Sony KF42WE610 or KF50WE610 What do I gain?
|
| I've only seen the 42" version of the LCD Rear Projection Grand Wega in action. It's outstanding. Now I've discovered the 50" is just about $350 more. The resolution is listed as the same, but are the pixels larger? Sony's website gives me exactly the same specs for both sizes. Anybody seen both of them - and will I lose anything going to the larger screen? And does the viewing distance make a difference? Thanks...will appreciate your advice. |
|
Anonymous | The 42" will be a little sharper and brighter because of the smaller size. It won't make bad sources look as bad as putting it on a 50" screen. I would use viewing distance and size preference as your deciding factors. I like a big TV and am going to get the 50" for a viewing distance of 8-9 feet. Some people would consider that to be too close. |
|
| I recently viewed the 42" and the 50" Grand Wega, and was very impressed with both, but I will buy the 50". I'm replaceing my 50" Misu Diamond analog to finally get into High def. The quest has not been easy though, trying to balance cabinet depth with picture quality, durability,ect. I sit back about 14' so the 50" is perfect size.I'm buying from Tweeter. Good service and staff.Said I can exchange for the Samsung hln507 if I"m not happy with the Sony. Hope I can live with the less than impressive analog, till HD prime-time comes on. |
|
Anonymous | Patrick, Every store review (take it for what it is worth) has said the GWIII does better with SD than Samsung. |
|
| Just to bring you up-to-date...I bought the 42" Sony today - decided that the 50" was going to be too big for even a large bedroom! Was at a furniture store buying a sofa table today for the set (will look better as furniture in the bedroom!) and one of the sales guys said he'd just ordered the 60" version of the Sony. Looks like the Sony is making waves! Thanks for the input. |
|
Anonymous | These new Sony GWIII's are selling like crazy! I was at a local CC tonight and saw 3 go out the door. I am awaiting delivery of mine now. :-O -rrc |
|
| I was very glad to find this thread, since I just ordered the 50" at Sears of all places. I have been doing some research between the different technologies and the rear LCD seems to hold its own against DLP and Plasma. However, I keep getting indication of bad lamps and dead pixels with the KF50WE610. Any thoughts or comments? How long is the lamp supposed to survive and what is the replacement cost? |
|
ConsumerX | I received the Sony 42" Grand Wega (KF42WE610) just a few days ago. The image is incredible! No problems with dead pixels just yet, so I assume that they most likely pop-up due to bad shipping conditions, but thank god for extended service plans, right? I've read that the lamp life is something like 80,000 hrs, but I suppose this could vary due to individual viewing habits. Replacement bulbs run at around $300, but this too, is covered by Best Buy's service plan (which Im hoping I will not have to use anytime soon.) |
|
New member Username: DanmillerPost Number: 2 Registered: 12-2003 | Hi, I have read on several forums about a buzzing issue or the lamp bulb not working after a couple of days. I read them at Agoraquest.com The exact forum thread is at Buzzing and Lamp issue for the 42we610 and 50we610 Let me know if you have similar problems. |
|
Don Webster Unregistered guest | I originally bought the KF50WE610 from CC, but it was bad right out of the box. The only way it would turn on is if you unplugged it from the wall and plugged it back in. Took it back to exchange but the 50" models couldn't be found anywhere in the area. Settled for the 42" which actually looks better in the room with a 9-10 ft viewing distance. 29 days later the set won't turn on and the 'lamp' indicator is flashing. Do I dare return it for another Sony? |
|
saqdeez Unregistered guest | don, i say no! It is too bad the panasonic is not offered in 42" |
|
New member Username: HampshirePost Number: 2 Registered: 12-2003 | Be careful with those BBY service plans. After I purchased mine I called the service number to see if dead pixels or burnt out lamps are covered. Nope. It's considered normal wear and tear. |
|
Anonymous | SONY KF50WE610 IS VERY BAD. i BOUGHT THIS 2 WEEKS AGO. IT'S BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR 7 DAYS...CIRCUT BOARD PROBLEMS. IT SEEMS THAT SONY SENT A BULLETIN TO ALL SONY SERVICE CENTERS. KEEP AWAY FROM SONY LCD SETS. |
|
Anonymous | John Molitor, the bby warranty says it covers "normal wear and tear", so if they consider dead pixels and burnt out lamps normal wear and tear then it's covered |
|
Anonymous | My kf60we610 had a notice in the box about stuck pixels being common to the manufacturing process & not a defect. I personnaly have had no problems. I have never heard of circut board problems, but lamp issues and the refusing to turn on with the blinking green LED are common (unforturnatly) Circut City tried to sell me their extended warranty which they say covers lamp replacement. |
|
adam12 Unregistered guest | The Buzzing no lamp problem is very real. I love the picture quality on the 42 inch but it takes 15-20 minutes of turning it on and off to get the picture on. I hate to do it because I have had such good luck with previous Sony TV's but I would not recommend this TV to my worst enemy. I am hoping there will be a recall. |
|
Fishfillet Unregistered guest | Don, Thanks for doing some investigations. I recently put a deposit down at CC for the kf42we610. They said it was back ordered for 3plus weeks. Now I'm wondering if the delay is not a result of demand but bulb/fan/white spot issues. I have been looking to other retailers with the item in stock (I'm anxious) but I think the additional time will help. Please keep us all abreast of what you find out. Until then I guess I'll read abook;) |
|
Sony Buyer Unregistered guest | Just bought a KF42WE610 on New Year's Eve from a "Sears Outlet". It was an open box item so I bought the protection agreement and it was still $600 less than CC. There is a green hue to the picture. I called and I will get service on Friday. Anyone else experience this? We watched a DVD Friday night and the picture is incredible. Halfway through we saw the green so I turned the TV off for about 10 minutes..it worked fine after than. Yesterday, however, the green started right away. |
|
Sony Buyer Unregistered guest | Don, We have a Sears "Outlet" here that sells scratch and dent appliances. I inquired as to the reason why this TV was returned (it was for the same complaint as mine) and they told me that it had been repaired. I have 30 days to take it back for a refund, so if they do some work on it Friday and it turns green again, I can take it back or have them fix it again. 4 repairs and I get a new one. |
|
Unregistered guest | Don, I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say we appreciate your efforts and insights. I bought a 50" WE610 on 21 Nov and have not had one problem. We love it. However, I have until 31 Jan to return it to CC. My feeling is I own a set that is destined to fail at some point. Without any better info from Sony, I have no choice but to feel that way. My inclination is to return it and wait until Sony gets their act together, unless I get impatient and buy something else. Please keep us informed over the next few weeks. Thanks again. rpm |
|
New member Username: Gak22Post Number: 2 Registered: 01-2004 | Don, Have you or anyone else heard of a 650 or 710 line of 42", 50", 60" & 70" Grand Wega sets coming out this spring to correct all the problems with the 610 line??? I was looking at the Sammy DLP 56, hitachi 60 ultravision LCD or Sony 60 Grand Wega LCD, but I'm going to let the $$$ burn a hole in my pocket till these guys get their act together; I've never spent more than $1800 for a TV -- $4000+ is a large investment on this problematic technology. Sounds like DLP II with HD2 will be available around the beginning of the summer; will this force the rest of the industry to address the consummers concerns instead of just giving us a 2nd, 3rd or 4th crappy TV??? |
|
Kris Williams Unregistered guest | Hello Don, I have on order at CC the Sony KDF-70XBR950. I was told it will be around Feb. 18th before I get it. Are the XBR line also having problems or is it just the WE's Thanks for you help, spending $7,000.00 for a TV that may or may not work OOTB is nuts. Kris |
|
Unregistered guest | Don, I hear what you are saying, but I thought I did just that. This is supposed to be Sony's 3rd gen of LCD RPTV's. I figured by now this technology would have been fully tested and pretty stable. It appears they attempted to morph into a cheaper set for the masses and, maybe, cut too many corners in the process. The philosophy worked. This is one of the best selling sets around. This is no catastrophe for me. I can still return for a full refund. I feel worse for those who no longer have that option. I just hope that Sony takes care of them. I plan to thoroughly enjoy the Pats tonight in HD! rpm |
|
BILL1452003 Unregistered guest | I HAVE A 50" LCD WHICH HAS JUST STOPPED WORKING.(BLINKING LAMP INDICATOR) I SPOKE TO SEVERAL PEOPLE AND THEY HAVE TOLD ME THAT THE PROBLEM IS THE CONTACTS ON THE LAMP ARE MADE OF A DIFFERENT METAL THAN THE CONTACTS THAT IT PLUGS INTO. WHICH THE RESULTS IN CORROSION. |
|
madlin Unregistered guest | If you work for Sony, how can you get away with saying these things publicly? |
|
Contessa Unregistered guest | Don, I for one, definitely look forward to hearing from someone on the 'inside' as to what Sony knows and is doing about this set's issues. Hopefully, the folks you talk to will talk candidly with you about it. Thanks for even taking the time and good luck. |
|
Dan Reiland Unregistered guest | Don, I appreciate all the inside info from you. I want to purchase the 42" Sony LCD, buy am waiting for all the bugs to be fixed. Sony could sell a ton of these LCD's if they could just get it right. Thanks again for all the info. |
|
Unregistered guest | I purchased the 60 in LCD and it is on 'national' backorder according to my salesguy. maybe they are fixing it this time around --- any word on that Don? |
|
New member Username: ItzbinnicePost Number: 1 Registered: 01-2004 | Don Small, Thank you for providing useful information. I'd like to share my limited knowledge on the subject with the forum. I am in the market for a new 50 inch HDTV. After spending countless hours looking at the sets at numerous stores I narrowed it down to the Sony 50 " LCD or the Samsung 50" DLP. Circuit City seemed to be pushing the Samsung and said it was a better set than the Sony. I asked the sales manager if he was having any problems with the Sony's, he replied no, none at all (liar). I just left Circuit City and the 43" they has next to the 50" had the lamp red light indicator glowing and would not turn on, it was working last week. After speaking to a knowledgeable, and what appeared to be truthful salesman, he indeed said there were problems with the sets, and they too were unable to get a replacement bulb for the burned out set, CC was told bulbs on backorder. He also told me the TV's were not available and were backordered, and in his opinion was directly related to the design flaw. For those interested in the Samsung 50", he told me at first he was very impressed with the sets, his opinion has now changed after watching them for an extended period. He said for sports lovers, LCD is better than the DLP's because DLP's show streaking on fast moving plays, the LCD's do not. He feels DLP's chips are a bit too slow and need improvement. Also he said he notices a rainbowing effect on the DLP's. Keep in mind this is one mans opinion and I'm only repeating his thoughts. I myself have ordered a 50" refurbished unit direct from Sony at 1/2 the cost of retail. From the looks of things it may be some time before I receive it. I have a relative that gets a Sony employee discount. I figured Sony has lost enough money on these design flaws and anything that leaves the factory will be thoroughly checked and fixed so no additional loses will occur. Furthermore, if these things turn out to be lemons, I only lost 1,600 rather than 3,200. Today Circuit City had them on sale for 2,699, even though they can't get them. As one of the other posters mentioned, LCD's is not new technology for Sony, this design flaw should not have occurred, and rather than covering up this defect, they should issue a recall and protect the integrity of the Sony name. |
|
New member Username: ThebobgoatPost Number: 5 Registered: 01-2004 | http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&postid=3202414#post3202414 check out the circuit city update post by Bubby said there was a fix |
|
