I'm trying to get an idea of what percentage of HLM507W and HLM437W owners on this forum have had the "3 blinking lights problem." Here are some descriptions of the problem:

Originally posted by PierPaolo
...the picture just wouldn't come on and the three lights were blinking, the set was totally non-responsive.....although the manual states that 3 blinking lights is an indication of LAMP fault or it's longevity expired, I couldn't believe that was the problem since the lamp's life is supposedly 8,000 hours.
Originally posted by cast128
Today when I try to turn on my 507W, it doesnt turn on. It sat there for about 10 minutes trying to turn on but then the 3 little lights on the front started to blink and I looked in the manual and it said that I need to replace the lamp. I was not happy. The TV is only 2 and a half months old and has less than 100 hours on it and it is suppose to last for 8000 hours. NOT
Originally posted by bowen
It just quit working - black screen with all three indicator lights blinking. To quote the owner's manual on what the three blinking indicator lights mean:

"Lamp doesn't light. It may have a fault or has burned out. Replace with new lamp."
Originally posted by dash762
Turns out the lamp is not operating correctly.

My DLP failed to power up three times today; each time the three lights flashed indicating a lamp problem. It's supposed to do that after years of viewing, not four weeks.

DLiquid,

My first set did this. After turning in on and off a few times, I could get it to come back on. It happened three times in the 45 days that I had it. It has not happened on my new set.

-ftlee

Neither one of my 2 sets had this problem *crosses fingers*

Have the three blinking light problem with 507. Have to do hard reset(unplug power for one min.) On powering up set will stay on for 1-3 min. before going dead and getting blinking lights. Samsung sent service tech to install new analog board, didn't help. :( Get new set this week.

Here is another...

Originally posted by Tweakophyte
The Soundtrack in Boulder has both units. Too bad when I went to look the 507's bulb was burnt out.


I opt out of the PB soon.

-Bri

I had "three lights blinking" problem several times 3 months ago. It took a hard power reset to clear. I haven't had the problem since then...

LMN

I had that happen once, tried to turn it on 5 times in a row and no luck. Later i hit the power button and walked away to do soemthing and it was on when i cam eback, it's been normal since. I am getting a new set because i have adot that is always white on the screen though.

I haven't come across that problem...

I know there are more than 11 Samsung DLP owners here. Please everyone with a 507/437 participate in the poll. :)

I hear you on that DLiq. I would really like to know who else is having this problem. With the number of sets coming in on the powerbuy (hopefully), I'm sure this is of interest to everyone. Maybe we should get a powerbuy going in advance for 507/437 lamps. :p :p :p :p :p

Originally posted by johnjeff
Have the three blinking light problem with 507. Have to do hard reset(unplug power for one min.) On powering up set will stay on for 1-3 min. before going dead and getting blinking lights. Samsung sent service tech to install new analog board, didn't help. :( Get new set this week.

Those were my symptoms. They went away when the bulb was replaced.

I think it would be best if you started the thread for those to report the problem when it occurs. If one reports that they have not had the problem and then later have the problem and report it, the poll would then reflect a yes and no for the same person, which results in an invalid poll.

Off topic, but perhaps some relevance...

If the MTBF (mean time between failures) is 8000 hours, what that says is that half will fail before that time, and half later.

In stating the life of ball bearings, B10 life (in hours, or revolutions) is the statistical life point at which 90% will exceed, but 10% will fail. But the average life of ball bearings is five times greater than the B10 life.

If you reversed this analogy for DLP lamps, you could infer that the B10 life of the lamp is only 1600 hours, the point at which 90% of them are expected to exceed. But a few of them aren't... :(

Tom

Originally posted by rjc523
I think it would be best if you started the thread for those to report the problem when it occurs. If one reports that they have not had the problem and then later have the problem and report it, the poll would then reflect a yes and no for the same person, which results in an invalid poll. My intent of this thread was to get a snapshot of the problem. I knew about four to six people had had the problem, but I really don't know how many here haven't had it. 20? 50? 100? It's just hard to remember how many people here have this TV. I was hoping the poll could give us an accurate representation of what percentage of AVS members with this TV have had this problem.

My 507w has been here for a week [from tweeter at 3400 plus tax] and has been running fine. I kept it on for the first 48 hours on advice from the 'bulb dialog'. My only mod is some pads to tilt screen down for my viewing distance / height. I am most impressed with the PC display [I am using win xp with the 'cleartype' fonts]. Only disappointment is the lack of PIP support for the pc mode

Here's what Steve Panosian of Samsung had to say about this problem:

The lamp issue is something that I am checking with the service folks. It's a warranty replacement issue. I am asking for the percentages. We've sold thousands. I have some concerns here, but we need to know what's failing. I have a suspicion that we have a malfunctioning safety switch designed to "kill the lamp" when the back of the cabinet is taken off.

My first 507 had the lamp issue. Only had it for 27 days. Fortunately, I know the sales person very well. Took the tv back and took the floor model. As he pointed out, it has been running for a month and had no bulb issues. I figured if it had lasted all those hours (500) and did not fail, it was not going to fail anytime in the near future.

So far so good.

Steve

Had it, but it was because my AC outlet was wrong and tripping the circuit breaker I believe. Haven't seen it in three weeks of constant use.

Our ten day old 437 did it once. Multiple power off/on cycles and hard resets didn't help, so we tried a *really* hard reset. :)

It sounded to us like the color wheel was trying to spin up but was stuck. If your car starter did this you could unstick it by whacking it with a mallet. We tried the same approach, sort of - a gentle nudge to the set to unstick whatever was stuck. It started up fine and has been okay ever since.

Of course if it happens again we'll be calling Tweeter for warranty service/replacement.

I own a 437W. My initial unit started this on its first night home. I had it set up and running for probably about 4 hours, started goofing with the remotes to get the E86 remote to control the TV (since the samsung remote won't do SAT boxes!!!). When I found the "right" code to control the power, it turned off all right... but would not turn back on.

I watched as the three LED's blinked at me for the thirty seconds or so, waited for the set to come on, and it seemed to reset back to green blinking LED's. This process repeated about 3 or 4 times when finally it gave up and went to a Solid RED LED on the bottom. I think the manual said something about an internal problem. I tried power resets, unplugging (even left it unplugged overnight). No avail, it would "crowbar" every time I tried it.

My retailer (HiFi Buys / Tweeter) took care of me and swapped out their "demo" on a Sunday since the warehouse couldn't do the paperwork to swap one out on a Sunday. They later replaced that set with a brand new unit. This set has not had this problem. I asked if they had the same problem, but they said they just sent it straight to service...

Unrelated??? I have heard a rather sharp "crack" sound from the set on a couple of occasions, don't know if it is actually coming from the electronics or perhaps some weird signal thing from the satellite coming through the audio...

I bought this based on the DLP technology (as a former TI employee and stockholder)... new it was new stuff... bought from a local retailer at a small premium... and bought the extended warranty to cover my backside...

Despite, I love this set!

Well, just happened to my 507 tonight. Has about 150 hours on it and less than a month old.

Am I supposed to just leave it alone and let the three lights blink? Or should I unplug it?

Jeff

Luckily I bought the 507 locally after getting out of the PB.

Should I just get a replacement set or have a tech come and replace the bulb??

Thanks,
Jeff

Well, if it is a manufacturing defect, it wasn't fixed totally even in the November 2002 batch . . .

Only 11 said yes so far? Anybody else with a new batch (2nd round power buy) unit with the issue as well?

Grrrr . . . oh well I got three days out of it.

My 507w was put in the original cardboard box after the 3 blinking lights problem, I couldn't get it act in a decent way after that darn nightmare of the "3 blinking lights".

After a month and half of waiting, Samsung sent me a new set that has a tag with a production date of September 2002, it arrived just a week ago. With it, i got a color-cover manual printed in nice paper, the first set came with what looked like a photocopied version of the manual.
Also, in the lower left corner of the border of the tantous screen there is a "DCDi by faroudja" logo. The model of this set is now actually HLM507wx, not just "w".

The one thing I immediatly noticed on power up was the PQ right out of the box was superb, a sharp contrast with what the July-2002 issued 507w was out of the box. The PQ is so good in fact, that I haven't bother to do any tuning yet.

Now, dear Lord, please don't let me have another "3 blinking lights" nightmare anytime soon.

Pier

As reported in another post, my set had this problem ( ~27 days). Returned to Tweeter and expect to get another set after the first of the year.

Just to update my information in this thread.

Tweeter came last Friday and replaced the bulb. Works fine now.

I thought about getting a replacement, but didn't want to wait until after the first of the year for Tweeter to get more in. If it happens again I'll ask for a new one though.

Jeff

My first set had color wheel noise problem.
My second 617 has turn on problem, well known as three light blinking.
I will call harveys tommorow.
I love this TV anyway.

20 day old 437, 3 blinking lights....... enough said.

Hyung and bojo24 . . .

Have you tried removing the lamp panel and putting it back, or actually removing the bulb housing and reseating it? That worked once for me. The set has only been turned off once since waiting for a response from Samsung or TVA on what the cause/defect is that causes this . . .

sadly,
My second 617 never return from three blinking light land.
Thanks for your advise Matt. But, it didn't work for mine.
My TV automaticaly trying three times to turn on but failing each time than three light blinking, even hard reset is not working now. until yesterday, hard reset was only cure for turn on problem but.....

My tv was made on october 2002 sec
SVC Model Version 1
Please, If anyone has 617 which is later than this model input for me.
After my first one failed samsung sent this new one so this should not be old one or serviced one.

I still love this TV! Come back to me baby!

This poll is not a scientific study, but it is very disturbing nonetheless. Samsung presumably knew about this problem back when the 617 was still in the development stage, yet here we are with people reporting the problem with the 617. If the results of the poll are anywhere near accurate, a product recall is order. I lose a bit more faith in Samsung every day that goes by without a statement from them regarding this issue. :confused:

No matter how you slice it, 15 bad units is way too many.

Supposedly Samsung development knows what the problem is but for some reason can't share the info with any of us (tech support either won't tell or don't know). Ridiculous. Steve Panosian would not even comment by e-mail, just basically said "I'm passing this on to customer care." Why did he even ever mention it in the first place if he wasn't going to follow up when they figured it out? What is the big frickin secret?

I was told by two different Samsung support reps I would be getting calls back no later than today about setting up an home visit. Nothing yet.

Neil at TVA had some advice but at this point I am just happy I can use my set because it will be a long time before anything is done it sounds like (I haven't even jumped through the first hoop of many yet).

Now I am hoping for somebody clueless to come out with a whole new bulb assembly and I'll keep it and the old one since I am tired of burning through the hours on my bulb waiting for Samsung to get their act together!

Too bad this is happening.

But on a lighter note from Hyung:
I still love this TV! Come back to me baby!
:) :) :)

You never think it will happen to you, but... I've got three blinking lights and it seems to be a lamp, cause there's no light in the back.

I've bought it on Nov. 6, 2002 and burned the lamp for >24 hours. Still happened... And I didn't use TV much...

I have had my 507 since mid November.
No three blinking lights problem

I got mine in late Nov. and by Mid late Dec., I saw the three blinking lights.

The lamp has sinced been replaced and the unit seems to be operating ok.

If this happens to you, you might want to stress to Samsung support that the three lights indicate a failed lamp. My tech guy told me that Samsung has to send the lamp to them because they do not stock such things. Make sure the lamp's in the mail or else you might be wasting valuable time.

Oh, when the tech came, he started to remove some random screws all over the unit -- I had to point to him the location of the access door.

