Share your experience!
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.
Have similar problem after the latest update (backdate more like). The tv sometimes switches off via the remote, but is quite prone to come back on, sometimes takes around 3 attempts to switch the tv off. Also, there seems to be a significant lag when pressing buttons on the remote until its intended action occurs.
One step forward and two back.
@Triswillmott I had my 8509 replaced and contacted Sony CS to move my warranty to the new one. It took patience on my part and a bit of back and forth but I got the issue escalated and they transferred the warranty to the new set.
I said it in an earlier post I think but the replacement was far better (not perfect by any means) than the one that it replaced.
@Peter_S. wrote:Hi Royabrown,
To avoid confusion please note that my nick has changed from Randy_R... to Peter_S. now.
Think the Sony Editor wil run on every Windows emulation software. It's not too performance hungry.
Cheers
Peter
Thanks Peter
Now it will no longer put me in mind of the 170 block of channels when your name comes up 🙂
The Sony Editor does run under WINE, at least on my Linux system, without problems.
@cozzykim wrote:The Sony Editor does run under WINE, at least on my Linux system, without problems.
I shall give it a go with my system (Linux Mint 17.3). i'll admit that I have not tried raw editing in eXtensive Markup Language but I did used to code complete web pages in html. They are similar but not the same.
Setting a Favourite list as the default in the Digital Tv Guide:.
This is a peculiar and obscure procedure but luckily, if you transfer the Channel List to a memory stick, the Favourites do also get saved with it.
Then, by using a Favourite list in the Guide, you don't need to keep editing the self-destructing Channel List.
With the button 'Guide' on the remote, open the Channel Guide.
With the left direction button, navigate to the red coloured zone of the channel guide page.
In the section with a red background, use buttons up/down to highlight 'Guide'
Don't click OK but, while 'Guide' is highlighted, use the button 'Action Menu'.
With the left/right buttons, navigate to the third column from the left, where that column is again headed 'Guide'
Use buttons up/down to highlight 'Category', then press the central thumpad button ok/select.
In the list which is then displayed, the Favourites are greyed out until they have been defined but, once one has been defined you can select it as the default in the guide, by clicking on it's empty selection ring to put a 'dot' there.
It may not 'stick' first time, but like this a Favourite channel list can be made the default,
e.g. 'Favourites 1' as the 'Category' in the main Channel Guide.
To transfer the Digital Tv Channel List (and any Favourites) to a memory stick:
After inserting a memory stick and then doing a power-off reset:
Home> Settings> Channel Setup> Digital Setup> Channel Setup> Technical Setup> Channel List Transfer> Export !!
@scoopy6 wrote:Setting a Favourite list as the default in the Digital Tv Guide:.
This is a peculiar and obscure procedure but luckily, if you transfer the Channel List to a memory stick, the Favourites do also get saved with it.
Then, by using a Favourite list in the Guide, you don't need to keep editing the self-destructing Channel List.
Unfortunately - where the satellite tuner is concerned - simply setting up a favourites list doesn't prevent channels being deleted/changed - This was actually one of the first things I tried when trying to find a workaround for the 'flakey' tuner....
Interestingly... I've just had cause to re-load my channel list which I'm now keeping on a USB stick... I was able to reproduce the deletion/replacement of one of my channels exactly as it happened the other night. - Would anyone with a satellite connection care to try it? - If you're outside East/central Scotland (Blackhill/Craigkelly) are the terrestrial list won't work for you of course... But the satellite list should work for anyone on Astra...
It's one of the STV variants that get replaced with ITV+1 (Tyne Tees) I think.
If anyone would like a copy of my XML file to play with just PM Me and I'll give you my email address and a copy of the file - It will prove quite 'inconvenient' for Sony if the same fault can be reproduced across several sets in exactly the same way...
Ok... Well here are some more curiosities surrounding the so-called "Sony Editor" and the peculiarities of (particularly) the satellite tuner...
Firstly, it turns out that "Sony Editor" is actually just a 'partially crippled' version of something called SetEdit... Partially crippled because the Sony version has useful features such as the ability to edit channel names, add new channels etc disabled!!!
The full verion won't help you though... So don't waste the thirty Euros it costs! - Editing your channel names in SetEdit works; you can even load your nice new channel list onto the set...
You won't however even need to even tune-into the channels that the TV decides it doesn't want you to watch for it to delete them for you...And replace them with something else! Not only that, it 're-names' the channels YOU have decided to edit back to their (often meaningless and/or confusing) defaults!
And yes, the fault persists if you clear down the tuning memories, factory re-set and power cycle etc etc...
@royabrown wrote:
@kevfarme wrote:
@Randy_Rockhard 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.
Is the SONY editor purely a text editing program? I am presuming it is a Windows compatible piece of software? I do not use Windows only Linux but I do have access to plain text editors and can save to multiple formats. I would imagine it would be a standard format being as the tv operating system is Android (built on Linux)?
The exported channel list is a .xml file, in a particular format, so I am assuming this Editor is specific to the xml structure used here, or at least that it can glean enough information from the xml to keep the various blocks of information in sync, and recalculate the required checksum at the end.
So I don't think an ordinary editor will do, unless you are happy to edit raw xml.
But perhaps the Sony Editor will run under WINE on Linux?
I think this should be forked to a new thread
Looking at the links to the software it would appear that Sony have licensed a restricted(?) version of "SetEditSony 1.12" settings editor here http://setedit.de/SetEdit.php?spr=2&Editor=140 . AFAIK this software works by importing the Sony xml file to its own internal format and having finished editing the channels are exported back to the sony xml file. Dependant on the "resrtictions" it may be possible to download a suitable channel list from one of the "satellite" forums and export it in "Sony" format. (The core software is common to all supported receivers and DLL's are added for each receiver you want settings files for)
I haven't used the software for maybe 5 years and my memory isn't that good but I think I had problems with removing channels - All channels held in a master list and when the export file is created all channels are exported with "deleted" channels flagged?????? and the tv is ignoring/overwriting the flag. There's a proper help file at http://www.seteditfiles.de/SetEditSony/SetEditSony_en.pdf that may contain a "permanent delete".
The settings file can be shared so sharing via email might help users.