william prince Unregistered guest | Don,when are these widescreen 36 and 32 in tvs going to be available? ive been wondering why 36in are only available in Europe. |
|
New member Username: ItzbinnicePost Number: 2 Registered: 01-2004 | Don, Thanks for the reply. I'm told when you place an order through employee discounts for refurbished sets, you go into a waiting list que and as sets become available you move down the list. At first I was concerned this will be a long wait but after thinking about it, I think it should not take that long since there is an abundance of sets returned for malfunction. Only question now is do they have a true fix for it or only a bandaid. No disrespect to Mexico but I'd prefer a set that's assembled here, looks like all companies are going offshore to save on labor costs to remain competitive. As far as the QC guy saying he thinks it's florescent lighting related, I really doubt that theory very much, can't believe all these people with the same problem have florescent lighting near their sets. I hope the CC email link that BobGoat posted is for real, and Sony has finally admitted and has a fix for it now. Can you kindly advise where in PA Sony produces the LCD sets. Best Regards Will |
|
New member Username: Gak22Post Number: 10 Registered: 01-2004 | Sony is fixing the problem. stopped in my local CC today and there were no Sony Grand Wegas (42, 50 or 60) on display. i asked the person; "what happened"; she said that all Sony's are on hold till mid feb decause they are fixing the bulb problem. i then called my salesperson for my 60we610 and they said that my tv will probaly not make the super bowl. he said that Sony is not shipping till the bulb issue is fixed. he then said, if you got the ext warranty, then the bulb issue is CC's prob not your's because the warranty covers you and if it's reoccuring then you can get a new tv -- diff model even. so it's not your problem; it's in CC's best interest for Sony to get a good product to market. i told him that i didn't care if i waited till march as long as i got a tv that worked did everything it promised. wait and see; but i feel better now about my $4K investment. |
|
New member Username: ItzbinnicePost Number: 3 Registered: 01-2004 | Don, Thanks for the information, appreciate it. Sad to say, but it wouldn't surprise me one bit if they move the operations to Mexico or elsewhere. Looks like made in the USA is becoming obsolete. Gregg K Looks like Sony finally took the plunge and addressed the issue properly. Wonder if all CC stores are pulling them, they were on display yesterday at my local CC store. I do have a question for current owners of the KF50WE610's. I've reviewed the specs on these units from several sites, including Sony, and not one indicates there are any audio outputs on the sets. I can't believe this, it must be an omission, without audio outputs how does one connect the set to a Home Theatre System. Another discrepancy I find is the weight, Sony indicates the sets weigh 82 lbs, but I've read elsewhere that they are well over 100. Can somebody verify the true weight of these units. Looks like I put the cart before the horse. I had a Sony 46" RPTV that was 13 years old, still working but picture quality was poor. Paid 3,000 for that set and got my monies worth. The thing was so heavy, and was in my finished basement, I literally sawed it into pieces and removed it in pieces in anticipation of replacing it with the Sony 50" LCD. Who dreamed these lamp problems would arise. I then bought a new 58" wide Bush Stand for 300.00 at Best Buy, model is VS74377-02 to which I highly recommend for looks, practicality, and strength. Puts the 600.00 Sony stand to shame. Now the irony, I have an old RCA Proscan 27" set sitting on this huge stand waiting for Sony to evict it, had I know this would happen I never would have cut up the old one. |
|
Contessa Unregistered guest | William, Weight on the 50" is about 80lbs so 82lbs sounds about right. Very light compared to the older RPTV's and it's relatively easy for two people to carry it. There are standard RCA stereo inputs for each video input and one RCA audio output. |
|
New member Username: ItzbinnicePost Number: 4 Registered: 01-2004 | Don, Good to hear perhaps only the 42" line going to Mexico, we need to keep the jobs here. Thought it over what the QC guy mentioning that the problem may have something to do with florescent lighting. No way in the world could that have anything to do with the lamp failing. Yes, could cause some picture interference but would never have anything to do with lamp failure. Show me one retail store that doesn't display their sets under florescent lighting, they all do. Contessa, Thank you for the information on weight and audio outputs, that is indeed a very light set, I like that. Just left Circuit City to see if they pulled the Sony's from the showroom, they did not. They still have the defective 42" displayed that won't turn on, and a 50". Asked the salesman if they were going to pull them from display because of the defect and being unavailable, said he didn't know because the manager does those things and wasn't in yet. I thought perhaps an internal memo went out instructing all the CC stores to pull them from display, that may not be the case. |
|
RobW Unregistered guest | QUOTED from William Muelluer ____________________________________________ I do have a question for current owners of the KF50WE610's. I've reviewed the specs on these units from several sites, including Sony, and not one indicates there are any audio outputs on the sets. I can't believe this, it must be an omission, without audio outputs how does one connect the set to a Home Theatre System. Another discrepancy I find is the weight, Sony indicates the sets weigh 82 lbs, but I've read elsewhere that they are well over 100. Can somebody verify the true weight of these units. ____________________________________________ If you check the .pdf of the manual at you'll clearly see the audio output to the right of the video inputs. This manual covers the 42", 50", and 60". I have the 60" and it IS present. The 42" should be 80#ish. Although mine has hand holds for 2 people on the back top, I live alone so had to lift it from the floor to a 2" tall table by myself. Thank goodness it's only 100#'s |
|
RobW Unregistered guest | P.S. 40 days Out Of The Box and NO problems whatsoever. |
|
New member Username: ItzbinnicePost Number: 5 Registered: 01-2004 | RobW, Checked the link out but can't download the file. I click on it and does nothing, click on the Adobe Icon and brings me to the Adobe site to download Acrobat Reader which I already have. They may be experiencing some problems with their site cause my computer functions properly. Wow, you lifted that 100 lb 60" TV by yourself, you must have arms the length of an orangutan. I think you meant to say 2ft tall table, not 2". On a good day I might even be able to lift it 2", but two feet, only in my dreams. Really happy to hear yours is working for 40 days, I'm sure you're very happy with the purchase and hopefully never experience the problems others are having. |
|
Louis Z Unregistered guest | I have a 50" Sony LCD on back order, instresting how all of the great reviews have turned into negative reviews over night. Question: Should I cancel the LCD and buy the DLP from Samsung my sales persone told me " The DLP technology is more stable". If this TV breaks I'll be sleeping in the garage for how much it costs. Opinions Welcome. |
|
New member Username: ItzbinnicePost Number: 6 Registered: 01-2004 | Louis Z, Tough call, each technology has it's pro's and cons. My sales contact doesn't care for the Sammy DLP's, and quite frankly is not happy with the Sony either. Regarding Sony, he feels like Bose speakers you are paying for a name and marketing, and perhaps not the best product available value wise. Keep in mind this is a salesman speaking and may have his own agenda. You may want to consider the Hitachi 50" LCD, I don't see many complaints about them and customers appear to be happy with their purchase. Same price as Sony at Circuit City this week, 2,699, and a lot cheaper than the Samsung 50". Wish you luck with your decision, don't want you sleeping in the garage, although at times it may be more peaceful, nobody to nag you. |
|
Anonymous | I have the 50 inch KF50WE610 and love the HD, but am having trouble figuring out how to get the sharpest image for analog. I receive all signals through a cable box. Thanks for any advice. |
|
Tim Shalvey Unregistered guest | I purchased the Sony KF42WE610 last night. Then did this research (I know...should have done it before...impulse buy!) I'm going to cancel the order before delivery unless any of you know if this problem can be identified by the serial number, etc... Any thoughts on other competitive sets in theis price range? |
|
William Prince Unregistered guest | I just bought and received the 34XBR910 and now am glad I did. My room is too small for a larger model not to mention the narrow staircase up to my condo. They had to take it out of the box to fit. This is a large and very heavy TV but the picture is outstanding. I'm watching HD, DVD, and digital cable and finding that the picture is great cross the board though following HD regular digital cable looks dull in comparison. I wish the black bars were smaller when watching ultra widescreen movies, but I guess thats how it needs to be to be accurate. One comment on HD, too many of the broadcasts I'm getting are in 4:3 format. It irritates me. |
|
New member Username: ThebobgoatPost Number: 7 Registered: 01-2004 | tim take a look on the AVS forum -- there are lots of rumors... i heard anything after 9106059 should be ok from a 3rd level CSR. i just got the 60 and it shipped yesterday. will be here soon. i believe it came in a new batch of good models, but we will see! let me know what you do |
|
Tim Shalvey Unregistered guest | Thanks TheBobGoat (Bob?), I changed my mind and stayed with the order for the KF42WE610 after speaking with the guy at Tweeter where I've got it on order. He mentioned it was a bad capacitor run and was corrected. This seems to make sense with the turning on problem and could also damage bulbs with surges...just an educated guess on my part. To be safe I have bought the 5 year extended parts and labor warranty...hopefully won't need it. Ayone else out there hear about the capacitor issue? Don Small? |
|
Anonymous | The problem has been identified and is in the LAMP DRIVER circuitry. The SONY DOC REF #E22969464 describes what the repair person needs to change out and it involves "9" seperate small parts. Sets with serial number higher than 9106059 will already have the new parts from production. |
|
New member Username: ItzbinnicePost Number: 7 Registered: 01-2004 | Anonymous, Thanks for the information. Could you kindly post a link where to read about Sony Doc Reference E22969464, did a Google search but found nothing. Regarding the serial #9106059, a reference point, that beyond that number a fix is present from production. Is there a way when purchasing a product from a retail store, that they can check serial # of unit being purchased from the carton, or is it located only on the set itself and documentaion within the box. |
|
Unregistered guest | Don, Somewhere I heard that Sony had a fix for the "no start" problem (power light keeps flashing) and would fix it at no cost to the customer. Not a recall but just a fix. Do you know if this is true? George |
|
New member Username: OnmedicPost Number: 9 Registered: 01-2004 | Very interesting thread! I also have the 42" on order since December 23rd. The last update I have received was that I should expect delivery around January 27th. I will also check the serial number on the box to see if it is delivered with the production resolution. Should I refuse to accept the product if it is below the specified serial number? I would love to get my hands on the Sony Bulletin too! Anyone know where to find it? Cheers! |
|
New member Username: ItzbinnicePost Number: 8 Registered: 01-2004 | Stevie, Since you say "I will also check the serial number on the box" I would assume the serial # is somewhere on the exterior of the box. To avoid any possible problems, why don't you stipulate to wherever you bought it, before they put it on the truck for delivery they should check the serial # on the carton and make sure it is later than #9106059. Regarding the Sony Bulletin, after thinking about it, I would imagine this is only released to Authorized Repair Centers whom are governed by Sony's confidentiality rules. Not wise to risk cutting off the hand that feeds you. |
|
