Incident: Samsung TV Software Update Renders Thousands of High-End TVs Unusable

Published Date: 2017-08-24

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident with Samsung TVs happened around August 17, 2017, as mentioned in the article [62023]. Therefore, the estimated timeline for the software failure incident would be August 2017.
System 1. Samsung 2017 MU Series TVs [62023]
Responsible Organization 1. Samsung - The software failure incident with the high-end Samsung TVs was caused by a software update sent out by Samsung, which left thousands of TVs with blank, unusable screens [62023].
Impacted Organization 1. Owners of high-end Samsung TVs [62023]
Software Causes 1. The software cause of the failure incident was a firmware update to 2017 MU Series TVs sent out by Samsung on 17 August, affecting fewer than 200 TVs in the UK [62023].
Non-software Causes 1. Licensing agreements not in place for accessing BBC iPlayer on new TVs [Article 62023]
Impacts 1. Thousands of high-end Samsung TV owners were left with blank, unusable screens after a software update, rendering their £1,400 sets useless [62023]. 2. Customers expressed frustration and anger over the situation, with some highlighting the lack of communication and customer service from Samsung [62023]. 3. The incident affected the holiday period in the UK, causing disappointment for families who were unable to enjoy their new TVs as intended [62023]. 4. Samsung faced reputational damage as a result of this software failure incident, especially considering past issues with their products such as the BBC iPlayer access problem and the Note 7 recall [62023].
Preventions 1. Thorough testing before releasing the software update could have potentially prevented the software failure incident [62023]. 2. Implementing a rollback mechanism in case of unexpected issues arising from the update could have helped mitigate the impact of the failure [62023]. 3. Ensuring proper communication channels with customers to provide timely updates and support during software issues could have improved customer satisfaction and perception of the incident [62023].
Fixes 1. Rolling back the faulty firmware update and providing a working version to affected customers [62023]. 2. Providing direct customer support to resolve the issue for each affected customer [62023].
References 1. Customers who purchased high-end Samsung TVs affected by the software update, as reported by The Guardian [62023]. 2. Posts on Samsung's community boards from frustrated customers whose TVs stopped working after the update, as mentioned in The Guardian article [62023]. 3. Statements and responses from Samsung regarding the issue, as quoted in The Guardian article [62023].