After he replaced the lamp, he tried to turn the unit on without closing the lamp door. Again, I had to help him out.

I have no idea what qualification Samsung goes through with these techs but I think they are a greater danger to the set than I am!

Anyway, let the tweaking begin...

at CES the rep said the 517 will come with a spare bulb.

I hope I'm not breaking edicate by posting this on 2 threads, but wanted let everyone know that even the newer sets (delivered end of Dec. with a -110 SW revision) are having this problem.

I have a 3-week old '437 and have experienced the 3 blinking light issue once (about 2 days ago). Unplugging and replugging brought it back. However, since then, it seems like I've lost some of the brightness, and I can't get the coloring to an acceptable level (red blotches on faces is the biggest annoyance). I've tried some of the SM tweaks, which helped, but not to my satisfaction for a >$3k display - actually I didn't notice 'any' green shadowing before SM tweaking and now I can't get rid of it even by going back to my original settings.

I have contacted Samsung, who gave me the numbers of 2 local service reps. I'm not too confident in them though.

I'll continue to tweak SM's to see if I can correct the color, but the brightness degradation is the sore spot now.

I bought mine through an internet deal (similar to PowerBuy maybe), so taking back to the store isn't an option. I'm interested to hear if anyone has been able to get a new replacement TV from Samsung when there isn't a retailer in between who's more concerned with customer satisfaction.

Has anyone had any luck dealing directly with Samsung?

Surfin_J, as far as local service centers go, two forum members here have said bad things about TV Unlimited in Sunnyvale when it comes to Samsung DLPs. Yesterday, I tried contacting ATV Service Company in San Jose, but after hearing it was a DLP TV they said they were too busy to take the job. :confused:

Originally posted by DLiquid
Surfin_J, as far as local service centers go, two forum members here have said bad things about TV Unlimited in Sunnyvale when it comes to Samsung DLPs. Yesterday, I tried contacting ATV Service Company in San Jose, but after hearing it was a DLP TV they said they were too busy to take the job. :confused:

What does TVA say about it? Do you think they will get involved?

However, since then, it seems like I've lost some of the brightness, and I can't get the coloring to an acceptable level (red blotches on faces is the biggest annoyance).

Your lamp is dying. I had the same symptoms before mine burned out. It will last a week or so, depending how much you use it.

If this happens to you, you might want to stress to Samsung support that the three lights indicate a failed lamp. My tech guy told me that Samsung has to send the lamp to them because they do not stock such things. Make sure the lamp's in the mail or else you might be wasting valuable time.

I told the serviceman on the phone that it's a lamp because

1. it has 3 blinking lights
2. there's no light/illumination on the back of tv.

I asked him if he could order the lamp from Samsung. He insisted that he needed to look at TV first. I asked him if I had to wait another 3-4 weeks for the order after his "conclusion". He said, "not neccessarily". That's all. I can bet that it will be another 3-4 weeks.


Oh, when the tech came, he started to remove some random screws all over the unit -- I had to point to him the location of the access door.

After he replaced the lamp, he tried to turn the unit on without closing the lamp door. Again, I had to help him out.

This is what I am afraid of. All the stories I read here the servicemen don't know a $hit about what they doing. I am also afraid that he might touch the lamp with bare hands.

Someone suggested me to call Samsung direct in another thread (I used their website to locate repair shop). I called and their automated voice-mail system guided me to the same address/phone. I didn't have a chance to speak to customer rep directly.

Add me to the list.

If I get this thing to come on I may leave it on:(

Alan,

I feel like a broken record--did you try removing and reseating the lamp housing? Don't plan on the tech knowing to try it.

I was in the same boat, I left mine on for almost 2 weeks straight over the holidays because I was afraid the next power cycle would be the last. Either opening and closing the lamp door or reseating the lamp module seems to have worked for me--never had the problem again since.

And another 16 to wait until he will order the lamp and install it.



but after hearing it was a DLP TV they said they were too busy to take the job.

Not even in a year? :-)

M16 that is the funniest post i have read in a long while. At least you are taking the problems with a grain of salt.
Oh, when the tech came, he started to remove some random screws all over the unit -- I had to point to him the location of the access door.

After he replaced the lamp, he tried to turn the unit on without closing the lamp door. Again, I had to help him out.

I have no idea what qualification Samsung goes through with these techs but I think they are a greater danger to the set than I am!

Anyway, let the tweaking begin...
SOKO :D

I wandered into the TI booth at CES and just *had* to get a DLP when I got home. We had just purchased a Mitsibishi 65" (W411) from Magnolia and I managed to exchange it for a HLM617W within the 30 day window.

We got it Saturday (2 days ago), and tonight, when my husband suggested that we watch a little TV just before going to bed, we got the 3 $%^&* blinking lights!!

While I would love to open the unit to try and reseat the bulb etc., I'd really rather not, especially since I'd do more harm than good. Operating a consumer electronics device... especially a TV for crying out loud... should not be this hard. I feel especially stupid since I spent a good amount of time selling my husband on the numerous reasons for going DLP.

I'll give Magnolia a buzz tomorrow and see what they have to say

:(

Originally posted by Chynnae
We had just purchased a Mitsibishi 65" (W411) from Magnolia and I managed to exchange it for a HLM617W within the 30 day window.

We got it Saturday (2 days ago)...

I'll give Magnolia a buzz tomorrow and see what they have to say

:(

Our HLM507 is twelve days old from Magnolia in Santa Clare, California. I'm very interested to hear which Magnolia you are dealing with, and how they respond to this problem.

Please let us know all the gory details!

I also have the 3 blinking lights--my 507W is less than a month old
and everything was fine until this weekend, when the set wouldn't turn
on and I got the blinking lights as described--a powerdown/hard reset worked. It happened again last night and it would NOT turn on with
a hard reset but DID turn on with a hard reset this am!!

WHAT is GOING ON???????

Do I need to call for service????

THanks

Have to report that my 507 is up and running like nothing happened. The service called me and said they can come earlier (than 16 days) because someone canceled. The guy came over and replaced it within 5 minutes.

He knew where the lamp was! :-)

That was it. We talked for another 10 minutes and he said it was third tv from the same shipment. Something was wrong with it. The lamp was made by Toshiba and TV was made in Sept. 2002.

Has anyone who bought their set thru the powerbuy had the 3 blinking lights problem? If so, which batch were you in 1st, 2nd or 3rd?

Les,

I purchased my original Mits WS65411 from the Palo Alto location, but made the exchange at the one in Daly City. The salesperson told me that he could handle it because they all work together.

He's is not in today, but I'm told tomorrow. My husband wants to make the call himself since he's incensed about buying a TV that failed in 2 days.

I also contacted the Samsung salesperson I spoke with at CES and described the problem. Here's her reply which came in less than an hour:

"Thank you for writing. I am sorry you have experience a problem with your DLP. The problem however may be resolved by a very simple procedure. Apparently what has been happening with a few of the 61" DLP's is they are getting shaken up a bit in transit and the bulbs have come lose [sic]. What you can try is locating the bulb compartment by checking the manual. I believe there are a couple of screws to loosen. Once you get it open, try to reset the bulb. This should solve your problem.

Samsung is committed to providing our customer with top-notch products and customer service. It is unacceptable for any of our customers to be unsatisfied with their purchases. If you still experience the same problem with your monitor, please contact me immediately. "

So it's the same suggestion as the helpful hint from a previous poster. I told hubby about this and he was even more annoyed at the suggestion of "do-it-yourself customer service". For the money we're paying, the device should work. Period.

I'm going to discuss with hubby again tonight and keep y'all posted after we contact Magnolia.

P.S. the unit we got was manufactured in December 2002.

So Toshiba's plan for LCoS to dominate DLP is unveiled--through the lamps that power their competitor's DLP sets... :)

Seriously though, I joined this forum to do my homework on the Samsung DLP's because I wanted to replace my Toshiba 36A60 (a fantastic 4:3 36" set, btw) with either the 507 or the 617, depending on what I can talk the wife into....but it seems as though I should wait. I'd love to buy the LCoS and stick to the brand name, but ~ $8000 is out of my price range at the moment--especially since I just sprung for a Pioneer 45TX and Wharfedale Diamond 8's. I really want one of these sets, but with all the negative responses, I'm having a hard time justifying the purchase.

We have good money to spend, Samsung--we just want a good product to spend it on.

Originally posted by AngryCPA
Has anyone who bought their set thru the powerbuy had the 3 blinking lights problem? If so, which batch were you in 1st, 2nd or 3rd?

I'm not sure how many have, I did, and I was 2nd batch. I have other problems as well, no service tech will service my area, and I am supposedly getting a new set. It has been over 5 weeks since I called Samsung about my initial problems within a few days after I got the set. I have dust on the optics, unacceptable geometry issues, and the three blinking lights (although it hasn't happened in over a month).

I fear how they will deal with it if I once again get a lemon. I think they should keep shipping out new sets until they get it right.

I love how after all this time the replacement is butting up against the Super Bowl. My nightmare is getting the replacement and getting the 3 blinkys right before the Super Bowl with over a dozen people coming over.

I might refuse delivery until next Monday at least.

I am sure glad this set is light because I imagine before all is said and done I may be taking the set in myself to a service center during the lifetime of the set for a fix.

Add me to the growing list of people plagued by the 3 blinking lights issue.

I tried reseating the lamp without success. When I turn on the TV, it warms up, the lamp comes on for about 30 seconds, then I'm greeting by the pretty blinking lights (puts me in a holiday mood).

Now the question is do I return the set and wait for the HLN series (anyone know for sure when they'll be available)? I have two weeks to make this decision -- I wonder if I can get it serviced before then?

Oh well. Tomorrow I'll make a trip to Barnes & Noble to go old school (reading -- what a novel idea!)

Just to follow-up on my last message, I called Samsung this morning and they gave me the number of a local service center. When I called the service center and started describing the problem, the tech started laughing. They didn't know much about this TV until this morning -- in the past hour and a half, they've received 3 other calls with the exact same problem.

The saga continues (feel free to tell me when you want me to shut up). The service tech came out and I showed him the problem. He called his Samsung support rep who first suggested replacing the lamp. The tech said that the lamp was actually coming on (for about 30 seconds), so the Samsung rep then suggested replacing the power board.

So now I have to wait while they order a new power board (I also suggested that they order in a new lamp assembly as well). It's troubling that the Samsung rep didn't seem to know anything about this problem. Oh well, I'll hope for the best...

Turls said, "I'm not sure how many have [had 3 blinking lights], I did, and I was 2nd batch. I have other problems as well..."

I was also in the 2nd batch of the PB, and I don't have the 3-lights problem or any lamp problem so far... but I do have buzzing speakers (both L & R) and the service guy has replaced them; they still buzz. Once the speakers (old OR new) started resonating (at about 170Hz and 130Hz), the intermittent distortion gradually got louder until it's now two to four times as loud as speech.

Syzygy, that sounds like a ground loop. Is the TV and everything you have connected to the TV all plugged into the same electrical outlet? If not, try plugging everything into the same outlet. If that makes the sound go away, it's a ground loop.

Own a HLM507 that I purchased in November 2002. Problem showed up after one month. Set had audio but no picture. Powering off and on set with the remote brought picture back to life. Has happened one other time since November , or twice in 3 months.

I had the same 3 blinking light problem on my Mitsubishi WD-65000. If I unplugged the set & came back after a few minutes the set would work fine. But...a few months later & now the set is really flaking-out

See this post for details:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=223283


I hope you Samsung owners do not start having the problems that I outlined in the attached post.

