Android 8.0 Oreo/ 9.0 Pie

[zlays84]

Is it OK to expect Android Oreo on 2017 Sony Android TVs?

[ParisShamrock]

You talk about the conversation in german that posted in page 20?I m not sure they talk about the 5850 but the previus one.Plus the last update came in europe 40 days after the us release so i dont think so that it would be already available to download.Anyway , we are on official Sony community forums.There is noone from Sony to answer us clearly and responsible????

[hitta_jonte]

I read this on reddit, belive it or not.

[dutchice]

Hi @ParisShamrock and all,

I believe you should indeed consider posts by community members quoting non-official sources as unreliable information. Inadvertently this will only lead to confusion, more speculation and ultimately inaccurate conclusions.

In response to your post asking for clarification, note that software development at Sony adheres the continuous improvement model. This is a considerably different approach in contrast to on-demand bug fixing towards a predefined stable revision as most other electronic devices. The software development, integration and deployment are all continuous process steps which advance in cycles referred to as sprints. At the end of each sprint the delivered software is encrypted and compressed into firmware, ready to be rolled out in stages towards the target TV products.

The development of firmware updates cannot and does not go through a whole sprint only to address a specific bug (e.g. the current HDMI ARC bug). At the start of each sprint a list of backlog items to be delivered is selected and prioritised according to strict selection criteria. In this fashion at the end of each sprint a new firmware can be released which either adds new features, enhances existing features or resolves broken features. These delivery features are very specific to the target region and target hardware of the TV products. Meaning that TV products for different regions, even if sharing the same hardware, have their own specific software development branches. Naturally depending on the complexity and amount of features to be delivered, each development branch will have a different sprint planning/length and at times a different revision number (e.g. next update will not be numbered v6.5850 for the EU region).

Un-boxed into practical information, those of you familiar with Sony Android TV updates know from the past that most TVs receive 3 to 4 firmware updates per year. Which means that on average you could expect a firmware update every 3 to 4 months each year. On the other hand however, please also be aware that Sony does not announce rollout schedules, nor information regarding ongoing bug fixes or feature additions. Mainly since investigative work, prolonged testing, third-party dependencies or unsatisfactory results, regularly affect the sprint planning which in return, more likely than not, shifts rollout schedules at any time. Secondly since disclosing such information could actualise unfair competition disadvantages for business.

In short, the goal is to improve Sony smart TVs in your living rooms with as many exciting features as we can for as long as we can do it. That is the core principle of a smart TV, its ability to evolve throughout time and ultimately deliver more and better user experience simply by means of software. The latest introduced features such as UHD BBC iPlayer live streaming for the UK region, YouTube 4K HDR playback, Amazon Alexa support for the UK, DE, AT, IR, FR regions and soon also ES; or Dolby Vision for Amazon Prime Video and Netflix streaming apps, are all examples of features that were not offered out of the box in most TV products going back as far as 2015. But thanks to newer and better software which optimises the TV resources, these features are eventually available for you today. So rest assured that the commitment for continuous improvement has always been there and will always remain there despite the road not always being as trouble-free as one could have wished for. Continuous improvement is mostly an incremental adaptation process, as long as the software delivery iterations continue, more and more attention will be committed to feature refinements. Occasional broken features as a result of major updates to future operating systems (e.g. Android 9.0 Pie) should and will be prevented in the future to safeguard the main goal of general improvement from being undercut.

Also keep in mind that the Sony Online Community is ran and maintained by Sony for the main purpose of providing a platform to customers for having a voice. So please feel free to post the comments or questions you might have regarding the Android 8.0 Oreo update so we can try to answer and help clarify if possible.

Cheers,
Dutchice

[zlays84]

That's great  and all but can you tell us WHEN we'll get that update whatever number it has?

Because reality is this:

Since February I own a broken TV that I paid very well with my hard earned money and I can't use it for main reason I bought it to watch movies from external sources because as soon as DTS audio track starts playing shortly after tv loses all audio and ultimately crashes!

And that is going for 3 months now...

So sir WHEN ARE WE GOING TO GET A FIX?

[Kuschelmonschter]

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@zlays84  schrieb:

And that is going for 3 months now...

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Also keep in mind that the software has been out in the U.S. for more than 5 months and problems have been known prior to the European release (just check out reddit) and Sony still released it. It really looks like Sony has no process in place at all opposed to what @dutchice wants to make us believe with full SCRUM team including QA and all. The quantity and quality of the software that is produced there actually points towards a jobber rather than a fully functioning software development process.

[Kuschelmonschter]

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YouTube 4K HDR playback, Amazon Alexa support for the UK, DE, AT, IR, FR regions and soon also ES; or Dolby Vision for Amazon Prime Video and Netflix streaming apps

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Yes, in theory those TVs are very capable. Practically speaking, nothing really works. People who want to find out more might want to read my review.

