He says that the new A10 set doesn't seem to have the issues..


I hope not. It's only been out about 6 mos. But many of us with GIV sets (WF, XS, etc. ) don't seem to have that problem, many of us going into 12-18 mos.

I'm at 25 months and approximately 11,000 hrs on a GWIII without problems.

Update:


I was able to get into the Optical Block today... After the repair guy left, I decided I would take a chance and see if I can clean it out.. Besides, it's going to be WEEKS before I get a new one.

No dice, I sprayed all throughout the optical block, no dice...

Has anyone else tried cleaning and didn't have it fix it? I bet my optical block is actually damaged.

Update:


I was able to get into the Optical Block today... After the repair guy left, I decided I would take a chance and see if I can clean it out.. Besides, it's going to be WEEKS before I get a new one.

No dice, I sprayed all throughout the optical block, no dice...

Has anyone else tried cleaning and didn't have it fix it? I bet my optical block is actually damaged.

My repair guy tried cleaning to no avail - on the line with Sony right now.

Update:

It took two tries, but I got a supervisor from Sony service - Paul - who looked into the situation and reduced the cost of the optical engine from $787 to $350. He also arranged for my service center to order the part directly and for me to pay Sony for the part separately, so I'm looking at about $520 for the whole thing and it should be done in less than a week.

Not the best solution in the world, but better than it might have been, and I'll take it.

AS

I purchased with proformance guarantee at bestbuy on 9/21/03.my bulb took a dive today.bestbuy repair service came on out and put a used bulb in to get me past the superbowl on 1/22/05.a couple things a noticed is that the plastic cover that goes over the bulb as well as the frame of the tv below the bulb has melted some.is this a normal outcome as far as the melting deal.it does not look to good f,sure.my new bulb should be in in on 2/24/06.has anyone have the melting issue?

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 :(

I'm running into the same problem, and I was hoping someone had found a solution. I recently switched to using an HD STB, outputing component and DVI, and I have no use for the cable/antenna or video 1 (svideo) inputs anymore.

The best solution I have for now is to keep channel fix on Video 1, so I don't get snow when I'm switching inputs, but there seems to be an assumption that you will always want some kind of basic TV input enabled. Like you said, if channel fix is set to Video 1, it ignores the "skip" in the Input Label area.

I'm at 25 months and approximately 11,000 hrs on a GWIII without problems.
Is that 11,000 hours with the original bulb!? Astonishing. :eek:

Is that 11,000 hours with the original bulb!? Astonishing. :eek:

That is amazing. I'm at 5000 and already paranoid about my bulb going out.

s2silber, Thats great. What are Your habbits watching TV. Keep it on all the time ? How much time before You turn it back on again ? I would think You have a good UPS on your power to keep from power drop outs ?......

That is amazing. I'm at 5000 and already paranoid about my bulb going out.Matt, I suggest doing what I did. Order a new lamp and replace the old one within the new lamp's 90 day warranty. That way, you still have a working lamp as a spare for when the more recent one craps out.

YMMV

s2silber, Thats great. What are Your habits watching TV. Keep it on all the time ? How much time before You turn it back on again ? I would think You have a good UPS on your power to keep from power drop outs ?......
I think you meant to direct your question to "JimP" who reported that he's logged 11,000 hours with the same bulb. I, too, am wondering how he does it.

JimP , Sorry, What do You think You have done to get that kind of good life out of Your Lamp. I have got only 4,000 Hours on mine for first replacement.

I think you meant to direct your question to "JimP" who reported that he's logged 11,000 hours with the same bulb. I, too, am wondering how he does it.

Wow, 11,000 hrs on a bulb would be good.

What I said was that I've got 11,000 hrs on my GWIII without problems meaning nothing major like a light engine going bad.

The original bulb lasted a couple of thousand. This is back when Sony had a bad batch of bulbs and almost everybody was replacing the bulbs. Second bulb was still good when I replaced it at around 6,000 hrs. Thought it was dimming out but wasn't any dimmer than the 3rd bulb.

Argh, just now a red spot/smear about 1/2" x 3/4" in size, kind of faint in the top right section of the screen...

Anyone know what causes this, its very light you could almost not notice it. But its definitely something i would want to fix if it gets worse or doesn't go away... About 30mins earlier i saw the TV kind of click dim for a split sec, almost like static shock happened in there or something... Maybe knocked some dust around? I can see a lot of dust inside the TV, even though i keep the TV exterior very clean.
__
| | <-- its about that size and shape...
|_|

I have a 4 year warranty plan from Circuit City, and extra bulbs laying around.

I paid $3400 for the TV including the warranty and taxes... Has anyone sold their TV specifically a KF-50WE610 (50") did you get much for it? I'm curious to know if its even an option, then again can i even transfer the Circuit City warranty to someone else?

EDIT: Well i called Circuit City warranty service, going to come on monday. I'm scared that they are going to open up the tv and screw something else up... I'm so paranoid about this TV... :(

I'm at 25 months and approximately 11,000 hrs on a GWIII without problems.

I'm pulling up the rear with 10839hrs on a GWIII 60 without any problems on the
original bulb.

I have one of the first 42GWIV Sept/04 and noticed last night the yellow etch-a-sketch problem on right half of screen. Of course I am out of warranty. I plan on calling repair man Monday. Is it cofirmed that this is a light engine repair or has anyone with this sympton been fixed by cleaning the engine.

I have one of the first 42GWIV Sept/04 and noticed last night the yellow etch-a-sketch problem on right half of screen. Of course I am out of warranty. I plan on calling repair man Monday. Is it cofirmed that this is a light engine repair or has anyone with this sympton been fixed by cleaning the engine.

I just had mine fixed, and was told that if you have the etch-a-sketch rather than the crop circles then you're looking at a light engine issue.

As I mentioned earlier in the thread, I was able to speak with Sony customer service and get them to sell me the $750 light engine part for $300 when I nicely explained to the supervisor that I thought it was unreasonable for an expensive set like this to have a major component fail so quickly. I had an October '03 set, so you have an even better case on this one I think.

You can try two things -

First, if you bought the set in Sept. 04 then you are only a few months out of warranty. When I initially called (pre-estimate) they told me that because I was so far out of warranty they couldn't do much. You might get a better answer.

Second, get an estimate from your local repair guy (make SURE it's an authorized Sony service center - look on the Sony site) that specifies the parts and labor costs. Most likely, the only part will be the optical engine. Call Sony back, speak to a supervisor, and explain the situation as I did above, and ask if there's anything they can do for you. on the cost of the part. As I said, it saved me $450.

Good luck.

Thanks Alex for posting. Contacted Sony Customer services as you suggested. They covered :) the part. I paid for labor only. Repairman just left, I am happy again.

I lurked here a couple of years ago and got really concerned about all of the reported lamp failures on the GWIIIs. I had already ordered mine, though, so I just stuck it out. I noticed over the past couple of months that the picture had dimmed to the point where I had to start taking measures with the blinds in our rather bright living room in order to see the picture properly. I figured the end was nigh.

Finally one morning I turned the set on, the screen went blank after a couple of minutes, the lamp light on the front panel blinked for about two minues, and then the set shut off completely. A quick call to Circuit City (We got a 4 year extended warranty.) had a replacement lamp on the way via UPS. Self-installed it last night. Back to square one.

I think I'll try the tweaks this time around. Glad I came back here.

I lurked here a couple of years ago and got really concerned about all of the reported lamp failures on the GWIIIs. I had already ordered mine, though, so I just stuck it out. I noticed over the past couple of months that the picture had dimmed to the point where I had to start taking measures with the blinds in our rather bright living room in order to see the picture properly. I figured the end was nigh.

Finally one morning I turned the set on, the screen went blank after a couple of minutes, the lamp light on the front panel blinked for about two minues, and then the set shut off completely. A quick call to Circuit City (We got a 4 year extended warranty.) had a replacement lamp on the way via UPS. Self-installed it last night. Back to square one.

I think I'll try the tweaks this time around. Glad I came back here.

Glad to hear you had a good experience, porcorosso. I'm on my original bulb, too (GWIII purchased 11/2003).

Not sure how many hours are on that lamp, but as of last July when I had a "checkup" done under extended warranty it had less than 3000.

The tech told me he'd seen several lamps go 6K-7K hours...even one that was over 10K (apparently that guy left his on 24/7).

How many hours did you get out of the original lamp?

I tell My family( Don't turn the set off if You are going to watch something in 30 min ), just leave it on. Not only the bulb on the Sony, but on my old 35 inch Crt set as well....

Glad to hear you had a good experience, porcorosso. I'm on my original bulb, too (GWIII purchased 11/2003).

Not sure how many hours are on that lamp, but as of last July when I had a "checkup" done under extended warranty it had less than 3000.

The tech told me he'd seen several lamps go 6K-7K hours...even one that was over 10K (apparently that guy left his on 24/7).

How many hours did you get out of the original lamp?

We got our GWIII in August of 2003. I have never looked in the Service Menu, but I have downloaded UMR's guide (in PDF format). I could look there when I get home this afternoon to find the total hours. My best guesstimate would be somewhere between 5,000 and 6,000 hours.

By the way, should I reset the time in the SM? Or does it reset itself automatically when a new lamp is put in the set?

It's nice to have the new bulb in there. The picture is much brighter again, though it was never as difficult to see under excessive light conditions as our previous CRT-based RPTV, a Toshiba Cinema Series.

I tell My family( Don't turn the set off if You are going to watch something in 30 min ), just leave it on. Not only the bulb on the Sony, but on my old 35 inch Crt set as well....

It's typical for us to watch the news for 30-60 minutes before work in the morning, and then to watch about 4-5 hours in the evening. (I actually work on my computer in the same room during the evening, so it's not intensive watching.) We watch a lot of movies (cable / laser disc / DVD) on the weekends, though.

p

The bulb hours display doesn't reset when you install a new bulb. It can be reset, but why not just write the number of hours in your owner's manual. That way, it can continue to increment to total hours and you can compare how many hours each bulb lasted.

p

The bulb hours display doesn't reset when you install a new bulb. It can be reset, but why not just write the number of hours in your owner's manual. That way, it can continue to increment to total hours and you can compare how many hours each bulb lasted.

Good point. We haven't watched more than 5-10 hours since replacing the lamp.

p

The bulb hours display doesn't reset when you install a new bulb. It can be reset, but why not just write the number of hours in your owner's manual. That way, it can continue to increment to total hours and you can compare how many hours each bulb lasted.

Interesting approach. That way you also have made the lamp timer a running time meter for your display. That's scary! Now folks selling their displays as used will be forced to reveal their 'odometer' readings ... Whoops! Sorry, accidently reset it! :D

Considering what we'd get for these sets when we go to sell them, I'm not so sure that I'd be concerned.

Yes, Like a oil change ...I had almost 4000 hours on My original. So will log how many hours when this on pops.....I think it is great that You are getting this many hours on the original. Have a stand by ready though....G.B.

A little caution on standbys and spares. Generally they are only warranted for 90 or 180 days, so if one goes 'pop' in a short time you could be out some money. But relatively small risk.
Also, beware of ripoffs on lamp prices from after-market retailers. Some actually charge MORE for lamps than Sony. Very few, if any I have found, charge much less.
And usually Sony will send one out within 48 hrs.

The XL2200 for GWIVs is selling for $267 at ercservice.com and $200 at Sonystyle.
Just an extreme example.

I changed out my lamp at about 6,500 hours while it still works so I have a spare, just in case.

YMMV

Yes, Like a oil change ...I had almost 4000 hours on My original. So will log how many hours when this on pops.....I think it is great that You are getting this many hours on the original. Have a stand by ready though....G.B.

Heh-heh. This may be blasphemy on AVS Forum, but I was content to just get the lamp replaced when it finally fizzled. It's "only" a TV, after all, and I was able to live without it for a few days.

I do have to admit that the wife was getting antsy, though. :D

Heh-heh. This may be blasphemy on AVS Forum, but I was content to just get the lamp replaced when it finally fizzled. It's "only" a TV, after all, and I was able to live without it for a few days. ...

Yes, that is blasphemous :eek:

I just passed 2 years on my Jan 04 build. Original bulb coming up on 4200 hours.
Has anyone with a spare bulb tried comparing the "new" spare with the aged bulb ?
I've read many times that people note their bulb starts dimming and then dies.
I don't recall anyone testing for a difference on an otherwise good but aged bulb.
Is there a burn in period for the new bulb that would make this an invalid test ?

number9

I've got through a few bulbs (obviously watch a tad more TV than you guys :) ) and a new bulb will be extra bright when you first put it in. They'll lower after a while and then stay fairly stable till a few weeks before they fail.

Just got the green blob. *sigh* I'm supposed to have an extended warranty with Magnolia Hi Fi but I know they were bought out by Best Buy. I can't find my receipt. Stapled it to my manual so as not to lose it. :rolleyes: Am I hosed without a receipt? Have those that tried to fix it themselves been happy?

Just got the green blob. *sigh* I'm supposed to have an extended warranty with Magnolia Hi Fi but I know they were bought out by Best Buy. I can't find my receipt. Stapled it to my manual so as not to lose it. :rolleyes: Am I hosed without a receipt? Have those that tried to fix it themselves been happy?

