Comcast wants to buy Roku

[Juan]

They have Not done it on any TV's that were capable of Streaming as of yet, I don't know why you think they want to abandon what has worked well ....
why would they want a 3rd party involved when they are doing it themselves until it cost themselves more than the 3rd party charges.

Sony was a Great TV company for a LONG time, then they decided to be like OTHERS awhile back when they were bringing out 10 different TVs a years, then they WOKE UP ... in the last 5 years or so they are back on the top of the business.

SONY streaming tvs go obsolete after 5 years or so..happened to mine..technology constantly changes which is why you dont buy built in streaming..at somepoint the hardware is no longer supported..they are not going to constantly updatebtv software

 

[ncted]

They have Not done it on any TV's that were capable of Streaming as of yet, I don't know why you think they want to abandon what has worked well ....
why would they want a 3rd party involved when they are doing it themselves until it cost themselves more than the 3rd party charges.

Sony was a Great TV company for a LONG time, then they decided to be like OTHERS awhile back when they were bringing out 10 different TVs a years, then they WOKE UP ... in the last 5 years or so they are back on the top of the business.

I wish you were right, but I do not believe you are when it comes to long term support of built-in streaming apps on Sony or any other TV. Some will last for longer than others, and I think Sony Android TVs probably fits into that category more than most. However, there are already apps that older Sony Android TVs won't run. The AppleTV app only only supports certain Sony TVs going back to 2018:

• Sony A9S series (2020)
• Sony A9F series (2018)
• Sony A9G series (2019)
• Sony X85G series (2019 55”, 65”, 75”, and 85” models)
• Sony X95G series (2019)
• Sony X80H series (2020)
• Sony X85H series (2020)
• Sony X90H series (2020)
• Sony X95H series (2020)
• Sony X80J series (2021)
• Sony X85J series (2021)
• Sony X90J series (2021)
• Sony X91J series (2021)
• Sony X95J series (2021)
• Sony Z8H series (2020)
• Sony Z9G series (2019)
• Sony Z9F series (2018)
• Sony Z9J series (2021)

This is due to the comparatively worse performance of the silicon in the older TVs.

 

[jerryez]

What is now AT&T is actually a former baby bell, Southwestern Bell, which bough AT&T in 2005 and renamed itself AT&T.

Why did the gov't let Southwestern Bell buy att and etc, when they originally broke up att because it was a monoply? Now it is much worse .

 

[Bilbo1]

My 6 year old Sony TVs stopped running current apps a couple of years ago.

My qualifier was past 3 to 5 years… prior to that, smart TVs were in their infancy, and OEMs were doing their own thing for lack of any standards or market leading devices with an operating system that they could license. Today, the market has pretty much converged on three platforms, Samsung, LG, and Roku, each with about 30% market share. Android and Apple pick up the rest. Because of external devices, Roku and Apple over perform for what is actually used, but I wouldn’t bet on the external device market long term, aside from the fact that a TV has a life of over 10 years. Although most people with a TV already have devices, and why by a Roku to use on a TV with built-in Roku?

Google and Netflix have already indicated required AV1 support is forthcoming, and very few SoCs support it in silicon. A handful can support it in software, but most of them are not in Sony or anyone else's TVs.

My iPhone only has 2 cameras. The newer ones have 3. A third camera is not a feature that is driving me to a new iPhone. I’m also not planning to pay YouTube TV for 4K despite the fact that my Apple TV and TVs support it. All these older devices still work.

So, it may not be supported, but that doesn’t mean the current devices are going to stop working anytime soon.

People that want AV1 support will need new devices.

How is your 2015 HP Laptop gonna do with Windows 11 BTW?

Early beta or when released this fall? I can understand them wanting to limit hardware on an initial beta release. It’s much easier to test a limited hardware pool and expand from there.

My laptop supports TPM 2.0, but has an older processor. I expect the list of supported processors to grow. My 6th gen i7 was used in newer machines. There is no technical reason my processor can’t run Windows 11. There is already a backlash against Microsoft for the current list. There is no reason to believe it won’t be added in a future release.

Edit to say my 2015 HP laptop is now running Windows 11. I had been on the developers ring with Windows Insider, the health check said the processor was an issue. Apparently that’s not the case anymore.

Obsolescence is a fact of life. Yes, hardware is now good enough that the life of "smart" features in products like TVs is longer than it used to be, but time and technology march on.

You are confusing outdated with nonfunctional. There are plenty of outdated items that are still useful. Technology may march on, but that doesn’t mean it leaves everything by the side of the road. In most areas, the next generation product adds very little.

We are at a point where the added features in next gen products don’t offer value to justify the cost of updating to a lot of people.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Yespage]

Eventually, the SoCs that Sony uses in their TVs (MediaTek most likely) will be unable to handle the new codecs required by the Android TV platform. At that point you will not be able to update Android or the Apps. At another point beyond that, the older Android and App versions will stop being supported at all and not work. It won't happen all at once. Certain apps will drop support for your old TV first, and then one by one the rest will stop working, until you eventually have to get a new TV or add a streaming device. The same thing will happen to all SmartTVs eventually, not just Sony.

