Samsung Admits to Faulty Update Bricking Home Theater Systems, Offers Free Repairs

Samsung has acknowledged an issue regarding the release of a faulty update affecting certain models of its home theater systems, primarily the HW-Q990D, HW-Q800D, and HW-S801D, which has rendered them inoperable for users. The company is offering complimentary repairs for all soundbars impacted by this issue, regardless of warranty status.

Users with HW-Q990D, HW-Q800D, and HW-S801D models are unable to restore their devices to working order at home following the problematic firmware update; physical repairs at a service center are required. Additionally, it is not possible to reset the settings to factory defaults on the bricked devices.

Previously, users reported that after installing update 1020.7, their Samsung soundbars became unresponsive. The affected devices were also no longer accessible through the Samsung SmartThings app. Although the devices power on, they seem to freeze at the eARC input on the television. Many Samsung soundbars are configured for automatic updates, which has resulted in widespread complaints from users across various countries, including the United States, Austria, the Philippines, Malaysia, and others.