Archive through September 07, 2008
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New member Post Number: 3 Registered: Jul-08 | Eric - Thanks so much for the info - The pics matched exactly. I purchased the TV December of 2005 so I am out of warranty. Too bad. I have enjoyed my TV for the past 2 1/2 years and thought I had made a great purchase. I will start contacting Sony ERC and SHS. I will post my results. Thanks again. | |
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Bronze Member Post Number: 92 Registered: Jun-07 | Ugh, that sucks Paul. Nobody should have to deal with a major repair on their big screen TV in 2 or 3 years, or even in 5 years. By the way, I found yet another owner of the same model that had the same problem and posted pictures of it in this archive here: https://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/forum/home-video/355137.html. It too was a defective "B Block/Board", so it looks like that's your problem. I only scanned the archives for pictures with the same problem, it's quite possible there are more posts by people that didn't bother to post pictures, so this could be a much more widespread problem. Interesting though that it's specifically that model, which points toward a defect in one of the parts used only in that model. You'll probably need to wait to send the letters until the TV is diagnosed so you can mention the cost of the repair and the nature of the problem, but you can start writing it in the meantime. I also suggest more thoroughly scanning each of the archive pages looking for keywords that match the problem with you're having. Just open each archive page and use CTRL-F to locate key words on the page. You'll probably have better luck that way than using the search function on this website. You might find several people that have had the same problem which means there are many, many more that didn't find their way here and post about their problem. This will help your case with Sony, and provides grounds for a Small Claims case should you need to go that route if Sony stonewalls. You're almost surely going to have to pay a portion of the repairs no matter what but I believe Sony will help. My advice is still to go for an exchange for a 52" LCD though, if you have to pay any money out of pocket you don't want to sink it back into these rear projection TVs. Lesson learned though, next time be sure to buy an extended warranty for any big screen TV regardless of the technology, I know I'll never make that mistake again. Please keep us posted, and pictures would still be helpful to others. |
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Bronze Member Post Number: 93 Registered: Jun-07 | Paul, I had some time so I decided to search all the old archives myself and I found one more owner that reported the same problem you're experiencing, again with the A10 series, but this time with the 42" model. Her username is Cheryl Bison. Again, it was diagnosed as a bad B-Block/Board. She didn't post any pictures, but she said it was the same as one of the other owners with this problem that did post a picture. Have not found this problem in anything but the A10 series, but we now know it's not limited to the 50" models. With at least 4 owners posting about the problem on this board, it's clear that it's not all that rare. Most people only find their way to this board because they google keywords related to blob issues, so there are probably many owners that have your problem they just never found their way here. Since the A10 series isn't that old I expect we'll see more of these complaints with time. Since it's not nearly as widespread as the optical block problem, failure is probably due to a bad batch of B-Blocks, an issue on the production line, or possibly operating conditions/environment. Anyway, that's all the help I can give you with this one at this point. |
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Bronze Member Houston, Texas USA Post Number: 15 Registered: Dec-04 | Just thought I would provide an update. I waited a few days for the problem to get worse and it did. I called Sony on Monday, July 7th and stated the blue blob/optical block problem would be covered and gave me the name of 3 authorized repair facilities in my area that specialize in the problem. They came out Tuesday, July 8th and took my TV away stating that I would have it back no later than 10 days. The repair man stated that all repair costs would be covered by Sony. He also stated that the optical block is a common repair and that the new optical blocks are an improved design. I should get more than 3 years on the new block From my conversation with the repair dispatcher I thought they were coming out to repair the TV and not take it back. He took my model number and said he was coming out to make the repairs. The repair guys stated they took all the TVs to their facility for repair. I challenged them siting the internet site which gave instructions that I could follow for the repair. I let them take the TV anyway. It scares me not to know if I am getting the new design optical block or some refurbished unit. I also tried to get Sony to give me a credit for a new 52" LCD. They said they could not do that. |
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Bronze Member Post Number: 94 Registered: Jun-07 | Cy, That's ridiculous that they took your TV into their shop. It takes no more than 30 minutes to change out an Optical Block in someone's home, I've watched them do mine 3 times. It's a heck of a lot more work to move that TV back and forth to their facility and to take it for 10 days for something that only takes 30 minutes is flat unacceptable. You should have just called another facility when they insisted on taking it away, but obviously what's done is done. Sure, the Optical block will last 3 years if use your TV 6 to 8 hours a day, they all last that long. They have an effective life of about 8000-9000 hours before the blobs start to appear, about the same as the lamps. There are 8,760 hours in a year, so if you use your TV for a couple hours in the morning, and 5 or 6 hours when you get home from work at night, that works out to 3 years. But if someone is home all the time and the TV is on most hours of the day, it's only going to last 1-2 years. I had my TV repaired under the extended warranty issued last year (after 2 previous OB replacements) and I too was told the OBs had been redesigned, and the "new and improved" OB only lasted 10 months this time before I started to see the blue blob, so that's a load of BS. They might have made changes to the OB, but it didn't effectively make any difference. I HIGHLY recommend you sell your TV as soon as possible after the repair, I guarantee you it's going to fail again it's just a matter of time. If you're OK with having a 100lb. paperweight in your home in a couple years that you can't even give away then keep it, but if you want to try to get some decent money out of it, sell it while that warranty is still in effect so that the new owner has the peace of mind of knowing that they at least have some protection for a while, in addition to a brand new OB which effectively almost makes it a new TV. That's my advice since Sony wouldn't give you a path to an LCD. Thanks for sharing your information with the rest of us. Keep us posted. |
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New member Arizona Post Number: 5 Registered: Jun-08 | Just thought I would give an update on my situation. Very soon after posting my problems here, I received a phone call from someone with Sony. He was very concerned, and the short story is, they offered to give me a prorated credit towards another sony tv....I just needed to have a certified repair center confirm the problem ($95)...and the credit would be somewhere around $1,300. To replace it with the same size (or near same size) Bravia, the out of pocket total cost would be to the tune of around $1,300...so, that's not making me happy. I did a little more research, and in the end, Sam's Club is going to take it back, no questions asked. That was the return policy when I bought it (they have since changed it drastically). So, I paid $2,200 for it then, I will be able to use the same for any other tv they carry! Which brings me to my dilemma: I have about three hours to decide what tv to buy, and everyone I ask has a different opinion. Any quick thoughts? |
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Bronze Member Post Number: 95 Registered: Jun-07 | Karen, That's great both that Sony contacted you proactively and offered you a prorated value for your TV, and especially that Sams club stood up and did what they should have done the first moment you bought your completely defective TV from them. That OB problem ONLY occurs after roughly 8000+ hours of usage give or take, so that TV had about 1 year's usage on it running 24/7, or about 2 years running 12 hours a day. Best guess is it was a display model that was kept running in-store all day long, and when the blue blob appeared they tried to slough it off on someone which is apalling. I don't really blame Sony for only offering you that dollar amount, they're basing it on the age of the TV, not on when you purchased it, and in fairness to them they're really under no obligation to give you credit for the TV toward a new one. Sam's Club is the one that really wasn't standing up and doing the right thing by any stretch until today. Anyway, I'm glad things have worked out for you. Now, about a new TV, and I hope this isn't too late since I just now got your message. I would not purchase a rear projection TV regardless of the make or model. The technology is just going the way of the dodo. And I know I don't have to tell you to definitely not buy any Sony rear projection TV if you're able to find one still being sold somewhere. I recommend purchasing an LCD, and to be honest I've been extremely happy with all of my Sony Bravias, particularly with the new one I just got from my exchange with Sony. All film based content looks like it's in HD, I've never seen anything like it. I'm not sure whether it's partly due to the 120Hz refresh rate of this TV (all the others are 60Hz), or if it's due to some other technology in this set, but it's really amazing to watch movies with it now. Obviously HD content looks awesome, and the other standard def stuff look very good, about the same as with my other Sony LCDs. The model # of this TV is kdl52w4100. The KDL52u4100 is nearly identical except for the 120Hz refresh rate, and last I saw was selling for about $500 cheaper, so that would be my recommendation if your budget is tighter and you want a Sony brand TV. If you want to stay away from the Sony brand after this experience I can't offer any suggestions in this short time frame, I'd have to do some research. All I can suggest is that you go with an LCD, and you find a brand name you're comfortable with and which has a good picture, the right price for your budget, and a good warranty. Viewing angle is important, as are the number of HDMI connections available (the more the better). After that it starts to get pretty technical as far as which bells and whistles the TVs have and there are way too many to list so we won't go into that. Make SURE you buy an extended warranty this time! Get the maximum amount you can get (usually 5 years). I know it's a hit to to pocket book but it'll pay dividends down the road. Factor that cost into whatever you're buying, and if that means you have to buy a smaller TV then that's what I suggest you do. Given the cost of LCDs vs. rear projections, you might well have to go with a 40" model anyway to stay within your budget. Good luck and let us know what you get! |
