topic Re: Itv player app in Android TV

Itv player app

Rockpoolie — Tue, 09 May 2017 06:44:11 GMT

Can I install the itv player app on. my Bravia TV?

Re: Itv player app

royabrown — Tue, 09 May 2017 13:06:53 GMT

@Rockpoolie wrote:
Can I install the itv player app on. my Bravia TV?

Depends which one it is. If it is a Sony Android set (and if it isn't, you are in the wrong part of the Community), then you get the itv player as part of the YouView offering.

But you have to activate YouView to get it, which also brings you the All4 player, but is incompatible with using the satellite facilities of the TV, and also does not support recording TV broadcasts, like the Freeview EPG on these sets do.

i recommend a £15 Now TV box (and you don't have to subscribe if you don't want to, so that is £15 all-in) to add these two Players to a non-YouView Android TV. Or indeed, any TV with a spare HDMI input.

Re: Itv player app

Rockpoolie — Tue, 09 May 2017 15:27:46 GMT

My only source is from cable via a Virgin box so I'm assuming the you view option can't be enabled

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

Re: Itv player app

Anonymous — Tue, 09 May 2017 16:03:49 GMT

Hi there

Assuming that you have an Android based TV (which its still not clear), and your only TV source from Virgin - then No, YouView cannot be enabled. You will need to tune in at least 1 channel for YouView to be enabled, and then you will get ITV Player and All4. But once you have turned the TV - you can disconnect the aerial and YouView will still be enabled. Why not try and borrow a portable aerial from someone or something like that?

Alternatively, as Royabrown says above, an external device such as NowTV might be good?

Cheers

Re: Itv player app

royabrown — Wed, 10 May 2017 09:32:58 GMT

@Quinnicus wrote:
Hi there

Assuming that you have an Android based TV (which its still not clear), and your only TV source from Virgin - then No, YouView cannot be enabled. You will need to tune in at least 1 channel for YouView to be enabled, and then you will get ITV Player and All4. But once you have turned the TV - you can disconnect the aerial and YouView will still be enabled. Why not try and borrow a portable aerial from someone or something like that?

Alternatively, as Royabrown says above, an external device such as NowTV might be good?

Cheers

Rockpoolie says XE8005 elsewhere.

i think that qualifies 🙂

+1 for your one-time aerial suggestion.

Re: Itv player app

Rockpoolie — Wed, 10 May 2017 11:35:46 GMT

Thank you for the reply, sorry for not clarifying but yes a Bravia Android model. The one time aerial connection sounds like a plan hopefully I can get 1 station if that's all that's required then do away with it.

Thanks again

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

Re: Itv player app

royabrown — Wed, 10 May 2017 13:57:21 GMT

Itv like to know where you are, so it might have to be an itv channel; but put an aerial on, let it see what it finds, what have you got to lose?

Re: Itv player app

Rockpoolie — Wed, 10 May 2017 16:16:27 GMT

Thats worked a treat did need post code though, was surprised that the tuner found the digital channels as I plugged the aeriel connection into a wall socket that is nly serviced by a conventional aeriel.

Might leave it connected now though not sure it serve any real purpose given I use Virgin cable

Thanks again for the hekp guys

Re: Itv player app

royabrown — Wed, 10 May 2017 19:42:08 GMT

Ever since the UK switched off analogue, a 'conventional aerial' pulls in digital channels,

As far as the aerial is concerned, it is still receiving transmissions on the old 21-68 channels we had in the analogue days.

But now, each 'channel' broadcasting is actually a multiplex, a group of digital,channels, which modern digital tuners separate out into the many, many Freeview channels available.

But while Virgin will no doubt bring you all these channels, and more, live, I don't know if it can do what YouView can do.

Want to watch an itv programme that was on yesterday? Well, you can go into the itv player now, and look for it. Or, with YouView, you can use the 'backwards' EPG; just go into the EPG, go back to yesterday, find the programne you missed, select it - and YouView will automagically start the itv player, with the programme you wanted, and play it out to you. (As long as it is available, that is; and if it isn't, it won't be on the itv player either).

Same for programmes on BBC, Channel 4, and Channel 5. Up to 7 days in the past, not just yesterday, either.

Can Virgin do this for you? If not, well worth keeping that aerial connection in place 🙂

Re: Itv player app

Rockpoolie — Thu, 11 May 2017 06:09:12 GMT

Thanks for the explanation re the aerial I wasnt aware of this as that particular socket hasn't been used in years.