See if the Magnolia A/V you bought it from can get you a copy of the receipt.
They are the 'high end' of BB. But now they are opening showrooms iNSide of Best Buy.

Just got the green blob. *sigh* I'm supposed to have an extended warranty with Magnolia Hi Fi but I know they were bought out by Best Buy. I can't find my receipt. Stapled it to my manual so as not to lose it. :rolleyes: Am I hosed without a receipt? Have those that tried to fix it themselves been happy?
I haven't needed a receipt with either Sears or CC. Everything is in their computer. Call them. I'll bet you don't need one.

I haven't needed a receipt with either Sears or CC. Everything is in their computer. Call them. I'll bet you don't need one.

I've had the same experience with Tweeter. No receipt or secret code word needed. ;)

Has anyone else noticed when adjusting grayscale that the grayscale is cooler outside of the service menu than when you're in the service menu? Before asking, yes its the same resolution and same input.

In other words, you can get it very close while you're in the service menu, but for that last 2 or 3 digit adjustment, you need to check it outside the service menu.

Jim P , what are You using to check the gray scale ? Some times the color of the numbers & letters in the service menu do this to your eye's....Zenith had a two page menu that produced this same problem . Each page had a deferent color script & You would always need to go back & forth to ge it right......

G.B.

For signal generating I'm using a Accupel HD signal generator. For reading, its the JimP eyeball 1.0. Actually, I use a calibrated computer monitor displaying a cross grayscale similar to the Accupel's and adjust the cuts and drives on the GWIII till they match.

OK, That should work for a reference.... good idea....You are saying it changes a tad in & out of the service menu ? Try covering up the top part & look at bottom 3/4 of the screen & take it out of service menu & see if you see a deference. Could be it has to do with the color of the numbers ...i wish they would use gray on service menu now that on lcd you don't have a burn in problem......

G.B.

I think you may be right about the green service menu type shifting the rest of the screen.

Its not a big deal to exit the service menu and recheck grayscale. Just checking to see if anyone else noticed it.

G.B.

I think you may be right about the green service menu type shifting the rest of the screen.

Its not a big deal to exit the service menu and recheck grayscale. Just checking to see if anyone else noticed it.

Yes, it's distracting when you are at the fine tuning stage. Would be nice if you could toggle the menu display off and on, and not have to reset the display.

Good idea

Has anyone figured out a good way to put that black velvet type of material on the inside?

Can't help but think that there is a lot of reflection on on inside there.

Also, did anyone figure out the ANSI contrast of the GWIII?

Hi there,

In the middle of watching a TV show, my 42" GWIII KF-42WE610 suddenly made a pop sound and then went dark. Since then, when I turn on the TV, it just emits an intermitten buzzing sound with the "power/standby" light continuously flashing. The "lamp" light sometimes flashes, but sometimes not. Any idea whether it's the bulb or something else? It's been about 2 years since I got it, and I don't think I've used the quoted 6000 hours of burn time. But since it's out of warranty, the local Sony service center will charge $350 just for labor (excluding parts)! Would anyone know whether I should just try to buy a replacement bulb or whether it might be a bigger problem?

THanks,
Glenn

I vote bulb.

Has it been getting darker for the last few weeks?

Likely the bulb, less likely, a ballast problem. Change out the lamp and find out right away. In 2 years you probably have over 4K hours. Certainly in the ball park for typical replacements.

I vote circuit board driver. That's what happened to me. It was a covered underneath my extended warranty.

I'm having an intermittent squeaking noise with my cooling fan now. It seems to be when I've had the TV on for an extended period of time, mostly. Any ideas on how to solve this?

I'm having an intermittent squeaking noise with my cooling fan now. It seems to be when I've had the TV on for an extended period of time, mostly. Any ideas on how to solve this?


As I mentioned a couple of pages back in this thread, I had the same problem. Replaced the cooling fan and noise went away. Was covered under my extended warranty.

Hi there,

In the middle of watching a TV show, my 42" GWIII KF-42WE610 suddenly made a pop sound and then went dark. Since then, when I turn on the TV, it just emits an intermitten buzzing sound with the "power/standby" light continuously flashing. The "lamp" light sometimes flashes, but sometimes not. Any idea whether it's the bulb or something else? It's been about 2 years since I got it, and I don't think I've used the quoted 6000 hours of burn time. But since it's out of warranty, the local Sony service center will charge $350 just for labor (excluding parts)! Would anyone know whether I should just try to buy a replacement bulb or whether it might be a bigger problem?

THanks,
GlennFYI, I purchased a new lamp from Sony for the same model, with express shipping, for about $225, if memory serves. It takes, at most, 15 minutes to replace. The only tool you need and might not have comes with it along with instructions and it has a 90-day warrantee. Should your problem prove to be something else, you would still have a new lamp and a working spare.

YMMV

Forum users who've had trouble with Sony GWIII's bulbs, lamp drivers, ballasts, circuit boards, buzz/no starts, optical blocks, etc., can review information regarding a potential class action lawsuit at http://www.lawyersandsettlements.co...ojection_lcd_tv

cboeckel

Link doesn't work.

Here's the address: http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/case/sony_rear_projection_lcd_tv

Do you work for the law firm? Get compensation for referrals? I know there were some issues but this looks like electronic ambulance chasing:)

I just passed 2 years on my Jan 04 build. Original bulb coming up on 4200 hours.
Has anyone with a spare bulb tried comparing the "new" spare with the aged bulb ?
I've read many times that people note their bulb starts dimming and then dies.
I don't recall anyone testing for a difference on an otherwise good but aged bulb.
Is there a burn in period for the new bulb that would make this an invalid test ?


I have not experienced or noticed much of any dimming. However, I did finally experience the dreaded buzz and lamp failure about two weeks ago. I have a Dec 03 WE50. The lamp would not come on at all. So I pulled the original lamp out and cleaned the contacts. I also shook it for good measure and reinstalled it. Sure enough it started working again and I have not had any problems since (no buzzing or lamp failure). However, I went ahead and ordered a new lamp from Sony which arrived yesterday. I installed the new lamp this morning and it looks great. I have the old lamp (which has about 6650 hours on it) as a back up.

Does anyone have the specs on the current lamps that SONY is shipping? I was under the impression that SONY switch to a different manufacturer. However, the new lamp I received is made by Phillips.

The problematic originals were Phillips, then they went to Osram for the first replacements. They have since gone back to Phillips.

The problematic originals were Phillips, then they went to Osram for the first replacements. They have since gone back to Phillips.

Thanks for the info. The new Phillips bulb is made in China whereas the original one was manufactured in Belguim.

The problematic originals were Phillips, then they went to Osram for the first replacements. They have since gone back to Phillips.

I had my original bulb replaced in 04 with the osram bulb and a circuit fix while under warranty. Then I got a new bulb recently , the philips. It buzzed and failed in less then 4 months. Then ordered one from sony direct and same buzz. They are sending a new one. I'm wondering if I'm getting the old phillips or the fix they did for Osram bulbs is effecting the new Phillips.

I thought the ballast was the major problem with early gen Sony's. I guess they might have had some marginal bulbs back then also, but in the last year or so it seems there is rarely a complaint about short lamp life on Sonys.

dcfox,

Did you have a new lamp driver installed in the past?

dcfox,

Did you have a new lamp driver installed in the past?

I dont think so, the only thing I had done was the Osram bulb change out and he pulled the back off and sodered somthing..
I just exchanged my second bulb with sony as it's still under warranty and after two days, no buzz on it.

I now have the purple bloches all over. Debating getting that fixed or just get a new 50 inch and use this in my other room. Anyone had that problem and what was the fix.

dcfox

Are you still covered by an extended warranty?

If so, have them come fix it.

dcfox

Are you still covered by an extended warranty?

If so, have them come fix it.

No I'm out of warranty on the tv. Sure wished I paid the extra for and extended warranty. Mine is a Oct 03 build.

No I'm out of warranty on the tv. Sure wished I paid the extra for and extended warranty. Mine is a Oct 03 build.


Sorry about the problems. Does give you a decent excuse with the MRs about why you have to buy another set. Its upgrade time! :)

Hi folks,
Has anyone seen this? The colors, as best as I can describe it, are inverted. This occurred 2 days ago on 2 consecutive attempts to turn on the set. Since that time, the set has operated properly. Is this a sign of impending doom? BTW, I have a Dec 2003 build. TIA.
ddm

EDIT: FYI - I had a Magnolia Hi-Fi Technician take a look at my set and the pix I took. Unfortunately, I have not been able to reproduce the issue and he said that he'd never seen anything like it. I guess I'll wait and see.

Has anyone had this problem? When the set has been off over night or long period of time, when I turn it on I get a White Screen with thin vertical multi colored lines that covers all of the screen except the far left and right couple of inches of the screen of which you can see the picture in those spots as if everything was fine, almost as if the white screen was layed over the picture.
You can not access the menu and the white screen stays on all inputs even if there is no signal being sent too the input in which case the outside edges just show blank black.
This does not occur all of the time and multiple restarts and allot of patience usually get the TV to work. I have a tech coming out and I know the problem will not occur for them, I keep trying to get a picture of it , but I'm not usually the one to first get the Tv going in the morning.
6 weeks ago a service tech came out a replaced the lamp driver because of the "Buzz issue" and changed out the Light engine from the "green blob" issue as well as the bulb. I have owned the set since 03 and have been through the Buzz problems a few times but really nothing else.

Hello. I have a KF-42WE610 SET, and have recently decided to pull my head out of my behind and perform the highly-recommended ND filter mod in my set.

I already have the filter (.3 Kodak Gel Wratten 6x6), and now am looking for someone who has done this to their set to provide me with any tips they might have. I have read about similar efforts in this and other threads, but none specific to this set. (KF-42WE610)

- Can anyone tell me what to expect once I open the set? Am I going to need to have a extended mount to hold the ND filter in place so it does not rest directly on the lens?

-How easy is it to open the tv "clamshell style" without risk of breakage?

Any other tips, advice, pics are always greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hello. I have a KF-42WE610 SET, and have recently decided to pull my head out of my behind and perform the highly-recommended ND filter mod in my set.

I already have the filter (.3 Kodak Gel Wratten 6x6), and now am looking for someone who has done this to their set to provide me with any tips they might have. I have read about similar efforts in this and other threads, but none specific to this set. (KF-42WE610)

- Can anyone tell me what to expect once I open the set? Am I going to need to have a extended mount to hold the ND filter in place so it does not rest directly on the lens?

-How easy is it to open the tv "clamshell style" without risk of breakage?

Any other tips, advice, pics are always greatly appreciated. Thanks!

If you find out anything let me know....I have the GW V (KDF-E55A20)
I am planning to have the mod done by a ISF tech here in Ohio as soon as I move

Could you tell me where you got your filter??


Thanks

If you find out anything let me know....I have the GW V (KDF-E55A20)
I am planning to have the mod done by a ISF tech here in Ohio as soon as I move

Could you tell me where you got your filter??


Thanks
I purchased the filter from adorama.com
(http://www.adorama.com/catalog.tpl?op=itemlist&cat1=Filters&cat2=Neutral%20Density%20Filters). They're not cheap, but well worth it from what I hear.

I did a lot of avsforum reading to determine what kind of filter I should get - hopefully I got the right one for my usage (daytime & nighttime)! Thanks UMR and Lew Black for the tips!

Now all I need is someone to give me the confidence to open that puppy up and put the filter in. The main things I am worried about are:

-damage to the set, screen, etc. while trying to open it
-dust or other particles getting inside
-not having the right equipment (filter mount, etc.) available when I open it (I'd like to do the entire mod in one session, if possible)

I do need to build a mount for the 6x6 filter, so if anyone can recommend materials for the mount, I would appreciate it as well. I am thinking about using something like a thick yet flexible plastic that I could cut to fit the filter while keeping it as rigid as possible.

OK spacebase, thanks..

If I hear anything, I will let you know as well

Not sure if this has been discussed, but has anyone tried the new toshiba HD DVD player on the sony GWIII yet? If so, how does it look? Are there any issues with using an HDMI to DVI cable? Any input would be appreciated as I am interested in picking up an HDDVD player.

dcfox,

Do you know whether the serial number of your set is in the "problem range" that was discussed here way back when?

croikeys.
So after arguing with Circuit City's warranty service I finally had a Repair Tech come out today. He informed me that the tv is not fit for use at this time, stated it is a fire hazard. Apparently the lamp melted the lamp housing, some of the ballasat and a few other parts in the immediate area. Then he tells me it will be 7 - 10 days for CC to decide to give me a new tv, or attempt to fix the damage. This is i believe a Nov03 build....I suppose it's about time.
UGH!

First post! I bought a 50WE610 back in Nov '03. After 6 months, the bulb blew. No prob, bought a new one from Sony and then had them send me a replacement under warrenty. So I've got a spare. Over the past couple of years, I've had no problem, cept a few spider webs... Then over the past couple of months I've developed a blue semi-crescent blob on the right hand side of the screen. I've read the posts about the green blob, so I'm hoping cleaning out the tv and the optical engine will work. Thanks for all the great info guys!

