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.

[Heckie]

Thanks for the replies. 

I tend to agree that the date simply hasn't been changed due to the ripping they will get on this forum.

Serious buyers remorse has set in.

Had a LG webos TV that had all this that I sold to buy the Bravia....

[frogger38]

LED meaning?

Just had a very odd status LED.. Can't find any comprehensive guide what they mean.

The set was off, The Led lit up green then red a few times, the started Flashing bright red in groups of 3 in quick succession . When I tried to switch it on it crashed and rebooted.

Apart from being broke, does anyone know what it was trying to tell me...

[Anonymous]

@frogger38

Hi there Frogger

The flashing red LED light is generally to do with a hardware failure - this is known as 'blink codes'  The blink codes also generally change each year model of TV and can be different between models too.  The actual meaning of these codes are in the Service Manual of the TV of which is difficult to obtain unless you are a TV Engineer - hence I do not have the resources to inform you on what the issue is.

My advice is to contact your retailer and get them to repair/exchange the TV.

Cheers

[manuelsal]

I'm really disapponted as well, the tv (KD-49X8307C) hardware is good as much the software is crap.

I have those issues as well, can you add to the top or please tell me how I can create a new topic?? There is no way for me to create a new one and no explenation are provided.


1) TV Guide no page up/down
Crazy, I don't use the YouView and with the standard TV guide I can't scroll the channel list page by page up and down, but only channel by channel, is it correct?

2) No record channel/program
Sony sold me a TV advertising that it was possible to record programs and pause the TV.
Maybe I'm dump but I can't do it. Any help?

3) No sat guide if enable youview
If you enable YouView, you can't watch the sat channels neither access the sat TV guide.
Does anyone have the same issue?

4) No channel-setup digital-setup technical-setup programme list transfer
Randomly I can access to the Programme List Transfer in ChanngelSetup>DigitalSetup.
This crap system seems to work randomly, I managed to dowload the list once and now the option is always disable and I can't import it anymore..

5) Override tasto netflix
Do you know if it is possible to override the key Netflix to use Amazion Video?

6) reorder home menu
Do you know if it is possible to customise the menu? change icon location and things like that?

7) The TV is getting slower and freezes
Often if find my self waiting in front of a restarting TV after minutes of frustrating try to change channel or work with the TV, it's only me?

[rsebre]

I'm going to contact my dealer about my issues on my49"X83C

Today it has frozen on me 4 times so far and I've only been using it for around 4 hours.

Every time I'm doing some sensitive data work in Windows 10 - BLACK SCREEN.

Dam thing, I can't just restart my PC!

I read the What HiFi Review of this set when it was first unveiled, and wanted one every since. I have even stuck up for it here on this forum plenty of times, but this is beyond a joke. Am I supposed to wait another month or two too get a firmware update that might fix it, whilst my display resets 10 times a day?

Can't believe it.

Feel really let down.

Knew I should have gone for the imyama:smileyhappy:

The amount of times its told me its not connected to the Internet aswell, it is via the cable to the router. The Internet just decides when it will work and when it wont...

Where's my PIP and Dual Satellite CAM Tuners SONY? Where?:smileyconfused:

I'm not angry, I'm disappointed:smileyexclaim:.

[UKPiglet]

I've just sent this to JL:

Dear John Lewis,

As you should be aware from other people returning Sony 2015 TVs, there are really significant problems with these sets - and Sony are trying to correct them. I've been feeding the issues found back to Sony, and despite one software update they have pushed out the problems persist.

The two major problem areas are:

1) The features as advertised by Sony on their website at the time I was deciding to buy this TV are still not all available. For example:

• Picture in Picture
• Recording

2) TV is not of satisfactory quality. Particularly we have seen these issues which are firmware issues seen on the Sony 2015 Android TVs by us and other people:

• Much of the time the sound and the picture are out of sync with each other.
• The TV resets/reboots in the middle of use and loses all settings
• Over time the TV becomes unresponsive and requires being switched off at the wall before it will work again
• The TV sometimes turns itself on again after being turned off
• Sometimes the sound starts but the picture freezes
• The latest upgrade for "You View" was late and broke the Satellite functionality of the set
• When using the remote, movement between different functions of the TV doesn't work and it grinds to a halt
• There isn't even a user manual available as hard copy or on the Sony website
• When trying to use the set very often a message comes up saying that it can't do what you told it to do. Only a full switch off and on at the wall fixes it

If you want to read more about the issues with Sony Android 2015 sets, please see https://community.sony.co.uk/t5/televisions/2015-bravia-android-tv-issues


At the moment these Sony Android TVs are not fit for purpose and become totally unusable over time.  Sony now say that they intend to release a new version of their firmware before Christmas which should fix many of the problems people have seen.

