Vtuner not working

[Rbell2010]

Hi

I have not been able to access vtuner since Friday 5th September, I reported it to sony yesterday and the reply was "Unfortunately, our systems are currently down for maintenance and will be up and running within 24 hours, Please feel free to contact us again at that time.". 

Has anyone else not been able to access vtuner for 4days, it seems that being reliant on just one internet radio supplier may be like putting all of your eggs in one basket.

Having not had the internet radio service for 4 days I feel this is unacceptable, does anyone feel the same?

[aja007]

I have emailed John, Sony UK's Head of Country and also copied the UK Customer Relations team into the email. Here's what  I wrote in my email;

Dear John,

I am writing to you regarding the vTuner problem Sony customers are currently experiencing with their Sony internet radios. This is a worldwide problem which has been going on for almost two weeks yet Sony is still not supplying any information as to when (or if) we can expect the service to be restored. Speaking as a customer, this is unacceptable.

I have contacted your Customer Service team regarding this problem but all I (and other customers) get is useless responses which tell us nothing. I have requested they escalate my complaint to the UK Customer Relations team as, if this problem is not solved in the near future, I will be looking for compensation from Sony. My whole experience with Sony re internet radio has been a total disaster as the original device I purchased (a CMT-MX750Ni) had on-going internet radio problems for 16 months (which Sony could not find a soltion to) before my unit was changed for the inferior CMT-SBT300WB therefore it would be Sony UK paying me compensation because they are the supplier of my unit.

This problem is unique to Sony as I have a Roberts radio which still functions fully and a friend has a Pure device which still operates fully.

It would be good if you would issue a statement informing those affected when this problem will be resolved. However, I (and others) now believe this problem is not a technical problem but Sony's refusal to pay monies due to vTuner for their service because of Sony's current financial problems. I await your reply asap.

If others sent similar emails maybe we'll get a response?

-------

Edited by Drew - Email address removed

[BollyDave]

---

@wilsonmfw wrote:
Post was, 'Does anyone knows if we can listen to a webradio without
Vtuner?' Please be specific?

---

I've raised this point on the Facebook page created to give this issue more visibility.

So in my case I have a STR-DN1040. I control music streaming and internet radio using my iPad and the Sony Network Audio Remote app, which currently shows vTuner as Offline/Service Unavailable. Right now I don't see any way in which I can browse and select other internet radio sources using the app, nor the 1040 directly. So in my position, having opted not to go for DAB as a radio feature, I am stuffed. I have no digital radio. Thanks Sony.

Now, I do not see it as a particularly big deal on Sony's part to do the following:

-Update the app I mention, to let you browse internet radio stations, rather than the constrained, and useless approach it has now

-If necessary, provide a supporting update for the receiver

-Freedom of choice is restored

Of course this would cost Sony some time and money to do, and we don't know the real story on this one where money is concerned. However, there are few assumptions and options we can add to this:

-Sony. Fix the problem. It's a known environment and you know what is wrong with it. Im assuming it is actually a quick fix. Status quo restored, happy customers, job done.

-Impact to sales if the problem persists. Rest assured I will personally use every option at my disposal to ensure that prospective customers know the reality behind hardware that is effectively being sold as unfit for purpose. They still bang on about vTuner in the online blurb *****, so new owners could be scratching their heads on a daily basis here.

-Impact to Sony's customer reputation. As above. I don't feel they have acted professionally nor demonstrated customer focus with this one. The internet is our friend in ensuring others know they do not seem to care.

[BlueyArmstrong]

Hello from France.

I guess the backdrop to these frustrated messages is the fact that SONY as an organisation appear to be in trouble according to this week's business news. Maybe that goes some way to explaining this shambles.

There has been no Vtuner service in France since the first weekend in September.

The ordeal to establish what is going on from SONY's pathetic support centre based in Egypt has been gruelling and with each clueless response or telephone call, become close to a mission impossible.