First post! I bought a 50WE610 back in Nov '03. After 6 months, the bulb blew. No prob, bought a new one from Sony and then had them send me a replacement under warrenty. So I've got a spare. Over the past couple of years, I've had no problem, cept a few spider webs... Then over the past couple of months I've developed a blue semi-crescent blob on the right hand side of the screen. I've read the posts about the green blob, so I'm hoping cleaning out the tv and the optical engine will work. Thanks for all the great info guys!

Bought mine about the same time you did. Same story except mine happened faster. Bulb went in 5 months, Blue blobs appeared after about a year. Lucky for me I got the extended warranty. They ended up replacing the whole optical engine. After that it looked great for about a year. Last month some other crazy stuff happened. Started losing green in any picture. And got some verticle lines in screen. Called shop again, and they replace my optical engine again. :eek: :eek: I've never had so much trouble with a TV in my life. I've got one more year on my warranty and I'm gonna be pissed if it craps out again. :mad:

Not sure if this has been discussed, but has anyone tried the new toshiba HD DVD player on the sony GWIII yet? If so, how does it look? Are there any issues with using an HDMI to DVI cable? Any input would be appreciated as I am interested in picking up an HDDVD player.

Yes, I have my GWIII with the Toshiba HD-A1 and it works great! I am using an HDMI/DVI converter that I got for $25 at Wal-Mart and it works like a champ. I'm also using the 5.1 audio set up with my Onkyo receiver. Accept for the somewhat limited availability of HD DVDs, I am very happy with how the player performs on the GWIII.

Hoopnoop,

Also try the component analog feed from the HD-A1 as the GWIII converts the DVI input almost immediately to analog. On a HD cable box and a HD satellite box, I didn't find much if any difference between digital and analog inputs.

Hoopnoop,

Also try the component analog feed from the HD-A1 as the GWIII converts the DVI input almost immediately to analog. On a HD cable box and a HD satellite box, I didn't find much if any difference between digital and analog inputs.

Yes, I agree -- I actually prefer the component inputs on the GWIII. The only problem is that the HD-A1 will not upconvert SD movies via component (my old Zenith DVB318 did do this).

Yes, I agree -- I actually prefer the component inputs on the GWIII. The only problem is that the HD-A1 will not upconvert SD movies via component (my old Zenith DVB318 did do this).


Thanks for the reply Hoopnoop. I am probably going to pull the trigger on the toshiba so appreciate the input. I am also currently using the zenith dvb318 via component....it looks ok, but not thrilled with the result. How is the upconverting capabilities of the toshiba on the GWIII? I feel the same way about the lack of hddvd titles as most of my viewing will be sd dvds, so upconversion is really important. Thinking about selling the zenith, is there still a market for these?

I have the GWIII and the Zenith 318 connected via DVI.

I've been pleased with this combination, but also considering upgrading to the Toshiba A1 HD DVD player. As HD DVD releases are few (and fewer that I would care to watch) I'm interested in how the Toshiba does with upconversion - especially comparing to the Zenith 318.

Today most People want more for the Money. I would hope all HD DVD players will do equal to or better what we have been able to buy for the last 2-3 Years for regular DVD. Sony with GWIII & XBR's I think did a real good job with the Scalers in the TV's to get a great to best Picture with regular DVD players at 480 P. I think some will wait for this same reason , to find out what format will win , or the first one's that play both. Pioneer sold a bunch of the first unit that played DVD, DVD Audio, SACD Audio.

Today most People want more for the Money. I would hope all HD DVD players will do equal to or better what we have been able to buy for the last 2-3 Years for regular DVD. Sony with GWIII & XBR's I think did a real good job with the Scalers in the TV's to get a great to best Picture with regular DVD players at 480 P. I think some will wait for this same reason , to find out what format will win , or the first one's that play both. Pioneer sold a bunch of the first unit that played DVD, DVD Audio, SACD Audio.


The upscaling is very good with the HD-A1 -- comparable to good upscaling dvd players. I can't tell a big difference between the DVB318 and the HD-A1 but I would give the edge to the latter. For HD DVDs, the picture quality on the GWIII is awesome and, if you have a decent sound system (with either HDMI or 5.1 analog connections) then the surround sound is awesome as well. Overall, it brings the WOW back to the GWIII.

Bought mine about the same time you did. Same story except mine happened faster. Bulb went in 5 months, Blue blobs appeared after about a year. Lucky for me I got the extended warranty. They ended up replacing the whole optical engine. After that it looked great for about a year. Last month some other crazy stuff happened. Started losing green in any picture. And got some verticle lines in screen. Called shop again, and they replace my optical engine again. :eek: :eek: I've never had so much trouble with a TV in my life. I've got one more year on my warranty and I'm gonna be pissed if it craps out again. :mad:
Just finished cleaning the optical engine. NO difference... Guess I'll hit up Sony and see if they'll cut me some sort of deal on a new engine...

Good news! I just got off the phone with Sony. In case no one noticed there's a service alert about the optical engine block on their site:

2003-2004 Model Year Grand WEGA Televisions:

Models: KF-42WE610, KF-50WE610, KF-60WE610, KDF-70XBR950, KDF-60XBR950, KDF-42WE655, KDF-50WE655, KDF-55WF655, KDF-60WF655, KDF-55XS955, KDF-60XS955, KF-42WE620, and KF-50WE620.

As technology evolves, Sony continually looks to stand behind the reliability of its televisions. It has come to our attention that a very limited number of televisions manufactured between 2003-2005, after a period of time exhibit a stationary scribble / random line pattern on the screen. Click here to see photos of this symptom.

As part of our commitment to quality, Sony is announcing that for any owner of this model television who paid out-of pocket expenses on or before May 26, 2006 for an estimate or repair service to replace the optical block for this specific issue, Sony will reimburse the customer by mail for his/her parts and labor expenses. To receive reimbursement, please follow completely the directions and terms on the claim form for reimbursement; all claims must be postmarked by May 31, 2007.

In addition, for any customer who later experiences this issue on one of the affected models, Sony will cover the cost of the optical block repair at no charge through September 30, 2007. All other terms of the Sony limited warranty continue to apply.


When I talked to Sony, they said even though my symptons were a blob and not scribble lines, if the repair person decides that it's the optical engine that needs to be replaced, Sony will still pick up the tab.

http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/news-item.pl?mdl=KF50WE610&news_id=127

The upscaling is very good with the HD-A1 -- comparable to good upscaling dvd players. I can't tell a big difference between the DVB318 and the HD-A1 but I would give the edge to the latter. For HD DVDs, the picture quality on the GWIII is awesome and, if you have a decent sound system (with either HDMI or 5.1 analog connections) then the surround sound is awesome as well. Overall, it brings the WOW back to the GWIII.

There has been some discussion in the HD DVD section about the HD-A1 using the wrong color space when playing an HD DVD through a HDMI to DVI connection. Have you notices the colors being undersaturated or washed out on your DVI connection to the GWIII?

Supposedly this doesn't happen with component output or HDMI to HDMI connections, just the HDMI to DVI method. As the GWIII only has DVI input (no HDMI) I thought you might have some input.

It would be a great test to compare DVI and component inputs on the GWIII with the HD-A1 to compare color levels.

Some argue that this color space issue is huge, while others seem to feel that most people won't notice the difference.

I'm trying to decide whether to jump into the HD DVD world, or wait untl this issue has been addressed in a firmware update fo the player.

Just finished cleaning the optical engine. NO difference... Guess I'll hit up Sony and see if they'll cut me some sort of deal on a new engine...

When I talked to Sony, they said even though my symptons were a blob and not scribble lines, if the repair person decides that it's the optical engine that needs to be replaced, Sony will still pick up the tab.

This is excellent news. Thanks for this information.

I know that the resolution of the GWIII is a 1366x768, so both 720p and 1080i get scaled to the native res, but I have been wondering if an upscaling DVD player like the Oppo OPDV971H or the DV-970HD would provide superior output to the internal scaler of the GWIII if the player outputs? If so, which of the two would be better considering they both use different deinterlacing and scaler engines?

There has been some discussion in the HD DVD section about the HD-A1 using the wrong color space when playing an HD DVD through a HDMI to DVI connection. Have you notices the colors being undersaturated or washed out on your DVI connection to the GWIII?

Supposedly this doesn't happen with component output or HDMI to HDMI connections, just the HDMI to DVI method. As the GWIII only has DVI input (no HDMI) I thought you might have some input.

It would be a great test to compare DVI and component inputs on the GWIII with the HD-A1 to compare color levels.

Some argue that this color space issue is huge, while others seem to feel that most people won't notice the difference.

I'm trying to decide whether to jump into the HD DVD world, or wait untl this issue has been addressed in a firmware update fo the player.

I really can't say as I haven't compared component with DVI. I have been just using DVI and the pictures really look fabulous. There was also just a firmware upgrade to the HD-A1 which appears to be correcting some problems people were encountering including lock-ups on certain dvds.

Well the tech is supposed to arrive tomorrow morning with the new optical engine. It's supposed to cost $350 for labor and $500 for the engine. Afterwards I'm supposed to fax the invoice to Sony for reimbursement. Wish me luck!

BTW, this is supposed to be a new and much improved version of the engine...

The tech brought a new optical engine, installed it and now she works just as well as the day I bought her. He's going to mail me my paper work so I can get reimbursed by Sony.

yuichiror,

While the tech had your set apart, did you see a simple way of adding the black velvet material to reduce reflections??

yuichiror,

While the tech had your set apart, did you see a simple way of adding the black velvet material to reduce reflections??


Having added an ND Filter on my GWIV, I think the assembly is similar. I used the 'clamshell' method of dropping the filter in from the top.
There are a lot of screws holding the screen (front) half to the rest of the display at the bottom. That's why those of us who dropped in the filters never totally separated the two halves. And why we call it a clamshell.
The optic engine would be removed from the back. Pulling out the major optic and electronics assembly. (This is the only way you can add an ND filter on an 'XS' model, without totally disassembling the speaker ring).
The only way to add any kind of darkening material would be pulling the whole front off. If you have the service manual it is possible. Not aware of anyone who has done it.

videoaddikt,

Thanks for the filter suggestion, but I'd like to keep most the brightness during daytime hours.

I was hoping that there was some simple way of just removing the front screen. Less distructive, the better. :)

JimP,
I was not trying to promote the filter, as much as explain some of the obstacles getting inside the display.
It can be done, which is to the point. Whether it is worth the time and effort is another
story. Our ol' calibrator, UMR, seemed convinced darkening the interior surfaces would have negligible results. He liked the filter, but said it was strictly a personal thing. Everything has some drawbacks, and we all balance them out based on what we like.

Using the CRT RP as an example, I am not sure why adding the coating on the surfaces would not be better. Granted, we are dealing with a much smaller area, and a different means of focusing the light close to the screen, instead of far back where CRT tubes are located. It's hard to say, unless someone tries it. Interesting concept anyway.

Does anybody know what the response time is on these tv's? I can't find this information anywhere.

For those of you that have these TVs for a while. Does it help to buy a spare lamp in advance ?

Just wanted to know how many bought a spare lamp 6months or a 1year ago and did not have to use it yet compared to the people that had a use for their spare lamp less than a year after they bought one.

Small risk the lamp you buy will have no warranty on it by the time you get around to use it.
Some have gone ahead and just replaced the original when they noticed it getting dimmer, and/or after at least a year or more, and kept the original as a spare.

Most folks likely just replace it when it blows. You end up spending the same money eventually, assuming you have no extended coverage to pay for the lamp at any point.

Some have gone ahead and just replaced the original when they noticed it getting dimmer.
How obvious is it when the lamp begins getting dimmer? Also, if one were to wait for the lamp to blow completely before replacing it, who offers the quickest turnaround on a replacement?

How obvious is it when the lamp begins getting dimmer? Also, if one were to wait for the lamp to blow completely before replacing it, who offers the quickest turnaround on a replacement?

Not super obvious, but if you watch the TV a lot, you will probably find yourself wondering if it's dimmer, or just you. Then, it pops.

Sony has been pretty good about super-fast turnaround. I ordered on a Friday, and got it on a Monday. I think they generally have free shipping, and the price ends up being about the same as any discount place, and it's from Sony.

No point in getting it ahead of time if you have any other TV's to watch, as it comes with a 90-day warrantee, and you'll likely want to maximize use of the warrantee.

(And it's super easy to replace - no extra tools needed, just the included allen-wrench.)

As you can imagine, it'll likely go out at the worst time.

What you might want to do is to keep a spare around to carry you between old bulb going out and a new bulb coming in.

....., who offers the quickest turnaround on a replacement?

Some online retailers are charging as much or more than Sony. Just order from Sony. I thinks it's 2 day Fed Ex.

Set is 2 yrs old, out of warranty. Tonight picture went out on all sources. Effect is brightly colored vertical squiggles, like famous designer sweaters. Has anyone seen this before? Light engine problem? Any suggestions appreciated.

