Why I will never buy a Sony SmartTV again - AirPlay2, Atmos & Third-Party Bluetooth ear-speakers

[pmnmalo]

I have made my new years' resolutions and one is to never ever again buy a Sony SmartTV !

The disrespect of Sony towards its clients is outrageous and, at CES2019, has hit a new top record - AirPlay2 support will only become avaliable in the 2019 TVs !

In 2018 we witnessed the ordeal of Dobly Atmos only being avaliable to the 2018 TVs when there should be no limitation to make it avaliable to 2017 TVs (https://community.sony.pt/t5/android-tv/kd-55a1-dolby-atmos-with-netflix/td-p/2446871). It should be just an issue with licensing and Sony paying royalties to Dolby.

Since ever there is the issue that many third-party Bluetooth ear-speakers not operating with Sony SmartTVs even if they have A2DP. For instance, Apple Airpods cannot be synced with the XE-80 models even so that are A2DP enabled. You need to do a crazy workaround do make it work, see https://community.sony.pt/t5/android-tv/a2dp-bluetooth-not-on-the-update/m-p/2338209.

And now, at CES2019, Sony announced that only the 2019 models will support AirPlay2. Samsung is rolling the feature out as a software update to its 2018 models. Vizio is bringing HomeKit and AirPlay 2 support to TVs from 2016, see https://9to5mac.com/2019/01/12/vizio-airplay-2-homekit-tvs/.

Sony might think that this will make their clients buy new SmartTV models but, in fact, it only makes clients displeased and unhappy, and the next time we will buy a new SmartTV will not for sure be a Sony. Furthemore, we will not recommend our friends and colleagues to buy Sony SmartTVs.

[rooobb]

Just out of curosity since this message is pretty old...

So you bought a baseline 4K Sony TV that did not support or advertize:

• BT A2DP
• Dolby ATmos
• any Airplay protocol version

But your TV, being an Android TV, could be managed to support

• BT A2DP
• Airplay protocol (not HomeKit but at least the Apple version of "casting" and "mirroring"

And Dolby Atmos being unusefull with the stereo only TV-speaker in any case and impossibile to passthrough to an HT without HDMI 2.1 eARC capability

But you are still complaining or would like to buy an US-only TV like Vizio instead?

It is a way of thinking I feel a little strange, IMHO

[pmnmalo]

Dear rooobb,

Thanks for your message and view points.

Indeed, one expects that, as technology moves forwads, and when no hardware updates are required, that manufacturers implement the most features as for customers to be happy with the (sometimes considerable) investment they did even more when clients buy premium products like I did with the Sony Bravia A1.

A2DP: yes, it can be "managed" to support it. I myself followed the recipt (http://community.sony-europe.com/sonyeu1/board/message?board.id=Android_TV&message.id=30926#M30926) and was able to somewhat solve the problem for my Apple airpods with the KD-49XE8096. I say somewhat because the pairing does not work totally ok when you store and back again use them or when you only are using one of the earspeakers. So why does not Sony implements it ? Will Sony make me buy one of the supported Sony headphones for this (https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/articles/00159290)? Not, will only make me not willing to buy a Sony SmartTV the next time..

Airplay: again, sure it can be "managed" to support it. I'm using AirScreen to this but it is not perfect - first, it costs money to buy the App for not having to see advertisement all the time and then sometimes the application fails to execute and mirror the screen. With Samsung and Vizio (at least) doing backwards support one that owns a Sony feels ok? Not, if feels that next time will not buy Sony SmartTV...

Dolby ATmos: Some receivers that don't have HDMI 2.1 chipsets can still be upgraded to support eARC depending if they are using compatible hardware that can accept the necessary firmware update. I do not know if in Sony Bravia A1 it is a case of firmware update or the need for hardware, but it may very well be the case that it is a firmware-only issue. And, If this is the case, not being able to have this option is not good for the huge investment on an A1.

So, while you are correct that Sony did not support or advertise at time of buy it is also true that support could be made available later (like other reference manufacturers have done) and this is not good customer service, sorry.

[rooobb]

I do not want to convince you at all cost because it is something as a customer that I would like too. And for sure there could be some marketing decision not to upgrade older product even if possible I in order to sell the new one.

What I was trying to tell you is that having android give you possibilities that no other proprietary system can give you: if a feature is not present in webos or tizen you are stuck with while with android you can even write it by yourself if you are capable. And LG and Samsung are not know to supply OS update on older  system.

Than another good thing for me is that having Google behind Sony can concentrate on picture quality...and if you have an a1 like me you know what I mean