That Stinks Rap. With any luck it is just something that was not connected properly when they installed your new LE. But if they have to install another LE, then you may be able to convince them to buy the TV back instead.

Just to let you know, if that does happen it will take 2-3 weeks to get the return authorization number. I am in week one of that and I currently am stuck with a wacked out unwatchable TV. Atleast with the Red cloud problem the TV was still watchable. I love how they managed to make the TV worse while fixing the TV.

Take heart in knowing the Hitachi will eventully get you taken care of. I am thankful for that as this has been a very frustrating experiance but it could be alot worse.

Hey Gobig-> thanks for the reply and comments.

I actually have an update, I called it in and the agent indicated she is putting in a "Request for Replacement" for this TV. My EW stipulates I have to have 3 instances of a 'major' component repair, but since I waited 2 full months for my LE, ONLY to get it back again IMMEDIATELY to call it in again..... we will try to replace it.
She indicated this will need to be approved first. Then apparently they will 'give' me the current cost of money it is worth towards the replacement of my choice.

Well, if I can get away from this TV......... I will be happy probably no matter what......which actually brings me to my next question....
Anyone tell me which out of these 2 I should get?

Keep in mind, I do a LOT with it. Hook up to PC, DVD, HD shows, etc...
I see the Bravia only has 1338 x 768 or whatever..... so I won't have 1080i then?
What does the really mean though? would it do 720p? anyways, any comments, help appreciated.

choice 1 - > Sony's BRAVIA XBR LCD TV (40 or 50 inch)
choice 2 - > Sony's KDSR50XBR1 50" SXRD™ Rear Projection Television
(wow, this one is really pricey for a rear-projection?, I need to find out more about it)

Take care guys...

Didn't know you had an EW. Should be faster for you then. I am dealing directly with Hitachi for my return thus the 2-3 weeks.

Since I will probably be dealing with Circuit City alone for my credit my choices will be more limited. My usage is similar to yours and I am leaning toward getting the new Sony 50XBR1 SXRD set.

If I had more choices I would look at one of the new DLP 1080p sets. I am not convinced that these Panel displays(LCOS or LCD) are the most reliable tech yet. I am not sure if the RBE of DLPs would annoy me enough to not go that route. I do know that the current Samsung sets have a real video lag problem though so I would stay away from those sets since I will be using it for gaming. It sounds like the new 1080p DLPs have less lag.

Of course if you don't care about 1080p the 50" plasmas are also now in the same price range. Oh the choices. Let us know what you ended up with.

Hope they take care of you soon.

MikewL...

I paid 1100.00 for it.

Rapplin...

sounds like our issues with this set are pretty similar.

the guy just left - what a joke - I knew more about the TV than he did. The first thing he started trying to do was fix the problem associated with fixing the red hue problem. This was after I told him that I fixed it and it was not the problem. Then, following the little script he has he tries the memory initialization. Thanks - there went all my setting for nothing. Finally he says - "yeah - it says replace the LE" - I got to pay these guys $140 for that. But now I'm on record with a diagnosed problem. I'll be calling Hitachi tomorrow and will update on that ordeal soon thereafter...... I'm kind of undecided on the be nice but persistant approach :) or the raving lunatic I'm calling Ralph Nader approach :mad: . I guess I'll try the be nice and if that does not work I'll have to turn on the flaming torch.....

Well, after reading all of these posts, I have pretty much decided to return it to CC this weekend. I know I won't find anything this big and "nice" for the scratch and dent price I paid (1100.00), but if it won't work on 16:9, it is like having a 40" TV instead of a 50" (it still looks great on 4:3).

Rapplin...
Just on a wild hunch I tried plugging the Hitachi into a seperate outlet from the rest of the equipment (DVD, receiver, etc. are all plugged into the same surge strip) and the vertical stripes did not appear for about 30 minutes (and never got quite as severe). I was ready to jump on here and exclaim my victory over the stripes, but they did gradually reappear. This makes me think there may be a power issue that is causing the noise stripes. I wonder if a voltage regulator or something like that could be the culpret?

rpmfla, $1100 is a lot lower than I would have guessed, but like others have posted, there are A LOT of issues with these sets. You'll be better off without it. For that price, I'd be looking at a CRT RP.

Rapplin, your experience is identical to mine. The LE installed to fix the red cloud had the vertical lines/bands. Drove me crazy. I even bought CC's top of the line power strip/filter from Monster, and it made absolutely no difference. Returned it the next day; wasn't about to waste $160 on that POS. I found that the vertical bands were most noticeable on a totally gray screen. That was the last straw and I got CC to replace it.

RPMFLA--> Thanks for the input, but like Mike just said, doesn't in fact appear to be power related, plus, NOTHING has changed.. Same Monster Surge Protector (including line conditioner)

Mike--> Thanks for the update--> I am in the process of 'negotiating' with my EW


rpmfla, $1100 is a lot lower than I would have guessed, but like others have posted, there are A LOT of issues with these sets. You'll be better off without it. For that price, I'd be looking at a CRT RP.

Rapplin, your experience is identical to mine. The LE installed to fix the red cloud had the vertical lines/bands. Drove me crazy. I even bought CC's top of the line power strip/filter from Monster, and it made absolutely no difference. Returned it the next day; wasn't about to waste $160 on that POS. I found that the vertical bands were most noticeable on a totally gray screen. That was the last straw and I got CC to replace it.

MikewL...
My goal is around 2000.00, but I saw this one in scratch & dent for 1100.00 and took a chance. Usually I do a ton of research on a specific set before I buy.

I think Hitachi's attitude is starting to soften - I got a guy named Joshua on the phone almost immediately. He never denied that he ever heard of the red cloud when we got to the problem. He just asked what they could do for me. I simply said all you have to do is pay for it and I will be happy. He put me on hold for about a minute and came back and offered to pay for parts. My response was polite, but firm. I said no, I did not think that was fare considering that this had been a known issue with the sets long before I was out of warranty and if he could not make the call on paying for it all then I needed to speak with someone who could. He said he would get me over there and I was back on hold. He came back about 3 minutes later and said since I was only out of warranty a month that they would agree to cover all of the cost of replacing the LE. I really kind of feel sorry for these guys. What a crappy job to have. They are obviously working off a script that they have been given in a plan to mitigate Hitachi's financial damages. Anyway,I really appreciate everyones help and advice on how to deal with it and it worked exactly as you said. I'll update with more info about the replacement experience later. Because they are doing the right thing they have earned my loyality back - I still love the TV!

slvance---- thats great news

On the issue of loyalty how can replacing a defective part earn this back when from the research done, your installing the same light engine? which will potentially contain the same problem in 14 months? The Hitachi service center technicians confirmed its the same part numbers and in fact they are refurbing the old ones and reinstalling. Which leads me to believe that a design change has not been made. After pressuring CSR and the Hitachi techs on whether installing a new LE will eleviate the problem in future, the basic answer in return was we have no way of knowing. We all work hard the money we have and I have a hard time throwing it away. Noone should have to jump through so many hoops to have something made right. Im not sure about the rest of the forum but I spent the better part of a day dealing with this, from the phone calls to waiting for a technician. Time is money.

On a side note Ford today recalled 250,000 vehicles to fix a known flaw. If a company truelly wants to earn back loyalty they shouldnt pick and choose which consumers they earn it back from.

Anyway Im sure Ive made no sense in this as it is late and being as frustrated over this 50" dust collector has got me worked up.

My apologies

OK, I'm an early adopter. I've had the TV ~26 months. I was one of the guys who had the screen turn pink and the LE replaced. This was only after about 2months and before the techs knew about the mem init fix. Well 24 months latter and I have a big blue cloud forming in the upper middle of the screen. The cloud is barely noticeable when the TV is first turned on then gradually gets worse, much worse. Is this another known issue?

NOTE: I also have the red bloom when I switch channels or inputs, so far it's not noticeable while watching a program.

Am I screwed again? TV is out of waranty this time.

Thanks,
Spike

H2Racing
I agree with you that the proper thing to do would have been to recall the sets. I guess I am going on the ASSUMPTION that Hitachi is fixing whatever the problem is with the light engine when they do the refurbish. They probably don't want to assign a new part number because that would imply the part was defective. I am assuming that whatever the design flaw was they have fixed it. How stupid would you have to be to just put the same flawed design back in? In the long run that would just cost them much more money - especially with the customers that purchased mutiple year extended warranties. Do you know if we are having lots of problems with replaced LE's later developing the pink cloud? If yes, can you point me to them - I would like to discuss it with them. I guess when saying they earned my loyality back I mean IF this is a real fix. They could have done nothing since I was out of warranty.

SpikedogOO7
They replaced the LE because of the pink hue accross all channels issue? Sound like you are saying they jumped the gun - or more likely their "certified techs" wanted the business. I have not heard of the blue cloud at all. But it is very interesting to me that you had the LE replaced and now you have the pink cloud again - can you give me some specifics? When did you buy the set and when was the LE replaced? It's possible it was replaced before they knew about the pink cloud problem (although I admit that is not probable) - the pink cloud/red cloud is going to become more noticeable as time passes. If you look closely you can probably see it when playing a movie or even TV when the screen gets dark - I can see mine even on black screened commercials now....

I too had a blue cloud, along with my red cloud, before the LE was replaced.

The red cloud came first and was larger than the blue one. The red one was visible during dark scenes or transitions.

The blue cloud came on later and was in the upper, left, middle of the screen. It was most apparent during football games as the green turf would appear blue-ish on that part of the screen. I found it much more annoying than the red cloud.

Since having the LE replaced about a month ago, I don't have either cloud anymore. I just had to de-ghost and re-center the picture through the service menu after I got the set back.

Here's to hoping these clouds never return...ever!

OK, I'm an early adopter. I've had the TV ~26 months. I was one of the guys who had the screen turn pink and the LE replaced. This was only after about 2months and before the techs knew about the mem init fix. Well 24 months latter and I have a big blue cloud forming in the upper middle of the screen. The cloud is barely noticeable when the TV is first turned on then gradually gets worse, much worse. Is this another known issue?

NOTE: I also have the red bloom when I switch channels or inputs, so far it's not noticeable while watching a program.

Am I screwed again? TV is out of waranty this time.

Thanks,
Spike


I had the red glow or cloud issue. As I waited for it to be fixed I developed what I would call a blue blob or drip near the top center of the screen. I cannot tell if this is what you are describing. Mine looked like someone had dripped something and when you first turned on the set it was very faint and as the set warmed it got darker. It did not overcome the images on the screen as you could still see what was there but it was blue. Like looking thru very dark blue sunglasses in the affected areas. This blob or drip got bigger over time both vertically and horizontally. When I finally got the LE replaced recently it went away as did the red cloud or glow. It was obviously a LE issue. Sorry, I was lame and didn't take pics of it because it was quite interesting.

SpikedogOO7
They replaced the LE because of the pink hue accross all channels issue? Sound like you are saying they jumped the gun - or more likely their "certified techs" wanted the business. I have not heard of the blue cloud at all. But it is very interesting to me that you had the LE replaced and now you have the pink cloud again - can you give me some specifics? When did you buy the set and when was the LE replaced? It's possible it was replaced before they knew about the pink cloud problem (although I admit that is not probable) - the pink cloud/red cloud is going to become more noticeable as time passes. If you look closely you can probably see it when playing a movie or even TV when the screen gets dark - I can see mine even on black screened commercials now....


I was one of the first to have the pink hue problem (back around 10/03). In the begining the techs didn't know a mem init would fix the issue so they replaced the LE. The new red bloom is entirely different from the pink problem. I only see it when the screen is black, the pink problem was over the entire screen all the time, made it un-watchable.

-Spike

BLUE CLOUDS SUCK (http://home.fuse.net/SpikeDogStudios/Picture.jpg)

Here's a pic of the blue cloud. TV wasn't on very long before I took the pic, it gets worse the longer the tv is on.

BLUE CLOUDS SUCK (http://home.fuse.net/SpikeDogStudios/Picture.jpg)

Here's a pic of the blue cloud. TV wasn't on very long before I took the pic, it gets worse the longer the tv is on.

My Blue Drip sucked way worse that that. ha ha. Not the same thing. :p

can anyone tell me step by step how to do the de-ghosting? i know how to pull up the service menu but i dont want to screw anything up. i have a service tech coming at the end of the month but i dont see any reason to pay $105 if i can fix it myself. any help will be greatly appreciated

..for a class action if it ever happens.

I used to hang around the forums before I purchased my 50v500 in 2003. I thought the TV looked great, and I loved it for the first few months. Then I started developing the crop circles. At first they were going to replace the LE, but I demanded a new set from Sears.

They replaced it with a 50v500A and I haven't had any noticeable problems since...partly because I relaxed and just enjoyed the shows/movies. But I've recently started to notice a degradation in picture quality. I think I have the red cloud issue starting to develop (a pinkish hue in the middle of the screen when there is no input and the screen should be all black). I also have another crop circle, some smudging, and now a really annoying problem: after the TV shuts down, the fan is still on. So I have the service techs coming, but...

Obviously Hitachi should have recalled this TV. My extended warranty will be up Jan 2006. After that I'll be screwed with a $3000 TV that is *going* to have problems. What do I do? Suck it up? I have a CRT Sony from 10 years ago that looks just as good as the day it came out of the box. I paid $900 for it at the time. I pay $3000 for this piece of **** and it's like a ticking time bomb. Somehow that just doesn't seem like consumer rights working for me, or any of you. I feel bad for the lot of you whose exended warranty is over, or who didn't get one in the first place.

So what's my next step guys and gals? After they come to fix the fan problem (and then I mention the pink hue and crop circles) and then I have it for another 5000 hours and the picture gets worse...I wind up with a 3K worthless hunk of plastic sitting around and drop another 3K on a different TV? That doesn't make any sense and is completely unfair. So I'm in the same boat as a lot of you..how do we go about starting a class action?

Count me in too. I'll sign up for it but I've no idea how to get it started.

On a side note; has anybody ever gotten a response from hitachi's customer service through email. I sent an email (two in fact) through their website and have not got an answer in over a week.

-Spike

Had the TV on for an hour or so. What do I see? A bunch of vertical bars and/or lines if you wish to call them all across the tv. Some on the right hand side are more prominent then the others, but they appear to be the same width apart from on another (when watching from 10-12 feet, appear to be an inch or two in width)
They aren't noticeable all the time, but this is only due to lighter scenes washing they out... they are most certainly there in a darker scene, it depends actually. My point is........they ARE THERE and not going anywhere soon.
They run the full height of the tv, from the bottom to the top of the screen.


Congratulations, you have now joined those of us in the prison that is vertical banding. When I had my LE replaced, the techs insisted the vertical banding was LE related. But, it's still there, so obviously they were wrong.

I've only found one post ever talking about it, and it speculated that it was due to faulty voltage regulation across the LCD panels. That's the last thing that I want to do is risk an LCD panel replacement - first, because the replacement panels are smaller than the factory ones, leaving air space for bugs to get into the tv, and second, because you run the risk of new stuck pixels on a new panel.

However, I did run across a thread elsewhere talking about some service menu tweaks that could take the severity out of the banding. I'll try to dig it up.

Just talked to Hitachi c/s about blue cloud and red bloom. They said they've never heard of either problem. Told them I've read multiple web postings of people having the same issue, they said don't believe everything you read on the web.

My tv is out of waranty now so I think I'm screwed.

F-hitachi

-Spike

Interesting to note that the 50V710's price dropped about $600 at Circuit City's web site today...

I'm still waiting on a call from Circuit City's Replacement Dept. offering me my choice(s) on a new TV.

Has anyone else had their 50v500 replaced by Circuit City? If so, what other models were you given to choose from? Also, anyone have an reliability info on the 50v710? I'm not too keen on trying another Hitachi, but don't know if I'll be given a choice.

Thanks!

Mine was replaced by CC. They give you credit towards a similar model. I don't recall the amount, but I thought it was fair. I could have bought the identical TV without any additional expense. Or I could have bought a sh**load of DVD's. It's store credit, so you can spend it however you want.

All the hitachi's are adjusted wrong from the factory.iv had the 50v500 60v500the50v710and the vs810.there is an adjustment in the service mode where you can adjust the flicker and it eliminates all vertical banding.i didnt find this out intil the service guy adjusted my vs810.iv fixed three of my friends tvs and the lines are all gone on every tv. to bad they cant get the blotches out of the screens.iv now gotten rid of the vs810 and gotten the jvc hd-ila and wont look back.hitachi has way to many problems with all there lcd sets.