Rick Clay

Hit the Settings button twice on your remote (to get to main setup screen). Scroll down to "Set: TV Borders". Change the setting to "Dark". You will then have black bars.

There is no Settings button on my remote. There is a Menu button that takes me to a screen with a set-up option, but there is no "Set: TV Borders" option.

Couple of questions that I have been having a hard time finding the answers to with my TV after all this time, even after searching, finding a directly related answer.

1) First, the three picture modes: Vivid, Standard and Pro. In the manual for the TV, I was led to believe that each individual input can have different settings for each picture mode. (Pro can be setup on Input4 one way, and setup differently on Input5) However, I remember way back when that it was debunked, and that each picture mode is the same regardless of input. (So if I setup Pro on Input4, the same settings will be used for Pro on Input5 or Input6.) Can someone please explain to me how the picture modes work once and for all?

2) Been trying to decide on a new DVD player, specifically the Oppo 971 (/w Faroudja) or the 970 (/w Mediatek). The real question is, does the GWIII suffer from the "Macroblock Enhance" bug of the Faroudja deinterlacer? If so, is it possible to calibrate the set to minimize it enough that it is still worth getting the 971, or should I stick with the 970?

Thanks for the help, those that haven't moved on from this TV, which hasn't done me wrong since picking it up almost three years ago.

Bloodsend,

To answer your first question, you can have various effects for each of the picture mode for each input and resolution, but it requires adjustments in the service menu. The way; its suppose to work is that vivid is suppose to give you the same look across all inputs and resolutions. Problem you come across ( which may be why you're writing this) is that some devices output different than others. i.e. Motorola 6412 phase 1 and phase 3 are different.

For those of you that have these TVs for a while. Does it help to buy a spare lamp in advance ?

Just wanted to know how many bought a spare lamp 6months or a 1year ago and did not have to use it yet compared to the people that had a use for their spare lamp less than a year after they bought one.

Yes, I feel that it is worth it. I have had the GWIII for a few years now, and one day *poof*, my bulb broke and went dead. So I had to get a new one. The cheapest price I could find was on Ebay, which I promptly purchased and paid for, only for it to be delivered like 2 weeks later!

Don't get me wrong, I can live without TV, but after two weeks, it was getting a little ridiculous. I will definitely be picking up another bulb to have as a spare in the near future.

BTW, my set did not give me any indications that the bulb was going to die (i.e. darker picture, etc.)

Hope this helps!

[QUOTE=Bloodsent]

2) Been trying to decide on a new DVD player, specifically the Oppo 971 (/w Faroudja) or the 970 (/w Mediatek). The real question is, does the GWIII suffer from the "Macroblock Enhance" bug of the Faroudja deinterlacer? If so, is it possible to calibrate the set to minimize it enough that it is still worth getting the 971, or should I stick with the 970?


I had (stress had) the Zenith DVB318 with the SonyGWIII, picture looked ok but the macroblocking was extemely annoying. Sold the zenith and also looking at the oppo 970 w/out the faroudja as I am not interested in seeing grey blobs during dark scenes. Either that or might spring the extra bucks for the Toshiba HD DVD player. Anyone tried any of the aforementioned oppos on the GWIII?

Does anyone know the contrast ratio on the KF-42WE610? I am very happy with this TV, but would like to know the contrast ratio, so that I can compare it to the new LED powered HDTVs. The owners manual does not have a figure in it that I can find, and I did a search but could not find it either.

Sorry if this is a repeat ? but my 42" Sony screen went black all of the sudden today. I get volume with the black screen, no hint of a problem before today. So is it for sure maybe just the lamp?
I never buy a warranty but in 2004 I bought BB 4 year EW on this and they said the lamp and everything else was covered. Be out in 4 days though, bummer.

Will 60" GWIII owners who have purchased a newer set, i.e. Sammy 6187, SXRD, etc. comment on how the GWIII compares to their new set.

hi everyone,

i'm having some problem with my nov 04 GWIII.

Since 3 weeks, when i start the tv, the power lamp flash 3 times like usualy but image appears for 1 seconds and the screen goes black for 50 seconds and then the image appear and everything is ok after that.


any idea?

thks for your help

p.s:sorry for my english

Will 60" GWIII owners who have purchased a newer set, i.e. Sammy 6187, SXRD, etc. comment on how the GWIII compares to their new set.

Much of it is going to depend on viewing conditions and setup.

I calibrated a GWII and an SXRD for the same client in his home. He was astonished at how similar they were once they were both calibrated. I personally find the improved black levels and smaller pixel structure to be huge, but if you sit far away and watch in bright room conditions the similarity is much higher.

The Samsung sets can have another level of color accuracy that I find very appealing as well. The Samsung sets can also be another notch sharper, but that is a double edged sword. They also will dramatically show improper filtering at the source with moire.

hi everyone,

i'm having some problem with my nov 04 GWIII.

Since 3 weeks, when i start the tv, the power lamp flash 3 times like usualy but image appears for 1 seconds and the screen goes black for 50 seconds and then the image appear and everything is ok after that.


any idea?

thks for your help

p.s:sorry for my english

Either it is time for a lamp or your lamp power circuitry is not in good shape. I would strongly consider a new lamp since this will put stress on the power supply.

Does anyone know the contrast ratio on the KF-42WE610? I am very happy with this TV, but would like to know the contrast ratio, so that I can compare it to the new LED powered HDTVs. The owners manual does not have a figure in it that I can find, and I did a search but could not find it either.

The on/off contrast ratio is about 400:1 on these. The newer technologies are much higher. My Samsung is probably about 5000:1 and looks like a huge Sony XBR CRT.

Thank you so very much!!

Either it is time for a lamp or your lamp power circuitry is not in good shape. I would strongly consider a new lamp since this will put stress on the power supply.

tks umr

Well my Jan 04 finally blew it's original bulb. Not unexpected, since it had been taking longer to come to full brightness the last few weeks. 4900 hours.

I was surprised to see some extremely fine dust on the housing of the old lamp. The lamp housing door seemed really tight so I guess it must be attracted there from somewhere else in the TV. Not something that I wanted to see since I've already dealt with crop circles once before.

Looking for help please!! Ok, so I just picked up a sony dvpns75H to go with my GWIII. For a little background, I had problems with my dvi input so sony came out and completely replaced the dvi block on the GWIII a few days ago. So now I can hook up my Direct TV HR10-250 via hdmi-dvi cable and everything looks great. Problem is, when I hooked up the ns75 with the same hdmi-dvi cable, no picture.

I tried the ns75 with my vizio lcd using a straight hdmi connection and it works fine, so I know its not the player. I know the dvi input on the tv works and the cable works because I use the HR10-250 with it. I even tried a different cable and still no picture with the ns75. I also know the GWIII is HDCP compliant. Anyone have any ideas why I'm not getting anything with the ns75 via hdmi-dvi? Is anyone here using the ns75 with there GWIII?

picaddict,

Some DVD players require you to hook them up via s-video first in order to select the DVI/HDMI output. Don't know if yours is one of them, but its worth a try.

I have not tried the s-video connection but I did try to set up via component first, to no avail. I called sony support and they are also confused as to why my set up did not work.

I just got the bulb replaced for 50We610. The box label Sony xl-2100U. Is this better than Philips or osram. The last bulb I have replaced the box labeled Philips and it last 3000hrs. The original last 800hrs.

I just got the bulb replaced for 50We610. The box label Sony xl-2100U. Is this better than Philips or osram. The last bulb I have replaced the box labeled Philips and it last 3000hrs. The original last 800hrs.

Considering earlier Sonys had some bulb and ballast problems, I would use what Sony is providing, it should be whatever is recommended.

OK. This is going to be long but hopefully someone has had similar issues. I bought my GWIII in Feb 2004 with a 5 yr extended warranty. The set had been perfect until 2 months ago. I did have to replace a bulb but I that is not my issue. I had a red fingerprint size spot on the screen. I called Phillips Priority Service whom I have the warranty through and they setup an appointment with an authorized Sony service center.

They came out for appointment 1 to replace the light engine. The problem was fixed for about a week. Then a green spot appeared in a different spot. I called the service center and they were shocked that it happened again and stated they would send out another light engine and the one that was put in must have been defective.

So appointment number 2 and the engine was replaced again. Then within 15 minutes a blue spot appeared. At this point I felt like saying what the heck, lets get the rest of the colors out of the way and be done with it. Anyways I called back and then again they stated the engine is bad and they have to replace it.

So appointment number 3 and the engine is replaced. A couple of days later and you know what is next, a couple of green spots are visible and a faint blue spot is on there as well. So this time I called Phillips Priority Service back and they said they will try and send another service center out and see if something could be done. My patience is at the point is boiling. That service center then said they need to come out and see what the problem is. I called Phillips back and asked what will be done this time and they stated that if the service center deems the set unfixable they would buy out the contract of the warranty. This means that any cost of parts to repair the set would be deducted from how much I bought the set for and they would send me the difference. Now this quite a joke being that the parts have never worked. Why would I pay for a part that is defective????

Anyways appointment number 4 comes from the second service center and they attempt to "Clean" the light engine and of course this is not smart being I heard these engines are cleaned in a clean environment in a lab. SO.... he cleans it and its worse. I called the original service center to ask what I should do next and they said they would call Phillips for me. I got a call a few days later and they said they wanted to replace the engine for the "4th" time. I am clueless at this point because what will this do that the 3 previous attempts will do.

SO....appointment number 5 and the engine is replaced again. A week goes by and I am surprised that no spots are visible. So I get ready to prepare my letter of thanks to the service center for their help and guess what. A RED SPOT AGAIN!!!!!!!


I am going to call the service center again tomorrow and talk to the owner whom I spoke with before and ask what he thinks now. We'll see what happens but has anyone had any problems like this before???? I really need to know if someone has so I can find out how things turned out.

I'll tell you this....I will never buy a Sony product again. I have read so many threads on defective LCD parts its ridiculous. From bulbs, to engines, etc.

I will once this is all done whether they buy the contract or replace the set write a letter to newspapers, news stations, Sony themselves, and anyone else I can think of.

Part of the problem is your warranty provider. Most of the chain stores have a replacement clause. If the set exhibits the same problem so many times, they replace it, rather than continue to fix something that has been unfixable.

Sounds like you've gotten a good amount of service from the warranty provider, just not effective service.

Sony is a "luck of the draw" situation with their TVs. My GWIII has worked perfectly for the 2 years I've owned it (knock on wood). Others have had recurring bulb problems and light engine defects.

Sony is off the hook on these sets, unless they sold the extended warranty. Best you can hope for is either a good light engine, or that Sony runs out of (or quits making) the light engine, which would force your warranty provider to give you some type of refund.

I'd guess that if they deduct the parts from the purchase price, it would only be fair to deduct one of the light engines, as the others have been defective. Otherwise, based on the parts cost alone, you'd end up owing them money!!

Best of luck getting a working set.

OK. This is going to be long but hopefully someone has had similar issues. I bought my GWIII in Feb 2004 with a 5 yr extended warranty. The set had been perfect until 2 months ago. I did have to replace a bulb but I that is not my issue. I had a red fingerprint size spot on the screen. I called Phillips Priority Service whom I have the warranty through and they setup an appointment with an authorized Sony service center.

They came out for appointment 1 to replace the light engine. The problem was fixed for about a week. Then a green spot appeared in a different spot. I called the service center and they were shocked that it happened again and stated they would send out another light engine and the one that was put in must have been defective.

So appointment number 2 and the engine was replaced again. Then within 15 minutes a blue spot appeared. At this point I felt like saying what the heck, lets get the rest of the colors out of the way and be done with it. Anyways I called back and then again they stated the engine is bad and they have to replace it.

So appointment number 3 and the engine is replaced. A couple of days later and you know what is next, a couple of green spots are visible and a faint blue spot is on there as well. So this time I called Phillips Priority Service back and they said they will try and send another service center out and see if something could be done. My patience is at the point is boiling. That service center then said they need to come out and see what the problem is. I called Phillips back and asked what will be done this time and they stated that if the service center deems the set unfixable they would buy out the contract of the warranty. This means that any cost of parts to repair the set would be deducted from how much I bought the set for and they would send me the difference. Now this quite a joke being that the parts have never worked. Why would I pay for a part that is defective????

Anyways appointment number 4 comes from the second service center and they attempt to "Clean" the light engine and of course this is not smart being I heard these engines are cleaned in a clean environment in a lab. SO.... he cleans it and its worse. I called the original service center to ask what I should do next and they said they would call Phillips for me. I got a call a few days later and they said they wanted to replace the engine for the "4th" time. I am clueless at this point because what will this do that the 3 previous attempts will do.

SO....appointment number 5 and the engine is replaced again. A week goes by and I am surprised that no spots are visible. So I get ready to prepare my letter of thanks to the service center for their help and guess what. A RED SPOT AGAIN!!!!!!!


I am going to call the service center again tomorrow and talk to the owner whom I spoke with before and ask what he thinks now. We'll see what happens but has anyone had any problems like this before???? I really need to know if someone has so I can find out how things turned out.

