Without a lot fanfare, the TV Guide™ On Screen feature on my Sony TV stopped working. It took a while to track down the information, but the fact is that this service for broadcast TV is going away, and already has in my area.
I visited the Sony product support forums to see what could be done, and learned that some Sony TV’s can get listings from the Internet; my TV has an Ethernet connector, so I thought I’d give it a whirl. I got into interactive chat with a Sony representative on their web site, dumped the Model, Serial and Software revision, and asked how to set up the TV to get listings on the Internet. 28 minutes later, I was told that I can’t.
That was a disappointment for sure. If I had waited a year to buy the TV, it probably would have worked. Sony is really not saying much about the issue that has turned some of its DVR products into very expensive doorstops (they can’t even keep time). I’m thinking that all of this could be fixed in firmware, but Sony so far isn’t offering any hope.
I’ve bought quite a few Sony products over the years, and paid a premium for the Sony name. I won’t be considering them something special any more.