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.

[Macmac28]

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@Quinnicus wrote:

To all - reading through the posts of today, are we agreed that after a period of time, YouView becomes sluggish and unresponsive and therefore the TV requires a full reboot ?

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I installed the sw update last week and activated Youview, unfortunately I've had to disable it as the TV has frozen numerous times while browsing menus, Changing channels etc. Added to that navigating the menus is sluggish and becomes a very frustrating experience, especially if you have to get up and switch the TV off at the wall because it will not respond to button presses on the remote.

Is this as good as it gets? If it is I think I'll try and get a refund like many other users have done.

Although the TV operation is relatively hassle free with the Youview off I would prefer to have the functionality of having it active. 

Pretty disappointed with the operation of the TV compared to the 6 year old Sony TV that it replaced.

[kabedin28]

@malcolm1962

I did too. I took mine back to Argos with a similar complaint. I had had my TV for 9 weeks and had disposed of the box also.

I had no argument from staff who duly refunded the full amount. I had a 83C 43 inch which Argos had acyually reduced by £100!

I have since brought a Panasonic TX-50CX680B. Cheaper than the Sony, bigger and has a very lean fast Firefox OS. Also has Freeview Play (7 day scroll back) which loads very fast!

Yes, it hasnt got twin tuners/Recording, but that I don't need.

I love it!

[rdlowry]

@Anonymous Yes agreed, YouView becomes very sluggish and unreponsive after a period of time. I will probably switch back to the original EPG.

[elraouk]

If someone developed plex for Firefox then I'd have a Panasonic in a shot.

[royabrown]

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@PhilipO13 wrote:

...... It's at this point that I find that the _SONY_ CT780 soundbar purchased with my 55X8509C completely obscures the TV's IR receiver - great design job boys - there's got to be an award in there somewhere for you.  Fancy managing to make your TV and soundbar incompatible with each other at such a fundamental level... pfft....

Does anyone have any suggestions (that do not include wall mounting my TV above the bench, inverting gravity or other acts of witchcraft) as to how I can get around this?

Keeping the faith... Barely...

Phil 

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I just returned my Orbitsound A70 soundbar for the same reason. We tried it behind the TV, and on the shelf below, but as the Orbitsound manual warned us, it did not sound good in either of those positions.

So we jacked the TV up on a set of spare placemats, and carried on, though this is not the world's best ongoing solution 🙂

I got everything else working on it, eventually - though it was a right game finding the volume and encoding settings for the optical out, and getting them right - except it wouldn't pair over Bluetooth. I'm not entirely clear whether Bluetooth is just In, for tablets etc as sources, but it should be Out for speakers also, IMHO.

Amazon will be delivering a Yamaha YSP_2500 today. Another £30 over the A70, but cheaper that getting over this by wall mounting the TV. Although it will block the screen a little, as delivered, it has removable feet which means it won't any more. And even if it still blocks the IR, it has an IR repeater at the back, and so will pass through your remote keypresses to the unsuitably low-slung magic eye on the TV.

I'll post again when it is set up.

[Anonymous]

Hi all

In regards to the sluggishness of YouView, i have added it to the ever growing list HERE and have reported issue to Sony.

Cheers

[royabrown]

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@Quinnicus wrote:

...Turning off YouView to record to HDD (when it gets implemented) would be a massive pain in the neck.  Enabling/disabling YouView is not quite a simple task in itself

Cheers

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It's not too bad. The trick is to know that you can pretty safely ignore the suggested retune when you go back into YouView, which speeds things up quite considerably.

I wish you could exit YouView from the handily placed YouView app where you can re-enable it though. It seems miles to go to get to Channel settings. Though the slidey remote, if you have it, does help here.

[Raichuu]

Has anyone heard back from the Watchdog peeps?

Dont suppose someone has the link handy btw?

[Oddbin]

Has anyone noted that when you use voice search the recognition noise is played through the TV speakers not the soundbar and that the TV jams the volume to 100 meaning it's incredibly loud?

I've tried lowering TV volume alone and it's fine for a while but after a restart or sitting on standby for a while it jams the volume back up.

[jwq001]

Maybe just switch off system sound(s) ?