I'll tell you this....I will never buy a Sony product again. I have read so many threads on defective LCD parts its ridiculous. From bulbs, to engines, etc.

I will once this is all done whether they buy the contract or replace the set write a letter to newspapers, news stations, Sony themselves, and anyone else I can think of.

My TV has a Dec03 date on it. Not as severe as your problem, I am on my 3rd light engine. THe first lasted about a year and the blue fog appeared. They replaced engine and it was good for about another year then the fog reappeared. Replaced again and so far so good. When my warranty is out and this crap happens again, I'm gonna be pissed. Let me know if you have anyluck getting TV replaced. I was thinking somethings gotta be wrong for mine to kill 2, but yours is crazy....

Bump for a TV I own!

Never had a problem after I got my defective bulb replaced under warranty. Purchased November 2003.

I have an Oct. 03 set and when I got my first one home I had dead pixel issues then finally settled in on the 3rd set, one that I currently own. About a month after I owned it (past the 30 day return period) I started having the blinking red light bulb issue. Finally got that fixed after like 3 attempts. Then about a year ago starting getting the small green faint spots in dark scenes. Had the light engine replaced 3 times and it always came back. I have my warranty through Best Buy some I hope to get the set replaced with a new SXRD or Plasma when the prices come down. I love the picture quality but yes Sony does has some major Quality control issues and I really don't think they care about it. I may get a Panasonic Plasma if Best Buy just refunds my purchase price minus the ext. warranty. Not sure yet. Waiting too see some reports on the A series SXRD. One interesting thing I have found is that Sony is now selling the KF-50WE610 as refurbished on their site...

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start?ProductSKU=KF50WE610%2fBSTOCK&Dept=tvvideo&CategoryName=ha_outlet_televisions

Guess they had a lot come back to them. Good luck to anyone that has had issues. Paying close to 3k when this set came out and for the number of issues people had is ridiculous, but just look at the new SXRD thread, people are going crazy over there and Sony has us all hooked. Maybe their US factory will have some QUALITY CONTROL!!!

I've had my TV almost 3 years, no problem. Today, greenish-blue line with crossing lines ( only 1/2 inch or so) like a railroad track shows near middle screen going toward right bottom corner. I assume they may be struck pixels but I don't know. Has anyone seen this or have a suggestion that I might try. I did try unplugging the set. I also try several inputs including DVD, all have lines.

Sorry, just found the posts about etch-a-sketch problems. Anyone have any new info about what Sony is doing for non-warenty units

Hi,

I purchased my KF-60WE610 in December 2003. I really love this set and have up to now been very happy with it.

About 2 months ago - the original lamp blew and I purchased a new one and replaced the old. I don't know if this had anything to do with it or not - but within 30 days of replacing the lamp the set suddenly developed several bad blue pixels that stayed on all the time.

Initally there were only 4 pixels on but within a day the problem worsened until there were at least 100-200 blue pixels turned on in the center of the screen. In addition a blue "fog" appeared that covered the entire left 1/6th of the screen.

I called Circuit City repair since I had purchased the set from them. The repair guy came out and gave us the bad news - The "optical block" was bad in our set and the bill - parts & labor - $1300.00 to repair. I was dumbfounded - I expected a $300-$400 bill - but I really felt that $1300.00 to repair a $4000.00 top of the line set less than 3 years old was at best excessive. The repair tech expalined that we had 30 days to decide what we wanted to do and they would come back to finish the repairs for the $100 service charge we paid for the site visit, so he left us the repair estimate and suggested we call Sony.

I went online first and found this link (sorry the board wouldn't let me post the link) refering to another problem with the "Optical Block" that Sony was covering even if the set was out of warranty.

I called the service tech back at Circuit City, told him about what I had found online, and he then explained that I needed to call Sony to get a "concession letter" stating that they would cover the repairs. I thanked him and called Sony.

I called Sony at 1-800-282-2848 and spoke with the Sony rep. I was nice, polite and explained my dilemma. I told them that I saw there was a similar problem with the "optical block" listed on their web site and although my issue was not exactly the same - I felt a $1300.00 repair bill on a $4000.00 set just around 2 years old was excessive and it was my hope that Sony would stand behind their product. The representative told me that the service tech had to call the sony tech hotline in order to get a concession. I thanked them - got my event number and called my technican back.

The technician said that he would call them and see what he could do - but that my problem was not the exact problem (I think it's sometimes called etch-a-sketch) that they Sony are covering under an extended warranty. He quickly called me back and told me I'm sorry - but Sony has said they cannot do anything - it's not the same problem. Understand - I agree with you that paying more than 1/4 the cost of a new set to repair a 2 year old set does seem like a lot of money to me - If I were you I would call the Sony number again and ask to speak to a supervisor - sometimes they can do something for you that the service technician is not able to.

So ... I called Sony again. The rep explained to me that she saw in the notes from the service tech's call that it was not the "optical block" that needed to be replaced. Hmmm... I know that it is in fact the "optical block" because I had specifically asked the service tech when I spoke with him. At this point I asked the rep if I could please speak with a manager. She put me on hold for a bit and when she got back she apologized but no managers were available at the moment - she would take my info, have them investigate the issue and get back with me in 72 hours. I gave her the technicans telephone number, my invoice number from when I purchased the TV, the service ticket number and the tech's email address. She said that if the optical block was the problem they might be able to help me - but again - the manager would have to investigate it first.

I waited patiently for a week - no call from Sony. I had almost given up all hope at them doing the right thing - but thought it wouldn't hurt to call them back one more time.

When I spoke with the rep - they said that the telephone number I had given them for the service tech in their notes was the wrong number!! I gave her the number again and she updated their system. Then I called the repair tech and left him a message letting him know to expect a call from a sony manager.

I received a call from the Circuit City technican the same day. He told me that Sony has agreed to provide a concession for the parts on the repair of my set and that the new total - if I chose to have the set repaired - would now be approximately $350.00 less the $100 I had paid for the service call.

Needless to say - I feel that I definately made the right decision to purchase a Sony product - they did right by me. Circuit City was the right retailer to purchase the set from as well since they helped me get the set repaired at a reasonable cost.

Hope this helps anyone that has a similar issue!

P.S. I really want to take out an extended service warranty as soon as the set is repaired next week. I can't afford to have this type of an issue happen again. Does anyone know of a company offering a 5 year warranty?? :)

I couldn't find the answer in this thread. Can someone tell me if our beloved GWIII has a built in tuner for OTA HD?

I couldn't find the answer in this thread. Can someone tell me if our beloved GWIII has a built in tuner for OTA HD?
Nope, it only has an NTSC tuner.

Okay, I suspected it didn't have a built in tuner for HD. Thanks!

I couldn't find the answer in this thread. Can someone tell me if our beloved GWIII has a built in tuner for OTA HD?

The 60 and 70 XBR950's have built in ATSC tuners for OTA HD.

Got home one day to find out my son was adjusting the color, brightness etc on my TV. After I had borrowed an Avia disc and adjusted it nicely. Don't have the disc now just want to put it back to factory defaults until I get the disc back. I don't see an option in the setup to do this am I missing something :eek:

...Don't have the disc now just want to put it back to factory defaults until I get the disc back. I don't see an option in the setup to do this am I missing something :eek:
If you bring up the menu, you can go where it let you choose the different type of profile and you can hit the small reset button on the remote.

Unless your son was old enough to know the magic sequence to go into the service menu and mess things up in there, then there is no recovery.

If you bring up the menu, you can go where it let you choose the different type of profile and you can hit the small reset button on the remote.

Unless your son was old enough to know the magic sequence to go into the service menu and mess things up in there, then there is no recovery.


:D Thanks for your help, That did the trick.....

My wife and I have a KF-60WE610 that we bought in 12-03. The picture has always been a little bit angled (it gains rises by about an inch from the very left to the very right) and now we have noticed a blue discoloration near the upper right that is very pronounced on some b/w footage, not so much on bright color pictures.

I am considering calling Sony and having all this repaired, but would not be prepaired to close to or more than half of what a comparable new TV would cost (I saw a new 60" Sony with LCD projection for $2299 a few weeks ago).

Is there any chance to remedy the angle and the bluish tint using the myriad options in the service menu? I remember downloading a guide for the service menu that was linked from this forum a while ago, but that concerned itself more with optimizing the system, not so much fixing problems.

Thank you!

flavor,

The bluish discoloration in the corner sounds like screen uniformity problem that requires a light engine replacement to correct.

The cost of the light engine replacement I believe is somewhere around $1,100. If you didn't get the extended warranty to cover this, then the cost of replacement is probably not worth it and the money would be better spent for newer technology.

flavor,

The bluish discoloration in the corner sounds like screen uniformity problem that requires a light engine replacement to correct.

The cost of the light engine replacement I believe is somewhere around $1,100. If you didn't get the extended warranty to cover this, then the cost of replacement is probably not worth it and the money would be better spent for newer technology.

Thank you for your answer. I will try to go to Circuit City (where I got this) and have them check it, then possibly ask Sony for a concession like the poster above. I can truthfully say that I tend to buy a lot from Sony.

The discoloration is particularly visible against grey and brown backgrounds, when colors are bright it is hard to see at all.

If it cannot be repaired I am thinking about waiting a while, doing some good research (I kinda bought the 50" version of this because I trust Sony and saw it at Circuit City. When it broke after a month, we upgraded to the 60" one) and probably getting an LCD TV. I have never seen computer LCDs angled or with discoloration and would hope that this also applies to TVs.

Is there at least something I can do about the angle?

I was in the middel of watching a movie when the tv went dark. The green power light stayed on. I turned the set off and tried to turn it back on and it won't power back up. It flashes green about 30 times then flashes red. I have a KF-60WE610. This almost seems identical to the problems they had when they were initially released. It doesn't seem like it could be the bulb. It almost seems like the bulb is not firing up. Anyone else have a problem with theirs. It has a Janaury 04 build date.

sdchrgrboy,

Sounds like the bulb died.

sdchrgrboy,

Sounds like the bulb died.
Thanks for your response, I was beginning to come to that conclusion as well. I just thought they laste a little longer than 34 mos.

well, looks like I finally need to replace my original bulb, bought the TV back in October 03.

It never made a pop sound, but I assume if it quits coming on that the bulb is toast?

It's strange, this time last year the bulb was getting very finicky, doing the buzz thing, but we were patient with it and the problem eventually went away. And we got almost another year of life out of it.

Here's 2 questions, both of which I think I know the answer to, but I've been on so many GWIII threads I've kind of gotten lost:

1) At this point, I just order the bulb from Sony, right? No need to distinguish between the Osram and all that other stuff?

2) Is the installation relatively easy?

Thanks in advance.

well, looks like I finally need to replace my original bulb, bought the TV back in October 03.

It never made a pop sound, but I assume if it quits coming on that the bulb is toast?

It's strange, this time last year the bulb was getting very finicky, doing the buzz thing, but we were patient with it and the problem eventually went away. And we got almost another year of life out of it.

Here's 2 questions, both of which I think I know the answer to, but I've been on so many GWIII threads I've kind of gotten lost:

1) At this point, I just order the bulb from Sony, right? No need to distinguish between the Osram and all that other stuff?

2) Is the installation relatively easy?

Thanks in advance.

All - I'm concerned about #2 also. My 2ND bulb went on Monday Night (still need to watch the end of Studio 60) :-( It looked like it had been getting less bright - but I though (hoped) that it was my imagination (but it wasn't).

We have a maintenence agreement with Sears. When the set was new the buld blew - they screwed up and ordered 2 bulbs. My wife would NOT let the tech take the bulb (keeping it as insurance - just in case).

So - Sears can come out on Monday October 9 - or - I can try it myself. Maybe if I mess it up enough (without electricuting myself LOL) I'll get a new set.

Technically, I'm pretty - but don't usually go "under the hood".

From those that have done it - how difficult is it?

THANKS!

faceoff

Not difficult at all.

If you can't find the owner's manual for directions, let us know and we'll pass them along to you.

You're only surprise should be that your picture will be noticeably brighter.

Actually found a pdf on Sony's site - 2 pages - only about buld replacement. I wonder if it's one of their "top downloads". . . :-)

faceoff

Not difficult at all.

If you can't find the owner's manual for directions, let us know and we'll pass them along to you.

You're only surprise should be that your picture will be noticeably brighter.

excellent. hope it goes smoothly. thanks.

well, looks like I finally need to replace my original bulb, bought the TV back in October 03.

2) Is the installation relatively easy?

Thanks in advance.

It is easy but when I removed the facia, I was afraid I was doing it wrong and was going to break something. The facia did not pop off easily, but that is the design. Just go slow.

Yeah, it is pretty easy, except for the scare you get because the facia doesn't pop right off. Just make sure you unplug the power first. ;)

Actually have replaced mine twice, the plastic plate can be a little tricky to get off. Need to be a little carefull not to try an muscle it off. Other than that and having the correct allen wrench which should come with the bulb, it was easy and yes picture was brighter with the newest bulb which was from sony. No buzz at all even when the room was cold.

