topic Rif.: Android TV ... Work in progress!! in Android TV

Android TV ... Work in progress!!

angelacr — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 11:28:12 GMT

Well, I suppose it's a start. Android on phones wasn't up to much when first released. But I have to say that whoever designed the interface needs to go back to first design principles. Make the USER centre to all functions not the developer's ease of writing software routines.

Why are all the reviews of Sony's implementation of Android TV so glowing in general? To me it seems very much like an early iteration not intended for release.

Changing channels on the TV is so s...l...o....w. The speed is unacceptable. I have a linux satellite box that has very little lag between keypress and action; why can't the Android box do the same?

I have a wireless mouse, Thank God I have a wireless mouse! Without it I would not be able to navigate some apps.

Opera is really the bees knees on a PC, (or it used to be). The Android TV version sometimes needs an input from the controller; at other times, when pop-up windows on a web page appears, the only method of shutting the pop-up is a mouse click. And then there is the home page! Who in their worst nightmare could imagine that users wanted the Sony website (Hello aren't we Wonderful), to be their homepage. There is NO WAY it can be removed. So Every bl--dy time I open Opera I land on the Sony Homepage. I bought a TV. I don't want a lifelong relationship with you! *****

The keyboard: When entering text the pop-up keyboard inserts a space after a full stop. When writing web addresses you'll need to remember to back space twice. Twice because the space only gets inserted after the keypress that follows the full stop. Crazy! Then on good on-screen keyboards serving a basic remote there are better solutions. XBMC or whatever it's called these days, has a wrap type keyboard. If you are chasing letters using the up/down left/right/ buttons then keep pressing past the edge and you 'wrap' around to the opposite edge. It just makes navigation faster. This present design has got to go.

On, perhaps, a useful note for others. I found that ES file explorer lets me do lots of things. Its browser is better than Opera. Secondly It has access to the cloud and can download apks to your deivice from Google Drive. This is documented on the web ... a search will find it..Popcorn Time runs nicely. VPV.ht runs nicely and Mobdro works well. You can open these Apps from ES Explorer as they don't show in the official app list. Or you can load Chainfire's Sideload Launcher from the Play Store.

How can I root this device? I want to add an advert blocker? Any one done it yet?

Rif.: Android TV ... Work in progress!!

rooobb — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 15:44:35 GMT

Since it seems you are a tech geek and you have a mouse , you should install and try Chrome browser: it's working exactly as on a smartphone! and I suggest also to try using TVsideview app that gives you, apart all the other features, both a mouse and a keyboard. By the way XMBC (now called Kodi) can also be installed in the tv

Rif.: Android TV ... Work in progress!!

angelacr — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 08:16:07 GMT

Google Play Store doesn't show Chrome as being available. Is this yet another *.apk I have to extract and sideload?

Rif.: Android TV ... Work in progress!!

rooobb — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 08:41:18 GMT

I installed it successfully on a kdl43W805C. You have to go via web (on a PC) to play.google.com with the same user you use on the tv, search for chrome: it should shown on which of the android machine you may install it and it should show along all the other andorid you have also something like "no carrier Sony Bravia 2015". Tell him to install it and go back to the tv: in the app setting menu you should now see it anc you can run it. It doesn't show in the main app menu of the TV you have to use something as sideload luncher to access it.

Rif.: Android TV ... Work in progress!!

angelacr — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 08:16:01 GMT

Thanks for that.

I'd tried the PC web method of install before. But Google prevents Play Store apps from being loading on machines that don't have the screen resolution or dpi that the app is built for (i.e a phone or tablet). Perhaps recent Chrome updates have closed the door that was once open to you. I found a web mirror offering the chome .apk as a direct download. As you say, it works very well..

The LCD panel also makes a rather nice monitor. As I might expect from Sony, the display is pretty nice. It's a pitty this iteration of Android TV is so poor. The fact that professional reviewers failed to mention it shows just how corrupted the system of product review really is. I wish a plague on all their houses!

I've discovered another gotcha with Android TV. I've set the TV to be on standby for 24 hours when first switched off. It seems to wake periodlcally and web traffic passes. But the TV's internal process wakes up my sound bar! I don't know how frequently this happens but even once is too much.. Come on Sony sort out this mess!

