UNWANTED FIRMWARE UPDATE, CAN'T favorite My Photos

[PTSD1]

I turned off auto updates because if ain't broke, don't fix it. Apparently Samsung found a way to bypass that and push another terrible update. 

Hundreds of photos I uploaded over the past year were removed from my "favorites". And now, the interface has changed such that there is not option to favorite any of my uploaded photos. I can only favorites pictures from the Art Store. For My Photos I can only find "Matte & Filter, and Screen Settings."

1. How did Samsung bypass my no autoupdate settings? 

2. How can I get the ability to favorite my uploaded pictures?

[Blochhead]

I love my The Frame TV, and at the same time I **bleep**g HATE the software, I can't believe how badly it is designed. Before this week's changes it was a nightmare to navigate the Art Mode functionality for adding my own photos and changing mats and all of that. Now.... even much worse. The normal old method of adding photos has stopped working right, I eventually figured out a work-around. But now the 100+ photos that I had designated as favorites have disappeared from that screen. And there seems to be no way at all to randomize the display of the images, whichI am currently playing from the My Photos button. I can't find a way to re-favorite my pictures. The whole thing is a total mess on the software end, and truly shameful that Samsung can't get their act together on this. The whole damned POINT of The Frame for me is to show my nature photos. Stupid stupid stupid. 

[Blochhead]

On a more helpful note, in case someone at Samsung is watching these comments is: make a way to select multiple photos (or all photos) to perform a single action on all of those. For example, I want to bulk-change the mat color from the ugly slightly pink one that is default. Right now I have to change them one at a time, and each one requires maybe 6-8 clicks on the remote. 

[SamSungTheBlues]

FYI: There is at least one other thread on this topic. People are NOT happy!

https://us.community.samsung.com/t5/QLED-and-The-Frame/UNWANTED-FIRMWARE-UPDATE-CAN-T-favorite-My-Ph...

[Tlalls]

Frame TV no longer allows photos in My Album to be made a part of the screen saver.  Instead they want to push you to a buy a service for $50 a year for the same feature that was free. Samsung provided no warning. this is plain wrong. The reason i bought the very expensive tv was to stream my own photos when not using the media feature. Sadly this is not a glitch, its a deliberate move to force customers into buying extra features that were marketed as free. I plan to hold a grudge against samsung. I have 1 tv and a soundbar but never again. i wouldn't even buy a samsung toaster  now. 

It’s like Tom Petty said: “All  the boys upstairs want to see. How much you'll pay for what you used to get for free.
 

[HellRot]

I doubt the people at Samsung will do anything unless they get at the very least as many complaints as we can muster - directed at them, not just each other!

I've been on another thread regarding this exact problem and popular consensus is that it is a deliberate tactic to push people to subscribe rather than just use their own art, or at least make the subscription service seem better by contrast.

If you call customer service, they will try to have you reboot your TV and "trouble shoot".  Do not waste your time.  A customer service person told me that they have no way of letting management know of the complaints that they receive?!  However, I was given this address to write to:

Frame.cs@samsung.com  

I wrote that the choices for matting personal photos/art have been reduced from six to two, and that the favorites option has been removed.  These options remain for the subscription art.  This is bait and switch.  And that I would like them reinstated or be compensated.  

The response?  Everything I'd stated was ignored. Troubleshooting steps were given once again as though the problem was my TV rather than Samsung's doing.  This is "Gaslighting".

I did respond and try calling as the return e-mail had a phone number and office #.  No answer - yet, but I will keep trying.

[Blochhead]

I agree with everything you said, the current situation totally sucks. And I have one small correction ~~~ I believe that the six options for format style is only available for pictures that are correctly sized pixel wise for the frame. When I provide it with pictures that aren’t sized right, my mat choices are reduced to two. At least I think this is true, I haven’t seen it documented. maybe you can confirm on your set? 

since we are on the topic, I sure would like to see a pure black mat. 

[Piwikiwi]

This is ridiculous. They are apparently stealth-removing features that (for many of us) were a reason we bought the Frame TV. Unacceptable and possibly law breaking.

[userR9bF9MJQzh]

Just ran into this too. I can’t believe the arrogance of Samsung that they think they can take away a feature that I’ve used for over two years, with no warning, and no permission.

It has to be deliberate, some sort of marketing stupidity, to make their subscription service “more appealing”.

Message for Samsung: really annoying your installed base is not a good way to get people to buy your subscription, recommend your products, or buy another Frame TV.

[SamSungTheBlues]

Just curious, has anyone had any luck or heard any more information about this issue. It sucks and I'm hoping Samsung corrects this soon!

[Phattydeluxe]

Samsung why do you hate us?!?

Please acknowledge these issues and provide solutions. This has completely ruined an amazing product.

Issues:

-Ability to recover our Favorites collection that has disappeared with the new firmware update.  Many have us have spent considerable time curating collections that have just disappeared. 

-Restore ability to favorite our uploaded images in the My Photos section so we can build a favorites playlist with a combination of gallery images along with our own uploaded images. 

[Phattydeluxe]

Samsung why do you hate us?!?

Please acknowledge these issues and provide solutions. This has completely ruined an amazing product.

Issues:

-Ability to recover our Favorites collection that has disappeared with the new firmware update.  Many have us have spent considerable time curating collections that have just disappeared. 

-Restore ability to favorite our uploaded images in the My Photos section so we can build a favorites playlist with a combination of gallery images along with our own uploaded images.