Any particular reason you aren't including HLM617W 61" in this thread?

If not, I have had my 61" only one week, but have not had the three blinking LED's problem.

$.02
rewilliams2

Originally posted by rewilliams2
Any particular reason you aren't including HLM617W 61" in this thread?The 617 wasn't out when I started the thread. Since people can't change their answers to the poll should their TV have the problem after they vote, it's not the most accurate poll, but this is still a good thread to discuss the problem. Please, include the 617 in the discussion as well.

Originally posted by DLiquid
Syzygy, that sounds like a ground loop. Is the TV and everything you have connected to the TV all plugged into the same electrical outlet? If not, try plugging everything into the same outlet. If that makes the sound go away, it's a ground loop. DLiquid, please note that I reported that the speakers were resonating (when playing speech at about 170Hz and 130Hz), and that the resulting distortion was intermittent. IIRC, a ground loop produces a hum that's more or less steady.

What's odd is that the speakers start out not resonating, and gradually get worse -- the resonant buzzing gets both louder and more frequent. I've been waiting over a week for a call from Samsung tech support, which was supposedly instigated by the repairman.

You're right, it's not a ground loop then.

Have owned my 507 since September was hit by the 3 blinking lights problem yesterday for the first time. Now TV will only run for 30 seconds after a hard reset before shutting down.

Tweeter is to have their service folks call me today. Am interested to see what tact they take on fixing the problem.

My sammy 507 is going through its 2nd return, first time for i believe a mirror out and now i have the all but famous 3 light problem.. tweeter is coming out friday the 14 of feb to replace it. I was considering switching to the GWII 60" , but didnt like that it only had to 2 HD comp. ports, plus the one in the store i saw already had some pixels out. I was thinking about geting a 617 but i was wondering if people still are having problem with the 3 lights?

My 437 was looked at yesterday, and when the service guy and I first turned it on, it had the three blinking lights problem. My original complaint was about some clouding/dust behind the screen, but it turned out that's a moot point. They're giving me a new TV... hopefully it will be better. Tweeter's been good to me so far. I'll be looking at the next one with a much more critical eye, and if it fails I'll probably have to start shopping around for a new model again.

Tweeter Service Rep showed up today 8 days after being called. Guess he wanted to see my 3 blinking lights in person. Unfortunately, he had no parts for my Sammy 507 so now the parts (Lamp and power board) are on order with an anticipated delivery of 10 days.

no blinking lights...but than I don't own a Samsung. Panasonic DLP here.

Finally got my 3 blinking lights problem fixed. The tech originally ordered a new power board (on the advice of Samsung). I fought hard to get them to order a new lamp at the same time.

When the tech came back today, he first tried the new power board -- didn't make any difference (I was secretly hoping that the firmware chip was on this board and I'd get a free upgrade to the latest firmware, but no such luck). He then put the new bulb in and that did the trick. So the lamp is definitely the culprit, even if it actually comes on (for 30 seconds or so).

One interesting thing I noticed when he was swapping out the bulb: the old one had a definite green cast. Check out these photos:

http://www.chronosnet.com/images/lamp1.jpg
http://www.chronosnet.com/images/lamp2.jpg

The new one, on the other hand, looked perfectly clear. The new bulb is the same model number as the old one, but the design of the back is slightly different. The tech guessed that the glass developed the green hue as a result of the heat. But it was interesting to me because a frequent complaint with this set is that images have a green tint. I'm wondering if it's a result of the bulb. Just a thought...

Cute kid!

Cute kid!

She and our dog (on the left) seem to find a way to squeeze into any picture :)

Add one more to the "three blinking lights" problem. This is on a month old 507W. My son got up Sunday morning and found it dead. I've been getting the run-around from Samsung trying to get a service technician out to fix the problem. Needless to say the WAF dropped considerably this week.

Well, one more three-blinking lights problem. Called TVA (I was in powerbuy third round), and the very reassuring person there told me to call Samsung, that they're being pretty responsive about the whole thing.

Called Samsung, and the woman there told me to try a hard reset (she said "up to 3 hours", so I guess that means at least 3 hours). I had already unplugged the set before calling, so I had a head start on the 3 hours. She also said that they'd be answering the phone until 9:00 EST tonight, and that if the reset doesn't work, they'll set me up for a service call. So far so good, but I'll keep everyone posted.

I've got to comment on the excellent attitude exhibited by TVA when I'm feeling bad about an expensive piece of gear that's not working. The folks I've talked to there are sympathetic and constructive--they really have been nice, and make me want to do business again with them.

Well, I waited three hours for the hard reset, then plugged in the set and hit Power On using the remote, as instructed (don't use the switch on the TV), and NO JOY!

I called Samsung back, and true to their word they were still answering the phone at 7:30 EST, BUT, rather than set up a service call, they told me to call a local repair shop in the next town and schedule the repair with them. Of course, the local shop in Fort Pierce was closed by then, and I have to call them in the morning.

Sure hope that they have a bulb in stock, and that someone can run over here and install it tomorrow or Wednesday. I have a houseguest who's eager to watch some of the many wonderful movies in my collection, and right now there's no joy here in Mudville...

I'll continue to document the saga as it develops. My last main TV (a Pioneer 710) worked perfectly for the three years I owned it, and never missed a day of putting out a beautiful picture. In face, I've owned three or more TVs consistently for the past twenty years, and have needed ONE, count 'em, ONE TV repair in that time. Not too impressive for a two-month-old TV.

It's not likely to be the bulb is it? It's also not likely to be a quick fix either. Checkers anyone?

Well, the 437s were supposed to be in on Friday, Feb 21st... but they never came and aren't expected now until March 14th. I called Tweeter, and told them I'd give them the extra 300 bucks and move up to the 50" Sony LCD (XBR800). They have those in stock... and it's a brand name I can hopefully trust. Samsung is not delivering.

Funny thing is, after a few weeks of staring at a broken TV, I gave it a smack on the back this weekend, plugged it in, and it powered up fine. Go figure. I'm still sending it back though... it still has clouding on the screen, and I sure as hell don't want to make a habit out of slapping the back of my TV to get it to start.

Looking forward to the Sony...

Originally posted by htwaits
It's not likely to be the bulb is it? It's also not likely to be a quick fix either. Checkers anyone?
Well, the picture was quite dark and getting darker for about an hour before it went black in the middle of a movie, so I'm figuring that it's likely to be a bulb. Probably not going to help me avoid a lengthy wait for a repair, according to the experiences of others on this forum. I'm expecting the worst, with a week or two for a technician to come to my house, then a couple of weeks for them to order a bulb, receive it, and schedule a second service call. Seems that's the drill for most of us.

I just want to watch movies, and there's not much of that going on here these days, but I guess that's the price for living at the bleeding edge of technology. Oh well, at least I live in Florida, where the weather is good enough to allow outside activities when the home theater is down. Going to have to cancel this weekend's scheduled movie party though, unless I'm very lucky. Sixteen guests showed up for last weekend's party, with food and drink, and all clustered around the 50" screen for a pretty good show. It's an easy way for a bachelor to throw a party!

Had the 437 for two days when it happened. We had a power dropout while it was on that lasted one second. The Sammy did not like this at all. It didn't have the cool down cycle.

I waited about four hours and it fired up OK.

I have since added an APC Smart-UPS 700 to the system to take care of that little problem as we do live in a rural area where the power lines can slap around in the winds causing all kinds of havoc, such as drop outs.

Add me to the list.

I had my 507 for 6 weeks when the dreaded 3 blinking lights problem appeared. It was built in November and has firmware rev 110.

Mine powers up and the light come on for about 20 sec. Then the light goes out and the blinking starts about a second later. I have to unplug it to try again. I tried leaving it unplugged for a long period of time but it did not change anything.

I called Tweeter and they promised to replace the lamp. They later called back saying there were no lamps available so they would swap out the set. I've been waiting a week so far and the new set is due on Monday.

So what's going to happen when these TVs start to go out of warranty and this 3 blinking lights thing is occurring in 25% of the TVs every year, even with bulbs nowhere near 8000 hours? If it's even a fraction as bad as this thread indicates then Samsung is going to need to recall these TVs before there's a class action lawsuit. Hopefully they could do some kind of recall where the set could be repaired in your home. As far as I can tell, Samsung's attitude regarding this issue is that for some reason AVS members get this problem much more frequently than the general population. :rolleyes:

I finally heared from my contact at Samsung on the 3 blinking lights.

This is a direct quote from an email:

Three blinking lights "means the lamp circuit is open... we found that 60-70% of the time 're-seating' the lamp addresses this. Other issues include faulty resistor or ballast. Bad lamps are an issue and we had a rash of them. The suppliers were "tortured" by our R/D team - Philips and Toshiba on the 100W and Osram on the 120W. New Q/C procedures were demanded by Samsung. Note though, overall lamp failure do appear high, but our total failure rate involving the lamp is less than 1% of total sales since last year."

"...in fact, new manuals will dedicate a page of instruction... 3 screws to remove and re-seat lamp" for replacement.

That would be good news if this problem has been primarily caused by some batches of bad lamps, and not by a defect in the TV. I wonder if these "new Q/C procedures" apply to owners purchasing a replacement lamp on their own, or is this Q/C only for the lamps that Samsung is putting in at the factory?

Originally posted by DLiquid
I wonder if these "new Q/C procedures" apply to owners purchasing a replacement lamp on their own, or is this Q/C only for the lamps that Samsung is putting in at the factory?

Pressure on Philips and Toshiba to improve QC on lamps delivered to Samsung.

Had the three blinking lights problem after 2 months of use. Similar to a few other threads where you could hear the fan starting and stopping....

I unplugged, and then plugged in and tried again the next day, and everything was working fine. One month later, everything is still fine. While I hope the problem just "went away", I still hold my breath everytime I turn the sucker on.

Update on my 3 blinking lights problem. Two servicemen with a truck came out, looked at the set (didn't move or touch it), and said they'd have to take it back into their shop. They told me that they expected it would be fixed "the first part of next week". I'm not holding my breath, but I'll keep you all updated.

I wasn't awed by their technical capabilities, and I suspect that the real reason they didn't try any remedies at my house (like opening it and reseating the bulb) was that they didn't know how and had never seen one of the HLM507W units. Doesn't look too inspiring so far. Let's hope that with a replacement bulb it'll work 6000 hours or more with no further problems.

I'd certainly pay for upgraded innards if Samsung decided to offer us the option. Hope they do, but somehow I doubt they will. This specific problem sounds like a bulb problem or bulb-seating/contact issue. Wonder if the 48-hour burn-in I did got me the 8 weeks of life instead of 2 weeks...

I would have refused to let it leave my house until they at least tried the re-seat. I'm sure somebody has used it before, "how many Samsung techs does it take to change, errr, re-seat a light bulb?"

I would like to explore other sources and other lamp options. Does anyone whose lamp got replaced have the bad bulb?

Would you be interested in posting a detailed picture of the pins and any markings? How about sending/selling it to me?

I'd like to locate a 80W or so version if available. (I know we have the 100W and 120W)

Since I run my conrast at 75-80, I could run a lower wattage lamp and get better blacks without hurting brightness.

Thanks,
Ken

Originally posted by turls
I would have refused to let it leave my house until they at least tried the re-seat. I'm sure somebody has used it before, "how many Samsung techs does it take to change, errr, re-seat a light bulb?" I felt the same way until the senior guy spent two minutes describing how complicated it would be to solve the problem because there were THREE electron guns inside that had to all be "synchronized" and coordinated to work together.

