Sony Android TV Users

[dagrim1]

Rooting doesn't seem to be possible, here and there there are stories of people rooting it but this was either on a very early firmware or has never been confirmed. Blueborn (exploit through bluetooth) seemed to have worked for a while but I actually checked yesterday and this exploit is fixed in nougat so that's not an option anymore either.

About the pkg files, out of luck as well afaik...

There's just not as much development with (sony) androidtv unfortunately because the audience is way smaller and the risk way heigher...

 

[goodflood]

Hello!

Sony TVs have such a limited selection of apps, however, some sideloaded apps work... one that I am trying says "it is incompatible."

One method to overcome this is to have a rooted device (current general status: almost impossible)... and possibly another is to unpack the apk and modify it somehow. Does anyone have any input, links, etc. for me to try?

Thanks!

---------- Post added at 02:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:19 PM ----------

Hello!

UPNP over kodi (kodi-kodi) on the TV (from laptop) works fine... but casting over wifi sucks! Problems are crackling, delay, pixelation, audio only, etc. etc. My caster is Windows 10 device and the castee (?!?!?) is android TV running version 7!~

Any advice on things to try?

Thanks!

 

[maybeme2]

For many, Kodi has been a cool way to obtain movies and other content for free. But, is kodi now essentially dead after the crackdown?

As I understand it using kodi for movies without a vpn is asking for trouble and using a vpn is just 'trusting' an unknown intermediary entity with your information. Finally, if one is paying for a 'trustworthy' vpn, why not just pay for Netflix or similar and not bother with kodi at all.

Am I missing something? Trying to understand.

 

[kecodoc]

First of all, have you turned on Developer Options on the TV and enabled Android Debugging?

I use an app called Remote ADB Shell (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cgutman.androidremotedebugger). You'll also need the ADB binaries on your phone. If you're rooted with Magisk, there's a simple module that can install them for you.

Install magisk to sony TV ?
You please help me how to install Magisk to Android Tivi Sony 4K 49 inch KD-49X8000E ?
Thank you !!

 

[TKruzze]

Install magisk to sony TV ?
You please help me how to install Magisk to Android Tivi Sony 4K 49 inch KD-49X8000E ?

First you'll need to unlock the bootloader... (which you cannot do)...

 

[yazayad]

Has there been any work done on blocking all the telemetry and data collection stuff that sony and Google do? Any tips on how to rout traffic through a tunnel to block all the stuff collected and sent back to sony and google?

 

[[email protected]!]

I am an owner of a kd-55x8500e and unfortunately i am also facing the same issues with you guys.
not that i want to do much on in, just have some apps to work with and most important to uninstall a lot of unnecessary stuff that came preinstalled.

To be able to install other apps , i actually downloaded Aptoide, and installed several apps that i wanted from there. I still dont have them on them on the app list in the menu , but i open Aptoide and run them from there.

So far this is the shortcut that i use.

Edit*
I actually followed this post and i got a lot of things removed from the TV. In combination with the latest update firmware from the 12 Sept i must say that Everything runs way faster now and it is more "tidy" . I is a nice option for lightening up the menu and the storage a bit.

 

[KokkoM]

I am an owner of a kd-55x8500e and unfortunately i am also facing the same issues with you guys.
not that i want to do much on in, just have some apps to work with and most important to uninstall a lot of unnecessary stuff that came preinstalled.

To be able to install other apps , i actually downloaded Aptoide, and installed several apps that i wanted from there. I still dont have them on them on the app list in the menu , but i open Aptoide and run them from there.

So far this is the shortcut that i use.

Edit*
I actually followed this post and i got a lot of things removed from the TV. In combination with the latest update firmware from the 12 Sept i must say that Everything runs way faster now and it is more "tidy" . I is a nice option for lightening up the menu and the storage a bit.

Use HAlauncher, it show all apps and better than original

 

[jockyw2001]

First you'll need to unlock the bootloader... (which you cannot do)...

Did you verify the bootloader on a Sony is really locked? I could root my TCL Android TV which runs Android 8 just fine (fastboot flash boot boot-magisk.img using a usb A male to A male cable)
The original boot.img I could pull out of the encrypted pkg after I found the AES key after connecting a self-made service cable and logging the upgrade from nougat to oreo

 

[Alixbot]

I miss ICE CREAM SANDWITCH please forgive my rant.

First you'll need to unlock the bootloader... (which you cannot do)...

Tbh it makes me very upset when people say you can't do something with electronic devices. It's 2018 ppl, let's learn some technical programming and do whatever we want.

