My tv also has the DVI input but DVI switchers wouldn't work for me. That's why I went with the HDMI switcher with appropriate adaptors/cables. I'm just trying to save you time and frustration :)

Does anyone know how to skip Video 1 input??

I have DVI-Video 7 and Component in Video 6 input only used on this TV (KE-50WE610), and i don't want to have to cycle past Video 1 everytime i go between 6 and 7 inputs

It also makes is a pain to use with my logitech harmany remote.. i have to assign it someting in video1 just so it goes to the right place.

I know you can disable channel fix and pick other OTA/Cable channels or put it on off, bu then i still have to cycle past antenna/cable argh!

Anyone know a solution to this i would greatly appreciate the help!

Also does anyone know a cheap way to deal with being able to use 2 or even 3 devices with DVI/HDMI (the tv only has 1 DVI input) only thing i've seen is extremely expensive audio receivers that have multiple hdmi inputs...

Thanks

See page 83 of the owners manual. In the set-up menu/video label feature just choose the "Skip" option for the input.

My tv also has the DVI input but DVI switchers wouldn't work for me. That's why I went with the HDMI switcher with appropriate adaptors/cables. I'm just trying to save you time and frustration :)

Oh sorry i didn't read your post correctly, i missed that you said you couldn't get a dvi switcher to work, do you know why it wouldn't? Also do you output from the switcher with a HDMI to DVI cable?

See page 83 of the owners manual. In the set-up menu/video label feature just choose the "Skip" option for the input.

Thanks, sorry i should have mentioned.. I am able to use the skip feature for all the inputs i am not using but even when i set video 1 to skip it doesn't skip it because i have "channe fix" on and set to video 1 unfortunately it doesn't offer other inputs other then video 1 to fix to.. and if i turn off channel fix i then have to skip cable/ant (snow) when going in between inputs.

I wish i could just use video 1 instead of video six, but its component and video 1 only has svideo :(

Oh sorry i didn't read your post correctly, i missed that you said you couldn't get a dvi switcher to work, do you know why it wouldn't? Also do you output from the switcher with a HDMI to DVI cable?

No problem :) I don't know why it wouldn't work. Yes from the switcher I run an HDMI to DVI cable.

Wookatok,

That's funny, the same thing happened to me, when I called the tech (under 1 year W) he replaced the entire lcd array. He claimed that it was a broken lcd. Mine would seem to change and even disappear over time but always came back. The problem is that malfunction is in only one of the three lcd's so it disappears from time to time. In the service menu there is a setting to display a solid primary color over the whole screen. Check it out to see if it's really gone. If it is, this might save an expensive repair on a mis-diagnosed problem for someone else (thank God mine was covered).

Wookatok,
The problem is that malfunction is in only one of the three lcd's so it disappears from time to time. In the service menu there is a setting to display a solid primary color over the whole screen. Check it out to see if it's really gone.

Probably the same as in the GWIVs....In the DCP-INT menu, RON, BON, GON can be toggled 1 to 0 to turn off each panel singly or in any combination.

Read the cautions and procedures under GWIII tweak topics if the service menu is going where you have not gone before.

On my 70XBR950 the RON, BON, and GON in the DCP-INT menu seem to have no effect. I've been hoping that someone would come up with a way to isolate the LCD panels. It would make accurate setting of color saturation and hue, and adjusting color decoder settings much easier.

If anyone has been successful in isolating the panels on a GWIII, please share how you did it.

Wookatok,

That's funny, the same thing happened to me, when I called the tech (under 1 year W) he replaced the entire lcd array. He claimed that it was a broken lcd. Mine would seem to change and even disappear over time but always came back. The problem is that malfunction is in only one of the three lcd's so it disappears from time to time. In the service menu there is a setting to display a solid primary color over the whole screen. Check it out to see if it's really gone. If it is, this might save an expensive repair on a mis-diagnosed problem for someone else (thank God mine was covered).


I'm keeping my fingers crossed, everything is normal now since the one time event. I'll let you know if that changes.

-James

On my 70XBR950 the RON, BON, and GON in the DCP-INT menu seem to have no effect. I've been hoping that someone would come up with a way to isolate the LCD panels. It would make accurate setting of color saturation and hue, and adjusting color decoder settings much easier.

If anyone has been successful in isolating the panels on a GWIII, please share how you did it.

Very strange, it should. You may want to post or PM to UMR for any suggestions, as he has been the primary king of GW tweaks around here.

Very strange, it should. You may want to post or PM to UMR for any suggestions, as he has been the primary king of GW tweaks around here.

I asked on UMR's thread some time back. I don't believe he ever figured out how. I'm not sure why RON BON and GON don't work. Maybe there's a hidden toggle somewhere.

So a while back I was able to hook up my PC via DVI to my GWIII.

I recently switched to Cable/DVR (Adelphia, yeah, yeah, they were the only ones in my area for the interweb), and it has DVI out. Last night, I spent hours trying to pass the signal, no luck.

If I recall correctly wasn't there a shared something input or something? As in, if you had input XXX used the DVI wouldn't? could it be my cable? It's a standard DVI-D.

Tim Hess,

Same thing happened to me. I use my TV as a HTPC over DVI. Just for a lark, I tried my HDTV cablebox over DVI and no go. Turned out, after a long conversation w/ the cable support folks (the dv-what port, huh?) that the company had chosen not to activate the DVI port on my Motorolla box. Reason? none given. You might have the same problem, especially if you can get your pc to synch.

Isolating the RGB panels,

Sorry, I saw it done, but it was the tech who was fiddling, and the last thing you want to say around a guy who's doing warranty work for you is "hey I piss around in the SM all the time, how'd you do that!" I'm pretty sure it's a no-no.

I asked on UMR's thread some time back. I don't believe he ever figured out how. I'm not sure why RON BON and GON don't work. Maybe there's a hidden toggle somewhere.

Maybe that's true regarding the XBR or there is something else gone astray.
UMR gave me speciific instructions on my GWIV regarding doing some grayscale adjustments, and turning off BON as part of the adjustment. It worked fine, more than once.

I will find what he posted and see if there was some previous setup to do it, but I highly doubt there is.

Isolating the RGB panels,

Sorry, I saw it done, but it was the tech who was fiddling, and the last thing you want to say around a guy who's doing warranty work for you is "hey I piss around in the SM all the time, how'd you do that!" I'm pretty sure it's a no-no.

I can see a tech using the SM to isolate a problem. Which is likely what he was doing. I would imagine they don't venture into the SM unless there is an obvious problem. But it would be best to act ignorant around them, even if you know more than they do. which does no take much stretch of the imagination.

Tim Hess,

Same thing happened to me. I use my TV as a HTPC over DVI. Just for a lark, I tried my HDTV cablebox over DVI and no go. Turned out, after a long conversation w/ the cable support folks (the dv-what port, huh?) that the company had chosen not to activate the DVI port on my Motorolla box. Reason? none given. You might have the same problem, especially if you can get your pc to synch.

I haven't tried to synch my PC, this was a few months ago. I am going to try it out tonight to see if what you mentioned is the reason. I still can't find the info on if Input 7 us shared with anything.

A couple of thread pages back some folks mentioned the screen going black for a few moments then coming back. I didn't see a "resolution" to the discussion.

This has happened to me twice in the last couple of weeks also. Has not happened while watching a DVD (but we watch a lot more tv than DVD).

I have a KF42WE610 with Direct TV and a Hughes E86.

Back when all the GWIII's had the bad Phillips bulbs I too had mine replaced and it should have plenty of life left but if it's a bulb issue, what "should be" the case doens't really matter and with Football upon us, I don't want to get stuck.

Does anyone know anything more about this topic?

If its going black while on the DVI input, I'd venture to say that its loosing the handshake with the source device.

Just some interesting tidbits I got from my friendly neighborhood Tweeter service tech during a "checkup" on my GWIII (it's part of my extended warranty)...

My set was delivered in early December 2003 and has less than 1600 hours on it. I guess the lamp is rated for 4000-6000 hours. But the tech told me he'd just done one of the checkup visits on a GWIII that had 8300 hours...on the original bulb! He said the guy had the set running 12+ hours on an average day.

He also mentioned that my set had the "version 2" engine, meaning that it should be much more reliable than version 1. I know there were some tweaks by Sony early in the WE series, but didn't specifically remember anything about the optical engine.

He also showed me where the set monitors some environmental factors like operating temperature for diagnostic purposes. Didn't know that...pretty cool.

More reasons to love this set, I guess.

No DVI in play with my current set up.

Talked to a friend who is more into the scene than me ( he owns a 60" XBR) and he didn't think it sounded like the TV itself. He qualified that by saying he couldn't really know with out looking at the tv.

The post with the other owners discussing this is kind of old. Was wondering if the problem continues for them or if it "fixed itself". LOL I know that doesn't actually happen.

Audio stays, video goes, it's only happened twice and it doesn't last long and comes back on its own. Is this how sun spots work?

That's great wookatok, it took me about 12 hours for all the lines to disappear. I did it while watching regular tv. It's been more than a month now and so far it's OK. I hope yours should be fine too. It's hard to believe that something like this can happen. The service guy gave me a follow up call & I told him that it fixed by itself, he told me that it's a 'miracle'! Enjoy your TV.
And by the way, if your purple lines do come back and refuse to go away no matter how long you leave the TV on for, you will need to have the optics / LCD engine replaced. Fortunately, despite rumors to the contrary, having Sony In-Home Service do the work costs a grand total of about $335 (including parts and labor), even if your set is no longer in warranty.

Just thought I'd share that tid-bit; it's nowhere near the cost that some third-party places were quoting for a complete LCD panel replacement.

In the last two weeks I have noticed a small (baseball-sized) red blur, very faint, in the center of the screen on my 60" GWIII. It only shows on an empty black screen (like when I first turn it on or when I have turned it off and the image is gone but the lamp has not yet shut off). Looking at it closely it does not appear to have the definition and brightness of a "stuck pixel".

What might this be, and how would I correct it?

Thanks!

It sounds like a problem I had that's been given the name of a "crop circle"
It's dust somewhere in the light path.

Do a search on crop circles and you'll find lots of people have/had simular problems.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=520524

Re: bulb life, I'm also on my original bulb, Oct 03 build, TV has been on a few hours at least every day. I would like to know out of curiousity how many hours are on the bulb, where in the SM is it listed?

Also, I have had the problem where occasionally the bulb doesn't go off when TV is turned off, and volume is locked (green bar indicator will go up and down, but actual volume doesn't change), which is "fixed" by unplugging TV. Also problem with changing inputs. This has happened 3-4 times since I've owned it. Has there been a definitive diagnosis/fix for this problem?

Number 9, thanks for the info and the link!!!

I posted this as a different thread but thought I'd stick it in here as well. Searched around on the board a bit for this issue (as well as a brief search of this thread) but didn't come up with any answers to the problem I'm experiencing.

I'm having an issue with my two-year old 60" GWIII. Can't post pics for a couple of days to illustrate the problem because I'm stuck at work.

Problem became noticeable yesterday during football games (Sunday ticket via DirecTivo fed to GWIII with component). Whenever there is a bright orange or red area (think helmet or stripe on players' pants), it looked the the color was bleeding or smearing a bit.

On closer inspection, it appears that the red/orange pixels are misaligned with where they should be. For example, when there are a few red pixels outside on the right side of a player's helmet, there is no red on the left side of the helmet where there should have been.

I monkeyed around with color settings with no affect. I'm guessing that there is a slight misconvergence in the panels that only shows up in situations like the vibrant colors of team uniforms.

Anyone experience this or something similar on a GWIII?

BTW, I do have an extended warranty. Maybe time for an upgrade?

I posted this as a different thread but thought I'd stick it in here as well. Searched around on the board a bit for this issue (as well as a brief search of this thread) but didn't come up with any answers to the problem I'm experiencing.

