Attention: all Samsung Series 6 Smart TV Owners

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KiwiTim

376 posts

Ultimate Geek

#139489 11-Feb-2014 09:27

Just before Christmas I became the happy owner of a Samsung Series 6 F6300 50 inch Smart TV. The digital TV over the aerial and content via my PC looked great on this TV; no complaints. However, when I looked at the streaming video apps in the Smart Hub I noticed a problem. Some apps will not maximize to full screen. TVNZ On Demand is an example. The picture is translated to the left by about 15 cm, leaving a 15 cm vertical black band on the right hand side of the screen. This happens with all TVNZ programs, but some adds display in full screen. I rang Samsung support. They said that they had never heard of this problem before and suggested I update to the latest software version. I did this, but got the same result. Samsung support suggested I reset the Smart Hub. Did this and the problem remained. They sent a technician out and he suggested I might need a new main circuit board. He fit the replacement board, but the problem remained. Unfortunately, this new system board must not have been intended for the NZ market as it killed my Freeview guide. So now I had two problems.

I contacted Samsung and told them I was very unhappy with their repair job. They kindly offered to replace my TV. When the new TV arrived, guess what, the same problem with TVNZ On Demand app. Samsung had upgraded my replacement TV to a 50 inch F6700, which I was very pleased with. This was plainly no hardware fault, but a problem with the app that affected some TV models. I checked the TVNZ On Demand app on a smaller F6300 series TV over at the local Smith City store. It ran perfectly normal; covered the full extent of the screen (which I think it was 42 or 46 inches).

I did some research and discovered that some streaming TV apps available to Samsung TV owners in the USA and UK have the exact same problem. For example; BBC iPlayer runs perfectly, but ITV player has the vertical black band on 50 inch TVs.

It looks like some video apps available through the Samsung Smart Hub have not been tested properly on all Samsung TV models before being released. I know very little about programing, but I imagine that it is probably a very easy fix to ensure that all Samsung video apps fit all Samsung TV screen sizes, probably just a single line of code that provides all screen size dimensions.

If you own a Samsung Smart TV please post here whether or not the TVNZ On Demand app opens to cover the full screen extent ( for me it does for some adverts, but does not for all programs). Please include what model TV you have (F6300, F6400, F6700 etc.) and what size you have (42, 46, 50, 55, 65 inches etc.).

I suspect that all 50 inch Series 6000 Samsung Smart TVs will have this fault. It is clearly a problem in the USA and UK, so I think it is a global problem, not just restricted to TVNZ On Demand.

If you have this problem please ring Samsung Support on 0800 726 786 and tell them you would like to have the problem resolved.

Thanks,

Tim

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#983970 11-Feb-2014 11:50

Hm, I have a 50F5500 (so not 6 series, but the Smart Hub is the same) and it works fine AFAIK. I have only used TVNZ OD a couple of times, but did not notice anything weird.

Hiamie

354 posts

Ultimate Geek

#983984 11-Feb-2014 11:59

Am using a UA40D6600 40" Samsung. No problems full screen.

I don't usually use the Smart Hub, and the TV On demand app updated when I tried using it. It crashed, and after restarting the TV the app was missing. However, it automatically installed after a minute, and worked OK.

reven

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#984035 11-Feb-2014 12:58

KiwiTim: It looks like some video apps available through the Samsung Smart Hub have not been tested properly on all Samsung TV models before being released. I know very little about programing, but I imagine that it is probably a very easy fix to ensure that all Samsung video apps fit all Samsung TV screen sizes, probably just a single line of code that provides all screen size dimensions.

lol, sorry but i had to laugh at that. sure a single line if you removed all the newlines...

i develop a app for samsung smart tvs. you basically define the resolution in a config file, theres a few common resolutions, perhaps the problematic apps are using a certain resolution, or a wrong resolution.

i have a 55F6400 and a 50F6400, configured for US apps, but netflix, plex, flixster all work fine for me.

KiwiTim

376 posts

Ultimate Geek

#984202 11-Feb-2014 15:33

Reven, I'm glad to have found someone who knows what they are talking about. My suppositions about how easy it is to fix are just uneducated guesses. As I said, it is only certain apps that malfunction, most of them work as expected. TVNZ On Demand is a typical example of a faulty app on both the 50 inch F6300 and 50 inch F6700 TVs. Other examples include ITV and 4oD for British users, whereas Netflix and BBC iPlayer are fine. These faulty apps display either the exact same behaviour, or very similar behaviour for me.

I wonder if it is specific only to the F6300 and F6700 50 inch models? But that would be rather unlucky on my part to own both models that have the fault; more likely there are other models that display this type of behaviour.

