Got this TV from a friend. I knew it was having problems (that's why they upgraded to an LCD screen), but I figured I'd have a go at figuring out what was wrong. After all, it was free =P
PROBLEMS: -The picture will cut out after working fine. Sometimes after 30 min, sometimes after over an hour. Audio still works.
-After turning the set off for a few minutes and turning it back on, the picture comes back fine.
THINGS I'VE OBSERVED: I took the lower back panel off and hooked the TV back up (had to tape down the safety switch). I ran the TV till the picture cut out and looked in the back with it still on.
-All the fans (that I could find) were still running
-The lamp was still lit.
-Looking in the side panel (to the projection lens), the picture coming through the lens is gone.
-There is a decently loud buzz during all operation. I'm guessing one of the fans.
So, that is what the problem is. It happens on all inputs (cable, AV, Component).
My friend took it to a TV shop that quoted them $1000 dollars to fix it. That sounds like borderline robbery to me. After all, electronics depreciate in value, and these rear projections are getting outdated. Plus, they didn't actually tell them what was wrong with it.
Any suggestions on problems would be great! I'm pretty willing to test things out. One thing I haven't done is access the factory service menu. I haven't found a code that's worked for me.