New member Username: OnmedicPost Number: 10 Registered: 01-2004 | William, Thanks for the reply. This fowum is very "Connected" with Sony people and I would think we could muster up a copy of the Technical Bulletin somehow! Anyone? I will contact my dealer and advise them that I will only accept units with the latest fix as indicated by the serial number! Thanks ALL! |
|
New member Username: ItzbinnicePost Number: 9 Registered: 01-2004 | Stevie, My brain cells working about as efficiently as the Sony TV's. Regarding the post by Anonymous: "The problem has been identified and is in the LAMP DRIVER circuitry. The SONY DOC REF #E22969464 describes what the repair person needs to change out and it involves "9" seperate small parts. Sets with serial number higher than 9106059 will already have the new parts from production." Since this thread is for both Sony KF42WE610 or KF50WE610, the serial # posted does not specifically state for which set, therefore, the serial # posted as a reference may or may not apply to the 42" set that you have ordered. Can anybody advise to which set the # applies to and provide the serial # for both sets so potential buyers have correct information. |
|
Rob O. Unregistered guest | If anyone can advise on the serial numbers for the KF60WE610, I would appreciate it as well. |
|
New member Username: ItzbinnicePost Number: 10 Registered: 01-2004 | Just came across an interesting post on the AVS Forum, it is current as of today. I certainly hope I am not violating any rules here by posting this here, I have provided the origin link as well as what was discussed (copied and pasted) to make things simple for anyone looking for the information regarding an update with the Sony lamp problems. Now this looks to be a valid fix in my opinion, sure hope it's true. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=5f60a17ddb9c243c613ee6d28e58b839 &threadid=354728 mikeg13 Member Some good news for WE610 owners experiencing buzz issue... I have the 42" WE610. It was an October of '03 build date. Never had the buzzing no power-up problem until about 2 weeks ago (football playoffs of course) Finally got my Sony Authorized repair place involved. They came yesterday and took it from my house and told me to call this morning for an update. When I called, the repair guy, a veteran of 27 years, told me it was done...Man talk about quick service. He told me not to be concerned about the design as a whole because, according to him, "this is one of the most well designed RPTV he has ever seen". He told me that the foul up was more a problem with the bulb manufacturer than Sony. He said that when Sony and the bulb manufacturer got together for this set, the bulb manufacturer gave Sony the some bad electrical tolerances and bulb starting specifications. He said Sony then engineered their "Bulb starter board" to these specs, and that that is why these sets have a tendency to not fire the lamp and such. My fix, as it was described to me, was for him to replaces the Bulb starter board with a newly engineered board from Sony, which they have designed to new and correct specifications of a NEW bulb from the original manufacturer. By NEW bulb I mean a second generation bulb that the manufacturer has developed in conjunction with Sony's starter board reengineering. I asked him if Sony is going to be making this modification at the plant before they ship the new units and he told me that that is what they are in the process of doing, which is why there is such a lack of them shipping and so many back orders. Anyways, I don't know if this has been discussed on here, if it has I apologize, but i wanted to share my experience with all of you GWIII owners, from whom I have gained a lot of knowledge. So...Good luck and enjoy your sets... Originally posted by mweflen So, mikeg - has the fix actually been applied yet to your TV? I don't mean to sound skeptical. If what your tech says is true, this is terrific news. But the proof of the pudding, as they say, is in the eating. Several people have had service visits and "fixes" which have just resulted in more buzzing/nostarting anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks later. mweflen, Yes the fix has been applied to the TV, and was returned this morning. I went home to the house at lunch and it turned right on. No hint of a buzz...three green blinks and then light (the three green blinks is the normal startup sequence). After talking with the tech for at least 1/2 hour, he convinced me that this fix was indeed a permanent solution to the problem. I am an electrical engineer, so it is in my nature to be very skeptical, but he says that he had done this fix 5 or 6 times since Jan 10. He also included that this fix is different than the first fix that Sony put out, which involved placing a different charging CAP and timing RC combination circuit on the existing lamp driver board. He said that althought the first fix they put out fixed the problem in some cases, in others the problem would resurface due to bulb differences. He said that this fix was the newest one that Sony put out (he said early January), and that it was the first one that included a re-engineered board (direct from Sony) as well as a second generation LAMP. I am going to take the front panel off tonight, and see if I can tell if there are any significant differences in the bulb. Due to his experience (27 yrs.), his willingness to talk to me and listen to me about the problem, and the fact that he told me he had successfully applied this fix to other GWIII's, I feel rather confident that this could be a final resolution to this problem. Of course, I will keep all of you up to date with the status in the upcoming days and weeks to follow. |
|
Bonita Pauley Unregistered guest | Well I'm certainly glad I found this site. I was one breath away from purchasing the KF-60WE610 this morning. Since this is a major purchase sounds like I should wait until the bad sets are filtered out. Another question I have is purchasing from a Sears/Best Buy ect., versus and online merchant. Any suggestions? Horrow merchant advise/stories? I'v purchased a DVD from Crutchfield online in the past with no problems but this is a bigger purchase. |
|
New member Username: ItzbinnicePost Number: 11 Registered: 01-2004 | Bonita, Perhaps it is wise to wait until things get sorted out. I may be wrong, but in my opinion it will take months to get the parts needed to repair the current defective sets. I don't know where the boards are made but I believe Phillips (lamps) exports from Malaysia and China. To start production of these 2nd generation lamps may take a bit, then figure 6 weeks boat time to reach the west coast ports, add at least another week for U.S. customs clearence and being railed to PA's assembly line. They may air freight some in, but this is costly and will increase there loss. If given the choice I would not buy such a large item from Crutchfield or any other on line seller. I would buy from your local Circuit City, Sears or Best Buy, if problems arise much easier and cheaper to get resolved. If patient you will get a fair deal but you must be vigilant because sometimes the sales are short lived. As an example, in November, I saw the Samsung 50" DLP in CC for 3,899, few days later it's at 2,899. It lasted several days and I was thinking about buying it. As I'm standing there a young man comes over and pulls off the price tag of 2,899 and puts one on at 3,899, my jaw drops. I said you've got to be kidding me, that TV just went up 1,000, his reply, "yup". I would have been really pissed if I bought it at 3,899, now I know they went that low once, it will go there again. My advise, if you like the Sony (and I do), wait for new ones to be produced that have the modifications from the factory, I think February produced models would be safe. Or if you want to wait a bit, the new 2nd generation Samsung DLP's will be out the second quarter of 2004. You can either go with the newest technology or pick up one of the first generation sets a hell of a lot cheaper than they are now. Hope this helps you. |
|
Bonita Pauley Unregistered guest | Thanks for your for the advise. I wrote to the SONY Customer service....interesting responce (No Problems!) Discussion Thread --------------------------------------------------------------- Response (Jason) - 01/21/2004 10:23 AM Thank you for contacting SonyStyle with your query regarding Sony Televisions. There has been no issues regarding the KF-60WE610 or the KF-50WE610 LCD Rear projection televisions. This television is currently out of stock due to the heavy demand and backorders. This is an excellent television that you can opt for. Please feel free to contact the Sony Style team for any further assistance. Customer (Bonita Pauley) - 01/21/2004 05:33 AM Just wanted to clairfy. My question was regarding the KF-60WE610 not the KF-50WE610 Response (Julia) - 01/21/2004 12:58 AM Thank you for contacting us with the query regarding the Sony KF-50WE610 Television. I am glad to know that you are interest in Sony Television. The Television KF-50WE610 is currently out stock and will be available very soon. However the television is flawless and we have not received any problems regarding this model. The life of Lamp in this model is around 5000 hrs. After which you can replace an inexpensive lamp in this TV and make it as good as new. Please visit our site periodically to check the availability of the television and to place an order for the same. |
|
New member Username: ItzbinnicePost Number: 12 Registered: 01-2004 | Bonita, Why don't you write back to Jason and Julia and ask them if the TV is "flawless" and "there has been no issues regarding the KF-60WE610", why was Service Bulletin #E22969464 issued by Sony for the procedure to fix the defective sets. Don't misunderstand me, I like Sony and will buy the TV, but not being honest about it is unacceptable. Either these CS reps are uninformed, or Sony continues to cover up the defect. Best of luck with your decision. Regards Will |
|
Mike Vallario Unregistered guest | This is the text from a chat with Sony. Seems they are ignoring the issue. Arnold: Hi, my name is Arnold. How may I help you? You: I just ordered a Sony LCD Television model KF42WE610 from a local vendor. Now I am reading on several Internet sites about problems with the bulb circuit board and a lound buzzing noise. I have also read that production was suspended while Sony finds a solution and the solution is in Sony Service Bulletin #E22969464. Has this problem delayed shipping of this model and if so how long? Also it has been removed from the Sony Style Web Site unless you search for the model number manually. Can you tell me how Sony is handling this issue? Arnold: There are no problems with this TV. You can rest assured of that. You: How about shipping schedule? Arnold: The 42WE610 is currently out of stock. I am afraid we do not have information on when they will be available with the dealers. You: Thank you for the information. |
|
New member Username: OnmedicPost Number: 13 Registered: 01-2004 | Can anyone give me some recomendations for a TV Stand. I would like one around the 24" Height x 48" Width for a Sony 42" LCD RPTV. I need to fit the Klipcsh RC-35 in the first shelf below the TV (Needs to be 10" High) and would like it in Black Ash & Brushed Silver or Glass and Brushed Silver. All suggestion are welcomed. |
|
arkdom Unregistered guest | I just spoke with Sony of Canada and have been informed by them that they acknowledge there was a problem and production has resumed. For the 60WE610 the old serial number starts with 900. According to the customer support the new 60inch models with the fix start with a different number so if you have a 900 serial number it is one of the older models. |
|
New member Username: Bronx66Post Number: 1 Registered: 01-2004 | What about the 42"? If I have a DEC03 model with Serial 92##### Am I OK? |
|
Bonita Pauley Unregistered guest | I guess they didn't tell you what the new series# would start with for the 60"? |
|
New member Username: ItzbinnicePost Number: 13 Registered: 01-2004 | Mike Vallario, Interesting conversation, doesn't surprise me one bit, no problems with the set, yet nobody has them. Stevie B Done some searching for you but those will be some hard specs to find with a 10" height for the center channel. I really had a hard time finding one to accommodate my JBL S Center that has a height of 8" clearence. I ended up getting a Bush VS4377-03 for 299.00 at Best Buy which was perfect for my needs. Able to fit the JBL center right in the middle and flanked by my receiver and DVD player on the top shelf. At 58 1/2" wide by 23 1/2 high and 24" deep does not meet your specs. It has black tinted safety glass and aluminized finish. From bottom of top shelf glass to top of first shelf is exactly 10". In order for you to ever place the speaker in there it would have to be done prior to putting on top glass shelf. Only local retailer you can see it at is Best Buy. It comes with 4 floor levelers, but I installed 6 casters with chromed hoods to match the stand. I was able to screw them into existing threaded holes. In my situation I have to have it mobile. |
