Friday, March 25, 2011

Loads of problems with HT BD8200 soundbar

I'm haveing a whole lot of problems with my now one month old sound bar, and they seem to be getting worse.

Here they are:

1) It turns itself off
2) It turns the TV off
3) It turns itself on (in the middle of the night, for instance)
4) It does not show any picture at all. Sometimes it does, but usually not..

When I turn it on, it first shows a picture of blueish unfocused bubbles before it starts switching between the TV's bluescreen and a black screen a couple of times before the screen goes black. The sound from the DVD starts playing, but there is not picture. Sometimes it even turns off the TV.

When it does work it shows a samsung logo and goes on to play the dvd. This is getting quite frustrating.


I have upgraded to the latest firmware. Turned off the anynet-function as I have seen other people have problems with that. But the problems seem to be getting worse, as in I now more often than not get the black screen instead of the DVD I want to watch.

Thanks for any help.

Reply 1 : Loads of problems with HT BD8200 soundbar

mkb1979,

I'm sorry to hear that you're having these issues.

Unfortunately, there's not much I can suggest as to why it would power on unexpectedly or what might be causing the problem. If you're using a different brand of television, have you tried turning off the CEC settings on that as well?

Sometimes intervals of black flashes is normal when the unit is powering up. The unit is attempting to connect to stream data, and it's not uncommon for HDMI connections to attempt that connection, detail the Hz and resolution ratings. But not showing a picture suggests that there's something beyond what I can assist with, unless you're using a resolution that isn't supported by the television.

If changing those don't fix the issue, the best bet is to call 800-SAMSUNG and have the unit set up for service.

--HDTech

Reply 2 : Loads of problems with HT BD8200 soundbar

Unfortunately. I continue to have issues as well. It's been sent back for service, but the problems persist. Did you ever make any progress?

Reply 3 : Loads of problems with HT BD8200 soundbar

ctsaustin,

No, not much, unfortuntely.

The turning on and off could be attributed to Anynet+, which is the HDMI-CEC (assuming it's connected with HDMI). Turning off Anynet+ might(!) address those issues, but as for turning on in the middle of the night for no reason, I have no explanation for that.

--HDTech

Reply 4 : Loads of problems with HT BD8200 soundbar

We have the same powering on problem and our sound bar is not in it's 2nd repair attempt ... previous repair didn't fix the problem and it actually came back with more problems than we sent it out with (came back with a fan buzzing problem as well). Was told to send back immediately to be fixed as the combo of turning on in the middle of the night by itself and malfunctioning fan could cause a fire. Sound bar would turn on by itself even if anynet and cec were turned off, all hdmi cables and usb devices unplugged, and no disc in bay .. would turn on when it was just plugged into the wall ..

Reply 5 : Loads of problems with HT BD8200 soundbar

Hi

I had faced similat experience and no real answer from Samsung Tech Support except having my money back.
ThenI have purchased a new one from a new reseller and it is working great. As far as I know, the automatic wakeup is linked to the Touch Key part, butr it is very difficult to get this spare from Europe. New batch of products (manufactured in 2010) seems to not show this issue.
The only remaining issue is AnyNet which still have sometime strange behaviour with Samsung Flat TV LE40B750)

I hope this will help

Best regards

Reply 6 : Loads of problems with HT BD8200 soundbar

How did you convince Samsung to refund?

Reply 7 : Loads of problems with HT BD8200 soundbar

I finally disconnected my ht bd 8200 soundbar.

Problems:
-turns on at random times
-anynet+ function with my Samsung pn50b860 tv only made it more difficult to control both units. Any non-anynet+ blue-ray player would have been easier to use.
-stopped playing cd's two months ago.
-stopped playing regular dvd's one month ago.
-stopped playing blue-ray dvd's just three weeks ago. Had to scramble to get another dvd player for my daugther's first sleep-over party on her sixth birthday.
-stopped playing on-line netflix three weeks ago.

Samsung, if you are reading this blog, how is it possible to sell such a malfunctioning product? I've read multiple positive CNET reviews about Samsung products and find it ridiculously laughable how bad this soundbar is except for the fact that I've dropped few thousand dollars to get this supposedly wonderful Samsung anynet+ tv/soundbar system.

