Can you get firmware updates for TV's?

Firegod · 10 Aug 2009 at 19:13

Hi all

Was just wondering really. My parents tele occasionally just refuses to kick into life, just sits with a blue screen. Think BSOD without the writing. lol. All I do is unplug from the wall for a minute and plug back in. When it switches on the channels all work. It's as if the receiver or something inside forgets to work and doesn't output anything.

I was thinking if I can somehow do an upgrade.... or do TV's not work like that?

Thanks for any help! It's not a big problem, happens perhaps once or twice a month.

Nymins · 10 Aug 2009 at 19:21

As far as i know most do. The Panasonic plasmas are done over the air, but are mainly just Freeview updates. I assume other brands would do the same.

Hen_Dawg · 10 Aug 2009 at 19:22

Lots of modern LCDs and plasmas get updates. My Panasonic does it over-the-air, only had one or 2 in the year I've had it. That is software updates though, firmware won't work from TV signal IIRC

Firegod · 10 Aug 2009 at 19:28

Cheers for the info.

So most tele's get the software updates over the air, and that's for likes of the EPG (Program Guides) etc.

If the problem gets worse, I think a call to the manufacturer maybe required. Good excuse to get them upgrade to 1080p screen and the likes, oh, and a Blu-Ray player. lol

It's not an old TV like. It's a year old, 42" Panasonic LCD.

Ev0 · 10 Aug 2009 at 20:42

Yup

Our panasonic does some small updates over the air, however it also does some firmware updates via it's ethernet port only.

[RB] · 11 Aug 2009 at 10:34

Most of the newer Panasonic screens accept the updates from an SD card in the SD slot. It's just a case of popping the update on the card, slotting it in and starting up the TV.

These updates are generally only available to Panasonic Authorised Agents Though!

probedb · 11 Aug 2009 at 11:14

I believe the new Samsung ones will update over t'internet as well.

JAMAL · 11 Aug 2009 at 21:52

Theres lots of firmwares about for quite a few LG models

JonnyT · 12 Aug 2009 at 00:52

My Samsung 40" 650 had a firmware update via a USB stick. Added various new features and improvements such as making the EPG much better.

probedb · 12 Aug 2009 at 21:23

It'll be so much better when you can do them all this way. My TV is never left on standby so pretty sure it never picks up any firmware updates it's supposed to have had over the air.

Firegod · 12 Aug 2009 at 21:33

JonnyT said:
My Samsung 40" 650 had a firmware update via a USB stick. Added various new features and improvements such as making the EPG much better.

See that's what I would love for my Sharp Aquos. The TV is fab, but the full screen EPG is dog slow. I have to use the cut down version which just shows "what's on now". I wish they had an update to fix this!