topic Re: XR65-A80J stereo/multichannel sound lost on web apps (iplayer, C4) when skipping in Android TV

XR65-AJ80 stereo/multichannel sound lost on web apps (iplayer, C4) when skipping

newyankee — Mon, 06 May 2024 08:27:52 GMT

I am wondering if anyone else has noticed the following issue.

When playing content on the UK catchup services apps (and others that use the HbbTV/web app scheme) with multichannel sound or just stereo: Sound is fine when played from the start of the programme. However, when fast forwarding or rewinding, sound reverts to mono. This is regardless of the output used (TV speakers, headset, HDMI ARC, optical out).

I have already contacted sony support at the beginning of December 2023, exchanged 100+ e-mails. I had a service technician sent out to replace the mainboard with no effect (surprise!).

I have begged that this issue be forwarded to software engineering. All with zero success.

What else can I do? Yes, I have already added a Chromecast with google TV, so that I now have 2 google TVs in one.

Re: XR65-AJ80 stereo/multichannel sound lost on web apps (iplayer, C4) when skipping

Anonymous — Sun, 12 May 2024 16:26:54 GMT

Hey @newyankee

When you get those apps on your Chromecast, do they work fine with the TV?

Re: XR65-AJ80 stereo/multichannel sound lost on web apps (iplayer, C4) when skipping

newyankee — Fri, 24 May 2024 07:13:00 GMT

Yes, they do. The independent apps work fine on chromecast and another android TV - that is for sound.

The culprit is, that Chromecast with google TV does not at this time play UHD content (not certified) and C4 is unavailable.

So I can decide wether to either watch last night of the proms in full stereo OR in UHD.

The sound error also applies to live streaming because the stream is started from somewhere in the middle and some container information is only processed if played from the start.

Re: XR65-AJ80 stereo/multichannel sound lost on web apps (iplayer, C4) when skipping

Anonymous — Fri, 31 May 2024 12:51:43 GMT

Can you try to update the software to the latest one, I can see that it's recently released: v6.7532

@newyankee

Re: XR65-A80J stereo/multichannel sound lost on web apps (iplayer, C4) when skipping

newyankee — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 06:30:16 GMT

I had already updated the software to the current version (v6.7532). Doesn't change a thing.

Except for the message "Ethernet connected" on startup. I did know that though.

Re: XR65-A80J stereo/multichannel sound lost on web apps (iplayer, C4) when skipping

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Jun 2024 16:40:09 GMT

Hey @newyankee

Did you try to report it to Sony again after the Engineer's visit and changing the MB?

Re: XR65-A80J stereo/multichannel sound lost on web apps (iplayer, C4) when skipping

newyankee — Sat, 08 Jun 2024 20:01:14 GMT

Yes, I did.

The support process is still ongoing (7 months and counting). It is quite frustrating though: they just told me to use the regular apps instead of going the Hbb TV route. That's possible for some services.

However, the UK catch-up services always use an Hbb TV scheme and the respective player which is apparently buggy.

Basically, they're always trying to blame me using a VPN and hold that responsible for the sound issue.

I am really at a loss here.

Re: XR65-A80J stereo/multichannel sound lost on web apps (iplayer, C4) when skipping

Anonymous — Sat, 15 Jun 2024 14:28:12 GMT

And does connecting to the internet directly without using a VPN really solves the issue for you?

Re: XR65-A80J stereo/multichannel sound lost on web apps (iplayer, C4) when skipping

newyankee — Mon, 17 Jun 2024 14:07:27 GMT

No.

Why would it. When something is geoblocked, it doesn't play at all. It would not affect the sound-only decoding of the stream, if I am correct. As answered above, native apps from the playstore on a CCWGTV work just fine in all aspects within the same network setup.

BTW, I am not using a VPN, it's a configurable DNS. But again, other web based services from within my "IP-home-country" show the same bug on that particular SONY TV only.

Re: XR65-A80J stereo/multichannel sound lost on web apps (iplayer, C4) when skipping

Anonymous — Sat, 22 Jun 2024 16:12:24 GMT

Hey @newyankee

I'd recommend that you try not using any "special" internet configurations or any anonymisers (VPN, custom DNSes, proxy servers) as they might be preventing the correct hardware configuration to be exposed to the stream provider (app), and thus causing this odd behaviour.

Re: XR65-A80J stereo/multichannel sound lost on web apps (iplayer, C4) when skipping

newyankee — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 07:07:40 GMT

@Anonymous

Please read the full thread. The sound issue is present regardless of DNS/VPN, IP home country. This is not internet service related. It is identical on any web streaming
Please don't go down the route of blaming the customer. It is not always the customers' fault

And sorry, I can't refrain from commenting your suggested solution with the following. You might as well recommend that I refrain from using a SONY TV.

Re: XR65-A80J stereo/multichannel sound lost on web apps (iplayer, C4) when skipping

Anonymous — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 15:56:27 GMT

Hey @newyankee

I'd recommend in that case that you contact Sony support team again

Re: XR65-AJ80 stereo/multichannel sound lost on web apps (iplayer, C4) when skipping

anth1234 — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 12:29:36 GMT

Did you get this fixed?

I have exactly the same problem as you just skipping 10 seconds make the sound mono. I think pausing it also does the same. Amazon fire stick does not have the problem. I have a 75" X90 so not cheap. Just finding a lot of bugs in the software starting to wish had got a TV from another manufacturer... Still trying to find the cause of the lip sync problems in Netflix... The mono sound is a really big problem if you have a centre channel. Its really obvious that its mono. Not checked if the same problem with the built in speakers. Currently using a Denon X3800.

Can an actual software dev look at this please. I work as a software developer and I have tried every setting nothing works. Its clearly a bug in the iPlayer versions used in some Sony TV's. Resetting to factory settings never fixed it.

Thanks

Anthony

Re: XR65-AJ80 stereo/multichannel sound lost on web apps (iplayer, C4) when skipping

newyankee — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 05:37:09 GMT

Sorry for the late reply.

The problem never got fixed - as in a proper fix. However, after 11 months of persistence, I got my TV replaced in the end.

From my perspective, the bug is in the GTV framework within the HbbTV scheme. Software developers never got involved in the support chain. Which was extremely annoying, because the discussion with low level support agents really turned absurd repeatedly.

I never want to have to go through this kind process again. It resulted in 124 e-mails over the course almost one year.