X85L: can’t watch Freeview (UK) internet/data channels

[haile_]

Hello,

The problem: We have many channels that appear in the EPG (both the stock Sony one and the YouView app) but whenever we try to tune into them, all we get is a silent black screen, with no error messages. These are channels delivered over the Internet and not the aerial. 

What we’ve tried:

• The TV is already connected to our WiFi and we have no problems streaming YouTube, iPlayer, Netflix, Pluto or anything else
• There are older threads by people with similar problems but they’re all a few years old and none of the suggestions apply to our TV as far as I can tell
• We’ve checked for a TV software update and it’s up to date

TV details:

KD-55X85L

Model: Bravia 4K VH22

Android TV OS: 10

Android TV OS security patch level: 1 June 2024

Kernel version: 4.19.75

Can anyone help? Thanks in advance!

[haile_]

@royabrown2 

So you’re saying channels 251-299 don’t work in YouView - are you also saying those channels SHOULD work with the default Sony TV app (NOT YouView)? Because they don’t for us, and never have done.

[royabrown2]

@haile_ 

I honestly don’t know. Somebody from Sony should step in here and set our expectations.

YouView isn't Freeview, so it doesn’t have to meet Freeview specifications. But I would expect that the ‘Freeview’ side of a Sony TV should meet Freeview specifications.

But what are the Freeview specifications? For Freeview Play, the smart TV Freeview specifications, devices no longer have to support MHEG, but do have to support HbbTV.

The internet channels on Freeview, I am told, were once all MHEG, are now nearly all HbbTV, but can still be delivered by either means, or even by both, with the receiving device able to choose if both are offered.

But YouView, I understand, doesn’t do HbbTV (inexplicably), and those few internet channels it can get are the few still offering MHEG, either solely, or as a choice beside HbbTV.

But as to the Freeview side of Sony TVs; do they do HbbTV? If so, do you maybe have to turn it on? :-

https://helpguide.sony.net/tv/iaepm1/v1/en/3_5_5_hbbtv_settings.html

I think we would all like Sony to tell us precisely what the situation is.