Count me in with a class action.

In response to sending an email to Hitachi. I did the same thing Spikedog, never heard a response, but when I called to ask about the red cloud they took my information and then low and behold he said they had recieved my email. Pisses me off even more that they didnt respond but merely put in my file. So yes they get emails and link them to customers that call in.

All the hitachi's are adjusted wrong from the factory.iv had the 50v500 60v500the50v710and the vs810.there is an adjustment in the service mode where you can adjust the flicker and it eliminates all vertical banding.i didnt find this out intil the service guy adjusted my vs810.iv fixed three of my friends tvs and the lines are all gone on every tv. to bad they cant get the blotches out of the screens.iv now gotten rid of the vs810 and gotten the jvc hd-ila and wont look back.hitachi has way to many problems with all there lcd sets.

Would you mind posting the directions???

I never had the banding issues, but did notice the flicker adjustments in the service menu. I went ahead and did it a couple of times and both times my set was off some. It was fairly easy to do, so if you have the banding issues you might want to try.

Yeah sure.......class action suit. Someone start it and count me in.

I am on the verge of pulling the trigger on a 42v710. Do I need to reconsider? The runner up in my decision (before reading this thread anyway) was the Panasonic PT-44LCX65. Should I be re-considering the panny?

Hey Guys,
Been a while since I was poking around here too. My set has the red glow as well. Has been there for a while and getting worse. Sometimes I think I am seeing it during a scene, but definitely there on blank screen. I was wondering if you notices a degraded picture quality as this progressed? Seems like my picture is not as good as I remember. Backgrounds don't appear to be as smooth, say a black or dark background in a HD scene, and especially SD pictures. They are looking really poor. Worse than usual. Of course I could be hallucinating! Anyway, original purchase was Feb 04, in time for Daytona. That TV freaked out and did the pink orange thing at day 32, and we exchanged it. This TV freaked out and did the pink orange thing, and was serviced with the mem reset about 3 months old. Has been fine with that. As along with everyone else, this red haze kicked in around the 12-14 month time frame. Yep I have the EW from CC. :rolleyes:

If this works, here is the haze. Note this was shot during the day, and there is some ambient light. I thought it was reflections at first, then I just pretended it was there. Like Hitachi!

Pablo--

Call Circuit City! Complain calmly but firmly that you'd like your set replaced. You should be successful. No sense in waiting for several weeks (or months) for a new Light Engine only to just go through the same thing in a year or two -- when you Extended Warranty has expired.

I'm waiting on a call from one of CC's "Replacement Specialists" giving me my options on what set I can replace it with. Anyone have any idea what sort of credit CC is giving on these things?

So are ppl still seeing this problem in the 710 series? I mean has anybody actully gotten a good set with no problems that hasn't capped out?

Good question Toggle. I haven't been able to find a good owners' thread anywhere on the 710 (or 720) series. I am wondering the same thing though.

I can tell you that the CC representative I spoke with admitted they're seeing a LOT of Hitachi returns. And just this week the online prices of the Hitachis have dropped significantly (while Sony and Samsung have remained about the same).

Makes you wonder...

Well I have the 42v710 on order because of those drastic price cuts. But I can still back out and pick up the 44" panny while its price is still at an unreal low. But I need to make my decision in the next couple days. The great deal on the hitachi isn't goin to be so great if its going to be nothing but a problem. I really am stretching it to get myself one of these High end sets. I'm really not looking to have to fork out another 2-400 bucks on extra warranties either =(

Well, I'll say this: don't buy a rear-projection LCD set without the extended warranty. Look at owners' threads throughout these forums... this technology is full of flaws (regardless of the manufacturer) because it is just so new. I think the key is finding a product you're comfortable with -- one that doesn't have as high a fail rate as the 50v500 has proven to have.

As for the Panasonic, it's generally accepted that their products are of lower quality/reliability/durability than Hitachis or Sonys. People will have differing opinions on this, but as a rule I believe it to be the case.

Has anyone inquired to any lawyers about this yet?
I am absolutely in... and eager
I am up here in Canada by the way, I'm not sure if that will matter if I can get involved or not

Man, why couldn't all this be less complicated LOL. As far as pannys being bad, I have no idea, I'm pretty new to all of this. I do know I haven't seen a thread of this size relating to panny problems.? Maybe I havent been searching enough....

Ive done some research on class action suits. I guess I'll go talk to a lawyer next week about how to get this rolling. I found one from Palm about a capacitor going out, Palm settled and everyone that purchased this particular Palm pilot was alowed to send it in and recieve the next model year. Its worth a shot. All I want is my 50v500a to work without the red cloud, and work for more than 14 months at a time.

A post recently indicated that the ETA for a light engine is 2/2006. While I cannot attest to the availability of the light engines for the 50v500, I was contacted today by the service company that will be doing the repairs on my 50v500A that the light engine came in today. The request for that engine was ~1 1/2 weeks ago. The service company had previously informed me that they do not maintain an inventory of light engines and have to order them. Perhaps there are various distributors of the light engine which could account for the discrepancy in ETAs that have been provided (mere speculation....I haven't a clue about the distribution channel of replacement parts of Hitachi) or that post was referring to replacement light engines for the 50v500 and the demand/supply is different for that part.

Chris

I just wanted to briefly post on a potential class action.
As my posts indicate, my 50v500A has also experienced the red cloud issue.

As my posts haven't indicated, I am a class action attorney (plaintiffs representation only). I have been considering filing a class action in this matter. I did not intend to post additional information concerning this until I had filed an action. However, as several here have expressed interests in the matter, I decided to post.

If you would like, feel free to contact me via AVS messaging and I will answer any questions that you may have regarding the issue. I will also provide you with my contact information. I would prefer not to answer general questions on the forum b/c detailed answers to class action litigation issues would be relatively off-topic.


Chris

I had my set diagnosed last week for the red cloud. Guy said he's ordering an LCD Panel and a new light engine. This'll be my second light engine! I'm hoping there's a serious backorder because I'd like to upgrade my set.....new ones have cablecard and a usb port....

I'm waiting to hear back about how long the parts will take....should get word tomorrow.

I have the same issues as Manpig with the blue drip/cloud starting in the upper left corner widening to a cloud in the center, also the red glow when all black screen. The blue cloud looks like there is a crack letting blue light shine through b/c it starts out a fine blue line then widens out towards the center covering about 30% of the screen? the rest of the pic is perfect don't see the red glow unless the pic is black.

does anyone know if the red glow and blue cloud are caused by the same problem? LE? I can live with the red glow, the blue cloud sucks!!

Class action suit! count me in........

The blue cloud from what I was told by the technician is a capacitor gone bad. I cannot remember the name he called it, for whatever reason I keep thinking of "Back to the Future" and the Flux Capacitor. :D

The red cloud will get progressivly worse. Mine was only noticable when changing inputs but has now gotten to the point where I see it on darker scenes. Sin City was nearly unwatchable. Watched Stealth the other nite and again the darker scenes were very frustrating to watch. I too felt initially I could live with it but it will get worse with time.

Thanks for the response Chris, I'll be calling you next week after the holidays.

Respectfully,
Ken
H2Racing

And everyone here is refering to or owns the v500 series correct?.

I had the same red circle problem with my 50v500. I was also 3 months out of the 1 year warranty. With the advice of my local tech, I called Hitachi, explained the issue, then went round and round with them until they finally agreed to pay for the new light engine. They tried really hard to tell me they had not heard of any issues regarding these TVs, which of course I new was bull. My main concern now is if they fixed the issues with the new batch of light engines, or will the same problem arise in another 15 months? As far as a class action suit, definitely interested.

I'm with you on that line of thinking... "will the problem resurface again?"
This is getting out of control....
Take a look at my next post...

I had the same red circle problem with my 50v500. I was also 3 months out of the 1 year warranty. With the advice of my local tech, I called Hitachi, explained the issue, then went round and round with them until they finally agreed to pay for the new light engine. They tried really hard to tell me they had not heard of any issues regarding these TVs, which of course I new was bull. My main concern now is if they fixed the issues with the new batch of light engines, or will the same problem arise in another 15 months? As far as a class action suit, definitely interested.

Thanks for the response Ken, sounds like I will need to get a technician out for repairs soon!

Thanks again,

John
zr800

For those of you who have taken a look at my posts, you'll know I had my LE replaced and the TV delivered last Saturday......AFTER 2 months of being without it!
Brief summary from Saturday onwards...
Got the TV back--> Noticed vertical banding on unit--> Called them up immediately(next business day) --> Scheduled a Tech visit to ascertain issue/diagnose--> Tech gets her last night (Nov 22/05) What does he conclude?......... YOU GUESSED IT! ANOTHER LE REPLACEMENT.
... I mean, this is getting to be too much, I just got the unit back, to find out the LE is defective yet again...
I say again that regardless that I am under warranty, there can be NO faith put into these sets (in my opinion, based on this forum and experience)
I feel for everyone who got SCREWED over having to pay for these known issues, and feel for anyone period who has to go through the BS of just to deal with this.
Ya, I am frustrated, but going to keep my cool in hopes something can/will be done.

Anyways... I also ended up asking the company at the same time (when I called to report the new issue) whether I could get a replacement... and if you saw my other post, you'll see they were leaning towards it....
It turns out I received a call a few days later and was told my "Warranty lemon clause states I need over 3 'major' fixes WITHIN the first 3 years of owning the set before I would qualify" ... and No I do not qualify...

So I will now have 2 under my belt... I can't blame the company I bought it from, they have their rules/warranty policy etc... but as a consumer in this particular instance, it leaves me with little room to manouver. I tried vigorously to explain to them that I KNOW many, many problems exist with these sets and wanted a replacement out of good faith. They said their policy is as such and they would not. Told me to email their head office and cc Hitachi... LOL ... What a joke! a flippin email!
I continued to explain that I needed to talk to a LIVE manager or someone in a position of authority to let them know... but nope...... I wasn't allowed, or there was no-one that I could go and see to talk with... or something to that effect...
I told them I would gladly visit wherever I needed to , to explain and talk... but again no.
It makes me laugh. Here I am potentially doing THEM a favour as well so they are in the complete know.... but I could simply be naive that they don't know. But I don't believe they really know how bad it is.... but doesn't matter at this point.

Looking at previous posts, it doesn't look like Hitachi will 'fess' up formally, and other purchasers of this product will continue to incur an (in my view) unnecessary cost of fixing the LE's when they fail. Some will get it paid for, but probably only if they are aware of this forum and PUSH Hitachi to pay.
Others will be completely unaware and not know what hit them.
Maybe the potential Class Action could resolve this for those unfortunate enough to be in that boat.

Sorry about the rant... just frustrating as many of you can attest to first hand as well.

So do I hold the record of the "Shortest time between LE replacements" ?
... Mine was defective when they put it in! LOLOL ... gotta laugh.... :D

Rapplin I feel your pain. I've got a tech comming today to look at the blue cloud and red bloom. When (and I know he will) tells me I need a new LE I will be on the phone to hitachi... yet again.

btw, you are right, you gotta laugh to keep from crying.

-Spike

IMAO.... "you gotta laugh to keep from crying"

I too feel your pain

I will be following up with Chris next week in regards to a class action. I hate the idea of filing such a suit but at the same time this is most likely the only way to get Hitachi to correct a problem and make it right for us the average consumer. I only want my 50v500a to work correctly for years to come. I understand problems arise but this problem seems all to common.

Even if it does get fixed I think the red cloud will be burned into my mind for years to come. When I sleep I still see the red cloud. LOL :D

Yup, SpikeDog was bang on about laughing ... :-)

As far as the lawsuit goes, I agree for the most part with you, but if we don't attempt to protect our interests and of course our purchased goods as consumers, God knows what some companies would attempt to get away with in the future.
I believe if Hitachi would have come clean (already) with EVERYONE about this, it wouldn't go this far.
Anyways, lets all hope for a positive outcome for everyone regardless the road that will be travelled.

With regards to the last point you made--> If I even have a reference in a dream to this red cloud, never mind seeing it... please, please wake me up ASAP! lol
... if you can't wake me, shoot me! :D

Take care


IMAO.... "you gotta laugh to keep from crying"

I too feel your pain

I will be following up with Chris next week in regards to a class action. I hate the idea of filing such a suit but at the same time this is most likely the only way to get Hitachi to correct a problem and make it right for us the average consumer. I only want my 50v500a to work correctly for years to come. I understand problems arise but this problem seems all to common.

Even if it does get fixed I think the red cloud will be burned into my mind for years to come. When I sleep I still see the red cloud. LOL :D

I have the same issues as Manpig with the blue drip/cloud starting in the upper left corner widening to a cloud in the center, also the red glow when all black screen. The blue cloud looks like there is a crack letting blue light shine through b/c it starts out a fine blue line then widens out towards the center covering about 30% of the screen? the rest of the pic is perfect don't see the red glow unless the pic is black.

does anyone know if the red glow and blue cloud are caused by the same problem? LE? I can live with the red glow, the blue cloud sucks!!

Class action suit! count me in........

If you can post a pic here of your blue drip/cloud I can tell you if it is the same as what I had. If it is, then yes the new LE took care of the problem.

Ghost and Flicker adjustments are shown in the service manual on page 57. At the bottom of the page it talks about the NRSH (vertical line) adjustment which I have never performed.
I have done both the Ghost and Flicker. I wonder if those who have posted about the flicker adjust helping their banding were confused and meant the vertical line adjustment instead?????

I for one, would not mind if Chris wants to discuss the ramifications of a class action lawsuit in this thread. I don't give a flip if someone thinks it is off topic. jmho

Ghost and Flicker adjustments are shown in the service manual on page 57. At the bottom of the page it talks about the NRSH (vertical line) adjustment which I have never performed.
I have done both the Ghost and Flicker. I wonder if those who have posted about the flicker adjust helping their banding were confused and meant the vertical line adjustment instead?????
can you tell me how to do the de-ghosting?? thanks

I love yer' sig Manpig......... first time I read it, I friggin' died
........paid for the priviledge! LOL

I have the service tech from Sears coming tomorrow to fix my very obvious fan issue (continues to run after the TV is shut down). Has anyone else ever had this issue? It's really annoying to have to keep turning off my surge protector...

But anyways, Hitachi has some ballz putting out a TV like this and not recalling. And we're the "savvy" people...imagine how many avergae Joes out there bought this TV and have experienced these issues. I bet they feel pretty alone.

I've contacted Hitachi, with no response. Figures. I also contacted Chris, and I agree that if he wants to discuss a class action in the thread, I don't mind.

Thanks to all of you for posting your issues and letting me know I'm not alone. Once they replaced my 50v500 with a 50v500A 2 years ago, I thought I'd be ok for a while. Guess not.

Hi Matty, I know what your saying. How many average joes getting ... well... screwed!

On another note, I don't know how avsforum would feel about us talking about a lawsuit in here. I don't think they would mind us mentioning it and getting an idea, but to take it into great detail with specifics, I'm not sure they would want that much talk about it in this thread. Just a thought.
But if its cool, hey, I don't care either! :-)




I have the service tech from Sears coming tomorrow to fix my very obvious fan issue (continues to run after the TV is shut down). Has anyone else ever had this issue? It's really annoying to have to keep turning off my surge protector...

But anyways, Hitachi has some ballz putting out a TV like this and not recalling. And we're the "savvy" people...imagine how many avergae Joes out there bought this TV and have experienced these issues. I bet they feel pretty alone.

I've contacted Hitachi, with no response. Figures. I also contacted Chris, and I agree that if he wants to discuss a class action in the thread, I don't mind.

Thanks to all of you for posting your issues and letting me know I'm not alone. Once they replaced my 50v500 with a 50v500A 2 years ago, I thought I'd be ok for a while. Guess not.

My Second LE has been ordered, and .... oh, you guessed it!.... Dec 18 ETA ... which may be better than some others I have heard, but still ridiculous.
As before, I anticipate them 'updating' my ETA again and again....probably to sometime in Jan or Feb... just like they did last time when the date came and went and no LE came in....

Also, they called me back, indicated they WILL in fact leave the TV with me, AND they will have 2 repairmen visit my home to do the repair! It won't leave the house at all!
This is of course preferential to me, being that it is still watchable.

