Cannot create favorites list 55PUS7334

[Leewdwd]

Good Morning,

Onto my second problem.

Yesterday i noticed that my favorites list is no longer visable. I'm not sure if this is a software issue or if one of the kids have managed to delete it. My problem is that i can't even re-create one!

I've gone through the options of loading TV, selecting OK to open the channel list, pressing + and there is no option to create favorites. I've attached a picture of this too.

Any help would be gretly appreciated.

Thanks,

 

[Leewdwd]

Following on, i may have answered my own question, and for anybody else that may have the same problem.

I've stumbled upon this on the Philips support website:


Why is the menu entry “create favorites list” not present anymore?

21-Jul-2020

The article below is applicable to: 7xx4, 8804, OLED8x4 and OLED9x4 models of 2019 All Android TVs of 2020

Situation
The menu entry “create favorites list” in the channel list’s options menu is not present anymore (specifically: no longer present since upgrading the TV set to SW >=1.14.100.0).

This is only the case if channels are installed on the internal tuner with country setting = ”UK” or “IT”.


Answer
This is normal behaviour in accordance with broadcaster requirements.





So onto my Next question, has anybody else experienced this or found a way aroung it?

Thanks,

 

[maxximax]

This happened on my 8204 model too and I noticed a question here about it, so here's a repost of my reply, it's all I know so far:

"The Favourites option has been disabled in the latest firmware because of some kind of certification problem with Freeview Play. You'll probably find your current favourites list(s) is deleted soon and you'll lose the option altogether - this is what happened to me.

You can get the Favourites list (and a PiP option) back if you reset the TV and during setup set the language to English and the location to 'Other' which will disable all the Freeview Play features.

This means you'll lose BBC iPlayer and All4, but ITV Hub and My5 remain available. It also means you'll get a faster Android TV because it seems the Freeview Play crap was slowing it all down a bit. Personally I don't miss the Play stuff (I just use a Fire Stick to get BBC iPlayer) and I'm enjoying a nippier and more bug-free TV than I had before.

You can always reverse the procedure if it doesn't work for you - just be aware you have to fully reset and rescan for all the available channels each time, so it takes a little while."

 

[Daaave]

I have the same problem on a 50PUS7334/12. Philips customer support (lack of) pointed me to the same article and closed my case. They would not give me an escalation contact and were very unhelpful.
The favourites lists used to work before the latest software update, so to claim 'This is normal behaviour in accordance with broadcaster requirements' is BS. Every other TV I own in the UK supports favourites lists.

Warning to others, don't upgrade the software.

 

[maxximax]

I have the same problem on a 50PUS7334/12. Philips customer support (lack of) pointed me to the same article and closed my case. They would not give me an escalation contact and were very unhelpful.
The favourites lists used to work before the latest software update, so to claim 'This is normal behaviour in accordance with broadcaster requirements' is BS. Every other TV I own in the UK supports favourites lists.

Warning to others, don't upgrade the software.

Total BS. I contacted them direct and got the "certification issues beyond our control" line but as you said every other manufacturer manages to have a Favourites option on Freeview Play compatible TV's so what's their issue?

Having said that I personally don't miss the Freeview Play stuff and my TV runs better without it, so at least there's a partial workaround.

Still BS tho'.

 

[Leewdwd]

Cheers for the responses. Haven't managed to check these over the weekend.

I'll going to wait and see what they come back with first. At the monent I've got a problem with a horizonal band at the top of the screen as well as this so i'll see what they come back with on that one first.

I'm in 2 minds wether or not to just return the TV. I purchased it from Argos at the end of June and having these issues with it already doesn't fill me with confidence. Don't get me wrong, I love the TV and if i ever watch another TV without ambilight, its just wierd. I'd be happy if Phillips can just sort these few issues out.

I'll post their response on here when i hear back.

