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.

[Tall.Paul]

Agh...just when I think I'm starting to see the end of the issues they turn up again. Been following this thread with interest and the comments and info is very much appreciated. I'm solely using it for sky hd and Xbox and Netflix through the tv running though an XT3 soundstage, so essentially just a screen, but even still it's started doing the "no...I won't turn off...I will however look like I have..make your remote not respond and show my little light even though my screen will go a sort of dark grey/black to make it seem I am off.......then I shall freeze" Dam thing!!

[royabrown]

---

@kevfarme wrote:

---

I wonder, assuming Sony get the HDD recording working for you guys.....hmmm.....  Being as All 4 and ITVPlayer should be available through the Opera browser even without the awful You View running maybe you could record them with a HDD that way? 

---

Can you tell me how to work this browser on the TV? I have both remotes, but it is still an almighty struggle, with a white cursor running leftwards away from my black cursor all the time until it reaches the edge of the screen.

I got to All4 in the end, but it wants Flash upgraded - do I choose YUM, or the .tar.gz, or the rpm, or am I secretly running Ubuntu 10.04+ and require the APT?

And even if I do choose the 'right' one, do I have the requisite tool(s) on here to make this upgrade?

i am an experienced software developer, though not a hacker (in the old sense); if I am confused, the average punter isn't going to have a prayer 😞

[Philpot1949]

There is quite a lag from the TV when trying to play on a Wii. I've tried the composite and Scart and get the same results. It is as though the TV is taking time to process the data by which time there is always a feeling of a lag between controller and display. This manifests itself in a game (Tetris) taking 20 - 30 seconds longer (some 30%) I'm sure this is true of all games machines played on this TV. The Wii run fine on other TVs so what is the problem and can I overcome it? At present the games are unusable.

[rolandscriven]

---

@royabrown wrote:

---

@rolandscriven wrote:

Works for me. They are not part of Youview but they require it to be activated to work. I don't have youview (and as in Greece - cannot access freeview) but if I activate youview (press cancel at tuning) I can access all4 etc. 

---

They are part of YouView, or at least, they are bundled with it, and you don't get them on the EU firmware that doesn't have YouView.

I'm wondering, as you are in Greece, how you got the UK firmware - perhaps by the VPN/Smart DNS method that we now know does this? In which case, I guess it has an upside as well as a downside.

I'm presuming this, as the All4 and ITV Players use geolocation checking, so I have to use smart DNS to get them in Spain, even on an iPad. Where All4 has another trick up its sleeve - if you are in another time zone, it smells a rat, even with smart DNS, so you have to change the clock on the iPad as well.

My YouView box (not TV) in Spain gets local Spanish programming in the YouView Guide; I guess you might get local Greek programming on your YouView TV?

---

No idea - all I know is that if I change the DNS and restart and clear cache/data for sony select (vital) then I get them appearing. And if I go back to dynamic DNS it immediately removes them and replaces with Greek - so this to me suggests that it is not hard baked into firmware - but you could be right about not available without UK firmware. Not sure what I have - might check later.

No, I can't get youview working - but I can enable it (if I cancel tuning) but then I can't change channels on normal Greek digital - hence why I'll soon get a fire stick for all4 etc. Seems a better solution.

[Cbrpaul01]

Sony,,,,  I have just spent 2hrs on the phone to Sky regarding my 40mbs Fibre connection going incredibly slow, like 5.5mbs.

The cause , yes you guessed it , my Sony KDL-50W805c, 

The tv decided it would enable wifi itself even though i had cat5 connected directly to my router.

Sony come on sort this out, your tv just bought my fibre network down to a crawl, now i can only use this tv via hardwire to my router, this shouldnt be like this !!!

its getting to the point where my Sony tv is just a dumb display screen now.

[rooobb]

@Cbrpaul01 it's really not clear what you wnat and what you are doing: you want th etv connected via cable or wifi? in the first option there is no way that the tv connect to your wifi if you don't set it up... and connecting via cable is for sure your best option to use your fiber connection. 

[Cbrpaul01]

@rooobb I just want a tv that that works as designed and when sold to me , along with most others here posting.

As for your question,  i did connect  to wifi with the tv , 2 months ago when i first bought the tv , but disabled it shortly after due to the Tv,s flaky wifi , in its settings and used cat5e driect instead.

However , now a couple of months later , the Sony TV has decided to ignore the cat5e and enable its own wifi using the credentials i originally setup 2 months , even after i disabled wifi.

I have also had to disable youview, to enable freesat,  i have lip sync issues, and random rebooting, I was not told this would happen when i purchased, not to mention the lack of hdd rec.

I now use a Humax youview box on HDMI 1 as this appears to be the only way to make my TV watchable, hence my dumb display terminal comment.

[MrLizard]

What is the TV actually doing to use 35Mbps? Even streaming UHD only uses around 15Mbps. Are you sure Sky aren't directing blame away from themselves?

[Cbrpaul01]

i dont think the tv was actually streaming as such , but rather somehow , something in the TV , whether its the driver or its wifi hardware itself was causing my wifi network to struggle,  maybe confusing it ?  causing a packet clash/conflict, and constantly requesting a resend of packets,?  i dont know ?

What i do know as soon as the Sony tv wifi was disabled ,  i immediately went back to 38mbps

Im sure I also read in here , someone else having wifi issues with their Sony android causing their wifi network to crash.

[MrLizard]

What do your router logs say? Any weird/excessive activity associated with your TV's IP? Sent from my iPhone