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.

[spook63]

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@Caledonian_TV wrote:

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@spook63 wrote:

Well, the full Freeview list is still present - but in the 'old' DVB-T EPG format ...

Go figure!

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...Which is what? Just the 'now and next' format as you get on satellite?  - I only ask because (personally) I'd prefer not to have the YouView app on my set at all.  - If the Euro update has stability advantages I'd go for that.

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Personally, I prefer to have what I paid for in the first place, namely YouView. USB recording and PIP would be great too but hey, let's not get too ambitious, after all this is Sony we're talking about ...

No idea whether the Eurotrash version of the software is any better than the UK YouView version. If you want to give it a try I suspect that you will find yourself in the same boat as me - i.e. left wondering how to update to a different software version when the damned TV won't let you?

[Caledonian_TV]

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@spook63 wrote:

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Personally, I prefer to have what I paid for in the first place, namely YouView. USB recording and PIP would be great too but hey, let's not get too ambitious, after all this is Sony we're talking about ...

No idea whether the Eurotrash version of the software is any better than the UK YouView version. If you want to give it a try I suspect that you will find yourself in the same boat as me - i.e. left wondering how to update to a different software version when the damned TV won't let you?

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Oh, I absolutely agree... And even though the advanced features don't concern me; I'm 100% behind those who feel they need/want them!  - I'd maybe get a bit of peace though if the telly worked like... Well, a telly!

[Twobins]

Received my new Panasonic 802 series today and had it up and running in less than ten minutes. I was worried the picture wouldn't have been as good as the Sony I returned, but there was no need to worry. If anything the picture out of the box was better than the Sonys. The Firefox OS is simple and fast. Already I've been recording to a dedicated 1TB Buffalo hard drive, Netflix and Amazon 4K content plays beautifully and I have no issues with audio sync. In comparison to my old Sony, everything that Panasonic promised, works. I'm chuffed.

To any die hard Sony fans who are hanging on to their 2015 sets in the hope that things will improve, have a good think and ask how likely is it they will succeed where they have failed all year. My advice would be to get a full refund and if its a Sony you want. then wait for the 2016 models. Common sense dictates that in a few weeks time these problematic 2015 sets will be last years problem.

Sony should be ashamed of themselves for the way they have treated their loyal customers.

Good luck to all still perservering and a Happy Christmas to all. I will think twice before I buy Sony again.

[Penpal1999]

Well the time has come to update on the problems with my Sony Bravia kd55x8509c over the last 10 weeks. It's now running version SPV4KDTV15_EU-user 5.1.1, which was pushed out this week.

Still got YouView disabled as I sometimes use the sat receivers. Strange as this sounds, I think by disabling YouView, the tv crashes much less now. But I did catch my kid unplugging the TV set after she had played a android game, stating that it always crashes after she uses apps, so reboots it now as a matter of normality.

Anyway the issues still giving me sense of being let down are:

• Google play service has stopped. Get this every other day or so. Maybe less since the update. 
• Big change in audio volume level when you switch from a stereo channel, to a DDS channel. 
• Annoying audio click sound (sometimes) when you switch from a stereo channel, to a DDS channel.
• 3D mode does not appear in most apps (I could only get it in YouTube). I purchased 4 sets active glasses (not cheap), as a Christmas surprise. Now embarrassed to give them out to the family. No 3d option is available in Kodi, VLC, BBC iPlayer, MX player. Got a lot of SBS 3D of the kids over the years, no way of playing them on this so called 3D tv.
• 3D mode does not work with 4K SBS. LOL don't know why I assumed it would when normal 1080 3D mode does not even work as it should.
• Cannot zoom in / out when viewing images in the Album app. My 10 year old Samsung had no problem with this complex functionality.
• Picture in Picture (PIP). The option seems to be missing on my set. (Tears are starting to form in my eyes).
• Channel 4 and 5 apps do not work (because I disabled YouView for good reasons).
• NEVER Select Picture Off (even by accident) from the action menu. It does as intended and turns the picture off, leaving you with the sound. Thing is you can no longer see a menu to turn picture back on again (that's right it also turns off the menus). At least Sony was not silly and put an option labeled Picture on the same menu so you select the wrong one and throw the control across the room... again.

Now counting down the days until we buy a new (never ever again Sony) TV.

... very good picture quality mind... LOL

[scoopy6]

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@Peter_S. wrote:

Hi UKPiglet and Caledonian,

Best way to manage the channel list on your TV is to export the channel list to an USB Stick (Settings > channel set-up > digital set-up > technical set-up > program list transfer) and then using the Sony Editor on your PC to delete unwanted channels. Then save this list an import it back to your TV. Please use an empty USB stick formatted with FAT32 to save the program list.

To stop the TV looking for new or changed channels please disable Service replacement in "technical set-up".

Hope this is helpful

Cheers

Peter

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Hi and thanks for this info about how to export/import the Channel List etc.

Re. 49X8309C

After the last software update (10th December?) I thought we were getting on better but now after looking at the Channel Guide, the Guide, or the previously tuned channel, still flashes on-off again, spells of temporary unresponsiveness and general stickiness have returned, and Full Screen and Eco Power Save High banners popups appear - so will try a Factory Data reset and going through all the menus again

What do Power Saving in Standby 'High' and ditto 'Low' signify:

i.e. does 'High' mean a high degree of power saving, or does it mean the opposite,

and what are the other effects please?

[chelmersteve]

The latest update (10 December) seems to have fixed the 'blank screen with sound' issue however new problems have arisen using the IR remote:

1) changing channel with the 'Prog +/-' button jumps more than one channel on each press so very difficult to use.

2) 'Off' button sometimes doesn't work at all or set will go off and then come back on again a short time later

It looks like the TV is interpreting a single press of a remote button as multiple presses.

When will Sony fix a problem without introducing or re-introducing new ones?

[jain236]

Yesterday, i was using Daily motion which it took 12 sec to open then , i pressed back button on remote and it never exit, and remote operation are become unresponsive for a while, was about to do a power cycle but then managed to get on Home screen and started using Iplayer, but once i closed iplayer, the screen went on to daily motion and never goes back.... 

TV was not able to close the app and running with 2 apps at time which made the TV very slow( normally it slow).

i am not guy who spent much time on TV but usually couple of movie on the weekend, and i dont like these when i want to relax.all i want is good TV which works. 

looking at the group hats off to the people who are persisting since 6 months and still struggling.

it is just 2 weeks i bought the TV and i still have time till jan 2 return. i will wait for the Dec 24 Update... else i am going to return( i am sure i will return it).

[Tarpii]

I followed the instructions posted on here to export, edit and import the channels from USB to remove the adult channels from my TV guide. (including disabling the auto update of channels within the technical page) 

All worked fine at the time, but this morning, I have found that CBeebies had moved from channel 124 to 123, and asll the channels had been removed from the TV Sideview app, when I asked the app to reinitialize channels from the TV, all the Adult channels reappeared within my TV guide! What a waste of time.

Has anybody got a solution for this issue? Thanks, T 

[manuelsal]

@Tarpii there is no solution I'm afraid.

For more detail check this post

[Triswillmott]

And Sony have sunk to a new low. I originally purchased the 55x8509C in August. I'm now on the third replacement and Sony just emailed saying they refuse to transfer the 5 year warranty to the new one I have and that it'll only have 3 month warranty honoured. Pretty sure they're breaking a law somewhere now right??