Sony 2017 TV - Google Assistant update?

[Risc0n]

Any ideas when this coming? The US have had it two months.

Also Android 8.0 Oreo, these TV are in desperate need of this slimmed down version of Google Android. Is there and ETA on when we will get it?

[Jecht_Sin]

There will be an Android update in February for the TVs with X1 Extreme processor, to enable the Dolby Vision. Hopefully that will also include Google Assistant (and some bug fixing). In that case the update should become available for all ATV2 (TVs with Mediatek MT5891 SoC and Android 7.0) televisions.

[Kuschelmonschter]

I wouldn't hold my breath on Oreo. Last 2 years, Sony announced Marshmallow and Nougat at CES, this year nothing so far. You might want to google "Project Treble". This means quite some work for SoC manufacturers as the hardware abstraction has been standardized. You just don't get support from MediaTek for old SoCs.

Sony doesn't even deploy MediaTek's latest MT5597 (MT5892). New in this SoC from 2017 was the integration of Dolby Vision and downgrading(!!!) GPU from Mali T860 (OpenGL ES 3.2) to Mali 450 from 6 years ago (OpenGL ES 2.0, with more shader cores though). This GPU is typically deployed to the cheapest of the cheapest SoCs. CPU is still a slow 4 core Cortex A53 running at only 1GHz.

Sony still uses the old MediaTek SoC from 2016 and chose to implement Dolby Vision in their own FPGA.

I wouldn't be surprised if Oreo was put on future/2018 devices only with Sony probably abandoning MediaTek finally. With no support and security updates (not that it is good even today), you will have to isolate your 2015/2016/2017 Sony Android TV from the outside world anyway, buying a seperate box.

[Therealsh]

I think MediaTek are leading 'Project Trouble' no Treble...

Google pushed Andrid TV play and services to Google Play (as standalone apps), means detaching interface etc. from os (similar to Android) - with the idea to ease updates

Will it help Sony to push the boundry for Oreo yet to be seen...

[Kuschelmonschter]

I also had high hopes when Google announced that they will bring Google Assistant to Marshmallow and Nougat based Android TV devices. Still it seems to depend on the manufacturers and it looks like Sony wants to sell the feature with their newer products.

[Risc0n]

Well it is March now, and no sign?

[1elephant]

KD-55XD9305 when is the update finally coming? Why is it taking so long? This TV menu is slow and painful as is, at least a new assistant might make it sweeter .

[Kuschelmonschter]

---

@1elephant  schrieb:

KD-55XD9305 when is the update finally coming? Why is it taking so long? This TV menu is slow and painful as is, at least a new assistant might make it sweeter .

Google Assistant is currently rolling out to ATV2 based TVs released after mid-2016. It officially won't come to 2015 and early 2016 models (ATV1), which includes the XD93. Ask Sony why a cheap XD75/XD80 gets it (and will also get the Oero update) while your high-end model from the same model year won't get it. You won't get a serious answer though. It is simple mismanagement.

You can however sideload 'Google app for Android TV' in version 3.x. It might enable Google Assistant in countries where it is actually available. It won't make things any faster though. On ATV2, it takes up to 10s when pressing the mic button until the UI appears and the assistant takes in commands. Those TVs are dramatically underpowered and buggy, even more so your ATV1 based XD93.

---