Samsung owners worldwide are reporting that a faulty firmware update has bricked their soundbars, including the flagship HW-Q990D.
Update: Owners say that it is not enough to disable software updates, as firmware updates will still be pushed automatically to the soundbar. Instead, you must disconnect your soundbar from the internet.
Following a buggy update that caused Samsung TVs to enter an endless pop-up loop, owners are now complaining that their Samsung soundbars have been bricked by a new faulty firmware update by the company.
Firmware update (v1020.7), which started rolling out last week, has led to numerous reports on Samsung's community forum, AVSForum and Reddit (and here) about useless soundbars, as reported by The Verge. This issue affects owners in America, Europe, Asia and other regions.
Bricked soundbars
While smaller software bugs from updates are common nowadays, this issue is critical as it results in bricked soundbars, according to reports.
- "Customers say the soundbar has gone unresponsive and that none of the usual factory reset methods are working; affected units are also inaccessible via Samsung’s SmartThings app. The device powers on, but appears to freeze on the TV eARC input — with no sound output to speak of," wrote The Verge.
One of the affected soundbars is the flagship HW-Q990D
The issue has been confirmed to affect the flagship HW-Q990D as well as more affordable soundbars like the HW-Q800D and HW-S801D.
Also read: Sony updates PS3 to keep Blu-ray playback alive
Some users have reportedly been advised to send in their Q990D for repair, suggesting that the issue may not be resolved with another firmware update.
Disable automatic updates
If you own a Samsung soundbar, it is probably a good idea to disable automatic updates for the time being, as updates are rolled out gradually and yours could be next in line.
You can turn off automatic updates for your soundbar via the SmartThings app on your smartphone by scrolling down to the bottom of the settings.
- Source: The Verge