This is stupidity of SmartTVs IMHO, but there are very few dumb TVs available anymore, so what's a person to do? My answer is to not use their "Smart" features, so they cannot monetize me with ads and use an external streaming device instead. This is really just a bonus as the external sticks/boxes generally provide a superior experience to the built-in apps which is my primary reason for choosing to do this.

In general, I'd agree. Oddly enough, my Vizio 4K had Peacock and Vudu well before the Fire Stick did.

 

[ncted]

In general, I'd agree. Oddly enough, my Vizio 4K had Peacock and Vudu well before the Fire Stick did.

Guessing Vizio doesn't charge 30% for in-app purchases that way Amazon does.

 

[Juan]

Why did the gov't let Southwestern Bell buy att and etc, when they originally broke up att because it was a monoply? Now it is much worse .

Not the same..lucent was spun off..they just bought the name..there are a bunch of little pieces out there

 

[Juan]

My qualifier was past 3 to 5 years… prior to that, smart TVs were in their infancy, and OEMs were doing their own thing for lack of any standards or market leading devices with an operating system that they could license. Today, the market has pretty much converged on three platforms, Samsung, LG, and Roku, each with about 30% market share. Android and Apple pick up the rest. Because of external devices, Roku and Apple over perform for what is actually used, but I wouldn’t bet on the external device market long term, aside from the fact that a TV has a life of over 10 years. Although most people with a TV already have devices, and why by a Roku to use on a TV with built-in Roku?



My iPhone only has 2 cameras. The newer ones have 3. A third camera is not a feature that is driving me to a new iPhone. I’m also not planning to pay YouTube TV for 4K despite the fact that my Apple TV and TVs support it. All these older devices still work.

So, it may not be supported, but that doesn’t mean the current devices are going to stop working anytime soon.

People that want AV1 support will need new devices.



Early beta or when released this fall? I can understand them wanting to limit hardware on an initial beta release. It’s much easier to test a limited hardware pool and expand from there.

My laptop supports TPM 2.0, but has an older processor. I expect the list of supported processors to grow. My 6th gen i7 was used in newer machines. There is no technical reason my processor can’t run Windows 11. There is already a backlash against Microsoft for the current list. There is no reason to believe it won’t be added in a future release.

Edit to say my 2015 HP laptop is now running Windows 11. I had been on the developers ring with Windows Insider, the health check said the processor was an issue. Apparently that’s not the case anymore.



You are confusing outdated with nonfunctional. There are plenty of outdated items that are still useful. Technology may march on, but that doesn’t mean it leaves everything by the side of the road. In most areas, the next generation product adds very little.

We are at a point where the added features in next gen products don’t offer value to justify the cost of updating to a lot of people.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sony apps stopped working when they stopped supporting them

 

[ncted]

You are confusing outdated with nonfunctional. There are plenty of outdated items that are still useful. Technology may march on, but that doesn’t mean it leaves everything by the side of the road. In most areas, the next generation product adds very little.

We are at a point where the added features in next gen products don’t offer value to justify the cost of updating to a lot of people.

Perhaps I am alone in this, but, when a device will no longer perform one of more of its intended functions due to its age, it is definitely outdated.

I have no doubt that many if not most people will continue to use those outdated, nonfunctional TVs as long as they can to avoid paying to upgrade to something that will do what they want as you posit. It doesn't change the fact that people with older Sony Android and Samsung Tizen TVs, including some 2018 and 2019 models, cannot watch Ted Lasso on a "built-in" AppleTV app due to hardware limitations. There is always going to be some new hot thing that people will want to do, and the limited hardware in SmartTVs won't be able to keep up because they are choosing their components based on the minimum requirements that allow them to:

1. Monetize TV owners as long as it is economically viable to do so
2. Say they support all current popular technology at the time of sale
3. Claim it is better than last year's model

Innovative companies will always come up with new things to do in software that require better hardware. In the mean time LED and OLED panels will continue to outlast the little computers that stream the content from the internet to the screens.

Now the MT5893 SoC in my 2020 Sony is a very fast chip compared to other SmartTV SoCs, so it should be capable for a very long time, but it is still slow compared to my Shield Pro or 2017 AppleTV 4k. It is similar in performance to the Firestick 4K I got in 2018, which cost me $25 (on sale). I have no expectations that it will still be usable as a primary media streaming device in 5 years time, and I don't think anyone else should.

Yes, I am sure 30+% of people will continue to use their TVs are their primary streaming media device. The question is, will they replace the whole TV as the non-display parts of the product become obsolete, or will they just plug in a Roku/Firestick/etc. device? I know what I would do, but I enjoy spending a little money to get good technology.

 

[jerryez]

I know what I would do, but I enjoy spending a little money to get good technology.