I'm now very close to the end of the normal 90 day return period and have the following request of you.  Please can you either:

• arrange to come and collect this TV as not fit for purpose due to the issues noted above, or
• confirm that you will extend the normal no-quibble free return period until after the new firmware has been released by Sony so that I can see if that fixes the problems we're seeing, and if it doesn't that you will collect the TV and give a full refund.

Thank you in advance

[petsmart]

@Anonymous Do you know if here will be any updates to the android platform? So not just bug fixes but an OS upgrade? This seems to be preventing a few things like 5.1 via plex.

can you also confirm if all the hard work you have been doing collating the issues are actually being actively investigated by Sony tech support? Do you have any time scales to the issues you have passed to them or have they came back with any response to you? Do you think they are acheievable by Sony? 

Appreciate your continued effort.

rgds

[Anonymous]

@petsmart

Hi there

Let me see if I can answer your questions:

1 - OS Upgrade -

The official stance is that Sony does not release information in regards to future updates.  I have not heard of this even being discussed, but my feeling is no - Sony are concentrating their efforts into bug fixing and improving stability at this moment in time.  Once this has been done - I guess anything can happen..

2 - The locked 'sticky' collection of issues -

In my opinion, I believe that this has helped in a couple of ways.  Even though Sony are actively monitoring this thread, it is very hard to sort out the myriad of general complaints, singler person issues and more wide spread issues.  So, basically by collating this in the hopes it is easier for Sony to get to the real issues.  My background is IT Support, so if it was me, I would be prioritiesing the multi-customer widespread functionality and stability issues before targeting GUI/aesthetics and single user general issues.  Hopefully Sony agrees and targets the right ones.

Also, the collation of issues is for us too - the community.  A way to point new people in the right direction 'a known issue' without having to sift through 310 odd pages on this thread.  It was and still is my hope to gather more updates to feed to the community in general, but it is hard to archieve and anything meaningful for the community is rarer than hens teeth.  From experience of previous issues gone by, when there was an update or someone found a work-around, it was lost in a large thread full of general complaints and whinging...  So this way - any communications will not get lost.

Its also a little experiment of my own in finding a way to organise issues and seeing what works and what doesnt.

3 - Are they being investigated.

Short answer is yes.  Sony is a company that has to be dragged kicking and screaming into the modern times of Social media and fast moving issues. They have got better but still communications tend to be single directional (not bi-directional).  So even though they do not actively communicate back -  the issues that have been reported officially by me, I am satisfied that they have gone to the right people in the right department.  If you have a look at the Support Article on the Irish site, at least a couple of these issues appear to be resolved - but without testing by you guys, I will not mark it as resovled until such:

http://www.sony.ie/support/en/content/cnt-hn/prd-tvhc/android-tv-features-update

4 - Timescales

At current, I have been given very little information in regards to them being fixed, never mind timescales.  

5 - Are they archeivable?

Yes - I think they are.  Throughout the UK and other EU forums, I believe Sony have listened in some of the complaints.  The general concensus is that it is better to fix the bugs and have a stable TV (free from crashing etc), whereas some of the features promised can be postponed a little longer.  I know you all want both at the same time, and in an ideal world yes i agree.  But even as Sony is a large multinational corporation, even they have resource limits.  Also, as a fan and ultimately a customer of Sony, I would expect nothing other than a workable product.  

NOTE: All this is MY opinion soley and may or may not reflect actual.

[petsmart]

Thanks @Anonymous for all the information and direct answers. Completely agree on the approach (I work in IT) of the multi user issues and with a clear locked list this hopefully is as you say being used by Sony.

we as a forum need to provide concise information when dealing with faults including what was tested and when experienced. 

I have been able to get round issues  in some way that I need to but this doesn't stop the fact that I 'had'to do this. However I do also get the random issues others have noted.

For me personally, I just want the reassurance as this to should be a several year investment. If the 2016 models come out on the same platform then yes I think there may be hope for some of these fixes but as I'm adittionally looking for some other features this seems more far off but agree that a bug free TV needs to be prioritised. 

Is is there anything we can do, as the guys sitting at home with these sets to assist in any way? Or get any firm answers from Sony mainly on your locked issues? 

If we unfortunately do not see any light then we continue to feel a bit powerless. I have been with the TV since launch and giving it a good go but some days it can be problematic. Rgds

[Anonymous]

I know many have referred to this years Android TV platform as a beta test - I cant really disagree on that.  Even though there is a significant amount of you have issues, there are many that do not - i guess these are the ones that simply plug a sky box in and use it that way.

A couple of things that can help:

• Be clear on the problem and
• if possible, a photo or video may help
• Can others test and reproduce this?

I guess Keeping up the pressure on Sony at least gives you some power.