Sony Is Removing Many Popular Features From Its Free OTA TV Options (cordcuttersnews.com) 81
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Cord Cutters News: Sony has notified owners of its recent BRAVIA television models that significant changes to the built-in TV Guide for its OTA TV antenna users and related menu features will take effect starting in late May 2026. The update affects a range of premium sets released between 2023 and 2025, marking another instance of feature adjustments for older smart TV hardware as manufacturers shift focus toward newer product lines. The changes primarily target the program guide functionality for over-the-air antenna TV channels received via the ATSC tuner. After the cutoff date, program information may fail to display on certain channels, limiting the guide's usefulness for planning viewing schedules. Users will often see listings only for channels they have recently watched, rather than a comprehensive overview of available broadcasts. Additionally, channel logos that previously appeared in the guide will disappear, and any thumbnail images accompanying program descriptions will no longer load or show.
Further modifications will appear in the television's menu system. For users relying on connected set-top boxes, the dedicated Set Top Box menu option will be removed entirely. In its place, a simpler Control menu will surface, streamlining access but eliminating some specialized navigation previously available. Program thumbnails, which provided visual previews in various menu sections, will also cease to appear across affected interfaces. These adjustments stem from Sony's ongoing efforts to manage backend services and data feeds that support enhanced guide features on its Google TV-powered BRAVIA lineup. As television ecosystems evolve rapidly with advancements in processing power, artificial intelligence integration, and cloud-based content delivery, companies periodically retire select capabilities on prior-generation hardware to optimize resources. The 2023 through 2025 models, while still offering excellent picture quality through advanced OLED and LCD panels with features like XR processing, now fall into the category of devices receiving scaled-back support. These are the models impacted:
2025 models: Bravia 8 II (XR80M2), Bravia 5 (XR50)
2024 models: Bravia 9 (XR90), Bravia 8 (XR80), Bravia 7 (XR70)
2023 models: Bravia A95L series
Further modifications will appear in the television's menu system. For users relying on connected set-top boxes, the dedicated Set Top Box menu option will be removed entirely. In its place, a simpler Control menu will surface, streamlining access but eliminating some specialized navigation previously available. Program thumbnails, which provided visual previews in various menu sections, will also cease to appear across affected interfaces. These adjustments stem from Sony's ongoing efforts to manage backend services and data feeds that support enhanced guide features on its Google TV-powered BRAVIA lineup. As television ecosystems evolve rapidly with advancements in processing power, artificial intelligence integration, and cloud-based content delivery, companies periodically retire select capabilities on prior-generation hardware to optimize resources. The 2023 through 2025 models, while still offering excellent picture quality through advanced OLED and LCD panels with features like XR processing, now fall into the category of devices receiving scaled-back support. These are the models impacted:
2025 models: Bravia 8 II (XR80M2), Bravia 5 (XR50)
2024 models: Bravia 9 (XR90), Bravia 8 (XR80), Bravia 7 (XR70)
2023 models: Bravia A95L series
Another reason to not buy Sony kit (Score:5, Insightful)
The message seems clear: If you want these features you must buy more recent models. But I ask myself: how long before these new models have features removed to get me to buy even newer stuff ?
Presumably these TVs were marketed as having these features - so, in some jurisdictions at least, this would be illegal.
Re: (Score:2)
The message seems clear: If you want these features you must buy more recent models. But I ask myself: how long before these new models have features removed to get me to buy even newer stuff ?
My guess would be soon as the warranty expires, given that this affects TVs released as recently as last year....
Re: (Score:2)
The message seems clear: If you want these features you must buy more recent models. But I ask myself: how long before these new models have features removed to get me to buy even newer stuff ?
My guess would be soon as the warranty expires, given that this affects TVs released as recently as last year....
If “warranty” now defines the expected lifetime of the product, good luck to any company trying to sell a TV for more than $300.
Don’t assume the new car will last as long than the car loans they’re offering now. Don’t even get me laughing about the “quality” building homes in preparation for a half-century mortgage.
Re: (Score:3)
If “warranty” now defines the expected lifetime of the product, good luck to any company trying to sell a TV for more than $300.
Of course, people will just go right on paying whatever they are told...at least in the U.S. If there's one thing we've learned from the post-COVID inflation surge, it's that people won't give up the things they want just because you've made them unaffordable. $7 for a bag of chips? Gimme. $11 for a 12-pack of Coke? Yes sir. $15 hamburger meal from McDonald's? Need it.
