2015 Bravia Android TV Issues

[NickCo1979]

I thought I'd create a generic thread to cover off the issues being encountered on the 2015 Bravia Android TVs. I've listed my issues below with fixes / workarounds and responses from support. All comments and solutions welcome!

1) Hot Swap HDMI doesn't work - manifested by no input on HDMI channels 2, 3 and 4 on the KD-49X8305C. Workaround - reset the TV, either by holding down the remote power button for 5 seconds or by switching the TV off at the wall and then back on again. Further details on this thread: https://community.sony.co.uk/t5/televisions/kd-49x8305c-hdmi-2-3-4-inputs-not-working/td-p/1944435

2) HDD Recording doesn't work - error message states a system update is required but none is available when checking. Hopefully this will be fixed soon by a firmware update.

3) Netflix App doesn't work - this seems like the app has been deliberately disabled. So far a support case has only recommended that a factory reset be performed (took two days to get to that cracking piece of advice.....), with no improvement as a result. A temporary (albeit for advanced users only) workaround is provided by MikeLothian on this thread - https://community.sony.co.uk/t5/televisions/netflix-support-for-kd55x8509c-android-tv/td-p/1945360 

4) Sound lag and performance issues after the TV (KD-49X8305C) has been on standby for a while - manifested for me as stuttering and sound / picture sync issues in all apps (youtube, amazon instant video etc) and HDMI sources (PS4, seperate YouView box etc). Hopefully this will be fixed in a firmware update, at the moment workarounds involve either changing channels to get the sync to work or in my case having to turn the TV off and then on again at the socket.

As stated previously, all comments welcome. Personally I'm willing to give Sony a couple of weeks to fix this, but if it's not done soon I'll be sending my new TV back for a refund as it's not really fit for purpose.

[bobm2t]

Hi,

Not sure if it was something you did Royabrown but I got bombarded with your reponse (5 email posts- each copy was the same), which was a little over the top in its content when an earlier reply from John1950Hitchin was a little more considerate in dealing with someone who had obviously mis-read what the TV was capable of.

It seems you have had a lot of angst towards this subject and it might be better use of time to leave the discussion and seek out some form of anger management class.

I have to admit after doing more reading of the TV's manual last night that my expectations of the new wave of TVs on sale would feature all the enhancements of the previous HD generations, I couldn't have been more wrong.

It seems such a shame/waste when those features are not included, which improved the viewers experience. I hate to say how naive I was and did mis-read some of the information - possibly not understanding some of the terms used - when reseaching the product.

I do trust Sony products and my previous TV lasted over 15years, so you can see, I am the new kid on the block with these HD TVs.

I am happy with my purchase and from what I achieved last night while watching the screen was a result and I now totally get the external HDD instructions, thank you.

I realise that if I use YouView and can see programmes I missed up to a week ago as well as the current guide for the week ahead.

If I use FreeView, I can record to an External Drive and play on the same TV only.

I get all that. It's a faff for sure.

However, I have a system worekaround. I now have a Mac Mini hooked up (HDMI) to the TV, I record using EyeTV software and can view everything in the glorious quality screen from the Mac Mini via the TV and have a set I am now happy with.

Many thanks for all the guidance from you all and best of luck with the TVs of the future.

Cheers.

[Anonymous]

Hi Bobm2t

Ive just had a look into why you may have got multiple emails.  Royabrown used the @ symbol infront of your name to highlight that his reply is to you.  This then generates an email to you (you can switch this off in your account settings of the forum).  However, if that person then edits their post, whilst leaving the @ symbol, then another email is then sent.

Im assuming Royabrown edited his post multiple times - hence the multiple emails.

Cheers

[royabrown]

---

@bobm2t wrote:

Hi,

Not sure if it was something you did Royabrown but I got bombarded with your reponse (5 email posts- each copy was the same), which was a little over the top in its content when an earlier reply from John1950Hitchin was a little more considerate in dealing with someone who had obviously mis-read what the TV was capable of.

It seems you have had a lot of angst towards this subject and it might be better use of time to leave the discussion and seek out some form of anger management class.

I have to admit after doing more reading of the TV's manual last night that my expectations of the new wave of TVs on sale would feature all the enhancements of the previous HD generations, I couldn't have been more wrong.

It seems such a shame/waste when those features are not included, which improved the viewers experience. I hate to say how naive I was and did mis-read some of the information - possibly not understanding some of the terms used - when reseaching the product.

I do trust Sony products and my previous TV lasted over 15years, so you can see, I am the new kid on the block with these HD TVs.

I am happy with my purchase and from what I achieved last night while watching the screen was a result and I now totally get the external HDD instructions, thank you.

I realise that if I use YouView and can see programmes I missed up to a week ago as well as the current guide for the week ahead.

