Sony BRAVIA TVs were once considered top-tier choices, but recent market shifts have seen them fall behind. For those who recently purchased a BRAVIA model, there’s unfortunate news: Sony will be restricting features and removing content from the terrestrial digital TV (TDT) programming guide and set-top box menus.
Once dominant players like Samsung, LG, and Sony were the leaders in the television market. However, Sony has lost its prominent position. The Japanese company experienced a significant surge during the PS2 and PS3 era with the introduction of HD TVs, but subsequently, other brands surpassed them in the Smart TV segment. The advent of Chinese manufacturers offering Smart TVs at much lower price points further impacted Sony, who struggled to compete in the high-end market against Samsung and LG. Ultimately, this led to a significant shift, with Chinese company TCL acquiring a 51% stake in Sony’s TV business.
Sony to Remove TDT Programming Guide Images and Descriptions from BRAVIA TVs to Focus on Newer Models
It has been a few weeks since TCL took control of Sony’s BRAVIA TVs, projectors, and audio systems, and changes that will not be well-received by consumers are on the horizon. Owners of high-end Sony BRAVIA TVs released between 2023 and 2025 will experience the loss of several TDT functions starting from May 2026. This is due to reduced support for older models (even those only a few years old) as the company shifts its focus to new releases.
The first set of changes affects the TDT (Terrestrial Digital Television) programming guide. It will no longer display complete information for all channels, showing only the programming for channels recently viewed. Channel logos that were previously present in the programming guide will disappear, and thumbnail images that appeared with descriptions will also be removed.
All Models from 2023 to 2025 Will Be Affected, from Mid-Range to High-End
The changes to the TV programming guide are not the only alterations. Sony will also modify the menu system, specifically removing the option dedicated to set-top box setup. In its place, a simpler control menu will be introduced. These changes represent a significant downgrade for users and will affect owners of these BRAVIA TVs, including the most expensive OLED models from a couple of years ago.
Support has been notably brief this time, as even models released last year, such as the BRAVIA 8 II (XR80M2) and BRAVIA 5 (XR50), will be impacted. Despite these TVs boasting excellent features, superb image quality with XR processing, and HDMI 2.1 for optimal PS5 performance, it feels as though they have been prematurely abandoned by the company.