I want my money back, but I'm sure Samsung won't do that, so maybe I'll get lucky and they will replace the unit.

Reply 8 : Loads of problems with HT BD8200 soundbar

alexrudolph,

I'm sorry to hear that you're having trouble with your soundbar.

I do read most, if not all, of the entries people post. Unfortunately, I don't have a solution for this situation, except to have the unit serviced, or the issue escalated to your satisfaction. It sounds like there is an issue that requires service on your unit.

The other option would be to turn off Anynet+ on both systems, but with the Blu-Ray and Netflix inabilities, it sounds like it needs to be looked at.

--HDTech

Reply 9 : Loads of problems with HT BD8200 soundbar

Oh my god! I am experiencing the exact same problems with mine.

DVD's not playing, CD's not playing, horrible clicking sound during Ipod play back and a scraping noise when skipping from song to song.

I will be getting mine replaced or trying t sell it!

Reply 10 : Loads of problems with HT BD8200 soundbar

After reading all these postings?
I have come to the conclusion: gone case?
I was SO excited when I saw the design and actually incorporated the HT BD8200 soundbar into my master bedroom feature wall
Now I am stuck with a system that don't work anymore?

The problems I faced for the past 10 months...
-Sound bar switches on by itself at random times (though it didn't play or switch on the Samsung LED I had connected to it)
-Refuses to play Blue-Ray discs!! (I thought it was suppose to play Blue-Ray movies!!) Ended up using it as an overpriced regular DVD player?

-However, just last night, it the middle of a DVD movie, it switches itself off and COULD NOT even be switched on AGAIN!! Now the touch pad on/off button is flickering between red and white. I can't get the system to eject the rental DVD disc!! It simply rolled over and died!!

Kind of depressing reading about the horrid experiences thus far?
I don't even know what kind of outcome to expect?

Reply 11 : Loads of problems with HT BD8200 soundbar

Just read your post and had all the same problems! Got latest firm ware on no fixes for these problems still switches on in middle of night fan making a lovley noise now!if it does cause a fire boy what samsung going to have to pay out in claims would it not be better to fix these problems and have people look into it before this happens!

I have spent a few quid on all samsung products thinking they are the best new TV 7200 Internet great I thought! can stream love film and ebay but was told that this modle cant do it have you not got firm ware to update it so that it can ? Oh had the same problem with tv turn on solved that now brought a logitech 1000 remote and set all the timmings on my product and it has stopped the tv turn on just the sound bar still does it better them both of them doing it !lol is it that samsung dont care about there customer base? I for one will never buy samsung products ever again

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

New xps 15 l502x vs new inspiron 15r 5110

hey guys



do you reckon that the new xps is worth an extra $200 over the new inspiron 15r?



i want to laptop to last atleast 5-6 years & thats the only reason i am considering the xps (build quality). The laptop will be for everyday use with a little bit of gaming in future.



Thanks

Reply 1 : New xps 15 l502x vs new inspiron 15r 5110

Yes, currently the XPS line is much better than the Inspiron in build quality. If you want to use the notebook for such a long time, buy the XPS with the best CPU and GPU you can afford as they are hard (CPU) or impossible (GPU) to upgrade.

Reply 2 : New xps 15 l502x vs new inspiron 15r 5110

The XPS is definitely much better, in build quality, CPU, GPU, and most importantly the screen.



If you get the XPS, be ABSOLUTELY SURE to get the B+RGLED 1920x1080 display upgrade. It's the most important option, and is the real key difference between the Inspiron and the XPS. The upgrade is the first option under the Adjust Performance tab on the Dell USA website.



The B+RGLED 1080p is one of the best screens available on a consumer-class laptop, but the 720p screen is one of the worst quality in terms of viewing angles, color reproduction, etc, not just in terms of low resolution and limited desktop space.

If you're not getting the B+RGLED 1920x1080 display, the Dell XPS probably isn't the best choice of a computer, but if you do get it, the computer's worth pretty much whatever price you pay for it.



