KDL-42W654A iPlayer no longer working

[nmsouthwest]

Hello, we have a Smart TV model KDL-42W654A purchased 2013 which has been working perfectly OK until 17 Feb 20 when BBC iPlayer was no longer available. The BBC website suggests this model is no longer supported, does no longer meet their standards and has had its certification removed. 

Why was its performance perfectly OK one day and not the next?

Has anybody else succumbed to this lack of functionality?

Going forward, is this going to happen to every Sony Smart TV model when they become 7 years old. We also have a KDL-42W706B manufactured Oct 2014. Is iPlayer going to disappear from this TV next year. If this is the case it could certainly affect our decision as to the manufacturer of our replacement items. 

[Sean_Mc]

Hi there,

Welcome to the Sony Community.

I would recommend getting in touch with the Sony Support team here to discuss this further.

Best wishes,

Sean

[nmsouthwest · Accepted solution]

Just to close this, as requested I contacted Sony Support. There is no solution. Each year another batch of devices are removed from the approved iPlayer list by the BBC. Sony Support did not offer an answer as to whether this TV's software/firmware could be upgraded. So basically after a certain length of time, in this models case, 7 years you loose some of its functionality. Your Smart TV is no longer as Smart as it used to be. I did suggest that this was built in redundancy, no comment was forthcoming. Talking to a colleague this does happen with other manufactures.