Re: Another reason to not buy Sony kit (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
The message seems clear: If you want these features you must buy more recent models.
You completely misinterpreted what is happening here. These *ARE* recent models. Sony sold their Bravia brand to TCL. They are literally getting out of the business and don't want to support TVs period. There is no recent model you will be able to buy with this functionality.
Re: (Score:2)
Weirdly Sony just announced new RGB LED TVs. Real RGB ones, most of the ones on the market already are fake.
They make high end professional monitors too, but these were TV models. Maybe TCL is going to adopt the tech for the consumer market or something.
Re: (Score:2)
Who are these companies producing "fake" RGB LED TVs? I'm curious to read up on this since all 4 major panel makers very much are offering the same kind of tech here including Sony (a mini RGB LED backlight).
But yeah ultimately Sony will still continue to make monitors panels and professional displays. But Bravia, ... that is a TCL product going forward.
Re: (Score:2)
Sony claim that they tested some RGB LED TVs and found that many either don't have full RGB (only two LED colours) or they do, but when they do HDR they switch back to white mode.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
The reason; Fiduciary Duty. (Score:3)
The message seems clear: If you want these features you must buy more recent models. But I ask myself: how long before these new models have features removed to get me to buy even newer stuff ?
I’ll try and clarify why features aren’t coming back without a court order:
The changes primarily target the program guide functionality for over-the-air antenna TV channels received via the ATSC tuner.
Sony Translation: Screw those free features that allow consumers to use our product without streaming, no matter the laws protecting ATSC broadcasts. We’ll bring those features back when the US Government makes us. Until then, that’s for some other vendor to deal with. No profit in OTA anymore. Fiduciary duty and all.
Presumably these TVs were marketed as having these features - so, in some jurisdictions at least, this would be illegal.
I predict the illegality of it all, is not as popular as we assume anymore. Consumer pro
Re: (Score:2)
Guide data isn't free - it costs money. Ask anyone using Schedules Direct, for example. But everyone has to pay for the guide data, whether it comes from TiVo (formerly Rovi w
Re: (Score:2)
Consumers are going to stop buying everything eventually. Because the enshittification isn't limited to a single vendor. And there does not seem to be any market pressure to provide more features and more services for less cost. We're on a direct route to rentier capitalism, and I'm afraid I have no suggestions on how to avoid ending up there.
Sony TV enshittifiaction (Score:4)
I'm not sure how stupid Sony is but pissing your customers off seems a strange strategy.
Re:Sony TV enshittifiaction (Score:5, Interesting)
It is because the directory info comes from a US company with a monopoly and they charge exorbitant amounts of money for it and then use copyright to shutout competitors. Tribune Corp used to own it (Chicago Tribune the Wriggly family, those monopolists).
Re: (Score:2)
It is because the directory info comes from a US company with a monopoly and they charge exorbitant amounts of money for it and then use copyright to shutout competitors. Tribune Corp used to own it (Chicago Tribune the Wriggly family, those monopolists).
Or, maybe Sony has a fiduciary duty to worry about supporting features that are actually profitable for them.
Massive profits, isn’t exactly the main selling point anymore with OTA broadcasts and the shrinking customer base measured in rabbit ear death grips. The hell is the point in paying a directory pimp for a TV guide if the service behind it isn’t making any money.
Those features might come back one day. By court order.
Re: (Score:2)
How is this profitable to them? They sell the same TV all over the world. AFAIK the US is the only company with a monopolist controlling TV listing guides. This monopolist changes them a monthly fee for every active TV, Sony getting no further revenues. I haven't looked in a while but you as a consumer, can also subscribe to this service. I think they want $3/mth from retail customers. I haven't dealt with this in over ten years so I am forgetting the details.
Re: (Score:2)
I haven't hooked up a TV to the Internet since 2010 and I intentionally bought a dishwasher with zero Wi-Fi/Bluetooth (KitchenAid thankfully hasn't gone the IoTrash/enshitty route). Sadly my lawnmower has bluetooth, but I've never connecting that ever.
I have a Linux box connected to my TV and pirate 4k content. I've never pai
Re: (Score:2)
Exactly what I was thinking. You have to have your head examined anyway for enabling network connectivity on a TV today anyway. But especially now is motivation to "nope" on out of all that.
Of course many if not most of the users of this tv probably used the embedded apps so they're all fucked anyway.
