Pandora - Server not found on Sony Bravia TV
Solution: On a Sony Bravia TV, Pandora displays an error on launch - "Server not found". Previously, Pandora opened and was registered correctly, but now displays an all black screen with this ~ message.
Symptoms:
Pandora had worked before; the TV was registered with Pandora, and the program loaded correctly. Then, with presumably no changes, the program refused to load, displaying a black screen with the above message. The message included a link to Pandora support, but the link was not useful.
Uninstalling and re-installing Pandora did not resolve the problem.
Cold-booting the TV (disconnecting power) did not resolve the issue.
Suspicions:
The unsubstantiated belief is the TV acquired a new DHCP IP address from my home network and Pandora became confused. The application provides no means to re-register. I suspect de-installing from the main app screen does not really uninstall the program; it just removes it from the main menu.
Solution:
I followed these steps to recover. These steps assume your TV has already logged in to the Internet at least one time and performed its default firmware update.
1. Perform a factory-reset on the TV (essentially a re-format, returning the TV to original factory settings). Steps vary by brand and model. Search the Internet for your exact instructions.
For my TV, a Sony Bravia KDL-60W630B,
a. Turn on the TV. Wait 1 minute for the Operating System to completely load.
b. On the TV remote, press and hold the up-arrow.
c. While holding the up-arrow, reach around the back of the TV and press the POWER button on the back control-panel; this is not the remote's power button.
2. Allow the TV to restart. Re-register and re-set-up the TV, setting region preferences, time-zones, etc., following the TV's normal first-time-start.
Note: The TV will not have to re-download the Firmware update, this was already applied when first installed and a factory reset does not undo this operation.
3. Important change: For the Network connection, set manually, using the Advanced menu. You will need to set a fixed IP Address, not a router-assigned DHCP address. Do this by selecting the Advanced Network Setup menu, with detailed steps, below.
When picking an IP address, pick one outside of your normal DHCP address range. For 99% of all routers, set the IP address's last octect to 130 or 150. Avoid numbers below (120) as these probably conflict with the DCHP broadcast range.
For example, I set my TV to this IP address:
192.168.100.150
All other IP settings, subnet masks, etc., should stay at their defaults. Your prefix address range (192.168) may be different.
Typical IP Addresses:
IP Address: 192.168.100.150
Subnet: 255.255.2550.0
Default Gateway: 192.168.100.1
Detailed Steps:
Press the remote's [Home] button.
Then, from the TV's top-menu bar, select [Settings]
Select:
[Network Setup]
[Setup Network Connection]
[Advanced] -- Set a manual IP Address in a range, as suggested above.
4. From the [Network Setup] menus, select [Refresh Internet Content].
This updates the software and applications and your TV's step may be labeled differently. It will take several minutes to complete.
5. If the Pandora tile is installed on the My Favorites (App Screen), highlight the Pandora tile. Select Options, and remove.
6. On the App Menu, click the "+" tile, re-install Pandora. I actually launched the "Opera Store" and found Pandora from there, but I do not believe this was a significant difference.
Pandora should be working correctly.
Symptoms:
Pandora had worked before; the TV was registered with Pandora, and the program loaded correctly. Then, with presumably no changes, the program refused to load, displaying a black screen with the above message. The message included a link to Pandora support, but the link was not useful.
Uninstalling and re-installing Pandora did not resolve the problem.
Cold-booting the TV (disconnecting power) did not resolve the issue.
Suspicions:
The unsubstantiated belief is the TV acquired a new DHCP IP address from my home network and Pandora became confused. The application provides no means to re-register. I suspect de-installing from the main app screen does not really uninstall the program; it just removes it from the main menu.
Solution:
I followed these steps to recover. These steps assume your TV has already logged in to the Internet at least one time and performed its default firmware update.
1. Perform a factory-reset on the TV (essentially a re-format, returning the TV to original factory settings). Steps vary by brand and model. Search the Internet for your exact instructions.
For my TV, a Sony Bravia KDL-60W630B,
a. Turn on the TV. Wait 1 minute for the Operating System to completely load.
b. On the TV remote, press and hold the up-arrow.
c. While holding the up-arrow, reach around the back of the TV and press the POWER button on the back control-panel; this is not the remote's power button.
2. Allow the TV to restart. Re-register and re-set-up the TV, setting region preferences, time-zones, etc., following the TV's normal first-time-start.
Note: The TV will not have to re-download the Firmware update, this was already applied when first installed and a factory reset does not undo this operation.
3. Important change: For the Network connection, set manually, using the Advanced menu. You will need to set a fixed IP Address, not a router-assigned DHCP address. Do this by selecting the Advanced Network Setup menu, with detailed steps, below.
When picking an IP address, pick one outside of your normal DHCP address range. For 99% of all routers, set the IP address's last octect to 130 or 150. Avoid numbers below (120) as these probably conflict with the DCHP broadcast range.
For example, I set my TV to this IP address:
192.168.100.150
All other IP settings, subnet masks, etc., should stay at their defaults. Your prefix address range (192.168) may be different.
Typical IP Addresses:
IP Address: 192.168.100.150
Subnet: 255.255.2550.0
Default Gateway: 192.168.100.1
Detailed Steps:
Press the remote's [Home] button.
Then, from the TV's top-menu bar, select [Settings]
Select:
[Network Setup]
[Setup Network Connection]
[Advanced] -- Set a manual IP Address in a range, as suggested above.
4. From the [Network Setup] menus, select [Refresh Internet Content].
This updates the software and applications and your TV's step may be labeled differently. It will take several minutes to complete.
5. If the Pandora tile is installed on the My Favorites (App Screen), highlight the Pandora tile. Select Options, and remove.
6. On the App Menu, click the "+" tile, re-install Pandora. I actually launched the "Opera Store" and found Pandora from there, but I do not believe this was a significant difference.
Pandora should be working correctly.
Pandora - Server not found on Sony Bravia TV
Reviewed by Unknown
on
7:50 PM
Rating:
Reviewed by Unknown
on
7:50 PM
Rating:
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