It would be great if folks could post here so we can work out which models are affected and provide Samsung and app providers with useful feedback.

reven

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#984205 11-Feb-2014 15:37

theres about 3 different ways you can write an app on a samsung device
- html
- flash
- c++ (i think this is pretty new though).

there maybe some common thing as to why those apps are doing that, all written in a certain language, all set to a certain resolution.

i cant do anything to help, but there must be a common thing between the apps which is causing it. samsung do release firmware updates fairly regularly, so might not be too long before they fix it. we had one about a month ago.

doctormaxim

102 posts

Master Geek

#984234 11-Feb-2014 16:02

I have a UA55F6400 model and use TVNZ On Demand often. I can confirm there is no blackline, only a full screen picture.

Apsattv

2388 posts

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#984585 11-Feb-2014 22:12

Can you post a photo?

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KiwiTim

376 posts

Ultimate Geek

#984666 11-Feb-2014 23:40

Sure, here is a full screen view of TVNZ on Demand and also a closeup of the black right hand edge. My guess at the width of the line was way out. Measured it: 7.5 cm wide.

[img]https://cdn.geekzone.co.nz/imagessubs/96bf5d74023eecd9eec6783d91d2ef4c.jpg[/url]

[img]https://cdn.geekzone.co.nz/imagessubs/ebdb9f4b21311db2ec145ea26b9dedd9.jpg[/url]

KiwiTim

376 posts

Ultimate Geek

#985084 12-Feb-2014 14:02

ITV seems to be working in full screen mode now. Only faulty apps I can find now, include 4oD for British users and TVNZ on Demand. It seems like it is just the 50inch screen size affected. Guess they will get around to fixing it eventually.

Tim

stevenz

2802 posts

Uber Geek

#985308 12-Feb-2014 17:32

I've got a 50" F6400 and it played fullscreen the 1 time I tried it. Netflix sometimes jumps the entire picture to the left a couple of inches in the same way as pictured but it seems to be a bandwidth thing that usually comes right.

I've yet to find a platform (PS3, PS4, PC, iPad, Galaxy Note 3, TV) that doesn't have problems of _some_ sort with TVNZ OnDemand. Given I don't watch soaps or reality shows, it's not too limiting though.

@KnightNZ

richms

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#986511 12-Feb-2014 23:14

I have seen this with some content on a friends samsung TV. Not sure what the content was coming from and his missus didnt seem to give a damn.

IME samsungs support is useless. I complained to them heaps when a software update removed the just scan option from the digital tuner making it crop digital tv broadcasts. Much nicer quality off my external box via HDMI where I can choose just scan and see the whole image. THey were indiferent about it and didnt even want to offer me a downgrade option back to what I had.

They also tried to tell me that using a "hidden command" to get the US apps instead of NZ ones was something that would invalidate my warranty.

Richard rich.ms

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#986526 13-Feb-2014 00:38

No problems on my 50/51" from a year or so back. Admitidly I was pretty quick to get the hulu plus app on there so I've lost the local apps, but its been awesome!

Will post the model if I remember to check tomorrow

wodger

29 posts

Geek

#998437 3-Mar-2014 21:30

3 week old 55f6400 here. No problem with fullscreen in tvnz on demand but the &#*$-%-app often dumps me back out of the smart hub when I start it up or (less often) while I'm using it. Switching from WiFi to wired and upgrading firmware has helped but not massively.

KiwiTim

376 posts

Ultimate Geek

#998572 4-Mar-2014 08:53

wodger: 3 week old 55f6400 here. No problem with fullscreen in tvnz on demand but the &#*$-%-app often dumps me back out of the smart hub when I start it up or (less often) while I'm using it. Switching from WiFi to wired and upgrading firmware has helped but not massively.

Mine does the same, usually the first time you go into the Smart Hub. Not a rock solid OS, I Think.

Here is an update on the TVNZ on Demand App for 50 inch Samsung Series 6 TV's.

I went over to LV Martin and Noel Leeming on the weekend and tested a 50 inch F6300, a 50 inch F6400, a 55 inch F6400 and a 46 inch F6400. The 46 and 55 inch TVs were fine; the TVNZ on Demand App occupied the full screen during both adverts and programs.

However, for the two 50 inch TVs, both had the 7.5 cm wide vertical black band on the right hand edge of the screen. Interestingly, like my set, the adverts are not affected, they display in full screen. It is just when a program runs that the black band appears. I have now viewed six different 50 inch Samsung Series 6 TVs, including F6300, F6400 and the F6700 models. All of them had this fault with the TVNZ On Demand App. Other screen sizes seem to be unaffected.

My guess is that all 50 inch F6300, F6400 and F6700 TVs have this fault. Since the UK 4oD app has the exact same behaviour as the TVNZ on Demand app, there is obviously some quality or behaviour that these two apps share in common that causes this error on a 50 inch Series 6 TV.

Obviously, Samsung quality control is not running as it should be.

I have informed Samsung support about my findings so I hope they get on to fixing this issue.

jarledb

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#1000926 7-Mar-2014 18:08

KiwiTim, I would suggest you try go get contact information for the people at TVNZ that are responsible for the app, they might like to know about whats going on with the SmartTV app on Samsung 50" and might be better suited to fix it.. Could be something with the app..

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