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Bronze Member Post Number: 96 Registered: Jun-07 | Karen, I checked Sam's Club's website to see what they carry, and with respect Sony TVs, I think with your budget I would get the Sony KDL46WL135 for $2192. It's a 120Hz TV with a very high 16000:1 contrast ratio and full 1080p (any decent HDTV will likely be 1080p so I left that out in my previous post). This is a 46" TV so you're going to lose 4" but that's not very much. I went from a 55" to a 52" and it was barely noticable. They also have a cheaper 46" Sony Bravia KDL-46VL130 for $1,778 with a 60Hz refresh rate and a 13000:1 contrast ratio. If you can't go a penny over your credit for your other TV and IF you want a Sony, this is what I'd go with. Now if you don't care about the brand, and if your primary concern is size and you don't care quite so much about a really high contrast ratio or a 120Hz refresh rate, you can get the 52" Sharp Aquos LC60C52U for $1,893. With tax that works out almost perfect. The contrast ratio is only 10000:1 and it's 60Hz, but it's a full 1080P HDTV and 10000:1 isn't bad at all for the size and price. If you can't go over your credit and you want a 120Hz TV in the largest size you can afford, I would go with the Mitsubishi LT46144 for $1,925. It's got all the bells and whistles and has plenty of HDMI inputs, and of course it's 1080P. The contrast ratio isn't listed but I'm sure it very good, though the Sonys generally always have the highest contrast. Bottom line, If it were me shopping for a TV today and I were in your shoes, I would buy the Sony KDL46WL135 and throw in an extra $150 or so for the tax, plus the cost of an extended warranty. If size was most important to me and I wasn't locked into a Sony model I'd buy the Sharp Aquos LC60C52U. If I had to have a 120Hz TV and stay within my budget, I'd buy the Mistusbishi LT46144. I really do suggest you try to get a 120Hz TV, the difference in the picture is really quite noticable. Everything is much smoother. 60Hz LCDs are soon going to be a thing of the past. It's your money and your TV though, so select one based one what's most important for you and your family. Happy shopping |
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New member Arizona Post Number: 6 Registered: Jun-08 | Eric, Thanks so much for your time. We haven't gone to Sam's Club yet. probably tomorrow. We are leaning towards the Bravia-KDL46WL135. Their longest extended warranty is only 3 yrs with an additional yr if we upgrade to their Plus membership.However, the manager says it doesn't cover any lamps or bulbs, (if the Bravia even has them) But I am looking into the extended warranty with Sony too. All of our other equipment is Sony, and the Home theater system has "Bravia sync" Not too sure how that works, but I think I read that you press one button and the tv switches to the correct output and the dvd player turns on and is ready to go...so, we may as well take advantage of it. |
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Bronze Member Post Number: 97 Registered: Jun-07 | Karen, I think that's a wise choice if you prefer Sony equipment as you obviously do. I'm in the same boat, every piece of electronic equipment I own almost is Sony, so I too like to take advantage of the crossover with the remotes and the ability to use things like the Bravia sync. I'd go with the Sony extended warranty rather than one from the store. It's so easy to get the TV serviced when the warranty is through Sony and it covers everything (except lamps/bulbs as you mentioned, but LCDs don't have them so that doesn't matter). The fact that they don't have lamps is in itself going to save you a fair amount of money since you use your TV a lot and would have had to replace the lamp about once every year at a cost of $200-$400 depending on whether you change it yourself. BTW, in a previous post I mentioned your TV being a floor model that was left on 24/7 at the store. I had your case confused with someone else that recently bought an open box TV from a store and when they brought it home and plugged it in they had the blue blob. In their case the store wouldn't even take it back which was total BS since it was clearly defective when they sold it. I was thinking it was you. Having realized that it wasn't you, I'm actually surprised Sam's Club took the TV back after you've had it for this long. I can see where they might take it back if it were within the first 30 days or so, but after a year or more that's another story. You should count your blessings, nobody else has been so fortunate as to get the store they purchaed their TV from to give them credit (much less full credit) for it after so long. |
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New member Arizona Post Number: 7 Registered: Jun-08 | Bye bye blue blobs!!! We went for the Bravia 52"(KDL52WL135)...What a great picture! I must give Casey (Sam's Club Manager at the Chandler, AZ store)a big thumbs up! He helped us with the whole process and was terrific! Unlike the Sony CRS's. He really went over the top, and for that, I will always look to Sam's Club first for all my purchases. In the end we only had to lay out $300 and that included a one year extended warranty to take over after Sony's extended warranty, and an upgraded membership which will automatically add another year on to the already extended warranty, so now we will have a warranty for 5 years!!!!! So, the only problem now is, I cant figure out why I can't get sound out of the home theater speakers, when we watch tv. (HT is a Sony with Bravia Sync).Here's our setup as of now: Cable in to Motorolla HD/DVR box to TV via component. Sony home theater to TV via HDMI. I also have a Sony DVD recorder to hook up and a Sony CD Carousel too.....I had it all set up before but Hubby unplugged everything so quickly that all the wires are in a pile on the floor. I am the one in the house that handles anything electronic, but the directions for both the tv and the HT are very confusing ...it seems I need to add another cable from the HT to either the tv or the cable box. Eric, can you shed any light on this? |
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Bronze Member Post Number: 98 Registered: Jun-07 | Karen, Congrats on your new TV and good riddens to the rear projection. I for one love my new 52" Bravia and I won't miss the rear projection at all. With respect to your audio issues... I can't really help you get everything wired back up properly, I'm sure you guys can do that will a little time and effort, and there isn't just one way that everything can or should be wired up when you've got that equipment involved (I have a nearly identical set of equipment btw). The primary question is whether or not you're getting audio/video on your TV from each of the devices you have connected to it. If so, then it's very likely just a configuration setting on your TV which I'll explain below. If you're not getting audio/video from all of them, then you don't have everything wired up correctly. Again, I can't be of too much help there, not because I don't know how to do it, but rather because there are many ways to connect everything and some of it boils down to preference, and what input/output options are available from each of your A/V devices. If you were using the audio out on the back of your TV to your stereo receiver, and if you're getting audio on your television's speakers but it's just not outputting to your stereo system, it's very likely that you just don't have the TV configured correctly. If this was the configuration you were using, then make sure the stereo left/right audio cables are connected from the AUDIO OUT on the back of your TV to an appropriate input on your stereo receiver. If connected properly, you'll need to check and adjust the settings on the TV itself. I have a slightly different model than yours, but I believe mine is just the newer version of yours, so the way you change the setting is probably the same. On my TV I select the MENU button on the remote, then selecte the SOUND option from the menu, and from there I select the SPEAKERS option and change the setting from TV SPEAKERS to AUDIO SYSTEM. This redirects the audio from the television's speakers to the audio output on the back of the TV. After that I go back to the SOUND menu again and select the AUDIO OUT setting and change it to VARIABLE. The VARIABLE setting allows me to adjust the volume level which comes out of the TV to my receiver by using the volume setting on the television remote. If you leave it at FIXED, the volume level can only be adjusted by using the volume setting on your receiver itself. That's all you have to change as far as settings on the TV goes. Note that this is just one possible configuration. You could be outputting your audio directly from your various A/V devices directly to your receiver either through optical cables or RCA cables, and using your receiver's remote to adjust the volume instead of the TV. If you have a true 5.1 surround set setup that's probably how it's configured. Again though, it gets complicated when you have multiple A/V devices and a DVD recorder involved, since you might be passing the audio through the DVD-R and on to your TV or your receiver, or you might be using a second set of A/V outputs from your DVD carousel and cable box/satellite to your DVD-R. Throw in the Bravia Sync stuff and it gets even more complicated. Lastly, make sure your stereo receiver is set to the correct input depending on how you have everything configured/wired. It's likely this wasn't touched since there would have been no reason to when you disconnected the TV and installed the new one, but it's worth mentioning. If you disconnected the cables from the receiver itself rather than from just the TV, you might have connected them back up differently or flat out wrong. If for example you're outputting your audio from the TV to your receiver, and you have the cables connected to an input labeled "TV" on your receiver, make sure you have the "TV" input selected on your receiver or you won't hear anything. If you still can't get your audio to work with your external speakers let me know. I would need to know more information before I could provide any further help, and I might need some make/model #s and possibly even some pictures. Hopefully this info will be enough though. Good luck, Eric |
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New member Post Number: 1 Registered: Jul-08 | Eric, I have the same Sony television you had replaced. My optical block was replaced a little over a year ago and I think I'm seeing the early signs of another failure of the optical block. My first block had the blue haze at the bottom of the screen. Now, in both upper corners of the TV screen, I'm seeing faint scribble marks. They are more easily seen on white or blue backgrounds. The scribble on the upper right looks as a kid took a marker and scribbled up and down about two inches proceeding across the screen about 18 inches. The scribble in the upper right is the same except the scribble goes down the right side. My question, did any of your four optical block failures proceed in this fashion? Right now, the scribbles are same as the background color, but always a few shades darker. I bought the TV in December 2004 and my extended warranty will expire in December. If the block is starting to fail again, I'm going to attempt to have this TV replaced as I don't think Sony will ever have a long term solution for these optical blocks. Thanks |
