BBC iPlayer has stopped working on many Samsung Smart TVs and will be permanently removed on most Samsung Blu-ray players. It is the latest chapter in the book of 'the Smart TV update problem'.
The Smart TV update problem
The book is getting extensive, with the most recent chapters titled the Disney+ launch and FBI issues warning about Smart TVs. A new chapter about BBC iPlayer is being penned as we speak.
BBC confirms that its iPlayer app has stopped running on many Samsung Smart TVs from 2012 to 2015 due to an expired security certificate. Smart TV platforms are rarely updated after launch and sometimes even security patches fail to reach the TVs.
To continue watching BBC iPlayer on the affected Samsung Smart TVs from 2012 to 2015 you will need to download the update provided by Samsung. Some models will not receive the update until early 2020.
Closure on non-TV Samsung devices
Besides the affected Smart TVs, BBC iPlayer will stop working on most of Samsung's UHD Blu-ray players, Blu-ray players, DVD players, set-top boxes, and Home Cinema systems produced from 2012 to 2018.
This includes Samsung UHD Blu-ray players from 2017 such as UBD-M9500, UBD-M8500, and UBD-M7500. Some of Samsung's UHD Blu-ray players are powered by Tizen, which is the same TV operating system used in Samsung's TVs. These devices should be perfectly capable of running BBC iPlayer but, alas, here we are.
Also read: BBC iPlayer app will be removed on 2011 Sony TVs next month
The full list of Samsung devices that will permanently lose access to BBC iPlayer can be found here.
BBC iPlayer has a list of supported devices here.
- Source: BBC (2), Samsung