This is the decision they made to allow this in home repair. I don't think this is normal however.
I know their reasoning... I b*tched like a b*astard when my TV was gone for 2 whole months, and they know I am/was/still am P*SSED.

Red bloom / Blue cloud issue

Tech came out and told me I need a new LE; what a suprise. He even had a procedure on trouble shooting the red bloom with pictures and SM settings. (I'd like Hitachi to try to tell me again they've never heard of this problem, idiot CS reps.)

I called hitachi after he left, they offered to pay for labor. I told them that was great and I really appreciate it but the biggest portion of the bill is the part (tech quoted 1500 - 1800 for a new one, a little less for refurb unit). CS rep told me his boss was not in and would give me a call back on Monday. At least they didn't blow me off like the first time, although I am out the $70 for the service call at this point.

-Spike

The Sears tech is here right now. I have two problems...the fan and the red cloud. He says I need a new light engine (so put me on the list), and he has no clue about the fan problem...says he's never seen it before, but lo and behold, he knew the red bloom right away. So Hitachi is lying if they say they've never heard of it before.

Oy, a light engine...how can I get my money back or another replacement? Impossible? So damn frustrating. At this point, talking LE replacement and relays...maybe it'd be easier for them to just give me my $$ back.

-M

Hi all,
I wish I would have visited your forum before purchasing the 50V500. I have had the set for 2 weeks and the infamous red cloud has appeared. I have EW through the Brick in Toronto and have a scheduled service visit this monday.

thanks for all your posts, I know what to expect...

I guess you can add me to the list. Notice the red cloud on my 50V500A last week. I've had mine almost 2 years. I had to return the first one because of a bad display.

If you people are afraid of talking or discussing a class action suit here I understand. Don't let that stop you. I have affiliations with some other sites that have forums and I know of at least one that would allow you to cuss and discuss openly whatever you want. Just let me know if this is your wish and I will set it up and provide the link here.

I love yer' sig Manpig......... first time I read it, I friggin' died
........paid for the priviledge! LOL

glad to make you laugh Rap. :D

can you tell me how to do the de-ghosting?? thanks

I haven't done it in awhile but I recall it being pretty easy once you are there. Pm me if you have probs.

ive just started to notice the red cloud. i bought it around feb 04 - without an EW. this tv has worked great so far. about 2 weeks ago i noticed ghosting or shadowing, whatever its called. it has progressively gotten worse. letters are now fully shadowed. i read somewhere that the shadowing can be fixed via the service menu; however, i cannot find instructions on how to enter that menu or what to change once im in. if anyone knows, please advise. the red cloud seems to be getting deeper in color. the two have gotten worse at about the same rate - i assume this is due to the same problem. hopefully hit will repair this even tho its out of warranty.


id like to thank everyone who has paved the road for me. you fought hitachi when the problem wasnt very known. so thank you for makin this easier.


chris - if you need me for a class action suit, let me know.

I have the service tech from Sears coming tomorrow to fix my very obvious fan issue (continues to run after the TV is shut down). Has anyone else ever had this issue? It's really annoying to have to keep turning off my surge protector...



Mattysan,

I'm pretty sure that the fan is designed to keep running until the lamp/LE gets to a certain temperature. If I recall correctly when I had my LE replaced, the tech even wanted to wait until the fan stopped before unplugging and continuing the repairs. It only took a few minutes. Turning off via your surge protector may be actually doing additional damage. Do some additional searches about the lamps and heat. I even put a UPS on mine so it could gracefully power up/down (and so I could watch TV when the lights go out ;) )

glad to make you laugh Rap. :D

From HitHo to Rape Victim... You've traveled a long rode :eek:

Screwin the ManPig. Probably illegal in most states. :D

Tech just left,

tried to fix the red cloud in the service menu to no avail. Guess What??-





A LIGHT ENGINE needs replacement. This one was virtually out of the box for crying out loud.


Told me about a week for a replacement, I'll believe it when I see it.

I've owned this set for 2 weeks, and this is the first Light engine, hopefully I'll need two more before three years, as my EW has a lemon replacement guarantee and I can get out of this Hitachi sinkhole.


Will keep you posted...

Update: called Hitachi back since they didn't return my call. The tech agreed to pay for parts only, but offered this rather easily. I tried to push for diagnosis and labor fees, but he wasn't going for it. I didn't really want to push my luck as he'd just offered to pay for 3/4 of the bill, so I'll just foot the rest. I've got to hand it to Hitachi, they've impressed me so far. Pickup is scheduled for tomorrow.

mhiggs,

Not sure I would be impressed as easily as you are. Not sure exactly what your end of the bill will be but any payment out of your pocket seems to me to be too much. Hitachi should be aware by now that they have a serious design or manufacturing flaw. In my opinion these sets should be recalled.

I am still waiting on call back from customer service to see if they will pay for parts. They’ve already offered to pay for the labor cost. Interesting that that’s exactly the opposite of what they offered you.

-Spike

Well, considering I have no warranty to cover any of this and they really don't have to offer anything, I'm pretty happy. ;)

I'm in the same boat. No warranty.

I don't know...I have no EW, which is why I was extra P.O.ed about the whole thing and part of my arguement to Hitachi. I put them in a position where they had to agree with me by asking if they consider it acceptable performance by their product to fail this catastrophically and that quickly, amounting to a two-year lifespan for a $3000 piece of equipment. I feel that if I need to purchase an additional "service" contract or warranty to cover something for only a few years, it probably shouldn't be purchased in the first place and I should choose something more reliable. You live and learn which companies and products you can count on, and which one's you can't. For instance, I will never purchase anything from Thomson Consumer Electronics (RCA) due to their poor quality and even poorer customer care. They actually did recall a small set that I owned, but even though my set had the exact same symptoms at the recalled versions, Thomson refused to cover my set since it was manufactured months before the first recalled versions. I explained that perhaps the recall didn't catch all models with this defect. They replied that "sometimes, the consumer must take responsibilty for their own repairs" rather than consider that they hadn't recalled all sets effected. This was very frustrating since I knew my set had the recalled part in it, causing the identical problem. It would be like Hitachi recalling the 50V500, but only those manufactured between a short time period and leaving yours out, meanwhile your set has the same damn red cloud. I do give Hitachi credit for covering every cent of my diagnosis, pick-up and delivery, parts and repair even though I was a year out of warranty. However, I also feel that this was the only right thing to do and that they are screwing everyone else who they convince to pay even $1 towards repairing this obvious lemon.

For those of you accepting the fact that you didnt get and EW and your 1.5 year old TV now needs a 2000 repair job...and your ok with Hitachi just paying for the labor...um you need to go back a few pages and read what I did (my post start on page 31). I was in the same boat and after calling hitachi 4 times i finally got them to agree to pay for parts/labor and diagnosis...I didnt pay a dime.

Do not accept their lame offer. Make fixing this hurt them in the pocket book. By accepting their first offer...your just letting them get away with this painfully appearent design flaw. For everyone of us on this forum there are 10 owners of this TV who dont know how big of problem this is and just let hitachi slide and agree to foot the whole bill. We have to make as big as stink about this as possible.

They need to know you are not ok with paying to have a $3000 Tv fixed after 1 year or 2 years or even 3 years. If this was a $200 repair job, sure im ok with that...but we are talking about a repair that in some cases is as expensive as the TV can be bought for on clearence now. Thats not just acceptable.

Accept nothing less than a full payment by Hitachi for the repair. Tell them you know of plenty of others who have received this offer.

I am not going to settle for Hit just covering labor.

The quote I just got was $600 for the part (LE) and $400 for the labor. The repair shop said it was a new LE price but $600 seemed cheap, I'm thinking the quote is for a refurb LE.

Ccity has the new 50v710 on sale for not much more than the price to fix mine. (Not like I'd buy another hitachi though)

-Spike

With regards to these LE issues... nothing I have come across in a recent while humiliates and throws a pie in the face of the hard working consumer who toils to make a good living for he and his family and spends A LOT of money (to most people).......... than Hitachi allowing the regular working Joe to unknowingly assume the MAJOR costs that stem from a documented, repeated and consistently failing part (LE) over and over again.
Sorry, but in my books, this is a terrible injustice. Screw me once, YOU can call me a fool. Screw me twice... I AM a fool.

Ahhhhhh, another day in the life of a 'Raped" Hitachi consumer.

Manpig... I kinda felt my rear-end was getting a little sore a while back too... :D
I am pretty sure I know what it was now... lol
B*astards didn't even give me the respect or decency to use some lube! haha
Of course, you can't blame them........no money left to buy some after spending it all on LE"s... :D


On a side note....
Anyone heard from Chris Lately?

http://www.myspacebullies.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=11


ha ha, too damn funny :D

I have the same issue with my 50v500a, but luckily I bought the extended warranty from Ultimate Electronics. The insurance company administering the estended warranty has just approved replacing my Hitachi with another TV. Basically they are giving me credit towards a Mitsubishi 52" LCD. I think I may just upgrade to Sony or some other TV. It will cost me a few bucks more but I am not at a complete loss. The TV I have the red blob seems to get bigger every day... I have had a few different sets now and will never not buy the extended warranty. Good luck with dealing with hitachi, I got no where with them. So I will never buy their brand again..

Well, I had my 50v500 replaced today by Circuit City. They offered to replace it -- at no extra expense to me -- with the 50v720. I'd prefer the Sony A10 at this point but all of these rear projection LCDs seem to have reliability issues. The Sony would have cost me $400 more, so I'd rather spend that $$$ on an extended warranty. I am convinced that these warranties are essential on new technology like this... even if that's not how it should be.

The v720 arrives Sat., Dec. 10th. I'll let you all know how it looks.

xxx

I bought the Hitachi 50v500 in December 2003. Before the next Christmas came, we had a problem with decreased clarity of picture and pink/magenta/ and some yellow discoloration. I had to have Circuit City come out and they "reset the memory", seemed to fix it. Until this past week when the same thing happens again. Since the Circuit City warranty was out, had to have the Hitachi autharized dealer come out. Guess what.....only 750.00 for a refirbished engine assembly, or I can pay about 1200.00 for a new assembly. I am beyond pissed as I got on the net and found out just how many people are having the same problems with the same TV . He (the repair guy) states it was probably the same problem as he went in and adjusted from the "internal" menu for a temporary fix.(clarity better but still with the red cloud on dark screens) . After spending close to $3000.00 on a new TV it should at least get thru the first few years with no problems. Best way to proceed????? Open to opinions..... Plan on talking with Hitachi this week once I get my head clear on what I want to say(minus the f-word)

One other thing...

My 50v500 currently 3600 hours on it (according to the service menu). I purchased it in Dec. 2003 and would venture to say I first noticed the red cloud (in its smallest, earliest form) in late 2004.

clear your head, think about what you want to point out to them - paid 3k for a tv that didnt last 2 years, trouble within first 6 months, problem initially covered up, do they believe 2 years is an acceptable life of a 3k tv, etc.- then give em a call. also remind them a 50v720 is going for about 1600.


initially i said i was happy about them offering to pay for parts only. the more i think about it, the madder i get. i believe im going to let them pay for all of it, or start a legal war. you should be sure on what you expect and what you will accept before you call, i didnt plan that part out.

Faxman--

I first noticed the fan problem when I went to bed one night at midnight, turning the 50v500 off normally. When I woke up at 8 the next morning, the fan was still running. That's just not normal (or that was one hot bulb!).

The Sears tech said he'd never seen this particular problem before. The reason I started turning off the surge protector was because I knew it wasn't ever going to turn off, and I didn't want it running 24/7. I waited until the blue LED went dark each time so as not to do further damage, but it was already broken anyhow.

Plus I have the red cloud issue too, so I mean, they'll be opening up the monstrosity and fiddling in there and probably wind up breaking something else in the process.

I admit, I probably should not have jumped on a new technology so soon. A bad move on my part I guess. Certainly if I had waited and continued doing my research on here, I would have seen this thread and run the other way.

I have my LE replacement for Dec 9. I'm hoping it just doesn't work after he replaces it so I can have extra fodder for a total replacement. I know that sounds negative, but at this point, it's hard to watch the TV and not get disgusted. It really is too bad as this is otherwise an excellent TV.

http://www.myspacebullies.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=11


ha ha, too damn funny :D

did anyone check this out besides me?

Goodbye 50v500. So the day before Rudolph is first televised after being "remastered" for HDTV (bad timing....my girlfriend who was not overly excited about the initial tv purchase, but has since enjoyed the pleasures a big screen tv provides, was extremely excited to see Rudolph in HD), the repair service carted my tv away today for the LE replacement (& a fan diagnosis....seemed to get progressively louder over time). The eta for return was 7-10 days. Presuming that the service center was being honest about receiving the light engine when they called to schedule the pickup (I'd previously informed them I didn't intend to schedule the tv for pickup until they had the LE in their hands), I'm expecting it to return sooner than later (I believe I read a scribbled note in the corner of the order requesting expedited attention to the repair....then again, it was scribbled and torn where it was written).

As the world turns.

Chris

P.S. Rapplin (& anyone else for that matter) - feel free to contact me directly at anytime if you would like.

Chris,

Are you going to post anything here about the CALS? What is the deal?

What channel is Rudolph on Chris?
I may not get it here in Canada, but worth a shot
I hope your TV isn't gone that long


Goodbye 50v500. So the day before Rudolph is first televised after being "remastered" for HDTV (bad timing....my girlfriend who was not overly excited about the initial tv purchase, but has since enjoyed the pleasures a big screen tv provides, was extremely excited to see Rudolph in HD), the repair service carted my tv away today for the LE replacement (& a fan diagnosis....seemed to get progressively louder over time). The eta for return was 7-10 days. Presuming that the service center was being honest about receiving the light engine when they called to schedule the pickup (I'd previously informed them I didn't intend to schedule the tv for pickup until they had the LE in their hands), I'm expecting it to return sooner than later (I believe I read a scribbled note in the corner of the order requesting expedited attention to the repair....then again, it was scribbled and torn where it was written).

As the world turns.

Chris

P.S. Rapplin (& anyone else for that matter) - feel free to contact me directly at anytime if you would like.

I just got off the phone w/ my repair tech. He said that Hitachi is supplying him w/ no deadline on when to expect a light engine! I'm calling CC now to see if they can hook it up!

I'll update everyone as to what happens.

lol
That's funny, "Some guy named Manpig" :D


did anyone check this out besides me?

Another Update:

I called circuit city....i got escallated to the escalation dept. after waiting for 10 mins i had to hang up. called back, waited another 20 mins...got a very polite woman on the phone who called my repair guy while i was put on hold! She said she had to call again tomorrow. She also said this was a known issue.

She also mentioned that the service guy would have to put an expedited request into hitachi and once that's done if the part doesn't come in 2 weeks, they start the exchange process which could take another week and half!

Another update to come!

It just kills me the amount of BS and torment Hitachi customers have to continue to go through with this d*mn problem.

Another Update:

I called circuit city....i got escallated to the escalation dept. after waiting for 10 mins i had to hang up. called back, waited another 20 mins...got a very polite woman on the phone who called my repair guy while i was put on hold! She said she had to call again tomorrow. She also said this was a known issue.

She also mentioned that the service guy would have to put an expedited request into hitachi and once that's done if the part doesn't come in 2 weeks, they start the exchange process which could take another week and half!

Another update to come!

Rudolph is on tonight at 8pm est. on CBS. While the website only mentions that it is "digitally re-mastered," the advertisement I saw on CBS stated that it had been "digitally re-mastered for HDTV." It also included some HDTV logo CBS constructed.
http://www.cbs.com/specials/rudolph/

Manpig,

If you (or anyone) have questions regarding the potential class action, please contact me directly. When the time is appropriate, I'll provide a public update.
Sorry.

Regards,

Chris

I bought my Hitachi in March 2004 from Sears with the extended warranty.

A few months ago I experienced a power on problem where all three lights would cycle, I would hear a medium pitch buzz and the bulb would not light.

After this happened several times, I had the tech out to change the lamp. The problem has now come back with the new lamp 6 weeks later.

Most of the time the lamp will light after several attempts. Sometimes the starting process times out and I get a solid red lamp light and have to restart my set a few times.

Once or twice upon restart, I get a bright white screen with pale blue and pink vertical stripes

Please note that I only have these starting problems one out of 20 times (One a week). They mostly consist of a delayed start after cycled lights and 3 or 4 buzzes.

