Bravia KDL-42W705 - Netflix only works if TV is factory reset each time.

[Droverunner]

Bought TV new in Jan '15 and everything about it has been great until a couple of weeks ago. Now Netflix will randomly stop working and only comes back with a full TV factory reset. Sometimes it will work throughout a day then need a reset to work the following day. Sometimes you only need to come out of Netflix for a moment and it will not work if you go back in minutes later.

It will always come back for a full TV factory reset but that's an absolute pain.

The TV is networked to our BT Home Hub via wi-fi and Youtube etc still works OK so I assume the wi-fi is OK.

We have a Youview PVR connected to the TV via the same home hub and Netflix works fine on this playing to the TV via HDMI... but that's not the point as it's a feature of the TV we want to work without additional equipment.

The TV has the latest firmware.

My problem seems different to most Netflix issues on this site as the usual complaint is it just doesn't work at all. Any thoughts appreciated.

[Droverunner]

I should say when the Netflix doesn't work you get the whirly waiting thing for longer than usual then mostly the error coder Ui-113 (but I have seen others). Netflix gives you the option at this point to check the network and that always comes up all green ticks.

Also doing a reset of Netflix or signing out then back into Netflix doesn't resolve it.

[Droverunner]

Bit more info...

Phoned Sony this morning. They were quite helpful but did not have this as a logged issue for my TV model and after talking me through various steps could only offer the possibility that Netflix were known to transmit the data in a way that might be hard for some TVs to receive (something to do with security protocols?) and I should speak to Netflix.

Netflix were helpful too as far as it went but after talking me through various resets could only conclude the Sony software that receives Netflix was buggy.

Phoned Sony again who wanted to resolve this so have escalated the issue and will phone back within 24hrs. They also said I should look at my ISP parental controls (don't have them on) and speak to BTInternet about a router/ISP issue.

So that's three opposing links in the help chain now!!

[Anonymous]

Hi there

The very first troubleshooting step is to remove wifi out of the equation.  Are you able to plug an ethernet cable into the tv from your router?  If so, id advise doing so - remember to change the network settings on the tv if you do.

If it is not possible, try changing the wireless channel on the router to somthing else.

Cheers

[Droverunner]

Thanks for that... it was something the helplines asked me but I didn't have a cable... but been out to buy one.

With the cable connected and the TV setting altered to a LAN cable connection Netflix gave a new error code Ui-2-5 which seems to be network related.

But with a TV factory reset Netflix worked OK... but of course it would have done the same on wi-fi. Anyway the proof will be when we switch on tomorrow am as on the w-fi it would be faulted after that break... if it's still on with the cable conn then it's a partial success.

[Droverunner]

Sadly Netflix has been off for an hour and has come up with the error Ui-113 again when we've gone to use it. So the same problem with wi-fi or ethernet cable.

The only other thing I have to try is something I've seen on my BT ISP help pages... to go into the router menu then try and find the port that feeds the TV so the firewall can be turned off for that port. Something about port forwarding they call it.

[Anonymous]

Hi there

Ive had a further read of your problem.  As other networking services on the tv works, such as YouTube, then this should be fine.  But then you say Netflix works ok on your YouView box, which means netflix is ok.

You can try port forwarding, but im not too sure that will help.  I have found some instruction for the BT home hub for netflix. 

http://portforward.com/english/applications/port_forwarding/Netflix/BT.htm

If it still fails, can you please confirm the exact model, im assuming it has a b at the end (KDL-42W705b)

Cheers

[Cicero46]

I'm joining this thread as I have exactly the same problem on two virtually identical TVs, the KDL-40W705C and the smaller KDL-32W705C, both bought in the last few months. The only difference is that a Factory Reset has had no effect at all. My problems on both TVs started mid last week, say 2nd December, and my guess is that it corresponded with the auto upgrade to firmware v2.704 on both. I too have BT and a BT Youview box and the bigger TV is connected to that. Like you, Netflix works fine via the Youview box. The two devices, Youview box and TV, have different installations of Netflix, so just because one is OK doesn't mean that the other one should be. On other TVs, other wifi-connected apps, like iPlayer and Amazon Prime work fine and I too get the four green ticks when testing the network after getting UI-113. Switching to a LAN connection also made no difference. I also tried signing out of all devices on Netflix.com and that didn't help either.

It would happens that I also have a very similar LG TV, which may well have upgraded itself at the same time. I got exactly the same error with that TV at the same time. However, the interface that comes up in these circumstances was almost identical, except it has four Netflix servers and showed five green ticks instead of four. Also, as well as Reset Netflix it also had Reload Netflix. So I pressed the latter and Netflix started up OK. Working fine ever since.

The absence of a reload option on the Sony app points to a essential difference between the two firmware characteristics.

I'll phone Sony UK support later, but thought this may give you and Quinnicus some clues.

[Cicero46]

Oops, I've noticed too typos in my previous post. First, the sentence starting 'On other TVs...' Should have been 'On both TVs...'. Second, the 2nd para should start 'It happens...'. That's the problem with autocorrect.

[Droverunner]

Replies much appreciated guys... and your similar situation Cicero46 with 2 Sony TVs around the time of the auto firmware update gives real weight to that being the isue. I will phone Sony again later and report that the direct cable connection made no difference plus mention I now know others have seen the same issue. We'll see what they say.