New Sony Bravia's - BBC iPlayer / Five on Demand

The widgets can be accessed via the Internet Widgets button on the remote, or the Network menu in the on-screen menu system.

The widgets are a (very small) subset of Yahoo! Widgets. You get Weather, Yahoo Finance, Facebook, Twitter, plus a few others.

In my opinion, it's a neat idea but sadly the implementation is woeful.

  • They're very slow.
  • They take up far too much screen-space given the resolution of the TV.
  • Unintuitive to customise.
  • Inputting (alphanumeric) data takes forever, and the method varies depending on the widget. The remote has letters for each number key, like a mobile phone. The idea being that you can input data like texting. But Sony are way off the mark getting this right. It seems people at Sony R&D ave never sent texts with their phones. :rolleyes: For example:

  • Some widgets don't let you use the number buttons on the remote; you must scroll to each letter using an on-screen keyboard.
  • There is no remote shortcut for <space> or <enter>.
  • There is no remote shortcut to toggle through caps, lowercase, numbers, and symbols input-modes.
There are probably other things I could moan about, but can't think of them just now. Basically, it's a disaster just like all the other on-line features. The NX models should be called the Notwork range, rather than Network. It's real shame. You ain't missing out.

/rant
 
agreed on all of the above

lovefilm library is *CUT* hardly anything in it and the sort of rubbish you get at the bargain bin at your local corner shop

No 4OD no BBC IPlayer just C5 which I hardly ever watch (so never watch)

Anyone complained to Sony about it?

Mod Comment: Careful - bypassing the swear filter can award infractions.
 
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a recent review on 'trusted reviews' of the NX803 says that it has the 'recently added BBC iplayer'.

would this be just on the review unit, or is it slowly being rolled out now?
 
update from trustedreviews

First, regarding the iPlayer, I was told at a recent Sony event that the iPlayer was launching onto Sony's TVs before my review of the 40NX803 went 'live'. But it turns out after chatting to Sony today (August 11) that while the iPlayer is, as HeyZuze points out, already available on Sony's Blu-ray players, it's been delayed on TVs for a couple of months. All Sony will commit to date wise now is 'the 4th quarter'. But it is definitely coming!
 
agreed on all of the above

lovefilm library is *CUT* hardly anything in it and the sort of rubbish you get at the bargain bin at your local corner shop

No 4OD no BBC IPlayer just C5 which I hardly ever watch (so never watch)

Anyone complained to Sony about it?

Mod Comment: Careful - bypassing the swear filter can award infractions.

Its poor. The lovefilm selection is too small. The 5 stuff is rubbish, only 1 show I went to watch was not available. The new sony world of TV is the worst though. 1 episode of different strokes and er.... not much else. Embarrassing.
 
I just had a response from Sony, iplayer should be available on the Bravia later summer 2010... So hopefully soon.
 
I just had a response from Sony, iplayer should be available on the Bravia later summer 2010... So hopefully soon.

Summer ends 20th September so that means it is due within the next month then. Good news.
 
I just had a response from Sony, iplayer should be available on the Bravia later summer 2010... So hopefully soon.

Hi Rune, I have no intention of doubting you, however so as not to get my hopes too high, what do you mean with "a response from Sony"?
Was it from someone from your local Sony store or was it an email from Sony UK?

Cheers,
Stefano
 
Hi Rune, I have no intention of doubting you, however so as not to get my hopes too high, what do you mean with "a response from Sony"?
Was it from someone from your local Sony store or was it an email from Sony UK?

Cheers,
Stefano

Sorry, I got the email from Sony Support after raising a ticket about the issue.
 
I've just refreshed the internet content on my NX703 and a new icon has appeared called "BBC iPlayer - Coming Soon".

It doesn't seem to do anything yet, but it looks like there can't be too long a wait till this is working.
 
I raised a ticket earlier about DLNA but also asked about the rollout of iplayer, hopefully I'll get a repsonse with a clearer indication. Last time I raised a ticket has a reply the following day.. although the time before that it took over a month :-|
 
Refreshed and my EX503 lists the 'coming soon' now...
 
Yep - 'coming soon' is on mine too. I'd confidently expect launch very soon - sometime in the next couple of weeks...
 
I've never read or heard of ITV coming to the sets but it is coming to PS3 so maybe ITV will push for a roll out to Bravia TVs as well.
 
Yep i have coming soon too :) I cant wait to see how it compares to my ps3 because the ps3 one is just a browser link.
 
if its anything like the way they implement on their bluray players, it looks just like the 'bigscreen' interface you get on the wii and on the PS3. Interface is a little clumsy IMO, but the picture quality was excellent when we used it.
 
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Looks like you need the new 2010_0474 (v1.08?) firmware from reading the release notes as they mention iPlayer.

If your TV hasn't already auto-updated then it can be downloaded from here:

Televisions & Home CinemaÂ*|Â* KDL-32EX503Â*|Â*Sony Support Europe

There are several different software packages depending on model; the page linked above does not cover all models. You can go to this page and enter your model to get the right version:
Main PageÂ*|Â* Sony Support Europe
 
Updated and iPlayer is now working !!!

Also I think some other new channels like the Sony TV, Different Strokes, Rescue Me and other random shows...
 
No BBC HD channel but you get standard quality and a HQ option, depending on your broadband speed. Its the standard big screen iplayer interface and seems to work well.
 
Love the auto-update feature of these TVs. I didn't have to update mine to the new v1.08 firmware as the TV must have done it overnight. All I had to do was select the Refresh Internet Content to actually use but it's a shame this isn't done automatically because I'd imagine it will catch a few people out. Until I did it iPlayer insisted it was Coming Soon and to check back later, something like that, even though I was already setup for it.
 

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