Rif.: Android TV ... Work in progress!!

rooobb — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 10:24:56 GMT

I installed Chrome two days ago from play.google.com ... don't know if they changed anything in the mean time! I didn't notice what you are facing regarding the HT: I've mine too hooked via HDMI/ARC to an HTCT350 soundbar and never notice it coming out of the standby by itself: how often it happens to you?

Rif.: Android TV ... Work in progress!!

angelacr — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 11:13:12 GMT

Yes, you're right just tried re-installing Chrome and it works! Very strange... Senility perhaps?

I've been using a TOS link cable for audio. Re-awakens possibly every three hours? I've noticed it's been awake twice thiis morning since 8.00 am. All this with an LG NB4530A soundbar.

Another flake: TV sideView: The mouse pointer fails to appear when expected. Other functions from remote appear to work as and when expected. I corrected it by wiping the data from the app and re-linking. Phone:- Oneplus One

After I wrote the above paragraph I thought I try it my HTC M8. Presently it is without a SIM card. So downloaded the app. I get the option to uninstall from the Play Store but not open it. And the app doesn't appear n the app drawer? More flake? Or is the lack of SIM relevant?

Do Sony developers keep on eye here, or am I just weeing in the wind?

Rif.: Android TV ... Work in progress!!

rooobb — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 15:26:02 GMT

It is possible that braviasync is not completely compatible with the corrispondent LG version of HDMI-CEC. Mine Sony HTCT350 seems to work fine and I can even change its setting via teh TV menu (sound level, input, ect). Regarding TVsideview, on mine Galaxy Ace 4 and Xperia Z2 tablet the mouse remote works fine. It doesn't appear automatically, you have to choose it. The virtual keyboard is shown automatically whenever and input field is selected. I have also installed the puglin for voice search and it works too (even if I feel silly to speak to the tv (

Re: Android TV ... Work in progress!!

Kel520 — Mon, 07 Sep 2015 12:57:03 GMT

I agree,

just spent 1800 quid on a x93c its near top of the range or suppose to be yet if viewed 1000 quid tvs with better apps and search facilities.

Talk to it ? for what? switch off ! I thought it would be avalible for searching the web which is the main one thing it would be useful for and one reason why I brought it... ask it anything and u tube shows up ?? As for the apps there a joke... wheres facebook,twitter and the like? these were standard years ago...I dont get it.

Having play store I thought there would be loads avalible ....

very disappointed.

Someone please tell me they will make talk/ search web avalible with a download?

Re: Android TV ... Work in progress!!

angelacr — Mon, 07 Sep 2015 15:26:39 GMT

I don't use facebook but you should be able to sideload it if you cant get ti from the Play Store. Find the facebook.apk from the web and put it on a USB stick. You need to set security to allow apps other than off Play store to load. From Play Store look for HALauncher and load that. Run HALauncher and Facebook should show up in that ready for you to start it..

Sony's going down the tubes methinks.

Re: Android TV ... Work in progress!!

angelacr — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 11:13:12 GMT

At the moment my brand-new TV fails to get past the set-up screen. It happened like this. Yesterday some Apps stopped working; BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport never initialized. Having three other Android devices I knew that a system restart, effectively clearing the cache often corrects software problems. So that is what I did; only it didn't. So I did a factory reset. (Supposedly!)
That made no difference either. So I opted to re-setup the machine from fresh. Then my problems started. The installer seemed already to have my Google account details - how could that be? I had done a factory reset. (When I sell the TV will my Google account details still be on it??) The machine starts; it entices you to accpet the Google account stored; you get asked to select a language and it STOPS. If I go back and select another language, the machine crashes."

I dispair. Once Sony had a brand-name to be trusted... but no longer it seems.

I contacted support and get told someone will call me; no time time frame. Nothing. So curretly I have a very pretty TV sitting on my wall that does nought.

Re: Android TV ... Work in progress!!

johayne98 — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 00:06:35 GMT

I dont know how everyone is knocking Sony Android TV , has anyone tried WebOS or Tinzen ?

This TV knocks spots of the other 4K's I have tried , maybe you guys need to get out more

On a serious note though I cant beleive Sony would completely ignore the issues here

Re: Android TV ... Work in progress!!

angelacr — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 07:23:54 GMT

4K TV? Why? why-ultra-hd-4k-tvs-are-still-stupid and 4k-ultra-hd-uhd-vs-1080p-full-hd-tvs-and-upscaling-compared

And yes all us complainants have shares in Panasonic and are really, really trying so hard to drag the company down.