I've posted results for a GWIII calibration I did with SpyderTV, GetGray and Radar's spreadsheet. Any feedback would be appreciated.

GWIII DIsplay Calibration (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8613205#post8613205)

Hey all - glad to see there are still posts for this topic.

I purchased a 50" GWIII in Oct of 03. Replaced two times, with the third set being a March 04 build. All done under 1st year warranty.

I am about to run out of my Sears warranty in Dec, so I have scheduled a service call to check into the faint green haze I see over the left side of this set.

The haze has always been evident, it doesn't affect my viewing, I'm just getting concerned that if I don't check it out now, it will get worse the day after the warranty runs out. Irrational, yes?

however, what I'm reading here tells me that messing with the light engine doesn't always fix the problem, and sometimes makes it worse.
So - subjective opinions only please - should I leave well enough alone?

Part two
I've been noticing the picture dimming a little 0 @4,000 hours.
I've hoarded a replacement bulb for @ 1 year - should I swap and use the current bulb as an emergency backup?

The family has loved this set - no real complaints.
Just want to make sure I'm taking care of the gear the right way.

Thanks in advance for any input

Hey All - I searched the thread - and I think it means that the lamp driver is going. Please tell me that's not so. Sears was just out the middle of October (after a 2 week wait) to replace the bulb for a 2nd time. The tech told my wife that they now carry the bulbs around with them - but I doubt that they have lamp drivers.

Any advice other than to set up a service call with them (I just noticed the buzzing for the first time tonight)

TIA!

faceoff

Bad News: My TV had been making a buzzing sound for the past month when turned on, and the picture seemed to be getting dimmer. Today when I turned it on, I got the buzzing sound again, and then a POP!

Good News: The warranty on my TV ends on 11/26 of this month, and in anticipation, I had scheduled an annual maintenance/service visit from Sears for this coming Saturday (11/18).

Bad News: The Sony is my only TV, so I have no TV watching for a week. Thank god for the streaming shows on the ABC and CBS websites.

I was actually happy when I heard the bulb go out since I knew that now it would be covered by my extended warranty. It's been 3-years since I bought the set so I had a feeling it would be soon.

Bad News: My TV had been making a buzzing sound for the past month when turned on, and the picture seemed to be getting dimmer. Today when I turned it on, I got the buzzing sound again, and then a POP!

Good News: The warranty on my TV ends on 11/26 of this month, and in anticipation, I had scheduled an annual maintenance/service visit from Sears for this coming Saturday (11/18).

Bad News: The Sony is my only TV, so I have no TV watching for a week. Thank god for the streaming shows on the ABC and CBS websites.

I was actually happy when I heard the bulb go out since I knew that now it would be covered by my extended warranty. It's been 3-years since I bought the set so I had a feeling it would be soon.

Was the buzzing EVERY time? Mine isn't. I think I'll put in a call to Sears - just to be sure.

Just called - they will be out this Wednesday (really lucked out) I'm off!

faceoff!

Towards the beginning, it was only buzzing occasionally. During the last week or two, it's been buzzing everytime I turned it on. The dimming was also very noticeable.

Towards the beginning, it was only buzzing occasionally. During the last week or two, it's been buzzing everytime I turned it on. The dimming was also very notieable.

I'm getting my money's worth with the 5 Year Maintenence Agreement.

Hopefully, it won't blow up before Sears fixes is.

faceoff

I just had the light engine replaced in my 3 year old KF50WE610 (under a Sears extended warranty). The set had been adjusted using UMR's procedure. There are two changes that we have noted since the replacement, one good and one bad.

The good one is that the contrast ratio seems a little higher. I checked the adjustment of the brightness and picture controls using both DVE and THX and only had to make slight adjustments. The result was the same black level and a brighter white level.

The bad one is that grays now look more like sepia, not gray. Changing from neutral to cool color temperature improves this a little, but does not eliminate it. Is there anything short of getting filters and a light meter that I can do?

I just had the light engine replaced in my 3 year old KF50WE610 (under a Sears extended warranty). The set had been adjusted using UMR's procedure. There are two changes that we have noted since the replacement, one good and one bad.
What kind of symptoms were you experiencing for them to replace the light engine?

What kind of symptoms were you experiencing for them to replace the light engine?

There was a half-dollar sized greenish-blue blob near the bottom of the screen about a foot from the right hand side. First they tried to clean the optics, and, when this did not get rid of it, they replaced the light engine.

Does anyone have Blu-Ray or HDDVD on their GWIII? I use my DVI input for my PC so I would need to use component inputs for either of these formats if I were to get one. Would either format work over component?

I'm planning to purchase the HD-DVD player for my XBOX 360. It will work over component. However, there are limitations imposed that won't allow 1080p....not that our GWIII would process that format.

So 720P or 1080i will work fine over component from these sources? I know it will work fine over cable but I had heard there might be some copyright protection that prevented HD resolutions over component. Is this an issue or did the studios decide to be nice and let HD run over component?
Thanks

I don't have the exact details, but they can't run 1080p over component. Check the HD-DVD (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=726038&goto=newpost) thread for more information.

I just had the light engine replaced in my 3 year old KF50WE610 (under a Sears extended warranty). The set had been adjusted using UMR's procedure. There are two changes that we have noted since the replacement, one good and one bad.

The good one is that the contrast ratio seems a little higher. I checked the adjustment of the brightness and picture controls using both DVE and THX and only had to make slight adjustments. The result was the same black level and a brighter white level.

The bad one is that grays now look more like sepia, not gray. Changing from neutral to cool color temperature improves this a little, but does not eliminate it. Is there anything short of getting filters and a light meter that I can do?
I just had my light engine replaced with the SAME exact observation, grays are what i noticed the most and i did notice the contrast ratio is better. HD even appears better but that is probably from the contrast ratio. If you do anything to fix the grays, please post what you did. I also have a new a2000 and the color slook more like it than what it looked like before. My a2000 Looks GREAT. Anyway, glad i was not the only person who noticed this.

I just had the light engine replaced in my 3 year old KF50WE610 (under a Sears extended warranty). The set had been adjusted using UMR's procedure. There are two changes that we have noted since the replacement, one good and one bad.

The good one is that the contrast ratio seems a little higher. I checked the adjustment of the brightness and picture controls using both DVE and THX and only had to make slight adjustments. The result was the same black level and a brighter white level.

The bad one is that grays now look more like sepia, not gray. Changing from neutral to cool color temperature improves this a little, but does not eliminate it. Is there anything short of getting filters and a light meter that I can do?


UMR's grayscale adjustments may not apply to your new light engine. Did you try adjusting those?

UMR's grayscale adjustments may not apply to your new light engine. Did you try adjusting those?

His grayscale adjustments certainly don't work with the new light engine. Looked good with the old one though. I tried a few adjustments, including returning to the original factory settings, but did not see any real improvement other than that provided by going to the "cool" color temperature setting. There seem to be too many adjustments to just blindly hope to find something that works. That's why I was asking for advice. I am not even sure where to start.

Everybody, Has Sony ever told Anybody what they did wrong for the light engine to go bad ? Remember the brochures that said ( This Television will last many Years ) ,when You change the Lamp it will be like a new set. Old sets had expensive CRT's to make the Red, Blue, Green. What is going on? The New TV's have a 2 Year warranty on the light optical block. I don't have but just over 4000 Hours on My set.

G.B.

The only question in your post assumes that all light engines in GWIIIs went bad, which isn't the case.

Mine had over 14,000 hrs on it when I upgraded to a plasma. Before selling off the GWIII, I would compare the two displays and found that on a lot of scenes, the picture was virtually identical.

No , I was asking the ones that went bad , What did Sony say was the cause. You don't change a good tire for a flat one ....Some have told me they smoked, no UPS, good answers. On the later You would have UPS would be highly recommended & have it in the Manual of the TV. They did not.

I'm getting my money's worth with the 5 Year Maintenence Agreement.

Hopefully, it won't blow up before Sears fixes is.

faceoff

Sears was out this AM - ordering new ballast - having it shipped here - need to call for another service call after it gets here.

TV still works.

faceoff

Just had my bulb replaced yesterday. I bought the TV almost exactly 3 years ago (1 week short of that) and I had 6,800 hrs when the bulb went out. The Sears guy serviced the unit after replacing the bulb, nothing else was wrong and the picture now looks beautiful again.

I have a KDF-42WE655. I just happen to notice a cobweb this morning. I went to clean it off and discovered that it is inside the screen. Does anybody know how to get in there to blow it out. I'm wondering if I remove the lamp module which I have never done before, if this would give me enough space to blow it out with can air. Or my other choice wouild be to remove the entire back top cover. Has anyone ever done this before? My sey was purchase in Oct.2004

I have one of these sets too and would like to know how to get inside it--any tips?

I have a KDF-42WE655. I just happen to notice a cobweb this morning. I went to clean it off and discovered that it is inside the screen. Does anybody know how to get in there to blow it out. I'm wondering if I remove the lamp module which I have never done before, if this would give me enough space to blow it out with can air. Or my other choice wouild be to remove the entire back top cover. Has anyone ever done this before? My sey was purchase in Oct.2004
If you don't get any responses here, you might try asking on the GWIV owners thread. The WE655 is a GWIV, and this is a GWIII thread.

Yes, Both close before Grand Wega V...Now they have what they call E2000 or 3 LCD. Next Generation was Quailia & A2000 Now XBR 2 with SXRD instead of LCD. Hope this is all correct.

When I still owned the GWIII, I had the service manual and had looked into what would be involved in opening it up for cleaning.

Talk about a lot of screws and with the 60" model, definately a 2 person job.

Thanks Jim, I knew this had happened before . Just could not remember what post.

I just bought the XBOX 360 HD-DVD add on. I'm wondering what my settings should be now for my SONY Grand Wega KF-50WE610.
I think I read in the past that my TV's native resolution is 768p (1386 x 788)? Currently I've got the XBOX 360 set to 720p and I am using the "official" (LOL) Monster XBOX 360 component cables
I really don't want to have to switch between two different picture tweak set ups and I was hoping there might be a solid choice for watching both HD-DVD's and also playing games like Gears of War
I was hoping someone might have the tweak TV settings for my specific set up after using a TV picture calibration disc like Avia's DVD in the XBOX 360 HD-DVD player? I know there are a lot of people on this forum that have the same TV that I do.
The TV has a channel that I have set up and have been using to play XBOX 360 games. Way back when, after I first bought my TV, someone posted a calibration listing for playing games via the XBOX 360 on my specific TV. I used their settings. If I remember correctly, color and brightness and other specific things were turned up and down to give the games a picture color pop on this channel. Games have looked awesome using that set-up. I've had many wow type comments from visitors to my theater room.
I was hoping someone might have set up their system using Avia or a similar calibration DVD disc and the Xbox 360 HD-DVD add on and my TV...
my fear is that this color pop calibration set up that I currently have that game channel set up on, might ruin the HD-DVD picture
...and I was anxious to hear someone's thoughts and comments on this. I was hoping for a middle of the road calibration set up, if there was such a thing.

With the way the 360 hooks up to my TV using the component cables, I am stuck with one game channel for playing games and watching HD-DVD's.

I have read that I should play games at 720p and watch movies at 1080i... (two output choices from the XBOX 360 menu). But I was wondering about the SONY TV picture calibration on this game channel now that I'll be watching HD-DVD movies there.

Thanks in advance

I have read that I should play games at 720p and watch movies at 1080i... (two output choices from the XBOX 360 menu). But I was wondering about the SONY TV picture calibration on this game channel now that I'll be watching HD-DVD movies there.

Thanks in advance

I'd be interested to know what you come up with in the end. I have the very same Sony but use a Denon dvd player. Direct TV is using the HDMI port, Xbox 360 is using one of the component, and the dvd player is using the other.

Now one of my children picked up the Nintendo Wii and I need to find a way to hook that up - but believe at this point in time, I'm out of component ports...who would have thought...and I'm glad my other son didn't picked up a PS3 else I'd really be hosed.

Questoin - are you sure about those resolutions? I'm not - which is why I'm asking. Why would games use 720p and movies at 1080i? I didn't even think the Sony did 1080i.

I just replaced the bulb in my 70XBR for the first time. It lasted a little over two years. The picture seems to be not as bright as before with the original bulb. I am not using a Sony bulb. The one I was sent was a replacement lamp DNGO seems to be the brand name. Says it is 100% OEM compatable. The picture is set for vivid so its not a setting. Any thoughts would be welcomed.

Bill

Billnut,

Sounds like the aftermarket bulb doesn't really meet specs. May have just gotten a bad one. Have you contacted the people you bought it from?

Did You really save that much money to just get one from Sony or outlet that has Sony Parts ? If the lamp is not to spec's You may burn out the lamp starting circuit. If things don't look right it don't come on.

I wasn't trying to save the money. I just did a google search and this was from one of the vendors that popped up. Where is a good place to buy a Sony lamp from? I think I paid about $185 for the bulb. I'll see if I can send it back if they will take it.

Thanks
Bill

I'd be interested to know what you come up with in the end. I have the very same Sony but use a Denon dvd player. Direct TV is using the HDMI port, Xbox 360 is using one of the component, and the dvd player is using the other.