The Sears tech came out today claiming that the lamp door tab may not have been long enough to trick the sensor into believing that the lamp door was closed. He added electrical tape to it and the tab on the lamp housing.

The problem continued after he left.

Any advice regarding this problem or getting sears to exchange my TV would be appreciated. If I could add money and trade my set for something like an SXRD, I would be very happy.

Rudolph will be on again Dec. 22.

David

Here is a copy of the e-mail I sent to Hitachi about my problem. Maybe we are getting through


"Dear Customer,

Thank you for visiting our website.

I would like to apologize for any inconvience this is causing, we are working with service centers across Canada to resolve this issue with some of our televisions. If you would like to voice this over to us, please call 1-800-Hitachi so we can document your whole scenario so we may track your issue in our database and keep all of us on top of this.



Kevin

Hitachi Customer Service/ Technical Support


--Original Message--
From:
Date: 11/28/2005 7:46:12 PM
To: customerservice@hitachi.ca
Subject: Unhappy with 50v500


Just wanted to let you know that I have purchased the first and last piece of Hitachi crap in my life.

Purchased 50v500 LCD RPG from the Brick 2 weeks ago. Althought it was a floor model, thank GOD I purchased the extended warranty.

It already needs a light engine. Frrom what I have read on the net, why don't you stop defending this junk and recall it. This is sinking your products across the board, I will never reccommend Hitachi for any product to anyone.


Thanks for your time

Hitachi 50v500
Manufactured September 2003
Purchased from the Brick, Nov 19th 2005
Needs new Light Egine Nov 20th 2005



PS: I don't care that it is under warranty. I'm p*ss*d."

Well my TV is officially dead.

Now when you try to start the 3 lights cycle, it buzzes several times as it tries to fire the bulb, then I get the blue light flashing on the left and finally the red light on the right lights and stays on. Has any one had this problem?

Thanks Chris

Rudolph is on tonight at 8pm est. on CBS. While the website only mentions that it is "digitally re-mastered," the advertisement I saw on CBS stated that it had been "digitally re-mastered for HDTV." It also included some HDTV logo CBS constructed.
http://www.cbs.com/specials/rudolph/

Manpig,

If you (or anyone) have questions regarding the potential class action, please contact me directly. When the time is appropriate, I'll provide a public update.
Sorry.

Regards,

Chris

Thanks David


Rudolph will be on again Dec. 22.

David

Well my TV is officially dead.

Now when you try to start the 3 lights cycle, it buzzes several times as it tries to fire the bulb, then I get the blue light flashing on the left and finally the red light on the right lights and stays on. Has any one had this problem?

Yeah I had the starting problem but mine was a bit different from yours (or it at least based on your description, it sounds a bit different but could be the same). I documented it back in this thread somewhere. The fix provided was a new lamp ballast and a new circuit board. I am not sure the ballast was bad but the tech replaced it anyway. The board was the culprit as far as I could tell. I posted which board it was in this thread when it happened I believe. You may have to search back or do a search on my name here to find it. I was thinking it was the main power board but might be wrong. I have slept since then.

vvv. from page 27:

Ok, here goes: A new Hit problem to report. Not sure what to name this one. hmmmmmmm
How bout "My freekin TV won't turn on"? It started as we had watched about 4 hrs of tv one evening and shut the tv off and went to bed. The next morning it would not turn on.
I unplugged it and let it sit for about 5 minutes and re-plugged it in and still nothing. I tried several more times and no go. I then went to work. When I came home that evening I tried it again and it came on. ????? wtf? We watched evening tv as usual, shut it off and went to bed. Next morning....same dealio. Nothing. This continued except that the waiting time for it to come on again kept increasing. I placed a service call. A week later the tech came out and took the back lower panel off and looked around and hit the back of his screw driver on some relays on some circuit boards with no luck. He left and said he would need to call Hitachi support and get back to me. He calls me later and tells me they are going to order in a new lamp, a new lamp ballast, a new power board, and a new control board. One of the boards was on back order and I was sitting with this problem from late April until yesterday. As stated prior, the problem got worse and worse and at one point it took a whole week for the set to power up. This happened prob about 10 days before the part was due in and I just left the tv on 24/7. I never turned it off for 10 days or so. Anyway, the tech came yesterday and had all 4 parts he spoke of. He first removed the lower back panel and put in the new lamp and then replaced the ballast. The ballast btw, is a small circuit board and is located above the fan exhaust port. He then tried to power the set up and nothing happened. Next, he removed the subwoofer on the right side of the tv right behind where the power switch is located. He also removed some hardware in this area and it exposed the main power board. He then replaced the main power board and tried the tv and voila it worked. He decided not to replace the main control board they had ordered as it did not seem to be the culprit and it would have taken him several hours to do it. He put everything back together and was about to leave when I stopped him. I then showed him the red cloud. Like other posters here, I decided to play dumb and just see what he would tell me. He started looking thru a file he had of service bulletins and fixes he downloaded and thought he had something on it. He mumbled to me that he thinks the fix is a light engine replacement. He said he would leave the ticket open and report the new problem to my warranty provider which is Circuit City CitiAdvantage. He said it would be up to them whether they want to replace the light engine or do a replacement to a new tv as one poster had occur. (plueeze let that happen). He told me the bill for what he did that day was about $1300 and that since I have had other problems prior, that they might just want to cut their losses and give me a new tv.

This is kind of interesting: I asked him before he left about what would happen to my set if they do in fact replace it. He told me he thought they were suppose to destroy the set, but that he has seen instances where they were resold as open box or display sets at a reduced price. He didn't name names but says they have gotten sets back in for service which they did replacements on. I also asked him about the smudges and screen replacements and asked if this model has been notorious for this problem in his service area. He told me has only done one screen replacement for our model but has done several for smudges on Samsungs. He also told me he has done light engine replacements for banding problems. Thats all for now.

Pig

__________________
I had Sex with Hitachi. Well, I mean Hitachi raped me. Worse yet, I paid $2600 for the priviledge

Anyone here know of, or do you have a light (I believe 6500k?) that shines (eminates) from behind the TV to improve viewing experience.
Watching AVIA dvd (or may have been Digital Video Essentials) they indicated this will help with eye strain and in fact improve the experience overall.

Just wondering if anyone has one or can recommend one?
Or if you may know of some threads I can look at?
I want to get one, and would like to see what is out there.
I don't really want to jimmy something up, but would rather just get one designed for this type of application (ie: behind hdtv)

Any help appreciated

Thanks guys.

Oh, P.S. Still no word on second LE, ETA is still due in for Dec 16 or something like that. lol
Good friggin' thing they left it with me this time. It is watchable at the very least.

Anyone here know of, or do you have a light (I believe 6500k?) that shines (eminates) from behind the TV to improve viewing experience.
Watching AVIA dvd (or may have been Digital Video Essentials) they indicated this will help with eye strain and in fact improve the experience overall.

Just wondering if anyone has one or can recommend one?
Or if you may know of some threads I can look at?
I want to get one, and would like to see what is out there.
I don't really want to jimmy something up, but would rather just get one designed for this type of application (ie: behind hdtv)

Any help appreciated

Thanks guys.

Oh, P.S. Still no word on second LE, ETA is still due in for Dec 16 or something like that. lol
Good friggin' thing they left it with me this time. It is watchable at the very least.

Do a search for Ahardt in the Forums. She used to post alot about the light thingies.

My 50V500 developed the Red PUSH

Last night when I turned on my two year old 50V500 the grey sidebars were pink!! Oh no! From this thread I understand the fix is to replace the LE. Sears is coming out next week and I hope this will not be a bit hassle. In the mean time I was trying to get a watchable picture by backing down the red drives in the SM with limited success and I would appreciate the befefit of ayone's experience with this relatively common problem.
First just getting into the SM is difficult for me. I push and hold the input button and push the power button. When the power led comes on I release the input button. Sometimes the SM appears but sometimes it doesen't. I seem to be batting about 300 :)
I understand reseting the memory can help and I see it in the SM but I can't check the box next to it. Is there anything special I need to do? There are several drive controls and the greys now look grey but the picture looks a bit dark. I would like to get back in there and do a little more tweaking. Any ideas besides wait for the tech?

thnks manpig

Do a search for Ahardt in the Forums. She used to post alot about the light thingies.

Just wanted to mention that the Sears tech is returning this Friday to replace my LE (and some board). The LE appeared in the mail a few days after my last service call, but get this: it says Refurbished on the box. Great, a used, refurbished LE...just what I needed. Thanks a bunch.

Doesn't surprise me. That is what I got too, I am almost SURE of it.
considering how many are having to be replaced Hitachi prolly is making every attempt to minimize costs by using these refurbs. Of course these are most likely failed LE's and will fail again due to the parts in the LE's are being replaced with another defective part, whether it is brand new or not. :(
Of course this is speculation and I could be completely wrong, however history has shown that this problem still isn't being resolved satisfactorily and something, whatever it is specifically is still an ongoing issue.






Just wanted to mention that the Sears tech is returning this Friday to replace my LE (and some board). The LE appeared in the mail a few days after my last service call, but get this: it says Refurbished on the box. Great, a used, refurbished LE...just what I needed. Thanks a bunch.

My 50V500 developed the Red PUSH

Last night when I turned on my two year old 50V500 the grey sidebars were pink!! Oh no! From this thread I understand the fix is to replace the LE. Sears is coming out next week and I hope this will not be a bit hassle. In the mean time I was trying to get a watchable picture by backing down the red drives in the SM with limited success and I would appreciate the befefit of ayone's experience with this relatively common problem.
First just getting into the SM is difficult for me. I push and hold the input button and push the power button. When the power led comes on I release the input button. Sometimes the SM appears but sometimes it doesen't. I seem to be batting about 300 :)
I understand reseting the memory can help and I see it in the SM but I can't check the box next to it. Is there anything special I need to do? There are several drive controls and the greys now look grey but the picture looks a bit dark. I would like to get back in there and do a little more tweaking. Any ideas besides wait for the tech?

Hard to say based on your description on whether the memory init reset will help you. If you could have posted a picture here I probably could have told forsure. You might want to try it tho to see. To get into the SM this should work every time:

1. Turn your tv on and select input 4.
2. Turn off your set and wait a minute or two after all the blinking quits.
3. Hold the input button down and turn on the set. Do not release the input button until you see the screen and the service menu.

When I used to do the mem init, it seems I had trouble making it work a few times.
I toggled around in the service menu and went back to it and got it to work. Not sure exactly why. I would not mess with any of the other settings in there unless you absolutely know what you are doing. And remember, even if the mem init fixes our pq, it may not last if you have a bad board. It may just be a temp fix. Also, if you have placed a service call, what are you going to do if you do the mem init and the pq looks normal and the service tech shows up and tells you that you have no problem? If I was you, I would just be patient and leave it messed up until he/she arrives to see it. Also, your fix may not be a new light engine. It could be just a circuit board.

Well My light engine has been ordered and apparently Hitachi has none in stock, so I will be waiting until January.

Thanks manpig,
Up to now I was in the majority of Hitachi owners who were happy with what is arguably the best looking LCD TV on the market. It was recommended to me be a special effects professional in LA who is also a member of the motion picture academy. I figured if it was good enough for him it was good enough for me :)
I will keep things where they are. The picture is watchable but clearly degraded PQ.

Well, considering I have no warranty to cover any of this and they really don't have to offer anything, I'm pretty happy. ;)


On a set that isn't even 2 years old. I'm not impressed. I bought mine about the same time and have the same issue. I have a Zenith 42" that I've had for 6 years with no issues.

I am not going to settle for Hit just covering labor.

The quote I just got was $600 for the part (LE) and $400 for the labor. The repair shop said it was a new LE price but $600 seemed cheap, I'm thinking the quote is for a refurb LE.

Ccity has the new 50v710 on sale for not much more than the price to fix mine. (Not like I'd buy another hitachi though)

-Spike

Unless they are selling it to you at thier cost it's a refurb.

...Sears gave me your refurbished LE.

The techs came and replaced the board and the light engine today. The TV looked great once more, like it did the first few months that I had it. Then, tonight, I notice a bright blue dot, about the size of a nail head...not a crop circle, and I don't think it's dead pixels because it seems to be flickering. I can only assume a lovely piece o' dust is on the lens, the blue LCD panel, who knows? I'm not being overly sensitive about it either, because I was zoning out enjoying Two Towers on TNT and all of a sudden, there it was. I think I may have witnessed its birth.

I'll give it a week, maybe it will float away.

Then i'll give Sears one more chance, and Hitachi one more chance, then it's Attorney General time. Ah the long road ahead. Anybody on here buy their 50v or 60v500 from Sears in the Boston area? Let me know, I'll figure out how to get a hold of the AG's office, and then we'll all start calling.

As most of us waiting for LE is painfully aware, Hit is shipping them again for this model. According to my local rep here in Calgary, the reason my LE has been on order for 11 weeks is because Hit is no longer refurbishing the LE for this unit and are now producing new ones only. He tells me there are numerous fixes in the new engine that can not easily be incorporated into the exsisting LE that would normally be refurbished and since there are so many issues with this model they are dropping the refurbished product.

Now, this is Hit Canada and there is a manufacturing site in Ontario but I would assume this will / has become corporate policy globally. Of course, he could be blowing allot of hot air up my skirt to...so take it with a grain of salt. But, he did confirm my LE was shipped yesterday and will arrive next week for an onsite replacement. With Hit you can never tell, to this day I am still hearing of people calling to complain and the CSR claims there are no known issues with this unit.
yeah, right. We all must suffer from the same poor eyesite.

Hard to say based on your description on whether the memory init reset will help you. If you could have posted a picture here I probably could have told forsure. You might want to try it tho to see. To get into the SM this should work every time:

1. Turn your tv on and select input 4.
2. Turn off your set and wait a minute or two after all the blinking quits.
3. Hold the input button down and turn on the set. Do not release the input button until you see the screen and the service menu.


My curiosity got the best of me. Memory Init fixed my red push and all is well now. Will call off Sears for now but how long will this temp fix last? I do have the EW
tia

Bill

*update*

The LE was the culprit. The repair shop quoted $600 for the repair. I was furious so I called Hitachi back. They agreed to pay $300 towards the labor as well, so in the end this is going to cost me about $300.

Now the repair shop is a different story. They picked up the tv on a Monday and said it would take 2 days to diagnose. Two weeks and several lies later, they finally said it was the LE. Now they're telling me it will be ready in 3-5 business days from last Friday. Anyone want to bet that it won't be ready this Friday?

One more thing. The 25" I've resorted to looks fabulous. :mad:

There was a post a few pages back about fixing the ghosting issue in the service menu. Would somebody answer that one? Sounds like my experience is similiar - I get ghosts to the left of my image on all of my inputs. I would like to try this fix before sending it off for a LE replacement. Step by step would help ... thanks.

Circuit City replaced my red cloud 50v500 with a 50v720 on Saturday. Of course, the first thing I noticed when switching inputs is a green cloud or blemish in the upper right hand corner of the screen. It's circular, and probably only about 1.5" in diameter. It's NOT viewable 80% of the time while watching the television, but is distinguishable on extremely white or black backgrounds (and obviously when powering on/off or switching inputs).

Does this sound like another Light Engine problem? I think I've read that something like this could be as simple as a dust particle though. Would a professional cleaning remedy this issue?

I hate to have this TV replaced AGAIN and, other than this small blemish, am thrilled with the PQ of the v720.

Thoughts?

Circuit City replaced my red cloud 50v500 with a 50v720 on Saturday.
I hate to have this TV replaced AGAIN and, other than this small blemish, am thrilled with the PQ of the v720.

Thoughts?

Stein,

I'm anxiously awaiting next monday! If my new light engine doesn't come, then I get a new set.

What other models were you able to get through Circuit City, as I'd like to start researching? Do they just give you monetary value or comparable sets?

Also, how does the 720 compare to the 500? I know there are some added features: 1080p, cablecard, built in hd tuner....but is it really any different/better?

Thanks for the info in advance!

There was a post a few pages back about fixing the ghosting issue in the service menu. Would somebody answer that one? Sounds like my experience is similiar - I get ghosts to the left of my image on all of my inputs. I would like to try this fix before sending it off for a LE replacement. Step by step would help ... thanks.
My housemate let the service tech in, and I arrived to find him already in the service menu, so I'm uncertain about the instruction steps to adjust the ghosting setting.