|
arkdom Unregistered guest | I didn't ask about the 42inch and they wouldn't tell me the serial number for the new sets. They only told me the old line started with 900 in the 60inch. |
|
Bonita Pauley Unregistered guest | Does anyone know of other TV stands that are compatable for the KF60WE610 other than the SONY SU-GW1? |
|
New member Username: OnmedicPost Number: 14 Registered: 01-2004 | Arkdom, You were very fortunate to get someone with that information. I tried to send an email, no response. I then tried to call, and customer service had no idea of a problem and gace me the Sony Canada service centre number, and they just said if you have a problem with the bulb that they will fix the bulb, not understanding what I was saying! DAMN frusterating!!! My dealer called and left a message re: delivery of my unit next Tuesday, but I am not even going to return the call until I get an answer on this and some serial numbers to reference for the 42"! |
|
Radioflyer Unregistered guest | Bonita, Here's my 50" on an Ikea Oppli stand... http://gallery.avsforum.com/showphoto.php?photo=4538&size=big&password=&sort=1&c at=503 I've changed the main speakers and their placement a little bit for better sound imaging. The stand is close in height to the Sony stand. Only $99 from Ikea. |
|
Anonymous | Nebraska Furniture Mart in Kansas City, Kansas just got 7 of the 42WE610 sets in yesterday. Assume they are the modified ones but the sales person would not agree that there has been a problem, so can't be sure. Selling for $2510. Maybe this at least means they are shipping again. |
|
New member Username: OnmedicPost Number: 18 Registered: 01-2004 | I am scheduled for delivery of my 42" next Saturday, as they just came into the warehouse the last day or two. I only have 7 days for an exchange, after which it is the in-home service only. THEREFORE, I need to find out the "good" serial numbers in the next week. PLEEEEEASE!!!! Anyone that can help, I would owe you BIG time! |
|
Kris Wiilams Unregistered guest | Stevie B. This link may help you, http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=356293 Kris |
|
New member Username: OnmedicPost Number: 19 Registered: 01-2004 | GOT IT!!!! Maybe this will help! http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/show...tin#post3207641 The Sony tech bulletin number (event ID) for the lamp buzz problem is E22969464. Sony believe the following serial number ranges are those affected: 9015293 KF42WE610 SN 9000001 to 9032783 SN 9100001 to 9101044 SN 9101045 to 9101415 KF50WE610 SN 9000001 to 9027085 SN 9100001 to 9102208 SN 9102209 to 9106059 KF60WE610 SN 9000001 to 9011653 SN 9100001 to 9100597 SN 9100598 to 9103432 KDF60XBR950 SN 9000001 to 9002561 SN 9100001 to 9100981 KDF70XBR950 SN 9000001 to 9003244 SN 9100001 to 9100305 SN 9100306 to 9100757 |
|
Confused Unregistered guest | I've been waiting since Nov for my 50. Because of the bulb issue I was planning on getting a UPS. Can someone direct me as to the minimum specifications on a UPS that will allow the fan to cool the lamp in the event of a power loss? I'm looking for a starting point here. The sets are 210W but I don't have a clue as to the Volt/Amp rating. |
|
Richard Wood Unregistered guest | Are the 50in 610's now being shipped with the fix? I assume that any 50in now to consumers would be a safe bet. Any help here as of Jan 25th. |
|
New member Username: MarkimPost Number: 2 Registered: 01-2004 | Don, What is the reason for Sony having dead pixels? Every Sony LCD from 42-60" I looked at had more than 5 dead Pixels. One set I saw, 2 days on the Floor and 4 dead pixels. Is this being fixed? I just returned a KF50XBR, it had over 40 dead pixels. one area had had at least 6 all together. Could you shed some light on this? |
|
Anonymous | I've had the KF42WE610 since Oct purchased from CC. the buzz/bulb problem started in Jan. I had the board/bulb fixed which was great because I "liked" this TV but after one week now it won't start at times unless you unplug/replug the set. |
|
Al Hall Unregistered guest | I recently had the experiance of receiving my KF50WE610; then failure (buzzing no light) after just two weeks. Well, thanks to the persistance of my retailer who contacted the SONY regional techrep I got a new lamp and everything is working great. |
|
Unregistered guest | please... tell me if i should buy this tv or not it looks nice but, alot of bad reviews on the bulb, just yesterday JAN 25 i called SONY they send me an e-mail saying that hte tv has no defects, and when asking them about the buld they said there is no history on it ??????? come on. SONY makes good product but unless i get an answer i might go wit a different name brand.... CC said that SONY changed buld vendors is this true???? .... i want this tv please help me. oh by the way it the 42" SONY lcd WEGA. |
|
rob w Unregistered guest | Individual dead pixels are an annoying but normal occurance in LCD manufacturing and Sony doesn't consider them a defect. (You get a disclaimer in the box) It is likely there will be a few dead pixels, however they usually are not noticible from MORE than 1 foot away. The typical viewing range is 6'-15' depending on the size model. 40 dead pixels is horrendous and a group of dead pixels is a defect that should not have left the factory. |
|
Tony P Unregistered guest | I ordered the 50" Sony we610 back in early December and am still waiting for it to come in. I have called sony on numerous times to find out a ship date and they are less than helpful. All they say is that they have no information on the tv and have not heard any reports of anything being wrong. Obviously they do not want the problems to get out. I have read all of the comments on this page and I am amazed that Sony has not done more to help the customer. I am hesitant to cancel my order because even though Sony is being dishonest about there being problems with the TV, they are atleast working on it. I think this is probably the best tv (picture and features) once they get the bugs fixed. I have a friend whop bought his back in October and he had returned it for 1 dead pixel. Since then, he has had no problems. He has also found a dvd that helps make the picture more crisp by following there setup... Don, Thanks for the info. |
|
Tony P Unregistered guest | One more thing. I went to Best Buy and the Salesperson said that BB discontinued this model (WE610). I asked him why and he said it was because they we told by Sony that there are problems. He also said that BB will not sell this TV again until they were fixed. They are not advertised anywhere on BB or CC's websites. |
|
New member Username: Gak22Post Number: 16 Registered: 01-2004 | OK, what DVD are you talking about??? |
|
SteveS Unregistered guest | I had the 50we610 delivered from Sears in mid Dec and have nothing but good news. I did check my SN and it was higher than the so called problem numbers(KF50WE610 SN 9000001 to 9027085 SN 9100001 to 9102208 SN 9102209 to 9106059) I have a HD box hooked up through Cablevision and the picture is fantastic. PBS inparticular is great . Apparently they film in and broadcast in HD. Whereas the others (CBS, FOX, HBO ..etc) only broadcast it. I also added a S-video cable to my progressive scan DVD ad the pictue is almost as great as HD. The S-video cable really made a difference. Gregg-K- I think the DVD you're looking for is Pirates of the Caribbean. In the setup features there is a visual and audio setup feature. |
|
New member Username: Gak22Post Number: 17 Registered: 01-2004 | thank you |
|
Unregistered guest | Hey everyone, I've run into a problem with this TV right from the "out of the box." The progressive scan DVD player looks exceptional. But when we go to watch satellite feed from the Bell ExpressVu, The picture looks horrible, alive even! HD doesn't look at all what it should either! If anyones encountered this let us know what we can do to fix the problem! Thanks alot! .kyle. |
|
New member Username: HampshirePost Number: 10 Registered: 12-2003 | SteveS: Try using component video connections from your DVD to TV rather than S-Video. It's a better connection. |
|
RobW Unregistered guest | Many DVD's have the THX audio/video setup menus which is a good basic setup. The AVIA and Digital Video Essentials discs go in depth and improve your picture more. |
|
Tony P Unregistered guest | RobW is right, The AVIA and Digital Video Essentials discs are the ones used to improve the video. You have to purchase them online Ibelieve though...it is well worth it. |
|
Unregistered guest | Hey, Kyle the reason the picture looks so horrible is because since the lcd is digital it's not going to do anything to hide what the source looks like. If you have direct tv,or dish it's caused by comppression. What U can do is turn the sharpness off or lower it anything other than off causes edge enhancement( at first it looks soft but you'll start to C the difference after a while) I don't know which model U have but also try these steps: Pro- gives U the flattest picture with minimum enhancement, place your contrast at about 80% (50 clicks)you'll get more depth of field the lamp will also last longer. color right at 50%(31 clicks) ,Hue 1 click over from the middle( this could vary between about 3% depending on your dvd player if you're using V.E or AVIA. Go into the DRC menu select cinemotion, also adjust reality to 0 and clarity to 100. This works for pretty much all grand wegas. You may not like it but it's worth a shot it'll give the flattest picture and it'll definitely make a difference if U like to view the memory sticks as well. If U think satelite looks terrible u should C digital cable. Try it and let me know how it works out for U. |
|
Sony Buyer Unregistered guest | I have read through most of the posts on this site. I can tell you from experience that the bulbs in the KF50WE610 do have a problem. I purchased this model back in November. The picture quality when the TV is working is amazing. Older shows, such as game shows, old movies can look a little blurry. New DVD's and anything HD is amazing. With hockey and football it's like you have the best seat in the house. That being said, after owning the TV for 28 days, the bulb went. I purchased the set from a service-oriented store and they have been extremely helpful in dealing with this, even providing a loaner. The bulb was on back order so they did not repair it until last week approx. 1/19. I've had the TV for about a week now and the bulb went again today. The store now states I can't get a replacement until 2/15. I will wait until 2/15, because I did my homework and checked out many of the models in this class and for the money IMHO it is the best deal going. This is the last chance I'm giving this model. From post's I've read the models manufactured after 1/4/04 are good to go. The gentleman who claims the Sony service person claimed there is no problem should have him call any tech guy working for any reputable store in the Massachusetts area to ask how many of these bulbs he's replaced. The guy who fixed (temp- fixed) my TV claimed he handled 25 of them with a few days. Bottom line, I'm giving it another chance- when it works, it looks real good and you will be hard pressed to find another set in the $3000 area that looks this good. |
|
Hitachi Lover Unregistered guest | Those of you who have returned your sets, congradulations! I don't understand how so many people can still want these sets. If this sort of thing happened to a smaller name brand like JVC, people would run from these sets and never look at one of there products again, no matter how good the PQ. Some people here should take an honest look at the Hitachi's before throwing hard earnd dollars on a Sony. Don't get me wrong, the Sony has an awesome picture quality and under normal cercumstanses I would recommend it to average consumers, especially those less electronically savy. Simply put the picture adjustments can be easily controlled with one button on the remote. Hitachi's however were built more for videophiles. There are a lot of adjustments which need to be made to get optimal picture quaility(ie the black enhancement and contrast level), which are never set right in stores making the Sony's look better. So don't get me wrong, it will be a pain in the neck for some people to set up once brought home, but it's much easier road to travel then dealing with a defective TV. Oh, and if anyone has any doubts about Hitachi build quality I'd suggest looking at what brand has gotten best for repair history over the past few years by consumer reports.(And yes, before you reply I know those ratings are for CRT RP, but dare we even compare LCD RP.) |
