SAMSUNG B550 - Enabling MKV & DIVX/XVID playback - part 1

[marvmikey]

DISCLAIMER you enter the service menu at your own risk, altering the wrong settings in the service menu could result in your TV not functioning as it should

Ok so I finally have MKV's and Divx's working on my LE40B550, flawlessly I might add - here's how:

1 - Enter the Service Menu (when in standby press press info, menu, mute then standby)

2 - Enter 'Control' option

3 - Enter 'Sub Option'

4 - Turn on WISELINK MOVIE, WISELINK WRITE & HIGH DEVI

5 - Press Standby

Sorted! thanks to reddish75 for finding the wiselink option (this allowed divx's but not MKV's), all I did was enable 'high devi' and 'wiselink' write

So why would they include this in the hardware and not enable it hmmm that's odd (it's clearly not struggling to play the MKV's at all 1280 x 720)

Firmware I'm using is latest (check samsung site, ends 1008)

What a nice surprise people should know about this!!

ADDITION:

An almost concrete way of making sure your file plays first time:

have an AVI file of between 3-4 mb size and no longer than 1m30 seconds duration, start playback then stop it (using the return button on remote)

now play the file you intended to play, it will work without restarting the TV (MKV's tested 720/1080p and many other file types including .ts files)

just saves your TV from rebooting which was happening about 20% of the time on execution of your file, 100% non restart (success) strike rate

[NX3]

I'll try this on a B450 as well however unlikely it is to work.....

[marvmikey]

worth a try NX3 - I didn't expect the B550 would do it

you never know

[NX3]

No option on my 22" B450 but AnyNet+ option exists, I've got nothing connected to it so can't test. The 22" models though has a lot fewer options than the 26" and bigger so might be on the larger models.

You can change the model number, why though ? hehe....I'll pretend its a B650

[marvmikey]

Originally Posted by NX3

No option on my 22" B450 but AnyNet+ option exists, I've got nothing connected to it so can't test. The 22" models though has a lot fewer options than the 26" and bigger so might be on the larger models.

You can change the model number, why though ? hehe....I'll pretend its a B650

the b650 design is absolutely awful (that chin!) and having seen the B550 next to the B650 all I can say is that you would need to be a terminator to tell the difference, the contrast ratios have reached a pointed where they don't need to be higher - if anything they're all too bright (by default) and with some calibration most mid level sets can produce a very decent picture

b550 all the way, I saw a post on here saying colourspace could not be modified on B series samsungs - that's WRONG

watched ghost rider last night on Sky HD and I swear it was a better picture than the a656 I used to have

[reddish75]

marvmickey, i seem to have a problem with my picture, it is now looking constantly washed out, with people's skin tones looking like they are dead, are you having anything like this? what are your picture settings?

also have you looked in the service menu at the asia option? 120hz! i wonder if this can be forced to work?

thanks

chris

[Curly99]

Remember if you do enter the Service menu you do so at your own risk, I would advise that you err on the side of caution as pressing the wrong option while in the service menu may cause your TV to not function as it should.

Curly

[marvmikey]

Originally Posted by Curly99

Remember if you do enter the Service menu you do so at your own risk, I would advise that you err on the side of caution as pressing the wrong option while in the service menu may cause your TV to not function as it should.

Curly

good point, b550 owners should be MKVing though

[marvmikey]

Originally Posted by reddish75

marvmickey, i seem to have a problem with my picture, it is now looking constantly washed out, with people's skin tones looking like they are dead, are you having anything like this? what are your picture settings?

also have you looked in the service menu at the asia option? 120hz! i wonder if this can be forced to work?

thanks

chris

I'm gonna try the 120hz, hope i don't brick the TV

[marvmikey]

enable the 120hz but no option in any of the menus to turn it on?

[ziffius]

The panel isn't capable of 100hz. It's possible it sill has the 100hz processing on board.

If you take the back off, you might see the space on the board where you could solder an ethernet socket and a second USB port. You could be even more adventurous then and whip the soldering iron out

[marvmikey]

Originally Posted by reddish75

marvmickey, i seem to have a problem with my picture, it is now looking constantly washed out, with people's skin tones looking like they are dead, are you having anything like this? what are your picture settings?

also have you looked in the service menu at the asia option? 120hz! i wonder if this can be forced to work?

thanks

chris

when I first got the TV I noticed the same thing - washed out picture but then one day it was just perfect, maybe it needed some use (braking in) before it settled - i think it's just a TV that needs to be used a bit before you get it at it's best (my picture is BRILLIANT now)

the 120 hertz doesn't work, my picture settings for HD are dynamic with backlight down to 7 and sharpness at 35

for the best SD picture then use these settings :

• Picture Modes
  • Picture Mode : Movie
  • Color Temperature : Warm 2
  • Aspect Ratio : 16 x 9
• Picture Settings
  • Backlight : 4
  • Contrast : 95
  • Brightness : 46
  • Sharpness : 0
  • Color : 45
  • Tint : G50/R50
• Advanced Settings
  • Black Tone : Off
  • Dynamic Contrast : Off
  • Gamma : -2
  • Color Space : Auto
  • White Balance : Factory Default
  • Fleshtone : 0
  • Edge Enhancement : Off
• Picture Options
  • Color Tone : Warm 2
  • Size : 16:9
  • Digital NR : Off
  • HDMI Black Level : Low
  • Film Mode : Auto 1
  • Blue Only Mode : Off

[MickMclovin]

Hey,
Big thanks to markmivey.

I was just wondering if it suported audio playback of DTS.

Its just I have a ton of movies with DTS and i was wondering if U would be able to get any sound.