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Bronze Member Post Number: 99 Registered: Jun-07 | Jeff, If the problem shows up well enough that you can take pictures of it please do so and post them here. It sounds to me like you have the second major problem with the rear projection TVs, which is the scribble/etch-a-sketch issue. Haven't seen anyone with this problem for quite a while so it's possible they've corrected whatever was causing this problem, though your TV might not have the updated part. I think this was also an Optical block issue but I'm not positive, it might be an issue with one of the boards. Either way, if it's what I think it is, then it's a well known and well documented problem on this message board. Search the archives either for keywords such as "scribble" or "etch", etc., or just scroll through them and look for pictures illustrating the problem then read the associated posts. Bottom line is that you're covered either through the current extended warranty on the OBs, or through your own extended warranty. Still, I definitely suggest you do what you mentioned and that's to try and get Sony to credit you toward a new Sony LCD. The TV is pretty old so at best you might get about $1,000 credit toward the LCD, but that's not bad after about 4 years. If Sony refuses then let them fix it and then just sell it outright. DON'T get it fixed under warranty before you try to have sony exchange the TV, they won't do it after it's been repaired. Let me know if you still need assistance and don't forget the pics if you can. Keep us posted. Eric |
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New member Post Number: 2 Registered: Jul-08 | Eric, thanks for the information. Right now the scribbles are faint enough I don't think I can get them to show up on a picture, but they do look like the pictures I've seen here, but more faint. If they become darker, I will get pictures posted. I plan on having this set replaced as I don't think it's worth having fixed since I think it will continue to have problems. Thanks again for the information. |
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Bronze Member Post Number: 100 Registered: Jun-07 | Jeff, At least you've identified the problem. Good luck with Sony, I don't think you'll have much trouble getting them to credit you toward a different TV but if you do let me know. |
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New member Arizona Post Number: 8 Registered: Jun-08 | Eric, Thanks again...I was able to get the sound working through the home theater...(the audio cables were loose). I just love the Bravia Sync feature. When we have people over, we like to put on the music channels (from cable) and play the sound through the home theater. I have made my own screen saver type dvd, and with the PIP feature we can watch the dvd, and hear the music from the cable channels......Wow! |
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Bronze Member Post Number: 65 Registered: May-07 | Unfortunately, if it is truly the "scribble" problem, the extended coverage expired in September of 2007. If it is a blue haze masquerading as a scribble, then it should be covered through the end of this year. See my web site for more information. | |
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New member Post Number: 3 Registered: Jul-08 | Steve, I checked your website. My scribble pattern is not as discolored as the examples on your site. What I'm seeing my screen is fairly faint scribble which is the same color as the surrounding background. I just noticed these patterns within the last three or four days. I do have an extended warranty through Circuit City with this being the fourth repair to the set. My warranty states if the set requires a third repair I should fall under the 'no lemon' guarantee. I don't know what luck I will have with Circuit City, but will be trying. Thanks for the help. |
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Bronze Member Post Number: 66 Registered: May-07 | The scribble is pretty distinctive, so you don't have that. In any event, if you are doing this through a Circuit City extended warranty, it doesn't matter. The extended coverage I was talking about was a warranty extension through Sony. Good luck. | |
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Bronze Member Houston, Texas USA Post Number: 16 Registered: Dec-04 | The TV is back from the Sony authorized repair center and is working great. I did not pay a dime to get it repaired. Thanks to this forum for helping me out with the blue blob problem. My observation is that the TV picture seems slightly sharper than it did even before the blue blob. It makes me think that the optical blocks (or ribbons)slowly degrade with use until the blob starts. I will be happy if I get 3 more years out of the set. Hopefully by then the price of the 52"+ 1080 LCD TVs will drop more than what I could sell this TV for now. |
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Silver Member Post Number: 101 Registered: Jun-07 | Cy, Congrats on your virtually new TV. Having gone through 3 optical blocks myself I can't say that I really noticed that the picture was sharper with the new OB than it was a month or so before when the blue blob started to occur. Going from having a blue haze across the screen for days or weeks, to having a perfect picture, can be deceiving because it naturally looks so much better. That said, it's entirely possible there's some degradation in the sharpness and clarity. Every rear projection TV I've seen that was in use for a few years or more was quite noticeably softer/blurrier than when it was new, and after an extended period of time you'd start to see color bleeding. Since you apparently intend to keep the TV and hope for the best, it would be helpful to yourself and to others to make a note of how many hours you get out of your new OB before experiencing the blob again or possibly some other problem. Please go into the service menu and make a note of the current total hours on the LCD (not the lamp). Store this information somewhere that you won't forget it, perhaps put it on a Post-IT and stick it on the back of the TV out of sight. If and when you start to experience problems with the OB you can then go back into the service menu and figure out how many hours you've put on the LCD since the repair. Simply follow the instructions here to enter the service menu and locate the "Total LCD panel power-on time". You might also want to see how many hours your have on your lamp currently, since they typically last about the same number of hours as the OB (around 8000 hours) and you might be due for one. Instructions for accessing both sets of hours can be found on the following page from Steve's website: http://splinke.googlepages.com/sonyservicemenu-checkingandresettinglamp Good luck with your TV! |
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New member Post Number: 1 Registered: Jul-08 | Hi all I bought Sony Bravia 32in LCD TV 100khz almost a year ago. This TV is good for me, nothing to complain except one minor thing. TV automatically adjusts viewing mode to one of the selected modes (4:3, smart, wide or zoom). I mostly use Smart mode, but sometimes it happens that I want to use 4:3 or zoom mode for cirtain programs. When I change to desired mode and then restart TV it appear to be in only in one mode configured for all other channels. Tried many times throught Setup and Menus, but does not help. Can anyone tell me how do I configure viewing mode separately for each channel, and when I turn on next time it will be the same mode I wished for. Thanks everyone for advice. Baatar |
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Silver Member Post Number: 102 Registered: Jun-07 | Baatar, Not sure what the model # is of your TV since you didn't post it, but none of the 3 Sony LCD models I have (ranging from 2004-2008) allow the user to specify the viewing mode for an individual input or channel. There are /i{some} features you can modify for individual channels or inputs, but the viewing mode isn't one of them, at least not for any of my Sony LCD models. Sounds like you're already familiar with your TV's setup menu, so I suspect if your model # allowed you to adjust the input for each channel or even input that you would have discovered it by now. Have you checked your owner's manual yet that came with the TV? If you don't have one you can download a copy of it from the Sony website. Check the manual if you haven't already, but I'm afraid if it doesn't provide instructions on how to do what you're asking then you very likely can't do that with your model. Either way, please post your model # so that someone here might be able to provide more specific help. Good luck |
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New member Post Number: 1 Registered: Jul-08 | From what i read, i think i am screwed. Bought a 42" LCD rear projection (KDF-E42A10) in april of 2006. I have a yellow haze in the middle of the screen that appeared about 3 months ago. Thanks to this site, i am convinced it is an optical block issue. I can't see spending over $1,000 (quoted to me by local repair) to fix a TV i spent $1,800 on. To me, if the same problem is prevalent on many sets, that's a product defect - much like cars are recalled because of defect. I don't feel like i should have to be burdened with that kind of expense. The whole reason i spent more to buy a sony was to avoid defects. I am shocked and dismayed - both by the defect and by Sony's lack of response. Anyone out there have any suggestions? I am at a loss right now.I am truly sad about my sony. |
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Silver Member Post Number: 103 Registered: Jun-07 | Jon, I assume you didn't purchase an extended warranty for your TV (note to always do that in the future no matter how tight finances are). If you don't, since you bought the TV over 2 years ago you wouldn't be able to take advantage of the warranty doubling that most credit cards provide, so that option is out. That leaves the final course of action which has been suggested time after time on this board. You need to write a letter to the SONY Executive Review Commitee (ERC) and CC Sir Howard Stringer CEO. Specify the problem with your TV and let them know that thanks to this site you know that Sony is WELL aware of this problem that exists with ALL of their rear projection TVs. Search these forums and you'll find a sample letter or you can just create one yourself. If you look up above, you'll see that Jim H had the same exact TV and was in the same boat, and by following our suggestions was able to get Sony to pay for the part and he paid for labor (about $300.). Spend some more time reading the messages on this page and you'll find everything you need to get some help. In time, Sony will very likely create an extended warranty for the OBs on the A10 series TVs, but as of yet they haven't proactively done that even though they knew damn well they needed to. They're holding their breath that they might not get enough complaints to warrant the same action that they've already taken on older models that suffer from the same problem. By the way, you'll HAVE to get your TV formally diagnosed by a Sony authorized tech before you can proceed with anything including the letters. You'll probably have to eat that cost, but Sony may comp you for it later. Like I said, just search this page and you'll find all the help you need. Eric |
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New member Post Number: 2 Registered: Jul-08 | Many thanks Eric. It proved my suspicions that this is really the case. Manuals also do not provide such information. I think this could be one of the many areas where SONY would need improvements. Thanks again |
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New member Post Number: 1 Registered: Jul-08 | I own a KF-50WE620 and have the blue blob problem that has been mentioned here many times. I'm certainly glad that I came across this forum, or I wouldn't be aware of the "recall" for the optical block. I'm going to contact my local Sony dealer tomorrow and see what kind of response I get. |
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New member Post Number: 1 Registered: Jul-08 | Just wanted to introduce myself as the latest member of the "get nowhere with Sony club". I unfortunately purchased a KF-50WE610 three years ago and am experiencing the same blue/pink smudges the rest of you are. Sony has told me that there was an extended warranty for my model that ended July 1st and there was nothing they were willing to do for their self admitted design problem. I am now on a mission. | |
