More JBL Link Bar Unreliability

by sbadham

It appears that the latest update (Sept 3rd) for the JBL Link Bar only introduced more unreliability.

Since the update I've had to reset it completely a couple of times to fix complete failures with the Google Assistant. It appears that after approx. 60 hours the Google Assistant will completely fail to respond to "okay Google" prompts. The Assistant button on the remote still works.

I'm beginning to think that this product is a complete lemon. After a year of delays they still seem to have released a completely unreliable product. It kind of does three separate things reasonably well (when they work at all), Assistant, Chromecast and Android TV, but as a whole it just doesn't work.

Great idea poorly executed. I'm resigning myself to the fact that Google/partners just don't know how to produce a reliable consumer grade product. I may just buy an Apple TV to plug into this thing!

The most shocking thing is that a normal test cycle for this thing would have identified all these flaws. I think they're aware of the issues and just decided to launch anyway. Awful.

SonMakishi

I was really excited about this product, but I think I'll pass on this first version. Too many issues, I'm hoping Gen2 fixes most of them. If so, I'll be back.

techwithbrett

Mine is defaulting to the ARC input that says Audio Only everytime we turn it on. The wife is not very happy with it.

TotallyFrankstallone

Im in the same boat. See my previous post but I tried to get a release schedule for updates and was shot down. It sucks because the product has so much potential. I am going to stick with it though in the hopes they figure it out. If they don't maybe in a year someone else will figure it out. Roku just released an all-in-one sound bar but it does not have HDMI pass through. Which I need for the PS4. Anyway, I feel you brother! You are not alone!

flcinusa

I turned off the mics for assistant, every other home device in my house responds far quicker anyway. Voice change for HDMI input stopped working, nearly every query pulled up a list of YouTube videos.

It doesn't like my non CEC device on HDMI 1 (old tivo) and keeps resetting back to the Android TV home when I turn over to it in the morning.

Now it's past the point of returning it so we're stuck with it...

BiggussDikkuss

In reality all they have done is cram an old, slowish AMLogic S905X - Mi Box chipset into a Soundbar and add HDMI IN/OUT capabilities and a far Field microphone for Google assist.

Nothing is really cutting edge, vs buying components separately.

The AMLogic Chipsets running Android TV have the worst HDMI-CEC compatibility I find vs anything else.

The Mi Box for example seems to lock up and dominate HDMI-CEC control and badly mess with other connected HDMI devices.