KDL-40CX523 & long programmes on iPlayer

[huxley123]

When I try to watch the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony on iPlayer I only get about half an hour in & get a 'Content Error' with Retry/Cancel buttons. I can't wind past the half hour, stopping at any point after gives the same error. Everything else on iPlayer seems OK. I've had this problem before with a full F1 coverage programme (a similar length, over 3 hours). iPlayer help pages have this note: "Please note that there can be a lengthy encoding process involved in making some programmes of 2 hours or more available on BBC iPlayer for some platforms." I'm guessing something is wrong with the encoding for my platform. No reply from the BBC to my query. Has anyone else seen this problem? Does the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony play OK on the iPlayer app on other Sony equipment?

[Anonymous]

Hi there

I fully understand where you are coming from.  I too find this announcement from the BBC truely shocking.  From reports from you guys, its looking like 2010/2011 TVs and devices - but waiting for confirmation though.

I know that the BBC has over 1,200 different versions of its BBC iPlayer of which is unmanageable.  However that is the BBC's fault in getting into that mess in the first place.  I also understand that the BBC have been changing some of the 'backend' coding of the iPlayer and it seems to be causing un-intended consequences.

I am onto this issue, when I find out more information, I will post back in the other thread.

Im temporarily 'locking' this thread, as I predict that this will be the "hot topic" for a little while, and would hate to see 100 threads about the same issue. 

See main thread :

http://community.sony.co.uk/t5/televisions/bbc-iplayer-on-sony-bravia-discontinued-in-september/m-p/...

Cheers

[Anonymous]

@frmitch42  - Sony's statement on HD issue:

http://www.sony.co.uk/support/en/article/40841

[frmitch42]

Thank you Quinnicus for your link to Sony's statement on playing HD.  If I understand it correctly along with the new development regarding the BBC discontinuing Iplayer on certain older TV's it sounds like not playing true HD is the least of our problems, they are abandoning Iplayer altogether on those older TV's !

I today tried my 4 year old  (KDL-40EX503)  TV on Iplayer, but did not get any message regarding discontinuation of Iplayer on my TV. I'm wondering if Ive got a version that just scraped through, or whether its just a matter of time before I get the same message. Looking at the BBC's screenshot, mine doesn't look like a 'Bigscreen' version.

I also tried my newer Sony Smart Blu Ray player ( 2 years old) which has a different version,  true HD Iplayer on board, that too is showing no message from the BBC, I'm hoping thats definitely not involved in the cull.

[Anonymous]

To be honest, the whole thing has left everyone discombobulated   I have read and re-read BBCs blog and it seems that 2011 TVs/devices may get a newer version of iPlayer (there is no mention of 2010, so...) - however on the other hand they also say that its being discontinued and to find another device in order to access iPlayer.  Sony are also non-the-wiser on this issue.  Best just to sit tight for a week or so, and see how all this plays out. 

[huxley123]

If we do buy another device to access iPlayer, what's to stop then discontinuing that next month?

[Anonymous]

@huxley123  - Sony have confirmed that they have been able to replicate the issue in regards to the long programs playable issue on iPlayer.  It appears that its a bug in the FW of the TV in conjuction with an iPlayer update a little while ago, which means its something Sony should be able to fix.

Its still unclear on whats going on with the iPlayer discontinuation/updates so its "business as usual" as far as im aware (until such time things are more clearer).

Cheers

[huxley123]

Thanks for that, but I can't see them fixing it till the matter of discontinuation of the version is sorted out.

[huxley123]

BBC have finally got back to me about the long programmes issue, asking for details of my TV model.

As it look like Sont have already replicated this, and with the iPlayer version changing anyway, I think I'll wait before replying to the BBC.

The BBC case number for my query was CAS-2846036-LVV7B7

[huxley123]

I had a Sony update download a few days ago.

Not sure if it's just coincidence, but I'm now getting a lot of content errors in iPlayer.

It doesn't stop in the same place like the long programme problem, this is more random.

Pausing & restarting seems to cause a lot of the errors. It plays for a few seconds after restarting then fails.

Really annoying as I have to restart playback, wind forward and try to work out where it failed. Often several times for one programme.