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New member Post Number: 2 Registered: Jul-08 | Has anyone else heard of Sony's option to remedy this problem? I can only assume it wasn't cost effective. I wish they would have given us the choice of purchasing a redesigned part because throwing out a three year old TV or spending $1,000.00 every couple of years on a faulty part isn't cost effective to me. I have set up an e-mail account for the purpose of collecting information. The address is dgarber0123@yahoo.com | |
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Bronze Member Post Number: 67 Registered: May-07 | Dan Garber, There are many cases like yours. The typical outcome is that, after several appeals by the customer, Sony gives a partial credit for your old TV toward the purchase of a new one from their online store. Read the rest of the posts in this forum and/or check out my web site for a compiled summary of information. |
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New member Post Number: 3 Registered: Jul-08 | Hi Steve, Perhaps I haven't made myself clear. I apologize. I am looking for confirmation that the manufacturer of the optical block (not Sony) actually redesigned their optical block (to date without a problem) for other T V manufactures that had the same problem as Sony and Sony chose not to make this redesigned optical block available to their customers. |
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Bronze Member Post Number: 68 Registered: May-07 | Dan, Sony's only option to remedy the problem to date has been to offer the credit toward a new TV. With regard to the optical block, there are some claims that they redesigned the optical block. However, whether they actually did this, or, even if the did, whether it made any difference is debatable. Eric Denney, a frequent and helpful poster in this thread, has indicated that he runs his TV 24/7 and has gone through three optical blocks--the last two of which were presumably the "redesigned" versions. I am hoping that my replacement block doesn't have a recurrence, but I'm skeptical. So, since your TV is a 2003 model, for which the extended coverage has already expired, your best bet is probably to try to get the credit rather than having your optical block fixed. |
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New member Wylie, TX USA Post Number: 1 Registered: Jul-08 | IF ANYONE HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM AND HAS GOTTEN ANY HELP (Sony taking responsibility for their defective B Block please give me some guidance!!) We have a 42" Sony Grand Wega TV - KDF-E42A10, manufacture date November 2005 - we had what we now know is a widespread issue with this line - of when you turn the tv on the standby flashes for a few minutes but the picture never comes on - just a dark blue screen. I found out from the Sony website it just needs a software update and they sent out a tech free of charge to upload the new software. The DAY AFTER I SCHEDULED THE APPOINTMENT TO FIX ONE PROBLEM - we discovered a new one - every once in a while when the tv would come on sometimes it was COVERED left to right with rainbow vertical thin lines. I made a separate appointment for them to address this problem after the software upgrade. The tech Sony sent to do the upgrade was not a TV tech but a computer tech - the upgrade that was supposed to take 15minutes never finished cycling. Now it doesn't come on at ALL - it just tries to cycle through the upgrade - long after the upgrade disk has gone home with the tech guy. So the SECOND appointment we had for Sony to look at the vertical lines (which I couldn't show him first hand because the TV won't come on now) came out today and determined that the update never completed, and never should have been ATTEMPTED TO BEGIN WITH because the B Block Assembly (Sony part # A-1167-541-A)is defective. The vertical lines we were seeing were symptomatic to this B Block Assembly. Cost to repair Part & Labor = $869.65. If the intent of Sony is to get sales up by building crappy products, and refusing to take responsibility for defective parts (I've been on MANY forums and have found that this is an EXTREMELY common problem) then they have succeeded! We will be replacing not repairing, only DEFINATELY will not be buying another Sony anything. The last few Sony products we have had have been ****. They USED to be a solid, reliable electronics brand. Here's a picture of the colored lines we were experiencing: |
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New member Wylie, TX USA Post Number: 2 Registered: Jul-08 | I did want to add to my last post, that even though my husband purchased the above mentioned TV in early 2006, at the time he was working full time and going to school, the TV was not getting much use at ALL, in June of 2007 we moved in with my parents while we waited for our house to finish construction - the TV remained at his parents house (inside) and unused until we moved into our home in April of this year. We got MAYBE 4 months worth of use out of it if that. So even though it is a little over two years old, it's still an infant lol. | |
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New member Wylie, TX USA Post Number: 3 Registered: Jul-08 | Is the B Block the same this as an optical block? If not, what does the B Block - or what exactly does it do? (In simple terms please :-) )  I'm  to this forum btw - if I'm doing anything wrong - constructive criticism please!!! |
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Silver Member Post Number: 104 Registered: Jun-07 | Jen, Sounds like you've had an exceptionally poor experience with your TV and with the Sony service reps. Since you're over 2 years out from your purchase, you're obviously out of luck unless you had purchased an extended warranty which you assumably didn't. That leaves you very little recourse, especially since you won't accept repair or a credit for your TV toward the purchase of a Sony LCD. I don't blame you at all and you're not alone, but it seriously limits your options. Basically all that you're left with is attempting to take Sony to small claims. Small claims is very easy and cheap, you just pay the negligible cost to file and you represent yourself. However, you're going to have a tougher time than the people who are suffering from the blue blob problem with a model that Sony has arbitrarily decided not to cover. There's more documentation of that problem available just on this site than they would ever need to take into court. Still, I see no other option for you if you won't consider credit toward a new TV. If you change your mind, then you should follow the instructions repeated time and time again on this site to write to the Sony Executive Review Committee and CC Sir Howard Stringer CEO, describing your problem and experiences as you have in your post. Provide whatever documentation you can dig up of others suffering from your same problem. You would likely get a measure of justice, but only in the form of credit toward the repair, or credit toward a new Sony LCD. I'd also suggest you follow the steps to see how many hours you have on your TV and use that if you go to small claims or write to Sony. You can find the instructions to access the service menu in the archives on this board, or on Steve Linke's website here: http://splinke.googlepages.com/sonyservicemenu-checkingandresettinglamp. Be sure to get the total LCD hours, not the hours on the current lamp (although in your case the numbers are probably the same). I'll send you a PM with another suggestion as well. Good luck. |
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Silver Member Post Number: 105 Registered: Jun-07 | Jen, the B "Block" is not the same as the optical block. The B "block" has also been referred to as the B "board", though I'm not technically sure whether block or board is the correct terminology for this part. In any event, it's the second most commonly replaced part in these TVs, obviously the optical block is the most common as you can see from the posts. | |
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New member Wylie, TX USA Post Number: 4 Registered: Jul-08 | Eric, Thank you so much for getting back to me! It's nice to atleast know there is empathy out there! It can be very frustrating running into walls like this! Unfortunately, we cannot check the lamp hours since the tv is stuck in a cycle of trying to upgrade, it won't turn on at all and won't quit cycling through the upgrade unless you unplug it. Funness!! I guess I will have to evaluate my position further, since refusing Sony Repair/Sony credit is limiting my options significantly, am I cutting off my nose to spite my face?  |
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Silver Member Post Number: 106 Registered: Jun-07 | Sorry Jen, I didn't think about the current state of your TV when I mentioned that suggestion. No matter, it wasn't essential, just another piece of the puzzle you could use to support your case. It's unfortunate that you elected to do the software upgrade since according to the Sony support site, that problem only occurs after several months of use, and can be remedied for another several months by simply unplugging the TV, waiting 30 seconds, and plugging it back in. Right or wrong, since the software upgrade went forward, Sony can use the argument that the upgrade could not be completed properly due to the faulty B Block, and for all I know that might be true. You do have somewhat of an argument that your TV was at least working most of the time and only intermittently displayed the vertical lines at power-up, prior to them doing the software upgrade, and it was only the failed upgrade itself which has put the TV into it's completely unusable state. I still think your only reasonable option is to write the ERC and CC SHS CEO, or refer to my PM. You're simply between a rock and a hard place, and the only way you'll get any money or credit at all is to continue to deal with Sony products, unless you go to small claims which is certainly an option. |
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New member Ottawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 1 Registered: Jul-08 | Hi, I recently found this forum when searching the Internet for anyone else having problems with blue blobs on their Sony KF-E50A10. Clearly, I am not alone! Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, there seems to be no clear cut solution to the problem with this model other than to write the ERC and hope for them to cover the parts and/or offer a trade-in. One question that I haven't found the answer for is whether the ERC address that has been posted here covers Canada or not. If not, does anyone know the best approach for dealing with this issue in Canada? I have attached a photo of the problem for reference. Thanks, Dave.  |
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Silver Member Post Number: 107 Registered: Jun-07 | Dave, Welcome to our club. IMO it's very likely Sony will at some point generate a formal extended warranty for the Optical Blocks on the A10 series TVs, but since they're newer than the previous series they had finally issued an extended warranty on they haven't accumulated enough complaints yet on the A10 series to reactively do the same thing. Of course they know full well that the same problem exists and they should have proactively issued a similar extended warranty, but that's the way of corporations. That said, if it's more than a year since you bought your TV, and more than 2 years if you bought it with a credit card, and if you did not have an extended warranty, then yes, your only recourse is to follow the routine and write the Sony ERC and CC SHS CEO. Your question is a good one and unfortunately I don't know for sure, but I believe there is only one ERC so I would send it to the same address unless you hear otherwise. Follow the instructions found in previous posts and on Steve Linke's site and you'll be fine. Note that if and when Sony does generate an extended warranty on the A10 series OBs, they'll retroactively reimburse you for any out of pocket expenses you may incur for this repair between the time of your purchase and when they implement the extended warranty. At least that's what they did with the current blue blob extended warranty so it stands to reason the same would apply. Good luck, please keep us posted. |
