Sony is removing some features from its recent Bravia smart TVs next month, a move that will affect people who use an antenna or a set-top box.
As of “late May 2026,” people who use an antenna with the affected TV models will see a reduced TV guide, according to a support page spotted by Cord Cutters News. Per the support page, “program information may not appear depending on the channel,” and “only programs from recently watched channels may be shown” for channels delivered through an antenna.
Users will also no longer see channel logos or thumbnail images in program descriptions for TV channels delivered through an antenna.
Sony is also removing the dedicated menu for set-top box users and replacing it with a “control menu.” That should mean a less dense menu, but it is also expected to lead to fewer functionalities for set-top box users.
Finally, the TV menu on affected models will no longer show thumbnail images for programs. That means that the TV guide integrated into the Google TV operating system (OS) that shows aggregated content for content accessible via antennas, free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels, and some other live streaming services will no longer include preview images, which can be helpful for identifying shows and movies.
Sony said these changes will affect the following TVs:
- 2025 models: Bravia 8 II (XR80M2), Bravia 5 (XR50)
- 2024 models: Bravia 9 (XR90), Bravia 8 (XR80), Bravia 7 (XR70)
- 2023 models: Bravia A95L series
Sony’s support page says: “We appreciate your understanding and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.”
Reduced functionality
Sony didn’t explain why it’s removing these features. Ars Technica reached out but didn’t hear back before publication. We’ll update the story if we receive a response.
It’s possible that Sony is looking to reallocate resources to more commonly used features. The use of antennas and set-top boxes has largely declined in favor of on-demand streaming. Both types of hardware still have dedicated users, though. Nineteen percent of respondents in a 2025 survey of 2,200 US adults conducted by Horowitz Research said they use an antenna. And in a 2024 survey of 1,600 US TV viewers who have broadband access and were 16 to 74-years old that Hub Entertainment Research ran, 26 percent of respondents said a set-top box is their “default device for watching TV.”