Believe me, you don't want a 720p XPS 15. The XPS 15 is an awesome multimedia/moderate-gaming laptop, and deserves a decent screen to go with it. Get the 1080p.



If you're keeping this laptop for 6 years, you don't want to suffer with the quality of the 720p for that long. Spend the extra dough on the 1080p screen first, since you'll notice the difference in that upgrade a lot more than the difference in a processor or graphics card upgrade.

Reply 3 : New xps 15 l502x vs new inspiron 15r 5110

well i have a full hd monitor so will i still need the 1080p?

It costs $200 here in australia..

Reply 4 : New xps 15 l502x vs new inspiron 15r 5110

Yes, you will still want to upgrade. The difference is that good, especially if you ever want to use the laptop on-the-go. Even if it never leaves the desk, it will allow you to direct-mirror the 1080p monitor rather than using it as an "attached" monitor if you ever decide to do that.



But really, if you're never going to use the screen in the laptop itself, why get a laptop in the first place? I think the 1080p is worth it. It'll probably even blow away the quality of your external monitor, so you can have your nice laptop screen right in front of you to look at most of the time, and use your big-screen monitor on the side.



The B+RGLED backlight in the XPS 15's 1080p means upwards of 95% color gamut, which is about on par with a lot of professional laptop displays.

which wwan gobi card to use on w8?

Hi currently i have a wwan card on my hp 2730p tablet. can i transfer it to my panasonic w8 for use? if not, can someone advise me what gobi card i should buy and perhaps where i can order online? thanks a lot!

The old (silver) dv7 versus the new (black) dv7?

I purchased the affected laptop back in January - returned it in February and ordered a supposedly "redesigned chipset" dv7. That was, of course, still before the new spring models have arrived.



The new spring models have significant improvements, yet they lack two things - eSATA, which makes me think it still has the old chipset, they just got rid of an affected port.



Also, I hate the fact that they got rid of the clickpad, it may take a little getting used to, but it is so much more stylish then he classic touchpad.



And lastly, I really wish they kept the silver "Macbook Pro" design. I don't like the full black body and the fact that it is not flat, but rather has its back curled up.



On the other hand...USB 3.0, better graphics, and HD cam make it very nice.



Not sure what to do about this? Any advice?

Also...has anyone actually gotten the new machines?

Reply 1 : The old (silver) dv7 versus the new (black) dv7?

i did the same ! buy affected one in January and Return it on February



But no worry's new one is different form old one and they using new chip set

Reply 2 : The old (silver) dv7 versus the new (black) dv7?


Quote:








Originally Posted by dileepakl
View Post

i did the same ! buy affected one in January and Return it on February



But no worry's new one is different form old one and they using new chip set



You are not going to get the dv7-6XXX? It seems like it is a major upgrade from the 5XXX

Reply 3 : The old (silver) dv7 versus the new (black) dv7?

i will get that > but not form Hp " anywhere else like microcenter >< bestbuy so i can see which are the upgrades

Samsung UN40C6300 from US to india

Hi,

Recently, I've bought Samsung UN40C6300 LED 40" TV from US and I'm planning to use it in India.

Other than step down converter and digital set top box receiver (HD), what else I will have to take care in order to have this TV working in india?

Adesh

Would removing the ThinkVantage Toolbox improve my performance?

I think it might be useful at one time or another.



But if my machine will be noticeably faster, then I will remove it.



Is the best way to uninstall it through Add/Remove?



I have an i5 processor with 4GB or RAM.

Reply 1 : Would removing the ThinkVantage Toolbox improve my performance?

probably negligible. you can disable it from starting up with windows to have a faster boot to a usable desktop time.

Reply 2 : Would removing the ThinkVantage Toolbox improve my performance?

I reimaged my machine with Lenovo recovery discs and going from 33 running processes to 53 and all the ThinkVantage software, I did not really notice a difference in boot up time/overall performance.

Reply 3 : Would removing the ThinkVantage Toolbox improve my performance?


Quote:








Originally Posted by Tsunade_Hime
View Post

I reimaged my machine with Lenovo recovery discs and going from 33 running processes to 53 and all the ThinkVantage software, I did not really notice a difference in boot up time/overall performance.