[SesioNLive]

@dutchice 

If your developement process is agile, then something is going terrible wrong. The whole point of an agile driven developement is to be able to quickly react and adjust to new requirements or issues. 

Having a firmware released once each half a year or year, with barely to no bug fixes, is either a misleaded developement or just not enough assigned resources. And you know it.

We have 2019, people expect quality software with fast updates and bug fixing. People are used to that from thier smartphones, PCs or even gaming consoles. 

I myself am a developer, tho not android, and tbh. when I look say at your "Sony Channel Editor", then the first thing that pops into my mind is: "Was this a student project???". That's how 2000 the software looks, feels and works. Sorry. No modern design, lacking features etc etc.

You guys need to rethink your developement process, rethink how much software actually matters nowadays on a "Smart TV". 

I've submitted cirtical bugs and isuses years ago, none of them got fixed. 

Best proof is @Kuschelmonschter  bug tracker. 

1) You don't fix bugs
2) You don't update your own software (Guide, Channel handling etc. All is as it was 6 years ago etc.) and make it more modern
3) You don't improvement performance (Or at least I can't notice it)
4) You don't add missing features (Timeshift? etc.)

So what do your firmware updates provide? What is your developement process all about? What stable release are you talking about?

- I can't run a 4k HDR Video in Youtube without stuttering (Any smartphone, android tv box, laptop, pc you name it plays it smooth in 2019)

- The TV doesn't adjust to proper color scheme for Youtube HDR
- Guide is having all the time "No channel information.." because I disabled provider channel updates (As I don't want my channel list to get sorted/messed up)
- Channel switch time is so slow that one can fall asleep, with no improvement for years. Actually it got slower with some of your great "firmware updates", a freaking 60$ reciever digitalreceiver is 5 times faster at switching a channel
- .... 

But hey why am I even writing this? I know that this will have 0 impact at all. I gave up on reporting bugs years ago, sad but true. One only gets frustrated that sony doesn't fix anything at all.

You guys need some new wind in your software developement, let some younger people in, let them change your old outdated guidelines and processes that just don't work 2019 anymore.

[zlays84]

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@SesioNLive wrote:

@dutchice 

If your developement process is agile, then something is going terrible wrong. The whole point of an agile driven developement is to be able to quickly react and adjust to new requirements or issues. 

Having a firmware released once each half a year or year, with barely to no bug fixes, is either a misleaded developement or just not enough assigned resources. And you know it.

We have 2019, people expect quality software with fast updates and bug fixing. People are used to that from thier smartphones, PCs or even gaming consoles. 

I myself am a developer, tho not android, and tbh. when I look say at your "Sony Channel Editor", then the first thing that pops into my mind is: "Was this a student project???". That's how 2000 the software looks, feels and works. Sorry. No modern design, lacking features etc etc.

You guys need to rethink your developement process, rethink how much software actually matters nowadays on a "Smart TV". 

I've submitted cirtical bugs and isuses years ago, none of them got fixed. 

Best proof is @Kuschelmonschter  bug tracker. 

1) You don't fix bugs
2) You don't update your own software (Guide, Channel handling etc. All is as it was 6 years ago etc.) and make it more modern
3) You don't improvement performance (Or at least I can't notice it)
4) You don't add missing features (Timeshift? etc.)

So what do your firmware updates provide? What is your developement process all about? What stable release are you talking about?

- I can't run a 4k HDR Video in Youtube without stuttering (Any smartphone, android tv box, laptop, pc you name it plays it smooth in 2019)

- The TV doesn't adjust to proper color scheme for Youtube HDR
- Guide is having all the time "No channel information.." because I disabled provider channel updates (As I don't want my channel list to get sorted/messed up)
- Channel switch time is so slow that one can fall asleep, with no improvement for years. Actually it got slower with some of your great "firmware updates", a freaking 60$ reciever digitalreceiver is 5 times faster at switching a channel
- .... 

But hey why am I even writing this? I know that this will have 0 impact at all. I gave up on reporting bugs years ago, sad but true. One only gets frustrated that sony doesn't fix anything at all.

You guys need some new wind in your software developement, let some younger people in, let them change your old outdated guidelines and processes that just don't work 2019 anymore.

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Amen!

[Kuschelmonschter]

100% agree with what @SesioNLive writes.

[joelippa]

Well done @SesioNLive for taking the time to respond to @dutchice 

There are so many inaccuracies in the lengthy post from dutchice. I assume the intention was for people here to trust that as an official Sony response. It's misleading, verging on complete fiction.

Sony Bravia Android TV owners know from their experience of owning one of these smart TVs that the reality of Sony's software development lifecycle delivers virtually nothing anywhere near to dutchice's description.