Here is an excerpt from the service manual, which I saw the service tech was using:

Page 49:

Adjustment Procedure
(1) Enter I2C mode from the front panel by pressing and holding the INPUT and the POWER button for two seconds, then release.

Note: When entering the I2C menu mode, make sure to wait about two minutes after power off. If entering the I2C menu mode immediately after power off, the I2C menu page will appear but remote control operation will not work.

(2) Receive signal on the main picture. (NTSC, SDTV or HDTV). Some menu pages have I2C adjustments for SDTV and HDTV. The set will automatically allow you to set these items only when a SDTV or HDTV signal is input to the COMPONENT jacks on the back of the TV.

(3) Check the OSD according to table on page 61~87, using (up) / (down) buttons on the Remote Control to scroll down and cursor right (>) and hold for two seconds to enter the selected device.

(4) Press the EXIT button to exit I2C ADJUST mode.

(5) Press the EXIT button button again to EXIT the I2C menu.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Page 57:

GHOST ADJUSTMENT
ADJUST MODE -> LCD ADJUST -> GHOST

First, reduce the “SHP” pressing left button (<) of the remote until ghost appears at the left hand side of the window pattern.
Next, increase the “SHP” pressing right button (>) of handset until ghost disappears. Then, increase 3 steps. Watch carefully on the screen.

RED GHOST ADJUSTMENT
Check for no ghost on the window pattern. If there is, decrease the ghost by cursor left (<) or cursor right (>) of the remote control.

GREEN GHOST ADJUSTMENT
Press “SELECT” key and adjust same procedure as RED GHOST.

BLUE GHOST ADJUSTMENT
Press “SELECT” key and adjust same procedure as GREEN GHOST.

good info man. i looked for this a while back and could not find it. tyvm

BigBlueBong,

I was given a store credit OR the v720 for no additional cost to me. The monetary value of store credit was several hundred dollars LESS THAN other 50" RPTV's (including the Sony and Samsung) or else I would have gone with a new brand. The fact that Circuit City's price on these Hitachis has considered to fall and is now considerably less (in most cases) than the Sonys, makes me think they're trying to unload what they've now realized is an inferior product.

Or perhaps I'm just gunshy now after seeing the prevalence of Light Engine problems on the Hitachis and having gone through the nightmare myself.

As for the v720, it seems to me to just be a newer, updated version of the v500. It's black -- which actually seems to make the picture even brighter than the silver bezel (at least in my eyes), so that's nice. But I do seem to notice a more pronounced SSE (screen-door effect) than I remember on my v500. Again, I may just be overreacting.

These forums are both a blessing AND a curse. They've provided me with a wealth of information I used to help guide my decisions. It also has made me paranoid about all the issues these sets seem to have.

Now I've gotta decide if a 1.5" green circle that's BARELY distinguishable (especially to the untrained eye) is worth going through the nightmare of trading this set in again. Arrrgggghhhhhhh!

thought i'd share my experience with these sets. take what you want out of it.
I have changed out 4 or 5 light engines in these suckers, pain in the butt, 90 minute job. the light engines were around 1350 bucks, but the last one i did was only about $350... left me scratchin my head.
The pink/red/magenta tint issue is becuase of inadequate cooling to the panels. the old style engine had a hole about the size of a half dollar on the bottom of the light engine. they get so clogged with dust and are impracticle to clean.
The new light engines have the cooling vent on the back side of the engine and is 3 times bigger. much better for cooling AND maintenance. just vacuum once in a great while, much easier than complete dissasembly.


My 2 cents,
Mike

I hate to have this TV replaced AGAIN and, other than this small blemish, am thrilled with the PQ of the v720.
Thoughts?

I understand the sickness you must feel at the thought of putting even more money into your TV by switching brands. I felt the same way, but I shelled out the extra few hundred to get the Sony and could not be happier. I've said this before, but I'll say it again - DO SOME RESEARCH on the other brands. Take a look at the Sony 'issues' threads. There are no reliability discussions, just talk of basic fine-tuning and connectivit. The last post on the KDF Owners thread was over a month ago and the GWIV Thread was 2 weeks ago - and it's not because there are fewer users or they are less fanatic!

If you want the type of performance we all used to get on our 25" tube sets, don't go with a Hitachi LCD-RP!!!!

my 2cents
...Mike.

Hello all,

I recently purchased my 50V500 from sears about 5-6 months ago. I had the sears tech out on the 12/7 because the LE totally went. The Picture would go from a bunch of pinkish -purple blobs all over the screen to looking like every image was hand drawn with no substance. He call who ever and ordered the LE but was unable to get or give me an ETA on the part. I did luckily purchase the extended MRA with sears so if I want I can rent a similar tv from a rental center and then get reimbursed. But my question is roughly how long will I be waiting for this LE to come off of back order? When I contacted Hitachi the said that the part was on back order for a while with no expected delivery date. I am just trying to figure out what I should do. If I call the tech back and have him cancel the LE order then all I need is for 2 more parts to be replaced to fall under Sears lemon rule.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I have only had my set for about 6 months but since it was a floor (thought I was getting a steal at the price I picked it up for) it has about 8K hours oun it. The Bulb was replaced 3 days before I bought it.

BigBlueBong,

I was given a store credit OR the v720 for no additional cost to me. The monetary value of store credit was several hundred dollars LESS THAN other 50" RPTV's (including the Sony and Samsung) or else I would have gone with a new brand. The fact that Circuit City's price on these Hitachis has considered to fall and is now considerably less (in most cases) than the Sonys, makes me think they're trying to unload what they've now realized is an inferior product.

!

Thanks for the info man! Now I just have to hope that my part doesn't come in!

So, I'm bored at work....and I'm researching TV's now in hopes that I'll get a new one next week. I'm looking at hitachi's website and comparing the models...From what I can tell.....the 50v720 isn't so hot. The only thing I see on here that's different from either the v715 or the v710 is that it has virtual hd1080p II and can do HDTV split screen....but it doesn't say anything about some of the other good features that the lesser models inlcude.....photo usb (this I like), nicer backlit remotes, top and bottom of tv match color.

I don't understand why this is the better model....is the picuture that much improved? Why take out the usb port? Why not use the same color/material for the top and bottom? Why does the remote look like something i could buy at walmart for $10?

I'm going to start a new forum to see if anyone knows/researched these models to tell the difference.....but feel free to reply here as I'm sure people are going to start trading out....

UPDATE: So the v715 also does hd split screen?! So now the only difference is the virtual HDII vs. reg. virtual HD and everything else above.....

Ok, so I posted under the rear projection units section about the differences in the hitachi models....if anyone wants to check that out or add to the discussion....

after i did this i checked circuit city's website and found that they're now offering the 50vf820 for less than the 50v720?!?! why would i get the 720? This all so stupid and confusing!

So I tried to get an update about when my light engine would be ready, and noone could give me an answer. I told the BRick that I considered it totalyy unreasonable that although I purchased a demo model and I knew that it was an "as is/final" sale, the TV has nowt worked sinced it was set up in my living room. Since there was no time that they could tell me that the TV would be fixed, I will be receiving credit towards a 'Reselection" Goodbye Hitachi!!!!


Yea.

Just wanted to say thanks for the help with the ghosting thing. I followed the service menu tweaks and that made my problem go away.

OK, a few years back, I was an relatively early DVD player adopter. Bought a Pansonic A110, I believe, based on the recommendation of a lot of adopters. It was a 2nd gen player. Cost me $350. Anyway, a LOT of the drives on these things went bad in about 1.5 years to considerably less time. There was even a webpage documenting everybody's woes with this otherwise good quality player. TONS of these things were breaking, including mine (at the 1.5 yrs). I tried to get Panasonic to fix it as it was such a huge problem. If it had just been MY player, I would've dealt, but this was a defective product. Panasonic didn't want to help. So I wrote the BBB and cited the webpage. They got back to me and Panasonic refurbed my player for free.

Do you think the Hitachi 50v500s that have broken or have probs with the LE should be fixed for free, too? My set is still going relatively strong but for the pretty annoying pink push and one faint crop circle -- both of which I've put up with for over a year now. I don't want to have to shell out another $600 to $1800 on a set I paid $2800 ... and a set which, again, is failing for so many people.

I just don't know what to do. I obviously don't have an extended warranty. And I don't think I should have to for a widespread problem like this.

Matt

Buck I'd call Hitachi and see what they will do. They gave up parts pretty easily for me, and eventually 1/2 of labor. That still isn't right, but it's better than nothing.


Supposedly, my tv should be ready today. I was told 3-5 bus days from last Thursday. Yeah right. I'm so fed up with this repair shop I don't know what to do. They either lie to me, can't find my paperwork, can't find my tv, etc. Anyone want to bet the LE is on backorder and they didn't have the courtesy to call me?

You are D*MN RIGHT they should be fixed for FREE!
This problem had been documented time and time and time again
This is a known defect (in my opinion of course)
This is total BS for consumers spending an already outrageous amount of money to buy, and to find out they are defective over and over.
This is so ridiculous, we shouldn't even be asking 'if' they should pay.....
We should be demanding our friggin' money back, or something that actually works and will CONTINUE to work as designed over an acceptable life span.

It's freakin' nuts if you think about it.


OK, a few years back, I was an relatively early DVD player adopter. Bought a Pansonic A110, I believe, based on the recommendation of a lot of adopters. It was a 2nd gen player. Cost me $350. Anyway, a LOT of the drives on these things went bad in about 1.5 years to considerably less time. There was even a webpage documenting everybody's woes with this otherwise good quality player. TONS of these things were breaking, including mine (at the 1.5 yrs). I tried to get Panasonic to fix it as it was such a huge problem. If it had just been MY player, I would've dealt, but this was a defective product. Panasonic didn't want to help. So I wrote the BBB and cited the webpage. They got back to me and Panasonic refurbed my player for free.

Do you think the Hitachi 50v500s that have broken or have probs with the LE should be fixed for free, too? My set is still going relatively strong but for the pretty annoying pink push and one faint crop circle -- both of which I've put up with for over a year now. I don't want to have to shell out another $600 to $1800 on a set I paid $2800 ... and a set which, again, is failing for so many people.

I just don't know what to do. I obviously don't have an extended warranty. And I don't think I should have to for a widespread problem like this.

Matt

I just wanted to add myself to the list of dissatisfied customers. I had the screen replaced a few months after I bought the TV due to bubbles that developed in between the screen layers.

Now my screen has developed the red blob too. I have an extended warranty. The repair shop came to my house and diagnosed the problem as LE failure. They anticipate about a month for the new LE to come in. They will be doing an in home repair, according to the secretary. We'll see how that works out.

The good news is I have a buyer ready to take it off my hands once the LE is replaced. Maybe it will look great again and I can hold onto it until Sony gets their act together on the new SXRD units. The stories of discoloration certainly gives me pause after this Hitachi experience with first generation technology.

Haven't posted in a while so thought I'd give everyone an update.

I did argue enough with Hit customer service rep to sorta admit the red blob is a known issue. He tried to tell me that this is not a common occurence then he really fumbled around when I asked him to check and see how many light engine replacements have occured on these sets. It was about then when he agreed to pay for parts and labor. (Set is not under warranty). The only catch is that the repair shop quoted price was not for warranty work and I will have to cover the difference which amounts to around 100 bucks. I didn't feel like messing with it anymore so I agreed to this.

That was about two weeks ago and I hadn't heard from the repair shop so I called and they said the LE is on back order with no ETA. The repair guy said he sees some that are stilll on back order from July. (Hard to believe that though). He said he would try to get it expedited. I'm not holding my breath.

The thing that really makes me mad is once again the TV will be looking like total SH#% for the holidays (This is my second LE replacements, first occured 2 yrs ago, same time of year). I really hate it when my relatives say "you paid how much for that?" Makes me look like a total fool.


Everyone together "FU#@ Hitachi"

-Spike out

Just as I had suspected...I was told to call back next Thursday. A call to Hitachi didn't produce an ETA either. I guess I'm screwed thru the holidays. I'm learning several valuable lessons from this purchase. :mad:

No word on my light engine/lcd panel replacements.....gonna call CC first thing monday and work on getting my new tv! I'm leaning towards the vf820....

Ok it has been about a year since I posted on this subject. I have owned the 50V500 since Dec 10th 2003 and since then I have been thru 2 different sets, 2 refurb LE and one new light engine installed last Dec. Well this new LE light engine started showing the well documented red glow issue about 2 weeks ago.

Well I called CC for service for the first time because Hitachi handled all the other issues. I went through everything with customer service and she immediately escalated me to next level support. They reviewed the info an scheduled for a service call but she also said because of the continued issue she would put it in for exchange.

Two hours later I heard back that the exchange was approved and i will have the exchange info in 7 to 10 days. This means i basically have a voucher for the price I paid and can go get any model I want. First time I have dealt with Circuit City support and it was first rate.

Amy recommendation on CC model I should get? I have not researched or kept up on the various models.

Amy recommendation on CC model I should get? I have not researched or kept up on the various models.

Frequent readers of this thread have heard my story/opinion a few times, but I'll repeat it anyway.

I also had a v500 and went through several LE's. CC authorized a replacement and gave me credit that would purchase a v500 equivalent (Hitachi). Recalling a line from The Who, "I won't be fooled again!", I chose the Sony GWIV KDF60WF655.

It was ~$200 more, but to me it's a better looking TV (black case), and the picture is at least as good as a properly functioning v500. I believe the connections are similar, too. I've only had mine for 5 or 6 months, but so far I'm tickled pink with it. Take a look at the owners issues thread(s) and you'll see that there are few, if any, dissatisfied owners.
KDF Owners thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6475648#post6475648)
Sony GWIV thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6611577#post6611577)

I've only had mine for 5 or 6 months, but so far I'm tickled pink with it. [/URL]

LOL, you HAD to say "tickled pink" in this thread? SHAME ON YOU! :D

So, I've tried getting in touch w/ the CSR i was given the number for at circuit city. I left 2 messages and even tried calling in directly but to no avail. the best answer i could get was someone would get back to me w/in 48 hours!!!

I'm going to try again tomorrow. Maybe I'll get someone who was from this country.

Ooops. Forgot "pink" is a four letter word. :D

hey bong

check your private message, sent you a number to call for 2nd tier CSR support

I got through to the escalation dept. today....i was on the phone for 50 minutes!!! although she did have to call the service center that diagnosed my set, just to find out that they had not yet received the parts.

I'm now in the process of waiting 10 business days for them to get back to me about my refund/replacement.

After doing lots of reasearch i'm pretty sure i'm going to get the 50vf820. I already wrote this to mdg2win, but for the money...this is the best thing out there. I'm still wary of hitachi, but i have the EW so i don't really care. the sony that everyone keeps talking about as the replacement for this tv has less features: no PiP, only 1 HDMI and the 820 is way sweeter looking. Also, the sony is more expensive?! Additionally CC is offering the 720 for the same price as the 820?! why would i get the 720 then?

i just remembered that the 820 can do virtual hd 1080p whereas the sony can only do native 720....beats me!

Believe it or not, my set is scheduled to be delivered tomorrow. The total time from ordering the LE to receiving it was about 2 weeks. I'm not sure why some are being told February. Talking to Customer Relations at Hitachi is definitely the way to go.

Yeah, but I'd rather go through the hassle of replacing the thing before i put a refurbished LE in my tv even though it may only take a couple weeks to get.....that defeats the whole point!

Blue, I was referring to the people here that have been put off until February for a LE to arrive.


Just got my tv back - for 5 minutes. It looked 10 times worse than when I originally sent it in. LARGE red cloud in the center, not just when on a black screen either, one inch or more ghosting, etc. In addition to that, my set is scratched and chipped everywhere. It was flawless when i sent it in...other than the PQ. I'm not sure i could be any more pissed right now :mad:

I'm not sure i could be any more pissed right now

Damn, that sucks!!! As if you don't have enough trouble with Hitachi now you got to deal with repair shop f'ing things up.

Hey as I said CC is giving me a exchange set...even after 2 years...but then again they have put like $9K of parts into it over that time.

Anyways I like the looks of the new 820.....can anyone tell me if the Hitachi models after the V500 have had as many issues with LE or have they worked out out the problems...like I said I have not been keeping up on sets but need to make a decision soon.

If Hitachi hasnt improved I think I am going to switch to Sony.