I won't let these stupid companies make us out to be enslaved to their programming. This is android we're talking about.

Bootloaders are only bootloaders. You can program them.
Here:
https://www.quora.com/Is-it-possibl...an-Android-phone-with-something-like-GNU-GRUB
Here too:
https://javigon.com/2012/08/27/the-bootloader-understanding-modifying-building-and-installing/amp/
Here also:
http://newandroidbook.com/Articles/aboot.html

I'm currently learning java, brushing up on python and hopefully next I'll dive into C but there's a lot of resources on the vast ocean of the internet and it's just a matter of figuring out what needs to be done and asking how to do it and the rest is making it happen. I have never thrown a phone out for bricking except iPhones. Those things are evil.

I actually found my sony tv on someone's curb last week because it had an update glitch that made it reboot over and over. I can't believe how people just lose hope on something so great all because they don't wanna do any work. It was an easy fix. I just figured out the update directions on sonys website are wrong. You need to press the TV button with the Power and V- to get the green light to update from usb, not just the Power and V- like the website said. And within a day of pondering and messing with it I literally got a 500$ tv free.
If anyone needs a lab rat for their tv root ideas, I have an xbr55x850c running 7.0 :highfive:

I also was wondering if linux deploy from the play store here:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ru.meefik.linuxdeploy
with Kali installed on a smartphone could anyway help us hack the kernel at all via usb?
I haven't had time to use it due to studies but I'll update my findings on this thread if I ever get to it. :good: :silly: I'm guessing after bootloader is hacked we will need to downgrade to gain easier root. If anyone can find any older update pkg files and other resources for this let me know.

 

[JupPickel]

Has anyone elses tv slowed way down and stutter in all video apps since the latest update?

 

[JupPickel]

Double post

 

[novahob]

Has anyone elses tv slowed way down and stutter in all video apps since the latest update?

I have a 2015 model and since nougat update my TV has been slow. Not sure if a reset would solve this?

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

[goodflood]

root --sony-android-tv

@Alixbot... I see you like color: LOL

That is a crazy story. Devices come with updates, auto-enabled, and when updates go bad... customers face problems. In your case, you have a TV to play with... LOL

"for bricking except iPhones. Those things are evil. " - ****Crapple, the trillion dollar company charging customers 3 times more!

Unfortunately, I don't have xbr55x850c, but another sony android TV running 7.0. No updates since, March 2018. I saved all the pkg files for my tv to begin with, but deleted them recently [ kept just the last few ]

There was some news of someone temporarily getting root using some apps, but it was not sticking after reboot. Also, dm-verity was discussed that [ if I understand correctly ] checks changes, if things have been fscked with... it is a NO GO.

One user said he got root, take a look here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=66311033&postcount=595 This does not look for the faint of heart for an expensive TV... [yes, smartphones are expensive too... ASIDE: I wonder if it has to do with size of the tv (large screen) versus small screen] that puts people off OR that (TV is a shared device BUT smartphone is a personal device). @banmeifyouwant posted a few times, then disappeared.

Maybe you can figure out root for android tv... Good Luck!

Tbh it makes me very upset when people say you can't do something with electronic devices. It's 2018 ppl, let's learn some technical programming and do whatever we want.

I won't let these stupid companies make us out to be enslaved to their programming. This is android we're talking about.

Bootloaders are only bootloaders. You can program them.
Here:
https://www.quora.com/Is-it-possibl...an-Android-phone-with-something-like-GNU-GRUB
Here too:
https://javigon.com/2012/08/27/the-bootloader-understanding-modifying-building-and-installing/amp/
Here also:
http://newandroidbook.com/Articles/aboot.html

I'm currently learning java, brushing up on python and hopefully next I'll dive into C but there's a lot of resources on the vast ocean of the internet and it's just a matter of figuring out what needs to be done and asking how to do it and the rest is making it happen. I have never thrown a phone out for bricking except iPhones. Those things are evil.

I actually found my sony tv on someone's curb last week because it had an update glitch that made it reboot over and over. I can't believe how people just lose hope on something so great all because they don't wanna do any work. It was an easy fix. I just figured out the update directions on sonys website are wrong. You need to press the TV button with the Power and V- to get the green light to update from usb, not just the Power and V- like the website said. And within a day of pondering and messing with it I literally got a 500$ tv free.
If anyone needs a lab rat for their tv root ideas, I have an xbr55x850c running 7.0 :highfive:

I also was wondering if linux deploy from the play store here:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ru.meefik.linuxdeploy
with Kali installed on a smartphone could anyway help us hack the kernel at all via usb?
I haven't had time to use it due to studies but I'll update my findings on this thread if I ever get to it. :good: :silly: I'm guessing after bootloader is hacked we will need to downgrade to gain easier root. If anyone can find any older update pkg files and other resources for this let me know.

