Where are iPlayer and ITV hub apps on new A90J 2021 OLEDs?

[Toadio]

All the common UK catchup tv apps appear to be missing for the tv and they cannot be installed from google play store.. spec clearly states YouView support and specifically iPlayer.. surely i cant be the only one that has noticed these are not there?!

[copyrightimage]

my guess is that it will take time for the update to be abilble by that channel, the update would seem to be.available on the support site.  Not tried it yet but would guess it’s a matter of downloading to a usb storage key and inserting that into the tv:

https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/oled-tvs-android-a80j_a83j_a84j-series/xr-65a80j/software...

[Hummmmmmy]

I’ve manually updated the firmware following the instructions on Sony’s support page and it’s a small Christmas miracle!

[Umbugnet]

Don't despair Eddie. I understand it will be rolled out on a staggered basis, I guess to stop their servers from crashing if thousands of TVs requested the update simultaneously. However, you can do it yourself now by downloading the update file on a computer, unzipping it, saving it to a USB memory stick, doing a restart on your TV and then plugging the USB memory stick into your TV. Take a look at the following page, put your TV model number in, select Downloads to get a link to the zip file and follow the instructions carefully...

https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support 

[lukeymo]

I can confirm that i now have the missing apps!  BBC iPlayer, 4OD, ITV Hub and My5.

Updating was really easy... it didn't update manually (i think it only looks for updates every so often), so you just have to go to "Settings > About > Software Update" and then select the "Check for updates" option.  Once the update has installed, the TV will then restart.

On mine, straight after the update, the apps first appeared in the "Sony Select" app.  But, once i had opened one of the apps for the first time, it then added them to the normal App list.

Another tip:  Once these apps are in your app list, they may get added to the bottom of the list - which means that you won't see them as part of your "top apps" on your Home screen (so you have to click "View all" every time, in-order to see them).  However, this is easily fixed... On the "Apps" screen, highlight one of the new apps, and then hold down the enter button... it will then give you an option to move it, so you can move it into your "top apps" (above the line), which means that it will then appear on your home screen.

Also worth noting that as the "My5" app suddenly appeared a week or so ago, this new update has installed a second version on the "My5" app - so I now have two of the one app i am likely to never use!

Still, very grateful that these apps have appeared... back to one single remote!  Anyone who argued enough to be given a fire stick with their recent TV purchase can now gift it to someone for Christmas!

[Umbugnet]

Not having these apps, critical to the UK market, available at launch of the Bravia 2021 models was poor. Marketing the models as having the apps was unacceptable and probably illegal. Sony could also have been proactive in their communications about the issue and more upfront about the nature of the problem and the progress being made to resolve it.

However, Sony have at least been true to what they have since promised...that catch up TV apps will be available in 2021. I really hope they have learned from their errors but I doubt they even recognise them. 

[S44TUH]

Yes - just installed mine via the TV update menu - haven't tested everything. iplayer definitely works with UHD options there.

[Sparkyboykeith]

Thanks lukeymo.  All working fine on my TV now.  Shame on Sony for taking so long to resolve this major issue for their UK customers.

[Trevene]

All working fine on my tv. Curry’s did initially advertise that catch up programmes would be available in 2021 which has now come true. Sony could have kept us up to date regarding the update but glad it’s now been resolved.

[Ian_m-K]

All working fine for me too now. Many thanks for advising. 

[Moanygit]

Update installed on my TV but no sign of BBC iPlayer yet. (Searching in home>apps)