Now one of my children picked up the Nintendo Wii and I need to find a way to hook that up - but believe at this point in time, I'm out of component ports...who would have thought...and I'm glad my other son didn't picked up a PS3 else I'd really be hosed.

Questoin - are you sure about those resolutions? I'm not - which is why I'm asking. Why would games use 720p and movies at 1080i? I didn't even think the Sony did 1080i.

I think our TV DOES do 1080i, but not 1080p

You guys do know that you can get switchers to be able to extend the number of outputs.

Bill,
Replacement bulbs are available from Sony.

Jim thanks for the info on the bulb. I'll purchase a new one from Sony. Is the 70XBR950 considered the XBR2?

Thanks
Bill

Billnut...It was the top of the line GWIII with a deferent screen then the WE610. XBR like Yours was a 70 & 60 inch only...So later in time if You wanted a 70 inch They made the Qualia SXRD... a 70 inch Only with no XBR during this time in the projection TV like Ours but did sell up all the 60 inch like Yours. This Year they have come back with XBR 2 in SXRD 70 inch & 60 inch. Here is also a very inportant forum for You to look at.... http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8613843#post8613843 It is a good one.....G.B.

Bill,

You're welcome.

Think the XBR2s actually have XBR2 in their description.

The haze has always been evident, it doesn't affect my viewing, I'm just getting concerned that if I don't check it out now, it will get worse the day after the warranty runs out. Irrational, yes?

however, what I'm reading here tells me that messing with the light engine doesn't always fix the problem, and sometimes makes it worse.
So - subjective opinions only please - should I leave well enough alone?



What did you do about this? I too have the constant green "haze" in the background. Didn't know if it was worth calling about/messing with.

Thanks!

I had a Circuit City extended service contract. After 2 years, the crop circles on my set got pretty bad and a guy eventually came out and replaced the "light engine". He did it by himself in about 20 minutes.

I notice, now though, that there is a round dark very faint shadow that is only visible on a very bright white screen. I think some dust got on something and needs to be cleaned.

Rather than call them back up again, does anyone have any pointers to guides on how to take the tv apart? I think I could clean it myself.

My KF-WE50610 has gotten progressively dimmer over the past few months. I ordered a replacement lamp from sonystyle.com and it arrived today. I considered ordering from a cheaper source, but I decided to stick with sonystyle.com since I wanted to make sure I got the right lamp.

My replacement OSRAM lamp lasted me about three years. What I'm wondering is, am I going to buy another new lamp three years from now? How long do you think Sony will continue making these? I would be really pissed off if my TV is still working flawlessly but the lamps are no longer being manufactured.

Following up on my previous post:

This is the last month of my 3yr Sears warranty. Sears came out and replaced the bulb under warranty. I told the tech the picture had been getting a little dimmer.
Had 4800 hours on the old bulb. So I am keeping the old bulb as an emergency backup. The picture is both brighter, and (I think) bluer. So I have to re-do some of the umr greyscale tweaking.

The tech didn't want to address the green haze I can see on an all black screen, and since it is not terrible, and I got a new bulb out of the deal, I'm satisfied.

Question - new bulb = at least another three years - should I bother with extending the service warranty through Sears? Am not planning to replace the set, but. . . we all know how that can change.

If you are seeing a green haze, then extending the warranty would be good in that an optical block replacement could be very expensive.

How much are they asking for extending the warranty?

Jim -
They are asking $441 for three years, so @$150 per year - it gets a little higher per year if I reduce the commitment.


Do you think there is a tendency for the haze to get worse over time?
This haze has remained constant for the entire time I have owned the set.
Obviously if this is a progressive problem, the warranty would be well worth it.

Thanks for your help

dan

When you say that your set has a green haze, is it only on part of the screen or pretty much uniform across the full screen? Does it show up on both light and dark areas or only on dark or light areas?

New bulbs are a bit blue for the first few weeks.

The green haze covers the left two quadrants and the bottom right quadrant of the screen.
It is very faint and only appears on a completely black screen - like before an input device is activated. Doesn't show up under lit conditions.

I figured I'd wait for 150 hours before I tweaked the cuts and drvs.

dan,

Sounds like typical screen uniformity problem.

Back to your original question, based on the screen uniformity issue, its a toss up as it doesn't sound like its progressing.

If the extended warranty also includes bulb replacements, you are likely to need another bulb in the next 3 years, therefore for the difference, roughly $220, you're covered for whatever else may go wrong. Not particularly expensive when you look at it in those terms.

Thanks Jim -
Sounds like the reasonable thing to do.
Appreciate your input
DanS

Hi guys. The bulb on my 60XBR950 went out after 2 years and I just bought a replacement (Sony XL-2100). I installed it and tried powering the TV on but it just blinks reg/green a couple of times then red for a while before the fan shuts off. Is there some reset button or sequence that I need to follow?

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks

Hi guys. The bulb on my 60XBR950 went out after 2 years and I just bought a replacement (Sony XL-2100). I installed it and tried powering the TV on but it just blinks reg/green a couple of times then red for a while before the fan shuts off. Is there some reset button or sequence that I need to follow?

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks

I figured it out. I had to return the peice of plastic that covers up the recess that the bulb sits in. Thanks

I hope someone can answer this question:

Is it possible that someone messing with the service menu for the Sony GWIII 60" to mess it up so badly that it cannot be fixed by a technician?

I assume that a competent technician has a 'reset switch' or something that can restore the defaults, right?

Folks, I have two quick questions.

First, I have been thinking about getting an upscaling DVD player as an interim solution for better picture until the High Def DVD battle settles down. I currently have a Pioneer DV-37 connected with component cables. I was thinking about a DV-59avi connecting through HDMI/DVI and running at 720p or 1080i. I've seen some tidbits in the forum, but no definitive answer as to whether this will result in a significantly better picture to make it worth the expense.

Second question is that I was wondering if I have inadvertantly damaged my screen. I was in a hurry the other day found the kids had splashed some pop on the screen that I couldn't get off with just a dry cloth. So, I used windex, forgetting about the warnings in the manual. I then went over it with some special eyeglass cleaner. Have I permanently damages the screen?

Thanks.

That's how long my original bulb lasted. Averaged on for about 3 hours per day over that time, but frequently shut on and off repeatedly throughout the day. Finally went out yesterday. Luckily I still have some time left on my 5 year warranty from a local regional retailer, and they overnighted me a new bulb same day, which should be delivered any minute now via UPS so I can get the set working again before Football Bowl weekend.

Maybe I'll actually try to work through UMR's tweaks this time if I can find that darn link in this monstrosity of a thread.

It's only been 24 hours, but I'm suffering from some major Xbox 360 withdrawl. Gears of War and Rainbow 6: Vegas - I miss you !

The set has been a good performer for over 3 years now ... but I've got to say, walking through Best Buy and CostCo over the last few weeks Christmas shopping sure made me think about going for one of the new models in the next couple of years.

Looking for help please!! Ok, so I just picked up a sony dvpns75H to go with my GWIII. For a little background, I had problems with my dvi input so sony came out and completely replaced the dvi block on the GWIII a few days ago. So now I can hook up my Direct TV HR10-250 via hdmi-dvi cable and everything looks great. Problem is, when I hooked up the ns75 with the same hdmi-dvi cable, no picture.

I tried the ns75 with my vizio lcd using a straight hdmi connection and it works fine, so I know its not the player. I know the dvi input on the tv works and the cable works because I use the HR10-250 with it. I even tried a different cable and still no picture with the ns75. I also know the GWIII is HDCP compliant. Anyone have any ideas why I'm not getting anything with the ns75 via hdmi-dvi? Is anyone here using the ns75 with there GWIII?

Did you ever get this figured out? I am having the same problem with an RCA dcr257n connected to my GWIII with an hdmi to dvi cable. I was going to return it for a different brand of upconverting player until I saw your post. Now I wonder if it is just an issue with the GWIII. Anyone else have this problem or a solution?

anyone know where I could buy a replacement screen for a KDF-50WE655 LCD TV? Id like to have a spare on hand in case one of my kids accidently throws something atthe TV and cracks the screen. Are the screens easy to replace?

Did you ever get this figured out? I am having the same problem with an RCA dcr257n connected to my GWIII with an hdmi to dvi cable. I was going to return it for a different brand of upconverting player until I saw your post. Now I wonder if it is just an issue with the GWIII. Anyone else have this problem or a solution?

In case anyone else runs into this problem, I ended up getting another player (Pannasonic) and it works great.

I'd love to campare notes on settings. I have a KF-42WE610 and the Directv HR20 HD DVR.

Is there any way to get a WE610 to display the resolution of the current input signal using the normal menu system (not the service menu) ?

Thanks in advance.

edmartin 123,

I have same setup and have the HR20 set at 1080I for everything, using HDMI to DVI connection. Picture is great.
BTW there are known problems with the HR20 and there is a ton of info on DBSTalk.com site

I noticed someone previously mentioned in this thread about an temporary colour shifting issue which was corrected by turning off the tv for a period of time. My 42WE610 had the same problem yesterday twice. The bulb ( original ) has 6200 hrs , is this problem indicating the bulb is getting close to failure? Is it correct to assume the ''colour'' of the bulb is shifting due to age?( similar to what happens to the metal halide bulbs above my saltwater aquarium when they get old? ) Any help would be appreciated. Excuse the post length, newbie.

edmartin 123,

I have same setup and have the HR20 set at 1080I for everything, using HDMI to DVI connection. Picture is great.
BTW there are known problems with the HR20 and there is a ton of info on DBSTalk site

Hmm. Would you mind telling me what all of your settings are in the Sony setup menu for Video & Screen? I've been talking in DBSTalk, too but haven't run across anyone with the same Sony model.

FYI, I've already replaced the HR20 once. It's possible that I got 2 bad units but it feels like I have either an incompatibility or a settings issue. But if yours works, I'd love to see if I can eliminate settings.

If you're interested, there's a thread to more specifics of my problem on dbstalk. I haven't made enough posts on avsforum for it to allow me to include a link to the URL in this message. But you can do a quick search on my screen name over there (edmartin).

I noticed someone previously mentioned in this thread about an temporary colour shifting issue which was corrected by turning off the tv for a period of time. My 42WE610 had the same problem yesterday twice. The bulb ( original ) has 6200 hrs , is this problem indicating the bulb is getting close to failure? Is it correct to assume the ''colour'' of the bulb is shifting due to age?( similar to what happens to the metal halide bulbs above my saltwater aquarium when they get old? ) Any help would be appreciated. Excuse the post length, newbie.

6200 hours on the same bulb is considered very good.

I would expect it to pop any day.

As to color shifts, my experience is that it would dim for a few weeks before finally dieing. I don't recall the colors shifting....but then my memory isn't that good.

Thanks for the response Jim.
I have not noticed any dimming ( maybe too gradual ) but the shift in colours occurred again this afternoon. ( corrected once again, by turning tv off for several minutes ) Shifting of colours is extreme...trust me, you would remember if it occurred on your set.
Anybody else experiencing this problem? I am going to call a Sony service tech tomorrow and ask about his experiences. I will post any good info when I get it.

My screen kf-42we610 also has the green haze (against a black screen) in the 2 left quadrants and the lower right quadrant....

Did anyone figure out what this is?

Mine had a blue haze on the screen and they replaced my optical engine. I've heard people cleaning it. Its in this thread somewhere. My OE has been replaced twice in the 3 years I've had my TV. Thank God I bought a 5 year warranty. :D

I'm looking for examples of the "etch-a-sketch" so I can send an email to my repair center. The thread is so large searching as been fruitless. Thanks in advance.

I'm looking for examples of the "etch-a-sketch" so I can send an email to my repair center. The thread is so large searching as been fruitless. Thanks in advance.
http://esupport.sony.com/EN/info/photos.html

:) Thanks.

BUT, I wanted pictures of other ones so they could compare to those. Basically I have to pay for a service call for the repair people to come out and look at what my set is doing. I'm going to take a picture, email it along with the sony samples, and hopefully a few others to show that the "shape" is random. Hopefully that saves the hassle of a service call just to prove that the etch-a-sketch is indeed and etch-a-sketch.

Mine had a blue haze on the screen and they replaced my optical engine. I've heard people cleaning it. Its in this thread somewhere. My OE has been replaced twice in the 3 years I've had my TV. Thank God I bought a 5 year warranty. :D

Did the blue tint go away after they replaced the optical engine?

Do you think it's worth it for me to have them replace mine for the green tint?

I'll chime in too.
My Jun 04 bought 60" GWIII is still going strong (knock on wood) I did have one bulb issue, but got it replaced under the warranty. I'll give the set credit, cause it's on about 12-18 hrs everyday with movies games and TV used all the time.

I've had to move twice since I got it too, once profesional move and the other time I had to move it in town.

I know there's been posts in the thread. I just don't know where to find them. Anybody have an idea?

Did the blue tint go away after they replaced the optical engine?

Do you think it's worth it for me to have them replace mine for the green tint?

Yes it went away. The part if not under warranty was like $900+ and some labor. If its not under warranty you'll have to make that decision.

