Opera on Bravia?

[wetsleet]

According to Trusted Reviews, Opera browser is coming to Bravia. Does anybody know when? And will it be available to existing models via firmware?

http://www.trustedreviews.com/tvs/news/2011/01/19/Opera-Comes-To-Sony-Bravia-TVs/p1

[Catmambo]

Yes, this is one of the new features on the 2011 models which were announced at CES the other week. There are no plans to update older models as far as I'm aware due to hardware and platform constraints unfortunately.

Thanks

[Bernie-the-Bolt]

Edd

Do 'older models' mean sets from 2010 and before, i.e. pre BE3/BIV sets, BE2 or AppliCast models?

Regards

[Catmambo · Accepted solution]

Correct, it won't be pushed out onto any older models at all unfortunately, it will only be on 2011 Internet enabled  devices. Processing horsepower and spec has been consistently increasing over the last few years to now make this a usable feature.

Thanks

[shgreen30]

The only satisfaction I have with Sony is that they definitely will not be getting my money when I upgrade my lounge TV later this year. Having just bought a KDL32EX503 for the bedroom with the expectation of streaming movies from my NAS, I feel completely conned. And now to learn that subsequent new features will not be available on my TV is just a disgrace. A total disregard for their customers it seems. Only interested in new customers, Sony needs to remember: brand loyalty is imperative!

[Catmambo]

Hi shgreen30

Sorry to hear you are unhappy, but most new products from almost all hardware manufacturers be it a computer, mobile phone, TV etc have new features which weren't available on the previous generation of devices.

Sony continue to enable new features and launch new services where possible on current and older devices, such as DLNA on 2010 Blu-ray players and new video services like Sky News, BBC iPlayer and Qriocity which weren't part of BRAVIA Internet Video when it launched back in March.

So whilst I understand your frustration, the traditional 'spec up, price down' upgrade cycle is part and parcel of owning any high tech piece of equipment from any manufacturer.

Thanks

Message was edited by: Catmambo

[Bernie-the-Bolt]

Whoa, hang on there! I am a Sony customer and have the KDL37EX503, the next size up to yours. I stream movies, etc. from my PC, via cheap homeplugs at the hub and TV power sockets, using Mezzmo Media Server and am comparing against Wild Media Server, Serviio and PS3 Media Server to see if ther are any better for me (and free!). I have also just discovered Isodora which I'm looking at too. I have found that Mezzmo works best so far for me. However, this doesn't allow virtual realtime streaming (that I have discovered) as iPlayer or Sony Entertainment do from within the Bravia Internet Video (BIV) platform. nor, of course, is web browsing permissable. I do feel though that we, the customers, should know what is to be available within the BIV environment and not have to wait for when, say, ITV Player and 4oD appear when we have permission to know. After all we've bought the sets and surely have a right to know.

Bottom line is that, like PC's (which TV's are now in essence), they are always evolving and are out of date as the day they are bought! My previous has Applicast but it can be used as a uPnP renderer as yours can too.

[Catmambo]

Hi Bernie

I understand where you are coming from, however its very hard to give out a roadmap of services for a number of reasons.

• Commerical Sensitivity - e.g. The BBC doesn't allow anyone to pre-announce a service with them until its ready to go live.
• Work in Progress - Software development has a habit of slipping *cough Gran Turismo cough*. There was a service I hinted at before Xmas without naming, but was since delayed until next month due to server side updgrades taking place. So I'm always hesitant towards pre-announcing services incase they are delayed and it causes more confusion.
• Competitor Advantge - These are open forums and so anyone is able to browse the information discussed here.

In the same way that hardware releases are kept under wraps until official announcements, so are video services, but rest assured I will tell you as soon as we are in a position to.

Hope this clarifies things a little.

[Bernie-the-Bolt]

Edd

I've been thinking about this, and apologies to Wetsleet as your original post may have now got 'hijacked', all of the manufacturers out there are in competition, your main ones being (to me) Panasonic, Samsung and LG. You are all going into partnerships with VOD suppliers as well as the main TV companies for the countries which you are in (pretty much all!). Why not get this sorted before updating the software piecemeal. How long was it before iPlayer came to our BIV having been promised and shown on the Sony website, since the begining of last year? October I think. In another discussion ITV Player has already slipped out, being trialed I notice from another discussion, so it's not to far round the corner is it?!

Another way round Wetsleet's issue could be to obtain a TV Netserver, such as Sony Internet TV, seen and available in the USA but not here I think. More money of course (and should they become available here I'm willing to trial one, hint, hint!). Or just plug in a dedicated laptop/PC to the TV, the TV as a renderer! Radio keyboard - job done!

[wetsleet]

I'm sure Catambo said in another post that the current Bravias already run a web browser for the purpose of running BBC iPlayer, but that the browser is not available to the user as there is no satisfactory input method (i.e. no keyboard). So if it has the horsepower to run a 'generic' web browser, why not a decent one like Opera?