I've been a fan of Sony for ages simply because their systems and TV units are some of the best in the market.

But I was stuck with a Sony TV that was slow and didn't install many apps that were available on the app store.

After reading up on the issue, I realized that the problem is the TV has not been updated in quite a while and by updating the firmware, I was able to rectify all the problems I was facing and managed to get the TV running at top speed.

In this article, I'll show you how to update a Sony TV using 4 different methods and help you take advantage of the latest updates and improvements.

• Enable Auto Update on your Sony TV
• Update your Sony TV Manually via the Internet
• Update your Sony TV using a USB Drive
• Update Apps on a Sony TV

Check it out!

How to Update a Sony TV - 4 Methods that Worked

Updating your Sony TV is easy and fortunately there are a number of ways you can update your TV at home.

You can either set the TV to automatically download and install the update, connect to the internet and manually update the TV, or you can use a USB stick and update the firmware offline.

I’m going to take you through all you need to know about updating your Sony TV at home, so let's start with the easiest method.

How to Enable Auto Update on your Sony TV

This feature has to be enabled on your Sony TV as by default it’s turned off. To enable the auto update feature on your Sony TV, follow these steps.

• Turn on the Sony TV and ensure that it’s connected to the internet
• Proceed to use the remote control and navigate to the TV settings
• Select Support from the list of available options and then choose Software Update
• You will find an Auto Update option, enable it.

Now that you have enabled the auto update feature on your Sony TV you wouldn’t have to worry about your TV getting updated to the latest firmware. There are two likely scenarios here:

• You turn on your TV and there’s an update - You will not be able to watch or stream anything until the update has been installed. This will hardly take 5-10 minutes depending on what kind of an update it is. 

• You’re watching TV and you receive an update in the background - The TV will download the update in the background without disrupting your viewing experience and the next time you turn on your TV, the software will install.

How to Update your Sony TV Manually via the Internet

If you’re someone who prefers to update your TV manually then you can do so by connecting your Sony TV to the internet via Ethernet cable or Wi-Fi and manually update the firmware.

If this is your first time or you’re confused about where to go and what to do, read through these steps to get a better understanding.

• Turn on the Sony TV and navigate to the Settings menu
• Select Support from the list of options and then click on Software Update.
• Here you will find Update now and Auto Update, tap on the one labeled Update Now
• Your Sony TV will now search the internet if there’s any available update
• If there’s no update you can head back to the TV’s home page and continue watching TV.
• If there is an update available, click on the Download button to install the update 
• Once the update installs, the TV will automatically restart and the TV will run on the new firmware post restarting.

How to Update your Sony TV using a USB Drive

The third method is slightly different and is an entirely manual process that requires you to download the updated firmware from the official repository and have that installed onto your TV with the help of a pen drive or a USB stick.

This is a lengthy process and will take some time to get used to. It’s highly recommended that you follow this method if your Sony TV is not connected to the internet or if you don’t have access to a network connection.

• The first thing you need to do is visit the Sony online support site and check if there’s an update available for your TV
• You will be presented with a search Support box on the page, enter your TV model number
  • The model number should resemble - XBR-65X900H
• Tap on Information to check if there’s any update you can download.
• Tap on Manuals and Downloads
• You will now be presented with a list of downloadable files that range from installation manuals, user manuals and firmware.
• Tap on See More under Firmware to check what new features or bug fixes are included in this update
• Now click on Download to have the file downloaded on your PC/laptop.

Note: The file you download will be a compressed file with a .exe extension

• Open the downloaded file and extract its contents
• Copy the exe file from your computer to a USB pen drive
• Eject the pen drive from your computer

Note: Before you plug the USB to the TV, make sure that no other devices are connected to the TV

• Turn on the Sony TV and with the remote control navigate to the Settings page
  • Home/Home Page > Settings

• Scroll down on the Settings page and tap on Customer Support
• Select Software Update from the list of options and then tap on Update Now
• You will receive a USB drive option, click on it
• Your Sony TV will display a message that reads “Scanning USB, this may take more than 60 seconds”
• Follow the steps displayed on the TV to complete the installation process
• Once the file has been installed your Sony TV will automatically restart and your TV will now be running on the latest firmware version.

Note: DO NOT turn off your TV in the middle of the update installation process as it can corrupt the firmware and you may face multiple issues with your TV. Most settings don’t get affected with updates, however the audio and video settings might revert to their default settings and will need to be changed manually.

How to Update Apps on a Sony TV?

Most of the time when you install an update, older apps installed on your TV will fail to launch because their software versions may not be compatible with the TV’s new firmware. To fix this issue you will need to update your apps.

You can follow these steps to automatically update the apps on your Sony TV.

• Turn on the Sony TV and using the remote control, tap on the Home Page button
• Select Apps from the list of options and then click on Options
• Enable Auto Update so that you wouldn’t have to manually update each and every app

If you prefer updating specific apps on your TV then I wouldn’t recommend enabling auto updates on your TV. Instead follow these steps:

• Turn on the Sony TV and using the remote control, tap on the Home Page button
• Select Apps from the list of options and then click on the app you want to update
• Check if there’s any available update you can download from the app page
• Follow the steps displayed on the screen to have that particular app updated to its latest version.

How to troubleshoot Sony TV update failure

There are only two instances where your update can fail, one is because you’ve used a corrupted file and the second is because your TV is not connected to the internet to search for an update.

You’ve Downloaded a Corrupted or Wrong File

If you’ve downloaded the wrong update file then you will not be able to install the update on your TV as it will not support the wrong firmware.

In order to fix this issue, you need to search for the update firmware using the exact model number of your TV.

You can find this unique code either on the back of your TV, by visiting Settings > About > Model Number, or by checking the owner's manual.

When you download the correct firmware file, follow the steps listed above under the section labeled “Update your Sony TV using a USB Drive”

The file will get installed and your TV will now be updated.

Your Sony TV is not Connected to the Internet

The other most likely scenario is that your Sony TV is not connected to the internet or Wi-Fi.

You can easily fix this issue by connecting your TV to the internet either via an Ethernet cable or by using Wi-Fi.

To check your Sony TVs network status, you can follow these steps

• Turn on your Sony TV and using the remote control, navigate to the Home Page
• Locate Settings and click on it
• Now proceed to find Network from the list and open that by clicking on the option
• Finally tap on Network Status to check the status of your connection and whether it’s connected to the internet or not.

Takeaway

Updating your Sony TV's software is a must-do task if you want to get the best out of it. By following the steps listed above, you will be able to have the latest firmware installed on your Sony TV in no time.

One of the main reasons why updates are important is because they tend to come with fixes for existing software problems, and not keeping your TV updated to the latest firmware will result in apps not working properly or severe lags in navigating through the TV.

Hope this helped! 

Check out our guides on how to update other TVs such as Sony, Xiaomi, LG, and Philips.

Until next time. Ciao!