I just bit my lip and let them load it onto the truck. I expect the worst.

I purchased my original set Jan 5, 2003. Several weeks ago I made a posting saying that I had the cracking noise and asked if anyone else experienced this. I did not get any positive responses. I reported this to Showcase Electronics where I bought the set and they said they had never heard of the problem, but they replaced the set anyway. Now the second set makes the same noise. I was beginning to think I was hearing things until I saw the posting that someone else had the same problem.

It doesn't seem to effect the picture or the sound, but it makes me wonder if anything is really wrong. The noise is sporatic, sometimes as often as 8 times an hour,other times maybe only 2 or 3 times an hour.If anyone has any idea what is causing this I'd love to hear about it.

I would guess it is expansion and contraction from the very hot lamp. The GWII does the same thing at times. You might try and fasten the lamp a little less tight.

jerryl, are you talking about the big crack noise the TV makes from the plastic shrinking and expanding? That is normal, although 8 times an hour seems like a lot. I'd say once an hour at the most was how often my 507 did it.

My 507 has the cracking noise a couple of times after it is on for about 45 minutes. After the two or three cracking noises, the set would not make any more cracking noises for the rest of the time. I think it is the expansion of the cabinet when it reachs certain temperature.

Well, it happened! We had the 3 blinking lights this morning! I unplugged the set for ten minutes and the problem went away. I am afraid to turn it off now.

Yes, it is the cabinet expanding and contracting that makes the crackling noise.

I experienced the blinking lights problem the second time I turned on the set, about an hour after it was delivered. I thought maybe I had done something wrong to screw it up. I unplugged the set and waited about 30 minutes. When I tried again, it started right up and has worked fine since.

Well, had my 507 since mid December and just started getting the 3 blinking lights problem recently around the 175 hour mark on the bulb. Did the same things to correct as otrhers posted here. Tonight after about another 100 hours on the bulb, I can not get it to stay on for more then a minute before the dreaded 3 blinking lights come on. Placing a service call on it. What's to say that this won't happen again in about 300 hours worth of bulb usage?

:mad:

Did you unplug it for at least 20 minutes to close the circuit to the bulb?

Duffin, this didn't work either. I had it unplugged for the last several hours and just plugged it back in and tried. Within a minute or two, the problem happened again.

Originally posted by dannodjt
Well, had my 507 since mid December and just started getting the 3 blinking lights problem recently around the 175 hour mark on the bulb. Did the same things to correct as otrhers posted here. Tonight after about another 100 hours on the bulb, I can not get it to stay on for more then a minute before the dreaded 3 blinking lights come on. Placing a service call on it. What's to say that this won't happen again in about 300 hours worth of bulb usage?

:mad:

It's evil - run away.

Some of course say that running away is an over-reaction, that you can get good results by placing it in the middle of a pentagram painted with goat's blood and never turning it on or off more often than once an hour.

If you can, however, it's simpler to run away. Worked for me.

Originally posted by dannodjt
Duffin, this didn't work either. I had it unplugged for the last several hours and just plugged it back in and tried. Within a minute or two, the problem happened again.

Bowen is a sissy.:D

I would try to reseat the lamp using the pictures elsewhere in this thread.

Local service people will try to fix it another way and that is bad.

I had the three blinking lights again last night. Unplugging the set didn't help. I removed the lamp housing and inspected the lamp. It seemed to be fine, no burns and no disconnected filament. I reseated the housing and really made sure that it is all the way in the set (gave it a firm push once it was in). The set is working for now. We are keeping our fingers crossed!

I had the three blinking light problem again last night (two nights in a row now). It turned on and worked fine after unplugging the set for ten minutes.

pspun,

How long have you had your set?

-phil

Originally posted by pspun
I had the three blinking light problem again last night (two nights in a row now). It turned on and worked fine after unplugging the set for ten minutes.

Mine does this every once in a while due to:

a) turning on/off too quickly
b) power fluctuations

The reports we get on this blinking lights problem are just awful. It seems everyone with a HLM set must be crossing their fingers every time they turn on the set. And we are only at the beginning of the presumed 8,000 hours of lamp life! That is not the way it is supposed to be.

Does anyone know if it is the lamp itself, or the housing, or both, or something else, that is the culprit? And are the HLN models liable to experience the same problem? Or has Samsung found a solution? I've been looking forward to buying a HLN model, but after reading these reports I'm very confused. The idea of having to cross my fingers everytime I turn the set on is totally abhorrent to me. Watching TV is supposed to be a relaxing experience, not a sword-of-Damocles suspense.

Originally posted by PhilB
pspun,

How long have you had your set?

-phil

Phil, I was in the first PB and got my set on Dec. 2. I just emailed Samsung to suggest a quicker way to replace the lamp under warranty. Instead of getting the first service call, diagnose the problem, order the lamp, and install the lamp by another service call; I am willing to get the lamp from them, install it myself, and send the old non-functioning lamp back to them. They can get my credit card number up front, and if I don't send them the old lamp, they can charge me for the lamp.

Originally posted by Maurice2
The reports we get on this blinking lights problem are just awful. It seems everyone with a HLM set must be crossing their fingers every time they turn on the set. And we are only at the beginning of the presumed 8,000 hours of lamp life! That is not the way it is supposed to be.

Does anyone know if it is the lamp itself, or the housing, or both, or something else, that is the culprit? And are the HLN models liable to experience the same problem? Or has Samsung found a solution? I've been looking forward to buying a HLN model, but after reading these reports I'm very confused. The idea of having to cross my fingers everytime I turn the set on is totally abhorrent to me. Watching TV is supposed to be a relaxing experience, not a sword-of-Damocles suspense.

I finally heared from my contact at Samsung (responsible for DLP TVs in US) on the 3 blinking lights.

This is a direct quote from his email:

Three blinking lights "means the lamp circuit is open... we found that 60-70% of the time 're-seating' the lamp addresses this. Other issues include faulty resistor or ballast. Bad lamps are an issue and we had a rash of them. The suppliers were "tortured" by our R/D team - Philips and Toshiba on the 100W and Osram on the 120W. New Q/C procedures were demanded by Samsung. Note though, overall lamp failure do appear high, but our total failure rate involving the lamp is less than 1% of total sales since last year."

"...in fact, new manuals [HLN series] will dedicate a page of instruction... 3 screws to remove and re-seat lamp" for replacement.

I've tried all the suggestions in this post. Problem will not go away. Comes on for a minute or two, then lamp turns off. Received my set as part of the second powerbuy batch in mid December. Now waiting for a service tech to come out and look at it. Hoping to get this resolved quickly.

I continued to have problem turning my 507 on over the weekend. The set would have the three blinking lights after going through the on-cycle three times. Each time, I would unplug the set for a few minutes and repeat the process. It would turn on after many such tries. Yesterday, it told me about 45 minutes and about 5 or 6 such tries. Once the set is on, there is not any problem. May be I should just keep it on for 24 hours. I called Samsung this morning and will arrange a service call.

Originally posted by pspun
I would unplug the set for a few minutes and repeat the process.

Did you wait at least 20 minutes before re-plugging in the AC?

Originally posted by BobMcD
I'm expecting the worst, with a week or two for a technician to come to my house, then a couple of weeks for them to order a bulb, receive it, and schedule a second service call. Seems that's the drill for most of us. Worse than I expected. Called the shop today, and they told me that Samsung doesn't have the parts and that they're delivering my dead set back to me tomorrow. This is the factory authorized and recommended service facility! If it sounds like Curly, Moe, and Larry are doing the work, then you've got the picture. I just hope they don't drop the 507 trying to get it back to my house. At least they seemed to have plenty of moving pads in the truck when they came to pick it up. Guess I'll get to stare at a dead set instead of just a hole where it used to be. Maybe I should have chosen a Sony.

Things are so bleak at my house that I've taken to putting a disc in the DVD player and just listening to the surround sound with no picture to accompany it. Sick, isn't it? Sick! Sick! Sick! This hobby is worse than drugs!
:mad:

All these horror stories I am reading about the HLM lamp are really freaking me out. I had my mind set on getting an HLN model, but now I'm starting to look elsewhere. Could we get a statement from Samsung to the effect that the lamp problem will be solved in the new models? Or won't it be solved???

Originally posted by Maurice2
All these horror stories I am reading about the HLM lamp are really freaking me out. I had my mind set on getting an HLN model, but now I'm starting to look elsewhere. Could we get a statement from Samsung to the effect that the lamp problem will be solved in the new models? Or won't it be solved???

See my post above from 3/14.

Samsung states that they are pushing on their suppliers to improve the QA on the lamps.

1% occurance is pretty low in my opinion.

Originally posted by duffin
Did you wait at least 20 minutes before re-plugging in the AC?

I have waited anytime from 2 minutes to 30 minutes. It didn't seem to matter how long one needs to wait. It turned on after just 2 minutes one time and didn't work on the other time when I waited 30 minutes. Go figure!

Originally posted by duffin
Three blinking lights "means the lamp circuit is open... we found that 60-70% of the time 're-seating' the lamp addresses this. Other issues include faulty resistor or ballast. Bad lamps are an issue and we had a rash of them. The suppliers were "tortured" by our R/D team - Philips and Toshiba on the 100W and Osram on the 120W. New Q/C procedures were demanded by Samsung. Note though, overall lamp failure do appear high, but our total failure rate involving the lamp is less than 1% of total sales since last year."
Does 1% refer to all instances of 3 blinking lights, or only those instances where there actually is a bad lamp (i.e. not correctable by reseating the lamp), in which case the overall incidence of 3 blinking lights might be much higher?

Originally posted by duffin
See my post above from 3/14.

Samsung states that they are pushing on their suppliers to improve the QA on the lamps.

1% occurance is pretty low in my opinion.
Sorry, but this does not answer my question about the new HLN models.

Originally posted by Maurice2
Sorry, but this does not answer my question about the new HLN models.
Yes it does. Samsung is working on the problem with their suppliers.

HLN is simply a model year designation. The lamps used in the HLM will be the same for the HLN, but with better QA from the suppliers.

Originally posted by duffin
Yes it does. Samsung is working on the problem with their suppliers.You're implying that all instances of the 3 Blinking Lights problem can be blamed on the lamp. From everything I've read here, I'm not convinced of that. If reseating the lamp or unplugging the TV for a while can sometimes make the problem go away, it would seem to me that in those cases the problem has little to do with the QA of the lamp manufacturer. I'd be a little suspicious of Samsung pointing the finger at the lamp manufacturers if I were you.

Three blinking lights indicate the lamp circuit is open. The circuit can be left open when a) lamp not seated correctly, b) impropertly manufactured, c) turned off/on too quickly (i.e., power failure, user switching).

I have no reason not to believe my Samsung source on the lamp supplier issue, especially after a) owning this set since July, b) monitoring these threads since then, and c) experienced with hardware manufacturing and supply chain issues in Asia.

Originally posted by duffin
Samsung is working on the problem with their suppliers
Would you kindly let us know when Samsung has finally solved the lamp problem? That's when I (and many others, I presume) will make my move.

I would not advise anyone on waiting due to the lamp QA.

Going forward, less than 1% defect rate on lamps is a safe bet to purchase this unit.

Looking at competing brands, display types, etc., there is bound to be a defect with those units around 1% of total sales that causes part or whole unit replacement.

If you should unfortunately get a bad lamp (again probability less than 1%), everything is under warranty. The net is inconvenience.

Samsung has been working with its suppliers over the past couple of months leading me to believe that initial HLN units should not experience this problem.