|
Unregistered guest | Hitachi lover I consider my self a videophlie but simply put when it comes 2 sharpness lcd's win out, now if u're into black level and higher contrast then no doubt crt. But I personally gave up black level 4 a sharper picture and no burn in although the hitachi rptv's are nice. the picture on every set is almost never adjusted correctly in stores because of competition and so the contrast and the sharpness is definitely going to be kicked up quite a bit on all the sets. |
|
GregM Unregistered guest | The thread was about the Hitachi 50V500 which is an LCD. The only part about CRTs was the over the past few years Hitachi has made the most reliable CRTs |
|
Anonymous | Hitachi not having problems take a good look here lover! this is just one type of many problems with hitachi...Yes, sony does have some problems, so does hitachi...RCA.....Mit's and so on. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=351829 |
|
GregM Unregistered guest | Your talking about 90posts vs 1700 something. In the thread some sony buyer says glad to here sony's aren't the only ones and the hitachi guys poke fun at him saying its only 2 so far and theres still turn on. Also there are many compliments to Hitachis service and tech support. |
|
Anonymous | Just do your readind on this... By your sign in name there is no way anyone can tell you that hatachi as problems... Good luck |
|
brett chyatte Unregistered guest | Well, I have the kf50we610, bought on Oct 31 from BB. Have gotten nothing but the run around with regards to getting it fixed. Today is 1/29/4 and the BB Technician is here applying the only fix he has seen: Parts Ordered: 1-216-80911 Resister 1-216-049-111 Resister 1-164-372 Capaciter A1606034A (LAMP)...however, Sony said that they had a new lamp post and it's number is A1052675A...this is the lamp that was shipped. The BB Technician didn't know anything about a re-engineered board, nor did he know anything about this next generation bulb. He was actually surprised that they sent a new lamp. Right now, the TV is working. I had not been able to turn it on in over 2 weeks. Tech said he had yet to get a call back on any of the fixes he's done, but only time will tell. |
|
SteveS Unregistered guest | Do any of you who have the problems with the KF50WE610 have serial numbers outside of this range? (SN 9000001 to 9027085 SN 9100001 to 9102208 SN 9102209 to 9106059) |
|
Unregistered guest | Brett, If you're dealing with sony directly make sure that U stay on top of it, because if not they will continue to give U the run around, They had done it 2 me at least 4 times with different products 2 had 2 be repaired twice, one had 2 b repaired 3 times (got an exchange 4 that one ,took a while though) |
|
Bronze Member Username: OnmedicPost Number: 23 Registered: 01-2004 | Got my 42" today.. SWEET! The DVD PQ is amazing via DVI. However, I am running Satellite via Motorrola 405 (Starchoice), delivered to the TV by S-Video. I am not so happy with the PQ from this source. From about 10-11 feet the image is very HARSH and not really clear.. My old 27" SHARP looks better via Coax with the Sat. source then the new 42" LCD. What Wide Mode is best? Also, the Sat. Receiver has "normal" and "wide", of which I chose wide. When I lie down on the couch (off about 25 degrees to the side and down 3 feet... and about 10 feet out... it looks great! But when I look at it straight-on from 10-12 ft. not so great! Any ideas? |
|
santiago Unregistered guest | Has anyone made a good deal on this TV? Any recomendations on were to buy it? I am willing to buy one 42"! I heard that if u find a good quote in your area, Sears would lower that price 10%... I live in the Washington area. Thanks in advance |
|
Max Unregistered guest | I will be purchasing either the 42" Sony LCD or the 34" 910XBR. I would like the bigger screen but I keep reading these reviews which make me fell the 34" may be the smarter and safer way to go. I will be purchasing the TV within the next three weeks. I only read one review on this board from someone that went with the XBR910. Any reasons why? Thanks. |
|
J A M Unregistered guest | I purchased my KF50WE610 2 weeks ago, new in the box third generation. One of the safe serial numbers. I've had it running most of 8 hours nightly and 16 hours on the week ends since the first day. I've spent numerous hours each day tweeking the settings for the different inputs. In the manual it notes that each input can be custom configured and will be memorized when re-sellecting, however this is not entirely true. I after spending or shall I say investing too many hours setting each picture level for each input, I came to realize that infact you must select a picture level to be costumized for a selected input i.e., VIVID for DVD - STANDARD for CABLE and PRO for VHS. This will require you to compromise your settings to balance out over a spectrum of media qualities and signal strengths. Although the picture is quite respectful, there are weaknesses regaurding clarity and sharpness. The unit has been working flawlessly since installed otherwise. I spent alot of time reviewing different brands and techknowlegies, I was leaning toward DLP but found limitations in reprodution of B/W media, and heavy pixelation in fast motion imagies. There were also issues with color pushing. So after reading the boards about SONY LCD issues and following up with SONY Rep.s as well my firend who is the store manager for ABC Warehouse, relating his corrospondence with SONY and the re-release of thier LCD RP line, I made my selection. I have no doubt that a compromise will be made between any of the brands and Tech. app.s (DLP,LCD). I'm not one to run out and impulse buy, I don't intend to support my HDTV with all the latest in SAT. or DVI as of yet, but I am technicaly savey and understand the limitations. In my opinion Sony is making an honest attempt to correct thier problems from the first release. I'm not product loyal, I invest my earnings toward value and quality. |
|
RobW Unregistered guest | QUOTED FROM Stevie B :However, I am running Satellite via Motorrola 405 (Starchoice), I am not so happy with the PQ from this source... S-video 525lines interlaced. Is that unit HD? have Component output?, you'll start with a better source signal that way. HD programming is widesceen. If your watching analog programming thru S-video then stretching it to "wide" or "wide zoom" your taking a magnifying glass to an already lame source. These Sony's will do the DRC improvement on the standard analog signals, but I've noticed some programming ALWAYS looks lousy (Star Trek:next gen on Spike TV is always fuzzy, but thier other programs look fine to good) |
|
squiredogs Unregistered guest | Don - Are you going to be making a CRT 36" widescreen, or a 34"? Curretly there is only 30" and 34" wides, right? I really want a big tube widescreen model, so my 4:3 ratio will be up around the equivalent of my 32" 4:3 sony I have now. (We watch a lot of regular network TV with a Tivo/digital cable). How big would an unstreched 4:3 picture be on a 36", 38" or 42" 16:9 anyway? Thanks! Dan |
|
Bill Prince Unregistered guest | Hi bought the 34XBR910 and i love it. the picture cannot be matched and the resolution on the LCD is less(only 788 lines). the only problem is that i would like it to be bigger. the 34 wide is actually a 36in tube, i researched it. in europe they advertise the tube size but screen size is the same. a guy was saying that sony is making a 32 and 36 wide, but i bet this is still for 34 and 30 viewable inch sets. the 34xbr910 is the top of the line, really no improvements to be made, sony has perfected the tube. with the LCDs and DLPs they keep improving them a lot. i dont want to get stuck with last years model till i know they're excellent in picture quality and durability. |
|
squiredogs Unregistered guest | I was thinking that the 36" meant the XBR910... I think it's by far the best, but it is a little small for my room. I guess I'll keep it on my list as I wait it out. Thanks! |
|
Anonymous | Hey People, I brought my KF42WE610 bout 2 months ago from PC Richard and Son and just 2 days ago this red "spot", which looks more like a smear on the screen, appeared. I tried to clean the screen but it seems like this spot is coming from the inside of the screen. I bought the warranty on it and called to have it fixed. Is this red smear something to worry bout or will the repairman be able to fix it? |
|
Bronze Member Username: OnmedicPost Number: 25 Registered: 01-2004 | RobW, This is NOT a HD source, but a standard satellite feed. I am waiting until fall to pick up my satellite service suppliers new HD DVR. Yes I do find some feeds much worse then others. So what is the best to watch Wide Mode to watch the standard ignal in? Normal? |
|
RobW Unregistered guest | Stevie B, for a std analog feed, normal is probably the best PQ. If your unit is sending a widescreen signal instead of a letterbox thru the s-video that should show well on the "full" setting, but I don't know for sure. Does everything look stretched lenghtwise on "full" setting or is it a good 16:9 view? I've run analog 4:3 TV letterboxed movies on "wide zoom" to fill the screen but things are noticibly fuzzy. I know of people who run 4:3 TV in "full" mode (but that stretched aspect drives me nuts! same with "zoom" which chops off heads and feet of the picture to give you a correct aspect for the width) I'm afraid you just have to experiment to find what you like best! I don't understand why your PQ changes with your viewing position, that's just not logical. |
|
Bronze Member Username: OnmedicPost Number: 26 Registered: 01-2004 | RobW Thanks for the reply. From an angle of any direction, the image is not as bright most definitely which may make it seem clearer. With regard to the Satellite feed... with the sat. rec. set to "Wide" and the TV on "Normal", that some things are 4:3 and some are 16:9, but smaller on the screen. (Doesn't go to the edges). This make me think that the "Wide" setting on the sat. receiver will only pass along wide signals when received and does not change the 4:3 to 16:9. Regardless, I am very happy with the TV and can;t wait for the contractors to finish the basement so I can get it down there into it's new home! Cheers! |
|
Anonymous | I've got my standard, non-HD satellite box hooked to my KF50WE610 via coaxial cable. Of course the picture isn't the greatest since the source isn't the greatest. Is it worth it to link the two with an s-video cable? I'd have to replace the exsisting 25ft coaxial line with a 25ft s-video and 25ft rca for audio since the sat box is on the upper floor. Worth it? |
|
Bronze Member Username: OnmedicPost Number: 27 Registered: 01-2004 | Anonymous - S-Video is the best of the three lower end connection (Composite, Coax and S-Vid). It would be worth it if there wasn;t too much cabling! You can buy a 3-in-1 cable! |
|
umr Unregistered guest | Stevie B, S-Video is not always the best output to use from a device. It depends of the comb filter in the sending versus the recieving device. Read this if you want understand why. http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/vidcomb.htm |
|
louisz Unregistered guest | Sony LCD is DEAD. This really makes me mad. Used the TV for Two Weeks waited Two Months for it and the things is are still DEFECTIVE. WTH SONY!!!!!!!!!!! FYI Build Date was January! Calling the store to collect the dead and bring me new working panasonic. |
|
Unregistered guest | I bought my Sony 42" KF42WE610 Jan 17 2004. Saturday night it started buzzing. I was so disapointed. I tried to convince my self that I wasn't going to be 1 of the thousands of "suckers" who paid 3 grand for this piece of $hit and would be able to keep it without all the problems. I boxed it up and brought it back to Best Buy. What a pain in the A$$. Oh well, I got to see the Super Bowl in Widescreen HDTV....Not sure what Im gonna get next. Not to crazy about the wide screen... all that zooomin and blurry crap... I thought if you got a widescreen DVD it would fill the screen... NOPE, still gotta ZOOM in to fill the screen. I think I may go for a regular screen next time. Oh well.. F-U Sony... Never again. I think they are focusing to much on their PlayStation. The TV was awesome.. but it wasn't ready to go out of the drawing board yet. ANYONE who thinks that its not gonna happen to you... your crazy. Believe what you read on all these threads. Do your homework. Don't waste your money. RESEARCH!! This SONY line of Vega's need to be recalled. |
|