Re: (Score:2)
Oh god, this brought back memories of the late 2000s when I was trying to get ATSC listings for my MythTV set-up and found, to my surprise, you just plain couldn't without either subscribing to a service that seemed absurdly expensive, or using various hacks to scrape the listings off of various websites that kept breaking each time the websites were updated.
Sony not going along with this is probably the best approach. The other companies really need to do the same thing too. Make the listings service worth
Re: (Score:3)
What customers? Sony sold the Bravia brand to TCL. If anything Sony is pissing off someone else's customers.
Re: (Score:3)
Pissing their customers off has been SONYs signature strategy and inofficial mission statement since day one. Never heard of Mini-Disc or the infamous SONY rootkit?
Re: (Score:2)
I know someone who really loved Mini-Disc. He made his own TOSLINK cable from the normal jack to a mini jack because he couldn't find the cable in the store. But then MP3 came out with none of the stupid restrictions that Sony placed on it because Sony is also a big copyright asshole.
Re:Sony has previous for pissing customers off (Score:2)
This is what I got when I asked Gemini for a list, and it does not even mention the time Sony used a music CD to plant a rootkit on any PC that played the disc:
Sony has faced significant backlash from customers over the years regarding its gaming, electronics, and corporate decisions. Key instances causing anger include major data breaches, anti-consumer policies, and issues with hardware, as detailed below. PlayStati
Re: (Score:2)
I got out of the habit of watching the 7pm news when I moved out of my mother's place...
So the only OTA I watch is live sport; the AFL or the tennis.
A DVB-T USB stick for OTA is $30 and an Android TV stick similar, so my next TV will be a 'gaming monitor' or a projector.
Smart TVs aren't that smart to be honest.
Re: (Score:2)
I only need the Smart TV to be able to turn on, change the volume and change HDMI input. That is ALL. I can put my Kodi, Plex, Apple TV, and cable provider, even my laptop, ipad and GoPro to the HDMI input. No network, no apps, no wifi and NO login.
My dad on the otherhand, does need some smarts to load Kayo. On the otherhand (how many hands?), if he can't access Kayo, NOT seeing the Tiges sink to another crushing defeat will help his blood pressure.
I only use the power button (Score:5, Interesting)
If the power on/off becomes to hard for it I will save the Sony for the guest room when I have guest staying who I don't want over staying their welcome.
Re: (Score:2)
Well, that's at least better than my LG TV. Sometimes it refuses to listen to the off button on the remote. The remote is working fine and the batteries are good, it just won't turn off from that. If I turn it off from the power button - and there is only one button on this TV so that means long pressing the fucker - then I can turn it back on from the remote just fine.
TBF this unit has never been firmware updated, but it's equally fair to point out that this generation of television has received firmware u
All TV remotes are made by one company UEI (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
When I first got that Sony the remote drove me crazy as it two concentric rings of buttons where the arrow navigation buttons are, l
OTA misused (Score:1)
The article is talking about the watching of terrestrial broadcast TV programmes.
OTA (Over The Air) is a term that means updating a device's firmware/OS via RF means.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
The article is talking about the watching of terrestrial broadcast TV programmes.
For which the term "Over the Air" is also commonly used.
Re: (Score:1)
Certainly an incorrect use.
Re: (Score:1)
You're just bored and trolling, right? You can't possibly believe this.
OTA has always referred to radio and tv broadcasting; the usage for software updates is the newer one.
'On the air' has been around since Marconi; 'over the air' started when there was a need to differentiate antenna tv from cable television.
Some easy-to-find wikipedia references:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
One of many histories that use the term:
https://www.thefreetvp [thefreetvproject.org]
Re: (Score:2)
What would you call it if you get the content delivered via RF means?
Re: (Score:2)
Ask your mom if you can have a little more internet time today and I'll explain to you that the term was used for television before there were cars that reflashed themselves from a cellular connection.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Look can you give you dad his Slashdot account back? While you do ask him what a floppy disc is and its relation to the save icon, how to tune a carburetor, and what the term Over The Air meant before the days of mobile internet.
I just bought a Bravia 8ii 65" here in UK... (Score:1, Interesting)
Roku is better (Score:2)
A simple solution (Score:2)
Re: A simple solution (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
This was a feature that relied on an Internet service in the first place, so an offline TV wouldn't have had it in the first place.
Gee. An offline TV. What a concept. I’d love to have the feature that’s decades old. Might actually remind me of how long I expect the product to actually function. Especially since we still market and sell those “evil” offline products that allow you to (gasp!) not stream the content from a source pimp and instead play back locally.