On a more serious note; if you've bought a 4k TV then your judgement maybe seriously impaired, so I'd watch what you say!

Re: Android TV ... Work in progress!!

johayne98 — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 08:02:58 GMT

Well It took a lot of debate for me to beleive in 4K . However this is an arguable debate , it is correct that many will not notice the difference however the trained eye will

It is the same debate about MP3 vs CD or Higher frame rate 120 FPS vs 60 FPS , many say that the human cannot percieve the differences in technologhy . And for some time I did not either

However after analzing and comparing I can truly appreciate higher 4K resolutions much the same as CD quality ( with good hardware ) and 120 FPS monitor refresh rate . It may not be allways be a concious difference , however I noted :

Higher framerates will give a more slick smoother fluid apperance on quick moving scenes

Higher relolution made images life like and gave a feeling of awe more than anything

CD quality has more depth in sound producing a cleaner and clinical sound

If you have the money by all means get one , hell I am dumbfounded on the quality compared to my 6 series Samsung HDTV

People should lighten up , at the end of the day these things are for entertainment and thus should be enjoyed

Re: Android TV ... Work in progress!!

angelacr — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 10:03:37 GMT

Mmm. If I'd paid a lot of money for a TV then I'd want to believe it was better too!

But I understand Human perception is a stange and fickle thing. And then there's the psychology of it all; people do tend to believe what they're told to believe; if told with enough authority, that is.

I'm minded of a story I used to read to my children. Something about an Emporer and clothes, as I recall.

Re: Android TV ... Work in progress!!

johayne98 — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 10:18:02 GMT

Hey

If we all started buying these then the price would drop down eventually , I agree they are expensive but also justified if you really get the most out of it

For example I am using a Video Card which drives the panel at 4K 60 FPS , which is vert very noticable on certain games ( Games which are optimised to work on 4K - not upscaled ) , even the missus noticed it when asked for her opinion

I partially agree that imarketing hype is phycological , however look past the hype and gear up the TV with suitable resources and media it wont take long to understand the benefits

To the average person a 1080p TV will do just fine , hell even 720p would do . However those who want true immersion make no mistake , this will do wonders , the image and motion rate is life like

Re: Android TV ... Work in progress!!

angelacr — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 10:35:30 GMT

Aaah! You're playing games on it. That probably means you're sitting quite close to the screen. Then you WILL see a difference. You'll see the difference in the sheds as well because they use aisles to corale you close up to the screens. Now I wonder why they do that? What do you reckon?

At normal sittting room tv viewing distances, as explained in the links in my post above, people see no difference. Close up to the sand, sitting on Blackpool beach, you can see every grain in fine detail. Go up the tower and look again at the beach and all that lovely grain filled detail has gone.

But you pay your money; you make your choice.

Re: Android TV ... Work in progress!!

angelacr — Thu, 10 Sep 2015 09:49:15 GMT

Update: I still have a TV that fails to get past 'select a languge' on the set-up screen.

Today I asked my retailer to take the TV back as it is unfit for purpose.

They initiated a call to Sony "support" and I've been promised a call from a TV repair person within '48 business hours'. (not sure what that means, exactly). I wait with eager anticpation. I use inverted commas around support for I really believe it should be wrritten as "lack of support". Much like the UK Government's policy for 'Care in the Community' really means 'lack of care'. But I digress...

I also recieved a request, 2 days ago, to add feedback to Sony's web site about my experience with Sony's product. I wrote a full, frank appraisal of both the TV and Sony's lack of support. It devolved down to 'nice picture... absolute rubbish Sony implementation of Google's Android TV software product.

Today I received an email to say it had been 'moderated' and rejected for publication. SO now I know, with certainty, the Sony review system is worthless. They simply omit critical reports and everything in thee Sony garden appears rosey..

Finally, if anyone at Sony with responsibilty for software engineering reads this .. If the Sony bootloader allowed USB reloads of the current software; my problem would be solved. So some Sony developer made a bad choice and I'm paying for it.

Re: Android TV ... Work in progress!!

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