August 29, 2019

The short life of Smart TV apps

According to this What Hi-Fi story, a number of Sony AV devices will lose access to Amazon Prime next month.
‘In an email sent yesterday to subscribers of the video service who own an affected device, Amazon said it “will no longer be supporting the Prime Video app on [your] Sony Blu-ray Disc Player / Sony Network Media Player / Sony Blu-ray Disc Home Theatre System / Sony AV Receiver (model year 2010-2013) as of 26 September 2019”. These six-to-nine-year-old devices are supposedly losing the feature due to a Prime Video upgrade that means it can no longer be supported by certain models.’
Now that Virgin’s V6 box supports Amazon Prime Video that’s not the end of the world for VM customers, but it does make me wonder how long Smart TV (and player) apps are going to be around for before they no longer work. My Sony blu-ray player is likely to be one of those affected, and my 2013 Sony TV (pre-Android OS) is also likely to lose the app. I don’t want an Amazon stick - it’s messy enough having to use a Now TV one for Sky Atlantic shows.
Having just renewed my contract with VM (after some negotiation with Retentions on my monthly bill) I’m sitting comfortably for now, but nothing lasts forever and I do wonder what the landscape will look like in twelve months time. Disney+ launches in the US soon and who know, maybe the long-promised Sky Q without a dish or the HD version of Now TV may appear at last. Will I be a Virgin Media customer this time next year? Will you?
Interesting times.

August 02, 2019