2015 Bravia Android TV Issues

[NickCo1979]

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.

[Nibor99]

@jain236 Thank you for posting your comment regarding registration - I registered my KDX8039CBU in July 2015 on the phone because at the time my model didn't appear on the list of registerable TVs. Following your post I checked on my Sony "My Sony" account for my registered products and only found a MP3 player I bought some time ago. I called Sony Customer Care and discovered the TV had been registered but no personal details were attached. They sent me an email asking for further information in order to send me an extended warranty certificate. I hope to receive one shortly. Checking that a TV is properly registered is worth doing. Once again thank you for highlighting the issue.

[royabrown]

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@Caledonian_TV wrote:

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Upscaling?  Hmm...  You really can't re-create information that just isn't there; and even the methods used in professional post-houses are never entirely satisfactory... A bit like colourising...  Proper 4K BD will be along shortly. 

I've a feeling I may upgrade my amp in the spring; leave the 4K BD stuff to 'mature' a bit before taking the plunge.  Meantime it would be nice to settle down and actually watch a movie or two without all this faffing...

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So I take it you have a UHD set? Then everything you see is upscaled. Otherwise it would be a rather small window top left on your screen, maximum 25% of it even for HD material.

[royabrown]

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@jain236 wrote:

I am also thinking to buy Touchpad remote anyone know which model i should buy ?

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Mine is a Sony RMF-TX100E. 

It is is a great improvement over the standard remote. Whereas you have to press buttons to have that make the TV do incomprehensible things, all you have to do on the Touchpad remote is stroke it or talk to it, and then the TV will do even more incomprehensible things 🙂

[Caledonian_TV]

I do indeed have a UHD set... 

There is a difference between 'upscaling' (as it's sold to the general public) and simply re-framing to a different pixel-count...  The former often purports to achive '4k quality' from HD or even SD material!  - At best a dubious claim!  Most usually just a load of old *****! 

The latter merely is what it is...  No great shakes...

Most edit programmes (even amateur ones) allow you to re-scale footage; a few even offer some degree of 'enhancement' in the form of interpolation on the basis of various algorithms...   But just as sticking a huge noisy exhaust on the back of a 1 litre vauxhall Nova won't turn it into an F1 fire-breather the fact remains that you cannot recreate detail in a recording that just doesn't exist...

[kevfarme]

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@Mekerz wrote:

Can anyone provide backdated announcements where Sony have continually pushed back the firmware date that adds the missing USB HDD recording & PIP?

I don't suppose anyone has taken screenshots where it has gone from August this year, to December 24th and now March 31st?

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I can forward the e-mail that I have received from Sony stating that HDD recording is now expected some time beofre 31st March if that's any help?

[kevfarme]

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@Caledonian_TV wrote:

This is, unfortunately the sort of dishonesty you can expect from DSG...  Which is good enough reason to get everything in writing from them and really hold their feet to the fire...

Some years ago my (now late) Mother-in-law was sold a TV with one of their three year like-for-like guarantees... It wasn't worth the paper it was written on!

When it inevitably went  wrong I had the unpleasant experience of dealing with a particularly corpulent and oderous slob of a manager at their Hermiston Gait store in Edinburgh, who seemed to take great personal pleasure in the fact that an 85-year old woman - whose only real pleasure in life was watching TV - had been conned into buying a worthless piece of nonsense by one of the seedy little sewer-rats under his stewardship...

I hadn't the heart to tell her...  Fortunately I was in the position where I could simply reach into my pocket and buy her a brand new set from elsewhere; she knew no better...   - Her old one went for repair; which was never done properly; I think it lurks in the cellar somewhere...

DSG are simply 'box-shifters' and damnedable rogues of the first order. No worse than many others of course these days - but they need to be treated with the same contempt they mete out to their customers and have their feet held firmly to the fire!  Don't give them an inch!

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As part of DSG PC World are just as bad.  I have been told some real horror stories by an ex-employee.  Their practises are quite disgusting treating customers like idiots 😞  Curries have themselves deliberately and wilfully attempted to flout basic consumer law for decades.  A favourite used to be that an item could not be taken back after 30 days and that after that time it had to go back to the manufacturer.  This is certainly not true today and it was not true over 10 years ago when I used to listen to a consumer radio talk show.

So, beware and be ready and armed with any legislation (print it off you need it).  Don't get into an argument where you start swearing or making threats that never goes down well no matter how angry you may be.  If you get nowhere then get in touch with your local trading standards.

[Risc0n]

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@Quinnicus wrote:

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@Stevevalo wrote:

@Anonymous

I think you have the wrong attitude here, once/if Sony start getting things right then they might start getting support from the community. Until that happens I'm afraid Sony deserve everything it gets.

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That sums it up nicely to the way i feel at the moment to be honest.  But just maybe im bucking to trend of the collective hysteria in actually trying to assist in doing something about the issues you are all experiencing.

• I dont get paid, especially to be the whipping boy.
• This is having a detrimental effect in my continued mental health issues 

To the people that have said kind words over the time, you know who you are (as so do I), i wish to say thank you.

Its time that i respectively back away from this thread.  

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Please keep with the updates, nothing is aimed at you. There are some irate little brats on here ( most of them seem to have appeared after the HOTUKDEALS post, no surprises there! ), but I really wany a working TV. I paid £1800 for the 55X850C which the majority on here will not have paid as it has now dropped below £999.... Your regular updates keep me in the loop and having faith.

Sony however need to come in here and speak for themselves. Ideally an engineer to explain through the bull that keeps getting thrown at us. There is NO WAY a PIP and Record should be taking over a year to implement. Nor should this TV have ever been shipped in the state it was. They also certainly should not have promised features they had no idea how to implement.

[oszima]

My TV's now gone back to John Lewis, but the sluggishness from the moment of 'powering on' to 'channel changes' was a constant pain, often resulting in the need for repeated 'button pushing' that only added to the problem.  However, this was the least of my issues, so I thought little of it until I got my replacement Samsung UE48JU6500 and only then did realise how sluggish the Sony actually was.  I've only been following this debate over the last week or so and noticed how helpful Quinnicus was by taking the trouble to reply to many concerned users.  So am really sorry that such a 'willing horse' should think himself criticised for his efforts. So to repeat others on this Blog:  To @Quinnicus - many thanks for all your efforts - they were very appreciated.

[Fenbops]

I post in this thread a few months back and ever since I've been getting spammed with emails whenever someone makes a post its ***** annoying. I've turned off all notification emails and still get them can anyone please help me to stop this. 

[cozzykim]

@oszima

+1

Quinnicus, don't give up, your input was much appreciated.

I too have gone down the Samsung route, with a UE55JU7000

There are pros and cons, but it (mostly) works as it should, with both FreeSat and FreeView twin tuners.

The Sammy 'airmouse' style remote is brilliant, but my feeling is that the upscaling and display are not quite as good as the 55X8509.

If Sony could make the Android TV work as it should, it would still be a winner, and I'll keep looking at the progress of updates here.