topic Cannot access iPlayer while also recording tv in Android TV

Cannot access iPlayer while also recording tv

Mikej62 — Fri, 27 Jan 2023 07:34:33 GMT

Hi.

We have recently bought a Bravia 4K UR3 v9 (KE-75XH8096), which overall I'm very happy with. (Bluetooth headset pairing would have been good, but apparently it can't do that).

Anyway the question is does anyone know a fix for not being able to access the iPlayer app when the TV has started recording a Freeview program?

iPlayer works fine if the TV is not recording, also works fine if we start it and while watching it, the TV begins a scheduled recording.

The block only occurs if iPlayer is launched while recording has already commenced.

Apologies if this has already been covered. I've searched, but it's a bit of a complex search string.

Thanks in anticipation

Mike

Re: Cannot access iPlayer while also recording tv

HannahEd01 — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 12:51:37 GMT

Hi Mikej62, so what you're describing is unusual, I can't see any mention of it in the Manual or any other database. The only logical explanation is that the TV is considering the catchup apps as TV channels, and since your TV doesn't have a twin tuner, it won't be able to record and display a channel at the same time.

So here's what we can do, first, we need to understand more about the issue.

When did it start?

How often does it happen?

How do you access iPlayer?

Was the issue present since date one?

In the meanwhile, try unplugging the TV from the mains for two minutes while disconnecting any external device, including the aerial.

Re: Cannot access iPlayer while also recording tv

Mikej62 — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 13:41:23 GMT

Hi Hannah - thankyou for your reply. Answers to your questions below

When did it start? About 3 weeks ago, which was the first time I tried to access iPlayer while a recording was in progress

How often does it happen? Every time I try to access iPlayer while the TV is recording to HD.

Interestingly if I am already watching iPlayer and a scheduled recording starts while I'm already in iPlayer, it works fine. NB I've not tried exiting and restarting iPlayer in this scenario

How do you access iPlayer? From the home screen under Sony Select:Featured (The TV will not let me add iPlayer to favourite apps - it doesn't appear in the pick list if I try to edit favourites)

Was the issue present since date one? Sorry, I don't know. I didn't try this until I'd had the TV for a few weeks.

In the meanwhile, try unplugging the TV from the mains for two minutes while disconnecting any external device, including the aerial. - I tried this, in fact I tried it a couple of times and it makes no difference.

Thanks for your time, best wishes, Mike

Re: Cannot access iPlayer while also recording tv

HannahEd01 — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 14:33:03 GMT

Hey Mikej62, all the answers point out that there shouldn't be anything wrong. However, are you using a satellite? There might be some sort of copy rights thing going on as recording isn't possible from youview apps.

Re: Cannot access iPlayer while also recording tv

Mikej62 — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 17:20:50 GMT

Hi Hannah - thanks for your reply.

I'm not using satellite - we have freeview via a digital aerial, which works fine.

iPlayer and the rest of the online stuff on the TV is via ethernet gigabit cable to my switch/router - and again all works fine except for this odd quirk.

I can live with the problem, I have a workaround - just it's odd. My background is a 30year career in IT (programmer->team manager->consultancy including assignments managing test teams) and I find it hard to let go of issues like this! But it's really not a big deal!

Re: Cannot access iPlayer while also recording tv

Kenbmwman — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 20:20:08 GMT

Hi, I have a XR55A80K and have exactly the same issue. Its not just iPlayer but all catchup services.

I have been discussing this with Sony for about 4 months. I made a video to explain to tech support exactly what was happening.

The end result is that tech support were unable to help and it was escalated to Customer Services. The situation is that this is not possible on Sony sets. It is the way that they have ensured you do not have the capability to record catchup programs. You may not have tried it, but you may find that the "red button" features do not work in iPlayer either. They have also barred using the browser app and accessing iPlayer that way whilst recording.

I have checked out the LG C2 set and it is possible to record and watch catchup on that set, so its the way that Sony have implemented this, not some industry wide enforcement.

Customer Services are the final arbiter and they have offerred me a refund of the purchase price of the set, but I have decided not to return it, as I like the other features of the set.

They can give me no assurance that this will change at any time in the future with any new software release.

The only way to overcome this is to use an external recording box like a Freeview or Freesat box with a HDD connected via the HDMI interface. The stupidity of this is that we have paid for this function in the tuners on the TV and cannot fully utilise it.

Sorry not to have a better reply, I am as frustrated as you are.

Regards

Ken

Re: Cannot access iPlayer while also recording tv

Anonymous — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 16:24:40 GMT

This model: KE-75XH8096. Is a singe tuner TV, so you cannot record and watch another channel at the same time, and since you're relying on catch up apps, I think the same rule applies.
However, this model XR-55A80K, is a dual tuner TV but only in satellite. So in theory this can work if you have 2 satellite cables.

You may check the specs for both models to confirm that as well, cheers.

Re: Cannot access iPlayer while also recording tv

royabrown2 — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 16:42:37 GMT

@Kenbmwman

Don’t raise the bridge, lower the river.

Get a Roku Express or Amazon Firestick, and use that to watch the catchup apps. You’ll get better and faster versions of the apps, which will include live TV streaming.

And if you are one of the people that Sony has decided to leave behind and not implement itvX for, you don’t have to fume in frustration, as the device will have that provided also.