Thoughts, Comments appreciated

I've searched all over for reviews of the 820....you would think that if anyone had any serisous issues w/ this set there would be some comlaints somewhere.....but i think it's basically the same as vs810 series. So that's where you may want to start.....no cnet reviews, but here's a link to the newest line of hitachi's:

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6449_7-6370283-1.html?tag=txt

Well, I'm now a not-so-proud member of the bad light engine club. My screen started showing the reddish hue back in September. I started the repair process with a local shop in October (my EW is with Sears but they subcontract to local shops). After a very lengthy wait, a new light engine finally came in for my set last week. However, it didn't even make it out of the shop -- the new light engine was also bad!

I've read here that Hitachi has re-engineered this part with improved ventilation to reduce failures -- does anyone know if there's a new part number for this thing? The repair shop didn't sound like they knew too much about it, but I'm hoping that I can speed up the process...

Hey Guys,
Since I am off this week, I am planning on goind to CC to talk with them RE the red glow. How did you guys proceed with or encourage them to replace the tv? I have an EW. This TV has been replaced once, and serviced once. Now it has the red glow. Has since the summer, but now it has really become noticable, Any suggestions?

I would be honest about what you've heard regarding chronic problems with this model and specifically several of us who have had their sets replaced by CC. And of course your own experience supports everything in this thread. Technically you may not have satisfied the conditions of their replacement policy, but, "it's not really a code, as much as 'guidelines'".

Clearly you haven't gotten the service you expected out of this model and, frankly, CC should be ashamed of carrying such a product. They can easily make it right by replacing it again. I got the impression that the only thing the CC guys were wary of was someone wanting to essentially trade up by getting exactly what they originally paid for their TV and then applying that to a new model.

Obviously, they can't let people do that. Unfortunately, these TV's are kinda like computers, as time goes on, they don't just lower the prices, they keep prices the same and add features. I didn't really want a built-in HD tuner, but that's pretty much a standard feature now. I ended up paying an additional $400 bucks I think.

Add my name as a new member of the "pink" club (5059 hours on the set). I can't believe I’m hearing Feb. for a replacement LE! Fortunately I did indeed purchase the warranty plan from CC. They are suppose to be out to the house on Thursday. I do have a question though, I have gone into the service menu and the only menu selection I can see similar to "Memory Reset" is a mode called "Memory Init". Is that the same thing? And how do you select it? I can check other boxes but no matter switch direction I push the joystick nothing happens. Any suggestions besides a new TV? (happily it was present from work so it has only cost me electricity so far, and the HD receiver, and surround sound......) Thanks - Art

CC 2nd level support and a sales rep at the store said that normally CC will allow the exchange of an item once it has been serviced 3 times

In my case we were way past that --- they replaced the entire set after 1 week, originally replaced individual circuit boards, then 2 re-furbished LE's and finally a new LE that lasted less then a year before the glow came back

So all of the above equals a CC exchange after 2 years of headaches.....not sure of all the details yet as I am waiting for my exchange # from them

Here we go again?! Have had the new LE for 2-3 months and tonight it starts doing the same thing......It has been running fine, although the pic not sharp and seems a little dark and probably ReplayTV downgrading the pic a bit. TV was turned off for about 10 min, turned it back on and got no picture, turned it off and the temp lamp light flashes. Waited about 5 min and tried again, no luck. Unplugged it and plugged right back in, that worked!

Is it possible the heat from the lamp is damaging the LE's? My extended warranty runs out on 1/22/06. Can we assume that the LE has gone bad again and go through the motions of getting it fixed before it becomes unwatchable?

Some of you know that Visa doubled my warranty for me. I do not think it's right for them to pay for Hitatchi's inferior product to be repaired time and time again. I don't want to get in a loop of having to get this crappy television repaired every year, regardless of who pays for it. If Visa doesn't approve me to get a new set this time, who should I contact..CC or Hitatchi, what's my best line of defense in getting rid of this set?

OK, Hitachi is off my hook. The guy came out from CC and merely went into the service menu and dumped the memory. Seems you have to hold the joystick to the right until it dumps the memory on the "Memory Init" selection (took about 7 seconds). if I had only know that I could of saved me and CC a trip and 3 days of bad TV. But as the guy said, one visit down and 2 left before a replacement. Very interesting.....

What did dumping the memory do to address the pink hue issue. I have the beginnings of the pink hue and CC is due to come out today to look at it along with stuck pixels, smudges and the loud fan. Should I mention the memory dump to the tech if he doesn't do it on his own?

Thanks for the reply.

BigTuna

I have inherited a 50V500A recently. My first impulse was to check out AVS Forum to see if there were any cool tweaks I could do to it.

Encountering this thread was quite a shock.

I checked the service menu and the set has just over 3000 hours on it. Late last night I carefully checked the screen for the various problems mentioned here.

No stripes.

No pink cloud.

No blue or green cloud, either.

I did notice one faint blue dot (about an 1 1/2 in diameter) on the lower edge of the picture. In normal viewing it is invisible, and even with a black screen in a dark room, it is not real noticeable.

Manufacturing date of the set is 25 months ago.

I don't know if it is transferable. but the set has an extended warranty, and I am looking for the paperwork on it.

The set has performed absolutely normally (to my knowledge) since new, and at most, may have had one power interuption that prevented a normal cool down.

When I set up the set, red did seem a little over present, but turning down red in the color menu fixed it completely.

Set is connected to a new D* HD Tivo box and the picture seems very, very good. Even SD stuff is presentable, and I find myself wishing for more local channel HD material.


Am I out of the woods? Finding out the set has an EW helps quite a bit. But the number of multiple LE replacements is worrying me, just from a hassle stand point, and what happens after Hitachi and EW no longer stand behind the set? TV is far beyond my means to replace, if not for inheritance, would not have ever had anything like this. (set is pretty big for house layout too, would have considered a 42 incher someday when cost is under $1000)

I set the 505V00A up so that it is away from the wall and well ventilated. I did bump the brightness down a bit on all inputs, but does this dim the bulb, or does it actually dissipate more heat in the LCD panels? (not sure I want them any hotter than necessary)

I have 2 customers with 60 inch versions of this set, they be ok to my knowledge at this point, but I will stop by a check them out soon. Don't know about their EW status.

Am I lucky, or am I headed towards a nightmare?

I have inherited a 50V500A recently. My first impulse was to check out AVS Forum to see if there were any cool tweaks I could do to it.

Encountering this thread was quite a shock.

I checked the service menu and the set has just over 3000 hours on it. Late last night I carefully checked the screen for the various problems mentioned here.

No stripes.

No pink cloud.

No blue or green cloud, either.

I did notice one faint blue dot (about an 1 1/2 in diameter) on the lower edge of the picture. In normal viewing it is invisible, and even with a black screen in a dark room, it is not real noticeable.

Manufacturing date of the set is 25 months ago.

I don't know if it is transferable. but the set has an extended warranty, and I am looking for the paperwork on it.

The set has performed absolutely normally (to my knowledge) since new, and at most, may have had one power interuption that prevented a normal cool down.

When I set up the set, red did seem a little over present, but turning down red in the color menu fixed it completely.

Set is connected to a new D* HD Tivo box and the picture seems very, very good. Even SD stuff is presentable, and I find myself wishing for more local channel HD material.


Am I out of the woods? Finding out the set has an EW helps quite a bit. But the number of multiple LE replacements is worrying me, just from a hassle stand point, and what happens after Hitachi and EW no longer stand behind the set? TV is far beyond my means to replace, if not for inheritance, would not have ever had anything like this. (set is pretty big for house layout too, would have considered a 42 incher someday when cost is under $1000)

I set the 505V00A up so that it is away from the wall and well ventilated. I did bump the brightness down a bit on all inputs, but does this dim the bulb, or does it actually dissipate more heat in the LCD panels? (not sure I want them any hotter than necessary)

I have 2 customers with 60 inch versions of this set, they be ok to my knowledge at this point, but I will stop by a check them out soon. Don't know about their EW status.

Am I lucky, or am I headed towards a nightmare?

You might be safe with the 50v500a vs the 50v500 model. I'd keep my fingers crossed and knock on wood just the same! Right now mine will turn on, but no pic or sound. Lucky that you inherted this garbage cause most of us feel we were raped! Hitachi should of done a recall or anything to make it right. Instead they ignored the problem hoping it would go away. Now they have permanently damaged their brand and most will never own anything with that name on it, ever again.

Yeah I had the starting problem but mine was a bit different from yours (or it at least based on your description, it sounds a bit different but could be the same). I documented it back in this thread somewhere. The fix provided was a new lamp ballast and a new circuit board. I am not sure the ballast was bad but the tech replaced it anyway. The board was the culprit as far as I could tell. I posted which board it was in this thread when it happened I believe. You may have to search back or do a search on my name here to find it. I was thinking it was the main power board but might be wrong. I have slept since then.

Thanks for posting this manpig. It's what's going on with mine. $1300 to replace the board this time plus $900 for the new LE two months ago! I hope and pray to God they give me money to replace the set this time. Just to be on the safe side I added another year to my warranty which expires next month. Another repair after this one and I could of gotten a nice LCD. One thing is for sure..Hitachi will not be the brand!!

.....Encountering this thread was quite a shock.

I checked the service menu and the set has just over 3000 hours on it. ...
Am I lucky, or am I headed towards a nightmare?

Don't let the screaming about the Hitachi 50v500 model on this forum scare you. Remember they have sold thousands of these sets and you are dealing with a small subset of the total ownership out there. My Hitachi has been bulletproof until now. It has nearly 5100 hours on it. I fully expect it to go another 5000 hours easy before any other trouble. Remember it is a complicated piece of electronics and provides a heck of a picture. The pink screen was unfortunately and easily resolved. Like any other complicated piece of equipment there will be problems. If you ever read about the huge number of issues with Mercedes Benz cars you would be amazed anyone buys them. Enjoy your set. I would certainly suggest an extended warranty if you can pick one up for $300 or so that will cover it over the next 4 years. You know that the light bulb is going to go out around 20K to 25 K hours. Anything else goes on it will probably be close to a $1,000 bucks to fix it. Since you inherited the set, drop the $300 bucks and enjoy. It has not put me off one bit. I hear folks praise Sony TVs to high heaven. I have owned 2 and I'll never buy one again. The first one was in the shop more than I had it and the second one burned out within 2 years (both tube models). Turn on your 50v500 and enjoy. I am!!

What did dumping the memory do to address the pink hue issue. I have the beginnings of the pink hue and CC is due to come out today to look at it along with stuck pixels, smudges and the loud fan. Should I mention the memory dump to the tech if he doesn't do it on his own?

Thanks for the reply.

BigTuna

Hey Big Tuna. I would assume that some type of "corruption" occurs in the memory over time and causes the pink picture thing. Dumping the memory (kind of like rebooting your PC) and it seemed to reset everything. Let us know how things turned out. How many hours does your set have on it?

Hi Bavaria, thanks for the reply....

CC was out to my house yesterday and couldn't have been here more than 10 minutes. Before I turned on the tv I explained that I have the beginnings of a pinkish glow on my screen, I looked for his reaction and to no surprise he knew what I was talking about. I turned on the tv and he noticed it right away. Now keep in mind, you can only see the pink glow on my tv with a grey background, doesn't really affect my viewing pleasure............YET.

This visit couldn't have been more simple, he's ordering a new LE (2 weeks to get) and will do the repair in my house (1-2 hours). He said he is doing about 2 per month in the Chicago area and the owners have been thrilled with the results.

Apparently (many of you may already know this), the "new" LE has been redesigned with better ventilation so the red lens doesn't overheat (which causes the pink glow?). He said it will also get rid of the stuck pixel (red)? I realize there are no guarantees with the new LE, but the EW was money well spent a couple of years ago.

Thanks to everyone at this forum, the info is great and certainly gave me a leg up on a problem that I may not have noticed for a while when it would have been too late.

Not sure how many hours I have on my tv, the tech said he would tell me when he did the LE fix, but its a lot..........

BTW, it preparation for a new bulb, does CC replace these via the EW? If not, where can I get one so I have the backup?

Happy New Year ! Enjoy the bowl games in HD !

Big Tuna

Bavaria,
You should take off your rose colored glases. I think your expeierence is more the exception than the rule. You are correct, this is a complicated piece of electronics. When somehting like this is developed it should be tested, something Hitachi obviously didn't do to the required extent.

You are also correct that the pink hue issue is easily fixed, but us early adopters who ran into it had to get the light engine replaced to fix it. Shows Hitachi didn't know what the heck was going on and it cost them. Same is hapening with the red glow issue.

I think comparing these sets to a benz is not a good analogy. You may hear of numerous small issue with the car but none that make it completly un-drivable. My set has the red glow and a huge blue cloud. I am waiting on a LE replacement with no ETA on when it will occur as they are on back order. The TV is un-watchable at this point. (Great timimg huh, football playoffs / bowl games in HD!).

Also, with the LE on back order and no ETA (been over a month so far for me), it tells me that this is a very wide-spread issue.

-Spike (rant over)

Spike, you should call Hitachi back and talk to someone in customer relations. I called and got my order expedited. I received the new LE within a few weeks.

I finally have my tv back. It looks horrible. I'm not sure what to call it but the screen just isn't clear. It looks "grainy", even on hd channels, but analog is the worst. I have DVE but don't have a DVI output on my dvd player. How do you calibrate it in such a case? Should the repair shop calibrated it before sending it to me?





edit: I have DVI on input 1 (which i use). This input also has component. If i hooked up my dvd player to this input, would calibrating it on component also change the settings on DVI? Could anyone post their settings for this tv?


thanks

i've actually got a 42v715 (updated model) but this seemed like the most likely place to post. I've attached a pic of some vertical stripes i'm getting with the set. they show up on all inputs, and are most visible on plain backgrounds, but not bright backgrounds. (this image i took is from the set-generated grey bars when in PIP mode) I had a tech out to look at the set, who said I've got dirt inside the light engine, and that it needs replacing. This seems doubtful to me. Is this SDE? It doesn't look like what I hear people describing - it actually looks like one row of pixels is discolored. It's driving me nuts - any input would be appreciated.

I'm not sure if a new LE would fix it, but that is not SDE.

I'm no tv expert, but that's defintely a bigger problem than SDE. SDE is more annoying in the beginning (particularly with fast moving programs, ie sports) and is something that my eyes eventually got used to.

I would ask for a replacement set if you are under 30 days......this model should have the "new" LE with better ventilation.

BigTuna

thanks guys. i'm over 30 days, but have the extended warranty for another 4 years. i knew it didn't look right, but it's hard for someone as new to all this as i am to know what 'normal' lcd issues are, and what is, in fact, a problem. thanks again.

I have no doubt the cloud is a design flaw which will eventually affect all sets of this model.

I have had a growing pink cloud for months, which I put up with while waiting for whatever was needed to fix the design flaw. Now I have some banding in the center, and most recently red color smearing, so I called it in to the EW place today.

David

I finally heard back from my repair shop, and they said my light engine is on back order until the end of February. Is there any way to get moved up on the list? Any contacts at Hitachi?

1-800-hitachi ----> Customer Relations

Worked for me.

CC said mine will be in their hands in 2 weeks............direct from Hitachi.

Thanks guys. I just spoke to Hitachi and they are researching the claim to see if it can be expedited. They said 2.5 months sounded out of line. A few weeks is more likely, but no promises. Very friendly and helpful rep. Thanks again.

Managed to visit a customer of mine today with a Hitachi 60V500A set.

His unit has 2300 hours and is just about 24 months old.

I was unable to darken the run much, and could not stay till after dark, but the picture looked fine and on an unused input, I saw no noticeable picture defects. To my recollection, set has the same picture quality as when I was last there, roughly 9 months ago to install speakers in the exercise room.

Haven't told the customer anything yet. And I don't recall if he bought the service plan or not.

I might suggest he let the wife have the set if they proceed with the divorce . . . .

{or vice versa, on second thought . . . }


:)

The CC Saga Continues

I can't even explain how frustrated I am right now. I was supposed to find out by today about the exchange of my set. Apparenlty it was authorized some 2 weeks ago, but no one took the time to call me.

After speaking to 3 different customer service reps and an in store employee, I found out that my replacement was already ordered. They were just waiting for me to call and give a date of delivery/pickup. However, the set that they said I was supposed to get was the 51F710A. What?! For those who don't know, this is the CRT RPTV. Currently retailing for under $1500. I'm sorry, but didn't I pay almost 2 grand for my LCD RPTV???