Well, I finally gave up and call Samsung and the local service. I was able to convince them it is the lamp, so they don't have to come out and see the set before ordering the lamp. As soon as they receive the lamp, they will come and replace it. After all the calls, I was able to turn the set on last evening on the first try. However, we can not turn the set on today after many tries. I will try it again tonight, and if I can turn it on, I will leave it on until the lamp dies (if not already dead) or before the service person shows up :D

Bummer being in the 1%. You should try the lottery while you are on a roll.

Please let us know how long it takes to get a replacement lamp.

1% heh? 3600+ avs members have bought this TV. Wow.

Sorry Duffin, I'm sure your source has data to say it is 1%, but I doubt the validity of the data.

Of the 118 people who have answered the poll in this thread (see at the beginning), 36 have said that they have had the 3 blinking lights problem: that's 30%.

Originally posted by turls
1% heh? 3600+ avs members have bought this TV. Wow.

Sorry Duffin, I'm sure your source has data to say it is 1%, but I doubt the validity of the data.

The problem with this analysis is that the Samsung DLP owners on this forum are not a random sample of all Samsung DLP owners. I would imagine that many owners here where drawn by problems with their Samsung DLP TV. The vast majority of owners who have never had a problem with there set are not here. Add to the problem that after the topic appeared it would bring, by way of search engines, owners with the problem to the forum like moths to a lamp...

Originally posted by Maurice2
Of the 118 people who have answered the poll in this thread (see at the beginning), 36 have said that they have had the 3 blinking lights problem: that's 30%.

I originally voted as not having the three blinking light problem, so you can minus my vote from the 82, and add it to the 36.

Originally posted by rmostad
The problem with this analysis is that the Samsung DLP owners on this forum are not a random sample of all Samsung DLP owners. I would imagine that many owners here where drawn by problems with their Samsung DLP TV. The vast majority of owners who have never had a problem with there set are not here. Add to the problem that after the topic appeared it would bring, by way of search engines, owners with the problem to the forum like moths to a lamp... Yes, you are right. But I look at people like pspun as an example. There are certain members here whose posts I was reading before they got a 437/507/617, and then after they got the TV they eventually came down with a case of the 3 Blinking Lights. This is a group of people that didn't come here because of a problem. From my observations reading posts of these people, it sure seems like it's more than 1% that have had this problem.

Even if you take the 200 or whatever TVA PowerBuy sets, I think you'll find quite a bit more than 2 people have had the problem, and this is just a few months after getting the product. That would actually be a good poll, who on the PB has had this problem. There you have a sample of 200+ people who weren't drawn here by problems with their Samsung DLP TV. The poll in this thread really isn't accurate because it started so long ago, and some answers (like pspun's) have changed.

1% is a Samsung product statistic referring to resolutions traced to the lamp (i.e., replacement, reseating, etc.), NOT whether a user is experiencing 3 blinking lights.

Some users need to have a replacement or the lamp reseating to solve the three blinking lights. Others are experiencing it due to user error and can solve their issue by leaving the set turned off and the open circuit closing itself.

I am not even going down the road comparing AVS Forum stats to Samsungs stats.

Originally posted by duffin
1% is a Samsung product statistic referring to resolutions traced to the lamp (i.e., replacement, reseating, etc.)
You seem to put reseating and replacement in the same bag. They are two very different issues. Re-seating a lamp because it was displaced during shipping should be a one-time-only operation which virtually every user could do himself (with proper instructions from Samsung). Replacing a lamp because it is defective is an entirely different ball game. And that is what is mainly at issue here, I believe, let's not lose track of that.

Maurice2,

You are correct.

To requote from an email from my Samsung source:

" we found that 60-70% of the time "re-seating" the lamp addresses [3 blinking lights]. Other issues include faulty resistor or ballast. Bad lamps are an issue and we had a rash of them. The suppliers were "tortured" by our R/D team - Philips and Toshiba on the 100W and Osram on the 120W. New Q/C procedures were demanded by Samsung. Note though, overall lamp failure do appear high, but our total failure rate involving the lamp is less than 1% of total sales since last year."

My guess is that the 1% includes all the sets they have produced so far. Many of the sets are still in the distribution channel, and many others were purchased less than 3 months ago. In fact, the majority of sets (90%?) have been produced in the past 3 or 4 months. I would think that the percentage of lamp failure will go up significantly in the next few months. My set was fine for a little over three months.

I can't turn my set on tonight, I have tried unplugging and plugging (actually, it is turning off/on the surge protector that the set is plugged in) about ten times now.

Originally posted by pspun
My guess is that the 1% includes all the sets they have produced so far. Many of the sets are still in the distribution channel, and many others were purchased less than 3 months ago. In fact, the majority of sets (90%?) have been produced in the past 3 or 4 months. I would think that the percentage of lamp failure will go up significantly in the next few months. My set was fine for a little over three months.

I can't turn my set on tonight, I have tried unplugging and plugging (actually, it is turning off/on the surge protector that the set is plugged in) about ten times now.

Highly recommend waiting more that 20 minutes between power cycling. Anything less may damage the lamp.

Originally posted by duffin
Highly recommend waiting more that 20 minutes between power cycling. Anything less may damage the lamp.
That's another defect of these sets. The TV should be able to protect itself. It should protect itself, for example, by not allowing another power cycling before 20 minutes have elapsed. This could be done easily, I think, by programming it into the circuit.

Well, right after I posted my last message, I was able to turn the set on the first try. I don't think the lamp would be damaged by cycling it within less than 20 minutes if it was not turned on in the last cycle. I have cycled it within seconds many time when it failed to turn on. I think it would damage the lamp if it is on/off/on in a short time period (I don't know what is "short time period", is it 20 minutes?).

An engineer with a projector company posted 5 minutes as the number. He also said that striking (turning on) a hot lamp only degrades its life by a few minutes. (not that big of a deal)

I usually count to 20 or so if I need to turn it right back on, otherwise I just leave it off for awhile.

Ken

If anyone can provide some assistance on the procedures for attempting to reseat the lamp, it would be greatly appreciated. The dreaded 3 blinkers appeared after 99 days of use. Thnxs in advance.

Here is more communication directly from Samsung's DLP TV management on the lamp.

"The procedure for replacement and re-seating a lamp is the same.

The lamp issue is broken down to the following:
1) Lamp reseat
2) Lamp failure
3) Lamp power supply
4) Lamp cover door switch

Our lamp suppliers will raise the q/c procedures on both the lamp and power supply (ballast).

All [the above are] warrantee items. That's why it is important to buy from a reputable local dealer. On-liners do not offer service.

Magnolia HiFi and others like them are being service trained as we speak. By the end of June, we are to have 100% of our service community up to speed.

Re: on/off concern... The set is designed to turn back on within 30 seconds to a minute after a power down. "

If you ask me, these lamps suck!

Originally posted by Maurice2
If you ask me, these lamps suck!

I don't think that is being fair. My understanding is you don't even own a set!

30% on this poll have experienced the 3 blinking lights. If you do, turn off for 60 seconds and move on.

This is a NON-issue folks going forward!

My last post on this.

Just to keep everyone informed on my continuing 3-blinking-light experience. We were able to turn the set on yesterday on the first try. We kept it on all day (and night). We will see if we can turn it on later today. I don't know what the service guy would say when he shows up with the new lamp and I can't duplicate the 3-blinking-light problem. "Mr. here is the power switch on the remote, push it once when you point at the set,..." :D

Well, we were able to turn the set on a little while ago after about 5 tries (i.e. unplug and plug five times). The lamp is working, but just hard to get it started. Once it is on, it stays on. Is this a problem with the lamp? or something else?

Yesterday my wife said she turned on the set (while I was gone) and that no picture came on, but she could hear the sound. I asked her if she saw all three green lights blinking, but she couldn't remember.

Does this sound like the "3 blinking lights problem"?

BTW - this is the first time it has happened, and it hasn't happened since (after several turn on's and off's yesterday and today). I'm not sure how to tell how many hours we've logged on the lamp, but we just bought the set (HLM507) in the middle of January.

- Chris

Chris,

Sounds a little more like the No-Picture problem:

Read more:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=239628

Ken

Yeah, I saw that thread too, but I didn't think it was the same problem because my wife said there was no picture at all (the other problem has lines across the screen) and that it didn't even look like the lamp had lit up (because of the faint glow the screen has, even when black).

I remember reading (in this thread?) about an infrequent connection problem with the lamp assy. not initializing. Could this be related?

Anyway, no more problems yet. However, I won't hesitate to call for warranty service if it happens again.

Originally posted by clperry
Yeah, I saw that thread too, but I didn't think it was the same problem because my wife said there was no picture at all (the other problem has lines across the screen) and that it didn't even look like the lamp had lit up (because of the faint glow the screen has, even when black).



Mine has done that three times now since November -- sound but no picture at all. Each time turning it off and back on has corrected the problem.

I do believe I see a faint glow, however, and I can hear the color wheel starting up.

Just to keep everyone informed, we were able to turn the set on on the second try on both Saturday and Sunday (we kept the set on for the day once it was on). Earlier today, we were able to turn it on on the seventh try. Each try involves in the set repeating the on cycle three times, turn off power supply from the surge protector, and turn the power back on.

Originally posted by pspun
Just to keep everyone informed, we were able to turn the set on on the second try on both Saturday and Sunday (we kept the set on for the day once it was on). Earlier today, we were able to turn it on on the seventh try. Each try involves in the set repeating the on cycle three times, turn off power supply from the surge protector, and turn the power back on.

Well, if mine even does it once more I'm calling for warranty repair. In my opinion there's no reason to hesitate. It should come on EVERY time.

clperry, I did call for warrenty repair about a week ago. They are ordering a lamp for me, and will come to fix it once they get the lamp. However, I understand that the lamp is on back order, and don't know when they will get it. We did turn the set on on the second try today.

Okay, the service guy showed up during my lunch hour with a new lamp. It took him about ten minutes to replace the lamp and enter the service menu to "clear" the lamp (reset the lamp hours to zero). He said he had never seen a DLP set before. He was holding the service manual while he was servicing it. They ordered the lamp on March 18, and got it yesterday. The set works fine now! Also, he told me they got the lamp for $190. I know the lamp is sold for $280.89 + $7.95 S&H from J&J International, Inc.

Who is the manufacturer of the lamp?

Originally posted by Maurice2
Who is the manufacturer of the lamp?

Toshiba, I think.

I see a lot of people have had this problem but I don't see anyone with a new HLN model. I have an HLN4365W which I received last Tuesday. It only worked for about two hours and then I started getting the 3-lights blinking. When I wrote to Samsung Tech Support and explained the problem I was having, the message I received back was, "There is a problem with the set. It needs service or replacement." Duh, I already knew that much. Meanwhile, I've had this TV sitting in my house for a week and I haven't been able to enjoy it at all. It sounds like a pretty common problem. Do you think I just got a faulty lamp or a bad set?

Have you tried re-seating the lamp?

Markarwes,

What have you tried? Remember, the set/lamp does not like being turned on/off within 30 seconds and will give you the three blinking lights.

Well, I unplugged it and left it unplugged for quite awhile. When I plugged it back in and turned it on, the 'lamp' LED flashed for a minute or so, then it came on solid for a couple of seconds and started flashing again. It flashed for another minute, then went solid for a couple of seconds and started flashing again. After another minute, all of the LEDs started flashing. That's all it does. I cannot even turn it off. I have to unplug it to make it stop. I ran though this same scenario about ten times. The set never did turn back on. Any ideas?

