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.

[Folkfanger]

@Stevevalo I'm sure your generalisation on older people is not meant to include everyone "old". I'm over 71 and I don't want to be included. I'm sure most people, young and old, don't do much with their TVs other than watch then as they come out of the box.

If I'd watched this one as it came out of the box I would be watching a very poor picture. It took ages of trial and error to set it and all inputs to give a good picture.

Mybig  mistake was in reading all the reviews before buying that said the operating system was not as good as Samsung etc. and then assuming that Sony would still be better overall, as it always used to be.

Little did I know that Sony filters out reports which cast it in a bad light (as mine did).

[Stevevalo]

@Folkfanger  at 41 myself I don't suppose I should class myself as a spring chicken either. Plus I'm struggle to close that can of worms I've popped.

Back on subject, I did exactly the same thing and put trust in a once household brand as Sony. When I was growing up, anyone with any Sony product was the envy of the street. I know Sony have had some bad luck recently and some poor product choices. I have also read the reviews and class the filtering of reviews as a pretty low tactic, (VW emissions level). I knew Sony had fallen of the tree but i just didn't realise just how far they had fallen.

People put there faith back in the brand and Sony have not returned the gesture, which I think is the worst thing Sony could have done.

[rnbetsy]

Wifi connected but no internet connection tonight..all other devices in house are fine. Restart sorted it. 

That's 5 or 6 restarts since I bought it on the 1st Nov, 75% taking it back tomorrow, so much hassle though!

[cozzykim]

@rnbetsy

Could that just be a DHCP issue? If so it isn't limited to Sony TVs.

All my Philips Streamuims have to have fixed IP addresses, or they forget each other.

My wife's Dell Vista laptop used to get confused if it was put in 'sleep' mode overnight and other stuff had grabbed its IP, (doesn't happen now she runs PCLinuxOS though).

Our HP AIO wireless printer also prefers a fixed IP.

In our house, only visitors' phones get dynamically allocated IP addresses.

Funnily enough, the 55X8509 had a dynamic IP, because I CBA to allocate a fixed one. It has given a message that it's reconnecting a couple of times after being switched off at the remote overnight, but so far it has always reconnected within a few seconds.

Maybe this is because nothing else has grabbed its IP in the meanwhile?

[SonyMP99]

Another problem encountered last night after casting YouTube from the iPad:

The 'TV' button on the remote doesn't respond, so just left with YouTube showing on screen. Effectively this 'wonderful' Sony Bravia 4k TV costing over £1000 could not actually perform the most basic TV function, ie. show a TV channel....

Needed to turn off/on at the plug to get the TV back.

[Anonymous]

Hi all

Sony/YouView have issued a statement to clarify the YouView implementation and features.

http://www.sony.co.uk/support/en/article/109739

I know that many of you will be disappointed and some of you will note the following:

"YouView on Sony BRAVIA TVs does not support recording in this first version of the service."

I asked what that ment - and got the following answer: Sony has a longterm relationship with youview and is investigating what features can be added in future

Cheers

[UKPiglet]

@Anonymous Has there been any feedback from the Sony team on the general issues around Lip Sync?

Much as love the x9305 sound quality, having it out of sync with the picture is very very annoying...

[petsmart]

Thanks Quinnicus for the continued updates where possible.

I would like to refer people back to an earier posts in the forum and go down the watchdog route if you are not happy.

https://ssl.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mg74/contact

I have found an improvement on the TV but i mainly use SKY in the UK with other conencted devices and its  functional abeit issues are still present. My main issues which is why I have resposted the watchdog link is the uncertainty around the continued effort going forward by Sony to fix the issues and the lack of response to the noted issues which quinnicus has kindly taken on to note these.

Equally im stil not happy on the price drop. The 55x8509c was 1700 when i bought it and then dropped by about 700.00 wihtin a couple months - this in itself was enough for me to contact watchdog having recieved an unsatisfactory response from sony.

[andipr]

petsmart - I'm lucky that my set is largely stable, it's just the missing features and limitations on functions that concern me - Youview or HDD rec, PIP/PAP, tuners etc.

I'm of the opinion that if these sets are still buggy (or lacking features that they were sold as having) when they release the 2016 range that Sony would be seen to have given up on us. If that is the case then I'm working on the assumption that there would be some legal recourse for us as there must be a fair period where a product should be seen to match the as sold specification.

I'm a long term Sony product owner and my loyalty is starting to be tested on this one. Hopefully they won't try and shove us under the carpet.....

[royabrown]

---

@Quinnicus wrote:

Hi all

Sony/YouView have issued a statement to clarify the YouView implementation and features.

http://www.sony.co.uk/support/en/article/109739

I know that many of you will be disappointed and some of you will note the following:

"YouView on Sony BRAVIA TVs does not support recording in this first version of the service."

I asked what that ment - and got the following answer: Sony has a longterm relationship with youview and is investigating what features can be added in future

Cheers

---

It's a fairly complete nonsense, isn't it?

i mean, who wouldn't enable YouView mode based on that comparison, where Sony Mode offers only two catchup players to YouView's four, and everything else is via a software update?

But you can't do such a software update at the moment. So you have no more tuners available in Sony Mode than YouView Mode, and no greater recording functionality in Sony Mode than YouView Mode.

You do have satellite in Sony Mode, but you don't need a software update for it. No mention, of course, that YouView Mode doesn't just stop you using satellite, but that it also destroys your tunings for it, as you find if you try to go back.

And none of the flexibility you have in the Freeview Guide over the YouView Guide is mentioned.

Why mention, though, that there is no recording functionality in this first YouView release, as if that was a downside? There have been umpty-um Sony releases, not one of which has introduced it.

Sony need to get twin tuners and recording working before these can become a downside in this comparison.

Even assuming that YouView can't get them working at the same time, which they would be crazy not to treat as a top priority.