If you own a Sony, it looks like there is an update coming very soon and it is very important, as it will upgrade the system to Android Oreo.
Sony confirmed the update as it is in the process of rolling out compatible devices on its support website. There are a lot of models, but Sony has confirmed that the list consists of 24 different XBR TVs.
It should be noted that at this time the update is only planned for devices in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Chile, and Peru. Sony has yet to confirm when it will be available in other regions, including Europe.
While updates are fairly common for most devices, this is the official Oreo update, which is very important as it is more of a major update as opposed to the smaller and more common updates that typically come on a monthly or quarterly basis.
Android Oreo for TVs is based on Android 8.0, and this version deviates from the standard interface, thanks to Oreo's new focus on the "Channels" feature.
Channels are essentially apps, but now they focus on the content available through the app in a similar way to a TV channel. The result is an experience that can be compared to an interactive TV guide, where users can scroll through to see what's on each channel.
There are also some other tweaks, such as the “Play Next” section, which suggests watching the latest episode of a show you’re already watching. There’s also been a greater emphasis on Google Assistant support, and there are also general improvements and performance fixes.
Some notable fixes also include resolving “image quality issues with Dolby Vision content on Netflix” and “an issue with DTV 1080i.”.
There will be some new additional features, including support for Dolby Vision content on more TV models, as well as support for the Amazon Alexa app.
While this is the most recent update for Sony Android TV devices, it was first announced by Google in 2017.
Since then, Oreo has been replaced by Android Pie, although Pie has yet to be used on devices running Android TV.
With the new year just around the corner, the Google and Android team is already working on the 2019 version of the operating system, Android Q.
Those who have the appropriate device and wish to install the update can either wait for it to reach them, or download the appropriate files from Sony's website to manually apply the update.
