Update software on TV - any risk?

Humphrey10

My TV has an option to check for updates for its software online, it says it is up to date but from looking on the Panasonic website it seems there is more recent software available. I assume I can download this to a USB stick and install it on the TV somehow.

Can this process go wrong in any way? I don't want to risk bricking a 42" plasma TV.

Up until earlier this year the only TV I had was a 14" CRT, this new one is rather more complicated!

kwikbreaks

What does the newer firmware offer that you need?

It's unlikely that you'll brick it but it is by no means impossible. Over the years I've irretrievably bricked - an external disk drive, a router, a tablet, and a webcam. Two of those were risky but the other two seemed to be certain successes and weren't.

spud17

My Sony has automatically updated via the router, I'm ok with that, but otherwise I'm with kwikbreaks, if it ain't broke........

Humphrey10

Well non-HD channels look pants, I was hoping maybe they had improved how the TV displays these channels. non-HD channels look pants on every non-CRT TV I have ever seen though, so maybe nothing can be done to improve how they look.

Humphrey10

It's a TX-P42V20B, the software version it currently has is 2.009, it can't find a new update. But the most recent software on the Panasonic website is 2.710.
Any ideas how I could check if it is connected to the internet? I assume when I tell it to check for updates it is looking on the internet?

Edit: by pressing random buttons on the remote control I got it to update! I pressed the 'Viera cast' button and it said it wouldn't work until I downloaded the new software, and gave me an option to download it. I have no idea why 'system update' couldn't find it.

Edit2: well it has successfully updated, and still works. The picture still looks the same, so I have no idea if there was any point in updating.

Hammyman

Humphrey10 wrote: »

My TV has an option to check for updates for its software online, it says it is up to date but from looking on the Panasonic website it seems there is more recent software available. I assume I can download this to a USB stick and install it on the TV somehow.

Can this process go wrong in any way? I don't want to risk bricking a 42" plasma TV.

Up until earlier this year the only TV I had was a 14" CRT, this new one is rather more complicated!

I have a Panasonic Viera TX-P42G20B. I've updated it several times over the internet. I connect it to my router with a network cable and do the update that way. Never had a problem. Takes a bit of time and when it says to turn it off, it means fully and not just the on/off switch on the remote.

Most updates just add functionality to Viera Cast but a couple have been to improve image quality.