So I go about callilng 5 different customer service lines...being put on hold, hung up on, transferred and referenced. The outcome of all of this was that whoever authorized the exchange of my set found that the 50v500 was discontinued (duh) and that the market value was around $1500. They called the store that I bought the set from (which is now nowhere near where I live) and said that the CRT was the model offered in this price range.

After complaining to yet another CS rep they are going to re-evaluate what I should get for my TV. Now I have to wait 48 hours (which means monday) to find out what set I'm "supposed" to get. Correct me if I'm wrong but shouldn't I just get whatever model is comparable to the TV I already have, regardless of monetary value?!

So now I'm waiting to hear back (which has never happened even after being told a half dozen times that someone would call me) about what set I'm going to get. I plan on calling tomorrow morning and stirring up some more trouble.

Sorry for the long email...I'm just so PO'd at CC right now I had to vent to the only people who truly understand what I'm going through. I spent hours dealing w/ countless CS reps with basically no outcome and nothing to show for it. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. Thanks for listening/reading!

Oh, one more thing AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! !

there, now i feel a little better.

Per your name.................

You should take a good, long drag off that bong sitting right in front of you. I have a feeling that might take the edge off your situation :rolleyes:

BigTuna

Managed to visit a customer of mine today with a Hitachi 60V500A set.

His unit has 2300 hours and is just about 24 months old.

I was unable to darken the run much, and could not stay till after dark, but the picture looked fine and on an unused input, I saw no noticeable picture defects. To my recollection, set has the same picture quality as when I was last there, roughly 9 months ago to install speakers in the exercise room.

Haven't told the customer anything yet. And I don't recall if he bought the service plan or not.

I might suggest he let the wife have the set if they proceed with the divorce . . . .

{or vice versa, on second thought . . . }


:)


So what exactly are you trying to say? The owner says it has a problem and you don't see it? Not sure what this post has to do with anything other than a 24 month old tv looks OK to you.

-Spike

Per your name.................

You should take a good, long drag off that bong sitting right in front of you. I have a feeling that might take the edge off your situation :rolleyes:

BigTuna

Oh I did! I was still at work when I wrote that so, I don't think they'd take kindly to me hitting it at my cubicle!

I'm going to call again around noon to see if anything's been resolved.....couldn't sleep right last night b/c of this!

Sorry for not being more clear in my post.

Customer had me by his home to reconfigure stereo upstairs as wife has left the house and taken several components with her.

Customer has no issue with his Hitachi set, I checked it out to compare it to the one I just recieved via an inheritance from an uncle.

My set is fine with a similar number of hours compared to my customers set.

I am a little confused about whether or not I should inform my customer about the apparent bad history others have had with this Hitachi product.

Additionally, at the time of purchase for my uncle's set (I was with him) it seems like the salesman mentioned the Hitachi had the same lcd chips as a Sony model. I don't know that this was true, and I am also unaware of any Sony set having the same issues as the Hitachi V500 series.

I appreciate all the posts here about the Hitachi problems, and I also realize that not every set they made will have the problems described here, but I am still curious what are the actual odds are for having the problems develop?

I suppose Hitachi hasn't ever made an official pronouncement on what they have experienced with this series for liability reasons.

Hi everyone... I have a 50V500A that has been working fine, but there are two things I need some advice about. The first issue is that I noticed a yellowish-greenish horizontal bar running across the bottom of the screen about 1" up from the bottom. This bar runs across the entire length of the screen and is only visible really on white backgrounds (or extremely light ones). This bar appears from when the set is turned on and does not change at all while viewing. It is also thicker towards the left of the TV. The TV is completely watchable and the picture looks great, but I like everything to be perfect, so it has been a bit bothersome lately. Any ideas? Do you think this is a light engine issue? I have tried doing a screen wipe (which during the white screen it is really noticable) but nothing happens.

My second problem is that the info box that tells you the input number and type (eg input 1, 720p) along with the time is cut off at the top of the screen. It has always been this way, but in other pictures from people's post it appears normal. Is this an overscan issue? Any ideas on how to fix?

Thanks for all your help in advance.

I have a 50V500 and I am in need of my second replacement LE under warranty through CC. Obviously any confidence that I have in the v500 is gone. I am currently talking to CC about an exchange but I am having a hard time. They want to wait until it needs a third replacement according to their warranty. Has anybody been able to get around this? On a side note when the CC tech came out to look at the problem he told my wife that he wanted to wait until the problem got worse.

Thanks for any advice in advance.

I am still waiting for my first LE replacement that has been on order since October last year. The good news on the delay is these LE now shipping have the mod to "eliminate" the red cloud due to overheating. My tech also told me they have a larger, quieter cooling fan and more rebust cuircutry. Luckily I can still watch my unit, I can only see the red cloud on dark scenes. I am also still on my first bulb (6200 hrs and counting). Despite all of the things with this set, I still like it. For me, this is my first real issue with the unit. Though, I think my impression would change if I could not use it while waiting for a LE replacement.

CC Saga Conclusion

So I went to Circuit City to exchange my set this weekend. I first had to call like 3 or 4 stores to make sure they had the unit I wanted in stock (50vf820). After getting lost multiple times to get there (please see screen name for reason why ;-)) I had to deal w/ the moronic customer service who couldn't figure out what I wanted and had to call the head of the TV dept. over to help. I had to wait around for about 15 mins while they just checked to see if they had it!

I ordered it, paid about $25 more for the set ( + a $75 gift certificate courtesy of my bro-in-law). Went outside to customer pickup and waited about a half hour for them to bring the set out.

Here's where it get's interesting. My buddy has a truck and we had my old set on the bed in back. The comes out w/ the TV, loads it onto the back of the truck and simply walks away without taking the old one. I'm now caught in a moral/mental dilemma! Do I tell the guy that I'm exchanging the set and to take the old one or do I just drive away w/ both sets?! After much debating w/ my bud and my wife and my brain I decided to tell the guy to take it away. This decision may be one that haunts me the rest of my life! I even asked the guy about what would happen if we just drove away w/ it and he didn't have much to say.

The only way I can justify this decision is to think that they had surveilence outside and would see that I never unloaded the TV. But part of me knows that I could've gotten away w/ both.

In any case I got the new TV, have it all set up...and it's......ok. I thought I would like that it doesn't have a "base" but the TV is actually very low now compared to the v500. Have to slouch a little on the couch to get the right angle. Sitting on the floor is perfect. I also notice more the the SDE (screen door effect) than the v500. I'm upgrading to HDMI so hopefully that'll clear some of it up. But the vertical banding isn't a problem any more. It also does this weird thing when I watch SD channels...when i press guide or info it kind of dims the picture for some reason. doesn't happen on HD...again..HDMI will hopefully correct. But i can say that this is a very slick looking set and HD looks sweet.

One last thing, that noone mentioned before is that by exchaning the set I'm in effect voiding my CC warranty. I had to pay $260 to get my warranty back...and i'm not sure if this just gets me to the end or starts it over....have to call and check....but WTF?! I paid $400 extra dollars to get this! They said that 3 repairs or an exchange ends the warranty! Buyer Beware!!!

ok...i think that's everything I had on my mind and thought you guys might like to hear. Thanks again for listening/reading!

Ok, so our tv has this red blob too. Finally called Hitachi who told us to call the service tech. Guy came out and tried to adjust it, could not do it and wanted to take our tv for 2 weeks to check it out, saying it could be 1 of 2 parts. Told him that he could not take tv without giving me an estimate for the parts in mind (did not get EW from CC, but Hitachi said they would cover the labor), plus we were having company for the weekend and without our main tv, it would have been a long weekend!

Guy called me again and said he could not give me costs, but he needs to take the tv to take a closer look. So I called back and talked to another guy. This guy said that it is most likely the LE, like you all are saying here and that it would cost $1300 for a new one and $600 for a rebuilt one. Still needs my tv for 2 weeks at least.

THEN he said that maybe they could just "clean" the dust off of it and that might be my only problem?? He said it is very labor intensive but would be a cheaper alternative. Has anyone heard this as an option or can any techs out there confirm this as a possibility?

My questions for you all,

1. Anyone not get the red blob fixed and just dealt with it?
2. Is this dust theory in fact a viable option to save me lots of money?
3. Is a rebuilt LE as good as a new one?
4. Should I call Hitachi and get another company and will they cover labor again??
5. How can you tell hoe many hours you have on your bulb? We've had the tv for 19 months and are still on the same bulb and we use it a lot.

This is really too bad on such a nice tv. We really screwed up by not getting the EW. Will not happen again! Probably will not buy Hitachi again, although this tv came highly rated.

I too have the redish glow when there is no video input or between scenes. I know it is there, but i am not going to spend the $ or waste the time to repair this TV. I looked in the service menu and found we have 3800 hours on the TV. Thats a lot of time. If i were to spend $700, i would wait and spend more and get a new TV with updated everything. I dont believe that putting additional $ into an ongoing problem is actually going to fix that problem. It is evident that there are design flaws...and i will not support Hitachi any further...lesson learned.

The redish-niss is not so bad as to effect overall enjoyment of the machine in 90% of viewing, afterall, we are talking TV...for movies i have a ceiling mounted projection unit and a screen...so in reviewing the priorities, i will not invest further in this TV.

Thanks to all who have posted. I have done the reset and recalibrated the TV. This was very enlightening as the settings established nearly 27 months ago had evolved over time and were no longer valid. The reset caused me to review the settings of the TV and i am impressed with the differences and will leave it to run until it passes.

best wishes to all

CC Saga Conclusion
One last thing, that noone mentioned before is that by exchaning the set I'm in effect voiding my CC warranty. I had to pay $260 to get my warranty back...

The person you dealt with at CC didn't know WTF they were doing. When I exchanged my set at CC, they prorated the extended warranty and sent me a check for the remaining balance. I had a 4 yr warranty and exchanged the set about 20 months into it, so they sent me a check for about 60% of what I paid for it. Then I had to buy a new (full) warranty for the new set.

The person you dealt with at CC didn't know WTF they were doing. When I exchanged my set at CC, they prorated the extended warranty and sent me a check for the remaining balance. I had a 4 yr warranty and exchanged the set about 20 months into it, so they sent me a check for about 60% of what I paid for it. Then I had to buy a new (full) warranty for the new set.

Good to know! I just haven't gotten around to calling in yet.....I definitely will now!!!

I let it ride for a while and it got worse. Now I have red flaring on bright scenes and purple stripes in the center. Dust will cause small colored spots but not the huge blob.

Has anybody had to replace burned-out bulb?

David

Ok, so our tv has this red blob too. Finally called Hitachi who told us to call the service tech. Guy came out and tried to adjust it, could not do it and wanted to take our tv for 2 weeks to check it out, saying it could be 1 of 2 parts. Told him that he could not take tv without giving me an estimate for the parts in mind (did not get EW from CC, but Hitachi said they would cover the labor), plus we were having company for the weekend and without our main tv, it would have been a long weekend!

Guy called me again and said he could not give me costs, but he needs to take the tv to take a closer look. So I called back and talked to another guy. This guy said that it is most likely the LE, like you all are saying here and that it would cost $1300 for a new one and $600 for a rebuilt one. Still needs my tv for 2 weeks at least.

THEN he said that maybe they could just "clean" the dust off of it and that might be my only problem?? He said it is very labor intensive but would be a cheaper alternative. Has anyone heard this as an option or can any techs out there confirm this as a possibility?

My questions for you all,

1. Anyone not get the red blob fixed and just dealt with it?
2. Is this dust theory in fact a viable option to save me lots of money?
3. Is a rebuilt LE as good as a new one?
4. Should I call Hitachi and get another company and will they cover labor again??
5. How can you tell hoe many hours you have on your bulb? We've had the tv for 19 months and are still on the same bulb and we use it a lot.

This is really too bad on such a nice tv. We really screwed up by not getting the EW. Will not happen again! Probably will not buy Hitachi again, although this tv came highly rated.

badmusiclovr, I've got the same image when I try to power on the TV. All it does now is come on for a sec make that image and go off, various lights on the front either blink or stay on, plus it makes a horrible screeching and popping sounds. Tech is coming out today and will let you guys know what he says. Went ahead and added another year to my extended warranty, just in case. Have a feeling I'll need it. Swapped out the lamp for another one I had and it still wouldn't work.

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

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

HI
I'm thinking about buying the 50v525 model. I've been hearing problems that the Hitachi tvs have been having. Does this tv have a high rate for problems? I'm planing on useing my xbox 360 on it wich has a native output of 720p. Does any one know if this tv has lag of any typewhile playing video games on it. Its on sale right know at future shop and i would like know if its worth my money or if i'd be surrounded with problems and even lag while play xbox360 casue the refresh rate it to slow. I need some input plz and thank you

I played xbox, ps2, gc, pc games all the time on my v500 and now on my v820. yes i'm a gamer geek!

i've never had any problems...and they're great displays....games look awesome! only occasionally during some cutscenes and stuff i'd notice a little bit of a horizontal banding in the graphics, but i think this occurs w/ any lcd tech.

Just heard from the Tech who was out Friday. He said that we'd try replacing the light engine and fan switched on the board first. If there's still a problem after that we'd need to replace the boards. Nice that he's only charging for the parts, actually charging Visa Extended Warranty Services.

We managed to get the set to turn on a couple of times this weekend.

Just when I though it was over.....

On Friday I realized that all of my accounts were negative! I checked my charges and there was a $2,264 chage from Circuit City!

It appears that the genious who helped me out w/ my "exchange" screwed something up and wound up charging me the full amount! I spent over an hour at the customer service center line while they tried to figure out what happened...and of course their computer systems went down while I was there which didn't help either!

I wound up buying another 2 year warranty and they said I'd be refunded for the remainder of my old EW. Which of course the guy who "helped" me originally failed to mention. I'm so done w/ Circuit City. I hope nothing goes wrong w/ this set b/c I do not want to go through this again.

However I am going to call CS again to see if they can give me some kind of compensation for all my pain and suffering! Then I'm truly done.

But the TV looks phenomenal and football has never looked so good. Also, I was checking out some bright blue screens and the vertical banding which plagued the v500's seemed to have been solved w/ the vf820...but as 1 member put in a PM, it looks like you're watching through a "silk screen" sometimes.....but that's just LCD for ya!

Peace!

Add me to the red cloud list. Purchased my 50V500 a couple years ago with an EW from a local, highly reputable dealer called Video Only. Going to stop in tonight to discuss my options, but I'm certainly going to press for the "like-for-unlike" replacement option, since it's clear there isn't a long term fix in place for this issue.

I'll post up with my results, wish me luck!

ARGHHHH!
The v500 is the biggest piece of crap there ever was!
I've been waiting for a LE replacement for 2 months now due to the red bloom and also having a huge blue stripe across the screen. Numerous calls to Hitachi CS have resulting in just making me mad. They can't even give me an estimated arival time.

Now the damn thing won't even turn on. After it's been on for a while if I turn it off then it won't turn on for again for hours. Attempting to turn it on results in a strange beeping noise then it shuts off. If I leave it off for 3-4 hours then it comes back on. This set has been nothing but trouble from day one (ok from day 60 or so.)

I am so pissed...because I pissed away 3000 bucks on a piece of crap!

-Spike

I have good news and bad news.

The bad news is that I have Red Cloud
The good news is that I have a successful repair story.

I've been a very happy 50v500 owner since April/2004. Bought it at Sears and bought the 5yr EW. I cringed at dropping the money for the EW, but after doing my research and seeing the early issues of this new technology, decided to cover myself. Speaking of early issues, how I long for the old days when we were mainly complaining about 2-3 stuck pixels.

I first noticed the Red Cloud during the summer, but since I could only see it on a black screen, I didn't bother placing a service call. True to form, the cloud got progressively worse. I finally called Sears to get it fixed. The tech came out and tried a few different things, including doing a memory reset. As expected, nothing worked and he placed an order for a new LE. He then said he was scheduling himself to come back in two weeks to replace it. He said the replacement LE would be shipped directly to me. Of course, after reading the stories here, I didn't think there would be any chance of the LE coming in.

Guess what? I was wrong. The part arrived in about 10 days and he came out four days later and installed it. Looks great. Also, I think I got a new fan out of the deal because it seems to be quieter. I'm not sure of this, though, because I have never really considered fan noise to be a problem (listening at loud levels has its benefits!), but it certainly seems quieter after I turn off the TV than it used to be.

