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.

[Miffed-just-a-tad]

You expect to much from Sony, they will not respond in this forum albeit the odd member with a gold badge may pop up. They clearly don't care enough to to give there unpaid  beta testers any sort of firm update ( another maybe date does not count Sony ) 

ignored on twitter also. 

Its pretty poor from a so called world class supplier ......

P

[UKPiglet]

For those of you wanting more direct Sony input here, I don't think you'll get it.

I don't know why it's not been said more clearly in public, but this exact wording from an answer to a question Peter_S sent to me by PM:

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@Peter_S wrote:

Basically I'm the only one on Sony side that has the permission to post in our community as I'm the community admin.

Anyway, since I'm German and not a native English speaker I'm focussing im helping out in German community mainly

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[mattstev]

So it seems we are making no progress here or on Twitter at all.

I emailed the Europe CEO for Sony

I got the following response:

I am writing this response to your email sent to Mr. Tamagawa.

I am sorry to hear that you are unsatisfied with the performance of your Sony television.

Currently, we are working toward a firmware update to address some of the issues you have detailed in your email.

We expect to have this update ready for the consumer circa late February.

If you would like to keep appraised of this, more information is available on our website linked below:

http://www.sony.co.uk/support/en/content/cnt-hn/prd-tvhc/android-tv-features-uk-22-dec/KD-49X8005C

Thank you for contacting us and taking the initiative to do so directly.

Best regards,

Stefan

Maybe if enough of us email him he might start to take us seriously?

[Private Information removed according to Community Guidelines]

[kevfarme]

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@scoopy6 wrote:

Igcebr, surely you speak for many on this forum. We only use the tv at night and have limited requirements, only now waiting for the Recording feature. For us it seems pretty good on the whole but after thinking that it has just crashed after only looking at the guide!

*Oh dear 😞  Beware because this was how ours went.  The first time was after about a week of ownership.  We had thought we we might just be ok with ours and we too were happily awaiting the March update (I bought our set on 26th November 2015).  Then a week later it did it again....  Then on Xmas day it just would not come on at all just showing a very dim backlight with no sound and no picture and it would not reset!  That was the last straw for me and I was not prepared to accept shoddy goods any longer.  It went back and we now have a far superior set in the form of a Panasonic.  Oh, we have direct to USB HDD recording too that just works *

Obviously the software is still of beta quality and this is not satisfactory but I reckon there are just too many departments, subdivisions, and perhaps even software subcontracting, for any chance of transparency. Roll on March 31st.

*Personally I strongly recommend you return this set as not fit for purpose.  Up to you though of course   *

[kevfarme]

Thinking out loud here.....  Maybe Sony should not have started out from the beginning shouting about and raving over quite so many attributes of this series of tv?  For example by staying quiet about the so called HDD recording facility they wouldn't have customers waiting with baited breath for it to become available.  Instead they could announce it when it was fully operational as a bonus.  The same goes for other things.  Oh, hang on, customers wouldn't have purchased the sets if these things weren't advertised.  Silly me

[frankie1g]

So we are sailing on our own really. I have emailed the Sony UK head let's. All do the same.and see if we can get Sony on ourside and help.us Sent from my Samsung device

[julianblack]

I would have thought that if Sony was on our side they would never have launched these sets with so many deficiencies. As a matter of interest, as I've already returned my Sony, what happens to the returned sets? Are they sold cheap by the retailer (JL) or does Sony have to refund the retailer? Hopefully the latter. Sent from my iPhone

[frogger38]

​

Sony issues Log . more new issues

Here is next promised update since Dec 10th update V2.645 AND a factory reset on 18 Dec.

1) 19th Dec. using YouView search, via the remote and on screen keyboard, the response is so slow, laggy and erratic it took me 4 attempts to enter a 3 letter search string. 

 2) 21st Dec. at the first switch on of the day, black screen with sound. Not responsive to remote commands after several minutes managed to get to Home Screen and Reset via About menu.

3) 22nd Dec. at first switch on.. displayed 'Cannot disply TV... might not be tuned' then after a few seconds it cleared and performed OK.

4) NEW - 30/12/15 switch on using stby button, it came on on HDMI4 as expected as was last used i/p, select TV via TV button. SET CRASHED & REBOOTED to home screen.

If you think TV was well behaved between 22-30 Dec. you are wrong I was away from home from 24 - 28 Dec during which time the set was unplugged. That is the only time it seemed to do what I expected.

I'll add to the list as and when I discover more. I hope we do not have to wait for a proper bug fix until the end of February and PAP + HDD recording at end of March 2016, because significant issues still present.

I'm now using this forum as a log of all unexpected behaviours.

[elraouk]

Had a weird one last night, my 43X8305C (latest UK firmware) started doing the "Format: Full"  (or whatever it says) error, only flashed up maybe 5 times in half an hour watching sky via hdmi. Is the first time it's happened and I've not changed anything (no changed to sky box, no changes to tv settings, not installed anything).  So I thought I'd try a reboot by pressing and holding down the power button on the remote, but instead of rebooting it kept just turning off and on repeatedly, as if I was tapping the power button repeatedly and not holding with a constant pressure.  Does the reboot function still work? 

[frogger38]

@elraouk The restart via the green button still behaves as it should when the set is behaving. Restarting if held for 10 seconds. I am using the latest firmware also. However I have seen the effect you describe when the system is 'unhappy' and I've had to unplug,

Interestingly I also had multiple 'Format full' displayed intermittently last night whilst watching Sky HD via HDMI.

This morning the set crashed, so I guess the operating system was getting unhappy last night.