Will the 2027 Sony TV even power on without internet? Asking for a pissed off client base on the ass-end of an all-too-common Fuck You Very Much m
Re: (Score:2)
Gee. An offline TV. What a concept.
Yeah I remember those days. Remember we had "offline" TVs and then went out of our way to attach computers to them to make them "online" because we craved the added functionality such a thing provided?
Decades old does not mean good or better. If you think it does ask your employer if they'll provide horse parking and a trough to keep it hydrated when you ride to work. After all it worked for your great grandaddy.
Re: (Score:2)
My office has horse parking. The law requiring businesses to provide it is still on the books in my state. However, nobody parks their horse there, but some folks chain their bicycles to it. There's no trough.
Re: (Score:2)
The solution is obvious: don't connect smart TVs to the Internet. Use a Raspberry Pi or similar as a media centre and only let the TV see a video signal.
The solution is obvious. Just go back to 2008 and pretend to make dumb TVs like we have for the last few decades.
The next move by Sony is to block any video signal not “licesnsed” by Sony. Which will require a SonyPi..
Re: (Score:1)
a raspberry PI can't do Netflix..
Re: (Score:2)
Sure it can. You're going to be limited to 720p because Netflix has obnoxious DRM limitations for web browsers in Linux, but it will work.
Re: (Score:2)
They actually can (at least a few months ago), with some work.
There's a Kodi add-on that will work with Netflix but you have to use special software on a Windows box and log into your Netflix account there to get an authorization key that you then transfer over to your Pi. That said, the experience is very different - there's only a set of directories that you browse and see the files for various shows you watch.
This page details how to do it: https://pimylifeup.com/raspber... [pimylifeup.com]
illegal anticonsumer enshitification (Score:1)
And in many jurisdictions will entitle you to a full refund or replacement at equal to or greater than original purchase price.
Re: (Score:2)
And in many jurisdictions will entitle you to a full refund or replacement at equal to or greater than original purchase price.
Just curious where you think those jurisdictions are. And if consumer protection laws didn’t change already. For the worse.
Re: (Score:2)
Just curious where you think those jurisdictions are. And if consumer protection laws didnâ(TM)t change already. For the worse.
The EPG / presentation of related station data (PSIP) were FCC (US) requirements for broadcasters. Those selling TVs are required to decode the data anyway for station presentation.
As far as I know TV vendors can get away out of pure spite with not showing a guide even though they are required to do most of the work required to implement one anyway. In terms of providing a nerfed guide that intentionally makes it harder to use by only providing listings for recently watched channels this seems like a good
2029 : Sony Is Removing Many Popular Features (Score:3)
models that will be affected are the topline models sold from 2026-2028.
Yet another example... (Score:3)
...of why never to buy a product that costs the manufacturer money for you to continue to use it.
We've seen this time and again, whether in video games, appliances, IoT devices or anything else - as soon as it makes economic sense, and/or they think they can get away with it, manufacturers will stop spending the money on whatever it is that makes your product work.
It happens even if there's a subscription model - at some point an MBA will look at the cost/benefit analysis and end users will always be SOL.
The only solution I can see, beyond legislation, is to vote with your wallet. However, good luck when asking the salesdroid in your local big box store "Does this [device] cost the maker money for me to use it?"
Re: (Score:1)
Data Source Issue? (Score:5, Interesting)
Per TFA:
It sounds like Sony is losing (or is not renewing) the contracts with their data brokers who providing the listing services for their TVs? In which case this is not necessarily expected, but it is par for the course.
There is no truly free source of OTA TV listings and other metadata in the US. The stations themselves do not provide this data over the air as an adjacent data stream (which is what a rational person would expect), so the only way to get listings is from third party providers such as Gracenote. Which as a technical solution works, but it means someone is always on the hook for paying for that service. And no one wants to pay for OTA metadata services, since the hallmark attribute of OTA TV is that it's free.
This is a problem that goes back to the earliest days of TiVo. Someone needs to pay for TV listings, but TVs and other STBs last too long; hardware manufacturers eventually tire of paying for an ever-increasing bill - it costs them money they don't get to make back if they give away the listings for free. And thus you eventually end up with required a monthly subscription just to have an OTA DVR.
