Samsung Sued Over Defective Blu-ray Players

[HDTV1080P]

http://www.courthousenews.com/2008/0...uRayNewark.pdf

http://blog.wired.com/business/2008/...g-sued-ov.html

I am against most lawsuits. If the product does not work it should be taken back to the store or sold. There are to many lawsuits filed.

[bigboar]

I am for the most part against lawsuits also, but alot of people bought these players for a good amount of money and discs didnt start coming out until months after alot of people bought them... I dont see how you could return it to the store and why shoud they have had to sell them for a loss? This is an insance where samsung should stand behind their product. They dont even keep up with firmware updates until cnet started pressing them for info... maybe people will get better support for their units in the near future from samsung.....

Originally Posted by HDTV1080P

http://www.courthousenews.com/2008/0...uRayNewark.pdf

http://blog.wired.com/business/2008/...g-sued-ov.html

I am against most lawsuits. If the product does not work it should be taken back to the store or sold. There are to many lawsuits filed.

[The Doctor]

Originally Posted by bigboar

I am for the most part against lawsuits also, but alot of people bought these players for a good amount of money and discs didnt start coming out until months after alot of people bought them... I dont see how you could return it to the store and why shoud they have had to sell them for a loss? This is an insance where samsung should stand behind their product. They dont even keep up with firmware updates until cnet started pressing them for info... maybe people will get better support for their units in the near future from samsung.....

Here's the rub, though: How long should Samsung be expected to support discontinued products? Everyone likes to blame Samsung, but if the movie studios would stop mucking about and changing things, there wouldn't be a need for constant firmware updates.

There's no incentive for Samsung to provide firmware updates to a discontinued model, and the movie studios seems to love to constantly change the codecs on their newer discs (newer BD-J, BD+ DRM, etc.), thus necessiating a new firmware update, that Samsung has to pay for. Small wonder that Samsung is tired of this firmware update game.

As consumers though, we are really stuck in the middle here. We buy Blu-Ray discs, come home and then they don't work in our Blu-Ray player. The studios and CE's need to work this out, because the only way HDM will take off is if it works pretty much like DVD (and VHS): you stick the disc in and it plays.

[pat00139]

Once a product is sold, the company has absolutely no requirement for future fixes. They're doing it simply as a favour to its conusmers. The lawsuit won't fly. However, it benefits Samsung to make their customers happy, though, as it encourages future business.

[draiken78]

Originally Posted by The Doctor

Here's the rub, though: How long should Samsung be expected to support discontinued products?

I think the players should be supported for at least 1 to 2 years with firmware updates. The player listed in the lawsuit is not even a year old yet. Samsung on the other hand releases a new player about every 6 months, hence the 1200 is an older model now.

At the price that this player and many other sell for (about $500 or more when released) less than 1 year of support is completely insane, while 2 years of support seems right to me.

[bigboar]

it dont agree at all with that... I can get out my 8 yr old dvd player and still play any dvd in it. but I cant play a new bluray movie at all. My 1200 isnt even out of warranty yet, but you think they should be able to just say the hell with everyone???
If its the studios fault, well for all I care samsung can go after them... If you pay 500+ for something, I think the company should stand behind it....how would if go over if you bought a new care, it was still under warranty, but it would no longer run... then the mfg told you sorry we dont support that vehicle anymore....

Originally Posted by The Doctor

Here's the rub, though: How long should Samsung be expected to support discontinued products? Everyone likes to blame Samsung, but if the movie studios would stop mucking about and changing things, there wouldn't be a need for constant firmware updates.

There's no incentive for Samsung to provide firmware updates to a discontinued model, and the movie studios seems to love to constantly change the codecs on their newer discs (newer BD-J, BD+ DRM, etc.), thus necessiating a new firmware update, that Samsung has to pay for. Small wonder that Samsung is tired of this firmware update game.

As consumers though, we are really stuck in the middle here. We buy Blu-Ray discs, come home and then they don't work in our Blu-Ray player. The studios and CE's need to work this out, because the only way HDM will take off is if it works pretty much like DVD (and VHS): you stick the disc in and it plays.

