[bclark1]

I have had my 40D8000 for about 3 weeks now and I am loving it. One area that I am less sure about is the new Smart Hub. This was much heralded in reviews etc but I am yet to find much use for it. Ok now it has iplayer which is good but the rest just seems a bit basic.

I was led to believe that things like the myvideo section would allow you to play trailers etc but I can't seem to find that.

I am sure that there is more to it so I just wanted to know what other peoples views were and if anyone has any recommendations of things that are good on it?

[st3v13b0y84]

I haven't got my TV yet, but I would expect the 'My Video' bit to refer to video stored locally on USB Hard Drive or shared on your network? Hopefully someone can clarify this.

When I spoke to Samsung at the Gadget Show, they mentioned that they have signed up with Adobe to exclusively support Flash in their browser, it could be possible that this Flash integration will support some more interesting apps/games in the future.

[GlynH]

I'm thinking of renaming it the Samsung Not-So-SmartHub...it can be bl**dy annoying!

For example I have never downloaded the following 8 apps but they appear in my choices at the bottom of the screen and I can't get rid of them;

1. Google Talk
2. Muzu.TV Music Videos
3. DailyMotion
4. BoxOffice 365
5. Cartoon Network
6. Betfair Football
7. Samsung Imaging
8. Picasa

I can delete them either using the Edit mode or from my account but the next time I start DumbHub it tells me updates are available and then downloads the same 8 apps again!

Just to turn things upside down yesterday I did download the new Explore 3D app which ended up on the app window at the bottom of the screen as expected.

Today it has disappeared and I have just had to download it again for a second time!

How the hell do I get the damn thing to obey my preferences and not automatically install (or delete) these damn apps as & when it feels like it??

Also it would be nice to be able to customise (or delete altogether) the Recommended Apps bar...don't really want to see apps that I would never use such as AceTrax Movies, Yahoo etc.

As a final thing it would be nice to have some consistency not only across Samsung devices that use SmartHub as the version on my Samsung BD-D6500 3D Blu-Ray player is different in many ways compared to the TV but also the apps so that keypresses, behviour etc. is the same amongst the various apps.

Rant over...and I guess it's nice to have the ability to run different apps.

-=Glyn=-

[GlynH]

I did post this a few days ago but never saw a reply...as it is SmartHub related I will post it again here...

I have setup my 46D8000 to connect to my HP MediaSmart WHS to view pictures, play music, watch videos etc. and can connect and view folders and see a grey thumbnail and filename for each file.

However nothing can be played or viewed with the TV showing a message saying "Unsupported file type/format" etc.

Strange since all 9500 music files are 192K MP3 ripped from my own DVD collection that can be played anywhere in the house and even in the car as normal .mp3 files.

All pictures are in .JPG format and have been converted from RAW taken with my Canon camera and again can be viewed anywhere as normal .jpg files.

Haven't even looked at video yet but I expect the same.

The two file types mentioned are universal which is why I chose them in the first instance and the TV is supposed to support this most basic of file formats so why can't I view/play anything?

As the OP hinted at it promises a lot but IMHO seems to fall at the first hurdle when you want to do anything with it...

-=Glyn=-

[nullify]

Originally Posted by GlynH

How the hell do I get the damn thing to obey my preferences and not automatically install (or delete) these damn apps as & when it feels like it??

I have same problem, I've had to reinstall all my apps 5 times now. I've given up downloading apps since it's pretty much useless when they get deleted all the time. Someone did suggest creating an account with "remember details" checked, but that didn't help me.

[webbo73]

guys, as a temp fix, create a folder and put the apps that keep reinstalling in there - I call mine "unused" - then they won't keep coming back! (not ideal I know, but works for now).

Not sure how to keep the 3d app present though! that must be a bug.

[nullify]

Originally Posted by webbo73

Not sure how to keep the 3d app present though! that must be a bug.

To avoid doubt, this doesn't affect just the 3D app. I have the following installed and SmartHub deletes them all.

vTuner
AccuWeather
ExcersiseTV
3D app (or whatever it's called)

[Joseph L Cooke]

Smart Hub needs Java. Come on, Samsung, get off the dame and make your browser useful.

[jamesf303]

Originally Posted by webbo73

guys, as a temp fix, create a folder and put the apps that keep reinstalling in there - I call mine "unused" - then they won't keep coming back! (not ideal I know, but works for now).

Not sure how to keep the 3d app present though! that must be a bug.

I started another thread about this issue.
Unfortunately I didn't see this one first, but it's good to know I am not the only person seeing this.

Here is my post:
samsung-smart-hub-ue40d6530-resets-apps-when-started.html

I tried the suggestion in this thead to create a "junk" folder for unused/unwanted apps.
This may hide the unwanted apps, but it does not appear to prevent new apps from being deleted when SH starts.

I am guessing that no one has found a solution yet?

