KDL42W653 does a smart tv use data when 'off'?

[ma-adlam]

I've had a smart tv for 2 weeks and barely used it yet, just watched a few you tube clips. I've used 10GB more than normal this month of my internet allowance and have now reached my limit and been cut off. Worryingly an additional 1GB (which I have been fined £20 for) was used from 3am - 6am yesterday morning whilst I was asleep and my tv was off. All other devices were off. Is this possible? Does it update and download whilst off/standby mode? My wireless network is passworded and secure. I'm concerned! Hoping for some advice, thanks.

[Anonymous]

Hi there

In general, a TV should not be consuming data whilst off, except for a quick check overnight.  However I believe that there was an update a few days ago for your TV, but its only about 180MB-200MB in size, so...

What you can do is disable 2 features:

1. Uploading Operation History : See HERE for more details
2. Automatic Software Update : See HERE for more details you will have to check periodically though for any updates.

YouTube can consume quite a bit of data depending of the video quality, duration, amount of clips watched etc.

Another thing to look out for is Windows Updates (if using a PC/Laptop with Microsoft Windows installed).  These can get quite big, especially the update to Windows 8.1 (3.5GB roughtly) and any other software updates for applications as well.

If you are concerned about "hackers" and wifi password - Simply change it.

We are living in the days of multiple devices connected to the internet, streaming applications etc.  It might be worth considering changing ISP's or plans to Unlimited, especially when there is a monetary penalty instead of "shaping" if going over your limit.

Thats all I can think of at the moment

Cheers

[ma-adlam]

Hi - thanks so much for your reply. I will disable these features tonight. I really doubt the tv has truely used this amount of data, I just can't understand how it would. Can I ask you another question - as I understand it, the tv creates it own wireless network. When I 'find' the tv on my iphone there is a new wireless network in the house called 'SONY-BRAVIA....' which I can connect my phone to. Could this be a network that someone else could easily join, it is less secure? I'm sure the tv gave me a password when I linked my phone with it the first time. Because I know that data was used through the night, 3 network sent me messages warning me I was over my allowance at intervals though the night, I know think someone has managed to get on my wireless network, possible through the TV wireless. I have mi-fi, which I read somewhere might less secure when you link a tv to it.

[Anonymous]

All devices on network will have a "host name" - As you found out on the TV, its says "Sony-Bravia...."  Only people connected to the network will be able to see the internal hostnames of devices on it.  Meaning, if someone is not connected to your network, they cannot see "Sony-Bravia..."

In regards to MiFi (admittinly I dont know much about this technology im afraid).  According to this guide - it states that the range is about 10meters.  Highly unlikely then someone could access your network, due to range limitations. 

You could always turn off the MiFi router over-night or when its not in use.  This may assist.

Mifi uses the mobile phone network - hence even if your mobile was not connected to the TV, 3 would have still sent you a text message for being over the limit. 

To be honest, I dont really know whats going on - but I think its unlikely that an unauthorised person is on your network.  And you said, connecting device to the TV, required a passcode.

[ma-adlam]

Hi, thanks for your advice today. I will follow this up tonight and also call 3 and see if they can give me a breakdown of usage. I think the 10 metre range makes it unlikely too. I'm going to change my password asap. 3 do warn you when your over your limit, but the messages get sent to your '3 dashboard' so unless your logged onto the computer at the time, you won't know. A text message would have been very handy! Thanks again.

[bthom1968]

Hi

I have the same problem - I have 2 Sony smart TV's (KDL42W805A and KDL32W653) and my data usage on 3 mobile broadband increased by about 4.5Gb a month (I can see the week I bought the TV's as there is a step in data usage). I had enabled Wifi and Automatic Software update and Usage upload on both TV settings. I too never use the internet functions of these TV's. I do however use TV Sideview, Media streaming from our home hub etc.

What I noticed is that most Thursdays the data usage increased to about 1Gb or 2Gb a day (usually would be 250Mb). 

I have disabled the Wifi on both TVs last weekend (23/11).

I called Sony Tech support - she took details and my phone number (in case the call dropped) and....yep I was cut off and two days later she never called back. Great reputation Sony!

Today (Thursday 28/11), I re-enabled Wifi and did a software update check - there is an update for each TV. I didn't let the update run and disabled Wifi straight away as we are close to our limit which is reset on 1st December.

I don't know whether it is the Software download or usage upload that uses so much data but it occurs most Thursday's and started when we bought our Sony smart TV's. There may be something else in the TV using data (like App updates) - I don't know.

I obviously can't use TV Sideview or media streaming without the WIFI being enabled on the TV's but I can't afford for the TV's to eat my household broadband allowance.

Unfortunately 3 do not show the time of day the data was used nor whether it was upload or download. It isn't 3's problem though. I can't understand how 2 TV's can use 4Gb a month when we don't access the media streaming functions. 4Gb equates to 6 hours of SD video.

Any help from the community gratefully received.

[Anonymous]

Hi there

Im not sure how to advise you on this - other than play the long game, of which the first thing to do is actually either confirm the TV is adding to your data or disproving it.

The software downloads for the TV are approximately 200MB in size.  So not going to equate to 4GB or more extra (as its a one off download).

Although in light on this as well as the LG scandal (See HERE for more details) I decided to play around with a rudimentary traffic analysis of my own using Wireshark.  Unfortunately, my knowledge does not extend to this, therefore no-results.  I dont think I have the right setup to do this anyhow - although at some point I might do this anyhow, as a pet project

Anyway, back to you.  If you have identified that thursdays are your problem.  Why not switch network off on the TV from wednesday to friday over successive weeks, and compare results.  Unfortunately, without more detailed traffic analysis either from your ISP or your own network, its very difficult to figure out, therefore becomes circumstantial at best.

Have you turned off the two settings on the TV, as suggested in my first reply to this thread?  Also, have you considered that its the smart-phone that is updating or other devices?

Cheers

[Nielsen]

If your wifi connection to the TV's is a little unstable, the firmware update session is maybe in a multiple retry case. You can also just establish home network connection only in TV network settings I think.

[bthom1968]

Wifi def OK. Def not smartphone. No big download yesterday (Thursday) with TV's wifi disabled.

My next stab at this is to enable wifi on one TV but keep Software update off and keep upload disabled. Then I'll try the Auto update. I'll run it for a month that way. It's not until the next month that I get data from the ISP - so it'll take time. I can use our Mifi next Thursday to see what % is upload and download. That way I'll know if its software/app download or usage/spying upload.

The extra data used by the TV's most weeks is about 1Gb each - it's too repetetive and regular too.

Just what Sony are doing is anyone's guess.

BTW: STRDN1040 and BluRay dont have usage monitoring or auto-update - they were connected to Wifi yesterday and there's no download / mega data usage.

BTW2 - the TV support page says PKG3.901EUA appeared on 5/11/13 yet there is a software update available for each TV from yesterday - anyone know what it is? How regular are these software updates? When does the support page get updated?

Good call about LG though - that was my thoughts too.

Many thanks

[HHGTTG]

Hello. Are you saying that it uses data when there is no mains supply to your TV? And how is one able to disable the WiFi when not needed, via the menu system?

I was thinking of buying the KDL42W653 before Christmas but have my doubts about one or two things. Admittedly I have just upgraded my BT BB acccount to Unlimited BB so usage is now not a problem but I do like my BT Hub3 to go into sleep mode when not being used but you are implying that the TV seems to want to communicate with the Internet rather a lot and I would like to be able to switch off the Wireless connection when I am not using the TV in the SMART mode.