Sony's upcoming Master Series (ZF9/Z9F, AF9/A9F) builds on a new hardware platform resp. application processor. It is a MediaTek MT5598 (MT5893) which on paper looks to be a decent hardware for Kodi:
- Quad-core ARM Cortex A73 @ 1.5GHz
- 4GB RAM
- ARM Mali G71
It can however be doubted that MediaTek/Sony have fixed the many driver bugs, leaving quite some TV related Android APIs broken/unimplemented.
Now I'm interested !
Been waiting for an upgraded SoC on a Sony OLED for a while now.
I care little for the Android TV OS but want decent TV speed, OLED picture quality and great Motion Handling.
The Netflix Calibrated Mode looks "interesting"
So if you don't care about Android TV on those sets, what do you need a faster SoC for?
(2018-09-03, 12:49)CiNcH Wrote: [ -> ]So if you don't care about Android TV on those sets, what do you need a faster SoC for?
Most - but not all - of the Sony TV's UI is also handled within Android TV (even stuff like TV settings). The speed of responsiveness of the current Sony Android TV UI can make even this feel unresponsive.
(There are elements of the TV that aren't as 'Android-y' - such as the DVB-T/T2 stuff for handling EPG, channel changing, subtitles, digital text etc. - unless you're in the UK and haven't disabled the woeful YouView add-on...)
(2018-09-03, 12:49)CiNcH Wrote: [ -> ]So if you don't care about Android TV on those sets, what do you need a faster SoC for?
For the odd occasion that 4K HDR YouTube is needed or Spotify, with that
Mali G71 GPU (click), even gaming might be half decent.
It's mainly about fast, usability for the odd occasion when I do need to use ATV Apps.
Oreo on modern ARM SoC's, if the Mi Box is any indication, is fairly decent speed wise, pity about the new AMLogic Kernel bugs tho !
Quote: Most - but not all - of the Sony TV's UI is also handled within Android TV (even stuff like TV settings). The speed of responsiveness of the current Sony Android TV UI can make even this feel unresponsive.
(There are elements of the TV that aren't as 'Android-y' - such as the DVB-T/T2 stuff for handling EPG, channel changing, subtitles, digital text etc. - unless you're in the UK and haven't disabled the woeful YouView add-on...)
If I connect some external media player like Apple TV for example, I don't care much about the TVs menus. I don't change picture settings that often...
As for tuner integration, it is not usable at all in my opinion and buggy as hell. I was quick at recommissioning my TV server and using Kodi PVR instead...
Quote:For the odd occasion that 4K HDR YouTube is needed or Spotify, with that Mali G71 GPU (click), even gaming might be half decent.
It's mainly about fast, usability for the odd occasion when I do need to use ATV Apps.
Or with other words... you do care about Android TV
.
(2018-09-03, 13:04)CiNcH Wrote: [ -> ]Quote: Most - but not all - of the Sony TV's UI is also handled within Android TV (even stuff like TV settings). The speed of responsiveness of the current Sony Android TV UI can make even this feel unresponsive.
(There are elements of the TV that aren't as 'Android-y' - such as the DVB-T/T2 stuff for handling EPG, channel changing, subtitles, digital text etc. - unless you're in the UK and haven't disabled the woeful YouView add-on...)
If I connect some external media player like Apple TV for example, I don't care much about the TVs menus. I don't change picture settings that often...
As for tuner integration, it is not usable at all in my opinion and buggy as hell. I was quick at recommissioning my TV server and using Kodi PVR instead...
Quote:For the odd occasion that 4K HDR YouTube is needed or Spotify, with that Mali G71 GPU (click), even gaming might be half decent.
It's mainly about fast, usability for the odd occasion when I do need to use ATV Apps.
Or with other words... you do care about Android TV .
I've not noticed any major bugs with the DVB-T/T2 integration in the UK on the Sony XF (or XE) series - though I only use it when I have a tuner clash on Sky HD (and I do have a dual DVB-T/T2 TV Headend setup as well). I have, of course, disabled the dreadful YouView junk that UK owners are supposed to want to use. That was woeful.
What bugs have you had?
And
here is my review on the DTV part of those TVs.
4k HDR youtube wont be supported.
and honestly, if i could recommend a TV to stay away from for everyone, its a Sony.
so dissapointed in mine, the OS is crap, reminds me of android on a cheap box, compiles, but barely works.
not to mention the dumb thing never shuts off, i cant even have LED backlighting plugged into it as it turns the lights on and off 24/7 regardless of TV's state.
(2018-09-03, 19:32)dukester Wrote: [ -> ]4k HDR youtube wont be supported.
It will be... eventually... But not for ATV1 based models from 2015 (XC) and early 2016 (XD85, XD93, XD94).
Quote: not to mention the dumb thing never shuts off, i cant even have LED backlighting plugged into it as it turns the lights on and off 24/7 regardless of TV's state.
Yes, standby behavior is bad, see
this bug entry. It even violates applicable standards in the EU. Nobody cares.
(2018-09-04, 14:49)CiNcH Wrote: [ -> ]Yes, standby behavior is bad, see this bug entry. It even violates applicable standards in the EU. Nobody cares.
THAT explains the occasional and random AVR switch-ons we see with our XF9005...
(2018-09-04, 14:49)CiNcH Wrote: [ -> ] (2018-09-03, 19:32)dukester Wrote: [ -> ]4k HDR youtube wont be supported.
It will be... eventually... But not for ATV1 based models from 2015 (XC) and early 2016 (XD85, XD93, XD94).
Quote: not to mention the dumb thing never shuts off, i cant even have LED backlighting plugged into it as it turns the lights on and off 24/7 regardless of TV's state.
Yes, standby behavior is bad, see this bug entry. It even violates applicable standards in the EU. Nobody cares.
Been waiting for youtube HDR since it was announced "Coming soon" at CES 2016.. i have an ATV2 model.. im not holding my breath..