North American vs. European Firmware

[developer]

Here is a question that I haven't seen answered:

Can the LE(uropean) series firmware (i.e. T-VALDEUC_3011) be used on LN(orth America) series to overwrite T-VALAUSC_1035?

Is it just a matter of renaming the file before doing the USB firmware upgrade?

I don't understand why Samsung stopped posting firmware updates for LN at 1035 and is now all the way up to 3011 for LE.

Does anyone know the facts on this?

The model I am going to work with is an LN55C650. I know there are a few other people on here with LN series units, but most people seem to be using LE versions.

I want to get the benefit of some of the firmware upgrades, and I don't know the best firmware to use. From what I've been reading, the 3011 seems to be very good.

Help? Comments? Thanks in advance!

[juusso]

Aren`t you happy with your firmware?

[developer]

Aren`t you happy with your firmware?

Well, that is a great way to welcome an experienced developer to you forum.

You sound like you work for Samsung.

If everyone was happy with their firmware, there would be no SamyGO and no firmware hacks.

As a moderator, perhaps you can help. If not, then perhaps someone else can.

[developer]

bump

[developer]

Thanks for the heads-up on this. I am really, really surprised because it has always been my experience that there is great cooperation among those people looking to do things like this. My particular interest stems from the game Samsung played whereby they drew in developers like myself to purchase these tvs to build applications. Of course, my forte is IP connectivity and shortly after I had purchased my unit, I found that the device was severely handicapped in that area. The D series (2011), which came out about a month after my C (2010), had changes made to it to support more of the resources I needed. One item was HTML 5, as the < D series browser is really handicapped. Samsung claimed it was a hardware issue and that C series could not support HTML 5 and the other improvements which the D series had. Hearing that, I contacted them to exchange or get some sort of seed unit to work with. They would not life a finger to help. So, I made the fairly easy decision not to support their App program with any additional development. I did notice that the Yahoo widgets were robustly supported and it almost makes no sense to build Samsung Apps at all when comparing them to the development environment that Yahoo provides in comparison to Samsung.

All that being said, I have a unit which I wanted to enhance, if possible. When I found out about SamyGo, I was impressed with the level of work that went into their project. Of course, at this point I am extremely disappointed that the information is not as well-shared as it is on some other projects, especially when dealing with ARM cpus and Linux/Busybox. Regardless, my interest persists and I will work with you or anyone else who is interested in this on the LN models. My biggest worry is bricking the unit.

I do have to add something. I did a little net-traveling and I found Erdem's page. I was impressed with his work and I found that he and I have a lot in common in electronics and in software. I envisioned some sort of cooperative development effort, but he administrates this board and is probably the driving force behind SamyGo. As I learned in Management class many years ago, "if you don't like what you see at the bottom, it's a reflection of what is going on at the top." I can only assume that if we are treated this way as a reward for attempting to work with these devices and projects, then Erdem must be thinking that this is ok. If that is true, then it is most unfortunate. I am an old-school engineer and collaboration with other people with similar interests has always been one of the great parts of being involved in this technology. That is how "cool" things happen and this element of hacking is the good hacking which is adding functionality to something that it wasn't delivered with. Almost like uncovering easter eggs in the old days. It is most unfortunate if it is indeed true that we are the odd men out simply because of the country we live in or the lettering in the directory name which holds our firmware.

Thanks again for the heads-up.

[juusso]

I think juuso response in this forum just shows his feelings towards the people across the pond. I have never seen the decryption tools posted anywhere for developers/hackers. All I see is Juzi who puts down users who ask questions (many of the answers have to be picked up by skimming this forum for hours and hours as the wiki is the only real source of good information.)

Hi, at first, welcome to board! I see it is your first post and seems you`ve made wrong conclusions. Have you ever though that wiki pages are being filled up by ourselfs?
btw, I don`t see any difference between ppl in this side or other side of the pond and i hope you will change your opinion.

Read just a little bit on this board about anything to do with T-valausc, and the responses to those questions should give you an idea of the type of atmosphere you have here concerning USA firmwares.

This is because:
1. only few users are asking about C series USA models.
2. we tested and tried all possible known hacks that worked on EU models and no success (at least on latest firmware - 1035).
3. we don`t have all possible TV models and can only participate in developing/rooting only if anyone shares some useful info and more important - have and are ready for tests. For your information - T-VALAUSC is compatible and could be hacked over widget, but only up to version 1032.

Due some time leak i don`t answer to all questions and requests immediately, SamyGO is just hobby, not main job...
Also my knowledge are limited and forum concept is that user share and help each other, but not developers (they as well, but not the rule).

Well, that is a great way to welcome an experienced developer to you forum.

Yes, welcome and sorry if i said something wrong. By asking this i provoked you to tell more about what do you expect from EU firmware on your USA hardware.

[juusso]

Here is a question that I haven't seen answered:
Can the LE(uropean) series firmware (i.e. T-VALDEUC_3011) be used on LN(orth America) series to overwrite T-VALAUSC_1035?

Yes, it could be done, but none did this before. We dont know how TV behaves after such cross-flashing, here is also chance, that TV bricks. If you are ready to spend your TV we can do this and we definitelly will know. Do you? CHance you get TV broken are 60 to 40 percent (or more...).

Is it just a matter of renaming the file before doing the USB firmware upgrade?

No. firmware upgrade files are digitally signed and encrypted. Also here are some other security algos applied to avoid firmware crossflashing or flashing of modifies/changed/patched firmware. Even if we know how to decrypt/change and encrypt back firmware, we dont have private key to properly sign of firmware files. Result = TV won`t find any upgrade files on USB.

The model I am going to work with is an LN55C650. I know there are a few other people on here with LN series units, but most people seem to be using LE versions.

Yes, most of users are from Europe, but here are a lot of people from all over the world.

I want to get the benefit of some of the firmware upgrades, and I don't know the best firmware to use. From what I've been reading, the 3011 seems to be very good.

As i said - we dont know if it is possible at all - to install T-VALDEUC without bricking TV.

[developer]

juuso, thank you for explaining this, and for your response. When writing into forums, emails, chat, etc., it is always difficult to understand *how* people mean something when they type it. Sometimes things are misunderstood, and again, thank you for explaining.

I have some ideas about how to get this to work, but remember that Samsung probably reads this forum and decides if they are going to change things to stop what you are doing in future models, so I am not going to post them here. If I find anything, I will PM you and whoever else is interested from NA.


Thanks!

[juusso]

but remember that Samsung probably reads this forum and decides if they are going to change things to stop what you are doing in future models, so I am not going to post them here.

Definitely they're watching us. Have no doubts.

Hope we could help you too.