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Where are iPlayer and ITV hub apps on new A90J 2021 OLEDs?

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Toadio
Explorer

Where are iPlayer and ITV hub apps on new A90J 2021 OLEDs?

All the common UK catchup tv apps appear to be missing for the tv and they cannot be installed from google play store.. spec clearly states YouView support and specifically iPlayer.. surely i cant be the only one that has noticed these are not there?!

 

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nepunch
Member

Strangely, SONY are still showing BBCi player. ITV hub etc in the photos of their new

Sony BRAVIA XR 2021 4K OLED TVs at https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/bravia-xr-oled-tv ?

 

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CyberWoogy
Member

@nepunch  If you reset the A90J, those same tabs are present on the welcome screen too.

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nepunch
Member

Does that mean they work then? Just phoned Currys and they initially said that say that there are no problens with catch-up TV on these models. However, when I pushed them and got them to look at the John Lewis web site they checked again and agreed there was an issue.

I must say, that apart from this issue, the new Sony OLEDs do look very nice.

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CyberWoogy
Member

@nepunch  No, they don't work as the apps aren't available to download.

 

On my particular TV, there's suggested content, some of which is available via iPlayer, ITV Hub etc, etc. If you click on it, it takes you to the relevant app on the app store but, you're greeted with a message claiming "this app isn't compatible with your device".

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nepunch
Member

We are now nearly three quarters of the way through 2021. The time left for Sony to realease any updates is fast decreasing. Makes you wonder if they are serious about it? Also makes you wonder if the 2022 models will have the same issue?

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angelacr
Member

All these catch-up services, with the exception of iPlayer mean watching adverts.  I've recently discovered https://www.reddit.com/r/TVRemix/ is a remarkably good informal catchup service.  Programmes saved locally, at worst to a thumb-drive at best to a NAS, can be viewed without adverts. I also managed to see Annika (from Alibi) without being a Sly subscriber.

 

For iPlayer there is get_iplayer and youtube-dl for downloading past programmes.  Youtube-dl despite the name is very adapt at many kinds of video downloads.

 

While I am here there is, if you don't like adverts on youtube or intros and outros,  smartTubeNext. It is available to sideload https://github.com/yuliskov/SmartTubeNext/releases/download/latest/smarttube_beta.apk.

 

Sideloading uses Android Debug Bridge - adb on your computer to copy across and install software not in Playstore.  Here isn't the place to go into details of setting up adb but a web search for 'developer options' 'adb' should get you across the line.

This Sony range allows 'adb connect <IP of your tv>'  and then after agreeing permissions

adb install <software package name.apk>

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fatboyz62
Member

 

 

 

I emailed sony again about this problem.

 

With reference to your enquiry regarding your Sony XR-55A90J, we are sorry to learn that the catch-up are missing.
Please be advised that the applications are expected to be available during 2021.

 

Catch up is now EXPECTED this year not it WILL be available .

 

 
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nepunch
Member

So I eventually bought the Sony Bravia XR65A84JU. This was because I thought the picture was slightly better than equivalent priced TVs. Also, we watch TV through our PVR/set-top box, as we have got used to pausing and rewinding live TV, so just using it as a screen/monitor and not really affected by the app shortage etc., or other poor TV functions. However, I have found that, in addition to missing catch-up TV apps, there is also no red-button/Text with BBC TV and the extra Internet Data Channels you get with freeview, such as Channelbox, also do not work. The latter seems to be because Sony uses the much newer hbbTV for such channels, while Channelbox used MHEG? Not sure why Sony have not given users the option to use the older system, i.e have not  ensured that the TV is backwood compatible? I also found that there is no real manual provided with the TV, while much of the “help” on the Sony web site relates to older models. For example, the refrence to a Google play store App/Icon to use to add extra apps to the TV. That app/icon is missing from the XR65A84JU home and other screens, although it is there in tools. By flicking through various menus and screens, I have also managed to freeze the home screen a couple of time and have had to reset the TV by turning it off and on again. Not something that would expected to happen with a new TV. Overall, I would say that the quality, as a TV , is much less than I would expect from SONY. The picture and sound are very good though.

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HannahEd01
Community Team

Hey nepunch, you will find the below articles useful:

Red button: https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/articles/00257438

Manuals: https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/televisions-projectors-oled-tvs-android-/xr-65a84j/manual...

There's also a Help Guide on the TV that can be accessed using the Help button on your remote.

Regarding the freezing, there's a newer software released today, try updating your TV: https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/oled-tvs-android-a80j_a83j_a84j-series/xr-65a84j/software...

I hope these help!

 

Regards.

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Hummmmmmy
Member

Any further updates on when iPlayer will become available. Would it be possible to narrow down an estimated date?