Loading ...Jan 21 2010
Sony yesterday released their latest software (1.630SA) to enable BBC iPlayer on all their Freesat built-in Sony televisions. If you have one of these televisions, you should now be able to access BBC iPlayer from BBC1 by pressing the red button followed by code 5483. (instructions on how to connect your Sony television to the Internet to receive iPlayer can be found here)
Other manufacturers will be added as and when they have carried out the initial testing with the BBCi Tech Team. All Freesat HD receivers are expected to have BBC iPlayer enabled within the next few months.
January 21st, 2010 at 12:23 pm
Hi Admin, In your posting it says ‘All Freesat receivers are expected to have BBC iPlayer enabled within the next few months.’ Is that all HD receivers or does that also include SD receivers as well?
Thanks
January 21st, 2010 at 12:26 pm
Sorry Craig, we have edited, HD receivers only, BBC iPlayer will not launch on SD receivers.
January 21st, 2010 at 12:26 pm
Why on earth have Panasonic not been at the forfront of this being the first to release freesat enabled TV’s?
January 21st, 2010 at 12:32 pm
ok, thanks admin.
January 21st, 2010 at 1:22 pm
I left my tv on standby overnight to get the update but it didnt happen – is there any special way of getting it?
January 21st, 2010 at 2:18 pm
@ David.. It’s been reported that switching in and out of standby a couple of times will trigger the update.
January 21st, 2010 at 3:48 pm
the last software update was via their website (saved on USB memory stick and then put into the usb port on the tv) but I see there is no new firmware update on their site. Does anyone know for sure if this update going to be over the air?
January 21st, 2010 at 3:49 pm
@neil
This update is over the air as it was released via DTG yesterday.
January 21st, 2010 at 3:55 pm
brilliant thanks – looking forward to testing it out tonight! Very surprised Sony have been so quick with this to be honest. Well done Sony and Freesat
January 21st, 2010 at 5:04 pm
My new Sony TV offered to update last night as I switched it to standby. I accepted the update and didn’t realise what it was for. I shall check when I get home. Excellent news.
January 21st, 2010 at 6:00 pm
Agree with Dan why is their no news or date yet from Panasonic? Disappointed!!
January 21st, 2010 at 6:34 pm
It’s on Sony TVs first because it was rolled out to my sons PS3 sometime ago so I expect much of the testing and validation was already done.
January 21st, 2010 at 7:11 pm
Also nothing on LG LF7700 got download December but not work iplayer
January 21st, 2010 at 8:01 pm
Good news on BBCiplayer.
On another point – I have a Humax Foxsat – HDR and couldn’t find how to record a series program. Then last week, all recorded programs in Media had “NEW” next to them and the series choice became available. Do you think the Freesat box received an update?
January 21st, 2010 at 8:28 pm
Been switching to standby now for the past couple of hours and nothing! Have all the auto update settings set to on but it is not picking up any updates. Does anyone know how to force it to look for software updates (model KDL-40W5810) or is it a case of more patience?! Thanks
January 21st, 2010 at 8:48 pm
This is good news.
On a slightly different note, has anyone got any knowledge of using the Humax or Sony overseas with the BBC iPlayer update?
I know BBC website blocks traffic from overseas and I guess it may do so from TV?
One more observation is that the from what I can see none of the TV’s offer proxy options for the network traffic from a TV, quite limiting in some house networks and the corporate world.
January 21st, 2010 at 11:54 pm
All works here on a Sony 40V5810 . Received the update yesterday evening as I switched to Standby. . Watched the semi finals of the snooker which I missed on Sat. Great
January 22nd, 2010 at 9:25 am
Nothing all night last night, but update kicked in at 8 this morning (40W5810) when put to standby. Initial impressions of iplayer are very good – only tested on higher quality at the moment. Much better than wii version – loads near instantly and much better PQ. Experienced a bit of noise on the sound through the TV speakers (seemed ok through home theatre connected via optical, May need to alter settings on tv for noise suppression. Well done Sony for getting this out so quick!
January 22nd, 2010 at 5:53 pm
The update is now available on the Sony website.
January 22nd, 2010 at 9:30 pm
I agree with Dan & Mike.
I bought a Panasonic TH46PZ81B just under 2 years ago, and have only had a couple of software updates.
Come on Panasonic – pull your finger out!
At this rate, I don’t think I’d buy another Panasonic.
January 23rd, 2010 at 7:47 am
I have a Sony KDL40W5810 and was offered the upgrade automatically few days ago via the air. It works very well and is very quick. It is much quicker that a Humax FoxsatHDR that I also have when using the IPlayer. I’ve had this tv for less than 3 months and in that time have had 2 sofware updates (I via the usb/website) and this over OTA. Well done Sony for keeping this product up-to-date!
January 23rd, 2010 at 8:36 pm
I gave Panasonic customer services a ring. They tell me they are working on it with the BBC but it will still be some time. Maybe if others give them a call too it could hurry them up.
January 24th, 2010 at 9:03 am
I have a panasonic freesat TV with ethernet connectorat back of TV, also dissapointed that they are behind Sony anyway you mentioned that I player is only on HD channel freesat does that mean its only available on the BBC HD channel and not on the standard BBC channel.
January 24th, 2010 at 12:49 pm
Great update, works a charm. Just hope the next one will give divx support.
January 24th, 2010 at 1:16 pm
It just annoys me that Panasonic were the 1st out with a product and the last to forfill it’s full potential. I have also rung Panasonic’s customer services, so come on the rest of you Panny owners.
January 24th, 2010 at 5:36 pm
@ 12
This has absolutely nothing to do with the PS3, entirely different technologies.