I'm having an issue with my two-year old 60" GWIII. Can't post pics for a couple of days to illustrate the problem because I'm stuck at work.

Problem became noticeable yesterday during football games (Sunday ticket via DirecTivo fed to GWIII with component). Whenever there is a bright orange or red area (think helmet or stripe on players' pants), it looked the the color was bleeding or smearing a bit.

On closer inspection, it appears that the red/orange pixels are misaligned with where they should be. For example, when there are a few red pixels outside on the right side of a player's helmet, there is no red on the left side of the helmet where there should have been.


I monkeyed around with color settings with no affect. I'm guessing that there is a slight misconvergence in the panels that only shows up in situations like the vibrant colors of team uniforms.

Anyone experience this or something similar on a GWIII?

BTW, I do have an extended warranty. Maybe time for an upgrade?

If the defect is consistent with all program material, DVD, broadcast, etc. it is likely due to a misalignment in the light engine or defective LCD panel. The latter being the most likely cause.
Check it out with Avia, etc and see if you get similar results with test patterns.
If so, time to call for service. You paid for the plan, might as well use it.


BTW: There are no convergence adjustments. Projection alignments are fixed...

I am experiencing a problem I have not seen in this tread. My GW III is just 1 year old and the other night it seems that it has lost a significant amount of brightness. I have had no problems with the bulb firing up at all, it is just that the dark HD shows like CSI and Sopranos are extremely dark, to the point that I need to turn off the lights in the room to feel like I can really see what is going on. It is sort of like when you turn it on and the picture gradually brightens, seems dark overall and then quickly goes to full brightness, but mine seems to be stopping short of that fully bright state. I have not recently made any changes to any settings, I always leave it in Pro mode and a long time ago adjusted that to settings i got from this forum.
Anyone experienced anything like this?

Creditmaster,
It sounds like your bulb is about to go out.

Could someone tell me how to add an attachment to a post? I have a photo I would like to show on the GWIII. I was able to download it to the screenshots section but cannot figure out how to put a link here so you fine folk can take a look. Thanks.

Blasst

Instead of using "quick reply", use "Post Reply" found to the left of "Forum Jump"

JimP, I did try the post reply. Excuse my "ignorance" but I do not know how to insert photo etc, without some instructions. Could you walk me through the process. Like I mentioned before the screen shot is in the Screen shot forum. I just need to get it over here as a link for you guys to look at.

Blasst

Check your PMs. I'll send the instructions there.

http://gallery.avsforum.com/showphoto.php/photo/16839/cat/508 Thanks to JimP for helping me figure out how to link a photo:) Anyhow this is a screen shot of my brothers 50 inch Sony GWIII. In the photo he has his computer hooked up to it. The scribble stays on through all inputs dvd, vhs, cable, etc. Looks like a kid took a crayon to it:) Any ideas on what this could be?

I had this problem and Sony had to replace the optical engine. Very expensive!

garysm99. So your problem looked very similar to the screen shot? What are we looking at $$ wise to replace the optical engine? Thanks.

Hey everyone,

Kind of interesting watching this thread over time and seeing what kind of problems have developed with these sets.

I have owned a KF-50WE610 since Sept/03 and have really had no problems to date. However.... On bright screens (white or solid colors) the tv is presenting two possibly similar issues:

1. In one section there is a blob about three inces in dia. that varies in color depending on the background but it appears cyan when on white a white screen.

2. On the opposite side of the screen, there appears to be finger prints (or at least that's the best way to describe them) that are randomly spaced and appear reddish pink when on a white screen.

I am having a tech come out later this week for a cleaning, and to inspect the issues since I'm still well within my 5 yr. extended warranty so my question is this:

I have an HTPC connected to the TV via DVI. Has anyone had their computer connected when the tech arrived and if so, did the tech say anything about it or your warranty?? I'm 99% positive the issues I am seeing are not related to the HTPC but I know Sony says that they do not support PC's on this set and someone even posted an email from Sony a year or so ago saying that connecting a PC would void the warranty so....

Thanks for any help you can provide,

Michael

To replace the optical engine with extended warranty coverage was $1700 Canadian.

I have a KF-50WE610 manufactured in January 2004. A couple of weeks ago when I went to power on the unit it failed to fire the lamp. Instead, of a nice bright picture I had a black screen, a faint buzzing sound and a flashing red lamp light. I reseated the lamp and after a couple of power resets the TV came back to life. It worked fine for a week before acting up again. This time I decided to replace the bulb and at first it appeared to work. The next day my son was watching TV when the picture went blank. Now I'm back to the same buzzing sound and a flashing red lamp with no picture. The local Sony repair shop thinks it's a bad driver board, a $300 repair and the hassle of lugging my set into the shop.

Has anyone else encountered these symptoms? Should I expect more from a $3k TV that I've owned for a mere 18 months? Should I call Sony and ask for assistance? Any advice or similar stories would be greatly appreciated.

--Chris

I would check with Sony first. They may have a recall . What you are telling is if the lamp blew. What does the lamp look like you took out ? It should look like glass crystals inside.....

http://gallery.avsforum.com/showphoto.php/photo/16839/cat/508 Thanks to JimP for helping me figure out how to link a photo:) Anyhow this is a screen shot of my brothers 50 inch Sony GWIII. In the photo he has his computer hooked up to it. The scribble stays on through all inputs dvd, vhs, cable, etc. Looks like a kid took a crayon to it:) Any ideas on what this could be?


Blasst, I had a similar problem with my GWIII and posted to this thread. Search this thread for "Purple Lines" to check the history. I got a tip from a member who experienced the same problem. I just left the set on with a video/TV input until the lines dissappeared. It's been over 2 months and have not had a problem. It took about 12 hours for all the lines to dissappear.

Hope this helps,

-James

G.B.:

Both the original lamp and the new lamp appear fine. If I gently shake them I can't hear any loose pieces inside the lamp housing. So, I guess I could have one of two problems:

(1) Original lamp failed before it's time (18 mos) and the new lamp was a dud.
(2) Something in the lamp driver assembly is having issues.

But I will give Sony a call and see what assistance they can offer.

--Chris

Ok, Hope They can help . No fun being down. All of the above could be true. My bad lamp looked like a blown fuse with small glass crystals inside lose. When i replaced all ok. They have 90 Day's on your new bulb. They may want to try another. If a service man was close this may be the fastest option....

I hope it doesn't cost you an arm and a leg to get it fixed. Please keep us posted!

To replace the optical engine with extended warranty coverage was $1700 Canadian.
As I noted previously in this thread... Full replacement of the optical engine by Sony In-Home Service in the US, with a set which was out of warranty and had absolutely no extended warranty whatsoever, was around $335 US. This includes diagnosis, parts (optical engine and DCI box), and labor.

This resolves the "purple crayon" issue. So don't be scared to get this repaired if you have this issue; the cost (from Sony) is nothing like what various third party places wind up quoting or charging.

Hello everyone,

I'm still looking for a way to individually shut down the primary colors (the individual LCD's) on a KDF-70XBR950. Being able to display only blue would improve my accuracy of setting color saturation and hue. Using filters gets me close, but I believe I'm still getting some green through my blue filter.

It's a wonderful thing that the GWIII has color decoder adjustment, so you can turn down the red push. But again being able to isolate the primary colors (Red, Blue, and Green) sure would make it easy to get the color decoder perfectly adjusted.

KC-Technerd,

Kodak makes some filters that cost around $50 a piece that does a better job of eliminating the leakage you mention. If you're interested (at that price) I'll dig through my material to see what the numbers are.

As you mentioned, a better alternative is being able to isolate the different colors with some kind of service menu switch. I don't recall it ever mentioned on this GWIII thread that you could actually do that. As you're interested in the 70XBR950, you may have better luck in that thread.

KC-Tecknerd , This would be places to look. Later two would be the best. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?threadid=481634 http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=465144&page=1&pp=30 http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=320952 Saved the last for best. What you are looking for was in the menu , heading for the Lamp timer. 1 was on, & 0 was off. I did not try it for I got mine looking good with filters.... G.B.http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadhttp://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=331875id=331875

JimP, and G.B.,

Thanks for the replies. I've done some hunting around on the threads you've mentioned.

What looks obvious, and apparently works on the GWIV, are the items labeled GON, BON, and RON under the DCP-INT header in the service menu. All have a value of 1 in the register, and can be set to either 1 or 0. I have set values on these to 0 individually and even done the "mute - enter" to write the setting. After doing so, there is no apparent change in the picture whatsoever (all colors still on).

I found a post from UMR that said that these settings did not work on the GWIII. So far, I've been unable to find any posts suggesting that anyone has successfully found a method of individually turning off the primary colors individually.

My guess would be that there is some hidden toggle to activate these settings, thus allowing someone to move through the service menu with all three colors showing, then activating the settings once you are at the service menu item that you actually wish to adjust.

G.B.

I'm not sure which heading you mean by "heading for the Lamp timer". Are you referring to DCP-INT?

I don't have a remote here but when you enter the menu & go to I call it up to UMR"s settings. You Will See LAMP SETTINGS & One Say's LAMP Time With 03579 EXAMPLE Would be 3,579 Hours. Do You have a manual ? http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=362324&page=1&pp=30 GWIII Settings. I could tell you the difference not much for XBR 950. Have You tried the DCP- ADJ 1 Blue Drive , or Blue Cut.....don't record what you may not want your set to do , in this kind of settings for your test.

Lamp Time = Enter Service Menu , for UMR's Settings You Up Display on Button 2 of your remote. In this case You Down Display by using 5 button. Look for Option E ....First thing should be Number 0 .... Lamp Time ..... 000402 = 402 Hr's. This format looks funny but do not try to change anything here. This is for a reading only. If your lamp blows it is like the miles on Your car . Take a reading with Your New Lamp so you can keep track of Lamp hours. Summer I use High Altitude to keep the lamp Cooler . On some models Power Saver , Cinema Black lowers your watts on the lamp for hope longer life ?

G.B.

I think I may have picked up something that you were suggesting for someone else, and mistakenly thought meant it was for me.

It looked like you were saying that there was something under "heading for the lamp timer" was a way of displaying only one of the three primary color LCDs at a time. Is this correct?

I'm not trying to get any info on the lamp time.

K C , I can not keep up with all three forums. One of them some one asked about the Lamp Timer. I am trying to find what you are looking for. I found another place in the menu & gave you a sugestion. Sorry , It would be on UMR does or XBR 950.Remember only do what some one has done you can mess things up . Like you know you found the B on = o or 1 & that don't do it. Sometimes some one say's they can, but if it don't work let's find out the one thats true or some one you can trust. Sometimes I try to do two questions at one time.

G.B.

No problems. I was just trying to make sure if the "Lamp Timer" was pertinent to what I was trying to do or not. I posted to many of the threads you provided, and I found other useful info on some of those threads, so the links you provided were quite helpful.

I'm always thrilled to find any info that works toward getting a better picture on my Sony. It's such a capable digital display device. Like so many other manufacturers, they sure don't make it easy to take advantage of those capabilities, as it's easier to market a TV than a precision digital display.

Thanks!

It is easyer to find things if you have a list of what all of it looks like. Could email a Manual if you need. The second set of things I told you about is how to set the gray scale. You may be able to turn down each color to do your test.

I have turned down the colors to adjust the color decoder. I still end up having to use a color filter because turning them all the way down still doesn't turn them all the way off. It works great, except for the green. I think I'm very close to correct. But I'd still feel better if I could get it perfect.

On a previous set I owned, (32XBR800) I set the color with the filters. Some time later I found how to shut down the individual color guns on it. I found that I was close using the filters, but still a little bit off. (Maybe I'm too much of a perfectionist.)

G.B. Sent you a P.M. about the service manual.

Sorry, don't see your PM.