[jamesf303]

Samsung engineer visited today.
He saw the issue and agreed that this behaviour is not correct.
He then reset my TV to factory defaults (using service menu, not via holding "exit" button)
This appeared to fix the issue - we tried adding and deleting apps then restarting the TV, and smart hub did not uninstall my selected apps or reinstall any apps I deleted.
Unfortunately when trying a few hours later this issue manifested again
IMO this is a software (firmware) fault with at least UE40D6530 TVs on firmwares 1010.1 and 1012.2

We'll have to see whether Samsung ever fix this issue via a firmware update...

[nullify]

Smart hub is pretty much a useless pile of crap if add-ons can't be installed and stay installed. The default addons are of no use to me. I can't believe this is still an issue. It shows how incompetent Samsung and their software engineers are!

[TokyoS]

Mine is totally useless.
What Samsung don't tell you before buying one is that they recommend a minimum of a 10mb internet connection speed! Who can honestly get that?!
My BT Broadband home hub 2, barely manages 1-1.5 on a good day on an 8mb estimated line speed. That's using the accelerator box too!
All I get with everything I try and use is three attempts at buffering, then the tv gives up and tells me the connections too slow. This is both trying to connect VIA the tv's wireless, and LAN cable.
Not impressed at all

S.

[jamesf303]

FWIW, in iPlayer you can configure it to play low bandwidth streams... but to be frank, 1mbps is probably too slow for much internet video anyway I would doubt if streaming to a PC would be any better.
Can you update to use BTs ADSL2+ (labelled as an up to 20Mb or up to 24Mb product)?
AFAIK these services are now the standard when buying broadband so should not cost you any more, and may boost you up a bit... (don't expect miracles though).

[TokyoS]

To be honest BT's existing customer care is shocking. They just don't want to know.
We had the old home hub 1 until the start of this year, and only had to upgrade because it broke. As it was out of its warranty I was already disgusted to find out I would have to take out another 12 month contract, just to have a replacement!?
To be honest, considering I was expecting big things from the hub 2 (hopefully a better speed) but its just as slow. How can BT tell me when they test it that 2mb max is a reasonable speed? (everytime I've tested it online, it rarely goes above 1!)
What baffles me the most is that both my HTC desire hd phone, and laptop, both stream hd video (youtube hd, vimeo etc....) fine when connected to it wirelessly, but both my Xbox 360 elite, or Samsung d7000 tv refuse to play anything without continual buffering, and that's connected by ethernet!?

S.

[3dfanNZ]

I'm also let down by its actual usefulness. Most of the apps are aimed at little kids - Maze Fun, Giggly Theme Dictionary, Dracula's Coffin, Giggly Matching Cards, Rock Swap, Family Dice.. there's a news ticker and that's about it. Why do Facebook and Twitter when you've got a computer? (especially considering you don't have a keyboard and mouse with a tv, though I think the D8000 models have a keyboard)

I looked at YouTube but couldn't set it to play clips in HD, so I ended up staring at a highly-pixelated 240p or 360p video stretched out over my 59" screen - ugly.

And not having Freeview HD in my area, all the guide/recorded tv options are unfortunately not usable. All Share I think requires an ethernet cable and doesn't work wirelessly (please correct me if I'm wrong, anyway I can't seem to get my PC to show up there).

I'd use it if I could get YouTube working in HD, but until then, I don't know what I can really do with it.

[webbo73]

got two german apps auto installed today..! why do they force all this crap into smarthub - its not difficult to browse the app store and install something - I don't want their selection of apps.

[pgahome]

Is Napster on the Smarthub ??. Thought I had read somewhere that it was, but cant find it. Cheers

Pete

[3dfanNZ]

Napster? Now there's a blast from the past. Imagine that, having a 'smart hub' with all your old favourite p2p apps back with a vengance! Kazaa, Napster, WinMX, Shareaza, Morpheus, Ares! Haha.

[pgahome]

he he - nah - Napster is legit now - I pays me 9.99 a month and have not bought a CD since. SONOS give you a free 30 day trial. Nice to get get it on me 5.1 though

[slliw]

Hi everyone

Does anyone know how i can connect my surround system so i can get sound from my speakers when watching from the smart tv hub.

Thanks

[pgahome]

Hi Slliw

This is supposed to work automatically through the HDMI from ARC (Audio return channel - make sure you have it turned on in your amp / TV. ) on HDMI back into into your amp. (HDMI 2 port on my 55D7000).

Even the Sevenoaks guy who came to callibrate my 55D7000 could not get it to work. In the end we just connnected an optical cable from the TV to the amps (Sony 810) TV input, and you can get sound out of the Smarthub apps. Not really a problem as you just have to select TV on the Sony amps remote, and I get sound from the smart hub apps. Depends on your amp though.

[slliw]

Im using the Onkyo HT-S5405. I have tried everything but can't get sound from the speakers. As soon as i switch to Smart hub then receiver automatically changes to tv/cd but no sound comes out.

I have 3 hdmi ports plugged into the receiver.

1 xbox
2 ps3
3 sky

Does it mean I have to plug an additional optical cable/hdmi into the receiver to get sound for tv functions?