January 25th, 2010 at 11:11 am
To get the BBCiPlayer do we need to have a satelite dish installed or can you access it direct through the freesat sony tv..also, are there any plans to enable bbciplayer on wi-fi internet enabled tv’s such as the phillips pfl9604..thanks in advance
January 25th, 2010 at 12:18 pm
when will us paupers with a mere goodmans hd box (gasp in horror!) and the like, be allowed to be a part of this wonderous event!!
January 25th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
@23 John Emerson
iPlayer will work with any BBC channel as long as your receiver/TV is freesat HD. Which it is.
@27 billy
This version of iPlayer comes via freesat, so yes you need a satellite dish. The application/software is downloaded via the the freesat red button facilityy (BBCi) and the actual video streams come via the internet.
@28 aln
See the main article at the top of the page! “Other manufacturers will be added as and when they have carried out the initial testing with the BBCi Tech Team. All Freesat HD receivers are expected to have BBC iPlayer enabled within the next few months.”
January 25th, 2010 at 1:33 pm
still feel like a pauper (although i couldnt eat a whole one!)
January 25th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
Never mind it’s only iPlayer so no big deal.
January 25th, 2010 at 10:46 pm
Goodwins? Pah!
Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elder-berries!
January 26th, 2010 at 9:19 am
and for good reason….which escapes me at the moment!
mark my words..the goodwins will have their day…oh yes!
January 26th, 2010 at 8:17 pm
January 26th, 2010 at 8:18 pm
Want Panasonic update…
Want Panasonic update…
Want Panasonic update…
January 27th, 2010 at 12:34 pm
@26
Please justify your comment. Which technology are you talking about? The hardware? It just that all decent software developers make their code portable between hardware platforms… so different hardware yes, but same libraries and alot of common code I would have thought. Sony’s experience with the Iplayer and PS3 must have affected time to market. Lets face it, Nov/Dec release for these XXX58XX series TVs means Sony wanted them out quick. The project plan would then have been to integrate the Iplayer to gain a market advantage. In 2 months the new TV firmware is available… very unlikely to be new code, more likely a “port”.
January 27th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
@ Noo: iPlayer via Freesat (Sony or anyone else) runs on a MHEG-5, a completely different platform to the PS3’s implementation. In fact, the BBC’s Open iPlayer proposal was about creating the kind of cross-platform standards you describe so that IPTV devices can be created easily, but it was sadly rejected by the BBC Trust
January 27th, 2010 at 10:01 pm
I have the Foxsat HD box and the update for iPlayer. When tuned to BBC News I connect to broadband and get the iPlayer graphics, but when I press play to watch a programme nothing happens. Why is that? Is it because I am abroad outside the narrow footprint for BBC One or is it because I do not have a British IP address? Or possibly both? Must the receiver be tuned to BBC One?
January 28th, 2010 at 6:25 pm
Dane – you need a UK IP address.
January 29th, 2010 at 4:11 pm
I emailed Panasonic customer support about getting the BBC iPlayer, just received this reply:
“In response, unfortunately, we have no further information for new services at this time, other than that already displayed on our website. We would suggest that you please keep checking the following website for updates, as any information regarding new services will be added to this site as soon as it becomes available:
http://www.panasonic.co.uk
We are aware that features on Freesat such as BBC iplayer are in beta testing at the moment on some Freesat set-top boxes, but we have no further information on testing with other products
We trust that the above information will be of assistance to you. However, of course, if you should have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact us on 0844 844 3852 or email us using the following email address:
customer.care@panasonic.co.uk“.
Not very promising at all! Coincedently, my mates TV crashed and burned this morning. He likes my Freesat Panansonic, but will not be buying one – he is going to get one with iPlayer support. I wonder how many other sales are being lost?
February 1st, 2010 at 2:23 pm
@37
Thanks, that’s useful info
It is only the front end menus and selection system that comes by the MHEG-5 though…
So all the LAN integration and stream playback from the internet would have already existed for the PS3. I still see that as an “enabler” for Sony to deliver first.
February 1st, 2010 at 3:16 pm
David (40) – don’t give up on panny just yet. somebody posted a similar comment on another forum, and the bbc iplayer test team said they’d seen the panny test version and it looked good.
February 5th, 2010 at 11:34 pm
Al Catraz – Thanks for your reply in post 39. Not much hope for me then of getting any iPlayer content on my tv screen. Brilliant initiative from the BBC though. Generally news programmes are not so strictly copyrighted. Maybe the BBC could let news programmes on iPlayer be free of this UK IP address requirement. Then those of us outside the UK could also have some benefit of the new iPlayer feature.
February 11th, 2010 at 6:29 pm
[...] BBC iPlayer Beta Testing On Sony [...]
March 9th, 2010 at 8:46 pm
Sony FreeSat TV coonecting to iplayer – problem fixed.
Thank you – the information here has helped me connect my new Sony FreeSat TV to BBCi Player using two homeplugs.
Problem – when I pressed the red button “connecting” was displyed in the top righthand corner of the tv screen for ~ 1 second then disappeared. The iplayer menu did not display on the screen.
Fix:
1. I checked the software version of the TV (using Product Info option within the Settings menu) and found that it was 1.578SA i.e. not the latest software (1.630SA) to enable BBC iPlayer.
2. I switched the TV to standby twice and got a message that the TV wanted to upgrade its software. I accepted the request to upgrade.
3. After the upgrade had finished (yellow indicator light stopped flashing) I turned the TV back on, pressed the red button and iplayer menu and the iplayer menu was displayed. Problem solved…