The eventual death of linear TV should finally put an end to this nonsense. But until then we're all going to keep experiencing the same non-free listings issues we've had since the late 90s.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
"The stations themselves do not provide this data over the air as an adjacent data stream"
This statement is not accurate. Full-power and Class A TV stations are, in fact, required to provide guide data over the air. (It's part of ATSC A/65C of the standard, which is codified in 47CFR73.682(d) of the FCC's rules.) Low-power TV stations have the option of doing so, and a decent number of them do.
The real problem is that the minimum requirement is only for 12 hours of guide data. But that would at least le
Re: (Score:2)
There is no truly free source of OTA TV listings and other metadata in the US. The stations themselves do not provide this data over the air as an adjacent data stream (which is what a rational person would expect), so the only way to get listings is from third party providers such as Gracenote. Which as a technical solution works, but it means someone is always on the hook for paying for that service. And no one wants to pay for OTA metadata services, since the hallmark attribute of OTA TV is that it's free.
Broadcasters are REQUIRED to transmit program information. From applicable law:
"(1) Transmission of broadcast television signals shall comply with the standards (incorporated by reference, see 73.8000) for such transmissions set forth in: ...
(iii) ATSC A/65C
"
https://www.law.cornell.edu/cf... [cornell.edu]
Program data is available and it works. The problem with over the air data is it sucks. It is text only and provides a days of programming in advance if you are lucky otherwise it is more like a half day. It also req
Re: Data Source Issue? (Score:2)
A good tv would require two receivers and enough ram to store a decent amount of guide data. It would use one receiver to get the streams from the currently active program and another receiver to slowly scan all of the other active stations to collect the data and build a guide.
This would cost money for the receiver, the ram, the software development, and the maintenance. All for a feature that few people actually use.
VS adding a button for Netflix on the remote and enabling a software plugin that Netflix w
Re: (Score:2)
A good tv would require two receivers and enough ram to store a decent amount of guide data. It would use one receiver to get the streams from the currently active program and another receiver to slowly scan all of the other active stations to collect the data and build a guide.
This would cost money for the receiver, the ram, the software development, and the maintenance. All for a feature that few people actually use.
We have an ancient lowest bidder 14" TV from the 2010s and even that has a functioning guide. The tuners and storage arguments for not even a days of schedule data is patently absurd especially given current context of Sony models running android. The nerfing of existing functionality is actually the behavior that requires additional software development and maintenance.
These baseless arguments remind me of those who say making cell phones with replaceable batteries is onerous and would increase costs eve
Re: (Score:1)
That's not accurate. I have a Samsung TV that grabs OTA guide that without any internet service at all. Is it slow to gather the data? Yes. But there's not backend provider, it's in the air already.
Forever War (Score:2)
The consumer market is so lopsided. Consumers pay money for hardware and features that change: improvements, deteriorations, and even cancellations. It is unfair to pay for features that disappear because of the manufacturer.
It seems like a tiny law that says deteriorations in services within X years of purchase should greatly lower the bar for refunds.
So screwing the customers, TV's not that old ! (Score:2)
EPG data is available OTA (Score:2)
Both the ATSC 1.0 and 3.0 specs include OTA EPG data yet I don't see any of the major vendors using it. There's no reason for Sony or really any OTA receiver maker to have to provide that guide data over the net.
My 2016 Bravia had the same issue (Score:1)
DFA (Score:2)
The European Union is preparing the digital fairness act (DFA) which would tackle such planned obsolecense enshittification.
https://cdn.table.media/assets... [cdn.table.media]
Obligatory, blame me post (Score:1)
I literally just bought the XR50 on Sunday
ATSC seems to be attacked from every side (Score:3)
The broadcasters are trying to kill it by encrypting it and forcing everyone to buy new TVs. The TV manufacturers are limiting what you get from over the air.
During the NTSC/ATSC change I purchased an ATSC receiver and was surprised at the available program data, being able to see upcoming shows and descriptions several hours in advance with no connection beyond the antenna itself.
I had an analog TiVo at the time and understood that its show descriptions came from a service over the internet. Iâ(TM)m still using a TiVo as my primary tv tuner so most program guide details I see are still via that interface.
I occasionally set up a tv with an antenna and am often surprised at the downgrade in guide data from the original setup I saw in 2006.
Are there any dumb TVs in existence? (Score:2)
I just want HDMI ports and ports for external speakers. No web browser, no 500 additional "channels" of streaming crap (does anyone watch those?). And definitely don't play ads on my TV.
back in the day (Score:1)