brett chyatte Unregistered guest | Well, I'm the one who posted the repair that the BB Technician did on KF50WE610. It's been a few weeks and the TV still works, but not without it's glitches. Sometimes, I cannot get a picture without unplugging the TV and resetting everything. Can't tell whether it's the DirecTV digital receiver or the TV, but my money is on the TV. It's a sporadic problem, no buzzing anymore, but definitely not flawless performance from a $3 grand TV I bought in November. Can't return it for refund at BB, can't get it exchanged until it is repaired 4 times according to BB policy...flat out shame. |
|
Unregistered guest | Sony has been in the frontline in TVs. So, it seems until I bought the KF-50WE610. The first TV,I got the lamp problem after only about 2 weeks. I requested the dealer to have it changed with same model thingking it will be problem free for a long time. The dealer replaced my TV but still same problem occured with the buzzing sound, continous blinking of green & red lights. So the serviceman came & replaced a "better & improved" lamp, I watched the TV till past midnight, happy. The next day, same problem again with blinking green & red lights. Dark images appeared with sound for about 3 seconds & itjust drop dead.I give the serviceman a call right away & he told me some parts has to be installed. I'm still waiting for the service. Sony should recall all these defective TVs. I'm angry & frustrated. I just can't believe that Sony didn't take any action to inform the consumers about these defect and what they plan to do about it. My TV SN#:9102442, too bad this is within the problem serial number. I will have to speak to the dealer again and probably will file a complaint to the consumer protection board here in Toronto, Canada if nothing is done to correct these defects. WAKE UP SONY!!! |
|
Bev Adams Unregistered guest | Just wanted to tell the person with the serial number theory that he is WAY off base. My 60WE610 was delivered on 1/18, picture went out on 2/2. The number is 9107833! Built in January 2004. SONY is still lying on their website, "We have not received any complaints about this TV". What a joke. I'm having it picked up today as it's still within the 30 days. The store just happenen to have a new set in stock so I will start again, but I'm not optimistic that it will work. |
|
50we610 Unregistered guest | Hey everyone, I have also bought the 50we610 1/27 and so far no problems. I have heard that you need to plug these LCD RPTV's into a surge protector and NOT directly into the wall. I have been told that is has something to do with allowing the TV to properly cool down the lamp upon powering off. Have the people that are having problems been plugging the TV directly into the wall socket or through a surge?? |
|
New member Username: SbullPost Number: 7 Registered: 02-2004 | Plugging the set into a surge strip or power unit would make no difference in cooling the lamp, unless you're turning the set off at the strip or power unit, which is BAADDD. The fan has to go through it's cooling cycle when the set is turned off (which I'm not sure if it's controlled thermally or through a timing sequence). If the power goes out when the set is on, either by a power outage or by shutting it off at a power unit, the lamp sits there & cooks. The result is a bad lamp or a severely decreased life span. That's why some people are investigating UPS's for their sets. |
|
chad T Unregistered guest | I got one(50WE610) b4 X-mas and no problem here. I got this stand from Ikea. It fitted perfect.  http://www.ikea-usa.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10101 &storeId=12&productId=11149&langId=-1&parentCats=10104*10174 |
|
Rob O. Unregistered guest | Does anyone know an appropriate UPS for a TV. I have them for my computers as we seem to get little power spikes and dips that kill the computers momentarily. I'd like to avoid that on the TV. |
|
Cameron Unregistered guest | I work for a national retailer who sales the sony 42, 50, and 60 projection LCD's. We sold an enormous amount of these over the Christmas holiday. Of the ones that were sold about 75% have either been returned or had service calls for the same problem. The chronic problem seems to be with the lamps and their operating system. Some customers are on their second or third service calls in as little as 3 weeks. So be very carefull. |
|
Bonita Pauley Unregistered guest | As of today SONY.com now has these back in stock. Not sure if that is good or bad. |
|
New member Username: StillwaitingPost Number: 1 Registered: 02-2004 | Cameron, would you have any info on sets sold in January & February? More or less returns? I am still on the sideline for the 42". Thanks! |
|
Anonymous | I just went to Sony.com, and put one in the cart and it shows "Out of stock" |
|
Bonita Pauley Unregistered guest | That was a quick change. When I put one "in the cart" earlier yeterday the out of stock message was not there. |
|
Anonymous | I just tried at 1:23pm cst and I still see the following .... "Temporarily out of stock - Shipping date not available. We will notify you by email when this product has shipped" |
|
John O'Reilly Unregistered guest | Hey everyone, do you know if this problem is solely in the States or is it in Canada too. I've been checking out these TV's and I love them, but I've changed my mind and am going to wait till they figure these problems out. The best price I've found here is 3599.99 CAD for the 42". This is a great forum, very helpful. I'm glad I checked it out before it was too late. A salesman from our local Sony store is supposed to call me with his final price. I think I'll tell him, I'm gonna wait. I told him earlier about the problems I've been reading about and he said the same thing. "I haven't heard of any problems" No one has brought any back" Anyway, thanks again. John, Nova Scotia, Canada |
|
John O'Reilly Unregistered guest | Does anyone know if Hitachi is planning on making an LCD smaller than 50"? Maybe like a 46 or 42? |
|
Anonymous | Bought the KF50WE610 in November. Had some intermittent "buzzing with no lamp" problems in December -- then no problems until 2/13. Called Sony -- they are fed ex'ing a new redesigned lamp for me to install. The Sony rep told me that they initially thought the circuit board would need modification but determined that a lamp redesign would solve the problem. Best picture going in HDTV mode. |
|
Bronze Member Username: OnmedicPost Number: 28 Registered: 01-2004 | John O'Reilly, Keep your eyes open at stores like the Brick. I am not a big Brick fan, but when they were offering the no tax event, it saved me $600.00 and I jumped on it. Basically it means we got ours around CAD 3,399.99. At that price we added the 5 year on-site service which covers everything, including the bulb. |
|
John O'Reilly Unregistered guest | Stevie B, Thanks for the info, but we don't have a Brick in NS. We have Future Shop and department stores. I I can get it from The Sony Store for 3599.00 if I buy an extended two year warrenty for 250.00 My question is though, do they have the bulb issure solved??? At the Sony store they said yes it was, but I'm skepticle. |
|
stringman57 Unregistered guest | After being lied to by Sony about whether they had the lamp issue solved as I had a 50WE610 on order and wanted to know that it would work, I cancelled my order today. Sony said they had no problem. I am waiting for the Samsung DLP with the new TI hd2+ chip later this spring...3000:1 contrast ratio and 7 segment color wheel and more. I was a really loyal Sony customer until this. My retailer did say that they got an e-mail from Sony yesterday saying they were shipping the GWIII again for those of you who have one on order. |
|
Bronze Member Username: OnmedicPost Number: 29 Registered: 01-2004 | John O'Reilly, I have only had my set for 2 weeks and a bit. It is working fine and has the serial number specified above as the new version. So, I am happy so far! Only thing is that source signals that aren't high quality will look really crappy. I think my set also needs some fine tuning though. It appears the Bright is set to high for sure and some other things!. |
|
New member Username: Jh87Post Number: 1 Registered: 02-2004 | Placed a order in CC, the rep showed me a internal email he just received which said at least 12 weeeks to fill customers' order. Then he called his friend in Tweeter, and was told they had 400 units in the warehouse and will be avalible in the store at the end of this week. Too bad I don't have enought Tweeter credit for the no interest financing. I think I will wait for the CC order. |
|
RobW Unregistered guest | ___________________________________________________ Quote: Bought the KF50WE610 in November. Had some intermittent "buzzing with no lamp" problems in December -- then no problems until 2/13. Called Sony -- they are fed ex'ing a new redesigned lamp for me to install. The Sony rep told me that they initially thought the circuit board would need modification but determined that a lamp redesign would solve the problem. __________________________________________________ LOL, sounds like someone said "STOP fixing the cart, REPLACE THE HORSE!" |
|
Bonita Pauley Unregistered guest | I special ordered the 60" from CC on 1/24. It was in 2/14 and get's delivered 2/19. Wish me luck...... |
|
RobW Unregistered guest | Bonita Pauley = GOOD LUCK ! |
|
Dspin_900 Unregistered guest | Wow! I'm Amazed of everything I'm reading here and elsewhere on the net about these Sony LCD/RP we610 lines. Also can appreciate that some people here on this message board seem to have a good enough pulse on things and have done their fare share of research on these products and their competitors. (Thumbs up for these site).I myself am in the market for a larger screen (42" or 50") and am trying to get the best bang for my buck. And I have to say that after all I'm reading, I am quite hesitant to cough up $4 to $5 K retail Canadian for one of these until I start seeing positive feed-back on sites like these. For my part, I'm getting the same song and dance that these sets don't have anymore problems at my nearby dealer in Ottawa Canada. Guess I'll wait a month or two...Let's hope Sony get their act together because these sets do look awesome... |
|
Anonymous | I wrote: Bought the KF50WE610 in November. Had some intermittent "buzzing with no lamp" problems in December -- then no problems until 2/13. Called Sony -- they are fed ex'ing a new redesigned lamp for me to install. The Sony rep told me that they initially thought the circuit board would need modification but determined that a lamp redesign would solve the problem. Best picture going in HDTV mode. ------------------------------------------------- The new lamp arrived as promised via Fed Ex 2nd day. Removing the old lamp took about 5 minutes and does not require one to crawl behind the TV. The new lamp is of a different design -- like Sony told me. I replaced the panel and have,arguably, one of the finest HDTV pictures available. Now -- we will see if the new lamp design solved the problem. |
|
Eitaporra Unregistered guest | Could you please keep us posted? I'm just waiting for the new batch of TVs to get to the stores so I can get one Anyone have any idea when that might be? Thanks |
|
Unregistered guest | I too fell victim to Sony's ongoing bulb/buzzing issue. I purchased my KF50WE610 in 11/03 and started acting up 1 month later. I called Sony here in Toronto and they informed me that these 42", 50" and 60" sets have a known bulb/buzzing issue within a specific serial number range. The tech came out and fixed the problem at the component level witch I wasn't to impressed with(a series of resistors and capacitors as well as a new bulb). Now I see a smear in the middle of the screen, I thought it was on the other side of the screen but I think the tech touched one of the lenses, I purchased the 5 year service plan so they can come back out to fix it too! These sets do provide an amazing picture quality and I have no regrets, but I wish I had of waited till they solved this issue instead of paying $4999CDN to be a guinie pig. Take a look at the serial number before making your purchase and make sure it doesn't fall within the range of the affected systems and you should be well on your way to enjoying your set! |
|
Unregistered guest | BTW......Does anyone know how to access the hidden service menu on the WE610 Wega's? The tech was accessing it after the replacement bulb/buzzing issue. |
|