I purchased the Sony KDF-E42A10 several weeks ago and the screen after 6 days changed to green fuzz. The repair guy came out to look at it and said the Q-Box, which he referred to as the digital processor, was defective. Has anyone else had a problem with this?

hello, ive been searching for more information on my tv KDF-E42a10 on this forum and nothing really comes up. i am noob, but i do my research before posting. i would like to use the convergence feature, if it has any. will the other sony service codes work with this tv? i think my reds are off a tad. i had a sammy before and had the service codes for it, but this sony has more features. can somebody please lead me to the right direction. also, is there a dedicated thread for this tv that i dont know about. thanks a bunch

A couple of weeks ago I reported the death of my Sony KF-50WE610 (manufactured in Jan 2004). The screen had gone black and replacing the bulb only initially worked. A day later the unit failed again in exactly the same manner with the new bulb installed.

It turns out the driver board was the culprit and it blew out my original bulb. Luckily, the new bulb was unharmed even though it was attached to the faulty board for a day. The ultimate repair cost was $636:

$200 for the new bulb
$193 for the driver board
$243 for labor and tax on the above

Just after I received the call from the TV repair shop I called Sony support (800-222-7669). With very little aggravation they agreed to cover 50% of the repair cost (parts and labor). I probably could have pursued a larger refund but they were so easy to deal with I just let it stand.

Hopefully I can find the time to pick up my TV this week. I don't think I can watch this old 27 inch tube set much longer (even though it is a Wega :)).

--Chris

is it a good option to purchase a service plan with these lcd rptv? how long does an average bulb last? for $300 you can have the tv covered for 3yrs in home repair. is it worth the money?

2000 hours, but mine is currently at 4700 hrs.

che2cbs, thanks for the update. This gives me a good idea of what to expect if I ever need to get my GWIII repaired.

2000 hours, but mine is currently at 4700 hrs.

I thought the rated lifetime was 8000 hrs with a half-life of 4000.

Mine is currently at 1987 and I've noticed a slight dimming in picture brightness. I've had my set for 17 months now with no problems.

Is there someplace in the SM that tells you how much your lamp has degraded? A temperature reading or something similar. (Other than number of hours used of course.)

Arrrgghhhh!!!!!

Three hours after my post my lamp blows!

Like I said, 1987 hours...is this the norm? Think Sony will replace at no cost. The lamp is a Phillips model.

I thought the rated lifetime was 8000 hrs with a half-life of 4000.

Mine is currently at 1987 and I've noticed a slight dimming in picture brightness. I've had my set for 17 months now with no problems.

Is there someplace in the SM that tells you how much your lamp has degraded? A temperature reading or something similar. (Other than number of hours used of course.)


Where in the SM can I get bulb hours?? I think my bulb is nearing the lifetime.

Arrrgghhhh!!!!!

Three hours after my post my lamp blows!

Like I said, 1987 hours...is this the norm? Think Sony will replace at no cost. The lamp is a Phillips model.

Most of the original Phillip lamps failed at 2,000 hours. The replacements seem to last closer to 6,000 hours. ...and the color is better. I noticed that grayscale shifted a lot more on the original bulb than the replacement.

too bad about your lamp...
mine is the second gen phillips bulb.

Where in the SM can I get bulb hours?? I think my bulb is nearing the lifetime.

Once you get into the SM press 5 for category down until you see OPTION-E in the top left-hand corner. You'll see on the 2nd or 3rd line on the left LAMP and over to the right side on the same line is the number of hours.

Thanks Jimp...didn't know that about the 2000 hr limit. Looks like I may have a chance on getting a free replacement.

Once you get into the SM press 5 for category down until you see OPTION-E in the top left-hand corner. You'll see on the 2nd or 3rd line on the left LAMP and over to the right side on the same line is the number of hours.

Dynot, thanks! According to the SM, my bulb is appx 3500 hours and counting. Hopefully, my bulb will approach the 8000 life span.

Mine OSRAM died on 3800+ hours...
No sign of dimmer picture, but hard to turn on and keep buzzing.

Good luck.

How do you get into the service menu?

How do you get into the service menu?


click and read

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=331875

Re-post:

I recently 'adjusted' my GWIII to show someone what normal broadcast feeds look like stretched/zoomed and standard 4:3.

I can't switch it back to any stretch mode.

My cable box is set to 'Wide Mode', the only option for 16:9 sets.
The TV options (which are a tad confusing) has 4:3 'default set to OFF (as stated in the manual); with wide mode set to 'wide zoom'.

This should essentially set all 4:3 material, any input, to wide zoom, yet any 4:3 feed is still 4:3 (anything widescreen is fine).

Anyone run into this?

--

I moved this post to this thread as it might be looked at a bit faster =)

Re-post:

I recently 'adjusted' my GWIII to show someone what normal broadcast feeds look like stretched/zoomed and standard 4:3.

I can't switch it back to any stretch mode.

My cable box is set to 'Wide Mode', the only option for 16:9 sets.
The TV options (which are a tad confusing) has 4:3 'default set to OFF (as stated in the manual); with wide mode set to 'wide zoom'.

This should essentially set all 4:3 material, any input, to wide zoom, yet any 4:3 feed is still 4:3 (anything widescreen is fine).

Anyone run into this?

--

I moved this post to this thread as it might be looked at a bit faster =)

Sounds like your cable box may be upconverting everything to 1080i or 720p in that wide mode setting. Have you tried any analog TV off the air? Can you change wide modes while watching 4:3 material from your cable box? What other modes does your cable box have? (Not just the ones for 16:9 sets.)

If you want the TV to always go to wide zoom for 4:3 material (480i or p), set the 4:3 default to wide zoom. However the TV cannot change the aspect ratio of any 4:3 material (meaning with side bars) thats been upconverted to 1080i or 720p.

Question about Lamp time in the service menu...

Just checked mine, showing 4527hrs... which has to be incorrect i replaced the bulb in February this year, and that would mean I've had the TV on 15hrs a day every day for the past 248 days...

So my question is did somehow the lamp hours not get reset when i changed the bulb? Because 4527 is actually about right for the amount of time i've owned my set. First bulb blew at what i estimated ~2000 hours or so.

How does the lamp hours get reset?

quik

You have to go into the service menu and reset the bulb hrs for it to reset to "0". Otherwise, its cumulative until reset.

Ah ok that would explain it lol... thanks!

You wouldn't happen to know the exact numbers to hit to reset the hours do you?

Hate to change something under that category incorrectly :(

Just wanted to let everyone know, it turns out my red "crop circle" was diagnosed as an "internal reflection" or somesuch, and between that and some slight fuzzing of the picture around the edges (particularly white letters on black background), it justified a new optical unit under extended warranty. Now everything is as crisp (or even crisper) than it ever was. :-)

Extended warranties are a definite must with something like this!!!

wintermute

Any idea how many hours you had on your set?

Dealing with a small issue with my set that may (I'm waiting to hear back from Sears' repairman) require replacement of the light engine.

Just curious if replacement engines are closer to those used in more recent GW models or the same part used in the GWIII. Has anyone who has had a swap found the new engine to be an "upgrade" over the old one (prior to it going south, of course)?

bump

Nubie here,

The bulb in my Jan 2004 KF50WE610 just died. I get the 3 buzz's and nothing...

Question: Has anybody thought of placing a voltage line conditioner on the TV? I was thinking of one of a small UPS that does conditioning. I know ignition is rather hard on the bulb and was hoping that giving the TV conditioned voltage might prolong the life of the bulb. Wishfull thinking, or not?

Also, has anyone taken the bulb out of the chassis (the black plastic and metal box) and looked for a replacement bulb without the chassis? I would think there would be something avaliable out there. Some of you might say "why bother" but when you only get < 1600 hours out of a $200 bulb your mind begins to wonder about alternatives...

Regardless, I love the TV. It's just to bad that I've been unable to watch the Sox in HD (now that it's over).

Nubie here,

The bulb in my Jan 2004 KF50WE610 just died. I get the 3 buzz's and nothing...

Question: Has anybody thought of placing a voltage line conditioner on the TV? I was thinking of one of a small UPS that does conditioning. I know ignition is rather hard on the bulb and was hoping that giving the TV conditioned voltage might prolong the life of the bulb. Wishfull thinking, or not?

...

I don't think that the lamp life will be extended with an UPS. I think it depends more on how many time you have turn it on and off. Since I got mine I have always made sure that if I don't have time to watch for at least 20 minutes, I just don't turn my tv on.

wintermute

Any idea how many hours you had on your set?

I have to confess, I was so absorbed in the whole process of replacing the optical engine, I forgot to ask. The tech was from Erol's (Myer Emco subs the warranty work out to them) and he didn't even touch the service menu. He did say that it was likely to be higher usage than I thought it was... I was thinking that I only use it maybe 10 hrs/wk max, because we have an older Sony RP in our family room that we use ALL the time. I should have had him check the hours. It dates from like Oct-Nov 2003.

After reading about all these lamp failures I have to say my curiosity was piqued, so I just checked my lamp hours and it's at 6343 and still going strong. I feel fortunate! But of course I fear now my lamp may go at any time. I bought my set in Oct 03, GWIII 50". I've always had my TV plugged into a line conditioner so maybe that does help? What's the most number of hours people have seen on a lamp before going south?

WOW 6K hours on a single lamp... VERY Impressive. Could you tell us what line conditioner you are using?

Well, as I posted a couple of weeks ago I lost both my lamp and driver board at approximately 2000 hours. The entire time I've had my TV it's been plugged into a line conditioner.

WOW 6K hours on a single lamp... VERY Impressive. Could you tell us what line conditioner you are using?

MonsterPower HTS2000, purchased several years ago for about $125 I think. Certainly not high end, but I'm not complaining. :-)

Recently my television has started making a "squeaking" noise. I believe it is coming from the area around the cooling fan. It almost sounds like a mouse running on a wheel. Any ideas if there is anything I can do to fix or what might be causing the noise?

Hi. I bought my GWIII in January 2004, and have had no problems whatsoever until now. A few days ago, the picture started intermittently going black for a couple seconds, then coming back to normal. It happens anywhere from 0-4 or so times per half hour. Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks!

madlin,

I've not heard of that one before.

Probably best to call service on it. You did have the extended warranty, right?

Madlin,

Does it happen on all inputs (DVD, VCR,...), or is it only on Broadcast TV (SD or HD)? I was wondering if it was a faulty receiver (Cable box, SAT box). You know, like you are losing the signal.

Recently I was having a similar (or perhaps the same problem) only when watching DVD's through my DVI connnection. The problem ended up being my Gefen switcher. I have 2 DVI sources so I need a switcher. Anyways I sent my switcher to Gefen for repair and a firmware upgrade and the problem went away.

Recently I was having a similar (or perhaps the same problem) only when watching DVD's through my DVI connnection. The problem ended up being my Gefen switcher. I have 2 DVI sources so I need a switcher. Anyways I sent my switcher to Gefen for repair and a firmware upgrade and the problem went away.


It happens with all inputs, including with satellite and over the air tv.

My bulb's at 4800 hrs (original) with no line conditioner, and I turn it on and off a lot.

This may be a question for someone like UMR?

On my 42we610 I can adjust the colours so that RYB, RYR set red correctly while looking at the DVE colour bar pattern (i.e. all red areas are uniform), but I cannot get all green areas uniform by adjusting GYB & GYR in any way.

Is this normal for this TV?
Should I adjust GYB & GYR so it approximates as best I can to uniform green while looking through the green filter, or should I just leave green at the default settings?-

JoeFigueiredo,

Are you using the green filter from DVE? The green filter included with either DVE or Avia leaks a considerable amount of blue light, which makes it virtually useless for adjusting GYB and GYR. Your red is probably a little off too as all these filters leak a little bit of other colors. The green is by far the worst though.

The best way to adjust the color decoder would be to turn off the individual LCD panels for green, red, and blue, except for the color you were trying to set. There are items in the service menu for RON, GON, and BON (Red ON, Green ON, and Blue ON). I know these don't work on the XBR sets, but I'm not sure if anyone has tried them on the other GWIIIs.

