Why I want I hadn’t purchased my Samsung OLED TV

In June 2024, in a dusty TV store empty of shoppers save myself, my spouse, and my youngsters, I stared deep into the LG C3 and Samsung S90C. I went forwards and backwards between the 2 OLED screens for simply 20 minutes, fortunately paralyzed by the selection in entrance of me. The Video Only salesperson tried to clarify that there was no improper determination.

A yr and a half later, I disagree: I remorse selecting the Samsung over the LG. I remorse it each time I modify the quantity on my TV, each time I plug in a brand new system, and particularly ever because the Logitech Harmony Amazon Alexa integration shit the mattress and I’ve to fumble a Samsung distant to change inputs.

Samsung’s QD-OLED panel itself is phenomenal, if nothing particular in 2026. The downside is the software program. I might pay Samsung $100, proper now, for this “smart” TV to be as dumb as those I grew up with.

Heck, I’d give Samsung 50 bucks simply to allow us to disable the quantity indicator. Failing that, let’s see if disgrace works.

Let me be clear: One of the ultimate deciding causes I selected the Samsung S90C over the LG C3 was that LG had failed me earlier than. My LG E7 OLED, bought from a not-long-for-this-world Fry’s Electronics in 2018, finally developed a big warmth blemish (not your typical burn-in) that typically discolored the image. Before that, my earlier Sony TV developed a line of darkish pixels shortly after the guarantee expired.

But each Sony and LG had unobtrusive onscreen quantity indicators, simply little icons close to the sting of the display screen. Samsung believes that anybody who ever wants issues just a little louder or quieter is keen to tolerate this aberration:

This eyesore stretches practically a 3rd of the best way throughout the display screen, vertically and horizontally, obscuring the unimaginable transferring artwork I’m making an attempt to observe beneath. And if you happen to’re utilizing a receiver, it consumes all this display screen area to convey mainly zero data. Not the present quantity degree, except you’re utilizing the TV’s built-in audio system, not whether or not I’m getting a stereo or encompass or Dolby Atmos sign, nothing of use in any way.

It is the Samsung equal of Microsoft Clippy, however worse: “Looks like you’re trying to adjust the volume!”

We watch loads of motion pictures that include each too-loud motion and too-quiet dialogue, at an hour when youngsters are presupposed to be in mattress, so we’re adjusting that quantity on a regular basis.

In 2023, person “1544CT” on the Samsung Community boards complained that “as a person that watches a lot of Movies and shows I can no longer recommend Samsung until this annoyance is fixed.” But they didn’t appear optimistic. After all, the corporate hadn’t but acted on a 26-page thread concerning the annoyance from 2020, one which now has over 130,000 views.

There are quite a few Reddit threads and even a Change.org petition to fix it. Though a Samsung moderator promised to ship the grievance to the corporate’s engineers, it’s been three extra years and practically 50,000 extra views and not using a decision. Some customers reported getting a v2203 replace that diminished the scale of the overlay, no less than, however it seems that replace may have been paused in December because of points. Will we ever get it?

Problem quantity two: Samsung has no correct idea of an HDMI enter, so I’m fumbling with a distant each time I plug a brand new gadget in.

Here is how my Samsung TV works in 2026:

I think not everybody’s all the time plugging in new gaming handhelds and Analogue 3Ds and mini-SNESes over HDMI like me. But on my LG TV set, and each HDMI-capable set I’ve ever owned earlier than, I might simply press a button to cycle by way of HDMI inputs till the best image confirmed up.

Thankfully, my PS5 and Switch 2 have fairly respectable implementations of HDMI-CEC, the communications protocol that lets them ship instructions to my TV. When the youngsters wish to watch Netflix or hearth up Astro Bot, the facility button on the DualSense pad or Switch 2 Joy-Con will do it. But weirdly, they received’t flip my TV and receiver off.

I used to get round most of this by setting up complicated Logitech Harmony Hub routines that’d hearth once I stated “Alexa, turn off the TV” or “Alexa, turn on the Nintendo Switch.” But since that infrared Wi-Fi distant stopped syncing to Amazon and Logitech’s servers correctly this yr, I’ve had to make use of Samsung’s software program and distant greater than ever.

One day, I had the concept to attempt Home Assistant, when the Samsung TV and Samsung’s SmartIssues confirmed up in an inventory of attainable integrations. Maybe I might swap HDMI units from my telephone? But Samsung doesn’t expose particular person HDMI ports there, both; I might solely inform my display screen to change to “TV” or “HDMI,” no different sources or channels.

Those different HDMI sources do exist in Samsung’s API, as a result of a homebrew third-party integration made my different Connected Devices like “PlayStation 5” and “AV Receiver” seem in Home Assistant — however solely after connecting my TV to Samsung’s cloud and producing a customized API key. Yes, I’ve to achieve out over the web by way of Samsung’s cloud and again into my dwelling to alter HDMI inputs. And it’s nonetheless not dependable, as a result of Samsung’s cloud typically tells me I’ve made too many requests, and typically wants an entire new token earlier than it’ll settle for instructions once more.

I’m about able to go on the lookout for an old-school infrared common distant at this fee and educate my youngsters some pointing expertise. But hey, Samsung, how about $50 for a repair? I’ve PayPal, Venmo, hell, I’ll kind my card quantity into the TV itself if you happen to’ll let me.

I requested Samsung a pair days in the past about attainable updates, nevertheless it didn’t have a solution by publish time.