 

[dagrim1]

Has anyone elses tv slowed way down and stutter in all video apps since the latest update?

Not that, for me both youtube and netflix sometimes crap out making me need to restart the tv though.

Any youtube video I then play will play for just a few seconds and then stop (not sure if sound continues), the picture freezes though
With netflix the preview videos will remain black and sound will play, when I start a video it will buffer endlessly (not even starting)

They always occur at the same time so seems a video/codec issue (I actually sideloaded netflix from a phone and that one seems to keep working, sideloading youtube failed)

I tried restarting the apps, relaunching in different way, clearing cache (not data, feels like it's just as much of a hassle to re-enter accounts as it is to reboot and rebooting every now and then can't hurt anyway). Even reset the tv to factory defaults but still happens afterwards.

Doesn't happen extremely often but still annoying every time it does...

 

[gowthamachandran]

Not that, for me both youtube and netflix sometimes crap out making me need to restart the tv though.

Any youtube video I then play will play for just a few seconds and then stop (not sure if sound continues), the picture freezes though
With netflix the preview videos will remain black and sound will play, when I start a video it will buffer endlessly (not even starting)

They always occur at the same time so seems a video/codec issue (I actually sideloaded netflix from a phone and that one seems to keep working, sideloading youtube failed)

I tried restarting the apps, relaunching in different way, clearing cache (not data, feels like it's just as much of a hassle to re-enter accounts as it is to reboot and rebooting every now and then can't hurt anyway). Even reset the tv to factory defaults but still happens afterwards.

Doesn't happen extremely often but still annoying every time it does...

This happens to me too on YouTube.
I'm using KDL-W95D and running Nougat. Never had this issue before Nougat update.

Couldn't figure out what's causing the problem. Anyone sorted this out??

 

[frake50]

This happens to me too on YouTube.
I'm using KDL-W95D and running Nougat. Never had this issue before Nougat update.

Couldn't figure out what's causing the problem. Anyone sorted this out??

YouTube apk on ATV really bad and stupid specially with 4K & HDR playlist. i installed "Smart YouTube TV" which its amazing and can do real HDR , you can find it here

 

[Sorden]

The original boot.img I could pull out of the encrypted pkg after I found the AES key after connecting a self-made service cable and logging the upgrade from nougat to oreo

Could you please describe in details how to make service cable and procedure how to get AES key? I'm waiting nougat to oreo update for my 55XE9005 soon and can follow your experience.

 

[frake50]

Hacking and Rotting Sony Bravia TV became TRUE

GOOD NEWS

NTFS USB drive do the JOBs
Translated from Japanese Forum related to Hacker Team ,
well with NTFS usb format i can install any apk direct to the TV with out need of use ES Explorer for example. that mean my TV set had this hole.
if you want to check yours SONY GOOGLE TV had this hole, download attchec and extracted on root USB formatted with NTFS, put the apk you want to install inside "demo_apps" , if the apk install dont start automatically, go to setting ----- setting for handler ... and there you will find new option install demo apps.

what the Team promise

""This completely bypasses the signatures usually used by the system, including using another exploitable, we hijack the devices boot process and reload a new kernel. After loading our attached unsigned kernel you will notice a new splash screen ( featuring the Sony and GTV Hacker logo) as well as the following perks:
Modified flash plugin with random per box flash string for Content Provider Bypass.
Crippled update feature to prevent box from receiving automatic updates.
Completely RW system, cache, and rootfs partitions
Full ADB Root
Removed signature checks on kernel / init scripts / init binary
A few other surprises.

 

[goodflood]

@frake50 Dude or dudess...

1. "Translated from Japanese Forum related to Hacker Team"... Can you provide a link??? We might read Japanese and want to check context of the forum.

2. "what the Team promise"... link you provided points to "https://blog.exploitee.rs/2012/root-for-sony-google-tv-with-unsigned-kernels/" posted in 2012. Does this still apply?

3. You mention "Hacking and Rotting Sony Bravia TV became TRUE"... this forum is Sony ANDROID TV... typo?

4. Write up matches this page: https://blog.exploitee.rs/2012/root-for-sony-google-tv-with-unsigned-kernels/. Care to explain?

5. What is in that APK? How do we know that there is no Monero miner in it? https://bitnewstoday.com/news/technology/android-tv-devices-infected-with-a-monero-miner/

- concerned dude