Samsung PN50C550 & the 'STROBE EFFECT'

The 'Strobe Effect' when using built-in Media Player

I've owned the set for about 3 weeks and all has been beautiful until a few days ago -- after watching "Book of Eli" via USB thumb drive/Media Player the screen started to strobe with weird colors. Switching the source of signal did nothing to correct it and after a couple of minutes, I turned the set off and on and that cleared the problem up.

At the time I was a bit worried, but I thought maybe it was just a glitch, considering the oddly colored, very contrasty nature of the film -- the movie constantly switches from very bright to very dark scenes.

But in the days since, the strobe effect has happened at least 2 more times. It always happens after using Media Player and today it occurred when one .avi completed -- the screen went blank and when I switched to a different source, I heard sound but no picture. When I switched back to media player I got no picture nor sound and when switching, once again to another source, I saw nothing -- not even the source menu. I had to shut it down and restart the tv and all was normal again.

So now, I'm getting a bit concerned. I have a Wii, a standard DVD player (Philips) and a USB hard drive on one USB connection (rear) and a USB thumb drive on the other (side). No cable box, just an antenna for OTA digital signals.

I'm hoping it's just a firmware issue and will be addressed in the near future (the media player could definitely use a few tweaks, IMO).

thinking, maybe I should start a dedicated thread for this issue to see how many people have had this problem... judging by this thread, it's just a few people, but then again -- I had to read a lot of posts before I came across the others that had experienced the same problem.

Any thoughts would be appreciated...

thx for the reply...

I have been testing this problem out using a usb thumbdrive and usb hard drive containing 30+ videos in differing formats (.mkv, .avi, .mp4). In my tests it would seem that it is a problem specific to the media player software and/or a firmware issue. I can reproduce the problem easily using any number of video files of various formats.

It seems the Media Player has issues with the way some videos are created/recorded--- It seems that some vids are 'well behaved' and others are 'flicker starters'!

For example.. i have several vids in differing formats (listed above) that will always cause the flickering simply by EXITING the video using any method ('stop', 'exit', 'media.p', or 'source' buttons) -- these are the 'flicker starters'. Once the flickering begins it will only go away by restarting the vid or starting another vid using media player or by turning off the tv.

If, while the screen is flickering, I try to use any other source (tv, dvd, wii) the flickering will still be present. BUT... if, while the screen is flickering, I start one of the 'well behaved' vids and then exit it using any method listed above -- it will stop the flickering in the media player AND any other source.

I have tried this several times and it always works this way.

The flickering only occurs when using the Media Player... and only occurs when viewing certain vids (the 'flicker starters'). It doesn't matter which USB device I am using. This would seem to me to indicate the problem is a software and/or firmware issue.

The only problem I haven't been able to successful recreate, AT WILL, is the 'blank screen'.. where the screen goes blank and not even menus will display, but the sounds from the different sources will still be present. This problem occurs after the screen flickering has been activated and I switch to another source. It has happened several times and even happened while I was performing these tests, but I wasn't able to recreate it repeatedly. It seems to occur when it feels like it. I have to pay more attention to exactly what steps I took the next time the 'blank screen' occurs.


on another note...

I bought this Samsung Plasma based on the performance of two Samsung monitors I have owned. The 1st was a SyncMaster (circa 1998) 22" CRT that I bought refurbished and lasted me 9yrs. It was the best monitor I had ever owned and it blew me away with its color reproduction, longevity, and quality construction-- I never had to have it serviced.

When that monitor finally died in early '07 I knew that I would be buying another Samsung. After lots of research I decided that the SyncMaster 215tw was the model I was looking for -- the priceerformance ratio was as close as I could get acceptable. It took me months of waiting until the price fell to a number that I could justify and that only happened once the model was discontinued and I picked up one as sellers cleared out their remaining inventory.

I was extremely impressed with the 215tw and it was a worthy successor to my original CRT SyncMaster -- or so I thought...

In the past week (3 wks after buying my Samsung Plasma), my 215tw monitor has developed its OWN FLICKER problem!! While looking for a solution I discovered that there are literally thousands of complaints concerning this problem with Samsung LCDs (Televisions and Monitors). It seems that the power supply for these LCDs are populated with defective capacitors that fail after 12-36 months!!

I can't even begin to tell you how many blogs, forums, articles and even YouTube videos that are reporting this problem and Samsung's response to this has been ABSOLUTE SILENCE!! There are literally thousands of Samsung customers reporting this problem with their (EXPENSIVE) Samsung LCD televsions and monitors and Samsung has decided to ignore the problem and leave the cost of repair -- for this manufacturing defect -- squarely on their customers wallets to the cost of $300+ for professional repair.

Many owners have taken it upon themselves to replace the defective capacitors (as it looks like I will too) and a YouTube video showing an owner making the repair has almost 50,000 hits!

There is also a law firm investigating these problems for a possible class action lawsuit (www .lieffcabraser. com/defects/samsung-lcd. htm -- sorry for the unformatted link, as a new user I can't post URLs)

All of this is very disappointing to me as I have been a fan of Samsung video components for more than a decade. This latest discovery has made me more than a bit concerned as to the quality of my new Samsung Plasma (add to that fact the problems I'm already having with the Media Player component).

Samsung... you need to get your act together! You need to make this right for your customers! The problem is a manufacturing defect and as such it is your responsibility -- even if defect is not directly your fault (it seems that the defective capacitors were manufactured by a supplier to Samsung).

As for me, if a lawsuit materializes I'll be one of the plaintiffs.. it is ridiculous that a monitor as expensive as the 215tw should fail after 2.5 yrs of use!