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New member Post Number: 2 Registered: Sep-07 | well here is my problem,kdf55xs955 trapezoid problem. after replacing the optical block ( $668.00 taxes in)I find the picture shrinks on the sides by 5/8 of an inch from bottom to top. Is there an adjustment for this in a sub menu or did I install the block incorrectly?p.s. for all Canadians order from Sony in St Louis and ship to a U.S. address far cheaper than in Canada thank you for any help. Regards Scott | |
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Bronze Member Post Number: 69 Registered: May-07 | Bob Scott, the problem you describe can be the result of the optical block not being physically aligned properly. Make sure that it is fully screwed in such that it is tight against the "gasket" around the hole on the chassis that leads to the screen. In addition, there is probably an adjustable wedge-shaped device on the back of the TV that may allow fine adjustments. | |
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New member Post Number: 3 Registered: Sep-07 | thank you I will remove and realign the block will give you the result.....and to all it is not a huge job to re and re a block,with a digital camera you can make your own tutorial. thanks again Steve Linke BYE | |
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New member Ottawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 2 Registered: Jul-08 | Thanks for the warm welcome to the club, Eric -- misery loves company. Unfortunately, I purchased the TV in Dec. 05, so it is well out of warranty. I will set up an appointment with a Sony technician to get the official diagnosis and then talk to Sony Canada about what they can do. I'll follow up with the ERC based on the results with Sony Canada. Dave. |
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New member Post Number: 4 Registered: Sep-07 | thank-you Steve Linke I adjusted the position of the block and all is well now. to David Simser here is the phone number of Sony parts in St Louis if you are forced to fix it yourself 1-800-488-SONY (7669 |
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New member Post Number: 1 Registered: Aug-08 | Eric Denny I have owned a KDF-55WF655 ince 05/13/05. Thanks to your efforts and others on this board, when I started seeing blue lines, blob, etc. I called Sony. The first call resulted in requests to restart the unit, check for problem while viewing DVD, and unplug power for 5 min. Nothing changed. I was advised that a sony person would contact me in no longer than two days. One day later sony called and offered the following options: 1. Repair at no charge 2. Purchase a KDL52V4100 for $703.00 3. Purchase a KDL52W4100 for $843.00 I opted for the KDL52W4100. I am to peel off the serial number plate on rear of unit and mail it Sony (disposal of KDF is at my discretion). After they get it, they will ship new set with "White Glove Delivery". I was not offered an extended warranty. Can I order the extended warranty after I get the new unit? So far so good...Will follow up post |
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Silver Member Post Number: 108 Registered: Jun-07 | Mel, I had the same model purchased the same month and year, and I was given the exact same 3 options and instructions about 6 weeks ago when my blue blob started to appear for the 4th time in 3 years. However, I was given pricing of about $950+tax for the W and about $800+tax for the V, so for some reason you got a substantially better offer. You definitely made the right choice, not only is it smart to get out of the defective rear projection, but you're going to love the W4100 with its 120Hz refresh rate and the great picture (not to mention the size difference). Overall it's a good deal for a $3000 TV considering we got 3 years out of our rear projections and in the end got nearly a full credit for our TVs (I originally paid about $2200 + shipping for mine online). With respect to the extended warranty, yes you absolutely can get an extended warranty, it was an essential part of any deal I made with Sony to get a new TV. From the first phone call I just told the person that had been handling my case that I had to be able to get an extended warranty and she said she thought I could do that but that someone else handled it, so she contacted the appropriate person who in turn immediately contacted me. I don't remember the exact pricing, but it was extremely cheap (IMO) for the one and two year, and pretty cheap (somewhere around $150-$175 I think) for 3 years, and $330 for the 5 year option which is what I went with. The pricing goes up quite a bit when you get out over 3 years because that's obviously when the TV is much more likely to break. She said I could purchase a shorter term warranty now and then add to it when it was about to expire, but that it would cost a lot more to do that when it came time, so in the interest of saving money long term I went with the 5 year as I mentioned. Just contact whoever was handling your case and let them know you want to purchase an extended warranty on your TV, you should have no problem with it. If you do let me know and I'll put you in contact with the person that helped me with mine. Still a little irritated that you got quite a bit better pricing for your trade-in :P. Out of curiosity, what do you intend to do with your old TV? |
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New member Post Number: 2 Registered: Aug-08 | Eric Thanks for warranty input. My son in law wants the KDF. He may try the Steve Linke OB replacement. Don't know how difficult it will be to find the block new or used. If it works, he would have a pretty good set for a couple of years. Linke's site is pretty comprehensive. I also have a brand new bulb for the KDF. We will see how it works out. |
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New member Post Number: 3 Registered: Aug-08 | Eric Oops, not a used but refurbished OB. I found a site that sells refurbished OB at around $400. Currently they have no stock. |
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Silver Member Post Number: 109 Registered: Jun-07 | Hmm, $400 for 1-3 years worth of use depending on how much they use their TV is worth it I guess. Didn't know refurbished OBs could be had for $400. The problem is they probably only carry a 30 day warranty, and I'd be really nervous about whether you'd even get the same usage out of it that you get from a new OB (roughly 8000 hours, about the same as the lamp). Will be interesting to see though... Changing out the OB yourself is definitely doable, others have done it on this board and the techs that have been out to do it at my house only take about 30 minutes (for 2 people though). Now if I could just get my hands on a rear cover from a broken KDF-55WF655 whose owner hadn't upgrade through Sony to an LCD... ;). I assume our serial #s have been entered into a database so that the OBs cannot be repaired for free again under the current warranty, but of course the serial # is just on the back cover which can be easily swapped. |
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New member Post Number: 4 Registered: Aug-08 | The guy I talked to was adamant that I send him every piece of the s/n label from back cover. Even suggested using a hair dryer to release the adhesive and if it came off in small pieces to glue them on card board like a puzzle. Interesting huh ? | |
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New member Post Number: 5 Registered: Sep-07 | well I replaced the block on my kdf55xs955 as stated in an earlier post, took the old block apart and here are a couple of pictures of the blue blob problem. As you can see in picture 25a the light source (shiny glass square on left)is only 1" from the blue output so the overheating problem would affect blue first. green is in the center and red on the right side. Picture 34b shows the damaged area it looks like a haze.   |
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New member Post Number: 6 Registered: Sep-07 | I would be happy to help[ anyone in the toronto area that is doing a re and re | |
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Silver Member Post Number: 110 Registered: Jun-07 | Bob, Unfortunately I can't really make out much from those pictures, it would be great it you could take some very good pictures that clearly make out the location of the blue LCD relative to the light source, and more importantly ones that clearly make out the haze/damage to the blue LCD. Although there are very good pictures of a disassembled OB from one or two others owners, none of them show damage to the LCDs from what I recall. There has long been speculation about this problem and what was causing it. Those of us that are most familiar with it I believe share the general consensus that it was most likely caused by some sort of overheating (or extended exposure to heat) from the light source. Since different models suffer from different colored "blobs", it was assumed that the LCD panels were in different locations relative to where the light source is on the OBs used by various models. Again though, to the best of my knowledge this has always been speculation and there has never been any visual evidence either that the affected color LCD is always next to the light source, nor any evidence in the form of a damaged LCD such as what you're describing. Any pictures and information you can provide about the damage to the blue LCD panel would be helpful. I'm particularly interested to know if the damage is on the the surface of the panel or within the panel itself. |
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New member Post Number: 7 Registered: Sep-07 | send me an e-mail with your address and I will mail the defective part to you for analysis | |
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Bronze Member Post Number: 70 Registered: May-07 | Although the pictures are a bit out-of-focus, they certainly add some additional clarity to the nature of the problem. When I took my TV apart and got to the optical block, I took the LCD panel cover off the top to reveal the three LCD panels themselves. At that point, I noticed that the one labeled blue was closest to the lamp, which prompted me to speculate that it probably got the hottest of the three and was the most likely to degrade over time (see Pictures 3 and 4 and the commentary on my web site). However, I decided not to go any further to open up the optical block, so I could only see the panels looking down through the top of the block. Bob seems to have removed the projection lens portion from the side of his optical block, allowing a new view directly at the LCD panels (compare his pictures to my Picture 3). This further emphasizes the proximity of the blue LCD panel to the lamp, and I can clearly see an oval-shaped gray haze on the left side of his blue LCD panel. Bob, do you have any pictures with better focus. In either case, would you mind if I added some of your pictures to my web site? I set up an email address for this topic which is near the top of the page linked above. Otherwise, I could just download the ones you posted in this forum. Thanks. |
