YouView 'App', limited Google Play Store and live TV issues

[TheJungler]

Hello,

I'm encountering an issue with my Sony Android TV, and it seems so stupid I feel I must be missing something, can anyone help point me in the right direction or at least reassure me that this is a problem and I'm not going crazy?

I normally only use my PS4 connected to my TV and run all my streaming apps on that, I have never even looked at the TV's home page since initial setup. However I want to watch the snooker, which is currently exclusively on ITV4. ITV haven't released an app for PS4, and their browser-based player needs Flash so I can't use the PS4's browser to access it (I mean seriously, both of these points are insane in 2018...).

So I go to the TV's homepage and see under the 'featured apps' heading the ITV logo, brilliant! I click on it and it takes me to the 'YouView' setup, which I thought was strange seeing as this is an Android TV and ITV have their own 'ITV Hub' app, that instead they're going through YouView, but whatever. Then YouView asks me to search for channels digitally, through either an aerial or cable. I don't have an aerial, I don't have any desire to plug yet another thing into my TV seeing as I only need my PS4 and an internet connection for everything else. And besides, this YouView thing, and the ITV logo on the homepage were under 'Featured Apps' - if it doesn't provide content through the internet connection it's not an 'App', right?

Am I going crazy or is there really no way to stream live TV channels through the 'Smart TV' interface of the Android TV over the internet? I even went to the play store to find the 'ITV Hub' app but that doesn't appear either.

Any help you can give, even if it's just to confirm 'yes it doesn't work and is as stupid as you think', would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

Matt 

[TheJungler]

Update but still the same problem: I managed to install the ITV Hub app on the TV by transferring the .apk from my phone via an Android file manager app, but as it's a phone app the orientation is turned 90 degrees counter-clockwise on the TV, and I couldn't get past the first screen to enter details as the cursor buttons would only enter the text box and wouldn't leave it, so i can't get past the point of entering my postcode to click 'ok' or 'skip this part'.

[royabrown]

YouView, like Freeview, requires an aerial connection.

As fas as the ITV player and the All4 player are concerned, they determine which region you are in from the TV tuning; nothing tuned, no players.

You have three choices;

Temporarily install an aerial - perhaps just a portable one will do. tune the TV - once the tuning is established you don’t need the aerial on anymore.

Or get a NowTV stick - under £20, no need to subscribe - and use the All4 app on that.

Or Cast the app from a tablet or smartphone.