Samsung Odyssey G8 G80SD 32 inch Intermittent Black Screen

[NealMcDeal]

Hi Everyone

update.

For months I have been chasing Samsung re: firmware updates, eventually I got hold of 2nd level support and a technician that actually knew something instead of giving me standard pre-canned responses.

I was using 1004 firmware and then upgraded to 1005, unfortunately there was not any improvement.

However, Samsung support gave me access to v1301...a big jump in version numbers and now this is on the support websites to download as a USB update. (I am not sure if it is available via auto updates as I had upgraded them all manually as at the time, the auto update process didn't have the new firmware).

I can say that this version 1301 has "improved" but unfortunately not eliminated the screen blanking issue. This is very disappointing, but that being said it is happening a lot less these days once I have upgraded to this firmware.

So if you are running on anything less than 1301 and have this issue, I suggest you upgrade to the new version. You won't regret it. I have contacted support again, to find out if they are still going to continue looking into this problem. [I have also indicated that I have another problem with the Settings - Number - Color button on the remote, and that my remote eventually stops responding to my monitor - oh well will have to wait for that to be fixed.]

Anyway back to the monitor problem. I only seem to have the problem with Display Port. (Don't matter what frequency as it still occurs - FYI I operate the monitor at 120Hz. But tried 60Hz and 240Hz and still same issues. However, if I use HDMI I don't have any issues at all. I am using a NVIDIA RTX 4080 Super; using G-Sync Compatible/Adaptive Sync.

I have this monitor (as well as a G6) connected to my main PC using Display Port and then a work PC connected via HDMI. I am mainly on HDMI during the day and have NEVER had the issue with HDMI on the G8. However, when using Display Port, the problem still exists. (BTW the G6 has never missed a beat - so if you only use one computer connected to the monitor I will suggest you change your cable to HDMI. But if you are like me that use two computers connected up, the one using Display Port will probably still have an issue.

Do other people still have this issue with the screen going randomly black for about 1-2 sec from time to time? What Frequency (Refresh Rate) are you using?

Thanks

Neal

[NealMcDeal]

Also agree with you re: Samsung still having some responsibility here. I think they can still do more. I have emailed the Head technician that I have been corresponding with to see if there is an update from Nvidia as it has been a month (since my last contact with them) and not heard anything since. Also I have asked them what they are doing to isolate the problem from their end. I will come back with any details that share with me.

[Yaari]

Okay, I've managed to buy the G80SD aswell now. So I too will be trying to do my share in providing information. I truly hope we can get this fixed though, because the problem sounds really annoying and should not be happening when we spend this much money. Any suggestions on where else we can bring this? Is there any Samsung staff even on here? Can this huge problem be somehow forwarded? Let's increase reach for this issue.

[LG_Bullet]

Hey everyone!

The Nvidia 572.83 driver has been released. Has anyone tested it yet? I can only check it out this evening, but I’m really curious to know if the issues have been resolved.

Thanks in advance for any feedback! Have a great day!

[NealMcDeal]

Still have the issue, see above post. Even though the firs time since the new driver is installed I got a quick glitch/black screen will keep testing to see if I get the 'longer' black screen issues.

[Yaari]

Used the Contact a CEO form on the EU site of Samsung. I dont think it will amount to anything but its a start. I'd like to do the same for the Korea and USA sites. I don't know if they offer that option though. There is so many people scattered over the internet with this problem.

It should never be the customer that has to try and find a way through the almost unreachable high levels of NVIDIA/Samsung/Windows support. Its quite unfortunate how this has never been acknowledged, we all paid a lot of money for our monitor. How can an issue that will be encountered by everyone with this specific combination of GPU and monitor, be left unsolved for this long? Any more ideas on how to kick this up a notch? They cant just leave us hanging with this.

[NealMcDeal]

I have messaged the CEO contact before and nothing.

In fact I used it to complain that I could not buy it in my State! In fact in two states you could not buy the monitor when it was launched as there was a problem with their website. I had tried for about a month or more to get this resolved with no luck. I complained to CEO form and nothing came back. I was complaining about Samsung sales team. In the end it only got fixed as the company I work for has a commercial relationship with them and I used contacts within the company I work for to reach out to them. Once that happened they fixed the ordering problem immediately and I could buy all the Samsung monitors I wanted! Which I did, then had to wait another month before they were delivered. It was funny in that when trying to explain my problem to sales people, even if they acknowledge the issue, they kept offering me discounts of Fridges! Really... I didn't want a fridge. I only wanted to buy this great monitor but with the intermittent black screen problem 😞

The best way to escalate is to ask for Head Tech Support Officer in your region to explain problem and escalate it to them. Keep calling (don't use online chat) and they will eventually get the message

[LG_Bullet]

I still believe that the ball is in Nvidia’s court on this issue.

Looking at the feedback on Nvidia drivers over the past month, I see that more and more people are having similar issues resolved—across various monitor and TV brands and models. However, I’m certain that as these fixes progress, Samsung will also need to refine and adapt to Nvidia’s changes.

What concerns me is how long it takes such big companies to address these problems, especially when it involves their own products...

I’ll test the new driver this evening and report back!

[Yaari]

Sadly I do not think the new driver will fix it. And we as customers should no be the ones to chase these big companies for a fix. But that is the situation we are in now.

The finger pointing between Samsung and NVIDIA is just really messed up because we cant reach that high level of support and I am sure Samsung has a direct line to them even if they believe it is an NVIDIA problem. I personally am not convinced because the 30/40 series cards really did not have a whole lot of issues anymore and all the fixes we're seeing are for the new cards.

But that aside this issue should not have even existed when the monitor went on sale, now we're in a position where it has been 8 months and it may never be resolved. And nobody has even owned the problem.

I wish we could gather everyone that has been suffering from this problem and make some noise.
This forum is inactive too.

[LG_Bullet]

You're absolutely right that it's the companies who should be handling the solution, not us. And you're also right that they’re really good at pointing fingers...

However, if you look at it, this black screen issue isn’t just affecting the 50xx series GPUs—it’s impacting other generations as well.

As long as we live, we can hope 🙂 I’m trying to stay hopeful too! 😊

[Yaari]

@NealMcDealI'd like to also get a topic going on the NVIDIA GeForce forums, I don't know if they're any more active on the higher end level of support on there. Probably not. I don't know how us regular users are going to reach the point of support where we can make a difference. I tried to get into NVIDIA support chat and I was told they will get back to me but it will probably just result in getting the basic suggestions like swapping cables, stuff that many people already tried.

Samsung customer service already told me to go complain to NVIDIA about it as if I will ever reach anyone there. Need more people in contact with higher level support.

And what is it with Samsung managing to make a change to when it occurs but then pointing fingers to NVIDIA to say they're the ones that can fix it.  Anyway I'm hoping we can take this to more boards. Need more people on this.