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.

[kfoto48]

Earlier this week I created a new post but with no replies.  Then I now see this thread and have read all.  This is my post.

I purchased a Smart TV model KDL-40W705C in October 2015 to upgrade from my KDL-32W5500.  I wanted obviously full HD and streaming apps. Around mid December the picture started freezing on either Netflix, Amazon Prime, BBC iplayer or Demand5 and it has now become a regular problem. Thinking it was a broadband issue I would check using a speedtest on my PC  and invariably it would be 60Mbs.  So I knew that this was not the problem. Each time I have returned to the home screen only to see virtually all the apps gone.  I then go to settings/network and go to refresh internet content and it states there is no internet.  Is this a fault of the set which needs addressing or a server issue.

Now my problem is not just Netflix, it is all the apps.  The problem is definitely the smart TV  because I have performed a test say using Netflix.  Netflix on the TV and at the same time on my Android tablet and Macbook.  Same programme, TV stops working and states there is a problem with my internet, but the tablet and Macbook carry on playing,  I then do a BT speedtest 64Mps, yes I am on Infinity 2 with a Home Hub 5.

I bought this set Oct 15th from Currys and wrote to them yesterday, no reply as yet.

[Cicero46]

Replying to @kfoto48, I would suggest that if you're connected by wifi from TV to Hub, that doesn't necessarily mean you have a good signal. For example, your TV may be too far from the Hub. You could try the following:

1. Go to Home, then Move the pointer to the top ribbon and then to the far right, Network Status. Do you have a sensible number of bars?

2. Click on Help (? Icon), click on Customer Support. Scroll down and click on Internet Connectivity Symptoms. Check connection results are found, OK and ok. Scroll further down and click on View Network settings and status. Check signal strength again. And check that you're connected to your Hub's SSID, BTHub5-xxxx or whatever.

You our could also try eliminating your wifi connection as a possible problem and connect the TV directly to your hub via a LAN connection (if you can move the TV close enough) and then running the Network setup again and choosing the direct connection option.

[kfoto48]

Thanks for  the info.  In both locations on the TV the strength indicator shows 2 bars.  My router is within 4 metres of my TV, Laptop and tablet. Signal strength on laptop and tablet is 4 bars. I also use an app on my tablet which shows Wi Fi strength amongst other data like channel number, 2.4 or 5 Ghz, and it is at maximum.  I think from reading elsewhere it is a Sony server problem.  If it becomes a major problem I will get a streaming device.

[elflit54]

I have just brought a Sony KDL-32W705C. And it has the same problem with Netflix , the message comes up with only two green X on the system . Is appears that I have the internet connected, but the Netflix app won't connect?

[kfoto48]

As I stream from both Amazon Prime and Netflix, the problem of loosing connection applied to both.  I decided that as my other equipment such as an Android tablet and a Macbook both on WiFi in the same location as the TV worked without failing, the fault must lie with the onboard TV computer.  It is obviously unstable and I am not alone with this dilemma as I have read many others with a smiilar problem.  This out rules a singular fault with my TV.

So I decided to perform a factory reset and upon setup did not enter my router's details.  So the TV is now purely just a monitor.  I then purchased an Amazon Fire stick as my media streaming device five days ago and it has never faulted on any application and I have tried them all at length.  So without any doubt now I am 100% certain the onboard computer is faulty.

[Withnail77]

Well, just as I got used to using a smartphone or tablet to Cast Netflix to my TV that stopped working too. Netflix started taking a good 3-4 minutes to load on phone via WiFi then struggled to connect to my Chromecast, if at all. All other video services were working ok and I also noticed Netflix would easily load in seconds on my phone via a 3G or 4G mobile connection.

So, having failed to blag one for free from BT I bought a Home Hub 4 on Ebay for a tenner and that fixed all of the problems. Finally.

I've read that it's best to log in to the hub and disable the smart setup in  the Advanced Settings, so I did that too.

Seems to be a 3-way issue between Sony firmware, BT Hub 3 hardware and Netflix updates (probably them clamping down on VPN's etc)

[kfoto48]

I have two Android tablets both with cast screen.  Mirroring them was OK for about 20 mins or so, but then they lost connection with the TV.  It was not the fault of the tablets, but the inability of the TV to keep this signal going.

I knew that for sure then but even more so now as there is an Android app for Fire Stick where I can use my tablet as a remote and it works forever.

Well I am now into 17 days of trouble free video streaming using the Fire Stick.  Another advantage is I can use my Sony remote to control the Fire Stick. 

I would never recommend a Smart TV to anyone.

After many years of buying Sony products this latest development will not encourage me to buy anymore. Sony quality has gone out the window.

[Dalriada60a]

I have read this thread with great interest as I have had exactly the same problem with my BT Hub 3 and Sony Bravia. Netflix shows the error code ui-113 no matter what I do. I even tried port forwarding. 😞 To no avail. I do think it is the interface between the firmware and have ordered a new hub 4 as advised from ebay. Fingers crossed. 

[pmclaughlin]

I had a problem recently with Netflix on all our sony Tvs (including our Sony FMP-X5 netflix streamer box) about a month after moving to BT fibre, which now seems resolved. Sadly, its not clear which of the things I did actual resolved the issue so I'll list all three, and you might see if they work for you.

First of all, turn off your Sony TV devices, then log into your BT homehub(usually 192.168.1.254) and access the network map, that shows the information for devices that have used the hub. It will show the network device name – usually quite cryptic for Sony devices – and a mac address and Ip address for each device in the network map. Delete all devices from the map, restart your homehub and turn the Sony devices back on.

Next login into your BT account (on BT's website) and turn on parental filtering if it is not on, then turn it off, and delete the parental control filter that is listed. Rebooting your homehub might be wise at this point, and may speedup those BT DNS server changes.

Next, turn on your Sony device, and ensure it is has a working internet connection. Next open the web browser (assuming the device is a TV) and try to access:

internet.sony.tv

If you can access that web page through your Sony device, then your device is routing to the domain that Sony's server is in. So hopefully this will trigger your ISP's DNS servers/filtering to allow the TV to route to that domain using other ports/protocols need to make netflix and other apps work.

I also went one step further, by setting up the Tv's web browser startpage to internet.sony.tv, so testing that the TV can reach the Sony server's domain is quick and easy.

[Mr_Dartin]

I have a kdl43w755c and suffered the same issue with error code on Netflix. Factory reset cured that problem but I could not then access ITV hub. The other catch up services worked fine.

Strangely ITV hub worked on all my other devices, phones, tablets, all which are connected to a BT Hub 3.

As a last resort I purchased a BT Hub 5 off EBay, connected it up and immediately all catch up services including Itv hub and Netflix work fine on the TV.

Anybody who's in a similar situation using a BT Hub 3 I would recommend they do the same.