If I use FreeView, I can record to an External Drive and play on the same TV only.

I get all that. It's a faff for sure.

However, I have a system workaround. I now have a Mac Mini hooked up (HDMI) to the TV, I record using EyeTV software and can view everything in the glorious quality screen from the Mac Mini via the TV and have a set I am now happy with.

Many thanks for all the guidance from you all and best of luck with the TVs of the future.

Cheers.

---

Hi @bobm2t

I've no idea why you got 5 identical emails from my posting - nothing under my control, I assure you.

But please don't confuse the cumulative effect of getting five of the things, as if I was trying to stuff my message into your brain in a towering rage, with the one posting I actually wrote 🙂

It's sometimes hard to see where a difficulty arises, but I am glad that a reread of the (extremely sketchy!) documentation has now given you a better picture of how things are.

What Sony have done with these sets, I think, is to recognise that since the 'Smart' tail is increasingly wagging the 'TV' dog these days, a different approach is needed than just bolting more and more Smart functions on, ad hoc, and so have gone for the ground-up rethink of basing all the function on the Android TV OS.

Sony's ambition needs to be praised here; but their execution has been a little lacking, shall we say? But if/when they get it right, they may reasonably hope to leave all the other manufacturers in the dust. Though if they can't get it right in a reasonable time, it may be Sony left in the dust instead 😞

The YouView thing is a bit weird.I suspect Sony's original thinking was that here was a fully fledged TV interface they could use instead of having to build their own. Then they built their own anyway, the Freeview one, and the two sit uncomfortably side by side; with the YouView interface just contributing the ITV Hub and All4, and the backward EPG, as extras, plus the YouView way of doing things.

Same with recording. If you are at all familiar with the YouView boxes, then you will know that they have very extensive recording management capabilities, which again perhaps Sony hoped to buy into. But to bring these to the Sony TVs is, I think, more of a rewrite to the YouView spec than a bolt-on of existing YouView code, and if and when this happens is still something for the future. While the simpler, possibly simplistic, Sony recording software holds the fort in the meantime.

Anyway, I'm glad you got things sorted, and the Mac Mini is filling some of the gaps for you.

Oh, and here's hoping you only get the one copy of this posting 🙂

[Kevwoods12]

It hardly seems worth the bother wanting to record YouView,  all the catch up I've ever watched on it has been in standard def. Am I missing an obvious setting that allows catch up in HD? 

[Gurrok]

I think i have same problem:
https://community.sony.co.uk/t5/televisions/kdl-55w807c-android-tv-remote-does-not-react-after-long-...

[Garymjh]

Catch up is in very good hd for bbc shows but all you view does is link to the bbc iPlayer app and it's easier using the app directly. Itv is in hd but it's not very good quality. Channel 4 are infuriating about hd catch up and only seem to allow it via sky tv. 

[Garymjh]

You do have to change the setting in bbc iPlayer to best quality though. By default they have it on some unwatchable setting. It also takes about forty seconds to get hd streaming correctly. 

[frogger38]

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@Kevwoods12 wrote:

It hardly seems worth the bother wanting to record YouView,  all the catch up I've ever watched on it has been in standard def. Am I missing an obvious setting that allows catch up in HD? 

---

There are two ways of looking at this... Recording Youview content to the HDD which is what @Kevwoods12 is suggesting. 

The other view is one that I hold, I would like to be able to record at the broadcast time, in HD (if broadcast in HD) or SD without having to disable YouView to enable the HDD to work, which also kills 2 of the 4 catch up players. If the programme is available in the Youview catchup service then I don't need to copy it to HDD, but the larger proportion of FreeView channels are not available via YouView catchup.

[bobm2t]

Hi Royabrown,

Thanks for explaining is wasn't intended, that is a relief! And no worries, at least one of the other guys highlighted what might have caused it...err...does your keyboard still work? It didn't get squashed or anything under the wrath? 🙂

And yes, the Mac Mini idea is working a treat, thanks. If 'Apple Mac' did the display in the size of the TV I bought I'd be made up!

Sorry Sony... But once you folks get to grips with what you expect people to achieve with the Andriod TV the better, after all, we can't put it in our pocket, can we, eh? I don't even own a smart phone or have unlimited bandwidth; there's no landline, so stuck with a limited Gb connection (countryfolk, huh?), and syncing devices isn't of any use to me either... 🙂

Cheers,

[Shalendran]

@mrmecl

If the Tv is powered off at the mains, you need to give a minute on standby to allow the android to boot up. If there are connected devices in HDMI they will go on and off automatically. During this time the remote will not respond. Hence it is better to leave the TV on standby always. To improve the speed, better to switch off at the mains once a week. I hope this helps.