Cheers!

EDIT : By the way I dont have an amp or a 5.1 setup

[Dzian]

Originally Posted by ldiemosl

I've tried it on B450 and it don't work

Sorry for the question, I'm looking to buy Samsung LE32B450. It's main use will be to watch movies/series from a PC of which a lot of them may be in mkv.

Does this means that the TV wont display the contents? How come?

Thank you.

[fOrcePhil]

thanks for the post - however, what are using to store the .mkv's on!!?? memory stick? would a external hdd be suffice?

[cook]

hi all,

i have done that how to. it plays divx. but i will try explane what happens to me (try because i'm portuguese and my english is not the best )

when the secret menu apeers the image apeers shortle (4:3 i think) i alter the 3 items and then i diden't know how to exit the menu. the only way was shut down the television and then open again.

i use to have the image size on auto wide and the image stay on full screen but after that the image on auto-wide stay with the same size of 4:3 it's normal? or is somthing on secret menu o alter anda i dont know? somebody could help me?

could anyone post an image with secret menu with the default settings? please.

my television is the LE37B550.

hopping some help thanks (and sorry my english)

[MickMclovin]

Anyone know if it can play DTS from movies without an amp?!
Also would the 37B550 play MKVs as well as the 40B550?

Cheers

[DNL]

Cook, after entering the menu my image settings have also changed, i think its nothing to worry about. In my case it was changing from 'wider' to 'auto size'.
MickMclovin, i think 37b550 should open .mkv as my 32b550 does, it apparently refers to all b550 series models.

[cook]

Originally Posted by DNL

Cook, after entering the menu my image settings have also changed, i think its nothing to worry about. In my case it was changing from 'wider' to 'auto size'.
MickMclovin, i think 37b550 should open .mkv as my 32b550 does, it apparently refers to all b550 series models.

DNL thanks for the answer,

but in my case what change is the function, before when a select "auto wide" the image stay at full screen and now if i select "auto wide" it stay at the same size of 4:3..

i also thoght it could be a bug of the firmware and not because i access the secret menu, but i don't know...

if i instal again the firmware the secret menu comes to original settings also??

thanks, and sorry my english

[marvmikey]

Originally Posted by MickMclovin

Hey,
Big thanks to markmivey.

I was just wondering if it suported audio playback of DTS.

Its just I have a ton of movies with DTS and i was wondering if U would be able to get any sound.

Cheers!

EDIT : By the way I dont have an amp or a 5.1 setup

most MKV's I've tried are AC3 5.1, I think DTS decoding is unlikely but give it a go (or buy an amp!)

to the other poster who asked what medium I'm using - USB 2.0 memory stick, I believe an external hard drive would be fine but can't be sure (as the b650 has two USB ports and one says USB HDD other just USB - I think they're just trying to keep one port for firmware upgrades and the other for media)

more I think about it a USB stick and hard drive are both mass storage devices so the hard drive should work end of (hopefully)

what i can't get over it just how well the TV renders the MKV/DIVX files, for example my PS3 playback of an MKV that had been demuxed to VOB (no loss of quality or content remember) looked no where near as good as the MKV on the USB stick inserted into the TV

cracking stuff!

to the poster that said his 'auto wide' wouldn't stretch the 4:3 then go back to the original firmware, then service menu - see if that works

don't really see how entering the service menu affects aspect ratio as long as you don't change anything?!?!

hmmm

[tom21220]

Hi!
I've just got my 40" B550, enabled the wiselink options, now the media player sees avis and mkv, but when I start them, the TV just reboots! MP3 and JPEGS go flawlessly.
Please help, what to check. The firmware is the latest, 1008

[marvmikey]

Originally Posted by tom21220

Hi!
I've just got my 40" B550, enabled the wiselink options, now the media player sees avis and mkv, but when I start them, the TV just reboots! MP3 and JPEGS go flawlessly.
Please help, what to check. The firmware is the latest, 1008

has happened once to me but that's it, try going back to the old firmware (firmware version doesn't matter AFAIK for MKV's/DIVX's)

how large are the MKV's and what's the audio?

you have the same TV as me can you believe how light it is?

[DNL]

Rebooting has also happened to me the first few times, i dont know why, it was after i tried to open some not supported formats. But it stopped now and i dont have the problem anymore.

[tom21220]

"Fixed" the problem, the 4gb maxell pendrive is somehow incompatible with the movies, don't know why.
With an external HDD, and an another (older, and 2gb) usb drive, it is working flawlessly now! This tv is now really a best buy this way!
If they could fix the aspect ratio for some avis and MKVs, that would be the jewel in the crown

[jaztim]

Originally Posted by marvmikey

has happened once to me but that's it, try going back to the old firmware (firmware version doesn't matter AFAIK for MKV's/DIVX's)

how large are the MKV's and what's the audio?

you have the same TV as me can you believe how light it is?

Does anyone actually know what the firmware is meant to fix?

[marvmikey]

Originally Posted by jaztim

Does anyone actually know what the firmware is meant to fix?

not yet

[jaztim]

just enabled the avi/xvid.
Fabulous.

[MickMclovin]

Any chance one of you guys can do me a big favour and test if it will play movies with DTS sound. Im interested to know if you get any sound coming through.

Thanks!

[RoNaLdiNhO]

Originally Posted by MickMclovin

Any chance one of you guys can do me a big favour and test if it will play movies with DTS sound. Im interested to know if you get any sound coming through.

Thanks!

Nope, the new 6 series or 7 series dont either. Cost alot for samsung to enable the tvs to decode DTS.

[MickMclovin]

Just wondering is there a B550 owners thread around?