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.

[Dazrise3]

I'm in the same boat. Bought mine on launch date direct from Sony. Hacked off.

[IC3CUB3S]

I did the update on 8/12 -> no improvement of stability. My tv is: - working fine after unplugging it - stammering after being in standby for a day, so when starting tv in the evening, it is deadslow. A push on the remote is executed after a few minutes. Changing volume is faster then the tv showing that volume is changing. Changing channels is taking ages... After a cold boot, it's working fine again. I think the is a memory leak somewhere....

[adyjay33]

So its software related and the memory is not being released... this will never go away as we all know that mobiles etc... have the same issue and no one seems to be able to solve those problems too. Shocking piece of coding if this is the case.

[Caledonian_TV]

- A shocking piece of coding indeed. Even the UI design itself is basically incompetent; and you can take that from someone who lectured in TV and Multimedia Production for a dozen years! If a 1st year student had turned-in that UI for assessment on my watch they wouldn't have made it to 2nd! They need to offer TWO versions of the firmware. One that makes just the BASIC functions of the set work. And another (for those that have the stomach for it) that enables the advanced functions. And perhaps 'post out' a free STB that does what the TV's supposed to do but doesn't. From where I'm sitting the hardware just isn't capable of running this stuff; it's THAT simple! ________________________ Matt Quinn, Managing Director, The Caledonian Television Company Ltd --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

[NPatri]

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This is getting very frustrating... we cannot even register new products..!

[julianblack]

Hi Matt. I fully agree with you. I was lucky in that John Lewis accepted my KD-49X8305C for return two weeks ago having originally purchased the unit in September. I only stuck with it as long as I did because when working the actual picture quality was great and the disbelief that Sony could release such a poor product. The replacement LG 55UF860V, whilst the picture is not quite (IMHO) as good as the Sony at its best actually works!! I can turn it on without wondering what type of problem I am to be presented with. I work as IT support for a small company. I do not want to spend my domestic time performing the same trouble shooting tasks as I do during the working day. The LG TV is not perfect. It has only one tuner but at least the HDD recording is present and working. I was demoing the TV to a neighbour last week and when showing him 4K streaming via Netflix the app froze. I had to quit the app and upon restarting the ap everything was working fine. This was without the Sony Android TV requirement of a hard boot. I noticed on Monday morning that there was an update for the WebOS that the LG runs. I do not know how large the update file was because it had downloaded in the background. I put the TV to sleep and then woke it up. I was presented with a WebOS screen that I had not seen before which I assumed was the TV performing the update. After about a minute the TV finished the update and presented me with BBC1 HD. Not quite the 30 plus minutes for a software update required of my Sony Android TV for the YouView update in November. Also, magically, no need to reset to factory settings to get the machine running ?normally?. Sony have actually done me a big favour. I?ve gone from 49 inches with no 3D (which was not a necessity) to 55 inches with 3D and I even get HDR on Netflix and Amazon Instant Video (where available). Julian.

[cozzykim]

Hard reset done and TV running again. I've just installed Kodi so far and configured my Linux NFS shares and Humax and Streamium uPnP servers. Now to use the TV and see whether anything ugly pops its head over the parapet. I don't have much hope for Netflix, because I think that the lip sync issue is not just the TV, I think that it's also app and content related. Some content doesn't seem to have as much of an issue as others. For example: 3rd Rock From the Sun, no issues; Stargate Atlantis (HD) half a second sync difference.

[adyjay33]

We can only hope... but half a second lip sync that is awful, you do know that Kodi allows you to sort out lip sync problems too?

[cozzykim]

Yeah, thanks (Y) , that's cool for local media but doesn't help with Netflix, which we use a lot. 😞

[adyjay33]

Kodi works on both local and internet, can you not get the Kodi Netflix app, then you can adjust the sync and do away with the awful app on the TV?