I ended up turning the drives and cuts on the gray scale adjustments all the way down for the colors I wasn't working on. I'm still not completely happy with the green though. Even setting the drives and cuts to zero doesn't completely shut down the individual colors, and there's still enough blue leaking through the filter to throw off the results somewhat. I still get a somewhat unnatural looking green a few programs. Other times it looks great. I do think I'm closer than the default. I sure wish someone would come up with the way to shut down the primary colors individually. I'm sure there has to be some way to do it.

Thanks, good info.

I am using DVE. I'll try the drives & cuts method.

Thanks, good info.

I am using DVE. I'll try the drives & cuts method.


I think I neglected to mention that I used that in combination with the filters. I still found the green difficult to set. GYB and GYR seemed somewhat interactive.

Ok, woke up this morning, turned the GWIII on and on every input I get multi-coloured blocking all over the screen. I can still see what is on the screen, but the colours are totally wacked...almost like looking through a stained glass window.

Any idea what's going on? Is it a sign my bulb is about to go or is it some other problem?

I'm calling my extended warranty provider right now to arrange a service call, but I'm hoping it's only just the bulb as I do have 4800 hours on it.

multi-coloured blocking is not a characteristic of bulb problems.

I turned the TV on and it was there, then I turned it off, waited 2 minutes, turned it back on and it was still here. Then turned it off, waited an hour, turned it on and everything is fine now.

Any ideas what it could be? Never had a problem with this TV yet.

Ok, the lamp thing had me curious too. I just checked mine and it's at 6,694 on the original bulb. Mine was purchased in Oct/Nov 03, but not sure what the build date is.

Questions: Should I go ahead and purchase an extra bulb to have on hand when it goes out? Should I just replace it now? Do most people replace their own bulbs or have a technician do it? I seem to remember directions in the manual on how to replace it. I now feel like its a ticking bomb ready to go any moment.......

Maybe it's a few thousand posts back in this thread somewhere, but how do you get into the service menu to check the lamp hours?

Ok, the lamp thing had me curious too. I just checked mine and it's at 6,694 on the original bulb. Mine was purchased in Oct/Nov 03, but not sure what the build date is.

Questions: Should I go ahead and purchase an extra bulb to have on hand when it goes out? Should I just replace it now? Do most people replace their own bulbs or have a technician do it? I seem to remember directions in the manual on how to replace it. I now feel like its a ticking bomb ready to go any moment.......

The bulbs are user replacable and yes, most people replace their own bulbs.

My Sears extended warranty covers bulbs. What I did was have a spare on hand to replace the original faulty Phillips bulb that went out at around 2,000 hrs. The Sears service tech ordered me a replacement, although I already had my replacement installed. In my situation, I basically had to pay the $225 to have a spare on hand to eliminate any downtime. From the time I called Sears to the time their replacement bulb arrived was 2 weeks.

If my memory serves me right, service menu can be achieve by: display, 5, volume+, power.

But anyone knows how to reset the lamp hour? Thanks.

I think I neglected to mention that I used that in combination with the filters. I still found the green difficult to set. GYB and GYR seemed somewhat interactive.

Best thing I ever did to tweak the TV next to UMR's greyscale settings. I adjusted my GYB down and my GYR a little down, and slightly recalibrated the RYR & RYB, and the colours and definition on my tv has never looked better.

You are right, couldn't get green to be completely uniform though no matter what I did, but very close.

Joe,

The green filters that come with Avia and DVE leak enough blue to make them fairly useless.

On the positive side, it seems to me that green on axis "0" is fairly accurate using a higher quality Kodak filter that doesn't leak blue.

Any suggestions on where to buy a bulb other than Sony web site, or is that really the best (and inexpensive) place to purchase a bulb?

Check ebay

They were on Amazon too for a while.

I'm looking for feedback from anyone that's done the umr service menu tweaks on their GWIII. I finally got enough nerve to venture into the service menu last night and I didn't find it very intimidating at all. I didn't have time to make all the recommended changes last night so I thought I'd just change the AXIS values reduce red push. 1080I and 720P resolutions for the DVI input were set at 2 . I reduced both of those values to 0. 480P for my DVI input was already at 0 so I left it alone. I recalibrated with the Avia disc when I was done. When I looked at the Color Decoder Check test screen, I noticed I was pushing red 12%. I'd be curious to hear what others are experiencing. I guess I was expecting within 5% of 0. Are the Avia filters accurate? Are there other parameters to change in the service menu that affect red push?

I finally got enough nerve to venture into the service menu last night and I didn't find it very intimidating at all.
What exact steps did you take to get into the service menu and to check the hours on your lamp? Also, how do you get out of it when you're done?

What exact steps did you take to get into the service menu and to check the hours on your lamp? Also, how do you get out of it when you're done?

I didn't even look at lamp hours when I was in the service menu last night. I was just looking for AXIS so I could adjust red push. I imagine you just keep working your way sequentially through the various parameters until you see a parameter that looks like LAMP. There should be a number on the screen that equates to the number of hours on your bulb. A few months ago I checked and I believe it was faster to go backwards rather than forward through the list of parameters.

Thanks, but how do you get into the SM in the first place?

Thanks, but how do you get into the SM in the first place?

Turn Power Off (if set is on)
Within 3 seconds press the following keys in order, one at a time:

Display
5
Vol+
Power

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=331875

UMR Is the best. Every step will help your Picture. Log everything before you change . Do each input at a time, DVD , HD input, so you can compare. Don't forget to hit reset when you get out of the S menu. Before setting up everything in the regular menu....G.B.

UMR Is the best. Every step will help your Picture. Log everything before you change . Do each input at a time, DVD , HD input, so you can compare. Don't forget to hit reset when you get out of the S menu. Before setting up everything in the regular menu....G.B.

Is it necessary to hit reset when you exit the service menu if only the AXIS values were changed? I plan on doing all the changes in the service menu on Saturday when I have more time.

No axis is ok without reset. did you find bulb hours ? it is in this & other post.

Any suggestions on where to buy a bulb other than Sony web site, or is that really the best (and inexpensive) place to purchase a bulb?


I got a new one from Vann's three weeks ago - fast shippers and a good price

I'd be interested in hearing what other GWIII owners' settings are in the DCP-USER and DCP-ADJ1 categories.

I made all the changes that UMR recommended.

I started out with UMR's tweaked gray scale adjustment settings as a baseline. I then viewed the gray scale ramps on Avia and noticed some red in the lower frequencies and some green in the higher frequencies. I made adjustments by eye until I didn't perceive any tint in the gray scale ramps. I ended up making the following changes:

RCUT - reduced from 255 to 246
GCUT - reduced from UMR's 242 to 240

When viewing the color decoder check test pattern, I found I still had red push (roughly 12%). Green was also at - 5. So in the DCP-USER category I made the following changes with good results:

RYB - left this at 24
RYR - reduced from 91 to 35
GYB - left this at 92
GYR - increased from 127 to 165

I watched a couple of DVD's last night to see how things looked. I chose 'Cher - The Farewell Tour' because of all the bright colors, as well as 'The Eagles - Farewell I Tour'. I was very pleased with the results. I'll be watching some college football this afternoon to see how that looks in HD.

Any comments or feedback would be welcome.

I'm buying the XBox 360....any tips on how I should set up my XBox 360 and KF-50WE610 for the best gaming video picture

I'm buying the XBox 360....any tips on how I should set up my XBox 360 and KF-50WE610 for the best gaming video picture

I have the same model GWIII and also plan to get an XBOX360. You will definitely want to get component cables for your XBOX since DVI won't be available any time soon. You will also want to calibrate your display and perhaps even use UMR's tweaks.

Unfortunately for me, I don't think I will recalibrate since I already have my 50WE610 calibrated using the DVI input for my Denon 3910. It must be my firmware because I've read you can calibrate for different inputs. However, my set seems to share modes across all inputs.

I've already got the blue, red and green cables. I've also done calibration using the Sound & Vision DVD.

But what's all this about 480p and 720p and 1080i?

Does this affect us? What is this TV capable of? Is this TV "native 768p"?

Should the XBox be set up to display one of these, two of these or all of these setting.....480p, 720p, 1080i?

What is our TV capable of? and what should the XBox 360 be set up to display to take advantage of the TV's capabilities using red, green and blue video cables?

Microsoft has standardized HDTV formats on XBOX 360 and has required developers to create games either in 720p or 1080i. However, our GWIII will convert 1080i to its native resolution of 720p. Even though there is slight overscan w/ the Sony, the image quality should still be very nice.

If you've ever played any 720p/1080i games on your current XBOX, you'll know what I mean. Because of the overscan, images may not be as crisp as they could be, but the quality is more than acceptable. IMHO

Where did you read that native resolution was 720p? Everything I've read says its 788p. (1386 x 788)

Where did you read about how overscan affects how crisp the images are?

BTW, the nr of the GWIII is 788p.

Yes, apologies, just trying to simplify. The GWIII displays at 1386 x 788, but 788 is not a standard format to describe vertical scan lines, therefore the closest format used to represent the GWIII is 720p. Games will be developed for 720p or 1080i. The GWIII uses 1386 x 788 pixels to represent an image intended for 1280 x 720, therefore you don't have a 1:1 representation of pixels. Perhaps I'm using the incorrect term for what i'm describing??

Anyway, it's like changing the resolution of a laptop. If you're not using the native resolution of the LCD screen, you will notice pixelization and a degredation of quality in terms of being "crisp". ie. Fine text becomes blurry.

People that have attempted to run their computers/media servers through the GWIII, or the majority of the Sony LCD projection line, have also encountered this issue.

Nvidia cards at 1384x760 customized rez + some service menu tweaks to adjust horizontal and vertical display can result in almost 1:1 on a GWIII

Had the infamous "Buzz" in my light bulb (after warranty expired)...bought new bulb directly from Sony and installed it. There is a lot of light emitting out of the bottom of the set that I don't remember from the original bulb. Anyone have a similiar situation...did I do something wrong in installing it...picture seems perfectly fine? I'm just very concerned that if a lot of light is going out the bottom/back of the set, that something is wrong...and I worry it could be a potential fire hazard, but I have no clue what I could have done wrong...installing the bulb is pretty straight forward.

I want to connect my cable STB, Moto 6412, to my Sony using a dvi cable to free up one of the component inputs for the new Xbox 360. Can someone point me in the right direction for a cable that would work? I started to look for cables and the options were numerous, dvi-i?, dvi-d, and so on. What type of input dvi does the GWIII have? And I know somewhere in the mass amount of info here that there was a link to a couple of web sites that offered quality cables at a better price than BB, CC, and the like. Info on that would be appreciated as well. Thanks in advance.

Just had my first fiasco with rear projection LCD with my Sony KF-42WE610. Got home tonight and flipped on the tele to watch my beloved Hawks only to discover my 18 month old TV did not turn on a picture or any sound only a blinking green light every second for about a minute then below the dreaded red light (indicating a possible bulb issue). For once, I ordered an extended plan and will be able to use it. Only problem is it's for Ultimate Electronic's service which of course, they went out of business in DSM. After a bunch of hoops to jump through, I have a technician coming on Monday (11/28). Guess I won't be watching Sunday Ticket in HD this weekend.


I see responses from Che2CBS and I'm a little scared. If I'm lucky, it's only a circuit board which is covered by my plan; however, it could be the board which also ruined the bulb. Which means I get a nice bill for $200 to replace the bulb. Oh, happy, happy, joy, joy.

Easy-E,

If you have around 6,000 hours on the bulb, then its probably the bulb. Of course without being able to turn on the set, you can't check.

Did your audio also die?

My fan started acting up 10 days ago, but no buzzing of a bulb or anything. Picture quality has been fine, no fading whatsoever.

Last night I turned it on and the green indicator flashed for about 40 flashes about a second apart. Then the red bulb indicator flashes for 30 or so. The fan in the back of the unit never makes it to full throttle. You can hear parts of the tv trying to come on to no avail. No sound, no picture, and the screen does not change color from black at all.

