How To Set Up Youview On Sony Tv

(Pocket-lint) - Sony has pushed out its update for 2022 Bravia televisions running on Android TV, bringing with it the new YouView feel.

YouView replaces the old EPG and brings with it a number of benefits, updating your already smart TV, to make a range of things slicker, simpler and ameliorate than before.

YouView already exists on a number of set-top boxes - from TalkTalk, BT and Humax for instance - only its integration into Sony's televisions in the Uk is a big bargain, both for Sony and YouView, but more importantly for yous, the possessor of one of these sets.

What is YouView?

YouView is a Tv platform that aims to seamlessly integrate live TV services with the UK's catch-up offerings. Rather than make you lot stop watching TV to open the BBC iPlayer app for example, information technology will simply let you scroll your electronic program guide (EPG) back and select what you desire to watch.

Information technology'due south every bit simple as scrolling forward to observe something yous desire to view later in the day, back up programming up vii days in the past, also as in the hereafter.

YouView has been available for several years and has about two million agile users currently. Many will be getting YouView from BT or TalkTalk TV packages, but the deal with Sony is the beginning fourth dimension information technology has rolled out on mass scale to a manufacturer'south televisions.

YouView says that its platforms contains about 17,000 programmes in all, and that's spread beyond live Freeview HD channels and catch-up programming.

Why is YouView on Sony Bravia TVs a big deal?

Sony is the first idiot box manufacturer to directly integrate YouView onto its televisions. It will be rolling out as a free update on all 2022 Bravia models running on Android Television receiver. It is a free upgrade and YouView is a free service, based on Freeview broadcast content.

There's a lot going on on those Bravia models, because not but do yous have the first generation of Sony's Android TVs, but you're now also getting YouView too. Both are smart platforms and both will coexist on your Sony Idiot box. But trust us, the motility to YouView is a good thing, as this is a very solid platform and offers a lot of sweet features.

Likewise, YouView is an exclusive United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland platform, so those lucky people in the Uk with the latest Sony TV are getting something special.

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YouView replaces your previous program guide

There's guide button on your remote that you probably employ every day. It opens the EPG then you tin can browse Tv programmes to meet what'due south on. That EPG is now replaced past YouView.

YouView is the EPG. Unlike Freeview where each manufacturer gets to decide how the data is portrayed and navigated in the EPG, YouView is standardised beyond devices. When you open up the new YouView EPG on your Sony TV, information technology looks practically identical to that of a YouView fix-top box.

However, this isn't just a straight port, YouView hasn't been shoehorned in, it instead takes advantage of the Sony Bravia'south power to make it a little more distinct. The EPG on Sony Television'southward has a translucency, sitting over the live channel you're watching, rather than giving you a minor cutout in the top right-hand corner previewing the channel.

From within this EPG you tin scroll forward to see what's on, and y'all can scroll dorsum to seamlessly access content on catch-upward Television services. Yous're no longer restricted to alive watching or heading into the home menu, picking the app you desire for grab-up, opening that and searching. It's at present seamless. Oh, and it'south really fast too.

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Sony YouView: Integrated catch-up

YouView on your Sony TV offers a full range of Britain catch-up services. You accept BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, All 4 and Demand 5 and as we've said, all these services are linked into the EPG. When there's a programme available, yous'll exist able to see information technology and start it playing pretty much instantly.

When y'all select what you want to watch, the TV jumps to that app and away y'all go. It'due south very fast, with YouView telling us it'south gained speed by leveraging the Bravia'south processing power. YouView is even proverb that information technology's slicker than some of the set-peak boxes.

The players themselves are hosted on the YouView platform, but you can access them through a number of avenues. They are listed every bit apps within the Android Television receiver Abode menu of your Sony Boob tube, as well as existence accessible from the YouView side. They are the same apps, simply if y'all desire to go straight to BBC iPlayer and but browse, yous're free to exercise and so.

They also have content integrated into YouView's search function and the Discover function, which we'll talk about in a second.

YouView is the slickest implementation of seamless live and catch-up TV that we've seen, better than Freeview Play from what we've seen then far, and then this is a large boost to your Sony TV.

However, YouView only deals in those cadre take hold of-up channels, it doesn't host other content sources, these remain in the regular Sony Home menu.

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Sony YouView: Search and Discover

Search is very powerful on YouView, forming part of the smart content discovery that the platform offers.

Y'all simply head into Search and y'all can start typing, with results appearing right abroad. It makes predictive suggestions, centring the nearly popular. Type "Practice…" and you'll be getting Downton Abbey and Doctor Who appearing, and then you lot can select what you desire to watch.

This volition be offerings both from live channels, every bit well equally on catch-up services. It'due south a little smarter too, considering searching for Downton Abbey will likewise return other associated results. For example, if Hugh Bonneville was the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car on Top Gear, it will announced too. (He was, and it does.)

That'south all well and good when you know what you want, just YouView too offers a content discovery approach. This will allow y'all browse by category, and so yous tin expect for comedies, or drama.

However, this is where Sony serves upwardly an sectional, as the existing Notice button on the Sony remote is also linked into YouView. Hit that button and you'll get a menu open upward at the bottom, loaded with suggestions. The top picks that caput it come from a range of sources, before y'all driblet downwards into content from other places, like PlayStation Video, alongside suggestions from YouView.

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Sony YouView: What about Netflix?

Y'all'd think that Netflix is the merely source of Television receiver that people scout. This is one area that Sony's implementation of YouView differs from the set-acme boxes from Humax, BT or TalkTalk.

On a ready-top box, YouView is everything. When you head into the "players" section, yous'll have many services, including Netflix, Now TV and more. That'south because a set-acme box is doing everything, whereas on a Sony Television receiver there's the entire Android Idiot box platform behind it.

On Sony TVs, that leaves YouView to handle UK catch-upwards services and Android Tv set to do the rest. And so Netflix and Amazon's video services remain where they were before. The advantage this offers is that you'll become 4K (if y'all have a 4K television) which currently isn't the case with YouView gear up-top boxes.

This also ways that the introduction of YouView doesn't interfere with any of the services that Sony already offers and we suspect that if you're used to pressing Home so choosing the app so you can picket Narcos or Breaking Bad, then you'll still exist happy to do and then.

What Sony Bravia TVs get YouView?

The list of Sony Bravia TVs is pretty extensive, roofing those sets launched in 2022 with Android Television set.

Here's the full list: KD-75X94C, KD-65X93C, KD-55X93C, KD-75X91C, KD-65X90C, KD-55X90C, KD-65S85C, KD-55S85C, KD-65S80C, KD-55S80C, KD-75X85C, KD-65X85C, KD-55X85C, KD-49X83C, KD-43X83C, KD-55X80C, KD-49X80C, KDL-75W85C, KDL-65W85C, KDL-55W80C, KDL-50W80C, KDL-43W80C, KDL-55W75C, KDL-50W75C, KDL-43W75C.

The update is rolling out from 4 November, so should be available correct away.

Writing by Chris Hall.