. worry that the issue will get dismissed as 'incompatible hardware' or something and never resolved Netflix support wasn't too much help, although they'd confirmed (vaguely) that there haven't been release updates to the Netflix app on the Tizen platform (Samsung SmartTV) that would have changed the behavior.

SteebMo · ‎03-06-2020

I just a few days ago got an automatic TV update... same issue now. I'm on 1356.2 firmware. Netflix app is the only one where I have the issue, and only started this past week. Same as everyone has described, locked into DD+ using ARC to my receiver.... which doesn't understand DD+. Awful static noises making the Netflix app useless. Has anyone had luck switching to the optical output for audio? ARC is really flaky on my Q70R to begin with and it seems like some of this is compounded by the support on any ARC that doesn't meet HDMI 2.1: https://denon-uk.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/6333/~/arc-%2F-earc-compatibility I've been beyond frustrated more than a few times with this TV. I hold out hope that they're working to fix this, but if it stays like this, I'll be returning the TV for an LG OLED.

SteebMo · ‎07-02-2020

I have now re-posted this to the US forum. I didn't realize they were so segmented and did not cross-over with each other. Here is the link to the US forum if anyone wants to chime in over there: https://us.community.samsung.com/t5/Qled-and-Frame/Feature-Request-Ambient-Mode/td-p/1096986

SteebMo · ‎21-01-2020

This is the major distinction yes, and it's creating a lot of confusion with the consumers over what features are available and how they are different. Even their own customer service departments are confused about the difference... I had people on the phone AND in online chat support tell me that "ambient mode IS art mode" and that I should have access to the art store and subscriptions and yadda yadda.... I knew all of that was untrue, so I basically had to give up on getting answers out of Samsung's own customer support people. Samsung has just announced that the 3rd generation Frame TVs will be an "improved" panel.... which I assume means the Q70 panel now instead of the Q60 edge-lit one (this is the reason I chose my Q70 over the current Frame model). I think it's pretty telling that Samsung has 1.) kept completely quiet about all of these complaints and 2.) released a new Frame model TV with the "exclusive" features of Art mode. From their business point of view, their confusing marketing is working.... they get to sell the Frame models at a big premium.... and they know by our complaints that people are also buying other models of TV because they think Ambient Mode is more capable than it is. We still keep the TV, but just quit using Ambient mode.... Samsung still made a sale and they don't have to do any more development to improve Ambient Mode.

SteebMo · ‎16-12-2019

I think this is my biggest beef with the whole thing. There's just enough of a feature here that they can advertise it to sell TVs, but there's basically zero explanation on what the options are for displaying photos and how to do it. It all seems very deliberate because they know the actual function is a bit half-baked.

SteebMo · ‎30-10-2019

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.

Re: Can't switch digital output audio format on Netflix app

Re: Can't switch digital output audio format on Netflix app

Re: Feature Requests: Ambient Mode

Re: Feature Requests: Ambient Mode

Re: Feature Requests: Ambient Mode

Feature Requests: Ambient Mode