I've only had the TV since March 20th, 2004. I doubt I have 6000 hours on it. I'm usually a 3-4 hour TiVo watcher on weeknights and 6-8 hours on Sat/Sun.

Easy-E,

Extended warranty?

Sounds like the fan problem caused the bulb failure.

Also check the owners manual as there's something in there about sequence of lights flashing and what they mean. Could just be the fan.

Extended Warranty for 5 years. Does not cover the bulb.

I'm afraid that it's a circuit board that also blew out the bulb. Hopefully not. Does the DLP from Samsung have any type issues like this? I know they don't have a bulb issue like Sony has, but do they have any quirks? Guess I'm just second guessing this purchase if I have to spend at least $200 every 18 months on a bulb and/or more.

What's the trade-in value? Do you think a newer model or a Samsung DLP would be better? I hate to do it since I love the Sony but...

Bulbs generally last 6,000 hours. If it failed substantially before then, I'd be looking at other parts contributing to the failure.

Easy-E,

I haven't reported it here yet, but 3-4 weeks after getting my KF-50WE610 repaired it failed again with identical symptoms. Ironically, on the very same day I received a follow-up letter from Sony Customer Service regarding my prior call. At that point I was a little ticked about the prospect of hauling my 50" TV back into the shop for a second round. Instead, I fired off a lengthy e-mail back to Sony. That and a couple of hours on the phone got me the local repair shop's van to my front door this past Wednesday (something they don't normally do). Today, the shop called me wanting my original, busted bulb. I don't know what it means yet but they want to run the old lamp's serial number with Sony. When I find out I'll post the results here.

I have to give Sony credit, I feel like they've gone out of their way to help me and my out-of-warranty TV. Their national customer service center in Florida is top-notch. However, the few issues I've seen on avsfourm are starting to make me wonder if we're at the beginning of a rash of failures. (Didn't Dynot's (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6365726&&#post6365726) bulb fail on him "prematurely"?)

Please post when you find the root cause of your set's failure. It'll be interesting to see if your's also had a faulty driver board.

--Chris

1st visit. Diagnosis. Bad Bulb Driver Board. Hopefully all under warranty.

$180ish for the Board
$115 for the labor
$46ish for the trip charge
$20ish for tax.

Total $360ish.

He thinks the bulb is in tact. But, not 100% sure until after the board is replaced (on order).

I have a 42" GWIII (kf-42we610 ). I bought it Nov 03. It had a bad lamp (phillips) from the factory. It buzzed on startup. The lamp popped after about 6 mo. Sony sent me a free replacement (osram). This replacement lamp has been working since June 04. I estimate > 3500hr of operation. What are others getting for lamp life?

I bought a replacement (phillips) from Sony but have not needed it yet.

edit:
From the above posts it looks like 6000hr is typical.

I have the 42we610. Bought it Nov. 03, had start-up problems in Feb. 04, got the "Osram" lamp to fix it and have been fine ever since (originally had the "Phillips"). It doesn't hot start (turn off then wait a couple of minutes and restart), so I avoid that situation. I'll live with it as I don't want the TV screwed up with inept service people. After all this time I still love the PQ.

Recently my television has started making a "squeaking" noise. I believe it is coming from the area around the cooling fan. It almost sounds like a mouse running on a wheel. Any ideas if there is anything I can do to fix or what might be causing the noise?


Turns out the cooling fan went bad. Had it replaced under extended warranty and all is fine now.

I want to connect my cable STB, Moto 6412, to my Sony using a dvi cable to free up one of the component inputs for the new Xbox 360. Can someone point me in the right direction for a cable that would work? I started to look for cables and the options were numerous, dvi-i?, dvi-d, and so on. What type of input dvi does the GWIII have? And I know somewhere in the mass amount of info here that there was a link to a couple of web sites that offered quality cables at a better price than BB, CC, and the like. Info on that would be appreciated as well. Thanks in advance.

you want a DVI-D and can get great quality cables here: bluejeanscable.com

I'm sorry all but I am just a confused old man trying to decide which TV to buy. Is the GW III refering to theSony 3 panel LCD tvs. I am looking at the Sony 50" KDF-E50A10 at Costco as a possible choice but am not sure this is the same type of TV that is being discussed here. Sorry to have to show my ignorance.

sparky1945

The KDF-E50A10 is a different set than the GWIII that's being discussed here.

There is a thread dedicated to the set you referenced.

You're looking for the Grand Wega V. V refers to the 5th generation of this tv. There are a couple of threads on this forum.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=567709&page=1&pp=30

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=562185&page=1&pp=30

I was watching my GWIII last night and heard what sounded like a pop. Screen went black and the light started flashing red -- and the lamp light went on. I'm not sure if I have a Phillips or OSRAM bulb. I assume this is something I can fix? Once I figure out the type of bulb, is there any chance Sony will replace the Phillips free of charge? I bought the set through a Sony employee, so I don't have an extended warranty of any sort. What's my best course of action and who should I call?

Thanks in advance.
Chris

See if Sony employee gets discount XL-2100 Lamp.

Great news! My bulb was intact. The only issue I had was the bulb circuit board needed to be replaced. The picture looks great and everything at this point seems to be good.

I'm thinking I need to buy a UPS battery backup to ensure the TV cools down properly in case of a power outage. Anyone have any recommendations on which ones to avoid, etc?

Thx

UPS a must....

I just ordered the XL-2100. Hoping they ship from NJ so I receive before the weekend. I've had my set since June of 2004. My wife considers this 6000 hour mark a badget of honor. :) I'm guessing that's what it is, but the symptoms and timing appear to be right.

I had read on here before Sony does a 2 day fedex on lamps.

just thought i'd share a story on my 50WE610

I purchased mine in May '04, and this past May i ran across a problem. for some reason the image went totally red, like only the red panel was active or something. I turned the tv off, waited 10 minutes turned it back on and all was fine. after a day or 2 it never did it again. so i pulled out my reciept to check the 1 yr warranty end date. It was May 26th when i check the reciept, and the reciept was dated May 27th!!

Since i bought my sony from a local high end audio/video store that has very good customer service, i went over there and explained it. i told them it did it a couple times, but after i restart the tv it goes away. so they setup a tech to go out... i told the tech it only did it a couple times but never knew when it would happen.

the tech said since it's at the end of the warranty he'll make sure we get something done... he then called me a couple days later and told me he got sony to authorize changing out everything, the light engine, the DIC? board, and all. basically all new tv guts.

Anyway i basically got a new set and was 1 day away from the warranty expiring!

So far i've loved the RP LCD, but think i'll be selling it when we sell our house to move into a new one in feb/march. i think at that time i'll move up to a plasma... but for $1800 the sony 50" RP LCD is a great HDTV

I have to give Sony credit, I feel like they've gone out of their way to help me and my out-of-warranty TV. Their national customer service center in Florida is top-notch. However, the few issues I've seen on avsfourm are starting to make me wonder if we're at the beginning of a rash of failures. (Didn't Dynot's (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6365726&&#post6365726) bulb fail on him "prematurely"?)

Please post when you find the root cause of your set's failure. It'll be interesting to see if your's also had a faulty driver board.

--Chris

My lamp blew at 1987 hours and have since replaced it. No problems so far (about 3 weeks). I wouldn't give Sony that much credit as they only offered to pay half the cost and only with a credit on future purchases.

I will certainly post an update if this one blows too and the root cause if I know.

Well, after 2+ years of faithful service my KF50WE610 is now (temporarily) out of commission.

When turned on, the power/stdby light starts blinking green as it normally does, but the tv does not turn on. Insetad, about every 15 seconds or so it makes a sound similar to a bug getting caught in a bug zapper. After a minute or two of this, the power/stdby light starts blinking red - it blinks 5 times per set. I called Sony service, and eventually found out that this means that the Lamp Driver circuit is busted.

I had originally called tweeter because I did get the extended warranty (which covers 1 bub replacement), and thought (hoped) that perhaps it was just the bulb giving out after around 2100 hours of service. Now it looks like I'll be waiting for the service call in almost 2 weeks before the tv is up and running again.

Bummer! But I hope that the info on this error code is helpful to anyone else who has this problem. I did some searches in the forums and had a tough time getting the right search string to find error codes for these sets.

Also, EasyE - I do recall that the Samsung DLPs had their own set of bulb issues a couple years back. It was a similar set of issues to what was happenning with bulbs on the WE610's back in late 03/early 04.

I did a search here and noticed that a few other people are having similar problems but I thought I would post this question anyway..

I have a kf-50we610 Sony LCD set..It's about 15 months old and so far no major problems,BUT recently I've noticed that when the background scenes are light or white there's green and pink blotches or blobs all over the screen..Mostly on the right side of the screen.. I wrote Sony this morning but before I receive an answer or a line of BS from them I thought I post my problem here to see if anyone else had this problem and has found a fix or received an honest answer from Sony on this problem...Thx

...BUT recently I've noticed that when the background scenes are light or white there's green and pink blotches or blobs all over the screen..Mostly on the right side of the screen..

Well, I got the same sort of problem but with some green spot, called the local sony authorized repair shop. They came out and said it could be dust. Dismantle the light engine blew some air inside. And it did fix my problem.

The repair people told me that they usually try to do the following:
- clean it on site.
- if it did not work, then take the tv back to their shop.
- as at last recourse ask Sony to replace the light engine.

It seems that the light engine with lens is not air tight and dust can get inside. So now I try keep the surrounding of my tv as clean as possible.

Crop Circles. I had the same issue, and got it fixed.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=520524

Thanks for the info guys. The TV is under a 4 yr warrenty with Circuit City. I will give them a call,sounds like my light engine needs a cleaning...

BTW Sony did write me back...Typical form letter I guess...make sure there's nothing magnetic near the screen,all LCD's have a few dead pixs,etc....But from what I am reading here it sounds more and more like a dust problem...

Good luck getting the CC warranty to cover a "cleaning". Within the first year, I had no problems getting Sony to cover the cleaning procedure for the blotches. However, once that warranty expired and CC was covering it, they refused to cover this procedure. They said cleanings were specifically excluded from warranty coverage. Hope you have better luck with them than I did.

Thx for the heads-up on CC....I do a lot of business with them,that might change... :)

BTW all this talk about the lamps got me wondering so I checked my service menu and here's what I found...

option-e 0 0 G
LAMP TIME
96H 40 DEG 06107
9CH 23 DEG
COL TMP : 3
WIDE MD : 1
SHIFT : 1
APC MD : 2
PORT00000
LCD PJ ENGINE
VER.10.00E
03/10/07 732B


Is this saying I have 6107 Hrs on my lamp?

BTW all this talk about the lamps got me wondering so I checked my service menu and here's what I found...

option-e 0 0 G
LAMP TIME
96H 40 DEG 06107
9CH 23 DEG
COL TMP : 3
WIDE MD : 1
SHIFT : 1
APC MD : 2
PORT00000
LCD PJ ENGINE
VER.10.00E
03/10/07 732B


Is this saying I have 6107 Hrs on my lamp?

Yep... 6107 hours. Also I went ahead and checked my bulb life and
it came in at a whopping 09625 hrs. This is my original bulb but I don't think
this kind of lamp life is normal. Probably will blow as soon as I hit the "submit"
key :)

OPTION-E 0 0 G
LAMP TIME
96H 53DEG 09625
9CH 24 DEG
COL TMP:0
WIDE MD:0
SHIFT: 7
APC MD: 2
PORT00000
LCD PJ ENGINE
VER. 10.00B
03/06/30 662F

Wow,and I thought 6100 hrs was a freak of nature...Mines the original too and even though I have a 4 yr warrenty with CC I'm thinking of buying a spare lamp after Christmas..Just in case..I know what you're saying,as soon as I start to brag about the bulb life,poof it will blow and if I have to wait a wek for CC to show up the family will string me up..So I better buy a spare...