The next step might be re-seating the lamp. There are step by step pictures in one of the threads. Maybe someone remembers where they are.

Basically you open a panel on the side of the set. Remove the lamp housing and then put it back in.

Samsung may have included instructions in your manual. They have said they would be doing that at some point.

If that doesn't work it's repair/replace time.

The manual does tell you how to replace the lamp. However, I do not want to give anyone a reason to void my warranty by taking any screws out of the thing.

Originally posted by markarwes
I see a lot of people have had this problem but I don't see anyone with a new HLN model.

I have a HLN617 and I'm having the problem.

kbcrowe, how old is your set and what are you doing about the problem?

You won't void the warranty if you follow the procedures to replace the lamp, but rather to just re-seat it properly.

Also, try unplugging for a few minutes and restarting.

duffin, thanks, I'll try it.

I've had it less than a week. I just called Tweeter and they are going to call Samsung and get back with me tomorrow. I wasn't sure if I should insist on a swap out or just let them replace the lamp.

kbcrowe:
Sounds like we're in the same boat. I just hope we get these things fixed soon. It's torture having to look at the set and not being able to watch it.

Tweeter just called back. They are bringing a replacement set Friday.

Really? That's interesting. Did they say why they are doing that as opposed to fixing your existing one?

I'm going to have a Tech at my house tomorrow working on mine. He said Samsung sent him all kinds of parts for it. All I care about is whether or not the thing works.

Good luck with your new set.

No, yesterday he said he would call Samsung and do what they recommended and today he said they were just going to swap. I *assume* that's what Samsung suggested.

Ooooh, careful. You know what happens when you 'assume'. Heh heh.

Well, I'll let you know how my repair goes tomorrow.

Well the service tech came out yesterday with the parts to fix my 3-blinking lights problem. As I previously stated earlier on in this thread, that I had my HLM507w since mid-December and failed around mid-March. After he removed the entire lower back cover, he proceeded to replace the power assembly ($79.77), the lamp balast ($116.20), and the lamp ($190.00), all covered under warrenty. Put it all back together, powered it up, and works just like new. After he left, I realized he forgot to reset the lamp life in the SM, so I went in and reset. I noticed my last lamp had 296 hours on it before it got this problem. Let's hope this one will last a long time...:)

That's great news, Dan. Hopefully, I will a story like that later today. Hey, can you tell me how to access the Service Menu on the HLN4365W?

Forgot, yeah right. A lot of service techs "forget" this critical step.

They just don't even bother to read for 5 minutes before they come out.

Originally posted by dannodjt
I realized he forgot to reset the lamp life in the SM, so I went in and reset.

Woo Hoo! I'm back in business. The guy came out today and replaced just about everything in my set. I don't know why they replaced everything, I don't care. I'm just glad my HLN4365W is working.

Can someone tell me how to reset this lamp life counter?

Originally posted by markarwes
Woo Hoo! I'm back in business. The guy came out today and replaced just about everything in my set. I don't know why they replaced everything, I don't care. I'm just glad my HLN4365W is working.

Can someone tell me how to reset this lamp life counter?

Markarwes, here is the link on how to get into the SM...
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=181149

Once there, select the "Option" choice, then select the "Lampclear", then select the appropriate choice. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the info, Dan.

Mark

I'm back...

... and so are the three flashing lights. This will be the second time a "tech" will be out to my house to examine the problem.

I asked Samsung if they would replace the unit and they gave me some mumbo jumbo about needing three tech visits before that's even considered. I asked about a warrantee extension and the dude told me that they would extend it the same period of time my tv is out of service.

The way I see it is I've been sold a defective product.

I'm so upset I had to post this right away. Now, I'll go back and read the earlier posts. What have you other two timers been able to get out of this? Any luck getting a replacement (I got my from the original powerbuy from TV Authority).

If I can get my $ back, I might go get a Toshiba or a Sony. This is my first Samsung product and it may be my last.

Sorry to hear about this M16. See my post above on what they replaced to fix my set. From your previous post, it sounds like they only replaced the bulb. They'll need to replace more then just the bulb this time. Only time will tell if my set was truely fixed.

Try checking things that are in your control first versus waiting for the repair man.

The three blinking lights is caused by an open circuit that is triggered internally as well as externally. External situations include poor AC situations.

a) Check AC plug/outlet for proper grounding
b) Install surge protector or better yet a quality APS
c) Does your area get power surges or spikes?
d) Is your AC wiring/breaker box/ service box current?

Don't blame Samsung. It is the Toshiba and Phillips parts that came defective to the Samsung assembly factory. Samsung has pushed on their QA to get it down to zero defects. M16, you unfortunately got one of the few parts.

Ask your Tech if they received the official Samsung DLP training yet. Samsung claims that all services techs will have received training by June to know exactly what to do with three blinking lights.

Hang in there to enjoy the best set for the $$ in the market!

duffin,

What are the chances of getting two of the "few parts"? From my quick scan of the posts since mine, we all should have used up the "few" parts by now huh? I've helped the cause by using up TWO of them!

Thanks for the AC check list - the TV was plugged into a surge protector. The house is relatively new and other components are plugged into the same circuit and have been fine.

Regarding where to place blame, it's Samsung's call to use the Toshiba/Philips bulbs so why shouldn't the blame be placed on them?

How will the best $$ in the market set come out after the warrantee is over?

We'll see how things go this time. I want to be happy.

Originally posted by duffin
See my post above from 3/14.

Samsung states that they are pushing on their suppliers to improve the QA on the lamps.

1% occurrences is pretty low in my opinion.

I was up in the air between getting the Sammy 43" DLP or a 42" Plasma of some sort. Leaning toward the sammy because you get a lot more bang for the buck with DLP over Plasma, but hearing all of this may just change my mind.
How is it that Samsung says that this is happening to 1% when we have 30% here? :confused: Some thing seems very off here. I am watching this thread to see how it develops. I would NEVER hear the end of it from the wife, if I drop 3K on a TV that has all these problems right away. Especially since the 27" Proscan we have has not had a single problem in 10 years.

Thanks for all the input!

Originally posted by Barrybud
How is it that Samsung says that this is happening to 1% when we have 30% here? :confused: Some thing seems very off here. I am watching this thread to see how it develops. I would NEVER hear the end of it from the wife, if I drop 3K on a TV that has all these problems right away. Especially since the 27" Proscan we have has not had a single problem in 10 years.

I would not equate that all DLP owners frequent this forum making you believe the defect rate should be more like 30%. The less than 1% of total sales to date is an actuall internal Samsung #.

It is easy to let the few who have this issue sway the masses on purchase decisions. I get suckered into the eOpinions and CNET opinion stuff all the time when I should let the equipment do the talking. M16's experience is unfortunate and may be componded by an untrained service tech.

The lamp assembly is pretty much the only thing that can go wrong over time with this set compared to a CRT or plasma set. The longevity expectations of this set in general are VERY HIGH amongst forum members, thus all the buzz. I don't think you can go wrong with this set. My only hesitation would be to wait for 2 DVI inputs in 2004.

I am not sure how to vote in the poll if you have already viewed the thread.

Anyway, My HLM43" from the first power buy batch is now doing the blinking light dance.

I will call support tonight.

Well, my problem was the blub. The set is now fixed.
However, hats off to Samsung customer service. Here is how this played out:

I call Samsung support. Talked to Eric and tell them set doesn't work

He gives me the names to 2 local authorized service centers.

I call local center on a Friday, they pick up set on Monday. They tell my wife it will probably be a week before they look at it. Probably another week before it is ready ( 2 weeks )

I get a call from Eric at Samsung on the following Friday ( 4 days after set was picked up ). He gots the parts and wanted to know which center to send them to. I tell him. He said that he wanted to get the parts to the center so I wouldn't be without the TV for too long.

The next Monday, the shop returns the set working as good as new.

I am not sure how Eric was certain that the blub was the problem even before the shop looked at it, but I was only without the TV for 1 week.

Samsung continues to impress me

Add a brand new out of the box HLN 437 to the dreaded 3 blinking light list. Yes 3 light the first try!!! And to add to the re-boot nightmare this requires I've also had issues with the set locking up! When I change the video input if I press the "enter" toggle on the remote the set will freeze up, however if I use the "right pointing arrow" it change the video input I had highlighted.

Called samsung got the typical "here is the local service number", called them and have an appointment next week. After reading this thread I called the service company back to ask if they have spare bulbs in stock and please bring one. They do not have bulbs and claim to have never heard of the 3 blinking light issue. I'll try the re-seat tactic tonight but at this point I'm not expecting allot.

Duffin after reading this thread from the start you seemed to strongly defend Samsung to the point of stating that this lamp issue is not their fault and also strongly stated that the issue would be resolved via QC demands presented by samsung to their bulb suppliers. Well that was awhile back and now here we are with the HLN's and the problem is not resolved. I have to ask why you were so supportive of a company that makes, markets, and profits from an expensive piece of gear that has obvious issues? And since these issues still exist are you still as supportive?

Originally posted by ropedrag
Duffin after reading this thread from the start you seemed to strongly defend Samsung to the point of stating that this lamp issue is not their fault and also strongly stated that the issue would be resolved via QC demands presented by samsung to their bulb suppliers. Well that was awhile back and now here we are with the HLN's and the problem is not resolved. I have to ask why you were so supportive of a company that makes, markets, and profits from an expensive piece of gear that has obvious issues? And since these issues still exist are you still as supportive?
Did you notice that the last message in this thread was May 6th? That's a lot of sets sold and delivered.

The three lights are a diagnostic message that can indicate more than one different problem.

If the set was dead out of the box why don't you have your dealer replace it for you?

I entered the SM on my HLN507 this morning, adjusted Gamma, hit Menu then the TV goes blank and I get the three blinking lights. Called Samsung, they referred me to a local service center. Fortunately they will pre-order the parts (I assume bulb and board) before the service call- scheduled for next Thursday. Problem is, they won't touch the set without the original sales receipt, which I can't locate. Any clue how I can get around this or am I hosed?

Originally posted by fivespeed
I entered the SM on my HLN507 this morning, adjusted Gamma, hit Menu then the TV goes blank and I get the three blinking lights. Called Samsung, they referred me to a local service center. Fortunately they will pre-order the parts (I assume bulb and board) before the service call- scheduled for next Thursday. Problem is, they won't touch the set without the original sales receipt, which I can't locate. Any clue how I can get around this or am I hosed?

Have you tried asking the store you bought it from for a copy?

Did you try disconnecting the set from power for a couple of hours before trying to power up? There are other "work around" tips in this thread like re-seating the bulb or improving the contacts. The bulb may have blown but it could be several other things that have gone wrong.

If you didn't buy from a dealer that will give you a duplicate of your receipt then you might want to start a "lost receipt" thread so more people will read your message.

The service center indicated they needed the 'original receipt', however maybe they won't know the difference if I get a copy from the retailer. I think it is a CYA issue, they don't want to risk their paycheck from Samsung. I can also deal directly with a Samsung service center, which may be a better option.

Earlier, I powered off for about 20 minutes then powered on. All was well. Until....I turned off the set, left for a few hours, now when I [power back up same problem- damn blinking lights. The only two changes I made in the SM were Gammo and Delay, I wonder if that could possibly have anything at all to do with it- doubt it, but who knows. Obviously not the bulb if it worked for awhile- I assume. Dang.

Latest is that it will turn on, and everything looks okay for about 2 minutes-then no picture + three blinking lights.

I am going to try changing back the changes I made in the SM during my next 2 minute window.