Good technology or the LATEST TECHNOLOGY?

 

[ncted]

Good technology or the LATEST TECHNOLOGY?

I was going to say good, but I decided to instead say both. It kind of depends. Some things interest me enough to invest a bit early. For instance, I decided a smart watch was worth it when the Apple Watch 2 came out. I had an original AppleTV, original Roku, second gen iPod, and an original iPhone. However, I didn't get a Blackberry until the Pearl, never had a Startac, never got a first gen computer (e.g. PowerPC or Intel Mac), and I haven't bought BEV yet.

New tech does have to prove itself a bit before I'll jump in. Even with the things I got original models, I waited months before buying to make sure there were no big design mistakes to live with.

 

[Jimbo]

SONY streaming tvs go obsolete after 5 years or so..happened to mine..technology constantly changes which is why you dont buy built in streaming..at somepoint the hardware is no longer supported..they are not going to constantly updatebtv software

Well see ....

If all else fails, I'll buy the latest throw away Roku ... see there must be a reason they make a few new ones EVERY year.

 

[Jimbo]

I wish you were right, but I do not believe you are when it comes to long term support of built-in streaming apps on Sony or any other TV. Some will last for longer than others, and I think Sony Android TVs probably fits into that category more than most. However, there are already apps that older Sony Android TVs won't run. The AppleTV app only only supports certain Sony TVs going back to 2018:

• Sony A9S series (2020)
• Sony A9F series (2018)
• Sony A9G series (2019)
• Sony X85G series (2019 55”, 65”, 75”, and 85” models)
• Sony X95G series (2019)
• Sony X80H series (2020)
• Sony X85H series (2020)
• Sony X90H series (2020)
• Sony X95H series (2020)
• Sony X80J series (2021)
• Sony X85J series (2021)
• Sony X90J series (2021)
• Sony X91J series (2021)
• Sony X95J series (2021)
• Sony Z8H series (2020)
• Sony Z9G series (2019)
• Sony Z9F series (2018)
• Sony Z9J series (2021)

This is due to the comparatively worse performance of the silicon in the older TVs.

Interesting, mine is not on the extensive list you provided and the APPs are all working fine.

 

[llokey]

Why did the gov't let Southwestern Bell buy att and etc, when they originally broke up att because it was a monoply? Now it is much worse .

Basically the industry changed. In the 90's at&t had somewhat of a monopoly. There was competition in long distance (an old term now) but no real competition for residential service and limited competition for business service. By the time SBC started buying everyone (except Verizon and US West), competition existed - mainly due to cellular. I lived through all of it and retired as soon as at&t bought (technically merged with) BellSouth. at&t is a rough company to work for. Many friends are still there so I get the inside look.

 

[Jhon69]

Well see ....

If all else fails, I'll buy the latest throw away Roku ... see there must be a reason they make a few new ones EVERY year.

If you need another Roku,you will need the 2020 Roku Ultra that does Dolby Vision and Dolby ATMOS.
That will wake up your Sony OLED,it definitely helped my Sony XBR55A8H when I stream my UHD movies on Vudu.
For some reason the picture just looks cleaner, than when I watch movies on my Android Vudu app.

 

[Jimbo]

If you need another Roku,you will need the 2020 Roku Ultra that does Dolby Vision and Dolby ATMOS.
That will wake up your Sony OLED,it definitely helped my Sony XBR55A8H when I stream my UHD movies on Vudu.
For some reason the picture just looks cleaner, than when I watch movies on my Android Vudu app.

Doesn't your A8 already have Dolby Vision ?
I took an update quite awhile back that activated the DV (if it didn't already have it activated when I set it up.)

 

[ncted]

Interesting, mine is not on the extensive list you provided and the APPs are all working fine.

Well that is good news. I've seen plenty of people complaining about it not working on older sets. Maybe they added support but did not update the documentation?

 

[Jhon69]

Doesn't your A8 already have Dolby Vision ?
I took an update quite awhile back that activated the DV (if it didn't already have it activated when I set it up.)

Yes mine has Dolby Vision and HDR10,but as I said before for some reason my 2020 Roku Ultra produces a cleaner picture.
In fact the Roku Ultra has a setting where I can set the Dolby Vision to stay on all the time,no matter what my resolution is.
But I only use it for UHD movies.

 

[ncted]

If you need another Roku,you will need the 2020 Roku Ultra that does Dolby Vision and Dolby ATMOS.
That will wake up your Sony OLED,it definitely helped my Sony XBR55A8H when I stream my UHD movies on Vudu.
For some reason the picture just looks cleaner, than when I watch movies on my Android Vudu app.

I noticed the same with my AppleTV 4K DV content looking better than the built-in app on my X950H, and not just Vudu.

 

[Jhon69]

I noticed the same with my AppleTV 4K DV content looking better than the built-in app on my X950H, and not just Vudu.

I would think that that would help prove a lot of technicans correct when they recommend using a separate box to stream with.