[gene9p]

by October the new releases were a problem....they have my player and offered me a refund..still waiting for my money..if not this week ...will call MC to remove charge...as much as I am pissed at Samsuck..I agree the issue lies with Fox, Disney, Lionsgate..and the other studios that released those long loading piece of crap discs....Warner bro's new releases had no issues on BD why should the other guys make discs that way..just for the features..crap..all I want is to watch the movie

[damnskippy]

Really the whole thing is stupid, I mean BD players are experimental/beta products as far as 1.0 profile they are just not listed that way. The BD spec at 1.1 is listed as final though it really isn't as we still have 2.0. So when you have no firm spec you can not have faith that it will work in the future.

Is this the buyers fault, no but it is what it is and it sucks. Don't take this as a HD-DVD supporter rant or flame it's not, I have both. It's just like using beta software to create documents and then when the final version is released the beta will not read them because something in the file spec was changed.

[chris gerhard]

The player listed in the class action lawsuit is BD-O1200 so Samsung will probably just file a motion for summary judgment and request court fees. Samsung have never made a player with that model number.

Chris

[draiken78]

In # 25 it is listed as you say, but in 11 it list it as the model (1200).

[The Doctor]

Originally Posted by bigboar

it dont agree at all with that... I can get out my 8 yr old dvd player and still play any dvd in it. but I cant play a new bluray movie at all. My 1200 isnt even out of warranty yet, but you think they should be able to just say the hell with everyone???
If its the studios fault, well for all I care samsung can go after them... If you pay 500+ for something, I think the company should stand behind it....how would if go over if you bought a new care, it was still under warranty, but it would no longer run... then the mfg told you sorry we dont support that vehicle anymore....

I actually agree with you, there. Samsung should provide the needed firmware fixes, and then go after the studios for the costs of providing said fixes. If Samsung had handled it this way, rather than just dropping the ball, I think we all would have had a lot more respect for 'em.

Blu-Ray will never take off until it works just like DVD, you stick in the disc and it plays: regardless of your player and regardless of the movie you stick in.

If Samsung loses this lawsuit (assuming it does actually make it to a courtroom), look for Samsung to go after the studios for the costs of providing the firmware fixes required.

[chris gerhard]

It is a silly suit and a waste of money. Samsung just needs to fix the issues and a lawsuit won't help with that. Samsung has gotten the BD-P1000 to play the new titles so there must be something inherently difficult about the BD-P1200 design. I just picked up a BD-P1200 and downloaded the 2/05/08 firmware, version 2.1, but it appears that hasn't completely solved the issues either so I won't mess with loading it and will just wait for the next fix.

If there is going to be a lawsuit, the studios should be named as well since there could be some shared fault. I think the suit will never go to court personally and it may just be a bluff to get Samsung to settle for an amount that makes more sense than fighting. The only thing we can be sure of is that BD-P1200 owners won't get much, only attorneys will. Let Samsung spend the money to fix the issue, not fight lawsuits. It is a shame the issues are taking so long, but this isn't an issue serious enough for a lawsuit.

Chris

[BwanaJim]

Simply put, if I purchase a blu-ray player I expect it to be able to play alll blu-ray disks. The same held for regular DVD which played all DVD disks unless they were defective.
If a machine is produced that cannot play all Blu-Ray disks then it should be discontinued and all consumers who have purchased the units should be reimbursed for the defective units. (by the manufacturer)
They can be made correctly, the PS3 is a fine example. Plays everything.
My future purchase of Samsung products will hinge on their response to this lawsuit.

[Trip]

You know, if you would have bought a player you wouldn't be having these problems...

This is the EXACT reason that I refused to buy any player but a PS3. I read the reviews on the standalones, and it might work, or it might not work. To me, it wasn't worth risking $400-500 bucks on something that might not work.

Besides, my first DVD player was a Samsung and what I thought was great at first turned out to be a piece of crap. Had a SD and upconverter both by Sony and never had a problem with either one of them.

My TV is a Samsung and my next will be a Sammy as well. Love their TV's but hate their players.

[venk]

This is completely not a suprise. I had a horrible, horrible experience with a Samsung Camera and especially their customer service. I committed never ever to buy a Samsung product AGAIN.