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Bronze Member Post Number: 71 Registered: May-07 | Bob's first picture also clearly shows a second centrifugal fan on the bottom of the optical block (right side). This fan likely works in conjunction with the similar centrifugal fan (on the top of the other side of the optical block) to try to cool the LCD panel area. It is pretty clear that the cooling is insufficient, particularly by the blue LCD. I also wanted to point out another web site I link from mine by somebody named Paul Patience. He also dismantled his optical block--in his case, to clean dust out of it. This is a different problem that usually manifests itself more as small (quarter-sized) finger-print looking anomalies on the screen of various colors (highly magnified dust particles). In any event, |
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New member Post Number: 8 Registered: Sep-07 | I will have some new pictures from a better camera on Wed so Steve wait for those for your web site regards | |
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New member Post Number: 1 Registered: Aug-08 | I am another unfortunate member of the "blue blob/star" problem. I truly appreciate these forums for all the information they provide. I am just sorry that I a) have the problem in the first place and b) discovered this forum and corresponding extended warranty info a month late. I own a KDF-60XBR950 (manufactured February 2005 and purchased in August of 05) which started exhibiting about 10 days ago. After discovering this and other threads and discovering the extended warranty expired, I contacted Sony and of course was told they were sorry my tv wasn't covered any more. I told them I didn't feel it was fair that the warranty coverage was issued for my model and because I purchased it late in it's production run I should be penalized for it not failing sooner. I told them that I am being discounted just because I purchased my tv later than others and used it more sparingly trying to conserve bulb life. I told them about the typical hour usage until failure and that my tv falls into that range based upon it being only three years old. They transfered me to a 2nd tier person who told me the same out of warranty garbage and also said the reason why the 2005 OB was not taken into account when extending the warranty was that the problem was fixed by that time. I am really upset at Sony that they won't take into account manufacture dates for the extended warranty. If I had purchased my tv a year or two earlier it would have exhibited in the right time range, but because it didn't I am SOL Is there any recourse at this point? How should I address this with Sony? With the different response Sony gives to different customers, should I keep calling different Sony reps and see if one will help (squeaky wheel theory)? Any advice or suggestions would be extremely helpful. |
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New member Post Number: 9 Registered: Sep-07 | here are a couple of sharp pictures of the block and Steve you can download the full res pictures at thanks to Michal at preludephoto.com   |
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Bronze Member Post Number: 72 Registered: May-07 | Thanks, Bob. | |
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New member Post Number: 1 Registered: Aug-08 | Ok, so I've had my KDF-E55A20 set for just over three years now. TV has been great, no problems... until tonight. I have a Playstation 3 that was hooked into the HDMI slot, updated the firmware on the PS3, and now my TV has no audio through the HDMI port. The picture works great, but there doesn't seem to be any sound. Thinking maybe it was the PS3 update, I tried plugging my Comcast DVR box into the TV using the HDMI cable, with the same problem. Picture is fine, but no sound. I know the speakers and general sound are fine, because the other inputs work (component) with the cable box for both sound and video, and I hooked the PS3 up using composite inputs and there was sound, so it's not just the system. Anybody have any ideas? Please? |
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New member Post Number: 1 Registered: Aug-08 | I too have the vertical colored lines problem with my KDF-E50A10. It seems that Sony projection TVs are made to last for only a couple of years. Mine is only 2 years old and I haven't even replaced the lamp. The tv is sitting in a corner in the bedroom until I figure out what to do with it. I hope Sony will do something about this like extending the warranty. I will stay away from Sony from now on.... | |
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New member SIOUX CENTER, IA United States Post Number: 1 Registered: Aug-08 | In the last two weeks my KDFE42A10 (purchased 11/2005) developed a green tint in the bottom center of the picture which has now grown into a green blob covering about 1/3 of the center of the screen. I have scheduled the required service call, but after reading through these posts I can see little reason to hope for a resolution of the problem without navigating Sony's obstacle course. So, at this point, I am just adding my voice to the choir -- "Hey, Sony, where's the love?" | |
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New member Ottawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 3 Registered: Jul-08 | I have an update on my KDFE50A10 blue blob problem that I posted on July 29. After dropping the $100 to get the Sony tech to confirm the problem, I contacted Sony Canada. They were very professional and immediately opened a file to review my issue. Yesterday they came back with a single offer: a new KDL52v4100 + 2 yr extended warranty for $1350 (CDN). They did not even offer to repair the issue -- they said it was not cost effective. Still, that set retails for $2699 in Canada and the extended warranty goes for $250, so $1350 looks like a reasonable offer to me. Thanks to everyone on the forum for helping me to get this problem resolved. Dave. |
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New member Wylie, TX USA Post Number: 5 Registered: Jul-08 | Hey guys! I just wanted to give an update on my Sony Wega issue (see original posts on July 25 '08). I took Eric's advice, after the anger and frustration levels came down, and went back to Sony and expressed my concerns. I realized I was boxing myself into a corner and 'cutting off my nose to spite my face' by refusing any more Sony products or a Sony solution. I do have many Sony products that I -do- love my PS3, my SLR camera (not cheap), the VAIO laptop I'm using right now (my hubby has a matching one) a couple less expensive Sony cameras... the audio equipment in my car, a DVD changer (my husbands toy up the the 100s of DVD but I donno exactly how many) and various other electronics that I won't bore you (any further) with. We're currently waiting on a copy of the credit card receipt we used to purchase the tv - we had to request it from the CC company so could take up to 30 days, once we get that we'll get down to "negotiating" YUCK a credit towards a new Sony product. Since I'm sure we won't get enough to replace the TV, and being as we're out of pocket what we've spent so far trying to fix it on top of just moving into our first new house, and school about to start (not cheap) and I'm pretty sure, not positive I haven't checked the numbers yet, that we didn't win the lotto last night, I'm trying to figure out what to get once we come to an agreement with Sony. In the meantime we have a 10yr old (Sony) projector on loan from my husband's work (they do upscale video conferencing and high tech professional audio/video/gadget type stuff)in our living room right now that I'm kinda diggin. I know this forum is for TVs but wondering if anyone has any feedback on Sony projectors. We can get a decent one for about 1K from Sony - would save us atleast $500 vs a tv that would be comparable to the one that died. Also, those of you that have come to an agreement with Sony, do you think they'd let us put the credit towards a projector vs a TV? Can we use the credit towards a Sony product from ANY vendor or we have to get it direct from Sony (if we buy through my husbands work we can get it at cost). Any info would be a great help!! Also...a side note, I've found from talking to various people that 'no one' is making rear projection LCDs anymore because there's so many issues and the technology they were using is so unreliable. Hope everyone is doing well!! Enjoy your afternoon - me it's time to go download this weeks' Rock Band DLCs Kindest Regards, Jen |
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New member Post Number: 2 Registered: Aug-08 | Jen, I have the exact problem with my tv but I have the 50" model. How did you go about resolving the issue with Sony? I also want to write to Sony about this but I can't find the contact information. Please help. |
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New member Post Number: 10 Registered: Sep-07 | Hi! For anyone who is replacing the block themselves and has an issue with the alignment here is the answer. The pictures aren't very clear but the screw to the left of number 2 will raise or lower the blocks picture by moving a shim.hope this might help someone.CHEERS!   |
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New member Post Number: 3 Registered: Jul-07 | Hello All, last night I have discovered what I think it is Blue Dot as Sony calls this issue. I have KDF-55XS955 and so far I had issue with thermal fuse and replaced lamp. I have purchased TV 12/2004 and TV was manufactured on 11/2004. I understand that this is still under extended warranty (if this is optical block issue). Please check images and let me know if this is in fact optical block or Blue Blob issue. What should I do contact support and go from there? Can I send digital images to Sony support or they will require to send technician? Please anu suggestions are welcomed. I have read most of the posts on this forum but still would like "confirmation" from people that have expirienced issue. THANK YOU SO MUCH.    |
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Bronze Member Post Number: 73 Registered: May-07 | Mirzo, this looks like the blue haze/blob issue to me. Call Sony. | |
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New member Post Number: 4 Registered: Jul-07 | Thank you Steve. Should I just go to regular procedure and call their support? Do you now if they have to send techinican or they will accept digital pictures. I have registered with them when I purchased TV. Again thank you for response. | |
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Bronze Member Post Number: 74 Registered: May-07 | You would think that Sony would accept digital pictures, and then directly send a technician with an optical bock with them on their first visit. However, it seems that they always require a preliminary technician visit, which turns into ~$100 for 5 minutes. The good news is that Sony covers this cost, if it is determined that it is an extended coverage issue. | |
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New member Honolulu Post Number: 1 Registered: Aug-08 | Hello All, I have a Sony KF 42WE610 purchased NOV 2003 without extended warranty. I have had the lamp power supply replaced (just out of warranty, but they covered it anyway since the problem started during the warranty period), also the 'Magenta Road Map" problem for which they have replaced the OE 3 times. Each time the new OE failed right out of the box, or within a week or two. The last one shows a fluttering green feather at the top of the screen, but I can ignore this. New Problem. Now after 10 to 60 minutes on, I get flashes of color across the screen, yellow, blue, red, then wide lines of white or color, then the screen goes black, but sound stays on. If I were on drugs it would be cool! Takes about 2 hours off to get the oicture back. Picture is great when it is on. I will attach a couple photos. My last attempt to post this failed as I tried to attach an MPEG. Has any one seen this issue? The MPEG is cool if I am able to upload it. Thanks, Brian.   |
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New member Honolulu Post Number: 2 Registered: Aug-08 | Here is one of the MPEG files I took of this problem. The other is too large.