 

[Justin Time]

I have the same issue and I am connected via satellite as well. I get exactly the same option list. I posted a thread on here before I saw your thread.
It is extremely bad of Philips to remove Favourites lists which have already been created (as in your case) since this wipes out all the time and effort taken to create it in the first place. I'll be interested in anything Philips have to say.
In my case "Freeview Play" (FP) is not enabled (because I am connected via satellite) so I don't think the "Certification" problem should apply unless Philips have disable the "Create Favourites list" across the board whether you use FP or not.
What I have done is to laboriously note the channels I am interested in and create a printed list of "Favourites" list (41 channels) + "Other Channels" list (31 channels) so that I do not have to trawl through hundreds of channels. It's all on one A4 sheet folded in half to keep it a handy size. I just look at the list and enter the channel number I want to watch. Not as convenient but I can work with it. If interested here it is.

 

[maxximax]

Actually it doesn't matter if you're using Satellite or Antenna (I use satellite too) because the Freeview Play stuff is a set of buggy app's that get installed when your TV's location is set to 'UK'. Changing the location to 'Other' deactivates those app's and also restores the Favourites function.

When you said you were making your own channel list I thought you meant you were implementing your own list using the TV's 'Copy to TV' function that you can find here - 'All Settings/Channels/Channel List Copy' and I was going to ask you how to do that!

PS: If anyone knows how to disable/remove the Philips TV Collection app let me know because I'm sick of it repeatedly reinstalling app's I don't want or already have.

 

[Justin Time]

To Leewdwd - Can you post the link to the Philips Support article you stumbled upon please? I can't find it. The Philips search engine is rubbish. It shows links to everything that is Philips including 'Milk' and 'Mammography'.

 

[Leewdwd]

Hi Justin. Here it is:

Philips B2C

tpvcrmplus.force.com

Philips support have finally responded to my 2 issues today. First impressions of their Support is pretty poor and my request for assistance is slowly turning into an arguement.

 

[Justin Time]

To maxximax - Seems to me the Philips TV Collection is a built-into-android function because it has its own button on the remote control so I don't think it can be disabled/removed. I'm not sure about this but having its own key on the remote seems a good pointer to support this thought.

To Leewdwd - Thanks for the link - How on Earth did you find that? The link doesn't seem to be directly related to Philips. Maybe they use 3rd party support?

 

[Leewdwd]

I went through the Philips website. I think i just googled Philips Warranty which sent me to the philips website, then a link for their support which takes you to that one.

 

[Leewdwd]

So just a quick update, Philips support have turned a corner and have now advised the below:

"Regarding the Favorites list, we inform you that Philips is currently working on this issue. "

That is literally all the information they have provided me. I've replied asking when both fixed for me will be available, here is their response:

"Thank you for contacting Philips TV Technical Support.

Philips is currently working on both issues. We are not able to provide that information. All we can say is that the issues may be fixed in a future Software update. "

So nothing is for certain at the moment.

 

[Justin Time]

Thanks for the update.

 

[Supermal]

So just a quick update, Philips support have turned a corner and have now advised the below:

"Regarding the Favorites list, we inform you that Philips is currently working on this issue. "

That is literally all the information they have provided me. I've replied asking when both fixed for me will be available, here is their response:

"Thank you for contacting Philips TV Technical Support.

Philips is currently working on both issues. We are not able to provide that information. All we can say is that the issues may be fixed in a future Software update. "

So nothing is for certain at the moment.

FAVOURITES OPTION working on 7304 models.Same firmware as yours?

 

[Leewdwd]

@Supermal suspect not but would be interesting to know.

I'm on version TPM191E_R.101.001.079.005

 

[Daaave]

I've implemented maxximax's 'Other' workaround and use Chromecast for the BBC iplayer and other streaming channels. I used an external Chromecast device and disabled the internal Chromecast because it frequently buffers (that should be another issue to take up with Philips, but their customer support is so poor I won't bother).

 

[Supermal]

@Supermal suspect not but would be interesting to know.

I'm on version TPM191E_R.101.001.079.005

I can confirm its same firmware and I have just done two favourite lists for my channels on freeview play.I am obviously uk based and my tv is 43pus7304.

 

[Phantom84]

Actually it doesn't matter if you're using Satellite or Antenna (I use satellite too) because the Freeview Play stuff is a set of buggy app's that get installed when your TV's location is set to 'UK'. Changing the location to 'Other' deactivates those app's and also restores the Favourites function.