Good plan.. I bought a spare a while ago and is waiting in the wings when
the original pops.

Yep... 6107 hours. Also I went ahead and checked my bulb life and
it came in at a whopping 09625 hrs. This is my original bulb but I don't think
this kind of lamp life is normal. Probably will blow as soon as I hit the "submit"
key :)

OPTION-E 0 0 G
LAMP TIME
96H 53DEG 09625
9CH 24 DEG
COL TMP:0
WIDE MD:0
SHIFT: 7
APC MD: 2
PORT00000
LCD PJ ENGINE
VER. 10.00B
03/06/30 662F
My GWIII was 2 years old in October and still on the original lamp. I have growing anxiety, so I ordered a new one. It should be here by Monday. How do I check the lamp hours and, more importantly, how do I reset the timer? I am planning to install the new lamp when it arrives hoping that the current one still works. I've heard they have a 90 day warantee on them so I am planning the early swap to give me a working spare when the new eventually dies.

Yes, the Anxiety will get you everytime.

My GWIII was 2 years old in October and still on the original lamp. I have growing anxiety, so I ordered a new one. It should be here by Monday.

I ordered one from Sony parts last Thursday and found out today that it was just shipped yesterday. When I called to check the status, they asked if I wanted to partake in a survery. I expressed my displeasure with their service. It's bad enough I have to replace $200 lamps in my GWIII every 1.5 years (I watch a lot of TV :D ), but not shipping for 6 days is unacceptible by any standards.

I ordered one from Sony parts last Thursday and found out today that it was just shipped yesterday. When I called to check the status, they asked if I wanted to partake in a survery. I expressed my displeasure with their service. It's bad enough I have to replace $200 lamps in my GWIII every 1.5 years (I watch a lot of TV :D ), but not shipping for 6 days is unacceptible by any standards.I ordered mine on line before lunch on Wednesday and paid for 2 business day delivery. The FEDEX man was here around 11:00 this morning.

Now all I need is to find out how to reset the timer for the lamp in the service menu.

The Tweeter tech came today to fix my GWIII. He seemed knowedgeable and was very courteous. On time too.

The lamp driver board had gone on my set, and as it turned out it took the bulb with it. The tech did the repairs in about 30 minutes. It all seemed very straight forward.

I asked him about cleaning the set - he said that from examining my set, the exhaust fan, lamp fan (yes, there are two fans inside!), and the cooling tube, there wasn't much dust accumulation. He showed me eveything we were talking about. He said that usually there would be a large dust build up on the blades of the lamp fan, and if there were he'd clean everything out. Since there wasn't much dust, he didn't see the need to do open things up. And I agree with him.

After the repair, the picture looks great again!

FYI, some costs:
- lamp: ~$200
- lamp driver board: >$100
- labor: ~$200

So this repair would have cost ~$500 if I had not purchased the $350, 5 year EW when I got the set. I usually do not get them, but am glad I got this one.

Just a reminder - if the set does not turn on, makes a periodic buzzing sound like a mosquito caught in a bug zapper, and eventually gives you an error code of 5 blinks, it is the lamp driver board that has failed. And if the lamp driver has failed, it may have taken the lamp with it.

My GWIII had a defective Phillips bulb. It would buzz on startup. The bulb finally poped after about 500hr use. Sony sent a free replacement bulb about 18mo ago. The set has been perfect ever since. So bad bulbs can also cause buzzing. But, my set would always come on until the bulb finally died.

I've had my 50" GWIII TV for about a year and one month. Recently, I turned on my TV and all that came up was a white screen. I can hear the sound. This symptom is the same exact thing that someone posted way back in '04. I tried cycling through inputs but to no avail. Once, I turned on the TV and the green light flashed for about 30 seconds but then the white screen of death came up. The lamp light doesn't turn on at all and I assumed if it was the lamp dying, the picture would be either black or really dark but it's not. It's a bright white screen.

Anyway, I turned it off, waited till I heard the fan turn off and powered it back on. The TV worked as normal. Does anyone know what can be the problem. This has happened twice to us so far. Please advise

I've had my 50" Sony GWIII and the bulb blew after about 18months. Thanks to the links in this forum I went into the service manual and checked the lamp life - 2536 hours. Which I guess is ok (since it's past the rated 2000h mark). I just replaced it for $200 and is working great again. I don't like the expense, but I guess that's normal for a projector TV. Other than that it's performed flawlessly and I'm very happy with the picture.

BTW - great forum, it's been very helpful!!!

electr0n

Screen would not come on last Thursday - about 45 green blinks and then the lamp light blinked red for a while. I called Sears Protection. She said I needed a new lamp. I asked her to expedite it, and she sent me one by UPS next day air. It arrived today (Wednesday), and I put it in. No muss, no fuss, no problem - just 6 days without the TV. I checked the SM and found the bulb had 6170 hours in about exactly two years. I guess that means I'll get another free bulb before my warranty expires. :)

Turns out the cooling fan went bad. Had it replaced under extended warranty and all is fine now.


I'm having the exact same problem now.

I was curious if any experienced members have published their settings? Are they buried in this thread or is there another thread for that purpose. Would love to maximize my GWIII.

cmeinck --

You should check out the thread UMR does GWIII XBR & WE (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=331875)

...I went into the service manual and checked the lamp life - 2536 hours. electr0n
Exactly how did you do that?

First, I apologize for the double post -- I posted this question earlier as a new topic, but I just realized this thread was here.

I have a GW III that I purchased in November 03. I fortunately have not had any problems with the set ... until yesterday. I have now noticed that there is a vertical line on the right side of the screen (approximately 2/3 of the way from the far left of the screen) that seems to vary in color between yellow and blue.

I turned on the TV this morning and the problem did not appear, so I am assuming that it is something that only occurs after the set is warmed up -- the set had been on for about 2 hours before the line appeared (and, just for the record, it was not the source material. The line appeared when watching a DVD as well as satellite programming).

Has anybody seen anything like this before or have any idea what may be causing it. Any idea of the cost to repair?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Exactly how did you do that?

Check the lamp life, that is. Can't anyone tell me? :(

Check the lamp life, that is. Can't anyone tell me? :(

Go into the service menu, and go backwards from the first screen (faster that way). It should be obvious when you get to the lamp life screen by its page name. Lamp life is over towards the middle right of the screen. Sorry but I can't check right now for more precise instructions as somebody's watching a movie. Let me know if you need further help.

Thanks very much. When you get a chance, please do instruct me how to get into the service menu, and what you mean by going backwards from the first screen. Also, how do I get out of the service menu once I've found the reading on the lamp?

Thanks very much. When you get a chance, please do instruct me how to get into the service menu, and what you mean by going backwards from the first screen. Also, how do I get out of the service menu once I've found the reading on the lamp?

When the tv is on, press the 'power' button on the remote and then in sequence press 'display', '5', 'vol +' and then 'power' again. Wait a few seconds and you'll be in the service menu.

the '2' button moves you forward through the categories
the '5' button moves you backwards through the categories

There are lots of categories so it's faster to go backwards with the '5' button to get to the lamp timer screen.

Be careful when you're in the service menu. Pressing the '3' or '6' button will change settings in most screens.

The '1' and '4' buttons are used to access the many parameters that are in each category.

To exit the service menu, press the 'power' button twice on the remote.

When the tv is on, press the 'power' button...
Thanks very much and happy new year! :)

Does anyones GW60" lean forward?

I have mine on a stand and have noticed a forward lean to it. Its a good 5 degree's at the top right now. Is this normal?

I checked my service menu and I only show 1365 hours, just under 2 hours per day which I guess is about right.

Summers it barely gets turned in.

Does anyones GW60" lean forward?
My 60" SXRD leans forward too. Oh well.

Eric

No lean here on a 60" GWIII.

You might want to see if your pedistal is coming apart.

I'm pretty sure my lean is coming from the fact that the carpet hasn't completely settled and floor is slightly sloped. I had an entertainment center in the same place previously and it leaned also.

Hi,

I have a Sony KF-50WE620. When there is a dark scene or a full black screen the screen seems to be greenish in the lower left and fades to bluish in the upper right. It is really bad with the brightness up but mostly goes away if I lower the brightness but it is never completely gone.

It is on all inputs even the ones with no source. It almost looks like a CRT with unshielded speakers next to it.

I am new to projection TV's so I don't know if this a common problem or not.

Thanks

Have you calibrated your set?

I recently bought the Samsung HD950 upscaling DVD player and used it via DVI connection on my 50WE610. I must say that my old Denon (DCDi) looks a lot better via component cable. Is this inherent on the GWIII or should I try another upscaling DVD player such as the Oppo970. Any suggestions? Thanks!

bigthhys,

Have you made any adjustments to the DVI input to optomize the picture?

I recently bought the Samsung HD950 upscaling DVD player and used it via DVI connection on my 50WE610. I must say that my old Denon (DCDi) looks a lot better via component cable. Is this inherent on the GWIII or should I try another upscaling DVD player such as the Oppo970. Any suggestions? Thanks!

I still have an HD841 in my rack. I'm pretty sure all these Samsung players look bad over DVI. Mine wouldn't pass BTB or WTW unless I went through component cables. It's not your tv although you should calibrate it with video test patterns such as on the Avia DVD. You'll know quickly if the Samsung is passing the full video signal to the tv. The Oppo looks excellent on my 50WE610 over DVI.

I have made adjustments on both the DVD player and the DVI input on the Sony, and the picture quality still looks washed out, and it is worse when on the 1080i mode. I'm guessing that this is due to the DVD player (HDMI to DVI). And that's why I wanted to get input from anyone who has a DVI-to-DVI connection and see if it makes a difference. I'm leaning towards trying the Oppo970, but I do not want to take the plunge yet just in case......

Also, I read from another forum (not AVS) that the picture quality via DVI on the Sony's are not all that good. I'd rather see it for myself. Thanks.

Edit:
Thanks Scott. I just read your reply. Looks like I'm placing my order for an Oppo today!

What is the rated lamp life on the KDF50WE 610? How soon before reaching that point is it advisable to get a new bulb?

What is the rated lamp life on the KDF50WE 610? How soon before reaching that point is it advisable to get a new bulb?

The life will vary. One of the variables that affects lamp life is the number of on-off cycles it is subjected to. Turning the tv on and off 'often' will reduce your bulb life. I've read of owner's bulbs failing under 2,000 hours and some have lasted over 6,000 hours. You could purchase a spare bulb but the warranty on the new bulb begins when you purchase it - not when you install it.

I still have an HD841 in my rack. I'm pretty sure all these Samsung players look bad over DVI. Mine wouldn't pass BTB or WTW unless I went through component cables. It's not your tv although you should calibrate it with video test patterns such as on the Avia DVD. You'll know quickly if the Samsung is passing the full video signal to the tv. The Oppo looks excellent on my 50WE610 over DVI.

Scott,
Here's a message I received from Oppo's support staff:

We have many Sony rear projection users who have been very happy with
the OPDV971H. We recommend that you use the 1022 firmware in the
interim, though, as the 1111B will cause a left shift in most Sony LCD
lines. The 1022 can be downloaded from the following location:
http://www.oppodigital.com/opdv971h_firmware_1022_download.html

Just curious what firmware you have on your Oppo and how it's working out for you. Thanks!

Scott,
Here's a message I received from Oppo's support staff:

We have many Sony rear projection users who have been very happy with
the OPDV971H. We recommend that you use the 1022 firmware in the
interim, though, as the 1111B will cause a left shift in most Sony LCD
lines. The 1022 can be downloaded from the following location:
http://www.oppodigital.com/opdv971h_firmware_1022_download.html

Just curious what firmware you have on your Oppo and how it's working out for you. Thanks!

I get the shift when the resolution is set to 720p using the 1111b firmware. I have the 1022 firmware on a disc still but figured I'd just put up with this until the new firmware is released. My picture is shifted to the right though. So if I center the Oppo's 4:3 picture using the Sony's service menu, 4:3 upconverted 720p programming from my OTA STB is now shifted to the left.

