Is the satellite tuner on the Sony XH85 range any good?

Squabbling over license issues and inclusion in a general catch up app or something like that has created all sorts of contradictions, where apps exist freely on other operating systems (Apple TV, firestick, android mobile), but not on the actual TV used to display. So you end up using browser versions in the TV browser app, or a plug in box or stick, or casting from a tablet or phone. It's bizarre. All 4 disappeared from LGs apparently in 2020, and irate LG fans got no satisfaction. When they discovered they could get around this by using the web version on LG TV browser, All 4 killed this off on LGs, due to some licensing arrangement with Freeview. Probably this Youview thing also precludes standalone apps. Youview is implicated on the Sony forum for interfering with satellite service delivery, which could well be the reason for the Freesat EPG problem. Proper hornets nest.

What version of iPlayer app should I be looking to download ? I side loaded one (0.4.7-dev-47) which seemed ok and ran but was blocked in the same way as the preloaded one in Live TV & Catchup

I have ITV hub working on the Sony, I sideloaded this apk which was extracted from the Youview container by the heads at Github. https://github.com/hoshsadiq/bravia-youview-player-launchers/releases/tag/v3.1.0

Sign on for an ITV a/c on your phone, run app, log on,use BT36 as a postcode (norn iron), and have your smart DNS in place. It didn't work initially, but a ruse I use is to open TV browser and idly browse a few addresses. This seems to establish the smart dns to your device connection. Go back to ITV Hub app, and try it out. Working away as I type

All4 and My5 apk there also.

EDIT. It played until an ad break, which seemed to take an age to load ( trying to region optimise the ads?), then it stopped with an error. Probably not worth the hassle.

I'm on region UK on terrestrial, or digital as Sony call it, I've renumbered and they don't change. First thing I can think of is that in Setting/Channels/Channel setup/advanced you can turn off Auto service updates for Digital or Satellite. They're still turned on on mine, but..., I manually tuned in Saorview channel mux from two different masts, Mux1 on Kippure34 and Mux2 onThree rock 33, for reasons in an earlier post. When I done this originally in region Ireland, the auto tune would revert back to Kippure Mux 2 on 35, which was prone to cci interference, my digital list would look the same, just that Saorview service update substituted the Mux2 channel list, but all these mux2 channels would dissappear from my favourites. When trying different things to prevent this I disabled Digital, then re-enabled it, but if course it would only retune in region UK. Not wanting to reset, I manually tuned in 33 and 34, then renumbered them in my Digital list. they've stayed this way since, and don't try to retune to either Freeview numbering or Saorview mux pair. So you could try disabling Digital, re-enable, manually tune your chosen mast mux channels, then renumber and add add to favourites. I've not used my favourites since, as Its so easy to just jump to satellite and back. Heres a link to Saorview frequency chart for manual tuning of Saorview channels by mast.

Sort of. If you hit the OK/Enter button to bring up channel guide bar, you can scroll left or right for the other channels on that tuner, then hit enter to immediately display the channel, or, scroll down to select Digital, Freesat, HD, etc then back up to select a channel within that source with left/right scroll and a press of OK. Tip; when you scroll back to the first channel on the tuner (say 101 BBC1), you can continue scrolling left to the highest numbered channel down, instead of scrolling all the way up. Can't do this on the guide, which can be a pain if you're trying to get back to 101 from 900 or something.

I've just checked my 'Digital' tuner logos (or 'picons' in Linux box parlance), I'm just missing VM3, VM4 and Challenge. Who knows where they're being sourced from what with UK region settings being used. I'm not even sure if they accompany epg data or the channel metadata at this stage, they didn't before, you had to have an Internet plugin or app on your tuner. I'm not keeping up these days, but if you want to read up current dvb-t specs....

It's worth adding though the the Manhattan is ideal for your needs, its extremely cost effective, as fuller featured Freesat boxes with record, time shifting etc are several hundreds of €. I rarely record either, except during the recent RWC, I recorded stuff while watching the Rugby, even though it was available later on player, but recording let's you watch later and skip the interminable ads.

Two button presses is perfect. My other Samsung tv has full Freesat epg, but it's 11 button presses to go from Saorview to Freesat, and eleven more to get back, makes it unusable for quick channel hopping.

You'd wonder did these manufacturers ever road test their products in a room full of random citizens, who would quickly report the bizarre or incongruous interfaces and controls and user experience. My frustration in buying TVs, which is very infrequently, is that it's impossible to find a retailer with tvs plugged into terrestrial, satellite, various boxes, maybe PlayStation if that's your thing, wifi turned on, etc. in other words, a real user home environment. Most just have internal or shop demos running from a 4k source. They wouldn't even have WiFi on so you could try the smart stuff out.

I bought the Sony virtually blind, it was so difficult to put one through its paces. The only positive test I managed to conduct was the side by side comparison of the full array images from xh9000 series compared to the lesser xh8000 models. it was worth the extra few hundred €, plus it had dual sat tuners and headphone BT. I put my faith in the Android OS to deliver the versatility I hoped for that other brands lacked. Freesat EPG aside, it does the job, especially on upscaling sub SD tv channels like VM terrestrial. All the players work, the VM HD one a real bonus, so it'll do for me. If you find a setup that works for you, stick with it, enjoy the content and forget the damn interface peculiarities, for they'll all drive you mad one way or another.