Smart Televisions

Minivanman · 04-11-2014

As somebody who is new to smart TV maybe others can help here.

The Panasonic Viera I bought just over a week ago has been great so far and much easier than using those dangling dongles. This afternoon however when trying to watch BBC iPlayer for example it's telling me to connect to the internet but on the network settings I can see that it obviously is, so what's happening.

A quick check on the web tells me this has been an issue in the past with Panasonics and that in several cases it been because of their own server - at least that's the way I'm reading it. So is that the way these things work, Panasonic, Sony or whatever connect their televisions to their own server via my internet connection? I'm finding it hard to get my head around that one.

Any clues guys, am I going up the wrong path or what?

I know where I am, I've been lost here before.

chenks76 · 24-10-2013

i would think that would be nonsense.
these devices are just like any other device that connects to the internet, in that it connects to the internet directly and not via a third party proxy.

it could be that the iplayer app pre-installed needs authentication with a panasonic service first, but even that i would think was totally nonsense.

Minivanman · 04-11-2014

Well this was one link I looked at Chenks and as you can see a couple of replies talk about Panasonic network so......

I'll give it while and then start bothering Panasonic, or maybe my son-in-law who has had the same model for over a year.

I know where I am, I've been lost here before.

Mav · 06-04-2007

I've had a Panasonic Viera for six and a half years and never met the issue you are describing. Have you tried changing the DNS to 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 ?

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chenks76 · 24-10-2013

Minivanman wrote:

Well this was one link I looked at Chenks and as you can see a couple of replies talk about Panasonic network so......

I'll give it while and then start bothering Panasonic, or maybe my son-in-law who has had the same model for over a year.

are there any sources other than "computing.net" and threads that are newer than 2015?
try avforums, i would use that as a more reliable source than computing.net to be honest.

Mook · 16-10-2014

Is today the first time you've used this device on line @Minivanman?

Minivanman · 04-11-2014

Been using it on-line for a week with no trouble @Mook and it's been great.

It's a puzzle to be sure.

I know where I am, I've been lost here before.

rongtw · 01-12-2010

I have a Samsung smart TV , Ocasionally it will say cant connect to server when it wants to Update , but its just the Samsung server maybe just too busy

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Minivanman · 04-11-2014

Why should that work @Mav?

I'm not much of a new tech guy to be honest and that sounds complicated and as said to @Mook it's been working fine on-line all week.

Maybe I'm just panicking (had to save up for a while to buy it) so I guess I'll see if it corrects it'self somehow.

I know where I am, I've been lost here before.

Minivanman · 04-11-2014

@rongtw

Well it's that server business that has me puzzled.

I know where I am, I've been lost here before.

Mav · 06-04-2007

I seem to remember I had a few issues when using Plusnet's DNS that went away once I switched to Google's. But that was over six years ago so maybe I am remembering things wrong.

Forum Moderator and Customer
Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear - Mark Twain
He who feared he would not succeed sat still

Mook · 16-10-2014

I'm thinking the same as @rongtw here @Minivanman in that it could be a hiccup on the Panasonic side of things. One thing I would suggest is that you see if there is anything to upgrade. I know the TV's new (to you) but it may have been in a warehouse for long enough.

chenks76 · 24-10-2013

rongtw wrote:

I have a Samsung smart TV , Ocasionally it will say cant connect to server when it wants to Update , but its just the Samsung server maybe just too busy

that's not the same as what the OP is having troubles with though.
doing a system update would connect to a manufacturers server, but only for that.
it wouldn' connect to that for internet access.

chenks76 · 24-10-2013

Minivanman wrote:

Why should that work @Mav?

I'm not much of a new tech guy to be honest and that sounds complicated and as said to @Mook it's been working fine on-line all week.

Maybe I'm just panicking (had to save up for a while to buy it) so I guess I'll see if it corrects it'self somehow.

are you using a WIFI connection with the TV?
if yes, then that would be my first port of call to check.
easy check is to test using ethernet and see if the problem goes away.

chenks76 · 24-10-2013

Mook wrote:

I'm thinking the same as @rongtw here @Minivanman in that it could be a hiccup on the Panasonic side of things. One thing I would suggest is that you see if there is anything to upgrade. I know the TV's new (to you) but it may have been in a warehouse for long enough.

why would it be trying to connnect to anything on the panasonic side to connect to on-demand services?
that would suggest they are using a walled garden proxy type network, which they don't.