Thanks Scott! :)

I posted this in a different thread, but this thread seems more appropriate:

I have a bleeding problem on my 50" Sony Grand Wega LCD (KF-50XBR800). I just had a repair tech come take a look at it, and he tells me that the TV has a "defective light engine" and quoted me a price of $2118.75 for the light engine (+$300 labor). I wasn't expecting the problem to be so major, so needless to say I was shocked at the quote.

I've attached a picture of the screen to better illustrate the problem. Note that this picture was taken while the Xbox360 was on, but the problem appears with all input (DVD, Game consoles, TV, etc). In addition, the problem appears on the TV's menu system, so that rules out a problem between my receiver and the TV.

So my question is.. does this look like a "defective light engine" issue, or is there an easier (cheaper) fix? I've tried changing the image revision, to no avail.

Thanks in advance.

The life will vary. One of the variables that affects lamp life is the number of on-off cycles it is subjected to. Turning the tv on and off 'often' will reduce your bulb life. I've read of owner's bulbs failing under 2,000 hours and some have lasted over 6,000 hours. You could purchase a spare bulb but the warranty on the new bulb begins when you purchase it - not when you install it.I have about 6,300 hours on my original lamp. I bought a new one about 2 weeks ago and might feel brave enough to install it this weekend. My thinking is that if the new bulb fails within the first 90 days, I have my old one to use until I get a replacement.

YMMV

I have about 6,300 hours on my original lamp. I bought a new one about 2 weeks ago and might feel brave enough to install it this weekend. My thinking is that if the new bulb fails within the first 90 days, I have my old one to use until I get a replacement.

YMMV

Very good idea.

I'm approaching 5000 hours on my original bulb and I think it's time for me to think about getting a spare so I don't have any prolonged outages.

For those who've purchased bulbs, where are you buying from??

Matt,

I got mine from Sony, but I think you can get them off of ebay as well.

Scott,

I have set it up with one of those DVDs with the blue filter to look through. It had no effect on fixing my problem. Do you think it is something that can be fixed in software or is it a hardware problem.

I do have a sears service plan if it is a hardware problem.

If you've calibrated to video test patterns such as on Avia or DVE, and are sure it's not macroblocking that you're seeing, it might be a light engine gone bad (hardware) What do you have 'picture' set at? Mine's all the way up if that helps you determine if you're in the ballpark. Brightness on my set is a little above 50% (sorry I can't be more specific but I'm at work now). Have you performed the UMR tweaks in the other thread?

Thanks Jim. I did a quick price scan a couple months back. I should check eBay to see what the average price is.

All you veteran Microdisplay owners, please vote on lamp life here;

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=629175

I had the famous buzz with my phillips bulb when I bought the tv. Tech replaced it with osram and a fix. I just bought a new bulb and its a phillips but now the Buzz is back. What bulb are they putting in it now?

dcfox

Did you buy the bulb from Sony or somewhere else?

Hello,
Its been awhile since I posted but I have been having some trouble on my TV. About 10 days ago a large blue thumbprint like grouping of lines appeared in the right middle portion of my screen. I called the store that sold me the TV and they said it is a cracked mirror and I have to replace the optical engine and its going to cost me a lot of money with parts and labor. I am freaking out that this is going to cost me almost 40% of the TV cost to fix it!

We never touched the TV once it was installed. I have no idea why the mirror in the optical engine cracked. Has anyone had this problem? Will Sony themselves do anything for me? I bought the TV in November 03 and we didn't buy the extended warranty. Any thoughts? I love this TV but I am so upset!

Any advice is appreciated.

Thank you!

Hello,
Its been awhile since I posted but I have been having some trouble on my TV. About 10 days ago a large blue thumbprint like grouping of lines appeared in the right middle portion of my screen. I called the store that sold me the TV and they said it is a cracked mirror and I have to replace the optical engine and its going to cost me a lot of money with parts and labor. I am freaking out that this is going to cost me almost 40% of the TV cost to fix it!

We never touched the TV once it was installed. I have no idea why the mirror in the optical engine cracked. Has anyone had this problem? Will Sony themselves do anything for me? I bought the TV in November 03 and we didn't buy the extended warranty. Any thoughts? I love this TV but I am so upset!

Any advice is appreciated.

Thank you!

Take 2 aspirin and go to bed. Then tomorrow get a 2nd opinion.
Seriously, get another tech to look at it. There have been some strange lines showing up randomly on some folk's displays. Some pictures were posted more than once. But these were random lines, similar to a street map or grid. One left his display on for 48 hrs, and they slowly started to disappear. Cracks don't disappear, but some anomaly in the LCD panel(s) might.
But when you say a 'thumbprint' that sound like curves. Can't say I have ever heard of that. Light engines run close to a grand..but I thought I read of less than that also.
If you are technically inclined, they would not seem that difficult to replace, just based on looking at the service manual. Most everything is a bolt in operation.
I don't believe there is any critical alignment to be done as near as I can tell. Good luck! Let us know what happens.

I posted this in a different thread, but this thread seems more appropriate:

I have a bleeding problem on my 50" Sony Grand Wega LCD (KF-50XBR800). I just had a repair tech come take a look at it, and he tells me that the TV has a "defective light engine" and quoted me a price of $2118.75 for the light engine (+$300 labor). I wasn't expecting the problem to be so major, so needless to say I was shocked at the quote.

I've attached a picture of the screen to better illustrate the problem. Note that this picture was taken while the Xbox360 was on, but the problem appears with all input (DVD, Game consoles, TV, etc). In addition, the problem appears on the TV's menu system, so that rules out a problem between my receiver and the TV.

So my question is.. does this look like a "defective light engine" issue, or is there an easier (cheaper) fix? I've tried changing the image revision, to no avail.

Thanks in advance.

That price is INSANE! No way would I pay that. Call Sony and complain! I just bought the newer A-10 version of your tv (with a stand no less) at Sam's Club for the same amount they want to FIX your TV! Please let us know what you find out. There is simply no way the repair should cost that much.

Take 2 aspirin and go to bed. Then tomorrow get a 2nd opinion.
Seriously, get another tech to look at it. There have been some strange lines showing up randomly on some folk's displays. Some pictures were posted more than once. But these were random lines, similar to a street map or grid. One left his display on for 48 hrs, and they slowly started to disappear. Cracks don't disappear, but some anomaly in the LCD panel(s) might.
But when you say a 'thumbprint' that sound like curves. Can't say I have ever heard of that. Light engines run close to a grand..but I thought I read of less than that also.
If you are technically inclined, they would not seem that difficult to replace, just based on looking at the service manual. Most everything is a bolt in operation.
I don't believe there is any critical alignment to be done as near as I can tell. Good luck! Let us know what happens.

Thanks videoaddikt-I will definitely take your advice. It was strange that all the technician did was look at my tv visually and write me a quote-he didn't really inspect the problem or try any work arounds. I think a second opinion will help. I also have put a call into Sony to research the problem and I am waiting to hear back from them as to a solution. I will get a second opinion. Taking two asprin as we speak :)

The blue lines on my tv definitely are angular and look like a grid or a street map just the entire anamoly is in the shape of a very large thumb. Thanks videoaddikt. I will try the 48 hour trick. Could you tell me where you saw the posted pictures of people's Tvs with these issues?

Sorry to hear about your blue lines. Are you able to post a pic? Do they show up on dark or light color scenes or both? Does it look like an etch-a-sketch or blotches (finger prints). I had blotches I was able to fix by blowing air into the optical block. From what i read the etch-a-sketch problem can only be fixed by replacing the optical block.

lou58 how did you blow air on the optical block? i have 60" gwIII and have weird looking yellow scribble thats really noticable in dark scenes.warranty is up so i had hill's in hamilton(bought it there) look at it. tech says needs new optical block' 1500.00 for part and 500 to install. i want to try to clean it incase that's all it is. thanks in advance dortz.

Dortz do a search for "blotches on GWIII" i started a thread, sorry i don't know how to do a link to it for you. I have pix attached to show you the cover i removed. I also took a lot of pix along the way, I will upload them if you kneed them. Let me know if you need more details.

thanks lou58, i'll check it out.

Sorry to hear about your blue lines. Are you able to post a pic? Do they show up on dark or light color scenes or both? Does it look like an etch-a-sketch or blotches (finger prints). I had blotches I was able to fix by blowing air into the optical block. From what i read the etch-a-sketch problem can only be fixed by replacing the optical block.

Hey Lou58,
Thanks for the info-I wish I could just blow air into the optical block but my blue grid/etch-a-sketch/circuit board like/blue thumbprint thingy is going to definitely requre an optical block replacement. I researched on several websites and found pictures of my very same problem. It seems to be a very common problem on the GWIII after 2 years of use. I am on my second year as we speak. The only way people were able to remove the etch-a-sketch (some people's are yellow lines and some people's are purple lines but mine are blue) was to replace the optical block. I also was quoted $1400 to replace it by a local tv repair person but I am working with Sony to see what they can do for me since so many people have the same problem.

*If anyone needs more info or would like to see the problem(I don't have any pics-sorry) I found tons of pictures and info on ecoustics.com-just go there and type sony LCD problems and there are hundreds of posts about this very issue. I am so frustrated that Sony would build a great looking TV for alot of money and then have it break down in only 2 years. This isn't a coffeepot for goodness sake. Wish me luck in getting the part replaced. And thanks again for the info everyone.

I seem to be having the same etch-a-sketch problem - I've attached some pix of my example, which is yellow. Is this what you're seeing?

AS

I seem to be having the same etch-a-sketch problem - I've attached some pix of my example, which is yellow. Is this what you're seeing?

AS

Hi Alx Stevens,
Yes, that is exactly what I am seeing. Do you have a KF60we610/KF50we610 too?
The only difference is that my etch a sketch is blue. What have you done to try and remove the problem? Any advice?

Hi Alx Stevens,
Yes, that is exactly what I am seeing. Do you have a KF60we610/KF50we610 too?
The only difference is that my etch a sketch is blue. What have you done to try and remove the problem? Any advice?

I have a 50WE610. On the advice of my local Sony repair shop, I tried blowing air into the unit through the rear fan, to no avail. It did make a slight change in the pattern, which has been changing (for the worse, mostly) since it started a few days ago.

He predicts its the optical engine as well, but I need to take it in to him to check out. No house calls, as I live in a relatively rural area and he's the only game in town.

Will post once I get more info. Oh, he did think the optical engine was about $600 part.

AS

I seem to be having the same etch-a-sketch problem - I've attached some pix of my example, which is yellow. Is this what you're seeing?

AS

AlxStevens,

Thanks for posting the pix, matches my problem.

My blotches showed up this week while I was away. My wife called sony and they told to power off for 30 minutes.

My WE610 is a little over 2 years old!

Sony is going to piss a lot of people off as this epidemic spreads.

AlxStevens,

Thanks for posting the pix, matches my problem.

My blotches showed up this week while I was away. My wife called sony and they told to power off for 30 minutes.

My WE610 is a little over 2 years old!

Sony is going to piss a lot of people off as this epidemic spreads.

Power off for 30 mintues!! That's almost an insult versus help. Sony service is near the bottom in my book. I like their displays, and some other electronics, but service sucks a big one.

Just in case anyone here is dealing with Sony Customer Service on trying to replace their old WE610, be aware that they will try to give you a refurbished WE610 from warehouse. At least thats what happened to me 2 months ago. I told them they can shove that refurb where the sun doesn't shine. The only reason I was able to say that was because I had a backup plan with my CC warranty. I gave Sony a shot first to see if they would step up to the plate and replace it with a new model. Well, they failed miserably. CC however did replace it with a new 50A10. Oh yeah, don't bother emailing or leaving messages with Sony CS either, they won't return your call, only when its convenient for them.