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New member Honolulu Post Number: 3 Registered: Aug-08 | OK, I guess that did not work. I just checked the formtating tips and found I cannot upload MPEG file | |
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New member Post Number: 5 Registered: Jul-07 | I called Sony regarding optical block issue on my KDF-55XS955 and they are asking me to get a new TV (KDLW4100 or KDLV4100). Sony support is telling me that I will need to pay for repairs and that I should take offer.I do not want to pay $800+ for another TV (this is their offer instead of fixing it) . When I point to their web site and extended coverage for optical block they are telling me they made "some changes" to their offer. How is that possible? Does anybody have any info on this? | |
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Bronze Member Post Number: 75 Registered: May-07 | The Additional Service Coverage web page on the Sony site looks the same to me: "In addition, for any customer who later experiences this issue on one of the affected models, Sony will cover the cost of the optical block repair (parts and labor) at no charge through December 31, 2008. All other terms of the Sony limited warranty continue to apply. Sony utilizes a network of hundreds of qualified independent third-party servicers to perform in-home television warranty service. Sony, through its authorized servicer network, will endeavor to repair your set within 30 days of your first contact. For diagnosis, warranty service, or if you are not provided a repair within 30 days, please contact Sony at (888) 649-7669." I would push this. |
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New member Post Number: 1 Registered: Aug-08 | Hello folks. I just wanted to say what an amazing thread you folks have going. It's nice to find folks who are in a similar situation willing to help out others. Here's my story...I'm an owner of a KDFE42-A10 Sony HDTV. The TV was bought in late November 2005 for $1800. At that time, flat panels were very expensive and rear projection televisions were the best deal in town. How times have changed. I picked the Sony over Samsung DLP due to it's sharpness. Well, fast forward to Aug. 2008. I'm starting to experience a couple of issues. The first, my HDMI will no longer perform an HDCP handshake. This started this past weekend as I was trying to watch a DVD on an upscaling DVD player. I kept getting a message that the HDMI port was not HDCP compatible. I thought it was a fluke. So, I attempted watching some HD on my TiVo HD....I got an error that my HDMI was incompatible. The coupe de grace, my Playstation 3 had no picture or sound via HDMI. I do have a monoprice HDMI 4x1 swicher and bypassed it, but still had the same problems. LUCKILY, I bought the extended warranty through Circuit City. I called them up and they sent out a repair person. The repair person said the P-Card is shot. I have NO CLUE what he was talking about. He said he would have to order the part and reschedule for repair. The second problem I am getting, and this is one I have not reported as of yet. Sometimes I notice flickering. It comes and it goes. Some say this is a bulb on the way out. And this would make sense since I'm still on my first bulb. The original bulb has 7806 hours on it. Does anyone have the "Advantage" plan through Circuit City? From what I understand, if you have three service calls, they have this lemon guarantee, where on the third call they just replace the set all together. Has anyone had experience with this? I have 15 months left on my warranty and given how problematic these sets are, I can definitely see this getting replaced at some point in the next year. |
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Silver Member Post Number: 111 Registered: Jun-07 | Sorry guys and gals, I've been MIA from the board for 2-3 weeks. Not that I'm an official moderator (wouldn't want to be one, especially with all the issues with these TVs!), but I generally try to help as much as I can as there are so many people in need. If anybody still has any outstanding issues they need help with let me know and I'll offer up whatever support I can. Bob, thanks for the pictures and for your efforts in trying to get to the root of the problem. It's clearly evident that there's a large spot on the LCD panel in your picture. My speculation is that there is some sort of protective coating on the LCD panels, which after extended exposure to the heat from the light source, finally starts to rapidly break down. This would explain why the problem doesn't manifest itself at all for the first several thousand hours of usage, but once it starts to appear it progresses very rapidly. It essentially goes from not existing to being a major problem over the span of just a few hundred hours of usage. Of course this is just speculation, but what is clear is that the picture doesn't start degrading on day one and gradually get worse over the life of the optical block. It's perfect for the first several thousand hours then rapidly takes a nose dive. Jen, BTW, there is a MAJOR defect with the Sony high capacity DVD changers, at least certain models including mine (400 disc capacity). This problem is arguably worse than the OB problem with the RP TVs, because it damages all of your DVDs. Again, this was a complete failure in engineering but especially in the QC process, something Sony doesn't apparently take much stock in anymore. Find out which model DVD changer your husband has and do a search on the web for it, along with keywords such as "scratch" and "crescent". I don't think I need to elaborate on the nature of the problem, those keywords are probably sufficient. This line of DVD changers can and will ruin all of your DVDs eventually. I have plenty of other gripes with the design of these DVD changers as well, but that belongs on another forum. With respect to your inquiry about Sony projectors, my biggest complaint about them is the cost and frequency of bulb replacement. I purchased a very expensive Sony projector for around ten thousand dollars for my company, and was shocked to discover that it would go through a lamp about once every month to six weeks if running continuously. I don't remember the exact cost of the lamps but it was in the hundreds of dollars. Aside from the cost and hassle of constantly replacing lamps, I can't really complain about the projector. You won't get as bright or sharp of a picture as you would with an RP, LCD, plasma, or CRT TV, but they do have the major advantage of being able to fill a very large space with the picture if you have such a space available in your home. You can easily fill an entire wall of your home if you have a good projector and the space to mount it far enough away from the wall. The main things to watch for when shopping for a projector, are the ANSI Lumens (the higher the value the brighter the picture), the number and type of available inputs, especially HDMI, and the lifespan of the lamps. I can't say whether Sony would let you use your credit towards a projector, I'm inclined to believe that they won't just based on what I've seen on this board and my own experience. A year or two ago when these exchanges were far less frequent, they used to let you go to their website (or a special website), and let you select which TV you wanted to upgrade to. Now it seems they're giving everyone the choice of just the KDLV or KDLW series TVs in various sizes. Mirzo, Sony has to stand behind their offer to replace your OB if that's what you choose. They absolutely cannot force you to purchase a new TV with credit from yours under the terms of this extended warranty (which they can't just arbitrarily change). Just push the issue, they'll repair it at no cost according to the terms which are clearly posted on their website. Frank, It's a very good thing you purchased that extended warranty, because any day now you're very likely going to start experiencing the "blob" issue based on your hours of usage. Sony has not issued an extended warranty (yet) on the optical blocks for the A10 series TVs, so those owners are screwed for the time being if they didn't purchase an extended warranty. Be prepared for that issue, and if you start to see a discoloration of any color, you'll know that's the start of the blob problem. As far as the flickering, I've never heard of that being a precursor to the lamp going, and in my personal experience I've never seen that, but that's all I can say. It is true that you're very close to the window for needing a new lamp though, so if your extended warranty doesn't cover lamps I would go ahead and order one so you're not without a TV when it goes out in the near future. If your warranty covers lamps you'll have to wait until the lamp goes bad unfortunately. I've never seen any other reports on this board or elsewhere about flickering such as you're experiencing, so for your sake I do hope that it's the lamp. I'd go ahead and report the problem to Circuit City and let them deal with it. Brian, I've never seen anything remotely like the problem you're describing reported on this board in the last few years. It sounds like you've got a real lemon of a TV. With all the problems you've had I suggest following the course of action which is repeated over and over here, which is to write the Sony ERC and CC Sir Howard Stringer CEO, describing the myriad of problems you've had and all of the repairs that have been done, and how you've almost never had a properly working TV since you purchased it. Let them know that your TV is a lemon if ever there was one, and request a credit toward the purchase of a new Sony LCD. This is your best option, I wouldn't try to get it repaired. Mirzo, That's definitely a rendition of the blue haze/blob problem. If that's one of the models covered under the OB extended warranty, just call Sony and they'll create a case number and give you a list of service centers in your area. You'll need to contact one of them to have them come out and confirm what you already know, which is that it's a defective optical block. They'll then order the part and everything will be covered under the extended warranty, you shouldn't have to pay a penny out of pocket for the repairs or service call. |
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New member Post Number: 1 Registered: Aug-08 | FYI, If you're just replacing the power block of your unit, the schematic earlier in this thread does not say that it is much easier to remove if you remove the lamp through the front of your unit first. One of the lamp screws is holding the connector to the right (looking from the back). It says to remove the two screws that hold this connector in place, but leaves out mention of the lamp that's also holding it. You'll also need to remove the subwoofer to get to a third screw that's also holding the connector in place (which it also fails to mention). I just replaced my power block unit, but found this out the hard way... I removed the whole optical unit, which lead me to these findings. |
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Bronze Member Post Number: 76 Registered: May-07 | The schematic I posted was from the service manual for the KDF-42WE655 and KDF50WE655 models, and there are definitely variations between models. So, while these things provide a certain level of guidance for other models, be prepared to improvise.  |
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New member Post Number: 2 Registered: Aug-08 | Thanks Steve. I wasn't complaining about your post, just giving others a heads up if they couldn't figure out how to get that right-side connector off. I should also say that my experience was for a KDF-55WF655. | |