Greg...waiting Unregistered guest | This forum is an eye opener! I just "purchased",(agreed to buy, but haven't paid), a Sony KF-42WE610 from a local store,2/20/04, and it won't be in for at least 2 weeks. Today I went to Sears and they will match his price;$2515, and give me 10% off of that. Sears will deliver March 15th, for $45, and take $45 off the sale price. I have all this in writing. I think I will get something signed to let me take it back if I have problems. What is the warranty on these units? I hope this will be a new one that doesn't have the problems I have read here. |
|
Unregistered guest | I bought the kf60we610 3 weeks ago. I was SO HAPPY with it until it just suddenly refused to turn on. I wish I would have done my research before buying. Repairman is supposed to come in 2 days. Do they have a permanent fix yet? Do they have to take the tv to the shop to do it? Should I press for a new set? |
|
Unregistered guest | By the way, my set, which stopped working after 3 weeks, was built in Jan 04, with Serial # of 911306, so don't trust that they've fixed it. |
|
M. V. Unregistered guest | Hey Stevie B and John O'Reilley, I just wanted to mention to you guys that I was told by a reliable source that the cost of the 42" is around $2950 Canadian. In case it might help you guys negotiate. I personnally have had an offer for $3250 if i buy a 5 year plan. I got this thru a relative, so i imagine you guys might be paying alot more. So far, i've chosen to hold off on this TV because of the problems people have had. I can barely afford a TV like this...so i want to make sure it lasts. Good luck guys ! |
|
Unregistered guest | All, Just spoke with Best Buy, they say the TV is in stock and can be purchased, also asked about the bulb issue and this is the re-release of the TV and should not have any of these problems. Wondering if anyone else heard the same. Any additional input would be nice as I DO NOT want to spent 3200 dollars only to hate the product I buy. I will definately speak with the manager prior to purchasing this product. They also say since they were just re-released you may not buy online, only in stores (in addition they are not on display either so you will have to ask). Price is exactly 3299 here in Richmond, VA. |
|
Scott Smith Unregistered guest | I just bought an open box 50" unit for $2400 at Best Buy that had the problem and was repaired. So far its doing fine, we will see. They had several open box units at that price. I'm always willing to take a risk to get a good deal and it nearly always pays off. But not always. The sales reps were not very forthcoming about the problem, even though I brought up what I found on the web. They were happy to say over and over that the set got a very good review in this month's Home Theater magazine (Feb I think). |
|
John O'Reilly Unregistered guest | Thanks MV for the info. I too am holding off on buying this TV until I see some evidence that this TV and it's issues have been permanently solved. I work too hard for my 3500.00 to piss it up a tree. Looking forward to some positive comments on the new released versions of the 42" sony. Thanks again M.V. for you dollar info, 2950 gives a bit of a bargaining tool when I do decide to purchase this set. Thanks to everyone who has posted here. The people in the stores don't like these kinds of forums, but they are a wealth of information for the consumer. It made me think twice. |
|
kf50we610 Unregistered guest | I have a tip for you who are still interested in a kf50we610. I think you should strongly condier buying from ABC Warehouse if you have one near you. I bought mine in jan 2004. I bought it on a sunday and it was delivered the following tuesday. Of course i had called eariler, end even, though teh TV's were backorder, they said that the kf50we610 would be in the following week. I bargained with the guy and got what I thought was a great price. TV = $2500 Tech-craft PTV48 stand = $269.99 5-year warranty = $369.95 monster cable component wires 8ft = 27.95 Delivery = $50 total after tax out the door (6%) = $3387.72 The store was in ann arbor, MI. |
|
no name Unregistered guest | Hi Guys, I have the kf50we610. The set has been fine so far, but I have noticed that the sound for the TV has a buzzing coming from the speakers when the pictures shows a very bright (white) screen. This only happens when I am watching my comcast digital cable. I am hooking the digital cable box up to the TV a RCA hook-up to the video 1 input. Whenever there is a very bright screen on any channel, there is a buzzing sound that is definitely from the speaker and not the fan nor from the inside of the unit. This does not occur when the screen is showing any other colors, only bright white. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?? Could this be a connection problem or is there a problem with the speakers itself? |
|
Peter & Tamara Unregistered guest | I purchased the Sony 60" Grand Wega from the Bay at the end of December/03. The salesperson said that there were no sets available until the end of January due to high sales volume during the Christmas season. One week later she called to say that "we were lucky"...a set was available and could be delivered January 8th. We loved the picture quality, however, we noticed that about two weeks later the picture seemed a little darker--we adjusted the brightness and it seemed to be fine. On Feb.24th, the TV wouldn't turn on at all and we were surprised that there could possibly be a problem with the bulb --the tv wouldn't have even been on for 100 hrs. We called the Bay--they said someone from Sony would get back to us. So far nobody has gotten back to us. We were originally told we would see a Sony technician the following afternoon, but this failed to materialize. Now we're told someone from Sony will contact us by week's end. We're really angry. We plan on returning this TV. I figure we purchased a lemon and even with the refurbished circuitry, it's just not the same. |
|
Unregistered guest | Peter & Tamara, Get rid of it. Sony is replacing the light engine (basically the whole electronic guts of the tv) while still insisting there is nothing wrong with the TV. The Sony repairman who is working on my 60" Grand Wega (3 weeks old and doesn't work) told me to buy the Hitachi. He said this is TV he owns, and he NEVER gets service calls on it. |
|
Anonymous | All, I own the hitachi 50v500 and trust me when I say you do not want it! It emits a whining noise that will drive you crazy. I have exchanged the hitachi twice and finally gave up and am now on a waiting list for the sony 50". For more info on all the hitachi problems, go here: https://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/forum/home-video/5818.html |
|
John O'Reilly Unregistered guest | Seems what ever TV you want to buy there is friggin problems with it. What are we supposed to do? I went to the local Sony Store here in Nova Scotia, they said they were aware of the problem. One guy said it was the bulb, the other guy said it was software problems. I say it's a power issue. If you go in these stores, they leave these TV's on for 12 hours at a time and don't seem to have the issues we are speaking about here. Maybe it has to do with turning it on and off on a regular basis? I don't know, just a guess. Wish Sony would hurry up and fix the freakin problem! The 42" is the perfect size and no one else has one except for Samsung DLP. Frustrating to say the least. |
|
Unregistered guest | John, According to the posts I've read, and my dealer, Sony has fixed the problem with both the light bulb and the light engine, and units shipped as of February are good. I don't know if this is true, but we'll find out soon enough. My dealer, HH Gregg, replaced my 60" Grand Wega last week. Unfortunately, they replaced it with a unit built in January, 04, same as my unit that went bad. But, if this one goes bad, I'll get one of the new ones. I'd guess that if you can find one built in February or beyond (in the future, of course), you're OK. It really is a beautiful TV. |
|
John O'Reilly Unregistered guest | Mark A.Smith, Thanks for the info. I think I'll wait till the summer to ensure, hopefully I get a good one. |
|
Anonymous | My kf42we610 was delivered today. I hooked up my white/yellow/red leads from my DSR922 receiver and hooked in the antenna and plugged it in. Have not done anything else, including any tweaking etc. Picture is just like the one at the store and the set was made in Feb 04. It does say assembled in USA, don't know if all are like that or not. Time will tell as they say. |
|
grrcrusher Unregistered guest | I just purchased the KF-50WE610 last week, the tv was manufactured 2/2004 and I'm having some of the same problems as above. It started off with the tv shutting down (green light staying on)while watching tv. Sometimes the picture would come back sometimes it would not and the green light would start to blink red in 5 time increments?? Now sometimes it takes a few seconds to turn on (green light blinks) and sometimes it will not turn on until you keep trying. The green blinking light will eventually turn to a red blinking light. I've waited a long time to purchase a big screen tv, but don't want to waste my money. I have a tech coming out this week from CC, its this problem fixable yet or should I return the tv?? Matt |
|
Unregistered guest | My main question is this. I've heard of all the LCD dead pixel problems, and how you can't see them from far away and what not. But, the fact that they aren't there when you buy the TV, but then show up a few days or weeks or months later is a problem. I remember I was really scared when I bought my Samsung 17 inch LCD, but it had no dead pixels and still doesn't 2 years later. But, these Sony's seem to be having dead pixels as time progresses, so that only leads me to believe that eventually there will be enough so you won't even look at the picture, just all the annoying dots on the screen. By then of course the warranty is dead, and the 4 grand out the door. Does anyone believe this to be true? |
|
Anonymous | Dead pixels upon purchase, - Yes Dead pixels accumulating "so you won't even look at the picture" - No I've had my 42 since November and check periodically for new dead pixels. I can say with confidence that I personally have not had any new dead pixels. It was delivered with 2 dead pixels (1 blue the other green). They cannot be seen past 2 feet, except with an all white screen. On a white screen I can see them inside of 4 feet. This is just my experience. Good luck. |
|
Unregistered guest | Does anyone have any other things to say about dead pixels popping up after purchase, over time. I talked to the CC salesguy, and he said a few dead pixels are normal, but that no more should appear after purchase. That's the deciding factor, no TV can be perfect, but the goal would be to buy one and hope it doesn't have dead pixels, and if it does have alot of annoying ones then possibly return for another one. He also said the bulb issue is resolved and should now be fine, adding that the bulb life is 8,000 hours. Does that even make sense. Some have said it only lasts 2,000 hours. |
|
PAUL IN CANADA Unregistered guest | Purchased my KF50WE610 from Visions Electronics in Edmonton, Alberta in December 2003. It decided to stop working on March 19,2004. Four months of operation for $4289.98(CAN). Yap...you can add me to the long and continually growing list of disappointed and angry Sony customers. When you turn on the TV the green LED light continually flashes with an intermittent buzzing sound. The Sony repairman is scheduled to come out tomorrow. I'll let you know what he has to say (if anything useful)and what is done. Definitely for those shopping around STAY AWAY FROM THIS SONY MODEL...or you will pay the price literally. You have been warned by all these horror stories, so just avoid this Sony product. |
|
PAUL IN CANADA Unregistered guest | >>UPDATE To Original Post of March 20th<< Two Sony repairmen attended my residence on March 21st and with lightning speed disassembled my TV. These guys knew exactly what parts to replace because they had been hardly doing anything else lately, other than fixing this defective Sony sets. They were not too talkative as far as answering my questions. I did learn that Sony will not issue a recall. Sony will fix each set as the complaints come in. The serial number for my set does fall in between 900001 to 9027085 for the KF50WE610. The Sony repairmen replaced the following parts: 1-468-798-12 (Lamp Power Supply) 1-216-809-11 (Resister) A-1052-675-A (Lamp Block) I did find out that there was indeed an original manufacturer's defect in regard to the whole lamp and lamp block assembly of this entire line of Sony LCD TV's. The Sony name has dropped down along way in just the past few years. I remember when a Sony product generally would carry the longest regular warranty, but they are the same as their competitor's which should show us, the customers, that Sony name is not what it used to be. Now it's time to contact Consumer Reports and advise them of my adventure's with this new Sony TV. It was interesting to see that in the March issue of Consumer Reports which had its annual Big Screen TV ratings this Sony line was not included. Hmmm? I wonder why? |