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring one_organization (a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization: The article mentions a previous incident where Samsung customers experienced problems with their new TVs not being able to access the BBC iPlayer due to incorrect licensing agreements [62023]. (b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization: There is no information in the provided article about similar incidents happening at other organizations.
Phase (Design/Operation) design, operation (a) The software failure incident in the article is related to the design phase. Thousands of high-end Samsung TV owners experienced unusable screens after a software update sent out by Samsung. The upgrade introduced a problem that affected the latest models, leaving the TVs useless. Customers complained about the issue, with one individual mentioning the frustration with the customer service response, indicating a failure introduced during the system development or update process [62023]. (b) The software failure incident is also related to the operation phase. Customers reported their new TVs were not working, indicating a failure introduced during the operation or use of the system. One customer expressed disappointment in the lack of communication and the incompetence shown by Samsung, highlighting issues with the operation or use of the TVs after the software update [62023].
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) within_system: The software failure incident with Samsung TVs was caused by a firmware update sent out by Samsung affecting the 2017 MU Series TVs [62023]. The update led to blank, unusable screens on the high-end TVs, rendering them useless for the owners who had recently purchased them. Samsung acknowledged the issue and mentioned that fewer than 200 TVs in the UK were affected by the firmware update [62023]. The problem seems to be specific to the latest models as owners of older Samsung TVs did not report the same issue [62023]. The company is working to resolve the problem for the affected customers by encouraging them to get in touch directly for assistance [62023].
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions, human_actions (a) The software failure incident in this case appears to be due to non-human actions, specifically a firmware update sent out by Samsung for the 2017 MU Series TVs. The update caused the TVs to have blank, unusable screens, affecting a small number of TVs in the UK [62023]. (b) On the other hand, human actions are evident in the responses from affected customers who expressed frustration with Samsung's lack of communication and customer service in addressing the issue promptly. Customers complained about the incompetence and lack of updates from the company, highlighting the human element in the aftermath of the software failure incident [62023].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) hardware (a) The software failure incident reported in Article 62023 is related to hardware. Thousands of high-end Samsung TVs were rendered useless after a software update, indicating that the failure originated in the hardware of the TVs [62023].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) non-malicious (a) The software failure incident described in the article is non-malicious. The failure occurred due to a software update sent out by Samsung for their high-end TVs, which left thousands of owners with blank, unusable screens [62023]. The company acknowledged the issue and mentioned that it affected fewer than 200 TVs in the UK, indicating that it was not a deliberate act to harm the system.
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) poor_decisions (a) The software failure incident related to the Samsung TVs can be attributed to poor decisions made by Samsung. The company sent out a firmware update to the 2017 MU Series TVs, affecting fewer than 200 TVs in the UK. This update left the high-end Samsung TVs with blank, unusable screens, rendering them useless for the owners who had recently purchased them for around £1,400 [62023]. The incident reflects a poor decision on Samsung's part to release an update that caused significant issues for customers, leading to frustration and inconvenience.
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) development_incompetence (a) The software failure incident in the article can be attributed to development incompetence. Customers complained that a software update sent out by Samsung rendered their high-end TVs with blank, unusable screens, making their recently acquired £1,400 sets useless [62023]. The lack of communication, delayed response, and frustration expressed by customers indicate a lack of professional competence in handling the issue promptly and effectively. (b) The software failure incident can also be considered accidental. Samsung acknowledged that a small number of TVs in the UK (fewer than 200) were affected by a firmware update to 2017 MU Series TVs on 17 August. The update was switched off once the issue was identified, and the company is working with each customer to resolve the problem. Samsung apologized for the inconvenience caused to customers, indicating that the failure was unintentional and steps are being taken to rectify the situation [62023].
Duration temporary (a) The software failure incident in this case seems to be temporary. The article mentions that Samsung is aware of a small number of TVs in the UK (fewer than 200) affected by a firmware update to 2017 MU Series TVs on 17 August. Once the issue was identified, the update was switched off, and the company is working with each customer to resolve the problem. This indicates that the failure is not permanent and steps are being taken to address it [62023].
Behaviour crash, omission, value (a) crash: The software failure incident in the article is related to a crash where the Samsung TVs were left with blank, unusable screens after a software update. Owners complained that their TVs were rendered useless by the upgrade sent out by Samsung [62023]. (b) omission: The software failure incident can also be related to omission as the affected TVs were not performing their intended functions after the software update. Customers complained that their new TVs were no longer working as expected [62023]. (d) value: The software failure incident can be related to a value failure as the TVs were not performing their intended functions correctly. Customers reported that their expensive TVs were not working properly after the software update, leading to frustration and inconvenience [62023].

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception None None
Communication None None
Application None None

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence property, delay, non-human, theoretical_consequence (a) death: There is no mention of any deaths resulting from the software failure incident in the articles. (b) harm: There is no mention of physical harm to individuals due to the software failure incident. (c) basic: There is no mention of people's access to food or shelter being impacted by the software failure incident. (d) property: The software failure incident impacted the property of individuals as thousands of owners of high-end Samsung TVs were left with blank, unusable screens after a software update [62023]. (e) delay: People had to postpone activities as their new TVs were rendered useless by the software update, causing frustration and inconvenience [62023]. (f) non-human: The software failure incident impacted non-human entities, specifically high-end Samsung TVs, which were left with blank, unusable screens after the software update [62023]. (g) no_consequence: There were observed consequences of the software failure incident, such as rendering the TVs useless and causing frustration among customers [62023]. (h) theoretical_consequence: Theoretical consequences discussed include potential harm to Samsung's reputation and the need for the company to work on resolving the issue with affected customers [62023]. (i) other: There is no mention of any other specific consequences beyond those described in the options (a) to (h).
Domain entertainment (a) The failed system in this incident was related to the entertainment industry. The software update issue affected high-end Samsung TVs, causing thousands of owners to have blank, unusable screens, rendering their TVs useless for watching entertainment content [62023]. Additionally, the article mentions that last year, buyers of Samsung TVs faced problems accessing the BBC iPlayer, which is a popular entertainment platform [62023].

Sources

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