Having been told repeatedly that Vtuner is "under maintenance,"  I hit the roof this morning when I received an email advising me that "as there is no further update available for Vtuner" then the issue surrounding my new

CMT-G2 BNIP "cannot be resolved."

I have immediately fired off a riposte expecting a full explanation as to why the support centre in Egypt has been unable to verify the announcement made here:

http://www.sony.co.uk/support/en/content/cnt-hn/prd-tvhc/vtuner-announcement

I hope that this sorry tale reaches a satisfactory conclusion asap. A big thankyou to everyone who has taken time to explain your side of the story here. It is greatly appreciated.

[DrakesDrum]

I can get vTUner from their site - now I need to know how to stream it
through some decent speakers.

[wilsonmfw]

Can you not use the network feature of the 1040 to connect to your home network and link to Vtuner? 


Sent from Samsung Mobile

[BollyDave]

---

@wilsonmfw wrote:
Can you not use the network feature of the 1040 to connect to your home network and link to Vtuner? 


Sent from Samsung Mobile

---

No, that's the point of other comments I've made elsewhere, possibly on the FB thread.

My 1040 can access local network resources just fine, such as my NAS or a PC if I wished.

Anything outside my LAN is only via the SEN option (Sony Entertainment Network) unless anyone knows different in which case please let me know!

Using the SEN option allows choice between Music Unlimited, presumably Sony's proprietary, and chargeable service, or vTuner. I cannot tell the system where to go apart from that.

This is why I made the other suggestion, Surely other devices out there allow you to either scan for, or directly input the name of streaming services such as vTuner. So I ask myself why the same approach is not built into the 1040 and mirrored by the Sony iPad application, Network Audio Remote?

If that application allowed me to input directly, and the receiver would pass that instruction to the internet, then I'd be quite happy.

So here I am with a nice sounding receiver, but in terms of listening to the free world of internet radio, Sony have effectivey censored my listening. The 1040 does not have DAB, and needing some form of digital radio this setup (vTuner) seemed acceptable to me. Other factors drove the shortlisting of the 1040 for me, in terms of kit connectivity particularly, It was the only model I could find which met those other needs.

So clearly the 1040 can talk to the internet, but it's view of services is constrained by SEN, so surely a new update to the 1040 firmware, coupled with a revision to the iPad could sort this, for the 1040 anyway.

Then I had a bit more of a think. And checked the spec of the recently released STR-DN1050.

I may be mistaken but the way SEN works on that one might differ. Indeed I've just read on an AV forum that SEN is not included on the 1050 (!) and internet access would appear much more open.

Depending how this farce goes, and the other features of the 1050, which I shall investigate further. I can see another option emerging perhaps. STR-DN1050 otherwise known as the fix for STR-DN1040? Hell, if HDMI passthrough works as it should on the 1050 this could be a no-brainer.

Yes, just to be clear that's another aspect of the 1040 where Sony did not tell the truth. They claim it has generic, standardised HDMI passthough meaning the receiver will still pass signal betweem other connected devices even in standby. Nope. As documented on many forums, it does not work.

Like many, I was hoping the recent firmware update may resolve core issues such as this and even vTuner, but no, Sony are merely rolling out updates to other plug-ins such as Netflix, oh look another way of taking money from people. I'm starting to see where their priorities lie, and it isn't with the customer.

Poor.

[wilsonmfw]

Understand! I have a Cocktail Audio X10 which has Internet streaming and
provides stations I got through Vtuner. That is phono connected to my
SA-CD/CD of the 1040 and gives me same as Vtuner through SEN!

[Rbell2010]

Hi

I have started to use a cambridge streamer for internet radio using the digital coaxial out to the sony av amp and then I can party to my other sony sans510

[webferret]

Great to hear that you found out some workarounds but I'd rather see that vTuner would be available again.

I haven't heard from my mail to vTuner and Sony Netherlands remains silent as well....

[aja007]

I see my post of my email to John Anderson (Sony UK Head of Country) has been edited by removing his email address!

If anyone wants his email address so they can contact him, send me your email address(es) and I'll send you his email address!