This is frustrating. Daughter is crying about missing the Lion King DVD I bought last night for her birthday.

Why, oh why, did I have to go and mess with the SM.:confused:

fivespeed,

I doubt very much that entering the SM, and adjusting Gamma, and Delay, had anything to do with the malfunction you are experiencing.

The SM changes are not related. Leave the SM alone until your set is repaired.

Don't bring up the SM at all when you deal with the service center and Samsung. Proof and date of purchase is all you need. Your dealer should be able to create an "original" for you.

I figured it was not related as so many others have tweaked their sets, the coincidental timing is strange though. I have had zero problems from the date it was delivered (4/6/03), until this morning when I entered the SM. In any case, I'll make NO mention of the SM with Sammy support. Don't need to dig myself in any deeper.

I also realized I sent the original recipient in with my warranty form. If Sammy support makes an issue of it I'll go back to the dealer. I think it's better to deal with Sammy support than the third party support, since both are local from my location.

Originally posted by fivespeed
I also realized I sent the original recipient in with my warranty form. If Sammy support makes an issue of it I'll go back to the dealer. I think it's better to deal with Sammy support than the third party support, since both are local from my location.
Does Samsung require that you send them the original receipt when you register? If so, that is surprising since many have registered on the Samsung web site and received a three month extension of their warranty.

Good luck.

I think I could have sent as copy, but I was lazy and sent the original. My mistake. I wasn't aware of the online registration- how would they validate your purchase without a receipt?

Good question. You can fill in the form anyway you like--I would guess they might fall back on manufacture date if there is a dispute down the road?

A lot of us fought this issue with the power buy. The only "receipt" we had was the original order date, which for some was 3-5 months before the set was actually delivered. We were assured that since these were actually shipped from Samsung, they had a record of the date. Since then I've gone through 2 more sets though and all I have to validate that is a letter from someone at Samsung support that isn't even on letterhead. Since it took them so long to service the set they extended my warranty. I have no idea what the actual date Samsung has is when you consider the online registration 3 month extension.

I have a 437, about 3 weeks old, 60ish hours on bulb, no problems

Rick

I contacted Samsung central support and they said the receipt was no issue as they have a record of it in their system. Just waiting for the local service center to schedule my appt, they don't answer the phone, they require you to leave a message. That was yesterday, still no call.

Originally posted by fivespeed
I contacted Samsung central support and they said the receipt was no issue as they have a record of it in their system. Just waiting for the local service center to schedule my appt, they don't answer the phone, they require you to leave a message. That was yesterday, still no call.
Good for Samsung. Bad for their contracted "Service Center". Depending on your area you can ask for a different one if they are not responsive. Or you can get Samsung to nudge them. ;)

Samsung called back- appt. for Thursday. They actually indicated that they prefer you deal directly with Samsung service vs. third party. I'm guessing I'll probobly end up with a new digital board anyhow, which would be a plus given the addition of discrete commands and new version of the firmware.

Originally posted by fivespeed
I'm guessing I'll probobly end up with a new digital board anyhow, which would be a plus given the addition of discrete commands and new version of the firmware.
If you do get a new board the PQ might even be better. Good luck.

Samsung service replaced the engine (including bulb) this morning. They did not upgrade the software/firmware, still version 204. Interesting side note, the guy doing my service was very experienced and knew all about the AVS board (these guys read it all the time), and he indicated that Samsung QA is very rigid and that calibration tweaks accomplish nothing that 99.9% of end-users would ever notice. I suppose the users on this borad represent the .1% :0

A big thumbs up for Samsung service support.

I was watching TV fine. Turned off the set and went out for a couple of hours. When I came back I hit the power button, got the melody, the blinking green light, and waited....and waited...and waited. Nothing. I get audio, but no picture. Finally after about 2 mins the 3 blinking lights came on. I tried the hard reset. Nothing.

I'm hoping it's the bulb or something quick. I called up Samsung and they are referring me to a local service center. The rep told me to bring the set over to them (they are 26miles out). When I questioned him about this, he said, "well...I suppose you could request in-home service."

I was part of the 3rd batch from the PowerBuy and I received my set around Januaryish. The set was mfg'd Nov 2002. The only "original receipt" I have is the one that can be printed out from TVA's website, which is dated Oct 15th. I had already registered the set on Samsungusa.com's website (with the date that it arrived on in Jan) and it stated that I have an extension, though the original receipt only shows October. I'm hoping either TVA or Samsung has a record of this and that my warranty starts from the date that I received the set, not the date as indicated on my "original receipt." Is there anyway I can get a copy of the receipt with the January date on there?

btw, I just recently received the v302 upgrade about 1 1/2 months ago. All was working fine after that, until now.


Wish me luck...

I would strongly suggest you have Samsung service the set, unless that is not an option. I had Samsung do an in-home and they basically powered-up, saw the blinking lights, powered-down and replaced the entire engine. They said they don't even bother trying to fix onsite, it is easier and cheaper for them to simply replace the engine (and bulb). They did not question my warranty, however I called Samsung service and they put a not on the service ticket that my set was within the warranty period. Good luck.

If you registered your set (for the three months extension) they will have you on their computer. If, heaven forbid, they do not, I would expect Neil at TVAuthority to document it for you.

Originally posted by fivespeed
I would strongly suggest you have Samsung service the set, unless that is not an option.

How would you request that? When I called Samsung service, they referred me to a local service center.

Here's the latest update: After I placed my service call to Samsung, I called the closest SC from me. (26miles). They said that all their Samsung Service warranty techs are booked until Dec 2nd!! I call BS. I tell them have a good day and call Samsung back. I told the rep what the SC said and they referred me to next closest SC (28 miles). I rang the 2nd SC and explained the situation to them. They said they would contact Samsung for an authorization since they are "too far" out from me.

While I'm waiting for their call back, I decided to give the TV a try. I hit the power button and heard the color wheel revving up. While it does this, it was also making an occasional buzzing sound, all the while with no picture;only audio. I have never noticed this sound before. After about 30 seconds, the color wheel spun down, stopped, then tried to restart again. After about 1 min 30 sec, a picture showed up on the screen! I flipped through some channels and make sure that it was working. I powered the TV off after about 5 mins, waited about 1 min, then turned the TV back on. TV acted normal. I repeated this procedure several times and all seemed well. I called the SC back to let them know that the set was working fine now.

I went out to grab some lunch and came back. Fired up the set, nothing. ARGH! Same thing as before. Wheel spun up, buzzing sound, stopped. Did this about 3 times, then the 3 blinking lights came back on. Unplugging didn't do anything.

I called the SC back and let them know that the set went back down again and they said they would be sending someone tomorrow morning to check it out. This sucks! I'll update more tomorrow.

Originally posted by What The!
How would you request that? When I called Samsung service, they referred me to a local service center.


I think that's what fivespeed ment.

I would have just left the three lights blinking until the service call. Intermittent problems are always more trouble than good old all out failures. :D

What The---

We can provide you with a receipt detailing the date your unit actually shipped. Call our toll-free number, 888-286-5353, and speak with my sales manager, Hugh Mahoney, ext 501.

If there is anything more you need, feel free to contact me directly, ext 502.

Thanks for the business!

Add me to the three blinking light crowd. I've had my set approximately two months. No problems whatsoever until now. And I was going to watch NBA in HD tonight. CRAP!

I'm in hard reset mode for awhile.

I suppose I'll be calling Samsung soon.

Please Help! I have just received a refurbished 61" HLN. When I power up a single green LED(lamp) just blinks forever - np picture no sound no menu no nothing but the blinking. Also, the TV won't power off. The LED just keeps blinking. Any help and I will be forever in your debt! :)

Your refurbished set needs more refurbidhing. What choices do you have?

Thank you sir I think your right :) Bought it on ebay and paid a fair price. in the ad it says there is a one year warranty. It also implies that the warranty is by the original manufacturer. There is also a reasonable return policy if I care to pack it down from the second floor family room. I would prefer having it fixed right where it sits if that is possible. I already love this TV and it only beebs green. Tried resetting the bulb and still nothing. I guess I will start making phone calls in the morning and see where that leads. Any suggestions are most welcome!

I hope you are right. Good luck.

Originally posted by Lakesidex
Please Help! I have just received a refurbished 61" HLN. When I power up a single green LED(lamp) just blinks forever - np picture no sound no menu no nothing but the blinking. Also, the TV won't power off. The LED just keeps blinking. )


Should I give up trying to get this thing to work and just concede that it needs servicing?

Lakesidex said:
Should I give up trying to get this thing to work and just concede that it needs servicing?What could you do to fix it? And if you do indeed have a Samsung one-year warranty (like me), you might void the warranty by trying to fix it.

SC tech came out today. Replaced the lamp and reset the lamp counter. I noticed that the old bulb had a greenish tint to it whereas the old one was clear. Not sure if it makes any difference, but the set fired up after we put the cover back on!

The tech questioned me about the 10/11 date shown on the TVAuthority website. I mentioned that it was a groupbuy through TVA & Samsung and he just wrote the date down and said that should be ok.

Now back to watching HD!

Well, I was helping a friend take delivery of his new 61" HLN and the delivery guy hits the power on and three lights blink and then shuts down, new set being delivered on friday. They tried to talk him into having a tech come in and fix it, I told him not to let them do this and you want a new one. Oh well...

I work at Best Buy and our 50" unit has had 2 faults thus far. The unit just wouldnt give an image while the lights were simply blinking away and turning it off for about 5 minutes(the first time) worked, the next time(4 months later) the bulb was shot. Given the DLP technology is stunningly georgeous and damn near a pefect technology it still has a few kinks to bump out.;)

I have owned a 5065 N series for about two months now and am now having the 3blinking lights problem. It is intermittent, but seems to happen more when the room is cold. I have heard other people theorize about the color wheel not starting properly when it is cold. I have not had service out yet. Has anyone who had the bulb replaced or reseated experienced the 3blinking lights again, several months after the repair? Does anyone know about the cold color wheel theory? Thanks

Just experienced the 3 blinking lights problem this week, must be the artic chill in North East. I've been doing the hard reset, but will not last. Called Samsung and got deferred to local service in NJ (I'm in Brooklyn NY), but will not come for at least two weeks, they are booked.

Originally posted by TAKKL
Just experienced the 3 blinking lights problem this week, must be the artic chill in North East. I've been doing the hard reset, but will not last. Called Samsung and got deferred to local service in NJ (I'm in Brooklyn NY), but will not come for at least two weeks, they are booked.

One of those appointments is mine! I'm in Manhattan and they're coming on Tuesday. BTW, I think the NJ service center is basically operated by Samsung. The people there are VERY knowledgable.

Anyway, I"ve had the 3 blinking lights problem about once a week for the past month (I have a 467). I've always been able to fix it either with a hard reset or reseating the bulb. Tonight, it's not going on at all. Guess I'll have to wait until Tuesday for a fix. It sucks that I'm not going to be able to watch the playoff games in HD this weekend.

EDIT: After three bulb reseatings (by my wife:) ), the set came on. I may just leave it on straight through the weekend, then try to force a 3 blinking light problem before the service man comes on Tuesday. Something's clearly not right with my 4 month-old set. I'd rather it not start right up when the tech comes.

I am a Sony GWIII owner contemplating swapping it for a HLN507 and so I was doing my research on HLN problems. From what is described in this thread (buzzing, lamps failing to light after several strikes, reseating bulb "solutions"), it sounds like the exact problem the Sony owners are having (see the "GWIII buzz" thread). Here's a theory: the Sony and HLN's have the same bulb (and balast?) manufactured by Philips and we are all seeing the same problem. Anyone care to comment?

