BBC Iplayer (and other UK Terrestrial TV catch-Up apps won't open)

[MrJoBangles]

Sony A1 with latest software/firmware.

After conquering previous travails in even finding these flipping apps I'm now in a position where they don't open.

I noticed this first during Euro2020 a few months ago when I wanted to watch games on IPlayer in UHD but the IPlayer App wouldn't open - I worked around this by rebooting the TV by holding power button down until TV restarted. After this, IPlayer would open ONCE, I'd have to reboot the TV anytime I wanted to open IPlayer.

I subsequently noticed that none of the YouView Apps like ITV Hub, All4 etc would open either. 

I thought this issue might resolve itself over time with an auto firmware update or such like but it still happens.

I find it intensely irritating how IPlayer seems "sideloaded" into YouView and is not a standalone app I can fiddle with, y'know, delete and reinstall sort of thing.

Frankly, I'd like to rip YouView out of the telly altogether and replace it with FreeView but, first things first.....

Any ideas how to get IPlayer to open up every time I need it without rebooting the telly?

Thanks.

[royabrown2]

@MrJoBangles 

Do a full Factory Reset on the TV.

Menu:

https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/articles/00122829

Forced, if the Menu one won’t work:-

https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/articles/00159906

[MrJoBangles]

Thanks for that. Not sure that's something I want to do just now, the thought of having to set-up the telly again with my many settings, apps and log-ins doesn't really appeal to be honest.

I watch ordinary TV via a Humax PVR which has IPlayer etc on it so I can use that for 99% of my IPlayer needs, I only noticed the issue trying to access IPlayer UHD (which Humax doesn't support). Given, Beeb has little UHD content I'm interested in it doesn't seem worth the faff. Plus, such is the useless Youview deployment on this TV I'd worry the issue would flare up a week/month later and I'd be back to square one. My irritating "soft reset" approach is probably better for my situation.

If I get fed up and change my mind, I at least know how to resolve the problem now.

Cheers fellah! 

[J____DT]

Hi, I'm having the same issues. iPlayer just won't start on my TV.

I'm running YouView - should I use an alternative when I do the factory reset?

[royabrown2]

@MrJoBangles 

Maybe get a Roku Express or an Amazon Firestick, and get your apps via that, then?

@J____DT 

You can exit the YouView side of your TV for the Freeview side, without needing a reset for that. But either side it is still the same iPlayer app, so it shouldn’t matter which side you are on, after a Factory Reset.

And see my extra device suggestion, above.

[HannahEd01]

Hey J____DT, what's the model number of your TV? 

[J____DT]

KD43XG8096BU 

[J____DT]

Although the steps mentioned above were helpful they seem to be one-off fixes and doesn't resolve the issue.

How can this be fixed so that the user experience is not as poor as it's been.

We use iPlayer regularly and this is frustrating to say the least.

[HannahEd01]

Hey, do you have this software version: https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/televisions-projectors-lcd-tvs-android-/kd-43xg8096/downl... ?

also, did you try unplugging the TV for two minutes and disconnecting any external devices?

[MrJoBangles]

Right then..... against my better judgement I performed the full factory reset as advised above. What a load of bullshine - of course it didn't solve anything. iPlayer did open okay ONCE thereafter but then it was back to usual, total failure to open (unless I performed a soft reset of TV by holding on/off button down until TV reboots). Basically, all the factory reset achieved was exactly what the reboot does, gets iPlayer to open for one time only. Things is reboot takes a minute or so, factory reset takes 90 chuffing minutes!!

Obviously I'm fuming at all that wasted time faffing about retuning, updating software, redownloading apps, signing back in to things, setting up R/C and setting various user preferences.

So DO NOT waste your time performing a factory reset your TV in a futile bid to cure the iPlayer problem. It wont fix the problem.