Last week, Samsung released a firmware update — version 1020.7 — that locked the Samsung HW-Q990D, the best overall soundbar available, and other 900 series soundbars in eARC mode, rendering them useless. As originally reported by The Verge, users started posting to r/soundbars on Reddit, Samsung forums, and AVS Forum soon after the update to explain what happened. Some Digital Trends readers that are experiencing the problem also reached out to us for answers (thanks Marcel!).
A response from a Samsung forum moderator in Europe indicated that Samsung AV Product Specialists are aware of the issue and confirmed that it is the result of an OTN (Over the Network) update, which they have now suspended. According to the moderator, “If your issue is the result of an OTN…