Re: Cannot access iPlayer while also recording tv

Mikej62 — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 20:58:16 GMT

Thanks Ken. Much appreciated

Re: Cannot access iPlayer while also recording tv

Mikej62 — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 20:59:26 GMT

Thank you for your reply

Re: Cannot access iPlayer while also recording tv

Mikej62 — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 21:01:02 GMT

Thank you royabrown2

Re: Cannot access iPlayer while also recording tv

Kenbmwman — Sun, 05 Feb 2023 16:43:21 GMT

HI Royabrown2,

Thanks for the comment. Several people have suggested the Firestick approach and I agree it is a valid one.

It just naffs me off to spend £1500 on arguably the best TV this year and then you have to buy an addon, plus the associated complexity for aged relatives to learn how to use it, when the set should do this anyway.

I hate intrasigence from vendors in these situations. Why they cannot accept they have done a poor job and fix it defeats me. Why also don't they communicate these situations to their support staff. Save them all going through the same useless diagnostics, time after time.

Sony are not on their own in this regard, but I will think twice before I buy Sony again.

I don't ever buy from Currys or Panasonic for this reason.

Regards

Ken

Re: Cannot access iPlayer while also recording tv

royabrown2 — Sun, 05 Feb 2023 21:16:08 GMT

@Kenbmwman

Best picture, maybe.

But best TV? Issue after niggling issue like the above, and many others raised in this Community, put that accolade out of Sony’s reach.

Re: Cannot access iPlayer while also recording tv

Mikej62 — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 11:31:17 GMT

Thanks Ken.

I agree with everything you've said. The TV is mostly great, but this flawed implementation does detract from it.

Best wishes, Mike

Re: Cannot access iPlayer while also recording tv

HannahEd01 — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 17:20:26 GMT

Hey Mikej62 and Kenbmwman, since it's not Sony who decided not to allow recording from catchup apps, I believe it's respectful of them to offer Kenbmwman a refund at all.

Anyway, since it works if you set a timer Mikej62, I would use this free workaround and enjoy.

Re: Cannot access iPlayer while also recording tv

royabrown2 — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 13:21:48 GMT

Hey @HannahEd01 we aren’t talking about recording catchup apps, we are talking about trying to watch a catchup app while a recording is taking place.

If what you are saying is that this bar is a consequence of not being able to record catchup apps, then the ability to start a recording while a catchup app is being watched must be a bug - either the recording should fail, or the process should terminate the catchup app.

But as ever, we note that LG TVs do not suffer from this limitation - while still preventing the recording of catchup apps, they have no problem allowing users to start them while recording something.

But I wonder if it is truly all catchup apps, or just the YouView-supplied ones?

Since you say this issue isn’t Sony’s fault, whose is it? YouView’s? Google’s?

Or is it, like the energy-saving message that came up even if you just dimmed the set, a flawed interpretation of the rules, or a flawed implementation of a correct interpretation of them?

AAMOI, anybody know, or checked, if having a recording on the go stops you using, say, Netflix, which also can’t be recorded? Or any other catchup app not supplied via YouView?

Re: Cannot access iPlayer while also recording tv

Kenbmwman — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 15:00:28 GMT

It denies access when recording to all catch-up apps on my YouView section.

You can still run Amazon Prime, Netflix, NOW etc.

Makes no difference if you are recording broadcast program on aerial or satellite tuner.

Re: Cannot access iPlayer while also recording tv

royabrown2 — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 15:51:58 GMT

Sony TV’s enduring love affair with YouView is a greater mystery to me than the Riddle of the Sphinx 🥴

Re: Cannot access iPlayer while also recording tv

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 17:05:07 GMT

Then it confirms the fact that even if they are in the form of applications.
Since they work through the same signal provider and get signals through the aerial as well on older TVs you wouldn't be able to browse them while recording if you have a single tuner.
Basically on 2020 and older models you couldn't access catch up apps with no aerial inserted as well, which also clarify why you're unable to access such apps while recording.
To us they're applications, to the TV they're the same as BBC1, just another TV channel.

Re: Cannot access iPlayer while also recording tv

royabrown2 — Thu, 09 Feb 2023 11:46:08 GMT

@Anonymous

Or maybe not…

On 2020 models and earlier, you couldn’t access the catchup apps without previously having inserted an aerial and tuned in the associated main channel for each (1, 3, 4, 5).

But once having done this you could disconnect the aerial, and not need it again unless you reset the TV. Thus proving that once the channel had been tuned, the information the associated app needed was held in local storage to be re-read on demand without further reference to the terrestrial channel or to the tuner(s).

Though with the great divide between the Freeview side and the YouView side on these sets, you needed to be on the YouView side to get access to the apps, and on the Freeview side to be able to record.

So no chance of both at once, unless you used the Hoshsadiq workaround. With which, you could hardly complain about not being able to start an app while recording - you were grateful that it worked at all 😛

On 2020 sets and later (and @Kenbmwman is talking about a recently-bought TV above), the information to be stored (it’s the TV region) can now be obtained a different way, by the app requesting the input of a postcode, and the set need never have a terrestrial aerial attached, or any channel tuned in. Ever.

But at least there’s no longer the great Freeview/YouView divide, and you can use the apps on the Freeview side without the Hoshsadiq workaround. Except for this one limitation under discussion here, which looks like a hangover from the old rules.

Also note from the descriptions earlier in the thread that if you were watching an on-demand channel, and the recording of a channel started, then both could continue simultaneously. This would be impossible on a single-tuner TV.

Accordingly, I am expressing great scepticism that the TV thinks an app is just another TV channel.

And expressing the firm conviction that whatever the tuners on the set may or may not be doing (including being recorded from), this should have no bearing on whether an app, catchup player or not, will run or not. if this is happening, it’s either abominably bad design, or a bug. And probably the latter.