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.

[Unhappy_43x8309_owner]

Regretfully, the 43x8309c got packed up and taken back to PCWorld this morning. Big thanks to Malcom1962 for posting the email address for PCWorld customer service on page 262.

I emailed them mid week and said I wished to return the TV under SOG act 1979 as being not as advertised. Stated the the reason as being we had bought the TV in August and at the time the TV was being sold all the features (YouView, HDD recording) would become available in due course as the updates came out. Since Sony had subsequently changed the advertised features  (YouView update meant no HDD recording and vise versa), after we bought the TV, we wanted to return the TV for a full refund.

I also put a couple of additional lines in to say in other respects the TV wasn't fit for purpose and including the URL for this thread, suggesting they might want to read it. No idea if they did.

A couple of apologetic emails from CS over the next 48 hours (one implying the original email had gone to the 'Group Chief Executive Officer'), PCWorld authorised a return and gave me a reference number to quote at the store. After a bit of a delay the TV was accepted back and the money refunded.  

As it happened the Sony specialist/representative was in store at the time so I went to have a fairly long and candid chat with him. He was apologetic on behalf of Sony, but too little to late. He did say he thought the YouView VS HDD recording was more likely to be a licensing issue than an engineering one.

Anyway PCWorld Customer service 1, Sony 0.

No idea which TV to get now, as on paper the Sony was perfect. Best of luck - hope the new firmware update (when it arrives)  sorts out everyones issues, but I couldn't hang on any longer to find out. 

[Dobbs3]

Hi,

Now that's interesting as I've sent two emails to the same address this week asking to take back the Sony and I'll exchange it for a Panasonic (and happily pay the difference).  No reply from PCWorld/Currys at this time.

Good to hear however that they are accepting the returns as it sets a precident for my return.

I'll keep you good folks updated...

[Anonymous]

@UKPiglet - Unfortunately I have no more updates at this moment in time.  

[UKPiglet]

Thank you for replying. Even a confirmation that the issue had been reproduced and was being worked on would have meant something. I don't know what to do now. I love the sound and picture, but hate the lip sync and the general not-fit-for-purpose shoddiness of the software.

I feel a call to JL coming on.

[scoopy6]

Licensing seems to be another catch-all excuse, like Health and Safety or Data Protection, while 'Recording' is said to be able to avoid Licensing problems by encryption, so the results can only be reviewed by using the same gadget. To us the great advantages of recording vs.YouView would be that:-

1.) At least with our other Tv and boxes, you can record and then skip back and forth within any recording from any channel and not just choose a limited range of programmes, often excluding films, from the quite limited set of YouView channels.

2.) If we do fail to record something then on iPlayer, and much less often on most of the players with adverts, a limited range of programmes can still be accessed in exactly the same limited way

[rolandscriven]

I can't change digital tv channels. Is this a new issue? Is there a fix? Thanks

[haberdavid]

It seems that every thing that you do with the tv android is not working well. even when i am playing videos with plex app,they dont playing smooth. i thing that it is becuase the android is working very slow on the tv prossesor and that effect all the apps.

i decided to buy a computer like intel nuc and connect it to the tv. and i wont use the tv android any more.

[Folkfanger]

@Anonymous Sorry I don't have to reboot mine. It does it by itself. Last night 5 minus before the end of a thriller, not funny. And about every other day now.

[Folkfanger]

@royabrown I personally doubt whether the instability in the  sony processor or its operating system could actually take youview plus twin tuners, satellite and recording and still perform tothe minimum of our expectations.

If I didn't have my Humax box I would have taken this set back because it does not satisfactorily stand alone.

[cozzykim]

I had the problem, previously reported, with the CH4 catch up player last night.

The picture froze about 40 minutes into a playing programme, I was able to navigate around the TV Home screen etc but the player was totally unresponsive.

I had to kill the CH app to clear the screen, but then got a white sceen instead. Even stopping and restarting the app gave a white screen.

To make the CH4 app work again, I had to do a TV soft reset (shutdown with the remote and restart)

The CH4 app then worked OK, but we had to watch all the commercials again before we could return to the correct point in the programme.