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New member Post Number: 2 Registered: Aug-08 | Yeah, I'm definitely getting some flickering. I noticed it the other morning while watching some ABC high def programming. It was very noticeable, to the point where I asked my 10 year old daughter if she could see the flicker. She said yes. I switched channels and the flicker went away. I notice it mainly with high def material. Hope it's not the TiVo HD. Funny, I've noticed this via HDMI and component. But that's the thing, it comes and goes. I will keep an eye on it and post when something comes of it. For right now, I'm waiting for the repair folks to get back to me with a "p-card". Once that's changed out, I'm calling back with incident number two, the flickering. Although, I'm afraid their not going to be able to diagnose that one so easily. |
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New member Post Number: 1 Registered: Aug-08 | Hi all, I think I have a different problem. Over all screen is good no lines or blotches. However, After Tvhas been on for about 1 hour the quality of the Yellow in the picture gets muted. Have TV KDF-E42A10 hook up to Comcast HD box. This just started happening within the last week. WEnt to Sony's website saw issues with software put in my model number and serial number and was told mine didn't have problem. Have yet to e-mail Sony put guess I have too. Anyone else have this type of problem. |
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Silver Member Post Number: 112 Registered: Jun-07 | Kevin, Haven't seen any other reports of that problem here on this board on the last year or two that I can recall, with your model or any other RP Sony TV. The A10 series is still moderately new though so problems with that series have only recently started to show up on the radar (mostly just the typical blob issues). You're going to need to have a Sony tech diagnose it and take it from there, can't really speculate what the problem may be. Hopefully you have an extended warranty, if not, you may still be covered if you purchased the TV on a credit card within the last 2 years. |
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New member Post Number: 1 Registered: Sep-08 | Eric, first let me thank you for all your contributions to this board. Your help is infinitely appreciated and valued. I have just experienced the blue blur/blob syndrome this past month on my KDF 55-WF655. Until this month I was in love with my purchase and completely satisfied with the TV for the past three years. I spent hours doing research before my purchase and have been a long time fan and advocate of Sony's PAST quality. I bought my 55" for $3000.00(shipped) at the time and I spent days shopping the internet for the best price. At the time the set at most stores was $3500 and I believe had just been introduced. I had seen the WE at Costco but thought the cabinet was crap, so I decided to get the WF series.....much nicer. I just made the call to Sony yesterday and will update those here on the outcome. The dreaded blue blur grows as we speak! I can only hold out so long. Chris |
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Silver Member Post Number: 113 Registered: Jun-07 | Chris, Sorry to have you as a new member of the club, that's the same model I had. Your model is covered under the special extended warranty on the optical block for owners who have the blue blob problem, so get right on it and contact Sony to get an event ID # and the phone number of a local service center. You have to have the problem diagnosed formally before you can do anything else, so don't waste any time or the blub will just grow. For most people I recommend that they tell Sony that they want an upgrade path to a new LCD TV because these optical blocks WILL fail again after roughly the same number of hours (I estimate around 8000 give or take). However, in your case since you only go through an optical block once every 3-4 years, you may choose to just have this repair done for free and be prepared to buy a new TV outright in a few years. The choice is yours... Sony will very likely give you a substantial credit for your TV toward a new LCD right now, but you'll still have to pay anywhere from around $750 to $1500 out of pocket depending on which TV you select and how much credit they give you. That will save you about $1500-$2000 off the new LCD, but it means coming up with money right now wheras the repair would be free. On the other hand, you'll get nothing for your TV in a few years and you'll have to pay someone to take it off your hands practically. However, you'd get 3 or 4 good years out of your rear projection, during which time prices on LCDs will continue to fall and technology will improve. Plus, you'd have 3-4 years on your new LCD by that point if you upgraded now, and even if you'd bought an extended warranty (which I HIGHLY recommend to everyone), it would be about to expire. So like I said, it's a tough call in your case and a decision you'll have to make. Good luck and keep us posted. Eric |
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New member Post Number: 2 Registered: Sep-08 | Just got the call from Sony and they are offering the same three options they offered Mel: 1. Repair at no charge 2. Purchase a KDL52V4100 for $703.00 3. Purchase a KDL52W4100 for $843.00 Just got to pull the sticker and mail it in. Thanks to all and their input, this is what makes the NET very useful. C |
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New member Post Number: 3 Registered: Aug-08 | Has anyone received any concession from Sony for a defective A10 series tv? Is there any chance that Sony will extend the warranty on the newer A10 series projection tv? | |
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Silver Member Post Number: 114 Registered: Jun-07 | Chris, Kudos, I wish I'd gotten that same deal. I had to pay about $100 more than you guys, just a week or two before others were getting the deal you're getting. Oh well, it was still a pretty good deal I guess with all things considered. Be SURE to spend a little more and get an extended warranty. Don't allow yourself to get into the position that so many of us found ourselves in a couple years after we bought our expensive new TVs. They won't offer an extended warranty unless you ask for it, so be sure to do that. The warranty is very inexpensive compared with the peace of mind it carries. 1-3 years is very cheap, then it goes up measurably. I think I paid $300-$350 for a 5 year extended warranty. Mark, I believe others have gotten similar offers on their A10 series TVs, though I'd have to search the old posts to be sure. I know A10 owners have gotten their repairs covered at no charge or just charged for labor, after following the instructions here and writing the necessary letters. I think it's a safe bet that the A10 series TVs will also have an extended warranty issued at some point on the OBs, but the snowball hasn't been rolling down the hill long enough yet to get sufficiently large. It takes an enormous amount of pressure and complaints to make something like that happen, and it the A10s just haven't been around long enough yet. Give it another year or so IMO. In the meantime, you can still get some justice by writing the ERC. |
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New member Post Number: 4 Registered: Aug-08 | Thanks Eric. I will search through the posts to find out what other owners have done regarding their defective A10s. I will have my tv diagnosed this month so that I can start writing letters. I will follow the steps you posted earlier on how to go about resolving the issue with Sony. Thanks again. | |
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New member Post Number: 6 Registered: Dec-07 | Can anyone direct me to a website that would have the specifics of each models warranty cards? My tv is covered thru '09,but I do not have a copy of the warranty card in my posession.Thanks for any help you can give. | |
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Silver Member Post Number: 115 Registered: Jun-07 | Sheree, Go to the following website and enter the model # for the set that you want the manual or warranty information for. You can locate warranty cards for nearly all models produced in the last several years. http://esupport.sony.com/ |
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Silver Member Post Number: 116 Registered: Jun-07 | New class action lawsuit for owners of certain model Sony rear projection TVs. Unfortunately this is NOT related to the Optical Block issues that are so common, but other owners may stand to benefit from this lawsuit. Owners of the following model rear projection TVs are automatically included in the class action lawsuit dated 8/21/08 on the Sony website unless they opt out: KDS-R50XBR1, KDS-R60XBR1, KDS-70Q006 or KDX-46Q005. For complete details regarding the lawsuit go to the following page: http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/news-item.pl?template=EN&news_id=58 |
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New member Post Number: 1 Registered: Sep-08 | Hi guys. Same blue blob problem here. I chose to upgrade my tv with the credit sony offered. Does anyone know how long it takes to have your opitical block rebuilt? Im really interested in trying to save my kdf50we655. I know the block will probably fail again but for 300 bucks i think its worth it. I just wonder how long it takes them to rebuild it and send it back to you. Thanks again for this wonderful site | |
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Silver Member Post Number: 117 Registered: Jun-07 | Erik, Personally I'm unaware of any person or company that is rebuilding optical blocks that you send to them then returning them to you for a price. I know of at least one company selling refurbished optical blocks though for about $375. There is no wait time, you just send them your bad OB and the payment and they send you a refurbished OB ready to install. I haven't heard any testimonials from anybody that has purchased a refurbished OB to see how reliable they are over an extended period of time. They certainly aren't going to last any longer than a new OB, and depending on what parts they replace when they refurbish them, they may not last as long. They may only be cleaning the OBs thoroughly and replacing the damaged part(s), which is almost always just the LCD closest to the heat source. I would agree that for those who use their TVs sparingly and only go through an OB once every few years, $400 or so might be worth it to have it back up and running again. Personally I use mine extensively and it fails once every year, so for me it's not worth spending $200 a year for a lamp and $400 a year for an OB, both of which I'd have to replace myself and replacing the OB is a pain in the butt. The company that I'm speaking of btw is Tri-State Module and here's the link to the page on their site where you can find the refurbished OBs: http://www.tristatemodule.com/html/light_engines.html. Looks like they have 2 of your OBs in stock currently. |
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New member Post Number: 3 Registered: Sep-08 | Hey everyone, I had the same idea as Eric to replace the block on my own, BUT if the blue lcd is the only part that needs to be replaced then why not just replace that part as what I would think is a greatly reduced price than the $375 for the rebuilt OB. Espcially since Steve Linke has posted some great photos on the teardown. In addition couldn't you place an insulator plate to block the heat to the OB or would this impede the operation of it? Just a few thoughts, let me know. Thanks |
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New member Post Number: 2 Registered: Sep-08 | Exactly Chris. After looking at Bobs photos on his site, I think it would be very possible for me to clean and replace the optical block and replace the blue lcd on my own. So now the question is eric do you know where this part can be purchased? As for adding an insulator plate, I think that would probably take some fabrication |
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