[QUOTE=Lou58]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


Thanks for the pics.. I had a spot in the middle of my 50".. Cleaned the LCD's, fans, etc...Still had the spot. Turns out it was a dust blob on the mirror. Used a household duster to wipe the entire mirror.....Don't know if it's my imagination but the picture seems a lot brighter.....

Just an update for those who might be interested.... it turns out the bizarre colour pattern ( the colour of the image displayed is reduced to red and white ) is caused by a failure of a component within the optical engine block. It also appears, initially, that the component is not available separately, so the whole engine blocck will have to be replaced. This will be the second engine in 3-1/2 years , the first replaced at 3 months. Luckily, Sony is offering to ( hopefully ) cover the costs involved provided I take the tv to an authorized Sony repair depot to have the work re-diagnosed and repaired. This is somewhat of an inconvenience as the nearest repair depot is 1 hour away, but is obviously cheaper than paying for the repair myself. While I have really enjoyed the tv, it is disappointing that there is such a high failure rate with regard to its most important component. I have always bought Sony products when it came to displays and video and this is going to seriously affect my future purchases. Anyways that's all the information for now, I will post as the situation progresses.

Just an update for those who might be interested.... it turns out the bizarre colour pattern ( the colour of the image displayed is reduced to red and white ) is caused by a failure of a component within the optical engine block. It also appears, initially, that the component is not available separately, so the whole engine blocck will have to be replaced. This will be the second engine in 3-1/2 years , the first replaced at 3 months. Luckily, Sony is offering to ( hopefully ) cover the costs involved provided I take the tv to an authorized Sony repair depot to have the work re-diagnosed and repaired. This is somewhat of an inconvenience as the nearest repair depot is 1 hour away, but is obviously cheaper than paying for the repair myself. While I have really enjoyed the tv, it is disappointing that there is such a high failure rate with regard to its most important component. I have always bought Sony products when it came to displays and video and this is going to seriously affect my future purchases. Anyways that's all the information for now, I will post as the situation progresses.

I've had my optical engine block replaced twice also. Thank God I bought a 5 year warranty when I purchased the TV. So I'm good for 2 more years. Never had so much trouble from a TV before. At least my service center is only 2 miles away from me. I feel your pain but the part alone is over $900, so the hour drive will be worth it. :eek:

I've had my optical engine block replaced twice also. Thank God I bought a 5 year warranty when I purchased the TV. So I'm good for 2 more years. Never had so much trouble from a TV before. At least my service center is only 2 miles away from me. I feel your pain but the part alone is over $900, so the hour drive will be worth it. :eek:
Hey Smacky, and anyone that's had their optical block replaced. Did your tv's picture change any after the replacement (besides fixing any visual defects). My block was replaced last summer and my picture seems really blue. Whites and blacks just seem bluish. I've tried going through the user video menu to adjust the picture, but I don't seem be getting anywhere. Tried to use the THX Optimizer to calibrate the picture, but I can't seem to get the expected results when adjusting the picture to the test patterns. Bad block maybe?? Maybe the block wasn't pre-calibrated?

yuichiror

Which setting is the color temperature in the user menu set at?

yuichiror

Which setting is the color temperature in the user menu set at?
LOL, I knew someone was going to ask that. Right now it's set at Neutral, but I've looked at it at Cool and Warm and it still seems overly blue.

Hey Smacky, and anyone that's had their optical block replaced. Did your tv's picture change any after the replacement (besides fixing any visual defects). My block was replaced last summer and my picture seems really blue. Whites and blacks just seem bluish. I've tried going through the user video menu to adjust the picture, but I don't seem be getting anywhere. Tried to use the THX Optimizer to calibrate the picture, but I can't seem to get the expected results when adjusting the picture to the test patterns. Bad block maybe?? Maybe the block wasn't pre-calibrated?

Mine was fine after they replaced it. All my defects gone and picture was like new.

LOL, I knew someone was going to ask that. Right now it's set at Neutral, but I've looked at it at Cool and Warm and it still seems overly blue.

Sounds very much like your grayscale needs adjusting.

You might want to take a look at UMR's post at the very beginning of this thread to find how to access the service menu and perform the proper adjustments.

Hey Smacky, and anyone that's had their optical block replaced. Did your tv's picture change any after the replacement (besides fixing any visual defects). My block was replaced last summer and my picture seems really blue. Whites and blacks just seem bluish. I've tried going through the user video menu to adjust the picture, but I don't seem be getting anywhere. Tried to use the THX Optimizer to calibrate the picture, but I can't seem to get the expected results when adjusting the picture to the test patterns. Bad block maybe?? Maybe the block wasn't pre-calibrated?

After ours was replaced mid-tone grays looked a little like sepia. Switching from neutral to cool helped some. Can't really notice a problem with normal program material, so I have let it go. Also wonder if the color of the lamp might change as it ages. Ours is over 2 years old.

Mine was fine after they replaced it. All my defects gone and picture was like new.
Thanks Smacky!

After ours was replaced mid-tone grays looked a little like sepia. Switching from neutral to cool helped some. Can't really notice a problem with normal program material, so I have let it go. Also wonder if the color of the lamp might change as it ages. Ours is over 2 years old.
Dunno. My current lamp is a couple of years old. I do have a new one though as a backup. I'll plug in the new one and see if that makes a difference.

Sounds very much like your grayscale needs adjusting.

You might want to take a look at UMR's post at the very beginning of this thread to find how to access the service menu and perform the proper adjustments.
Thanks, I'm a bit scared to mess with the service menu, but I'll look over the procedure and see what it involves.

Thanks guys!

I'm a current owner of a 60" GWIII and it's done right by me for the better part of three years. The only repair was a blub which was acceptable. I'm thinking about replacing this set with a Bravia 52" XBR3 LCD. From what I can tell, the LCD excels at BluRay/HD content, but the LCD rear protection technology is better for SD. Is this a correct assumption? Has anyone transitioned from a GWIII to an LCD set? If so, what were your expectations and overall how pleased were you with the decision.

Hey Smacky, and anyone that's had their optical block replaced. Did your tv's picture change any after the replacement (besides fixing any visual defects). My block was replaced last summer and my picture seems really blue. Whites and blacks just seem bluish. I've tried going through the user video menu to adjust the picture, but I don't seem be getting anywhere. Tried to use the THX Optimizer to calibrate the picture, but I can't seem to get the expected results when adjusting the picture to the test patterns. Bad block maybe?? Maybe the block wasn't pre-calibrated?My optical block was just replaced this morning and the set looks like it did the first time I turned it on in Oct '03. When the tech first put everything back together, the defect was gone but the screen had a redish cast that couldn't be adjusted through the user menu. Thinking some miniscule wires had been damaged or that it was a used optical block, he was just about to order more parts until he spotted a silver box the size of a paperback book iin the original shipping carton. When he swapped that in, the set was perfect. My faith in a Sears extended warranty was rewarded. He even replaced my 3,000 hour-old lamp.

YMMV

:) Thanks.

BUT, I wanted pictures of other ones so they could compare to those. Basically I have to pay for a service call for the repair people to come out and look at what my set is doing. I'm going to take a picture, email it along with the sony samples, and hopefully a few others to show that the "shape" is random. Hopefully that saves the hassle of a service call just to prove that the etch-a-sketch is indeed and etch-a-sketch.Mine looked like a large yellow thumbprint from the normal sitting distance. Within a foot or 2, you can plainly see the blemish was made with scratchy lines.

YMMV

My optical block was just replaced this morning and the set looks like it did the first time I turned it on in Oct '03. When the tech first put everything back together, the defect was gone but the screen had a redish cast that couldn't be adjusted through the user menu. Thinking some miniscule wires had been damaged or that it was a used optical block, he was just about to order more parts until he spotted a silver box the size of a paperback book iin the original shipping carton. When he swapped that in, the set was perfect. My faith in a Sears extended warranty was rewarded. He even replaced my 3,000 hour-old lamp.

YMMV


Mine has the same issue with the reddish cast, what is the other part that he installed that fixed this? (the part in the silver box)? thanks.

Mine has the same issue with the reddish cast, what is the other part that he installed that fixed this? (the part in the silver box)? thanks.
Yep, when the tech installed that silver box, the color anomaly disappeared. Thinking about this morning, I was wishing I had asked the tech to identify that part. Sears ordered the optical block. The silver box, looking almost like a small form factor external HD, was in a separate baggie within the shipping container.

YMMV

Thought I would update the latest findings with my set.....my reddish hue problem was the result of one of the boards associated with the optic engine failing....this board is not available separately from Sony requiring my tech to diagnose and repair the board....the board is mounted to the optical engine and so Sony requires you to purchase a new optical engine....talk about poor engineering and parts availability....for the cost of the optical engine you can by a new set....something I will be doing as I feel this is just the start of problems with this TV...my next set will not be a Sony despite owning Sony tvs for the last 23years...for those of you starting to see the red hue of death...I feel your pain....unfortunately Sony doesn't....they figured you got past the 1 year warranty period so what more do you want....complain loud enough and they might offer you a partial credit on a new TV....when did TVs become disposable?....and why design a product that you will not support with parts that would allow economical repairs when they occur....it is really too bad that Sony has chosen to go this route.

Wow, bestbuy has already came to my house and replaced the light engine once, i would wonder if they would do it again? The TV is not bad but i do notice the red hue especially with greys and whites. Would best buy or sony give partial credit? I am still under warranty thru bestbuy?

If you have a Best Buy Warranty, wouldn't they replace it if they could no longer get the parts? Might be a good opportunity to upgrade.

If you have a Best Buy Warranty, wouldn't they replace it if they could no longer get the parts? Might be a good opportunity to upgrade.

That is a good question, would they replace it or would i have to jump thru hoops to do this? Would they give fair market value credit for the TV? Does anyone have any advice, because personally i am sick of dealing with this TV.

Just for clarification...it's not a situation of no longer getting parts....the parts were never available seperately....you have to buy the whole optical engine or like I am having done get someone to diagnose and repair the bad board....I have asked two Sony reps if it is possible to have a board removed from a defective optical engine ( which everyone here knows are common unfortunately ) at my cost and have it shipped to me.... not gonna' happen....I have to truck my set to an authorized service center for appraisal...if the appraisal is too much Sony may offer a credit of some undisclosed amount towards the purchase of a new set....this is just poor in my opinion....it sets us all up for a life time membership in the 'will I ever not have to buy a new Sony tv every 3 years' group.

I think this all depends on who the extended warranty is setup through.

If you bought your set from Sears (my retailer), they were responsible for the warranty from day one. Sony had nothing to do with it.

trtbum, who did you purchase your warranty/set from?

The set was bought from a local electronic store and the warranty was arranged through them. No complaints with the store or the warranty provider. The problem is when your warranty is finished. Under warranty, to replace the optical engine or the board ( which will require replacing the engine ) it is no cost to the owner....when the warranty is done and your set needs repairs the situation becomes cost prohibitive due to parts not being available. Imagine buying a car and having the fuel injectors fail.... under warranty, no problems, its covered....how would you react when it fails outside the warranty and you discover you can't by the fuel injectors seperately, you have to fix it or buy a whole new engine....it's the same with these tvs.

trtbum

Back to plan A. Worry Sony till they either give in or you loose interest.

To be perfectly honest with you, I think all manufacturers do about the same. They'll tell you before the sale that these sets will last for 10 years, then when you go to pay for them, its like it won't last past the front door of the store so you must buy the extended warranty. They give you a one year warranty, two if you are lucky, and if it breaks after that (even if its poor engineering) they don't think that they have any responsibility. So we go spend our next $4,000 on another brand and the cycle starts over.

JimP
Plan A has been aborted because of too many failed attempts....I don't have a problem with the set having a failure...it happens....my problem is with the lack of support in the form of parts available to fix such failures affordably....no excuses in my book. As I exampled earlier....who would be happy with having to replace an automobile engine because a component of the engine has failed and is not available independantly (don't forget that in the case of our tvs the optical engine costs 85% of the replacement cost of a brand new tv )....would you be satisfied if the manufacture of the automobile offered you 20% off your next new automobile you buy from them....I don't think so. Other manufacturers don't necessarily bring their products to market the same way Sony does, some do in fact provide adequate parts available seperately and it will be those brands who get my future purchases.....I think it's safe to say that all of us were willing to accept having to replace the bulb every 8000hrs. ( oh, if only they were right on that statistic ) In fact, the user replaceable bulb was one of the things I liked about this technology but had they mentioned, that if something like a board associated with the optical engine failed, the part could not be purchased seperately and I would have to buy a whole new optical engine, I would have passed on buying this tv. Before the new technology hit us, how many of us bought relatively expensive crt tvs and had the tube fail in less than 10 years....probably a small percentage compared to the large number of people having problems with the Sony tvs....who of us every bought an extended warranty for their crt tvs? Following your lead....$4000 tv +$500 extended warranty for 3-4years = new $3000 tv (price drop over 4years) + $300 extended warranty = $7800 spent possibly on tvs in the next 8years....tell me Sony is not laughing all the way to the bank.....