The Virgin V6 Tivo box does give me the same functionality. The reason I connected up was to get direct acces to ITV player and All 4 from the TV which I have now. Though Im not sure I understand how I still get this now (and the you view guide) if I disconnect the aerial feed, presumably via the net. But if that's the case why wouldn't Itv player work direct without initially making the aerial connection?

Anyway all sorted now thank you

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

Re: Itv player app

Rockpoolie — Thu, 11 May 2017 08:03:09 GMT

One thing I've noticed is that now the TV button now defaults to select the digital channel despite previoiusly being set up for my hdmi connection to the Virgin Box and the customise TV key option is grayed out within the external inpur settings presumably because YouView is now enabled?

Re: Itv player app

Rockpoolie — Thu, 11 May 2017 08:09:52 GMT

Double post

Re: Itv player app

royabrown — Thu, 11 May 2017 20:30:04 GMT

Presumably.

I did not know it did that, and nor do I think it should,

https://community.youview.com/youview/topics/selecting-youvew-on-the-sony-android-tvs-does-it-lock-the-tv-button-to-itself-should-it

I have enquired of YouView on your behalf.

Re: Itv player app

Rockpoolie — Fri, 12 May 2017 05:50:49 GMT

Thank you for all your help it appreciated

Re: Itv player app

royabrown — Fri, 12 May 2017 09:42:13 GMT

@Rockpoolie wrote:
Thanks for the explanation re the aerial I wasnt aware of this as that particular socket hasn't been used in years.

The Virgin V6 Tivo box does give me the same functionality. The reason I connected up was to get direct acces to ITV player and All 4 from the TV which I have now. Though Im not sure I understand how I still get this now (and the you view guide) if I disconnect the aerial feed, presumably via the net. But if that's the case why wouldn't Itv player work direct without initially making the aerial connection?

Anyway all sorted now thank you

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

The Guide will gradually die out, I think, if you leave the aerial disconnected. Some of the information in it comes over the internet, but I don't think that will be enough to keep it alive. BICBW.

The itv Player and All 4 come over the Internet, and so should continue to work perfectly well within an aerial connection.

These two Players are provided as part of the YouView service, and only as part of the YouView service, so you have to fulfil the YouView requirements to get them, and part of that is you must tune in the terrestrial channels.

A small hoop to jump through, after which you can game the system by disconnecting the aerial. YouView boxes are much pickier here, and cannot so easily be gamed to operate without an aerial 🙂

Re: Itv player app

royabrown — Fri, 12 May 2017 09:55:13 GMT

YouView don't think that they are turning off the TV Customisation here, and suggest you raise this with Sony Support. Fifteen-love, the ball is back in your court 😞

Which Quinnicus will no doubt know the best route to take, as Sony staff don't roam this forum like I think they should, while YouView staff do roam the YouView forum.

Does your Virgin box implement CEC though? (What Sony call BraviaSync, though it is a universal HDMI switching standard that every manufacturer seems to have its own name for, and some variance in how much of the standard it supports).

If so, then from the situation in which both TV and TiVo are in Standby, switching the TiVo on should also be able to switch on the TV and switch to the TiVo input, if CEC can be, and is, enabled on both devices.

Worth investigating, if you don't already have it working like this.

Re: Itv player app

Rockpoolie — Fri, 12 May 2017 11:38:21 GMT

Thanks - yes the TV supports CEC/Bravia sync and this was set up and working though I'm not sure it is now as I've noticed the linked Sony soundbar doesn't seem to fire up as it did, or even goes off when I I dont recall changing any settings at least not deliberately - one to check when I get home later tonight

Re: Itv player app

Anonymous — Fri, 12 May 2017 13:14:05 GMT

Hiya

If you are using a Tivo box - sometimes the HDMI-CEC on that has caused compatibility issues in the past with other devices. A simple reboot of the Tivo box seems to fix that.

In regards to why YouView over-rules the TV button on the remote control - I'll pass this onto Sony (as I am also now curious as to why !) Will get back to you if/when I get an answer.

Cheers

Re: Itv player app

royabrown — Fri, 12 May 2017 14:30:19 GMT

Quinnicus

i can see why it would overrule any existing setting for this button.

i think the question you want to be asking Sony is why, having done that, it also grays out the 'Customise TV Button' feature to you can't switch away from the YouView default setting again.

Re: Itv player app

Anonymous — Sat, 13 May 2017 21:59:05 GMT

As this 'Customise TV Key' issue can be reproduced, I have added this to the bugs/issues list:

https://community.sony.co.uk/t5/android-tv/android-tv-bugs-and-issues/m-p/2330944#M19228