I loved my WE610. It had a great picture. My brother has his for 4 years now with no problems. Too bad the green blob showed up on mine.

Just in case anyone here is dealing with Sony Customer Service on trying to replace their old WE610, be aware that they will try to give you a refurbished WE610 from warehouse. At least thats what happened to me 2 months ago. I told them they can shove that refurb where the sun doesn't shine. The only reason I was able to say that was because I had a backup plan with my CC warranty. I gave Sony a shot first to see if they would step up to the plate and replace it with a new model. Well, they failed miserably. CC however did replace it with a new 50A10. Oh yeah, don't bother emailing or leaving messages with Sony CS either, they won't return your call, only when its convenient for them.

I loved my WE610. It had a great picture. My brother has his for 4 years now with no problems. Too bad the green blob showed up on mine.

Jmez -

Were you still under the Sony warranty when you called them? I'm out of warranty and didn't get an EW from CC, so I'm trying to figure out the best approach with Sony.

AS

I loved my WE610. It had a great picture. My brother has his for 4 years now with no problems. Too bad the green blob showed up on mine.
I had the green blob on mine. It was just dust on the light engine.

I had called a Sony authorized repair shop, they came at 2 people. Dismantle the back on the tv, blew air to clean the optic. And the whole thing took about 45minutes. They only took a copy of my receipt.

Usually on a warranty service, I have never seen anybody give a new replacement when they could repair it or give you a replacement of same equipment (refurbished).

Jmez -

Were you still under the Sony warranty when you called them? I'm out of warranty and didn't get an EW from CC, so I'm trying to figure out the best approach with Sony.

AS


You can add me to the list of the SAME problem as you AS... Yellow splotch, just appears Saturday Morning.. i'm 6 months out of warranty also no extended ($150 Canadian dollars a YEAR you gotta be kidding me)

Infact my problem is in the same spot, lower right quadrant...

I have yet to attempt to clean the optic as others have suggested here, but it does look to me like dust on the optic.

I'm going to attempt to clean the optic tonight, and i'll document the process and let you know what happens.

KROMER RADIO in Toronto has been kicked by Sony as a service centre -- and that's where I purchased it, they basically told me to take a hike and call Sony of Canada.

I called and opened a case, the guy on the phone sounded like he's been dealing with this same problem an aweful lot, he went through the "opening a case" script pretty fast, sounds to me like he has this down pat now.

So i've opened a case, I need to now send in an estimate ($40 for a tech to come out to look at it, but i don't have an appointment yet) I also need to fax in my bill of sale. So once all that's done (probably take me 3-5 business days to get it all taken care of) they claim that they will "review" my case and decide. Something tell's me that the review will be "Sorry sir but ur phucked"

My last Sony TV lasted 25 years before it has a problem -- and all it did was blow a fuse.... This one lasted 18 months....

If I do get this TV fixed -- I'm selling it and purchasing a sharp AQUOS.

You can add me to the list of the SAME problem as you AS... Yellow splotch, just appears Saturday Morning.. i'm 6 months out of warranty also no extended ($150 Canadian dollars a YEAR you gotta be kidding me)

Now that I have seen it done, I may be able to open it again to pull out the optical block. But there was a bunch of screws, cables and a fan to remove to reach the optical block.

The problem with the design that Sony did was they did not seal the optical block with the multiple mirror and lenses. And with the fan running, you will have sooner or later some dust landing inside. Other than keeping around the tv clean, there is nothing that you could do.

Well I tried to spray up in there with some canned air... No go.

Good news is.... I purchased the TV on VISA... So they extend the warranty and word is, they will cover it -- now i have to get hte claim done.

Well I tried to spray up in there with some canned air... No go.

Good news is.... I purchased the TV on VISA... So they extend the warranty and word is, they will cover it -- now i have to get hte claim done.

Well, I spoke with Sony today and although the girl I spoke with admitted that she had seen the problem several times she said that Sony wasn't doing anything special in these cases and that I was so far out of warranty that there was no way she thought they'd make an exception.

Now, she's the bottom of the food chain and I need to work my way up, but I have to say my hopes are low.

I've got some friends at JVC and their new sets are looking pretty sweet - just have to decide what my tolerance for paying for this repair is.

The unsealed optical block is nothing. Turn it over and look at the Fan and all that dust!!! Not the small black one, the big one...

thx,
vidkidd

So i've decided to cancel my plans to rip out the optical block and attempt to repair it, seeing as how I have warranty through VISA.

So the repair tech is supposed to call me to setup an appointment, once I finally get an appointment, and he comes out to do the estimate, i'll photograph EVERY step... Once the repair happens I'll photograph every step.

Something tells me this is a dust issue -- perhaps the optical block doesn't need replacement, but I want a new one anyway...

Something tells me those who were told they needed a new optical block -- don't need one.

Vidkidd , do they have a fan & cleaning that needs to be done on the bottom of the set ? I keep the back clean like all my sets. LG had a filter to be cleaned on the back of some of the models....

I know that the optical block replacement is a real problem due to early failure and expense as I had to have mine replaced on extended warranty. I wonder what percentage of Sony sets have this problem? What kind of problems and how often do other manufactures of LCD rear projection sets have? Has any one seen a comparison of problems that the various manufacturers have?

I was able to fix my problem (blotches) also with compressed air, here are some pix I took. After i took the black cover off i too realized the optical block is not a sealed unit. Once done it was not that big of a deal, I know just what to do next time. I did use a small straw (the kind you find with say a can of wd-40) the longer the better to increase velocity and extend the nozzle so i only sprayed air and not liquid. But just make sure it has not been used for anything else.

Update to the etch a sketch problem on my KF60WE610.
Blue lines/road map problem started in lower right hand corner of Tv about a month ago. I have owned the TV for 2 years-no ext warranty. I had the tv examined by my local TV dealer where I bought the tv and he said it was an optical block problem and needed to be replaced. The replacement part and labor cost alot of money. I called Sony and opened a case file. I then faxed them a proof of purchase and the estimate from the local tv repairperson. After a week, I followed up with Sony service to check on the status-I said I was happy to pay for the labor but was not willing to pay for the parts since the TV broke through no fault of my own. I got a call back from the supervisor at Sony service and they have agreed to pay for the parts as long as I pay for the labor. My Tv will be fixed as soon as my local tv repair person gets the part from Sony-They said in about a week. I just wanted to thank you all for your help and advice. Thanks again!

Update to the etch a sketch problem on my KF60WE610.
Blue lines/road map problem started in lower right hand corner of Tv about a month ago. I have owned the TV for 2 years-no ext warranty. I had the tv examined by my local TV dealer where I bought the tv and he said it was an optical block problem and needed to be replaced. The replacement part and labor cost alot of money. I called Sony and opened a case file. I then faxed them a proof of purchase and the estimate from the local tv repairperson. After a week, I followed up with Sony service to check on the status-I said I was happy to pay for the labor but was not willing to pay for the parts since the TV broke through no fault of my own. I got a call back from the supervisor at Sony service and they have agreed to pay for the parts as long as I pay for the labor. My Tv will be fixed as soon as my local tv repair person gets the part from Sony-They said in about a week. I just wanted to thank you all for your help and advice. Thanks again!

CP -

Do you have any details you could PM or email me about your case - who you dealt with, case #, etc.? I'd love to have some precedent when I go through this exact same exercise with them in the next few days.

Thanks,

AS

Please post your case # !!! It's important so we all get fair treatment..

We all understand if you want to wait until after your repair is complete and you are compensated thou as not to jeprodize it.

With mine being a VISA claim and not a Sony Warranty Claim they may offer me the choice of replacing the TV.. If they do, the question is... Do I get the same TV only this years model? Or do I switch to DLP now? Many questions, up until now, i've been VERY VERY VERY pleased with this TV!

Those pics you posted are excellent -- but can you explain

A) how did you get the optical block out
B) where did you spray the air

Grinthock, unplug tv

1- Remove back cover about 11 screws

2- Remove back metal plate 3 screws and 2 in the middle. Also remove black wire connections.

3- Remove fan 3 screws (just lay it down)

4-Lift up from the bottom and slide the audio/video unit foward. You will need to disconnect about 3 connectors between it and the optical block as you slide it foward.

5- The optical unit is held in by 3 phillips screws and you will need a long screwdriver to get to them. The unit will slid foward. Then remove the black cover on the unit (2 screws) and blow compressed air across all three lcd's.

CP -

Do you have any details you could PM or email me about your case - who you dealt with, case #, etc.? I'd love to have some precedent when I go through this exact same exercise with them in the next few days.

Thanks,

AS

Hi AS,
Here is what worked for me: Get an estimate first from a Sony authorized dealer(whoever you bought the TV from usually) to fix the problem. Then get a copy of your original receipt for proof of purchase. Then write a letter explaining the situation. Call Sony and open a case file. Do be prepared to wait for long hold times in the evening but if you can call Sony in the AM-it was quicker.
Explain your situation and that you would like to fax your documents and your letter to a supervisor-They will give you a fax number to use. I requested that the parts be supplied by Sony since the TV broke in under 2 years through no fault of my own, but that I was more than happy to pay for the labor.
After a couple days-call back politely and ask the status of your call. Be polite but persistent. A supervisor should call you back with a status in a couple days. I waited a week (although they did tell me they take 10 business days to review case files and make decisions) to do my call back so they were very nice and called me back the same day to let me know they resolved my issue. I was very pleased with the outcome and very pleased with everyone at Sony customer service I worked with although-I never worked with the same person twice so I really don't have any specific person to recommend-sorry. I hope this helps. Everyone here at avs forum has been so helpful to me from purchasing my TV to setting up the tv (tweaks), to resolving issues-I hope I could give a little help back :cool:

But can you provide your CASE #... That way if people here are trying to get the same result they can quote that case # as a precident...

Oh and people here need to understand

There is a big difference from a SONY AUTHORIZED DEALER / RETAILER and a SONY AUTHORIZED REPAIR CENTRE. Two different things... Sometimes a shop is both -- in my case none of the retailers are repair centres.

The guy shows up tommorow, i'll let you know.

Furthermore, if you bought your TV from Sears, you need to be contacting Sears for any service, not Sony.

Hi AS,
Here is what worked for me: Get an estimate first from a Sony authorized dealer(whoever you bought the TV from usually) to fix the problem. Then get a copy of your original receipt for proof of purchase. Then write a letter explaining the situation. Call Sony and open a case file. Do be prepared to wait for long hold times in the evening but if you can call Sony in the AM-it was quicker.
Explain your situation and that you would like to fax your documents and your letter to a supervisor-They will give you a fax number to use. I requested that the parts be supplied by Sony since the TV broke in under 2 years through no fault of my own, but that I was more than happy to pay for the labor.
After a couple days-call back politely and ask the status of your call. Be polite but persistent. A supervisor should call you back with a status in a couple days. I waited a week (although they did tell me they take 10 business days to review case files and make decisions) to do my call back so they were very nice and called me back the same day to let me know they resolved my issue. I was very pleased with the outcome and very pleased with everyone at Sony customer service I worked with although-I never worked with the same person twice so I really don't have any specific person to recommend-sorry. I hope this helps. Everyone here at avs forum has been so helpful to me from purchasing my TV to setting up the tv (tweaks), to resolving issues-I hope I could give a little help back :cool:

I'll give this a shot - I'm getting the estimate now and will start the process when I have it - thanks for the insight.

AS

Repair tech just left...

Part was $2060 Canadian... I'm also told the optical blocks went up $300 this month in cost.

Total including estimate, repair labor, pickup, delivery and optical block is $2704.

That being said, i'm working with VISA to get a new TV, i'm told by this repair guy he fixes about 1 or 2 of these each month at a minimum. He says that the new A10 set doesn't seem to have the issues.. He recommended I replace it...

I also quieried him regarding replacing the set with another "technology"

His word is 3LCD has the lease issues, as it has no moving parts. He replaces DLP Projection wheel's daily and wouldn't recommend it.