topic Upgrade SoC ATV 1? 2015 & 2016 models in Android TV

Upgrade SoC ATV 1? 2015 & 2016 models

vispen74 — Sat, 28 Dec 2019 22:40:56 GMT

I own a Bravia XD8505. The TV itself is nice and we are happy with its picture quality. We are using the Android TV interface for pretty much everything we do on the TV, and here is the limitation. The Android TV it self works well, but so slow that I have newer seen anything like this before.

The question is if it would be possible to upgrade the SoC in the TV, like buying a new board of some sort? The TV is just a couple of years old and it would be a punch in the face for the environment if we had to Change the whole TV-set every third year or something just because the SoC gets outdated. Specifically on this TV where the SoC is so sluggish from start compared to the quality of the rest of the TV.

Is there or could Sony think of any update program for the ATV1 series? I would gladly pay quite much for that. It would be a step in the right direction to save the planet as well.

Rif.: Upgrade SoC?

rooobb — Mon, 09 Dec 2019 06:40:14 GMT

Best option to stay always updated with smart features is to buy an external box such as a fire stick for few pounds

Re: Upgrade SoC?

spannerzone — Mon, 09 Dec 2019 18:49:54 GMT

I think the short answer is no - Sony don't even offer a very up to date SoC solution on the 2019 models and there's talk that even these new models cannot be upgraded to Android Pie as the Meditek chip is too old or unsuitable for further updates. And I've just got one of these TVs a week or so back!

I think it's extremely unlikely Sony would ever consider releasing an upgrade as it's just not cost effective and it's your problem not theirs... having smart attributes built into consumer products like TVs is a great way to force upgrades way before it's necessary. Most TVs should last 7 years or more....adding smart features seems a sure way to cut this time. Not the answer any of us want to hear but I think that's the reality unfortunately.

Simplest answer seems to buy a Roku or Amazon fire stick for £30 and solve most of the problems.

Re: Upgrade SoC?

vispen74 — Sat, 14 Dec 2019 12:16:35 GMT

Yes I think to buy some external unit for the TV is vital and the only way to get some use of it without having constantly Haigh blod pressure. I'm looking at the Nvidia Shield 2019 at the moment.

The Bravia XD series works actually just as a monitor, the rest is a piece of junk due to the under powered SoC. For example when watching TV it takes eight seconds from pressing Guide button on remote until the guide completely shows up, how is it even possible??? The second time it's get faster, but similar load times applies to most of the TVs functions after each and every start up. I now tried the Google assistant on the TV since it's just been released here in Sweden, but the TV can't handle it, it tries but it's so distorted and pixeled during the use of it due to the slow SoC that the user experience is a totally disaster.

I hardly regret that I ever bought this TV, it should newer been sold public. It could have been so good with a faster CPU and some more RAM. Our family can't afford to spend another 2000 euro on a new TV set after just a couple of years.

I actually hate this TV.

Re: Upgrade SoC?

vispen74 — Sat, 14 Dec 2019 12:27:26 GMT

Anyway to overclock the TV?

Re: Upgrade SoC?

rooobb — Sat, 14 Dec 2019 12:30:28 GMT

You may have just to reset it and adjust some setting... mine A1 is on a 5891 SoC so slightly faster but I do not complain about performance (if you want you may take a view on some recorded features on oreo bu I did it also on nougat https://youtu.be/hVlTTiXUYdM )

If for you think that's too slow I am afraid you should avoid android.but also other os

Re: Upgrade SoC?

vispen74 — Sat, 14 Dec 2019 16:13:07 GMT

I love the Android-TV. I have a Philips Android-TV of about the same age in kitchen, and I have a Mi box 3 connected to our bedroom TV as well, so I have quite much experience from this. It's only the Sony that is so unbelievable slow. The other two units is like rockets in comparison. I did the last reset of the TV like a year ago, maybe it could give some percent higher speed if I do again, but it's a bif job to get all things back as wanted again.

The Sony TV in the YouTube video is at least five times faster (edit: ten times faster, at least!!!) than the xd8505. If it had been my TV set I had been satisfied.

So, Android-TV - yes, Sony 65xd8505 - no.

Re: Upgrade SoC?

rooobb — Sat, 14 Dec 2019 17:05:50 GMT

@vispen74 it is the first time ever that I heard someone stating the Philips Android TV version is better than Sony (ok there is no such talking in any case about philips, does not even exist a forum for their products), but please do not talk about feeling, record the same scenario I did from my own A1 and show us your faster Philips. MiBox doesn't account as a comparison IMHO I would rather compare it with an Nvidia Shield.

Re: Upgrade SoC?

rooobb — Sat, 14 Dec 2019 17:10:29 GMT

@vispen74 ha scritto:

[...]