Can't comment on that specifically, but (1) notwithstanding my situation, there seem to be a lot less of these problems with the Sammys lately and (2) Sammy seems to be a heck of a lot better than Sony at acknowledging and fixing the problem.

I really couldn't be more impressed with Samsung's service. When I scheduled an appointment for the firmware upgrade (my 467 shipped without discrete codes, so the upgrade was free), the person I spoke to at Samsung was tremendously knowledgable and friendly. When I scheduled the appointment with the NJ service center, they called me twice just to let me know that the tech would be there on time.

When the tech showed up, he was very familiar with the set and very professional. The next day, I got a courtesy call from Samsung customer service confirming that my "problem" was fixed. Not only that, the woman left me her name and direct phone number so I could call her if a problem arose!

When I called to schedule the appointment for the 3 blinking light problem, everyone was courteous and knowledgable.

Contrast this to the experiences that Sony users are having where most seemingly can't even get a Sony rep on the phone, let alone one who acknowledges the "buzzing" problem.

I was very skeptical about Samsung's quality and service prior to buying my 467w. Not anymore, even with my 3 blinking lights. It's a problem a few of us (and I know others with the sets..I'm the only one I personally know with this problem) are having, but Sammy's good about fixing it. I say, trade in your Sony!

I have had my HLM507 for one year now and I have never had one problem.
I am keeping my fingers crossed, so far so good! It's a great TV.

Been enjoying our HLM507W since 12/1/02. No problems. Works very well.

I'll probably order a lamp to have on standby though. :)

For those that have not experienced the 3 blinking lights problem:
1. Signs of bulb starting to fail when it tv takes more than 30 seconds to start.
2. After blinking lights occur, hard reset by unplugging power. Leave set unplugged for hours. Also avoid turning on when tv is cold, like during early morning.
3. Reseating the lamp may help, but did not for my case (require removing three screws, service manual only shows one).
4. Order a spare bulb, you will not regret it. These bulbs will fail.
5. Call Samsung at first sign if under warrenty, to begin the repair process.

Had my HLN 467W for about 2 to 3 months now, no problems whatsoever, knock on wood.

I had my original HLM507W for 9 months, until Samsung graciously replaced it with a new HLN507W because of a completely different problem — loud cabinet resonances (buzzing) at various mid-to-low frequencies.

I've had the HLN507W for 120 days now. Except for the resonance, I had no problems ever, with either unit. Plus the HLN507W was so well adjusted at the factory that it didn't seem to need any SM tweaking at all!

Well I originally submitted a no response to this poll about a year ago but would like to change my entry.

I bought the set during the original PB through TV Authority. Received my HLM507 in Nov. 2002 and it has been working fine until a month or two ago. Started hearing a high pitched whining sound about two months ago, which I concluded was coming from the color wheel because the sound stops when set is powered off but I can feel and barely hear that the fan continues to run for a short time after power off.

Due to a screw up with either Samsung or my local authorized service repair facility, I received the Samsung firmware upgrade (to v 309) in mid Dec. 2003. (Glad the the delay resulted in the most recent firmware version.) The set has run fine since the upgrade but the high pitched noise continued. Wednesday night I noticed the pitch of the sound was changing while I was watching TV in the evening. The picture also seemed to be dimmer as if the bulb was less intense.

Yesterday I turned the set on and the audio came on but no video. The set ran like this for about a minute and power reset itself. It powered up with audio but again no video and again power reset itself. Audio came on again with no video and then the set shut itself down and displayed the three blinking lights. I unplugged the set for a few hours, plugged it back in and turned it on. Same problem with audio and no video and it started power recycling itself again. I called Samsung last night and they opened a service ticket and contacted my nearest authorized repair location. I called the service company and they said the earliest they could visit is Jan 30.

Wow, three weeks for a service call.

As I mentioned previously, I've experienced a number of recent 3 blinking lights problems in recent weeks. Since these are occurring more and more frequently, I decided just to leave the set on (beginning Wednesday night) until Monday evening (the tech is coming Tuesday). I have friends coming over for the games this weekend, and I want to make sure my TV is working!

I have a spare bulb, so I'm not especially concerned about the lamp hours I'm using. Other than the power I'm using to keep the set on for approx 120 hours, is there anything I should be concerned about?

Well, it happended to me. My HLN 507 went dead last night with the 3 blinking lites.
Can't get repair or replacement/Tech until next Friday. Very disconcerting after only 6 months. Will try to reboot tonight to see if it works.

It's been nearly 14 months now, and my HLM437W's bulb is still going strong. *knock on wood*

The bulb in my HLM617W went bad about 3 weeks ago. I had around 500-700 hours on it. Got a replacement last week from Samsung.

Just want to update on my status of the 3-blink lights problem. After waiting over two weeks (long queue), the tech (George from CVE Inc.) showed up as scheduled. Suprisingly George brought a large box instead of just the lamp. Instead of replacing just the lamp, he replaced the whole engine assembly, which includes the lamp structure. He indicated that there was a defect in the original part that caused the lamp to not fire up, even though the lamp has not blown. Physical inspection shows lamp still looks good, no signs of burnt filament or smokey glass. To replace the engine, he took off the back cover and disconnected the connections to the engine. Took out the old, put back with new, and re-connected the connections. Fired up the tv and it was all good, except for a slight horizontal shift to the right. I was surprised he did not reset the lamp hours value (probably forgot). Whole process took about half hour. Not a problem. George was very friendly. Samsung even called to follow-up and status. This is what any service should be.

Later that night, I went to service menu and corrected the right shift using Video Essentials.

Originally posted by TAKKL
Just want to update on my status of the 3-blink lights problem. After waiting over two weeks (long queue), the tech (George from CVE Inc.) showed up as scheduled. Suprisingly George brought a large box instead of just the lamp. Instead of replacing just the lamp, he replaced the whole engine assembly, which includes the lamp structure. He indicated that there was a defect in the original part that caused the lamp to not fire up, even though the lamp has not blown. Physical inspection shows lamp still looks good, no signs of burnt filament or smokey glass. To replace the engine, he took off the back cover and disconnected the connections to the engine. Took out the old, put back with new, and re-connected the connections. Fired up the tv and it was all good, except for a slight horizontal shift to the right. I was surprised he did not reset the lamp hours value (probably forgot). Whole process took about half hour. Not a problem. George was very friendly. Samsung even called to follow-up and status. This is what any service should be.

Later that night, I went to service menu and corrected the right shift using Video Essentials.

That's exactly what George did for me. When I kept asking him what he was doing and why, he said, "I know you're asking so you can tell your friends on the TV forum what I did to fix the problem." CVE, George and Samsung really treat their customers well (at least in the NYC area).

I had the 3-blinking lights problem today on my HLN467. I've had the set for just over 2 months. I'll need to see how many hours I have on it so far.

It took a few tries before I got the set to finally come back on. The first few tries were just quick reboots, but then I left it off for about 30 minutes. That seemed to do the trick.

I'll post any further updates I have.

Originally posted by Lakesidex
Thank you sir I think your right :) Bought it on ebay and paid a fair price. in the ad it says there is a one year warranty. It also implies that the warranty is by the original manufacturer. There is also a reasonable return policy if I care to pack it down from the second floor family room. I would prefer having it fixed right where it sits if that is possible. I already love this TV and it only beebs green. Tried resetting the bulb and still nothing. I guess I will start making phone calls in the morning and see where that leads. Any suggestions are most welcome!
Hi,Lakesidex:
Mine is a Sammy hlm507w,I have the same problem with you.How did make it working?Thanks,any one can help me?

Had my HLN567W delivered 2 weeks ago. Yesterday I got the dreaded 3 blinking lights. I called Tweeter and their "rapid response" team said someone would call me within 24 to make an appointment to come out to see what the problem was. I said that was not too "rapid"! Called my salesman back, he called Tweeter headquaters who said they would replace the set. Later in the evening I went to show my wife the problem, and...you guessed it, it worked! Tried a few more times, it worked about every three tries. I still want them to replace the set. For four grand, you shouldn't have to worry whether or not your TV set will come on when you want to watch something.

Another question, it may sound stupid but I am new to this. How do you get into the service menu? It is not in the manual. Thanks, BOB

Originally posted by rstang8691
Another question, it may sound stupid but I am new to this. How do you get into the service menu? It is not in the manual. Thanks, BOB

To enter the service menu click here. (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&postid=2991093#post2991093)

htwaits, thanks for the link!

Originally posted by rstang8691
htwaits, thanks for the link!
You're welcome.

I've had my 437 for 6 month's now and if i turn the set off and turn it right back on you can hear the color wheel turning and the set trying to start 3 or 4 times then I get the 3 blinking lights. If I pull the power cord out wait a minute, the set comes back when I power up.

also I get a loud crack sound occasionaly from the set and right in the center of the screen when the set has no picture on it or a dark scene is on the screen I see a grey reflection circle. It is under warranty so I think I will return it.

On a positive note, the HDTV looks great and video games from my pc are ausome.

Mr. Blumpkin,

I had a similar problem... 3 restarts, then 3 blinking lights. After a week or so of this behavior, the bulb died. If you get a chance, you should check how many hours you have on it (via the service menu). Then I would call Samsung and get the replacement bulb ordered. It took a while for mine to come in... but I think that was a 61" issue, apparently they had plenty of bulbs for 50", etc.

-John

I had the high-pitched whine coming from my color wheel and had the optical engine replaced. With the new engine I have the blinking lights problem. I called the service guys again and they are going to replace the optical engine again (all under warranty). Seemed drastic, but as long as it's fixed...

Originally posted by superbat
Hi,Lakesidex:
Mine is a Sammy hlm507w,I have the same problem with you.How did make it working?Thanks,any one can help me?

Wow I just saw this. Sorry so late.

My problem was recurring until I figured it out.

I think there is a short somewhere.

When I push in a component cable the TV shorts out. Then a single green lamp light blinks.

With 1 set of component cables plugged in, either component 2 or 3, my HLN61 would not start. Again, just a single green lamp light blinking.

Try turning on the TV with no component cables.

If that dosn't work I would power up the tv, press in the red component cable then pull it out a couple of times.

I don't know if this is wise advise but since I had no real warranty I didn't have much to lose.

Good luck!

Experienced the 3 blinking light problem on HLN507 2 month old TV. Set was picked up by an authorized Samsung repair center who seemed like they had little experience with this set. After set pickup, I called Samsung to discuss the problem and see if there was a "high-odds" fix. Was told that, yes, it would be corrected by replacing the engine assembly which included the bulb. They called the repair shop and told them that the parts would arrive the next day along with detailed instructions of how to perform the replacement. I got 3 calls from Samsung following up on the progress. True to their word, parts were flow in overnight arrive next business day and set returned day after. Have to give Samsung a lot of credit. No hastle on this transaction and lots of customer support. Their support and followup is as brilliant as the picture on the set.

Originally posted by Your User Name:
I had the high-pitched whine coming from my color wheel and had the optical engine replaced. With the new engine I have the blinking lights problem. I called the service guys again and they are going to replace the optical engine again (all under warranty). Seemed drastic, but as long as it's fixed...

Does anyone know if replacing the engine gives you new firmware? I would guess no, but thought I'd check since the repair guy is on his way out now.

Originally posted by Your User Name:
Does anyone know if replacing the engine gives you new firmware? I would guess no, but thought I'd check since the repair guy is on his way out now.
Right. No.