[pgahome]

Its a tricky one. In theory you plug all your stuff into the amp via HDMI, does not matter which is which - then connect from the HDMI out of your amp to HDMI 2 on your Sammy (which has the RC) . Scroll through menues to get ARC set on both. Note it has to be a 1.4 HDMI cable apparently, and in theory should work.

In myset up , did not work and we spent an hour fiddeling trying to get BBC Iplayer to work, so the work around was an optical directly from TV to Amp TV optical in, and all OK now.

Fliipin confusing I know

[pgahome]

Ohh yeah one more think - you need an optical from your sky box anyway to get 5.1 from sky . HDMI from a sky box does not do 5.1. You need an optical as well. Just a quirk.

[slliw]

Originally Posted by pgahome

Its a tricky one. In theory you plug all your stuff into the amp via HDMI, does not matter which is which - then connect from the HDMI out of your amp to HDMI 2 on your Sammy (which has the RC) . Scroll through menues to get ARC set on both. Note it has to be a 1.4 HDMI cable apparently, and in theory should work.

In myset up , did not work and we spent an hour fiddeling trying to get BBC Iplayer to work, so the work around was an optical directly from TV to Amp TV optical in, and all OK now.

Fliipin confusing I know

Pgahome you're a star

I had been tweaking everything for hrs with no luck. The only way i got sound was when i ran optical from amp to tv. In the end it came down to the hdmi slot on the Tv.

All this while I had the amp plugged into my Sammy via HDMI in slot 1. looked at the back and saw that hdmi 2 slot has ARC written on it. As soon as i switched it everything started working I have tried MUZU app and bbc news and I get pcm fS 48khz

Yeah thanks read about optical for sky in the Onkyo thread

This is my first surround system so all new and confusing

[pgahome]

Yeay - glad you got it working.

Foxed my Sevenoaks Guy who knows everything here is to know about theses things - apparently my sony amp is a bit temperamental (wish I had bought Dennon now)

Glad you got it working - now for that (legal) Napster app).

Originally Posted by slliw

Pgahome you're a star

I had been tweaking everything for hrs with no luck. The only way i got sound was when i ran optical from amp to tv. In the end it came down to the hdmi slot on the Tv.

All this while I had the amp plugged into my Sammy via HDMI in slot 1. looked at the back and saw that hdmi 2 slot has ARC written on it. As soon as i switched it everything started working I have tried MUZU app and bbc news and I get pcm fS 48khz

Yeah thanks read about optical for sky in the Onkyo thread

This is my first surround system so all new and confusing

[webbo73]

anyone still having issues with smarthub adding / deleting stuff that you don't want? I am. I keep installing vimeo and the weather app and every day or so, it deletes them and puts back all the crap that I deleted.... I haven't yet found out a way to stop it. I don't want to do a factory reset as it has taken me a long time to get the TV set up just how I like it in every other respect.

[GlynH]

Yeah I have the same problem with DumbHub and its driving me mad!

Its like unsolicited spam apart from the fact that I can't even opt out even though I have tried many times.

Don't bother doing a factory reset - out of desperation I done just that and now instead of downloading 9 crappy apps it downloads 11 that I do not want, have never downloaded and keep deleting.

It also deletes 3 apps that I do want, have downloaded and keep adding (including Samsungs very own 3D Preview app) and have downloaded and installed many, many times only to have them forcibly removed.

The Guide also seems to have changed taking me to a genre-type menu and needing another button press to get into the Guide proper although that might have come with the latest update or something.

I also get an intermittent channel preview in the top left window...sometimes it shows the program being watched when I am in the guide and sometimes it doesn't.

The above coupled with the extremely laggy remote when trying to browse through the FreeSat Channel Guide is affecting my sanity so much that I am thinking of ditching the bloody thing...not sure whether Richer Sounds would even consider a refund on this basis and the set being some months old now.

To add insult to injury when trying to use DumbHub it often fails & results in a message telling me there is interfernce on my Internet connection...this depite being wired with Cat6 to a Gigabit switch into a Gigabit router port connected to O2 up to 24MB service...granted I only see around 7MB of that due to the distance from the exchange but have bever experienced this so-called 'interference' on any other of the numerous internet-enabled devices in the house.

Was supposed to be getting BT Infinity today but BT didn't show...doesn't recognise my order number on their order tracking page and apparently they have me down for the 19th despite my paperwork clearly stating 15th...

Not having a great time when it comes to technology!

The Sammy looks lovely switched off and hanging on the wall though...

Regards,
-=Glyn=-

[Ch33kyM0nk3y]

Originally Posted by webbo73

anyone still having issues with smarthub adding / deleting stuff that you don't want? I am. I keep installing vimeo and the weather app and every day or so, it deletes them and puts back all the crap that I deleted.... I haven't yet found out a way to stop it. I don't want to do a factory reset as it has taken me a long time to get the TV set up just how I like it in every other respect.

After I applied the 1014 firmware update last week I
saw that the smarthub subsequently did an auto update and that the Vimeo app got uninstalled and a new app called PictureBox got installed

I reinstalled Vimeo and found that my Vimeo account settings
were kept intact :-)

Other than that I'm not seeing apps getting uninstalled other
than after a firmware update/smart hub update