The Sony TV in the YouTube video is at least five times faster (edit: ten times faster, at least!!!) than the xd8505. If it had been my TV set I had been satisfied.

So, Android-TV - yes, Sony 65xd8505 - no.

That is my own TV, no fake - no Sony trick. In this version I didn't even activated the Developer option.

It has a slightly better SoC same RAM amount, there is no much reason for it to be ten time faster.

I'd suggest to reset it (it is annoying but nothing dramatic), deactivate some app you'll ever need, activate the developer option and start changing some parameters that may help (i.e. max background job).

Re: Upgrade SoC?

vispen74 — Sat, 14 Dec 2019 17:39:40 GMT

Here we go, couldn't continue to record because my doughter goes nuts...

https://youtu.be/lKaA-GqO5fI

But I think it's more than enough to get a picture of the speed of the TV.

Totaly unresponsive after pressing guide button
Stuttering when TV is working hard with loading the guide
Totally unresponsive again after pushing Discover button
And so on...

Re: Upgrade SoC?

rooobb — Sat, 14 Dec 2019 17:53:06 GMT

Oh my god! Nah it cannot be this slow! Never ever. If I got it rights it skips also frame on the DVBT while doing something on the remote

You should definitively do something about it. I do not have at hand anymore a 2016 model, but it cannot be like this

You'll find a lot of material on the internet but I suggest you to try resetting, disabling Samba and other stuff like this (i.e. you view that run in any case in background even if you are not in uk) than activate the developer menu and start fixing max background job to 2

I do not know if it was my impression on the video, but you may have some problem also with the remote, I didn't see the led flicking always when you struck the button and it should (unless you set it up differently)

Re: Upgrade SoC?

vispen74 — Sat, 14 Dec 2019 21:01:50 GMT

Yes, this is how slow it is I'm afraid. No the TV is not answering to the remote when it's that unresponsive, the TV freezes almost in seconds of time.

I will try another reset when I have some time, also disable things, I have seen some guides, but never tried to.

It's good to hear that it shouldn't be this slow, then trere is hope. I have lived with this speed in three years now.

Re: Upgrade SoC?

vispen74 — Sat, 28 Dec 2019 22:33:40 GMT

Ok, now it's just to realize. The Sony XD series with ATV 1, is a big piece of junk that should never have been sold. It makes me disappointed and frustrated every single day since it's crappie SoC makes the TV a pain to use.

I have now done a factory reset and also uninstalled and disabled a lot of apps with the ADB-method. Still its so slow as soon I press a button on the remote that the complete TV gets on its knees and freeze, a TV that freezes as soon you change volume, using the TV guide or other basic functions, how is it even possible???

I now give up, the TV will torture me for another five years or so until it's economically motivated to buy a new TV, that will probably not be a Sony.

Re: Upgrade SoC?

rooobb — Sat, 28 Dec 2019 09:33:22 GMT

I'm sorry I do not know what else suggest to you, but even if I do not have an XD series I do not know any other person that has a tv so slow as yours....

Re: Upgrade SoC?

vispen74 — Tue, 14 Jan 2020 22:16:34 GMT

I don't know either, that's way I asked for an upgrade of the TVs hardware that I think is the only solution, which probably newer will happen.

The smart-TV functionality on the ATV 1 equiped Bravias is completely unacceptable, and I'm so mad at myself for not returning the TV when I could, since I found it all to slow from day one and I knew back then that the 2017 models (XE85) would get a new SoC that at least is a little bit less slow. It's a shame that a premium brand like Sony accepts crappy SoC like this one from Mediatek, that actually was obsolete already from the beginning. I wish I had made more research before my choice of TV, and not listening som much to the seller from Sony in the store. I never understood that it was the same old SoC in the XD85 model as in the XC85.

Now I solved this by order a Nvidia Shield TV pro, and I'm really satisfied except from that it doesn't support HDR in YouTube (yet). But yes, with the Shield Android-TV works like it suppose to, also with continuous updates (the Shield from 2015 still get those to).

My Idea with buying a TV with Android-TV inbuilt was to eliminate the need for external boxes, but with a Sony Bravia equipped with the ATV1 SoC, it is more or less a must to get a decent user experience. The difference is huge I can tell.

Next time I might try a TCL TV that now on uses Realtek instead of Mediatek. That makes it possible with faster OS updates and longer OS support since the Realtek drivers are open source with no need to wait for new closed drivers from the maker af the SoC every time a new version of Android-TV arrives.

So, my advice to all of you, like me, is disappointed over your expensive nice premium TV, buy the Shield or some other fast external Android-TV equiped unit, it's worth every cent!