Just registered here to share my experience of 2015 Bravia TVs in the UK.
Wanted a 42/43inch TV and did not want 4K. Found there are very few options out there at this size. Shopped around and was impressed with the picture quality on the Sony models. Read about some of the Android performance issues, but found the demo TVs in the store to be quite snappy (I guess they are shut off at the mains each night). Purchased a KDL43W756 (43 inch, HD only) TV from John Lewis in December 2015.
Build quality and picture continue to impress, however I've had a number (but not all) of the issues reported on here:
- TV slows down after 3/4 days to the point its unusable and needs turning off at the mains (could never get the long-press of the remote power button to work)
- Youview is very slow. Ended up disabling it.
- Sound drifts out of sync, with the picture leading the audio.
I went through a number of software updates, culminating in the February update. I have also tried a hard reset. In all cases the same thing - TV is great when first reset, but slows down after a few days.
I did not have any extra apps installed on the TV. These issues persisted regardless of whether anything was plugged into the HDMI sockets. Incidentally, I've recently been using it with my 5yr old Yamaha RX-V667 receiver and I've had no issues with ARC or CEC - all works perfectly, but lip sync issues persist for any sources plugged directly into the TV.
Decided to cut my losses and return the TV. I spoke to John Lewis tech support, and explained my key reason was the delayed recording features and the fact that it was not advertised in December that recording features would disable Youview. I also explained I was dissatisfied with the speed of the TV. In conclusion, not fit for purpose advertised.
My new LG 42LF652V TV arrives on Saturday and I've been refunded the price difference. Picture won't be quite as good, but the wider viewing angles of IPS will probably be a help and 3D is a bonus. The LG isn't as sleek, but shares the Sony's mostly metallic build.
I wish you all the best of luck with your sets and sincerely hope Sony make this right. Ultimately I didn't trust them to do this, and wanted to save myself the frustration by using John Lewis' 90 day refund policy.
What I really don't understand is why Sony/Google had to make android TV so pervasive. On my 6yr old Samsung Smart TV the Smart features were accessed by a separate button on the remote and were dormant otherwise. Those features no longer work, but I can still use the TV perfectly as a 'dumb' TV, including the guide, etc. With the Sony it feels like even watching normal TV is an App. A step too far.