In my case, I leveled my system with the base install of Windows 7 Enterprise (I have a Technet subscription) and installed what I wanted from the ThinkVantage toybox afterwards.



There was an improvement in startup. Operational performance was better when I had 4GB of RAM; now that I have 8GB, I don't think having everything loaded would matter as much. I have wondered though if the ThinkVantage Access Protection slows down hard disk access at all when installed. My ThinkPad doesn't take a lot of abuse or shaking, so I haven't bothered to install it since I cleaned things up.



To the OP: I've found that when I start to say "It may be useful at some time or another", it's me being a packrat. Rarely does said (whatever it is) become useful enough. I'd probably just remove it, and keep the installation files stored in your Downloads folder in case you need it down the road.

Thinkpad X220 specs revealed!

Here is the spec sheet for the x220!



http://shop.lenovo.com/ISS_Static/ww..._datasheet.pdf



The interesting things:



1. Available IPS display!!! This will please a lot of people here!

2. Available USB 3.0 port

3. Available with mSATA SSD (80GB intel 310 ssd)

4. Slice battery (23h battery life combined with 9 cell I'm guessing).

5. Improved battery life: 9h with 6 cell, 15h with 9 cell

6. VGA and DisplayPort directly on the notebook



The maybe not so good things depends on your point of view:



1. No button touchpad (makes it larger but...)

2. New latching system. Hard to see how it works but we'll see I guess.

3. 16:9 display (1366x768) but we all knew that already



Overall, looks like a nice update to me!

Reply 1 : Thinkpad X220 specs revealed!

Damn, even the IPS screen is only 1366x768. T420s it is, I guess, unless there's still an 's' model with a higher resolution. I get the feeling that they've consolidated to one X200 model, since this is less than 3lbs. Meh, I'll wait til the reviews, maybe the IPS screen will win me over. Noise and real world battery life will probably be the tie breaker for me.



Notice that only the i7-2620M has USB 3.0

Reply 2 : Thinkpad X220 specs revealed!

IPS display on normal X220 that is something i would like to see. And that long battery life is good news for many people whom carries their laptop without a power adapter.

Reply 3 : Thinkpad X220 specs revealed!


Quote:








Originally Posted by zuluman007
View Post

1. Available IPS display!!!



Yes! And longer battery life!



On page 3 (footnote): The ThinkPad X220 has Linux Certifications for Redhat, Novell & Unbuntu.

Reply 4 : Thinkpad X220 specs revealed!

If the vertical res was higher this would literally be the perfect machine, but close enough.

Reply 5 : Thinkpad X220 specs revealed!


Quote:








Originally Posted by Kaso
View Post

Yes! And longer battery life!



Agree. Going to be my new computer. Now if I could just sell off my x120e.

Reply 6 : Thinkpad X220 specs revealed!

Want mine with:

  • 2.5GHz i5-2520M
  • IPS Screen (depending on price)
  • Lowest Win 7 option (have Ultimate)
  • Lowest amount of ram (have 8GB DDR3-1333 already)
  • Lowest hdd (have Intel G2 ssd)
  • USB 3.0 port
  • 6-cell
  • Lowest Intel 6000 series wifi card


Want lots of goodies, plan to actually keep this for at least 5 years (vs getting an Acer 3810T then 1830T in the past 2yrs). Hope I can get some good student discounts.



Also, is only the i7-2620 available with USB 3.0?

Reply 7 : Thinkpad X220 specs revealed!

Looks like USB 3.0 is available only on the i7 variant. Too bad....





A.

Reply 8 : Thinkpad X220 specs revealed!

I'm kind of surprised it comes with the MSATA option. Did the T420s end up having it? I know there was some contention, and being able to have two SSD's for my VM network would be another pro for the X220.

Reply 9 : Thinkpad X220 specs revealed!


Quote:








Originally Posted by Jayayess1190
View Post

Also, is only the i7-2620 available with USB 3.0?



Yeah. Please add more coins.




Quote:








Originally Posted by k2001
View Post

Now if I could just sell off my x120e.



Already?