When you said you were making your own channel list I thought you meant you were implementing your own list using the TV's 'Copy to TV' function that you can find here - 'All Settings/Channels/Channel List Copy' and I was going to ask you how to do that!

PS: If anyone knows how to disable/remove the Philips TV Collection app let me know because I'm sick of it repeatedly reinstalling app's I don't want or already have.

I have done exactly that, gone through the 100-200 channel number range and done the 500-700ish range to mimic s*y channel numbers and uploaded it to TV using USB.

Works OK but bit takes along time and of course there's regional difference too for BBC / ITV

Will probably do 300-500 this week. Anything else that isn't a assigned a number will still be there but at least when you press 501 you know what channel to expect.

 

[maxximax]

To maxximax - Seems to me the Philips TV Collection is a built-into-android function because it has its own button on the remote control so I don't think it can be disabled/removed. I'm not sure about this but having its own key on the remote seems a good pointer to support this thought.

The Philips TV Collection is just an app but it's set as a System app and so not disable-able or uninstallable in the normal way. There's usually ways around that with Android but I'm not sure which way will work best with Android TV.

BTW you can reconfigure the buttons on the remote if they don't suit you, there's an app called Button Mapper which lets you set, for example, the Netflix or Philips TV Collection button to any almost app or feature you like.

Been poking around and discovered the Freeview Play apps are all still installed but are just disabled and you can enable them again manually. They throw up an authorisation error if you try to run things like BBC iPlayer or All4 but there may be a way to manually re-enable FVP and keep the Favourites list. However I don't think that would survive a restart because the TV seems to check its location setting and disable the FVP app's again if it's not set to UK.

Bit of a mess really Philips! Sounds like the best long term option is to wait for them to fix it with a software update and either use the 'Other' location workaround or live without a Favourites option. Might help if as many people as possible contact Philips Support and complain about it though, sounds like maybe that's already working?

 

[Daaave]

I can confirm its same firmware and I have just done two favourite lists for my channels on freeview play.I am obviously uk based and my tv is 43pus7304.

Supermal, my favourites lists disappeared after I upgraded and then performed a reinstallation. I can't be100% sure, but I think the favourite list survived the code upgrade, but not the reinstallation.

 

[Supermal]

Supermal, my favourites lists disappeared after I upgraded and then performed a reinstallation. I can't be100% sure, but I think the favourite list survived the code upgrade, but not the reinstallation.

So nothing to do with freeview certification that Philip's are on about. I would suggest rolling back to original firmware and let it update to the newest again.Then check if favourites list is back.Dont do a reinstall unless you have any issues.It is not always necessary.

 

[Daaave]

So nothing to do with freeview certification that Philip's are on about. I would suggest rolling back to original firmware and let it update to the newest again.Then check if favourites list is back.Dont do a reinstall unless you have any issues.It is not always necessary.

Not sure if its a freeview certification issue, but the newer code does disable the favourites lists and Philips claim its because the UK broadcasters don't allow them (which IMO is BS)). The re-install may initiate the UK location check and then remove the favourites list, without the re-install I guess any previous favourites lists persist. How to roll-back to the original firmware ?

 

[Supermal]

Not sure if its a freeview certification issue, but the newer code does disable the favourites lists and Philips claim its because the UK broadcasters don't allow them (which IMO is BS)). The re-install may initiate the UK location check and then remove the favourites list, without the re-install I guess any previous favourites lists persist. How to roll-back to the original firmware ?

By " newer code" do you mean latest firmware?I updated to latest firmware and the favourites option is still there.So it has not been disabled.I am in the uk so I get freeview play channels.
If you check out av forum for pus7304 you will find out how to roll back.Many have done it and you can then let it update to the latest firmware,just in case there was some glitch in your latest update.You load the original firmware onto a usb stick and update using usb input on tv.

 

[Justin Time]

Supermal - You get Freeview Play channels so this must mean you are connected via a terrestrial aerial and that's why you can create Favourites? I'm beginning to suspect that if one is connected to satellite then the 'Create Favourites' feature is disabled. Thoughts anyone?