|
j.j. Unregistered guest | I got my 50WE610 in November 03' and it's still going strong. It's not my main tv though and only get's about 9 hours of play a week. If it really is a burnout waiting to happen and the manufacturer warranty expires November 04' do you think I could force a burnout if it doesn't occur by then so they could come and put the new parts in? Could I run the set a few hours then unplug it so the cooling fan doesn't turn on? Or repeatedly turn the set on/off? If they're going to fix the set so be it, but I don't want to get charged if it's out of the warranty period. |
|
Anonymous | This thread first of all has been very informative as well as an eye opening experience into the world of HDTV. I have been considering buying the sony 50WE610, and almost pulled the trigger yesterday at CC (It's kind of like I don't think it's going to happen to me, or I want to think it has been some time so it should be fixed...but we all know from this thread that people have had model numbers in the range of the problem and out the range of the problem still having issues). After telling the sales associate about the problems with this TV I read on this forum as well as the one on AVS. He told me without any reservation that sony had indeed recalled the tv, and took care of the problems. That can't be right...right??? After all of this I was wondering if I should just wait until September when the new LCD displays come out (KDF50WE655,KDF55WE655). Do you guys think, including the ones who have the in's at SONY believe the problem will be fixed in these new units, and should wait? Thanks you guys and keep it up because a lot of people have learned from this thread including myself. |
|
PAUL IN CANADA Unregistered guest | Hi j.j. I think you should have taken an extended warranty, especially with a new, untried and very expensive electronic device like this one is. But that's hind-sight. If I were you, I would call your Sony repair people and simply tell them that your set will not always come on. That's what happened with mine. The green LED light would flash constantly and there would also be a buzzing sound inside the set, but the set would not come on. Once in a while however the set would work. This defect does operate like this. So call Sony and advise them of this and get your set fixed before your one year warranty expires. Let us know what happens. Take care and good luck. >>Paul<< |
|
PAUL IN CANADA Unregistered guest | To: March 23rd "Anonymous": If I were you I would wait till the Fall when the new models come out. Why risk running into major disappointment. Let's see if Sony has really fixed their problems or not. It's too early to tell if the new parts will actually continue to make these sets work past a few more months. Time will tell...and pretty soon there'll just be re-runs on anyhow. Take care. >>Paul<< |
|
Derek Unregistered guest | I see your point. Doesn't make much sense in taking that risk, besides I waited this long I guess I can wait some more (but hopefully not that much longer). I was just surprised to hear the salesman tell me this and that and I kind of wanted to hear the words, "problems are fixed" Thanks paul for the reply, and I guess I'll see in september. |
|
Johnny O Unregistered guest | I was going to buy the 42", but now I'm gonna pass on Sony products. Has anyone on this forum see the Toshiba 46HX83? I know it's rear projection, but I thought it looked pretty clear, even on satellite. Any opinions? |
|
Dan Reiland Unregistered guest | I've been following all the Sony LCD bulb problems on this site for several months now. I was wondering if the new models being sold at Best Buy have the bugs worked out? Someone said wait until the Fall, but aren't the ones being released now a new generation of sets? I want the Sony KF-42WE610, but will wait if current models have troubles. Has anyone purchased one in the month of April? Love this site for advice. Thanks, Dan |
|
eitaporra Unregistered guest | Sony is releasing a new model in the fall. If you wait till then, might as well just buy the new model |
|
Carlb Unregistered guest | The problem seems to be continuing into the new year. I just had a service guy here last week replacing a bulb on our KF50WE610. Well, guess what, it stopped working again yesterday. I asked the service rep at American TV, (this is a big store like Best Buy for the Milwaukee, WI area) if she is aware of the problems with this TV. She told me she didn't know what I was talking about and that since the set was still under warrantee I shouldn't worry about it. Obviously she didn't spend $3,500 on her TV set. Bottom line is, Sony isn't supporting their store owners since I'm sure American is aware of the problem. The store owners have to avoid discussing the real issue to save their butt. They don't want to get stuck with having to take all these TVs back. I think we should all put the pressure on BB, CC and I will on American, if we stop buying Sony products and further tell the store that we will not buy another thing from them unless back the products they sell, maybe they'll get the idea. Has anyone looked at BB stock lately. Those guys are making a ton of $$ at our expense. I will not purchase another product from SONY. And if American doesn't step up to the plate, they can kiss my business goodbye too. |
|
MikeJ Unregistered guest | Well, I too purchased a KF-50WE610 from American - Appleton, WI. Purchased Feb 04, its a Dec 03 Build and was suppose to be outside the problem range. I think that the problem range is ANY WE610 produced. I just called for service today. Before this I called directly to SONY and described my problem where often when I turn on the TV it immediately turns off, when turned on again, it blinks 20+ times before turning on. The person at SONY said OK they would send a replacement Lamp Block out Next Day Shipping... I did get the New OSRAM Lamp Block and installed it the same Day (Good Friday) It worked perfect for 2 weeks and then it started doing the same thing. This time I called American and probably should have called them the 1st time too, because then this would be strike 2 on their 4 strike lemon rule which apparently is part of the 5 yr Performance Guarantee that I bought. First Extended Warrantee that I feel good about. Well the Tech won't be here for over a week so hopefully it will still come on after a few tries until then. The more I read out here though the more I hope to call them back 3 more times. I'm still seeing problems crop up with brand new April 04 sets. I say they either get it fixed or give me a different set. Except for this totally BS bulb problem I love the set. I'll post again after the Repair Tech comes out. |
|
MikeJ Unregistered guest | Well, On the 20th after waiting 2 weeks we got a call from the repair Tech. Apparently he just got the Service order on the day of the service. Called us and told us that he would need to order a part and would come back in a week. Wow, he didn't even look at the TV and is going to order a replacement part. Apparently he's worked on these before. Now I'll be waiting for another week to see what happens. At least the set still comes on most of the time. (for now) |
|
Unregistered guest | I found this forum after my own 50" LCD did the unthinkable so here's my 2 cents about it. A few days before the lamp completely gave up, I already started noticing that the picture was getting darker. Then yesterday,.. *poof*, no picture and the lamp signal was blinking. I noticed a lot of people reported a buzzing sound, but that didn't occur with me. I did call the Sony InHome service and they are aware of the problem like everyone is saying on this forum. I did find out that the lamp they were previously using was made by Phillips. They also claimed that this problem has been resolved and will replace my bulb no charge plus they are extending the warranty. This new bulb should be equal if not better quality than the previous bulb. The number I called was 866-443-7116. They are sending a technician but it will take 6 business days. I'm still bummed but hopefully this will be the end of this lamp/bulb problem. Email me if you guys have any questions or anything you guys want to share. ps/ I also have a friend who owns the 42" and he bought his about the same time... I asked him if he's had any probs with his, and lo and behold, he just got his fixed last week and they told him the same thing. Only difference was they sent him the bulb and he installed it himself.. With that said, he hasn't had any probs. after that... then again, its only been a week. Good Luck everyone. |
|
New member Username: SthumpAnn Arbor, MI USA Post Number: 1 Registered: Jun-04 | Anyone who bought a 50v500 for sub $2700 want to post their receipt for a 50V500 online. I'd love to be able to get CC to price match it. Or you can e-mail me at elmerlee@epic-technology.com Elmer |
|
New member Username: MiketedeschiPost Number: 1 Registered: Jun-04 | Ok here is the thing gentleman. I recently came across a bought one day returned the next open box at sear and I'll be getting an extra 20% off that as well. But I want to know within the next 30days should I get the protection plan or should I stick it out and yell at sony for their horrible bulbs and get a new one. IF IT HAPPENS, which I'm sure will. I would love a response sooner than later. Aim xlargebuddha Yahoo elenor911. This tv would go for 1800 after tax and I know that's a sick deal. But the bulb............... I'll look foward to responses thanks for your great input everyone. |
|
New member Username: 514329Philippines Post Number: 3 Registered: Jun-04 | ask them if it incl. the mulfunction of the bulb and how long is that warranty, 2,3,4,5 yrs? |
|
dflkid Unregistered guest | I'm thinking about getting the 50" and came across a 10% off coupon for Best Buy at www.dealcatcher.com. Ends on th 14th though. Seems like a pretty good deal to me! |
|
Unregistered guest | I purchased a KF-50WE610 on 4/11/04. On 6/11/04, no picture. Green light comes on, then a few seconds later I get 5 flashing red lights and the cycle repeats again. The red flashing light eventually turns steady. The service tech says it's a video ouput problem, duh! Fortunately I have a 5 year warranty, but I wasn't really expecting to use it this soon. The TV gets picked up on Monday and the wait begins. For those of you keeping track, the serial number is 9133877, manufactured March 2004 LA2. My previous TV was a Sony 43" rear projection and nary a problem with it the four years that I had it. Like the rest of you I am extremely disappointed in Sony. I didn't think that this TV would turn into a boat anchor!! |
|
New member Username: 514329Philippines Post Number: 4 Registered: Jun-04 | thank God I swap my Sony 70 XBR950 for a front projector. it had 2 dead pixel when it arrive and it will take long before dealer can order me another one. I too have the extended warranty for 5 yrs. |
|
Lasher Unregistered guest | Word to the wise, I have just had my 2nd 43" Samsung DLP crap out in less than 5 weeks. . . . actually the 1st took 4 weeks to crap out and the replacement went bad in just 1 week. Both TVs experienced the exact same symptoms. On a couple of random occasions the TV sound would play but the picture would not "fire up". You could hear the TV trying to fire-up the picture, but to no avail. This would happen a handful of times and eventually the picture would finally come on. Eventually the picture stopped coming on completely and the TV would shut itself down after a handful of attempts at getting the picture to display. I am extremely disappointed and CC is offering to replace the DLP with the Sony KF42WE610 since Samsung has discontinued the 43" DLPs, however, some of the comments I am reading concern me in regards to the Grand Wega as well. |
|
Gordo Unregistered guest | I've read through this thread today, the day I took possession of my own KF50WE610. Something puzzles me about serial numbers. The "troubled" sequence has been reported to be in the 90xxxxx range as far back as January 2004. The set I received today has a serial number in the 81xxxxx range, with a stamped "Manufactured Date" of June 2004. Is there something I don't understand about serial numbers, or a chance that somebody's forging post-problem dates on problem units to clear their inventory? |
Main Forums
Today's Posts- Home Audio Forum
- Home Video Forum
- Home Theater Forum
- Car Audio Forum
- Accessories Forum
- All Forum Topics