Samsung admits a bad software update has been bricking its soundbars

[zohaibahd]

Facepalm: If you're the proud owner of a top-of-the-line Samsung soundbar from 2024, chances are you've had a pretty rough week. The company has admitted that a crappy software update has managed to brick "certain" models from last year's soundbar lineup, turning them into pricey paperweights.

The confirmation comes straight from Jim Kiczek, the head of audio at Samsung Electronics America. In a statement to The Verge, Kiczek called it a "software update error" that impacted some of the company's 2024 soundbars. He says Samsung is now offering free repairs for all affected units regardless of warranty status.

For some context, reports started flooding in last week about Samsung's flagship HW-Q990D soundbar going haywire after a firmware update. Owners complained that while these premium systems did power on, they froze on the TV eARC input. They then became completely unresponsive and cut off from the Samsung SmartThings app. No amount of resets or reboots could revive them.

The issue isn't just limited to the Q990D, either. There are many reports across Samsung's community forums, Reddit, and AVSForum about the HW-Q800D and HW-S801D models suffering the same fate.

These reports also state that Samsung customer support didn't have an answer. All they said was that the issue had been forwarded to the warranty team and that they were awaiting a response.

What makes this situation particularly painful is that a simple software patch doesn't seem to fix it this time. It appears that these bricked bars require physical repairs to bring them back to life.

The buggy firmware update causing all this audio anguish appears to be version 1020.7. Many of Samsung's high-end soundbars were set to install it automatically, which is why the issue spread so rapidly across multiple countries like the US, Austria, Malaysia, and beyond.

For those with working Samsung speakers, the advice is to immediately turn off automatic updates for now.

While software snafus happen, it's still a lousy scenario for those who splurged on Samsung's impressive 2024 soundbar lineup, like the well-reviewed Q990D. Instead of theater-quality sound, they get expensive silence.

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Samsung admits a bad software update has been bricking its soundbars

 

[human7]

It pays to delay automatic updates on everything: a lot of issues like these can be avoided that way. That shouldn't be the case, though, since one opens themselves to potential security risks by doing that.

Since companies don't hold themselves to high standards, it is up to the people (via the governments) to hold companies accountable to the software that they didn't test properly (if they had, this wouldn't have happened).

 

[tp0d0]

I have a samsung G95 monitor, and wifi/updates have been disabled since I first powered it on. It has "smart" functions like a TV, but I only needed a monitor.

Since when would a soundbar/monitor be a security risk if the firmware isnt updated? If it works out of the box, that shiat is stayin fresh like day1. Now, if I find a bug or a reason to update, thats different.

just my 2c

-j

 

[KingKappa]

I have a samsung G95 monitor, and wifi/updates have been disabled since I first powered it on. It has "smart" functions like a TV, but I only needed a monitor.

Since when would a soundbar/monitor be a security risk if the firmware isnt updated? If it works out of the box, that shiat is stayin fresh like day1. Now, if I find a bug or a reason to update, thats different.

just my 2c

-j

Because some people might be using the voice assistent feature, it being another IOT-device that can be hijacked to listen in or to playback random audio or your voice?

 

[tp0d0]

Meh, yet another reason to not use the wiretap feature of any new device. I miss the days of simple hardware, things just did their one function well.

I guess I`m just old.

-j

 

[yRaz]

My 50 year old JBLs and Marantz amplifiers don't need a firmware update. But my old amps could probably use a re-cap

 

[yRaz]

I just noticed that the perspective is WAY off in that image, is it AI generated?

 

[darkzelda]

I happen to be a "proud" owner of a HW-930D, for now no updates have shown up. But I disabled automatic updates since I bought it anyway.

 

[godrilla]

I happen to be a "proud" owner of a HW-930D, for now no updates have shown up. But I disabled automatic updates since I bought it anyway.

Lol my Q990C stopped being noticed by the smart things app so I couldn't update it. Although I am very satisfied from the performance either way. If it works don't break it.

 

[wiak]

And then there is those dumb people saying auto update is a good idea (am looking at you microsoft), I always turn auto update off on all my stuff, I want to have control of my electronics that I paid for

 

[daffy duck]

Scamsung is well known for having amongst the worst software writers on earth, Their incompetence is legendary. This does not surprise me at all. I find both LG and Scamsung to be pathetic companies overall and would never buy their hardware again after numerous devices have failed prematurely from both manufacturers for me: bluray players (3), microwaves (2), phone (1).

In Australia some models of Scamsung's washing machines were exploding and some houses were badly damaged in fires. There was a class action against them.

 

[TooQik]

I just noticed that the perspective is WAY off in that image, is it AI generated?

No idea, but the same image is on Samsung's website if you search for the HW-Q990D model.

 

[airbornex]

Samsung accidentally turned their premium soundbars into avant-garde art pieces: sleek, stylish, and completely non-functional.

 

[scoffer]

Probably in an attempt to shovel in some kind of audio-only ads...........

 

[texasrattler]

Because some people might be using the voice assistent feature, it being another IOT-device that can be hijacked to listen in or to playback random audio or your voice?

Just cause a device has a feature doesn't mean people should be using it. Too many people don't research the products they buy. Maybe people shouldn't have to but you need to these days.

 

[KingKappa]

Just cause a device has a feature doesn't mean people should be using it. Too many people don't research the products they buy. Maybe people shouldn't have to but you need to these days.

Regardless, if it has these features, any vulnerabilities should be patched, no?

 

[acrossthestars]

"Many of Samsung's high-end soundbars were set to install it automatically, which is why the issue spread so rapidly across multiple countries like the US, Austria, Malaysia, and beyond."

Ah, okay, so this wound is entirely self-inflicted. Another case of foot gun.

If you're gonna set IOT-speakers to automatically update, you probably should have a mechanism to revert any updates back to factory settings, for situations like this. Otherwise, you risk damaging expensive equipment AND your reputation.

Does Samsung even have a QA department or do they just release updates into the wild, without double-checking their work, and hope the problem work itself out?