My first set had a crop circle show up within a week of getting it. Since I was within my 30-day return window, Sears replaced the TV at my request. On the second set, the only flaw I could find was 1 or 2 stuck pixels, none of which could be detected during normal viewing.

I've had the new LE for two days now, and it definitely has improved the picture. I didn't realize how washed out the red cloud made the screen look during dark scenes. Now, the darks are much, much darker.

After hearing the bad repair stories here, I have to give Sears an A+ for their service and responsiveness, which is good because that is why I bought from them in the first place. I hope I don't have any further problems, but if I do, I am confident that I will ultimately be taken care of, even if it means replacing the TV under the terms of the EW.

Right now, I'm watching the Dallas Mavericks playing in HD on UPN, and I'm reminded why I bought this TV in the first place. Even after a year and a half, HD still rocks. The pictures just blow me away.

For those of you keeping score, the final is DAL 103 and HOU 76.

Good luck, everyone

Let me take back what I said about CC support being first rate. Since they offered a replacement TV in Nov I still have not been able to work out the exchange. Should have stayed at the mid to high end store I normally shop at Sound Advice were I have bought $$$$$$$$$$$$ of stuff with not one issue related to poor support due to a lemon item, which I have had.

I originally paid $3800 for the set ($3100), warranty ($499) and tax....and now they are telling me the only TV they will give me is the year old model Hit V720 for exchage ($2098) and their will be no refund of over paid sales tax or warranty. Not and option for me, I even threw out I will take the VF820 and they said no.

Asked them to give me all my money back and consider the interest they made on my money for 2 years a donation and come get this useless piece of sh%& out of my house. They said that is not an option and they can only do an exchange...but i found it hard to swallow the $1K + price difference, even though technology has brought the prices down still hard to swallow that much lost money when none of this was due to my fault. I am having my lawyers look into this issue and a possability of a class action since this is such a huge issue nation wide.

I am suppose to have a call with a CC 2nd level customer support supervisor and store manager tomorrow to try and work things out. Must say paying $3800 and ending up with a $2K set after - 3 TVs, 9 service calls, TV out of the house almost 2 months, 2 board replacements, 4 light engines --- has made me a little sour on Hitachi (who actually has a good rep overall) and I wont ever step into a CC store again after this even to buy a DVD.

Sound Advice I'm coming your way....I like the Mits Diamond series or will research some more on the the Sony SXBR - I know issues with both but then again I go 2 Vegas pretty often........come-on 7

CC sent out a third party service tech to confirm that my light engine went out for the second time yesterday. CC told me that they have to put the L/E on order and wait 14 working days before they will authorize an exchange. Mgd2win, like you I will not accept another Hitachi in exchange for the garbage v500 that I currently have. What really upsets me is this could have been resolved by now if the tech that came out on Jan. 4th didnt blow off my red cloud problem by telling my wife "lets wait untill it gets worse before we do anything about it". I wish I could have been there for that comment. Good luck getting ahold of a 2nd level support manager. I have tried to have one call me since Jan. 5th and it has not happened yet. And as usual I will be calling today in an attempt to speak to a supervisor.

mgd2win,

Sorry, but I have to side with CC on this one. Although you have had a really bad experience, it is crazy to think that you should get all of your money back. They offered to give you a brand new set with the same features/capabilities that you paid for. The current price of that set is irrevalent. Sounds like they should have offered a replacement a long time ago. 4 LE's and multiple board replacements is nuts.

Sorry this is so long but it was amusing today

Mike your more than welcome to your opinion, but I was never trying to get the full value of what I paid for the TV on the exchange. I was only asking for an agreeable compromise from the CC offer of the V720 to the VF820 I would accept. The price difference is only $95.03 and given the fact of all the problems, I don't see how that small of a price difference would effect CC and would satisfy a customer with the problem history I have had.

Todays call was interesting to say the least. Now they are saying the V720 is the only thing they will do and I can not even switch brands if I wanted to and that I would have to pay the difference to get the 820. They also originally said they would refund the entire protection plan I bough to use towards a new plan. This changed today saying they will pro rate the amount I paid for the protection plan down to the exact number of days I have had the plan and refund the remainder, nice support CC !!!

At this point I asked if I could talk to the person who determines what is a compatable exchange and almost at the same time the Store Manager said Customer Support and CS said the store...was very funny... so I asked which it was and this lead to a 30 minute conversation with no real resolution or answer to my question from either side.

Well next step is I asked to talk to my Case Managers Supervisor and she responds she is the supervisor - so I asked to talk to her CS Manager and she said she was the CS Manager. I couldn't resist and commented that wearing so many different hats I am sure she is well paid! Anyways, I insisted to talk to whom ever she reports to and she put me on hold and came back and gave me a number that is supposedly to her Legal Dept - not sure how my request to talk to her boss went to legal --- but cool anyways. Have called the number 6 times and it just rings about 20 times and says party not available try later, not even voice mail. She also gave me an email that started with Chief_Executive so I am going to put together and very detailed email on everything from Day 1 and send it out (after my lawyers reviews) and see where things end up with him.

So I told them fine forget the exchange and expediate a repair to replace the light engine once again....I still have 1 year on the warranty and I don't care if they have to replace it every month until the warranty expires. Soon as I see one hint of red glow or any other issue they are getting called for repair. Lets see how the Chief responds when he hears that because of his CS this $3100 TV will become one of the most expensive they have ever supported....about $9K to date a rough estimate.

Well I can safely say at this point and time CC is not getting one more penny from me to upgrade to the 820 or for that matter will my family ever step foot back into a CC store.

By the way - I am awaiting delivery on a Mitsubishi 62" Diamond Series WD-62827 from Sound Advice/Tweeter that I ordered last week (I know DLP but I didnt notice any smears while watching for a period of time)....I have never had a problem with support from them and when I have gotten a lemon of a unit...thier attitude is always what ever it takes to keep your biz.

I originally paid $3800 for the set ($3100), warranty ($499) and tax....and now they are telling me the only TV they will give me is the year old model Hit V720 for exchage ($2098) and their will be no refund of over paid sales tax or warranty. Not and option for me, I even threw out I will take the VF820 and they said no.

Asked them to give me all my money back... They said that is not an option and they can only do an exchange... I found it hard to swallow that much lost money...


You say you were not trying to get the full value back, but it sure sounds like you were. It's probably too late, but maybe this just a big communication breakdown. ?? Maybe it would be worth going to another local CC and see if they can help with your issue. Work the problem from the inside.

I don't work for CC or anything, but I was treated very well and I've recommended them to a lot of people. My exchange was about 7 months ago, and I was kinda bummed because the 'standard' features list had increased so much that it was tough to find a true equal to my v500. Most sets now have at least 1 built in HD tuner, and you're stuck paying for it, whether you want it or not.

Hope it works out for you.

Well, the EW repairman came (wasted much of a day for it), and surprise, surprise, it needs a new light engine. He said, "that looks terrible."

David

My LE which was supposed to take 2 weeks (begining of Jan) is on backorder until the end of Jan according to CC. It is coming directly from Hitachi. I will assume when I call in a week or so to check, it will be delayed again. I don't think they can make these things fast enough.

Fortunately, after reading all of these posts, I feel very fortunate that my tv is still watchable, for now. Thankfully football is almost over and I just hope I make it to the SBowl.

Can someone provide a good, high level CS number or person for Hitachi? I would like to throw a call in to at least get on record with the manufacturer. Thanks in advance.

BigTuna

I called again today and things went great. CC approved my exchange request and when I told them that I did not want another Hitachi they agreed to swap my v500 with a Sony KDFE50A10. It sounds lke a good deal. When I go to swap it out I am going to see about getting store credit and upgrading. I figure its worth a shot.

I feel for ya mgd! I went through all the same stuff.....i didn't pay as much as you....but i was jerked around just as hard!

Don't know if you read...but i was charged the full amount of the tv for the "exchange" i had to spend hours getting this rectified. i called CS and bitched at them again....gave me the run around....but wound up giving me $108 gift card for my troubles. which was still a pain to go and get. i spent it right away on a new MP3 b/c mines dying. My last purchase ever from CC. They will never get another dime from me.....well, after i finish paying off the TV that is!

Mark-I can't believe they let you upgrade to the Sony....I knew I should've pushed for that! It's like 200+ more than the comprable hitachi. the hitachi does have more features though...sony is pretty bare bones. get the store credit if you can!!!

My LE which was supposed to take 2 weeks (begining of Jan) is on backorder until the end of Jan according to CC. It is coming directly from Hitachi. I will assume when I call in a week or so to check, it will be delayed again. I don't think they can make these things fast enough.

Fortunately, after reading all of these posts, I feel very fortunate that my tv is still watchable, for now. Thankfully football is almost over and I just hope I make it to the SBowl.

Can someone provide a good, high level CS number or person for Hitachi? I would like to throw a call in to at least get on record with the manufacturer. Thanks in advance.

BigTuna


I just got off the phone with Hitachi CS. When I asked for an ETA on the LE they replied. "I don't know when the part will be available and have no way of finding out". Give me a break. How could you not know. DUH. number of parts needed minus number of parts being made per day = ETA.

You are very fortunate your tv is still watchable; there is no way I'm having a superbowl party with the TV in this bad of shape.

-Spike

Now for the conclusion to my story. I wnet to CC today and asked if I could get store credit instead of an exchange for the KDFE50A10. The manager said that it would not be a problem and to pick something different out. Well, I decided on the 50" Sony SXRD and I paid the difference. It gets delivered on Saturday and I cant wait. I spent ALOT of time on the phone with CC customer support but it was worth it. I am glad this 50V500 saga is finally over.

Hello everyone,I have a 50V500 and have now noticed the reddish cloud in the middle of my screen,only visible in a dark scene.
This will be my second call, the first call was for the pink push. I enjoy this tv, but since my warranty runs out in November, I am concerned about future problems.I bought the tv in a CC in the Chicagoland area,so hopefully the tech that comes out will be familiar with the tv and its issues.
I will let you guys know what happens.

Pulque-

I am also in Chicago, the tech knew about the problem before I turned on the tv and saw the problem in 2 seconds. He was here 5 minutes before leaving and ordering a new LE. It's been about a month so far, no LE yet.

BigTuna

CC customer service told me last week that the LE's are back ordered untill at least March. I had them do a warranty exchange for store credit.

After all my calls to Hitachi CS, I got a message today that the LE has come in and is being expedited to the Service Center. I'll let you know what happens after the repair shop puts the new one in.

On a side note... I finally couldn't take it anymore and have purchased a new tv. I got a 50" sony plasma that is exremely beautiful. After the repair I'll do a quick compare and contrast and let you know how the two match up. I'll probably try to sell the Hit after it's fixed.

Mark Evo-

Since this is my first service visit for my 60v500 and the LE is on back order until MArch, do I have any recourse for an exchange? I am assuming not, but thought I would ask someone who has been through the process.

I also will have CC back out for visit #2 for a very loud fan after the LE is replaced...

BigTuna

Bigtuna,

You do have recourse in your situation. Is this a CC tech or a third party tech? If it is a third party tech the CC customer service reps have more leeway for helping you. After the LE has been on backorder for 14 business days you can press them for an exchange. The hardest thing that you will run into is finding a rep that knows what they are doing. Make sure that you let them know how dissatisfied you are with the unit. Be persistent and if you don't get a satisfactory answer ask for a manager to call you. The process will definitely test your patients, but it is very do-able.

Thanks Mark Evo........I'm not sure if it was a CC guy or 3rd party (believe it or not I did not get a receipt for the visit, but I am in the CC repair system (my fault)). The guy was in and out of my house so quickly, that I didn't even realize he was here!

What would be an appropriate unit to exchange the 60v500 for? I want to keep the 60 inch screen for sure, I'm used to the size. I have had it for 2 years and paid around $3100 (plus stand and EW). What did you end up getting? Is upgrading to the new 1080p sets worth it now (who is broadcasting in 1080p? Anyone yet?) Should I stay with LCD or move to DLP (I watch a lot of sports). Plasma doesn't interest me at this point.......

So many questions so much time.........

Been awhile since I posted - problem started in October 2005 - have been waiting for the LE now for 2 months to date. Hitachi is paying the full cost of replacement even though I was one month out of warranty. The other day I got a letter from CC saying that even though I did not take out their originally EW that they would offer me one last chance to purchase one. I could not pay for it fast enough. About $250 for two more years. These people must be nuts. I doubt I will keep the TV that long if I have futher problems and based on the lastest post I guess I can expect them. I'll just try and get rid of it. Is there any one out there that has had a LE replacement for over a year that actually fixed the problem without reoccurance?

No probem Bigtuna. Let me know if you have any more questions. As far as a replacement for your 60V500 I don't know what they would offer you, don't forget it is negotiable. I had my replacement set delivered Saturday. I took my store credit + cash and bought the Sony 50" SXRD and it is AWSOME. I couldn't be happier. I did not realize how bad the SDE is on the V500s. It is a 1080P set but that is not the reason that I chose it. I chose it because it has the best picture of all the sets in CC. Of course that is just my amateur opinion. As far as which technology you should go with, I am probably the last person to ask. I am far from being a videophile.

Okay, well today the tech came out and was here for all of two minutes and he said that he would need to order a new Light engine for my 50v500. So now I am going to wait and see what happens. My concern is that after a new LE, the same problem will occur again and that I will be stuck. Hopefully I can get more info when I talk to the tech again.

Pulque

Was the tech's name Bob from CC? Just curious, sounds like the same guy who was at my house for 2 minutes in Chicago. Funny if it was him.

BT

I was transferred to the escalation dept of CC with a "IM" case number. Apparently my account was "coded" with something that suggested a replacement authorization directly from Hitachi. The escalation mgr seemed to think this was probably because Hitachi does not imagine the LE coming in any time soon (hence the backorder). She also thought that since they were dealing direclty with the manufacturer, my replacement would be another Hitachi. Not thrilled about this, but I really just want a tv that works right.

I am supposed to get a call in the next 48 hours from the CC service center to talk about the replacement. We'll see if this is just hype or if they really plan on helping me out.

More updates as I get them..........

Get a "IM" number from CC, it gets you to the escalation dept. Has anyone had any experience with the "new" Hitachi's (V820)? Just curious.....assuming the same LE technology.

BigTuna

BT,

I doubt you will receive a call back. You will have to call them again in 48 hours. I was told that I would receive a call back numerous times and not once did I receive one. That Hitachi story doesn't sound right. Don't forget if they make you get a Hitachi you can still go to CC and ask for store credit.

Get a "IM" number from CC, it gets you to the escalation dept. Has anyone had any experience with the "new" Hitachi's (V820)? Just curious.....assuming the same LE technology.

BigTuna

hey tuna,

i got the 50vf820...if you search the threads for vf820 then you should see some results. it's a beautiful tv....very sleek....picture quality is def. better than the v500. there are a few features that are lacking....such as the PiP isn't as good as the v500....you can't view 2 HD sources at the same time.....this really pissed me off when i got home and found this out, as i often will tinker on the computer on 1 half, and watch tv on the other.....

otherwise there are just a few menu things and features that they seemed to dumb down. not a big deal....

it's got all the right inputs, cablecard, built in hd tuner, 2 hdmi (!!!!). if it weren't for the PiP thing i really wouldn't have a complaint. oh and there appears to be 2 fans, but the noise level is not noticable...i'm very happy with it. oh, and something to consider is that this tv is noticably shorter than the v500, like a good 6 inches...so if you're like me and you got a short stand for the v500 than you might have to slouch a little to get the best viewing angle....but after a few bongs...that happens anyway ;-}

Yes the techs name was Bob. I hope you keep us posted,BigTuna,as to how your ordeal goes.Today a message was left on my machine saying that a part had to be ordered for my tv. It was from CC.

Pulque-

Ironically I ran into "bob" when I was with a client in a condo building downtown (I'm in real estate). He remembered me and I asked if my LE was in yet. He said he hasn't see my LE come in (for the 60v500) but did say that one was in for a 50v500. Not sure if they come in quicker for the 50 vs the 60? I would assume it is the same LE for both?

I will definitely keep everyone updated on my situation, I figured I would have to hammer CC in a couple of days.

Thanks for the info on the v820, sounds nice and I like the black style. One question though, I use DirecTV with a HD Tivo for my receiver. Can I bypass the internal HD tuner with no problems? Good news on the fan noise too, the 60v500 is brutally LOUD!

Here's to the red tint on the green football field on Sunday!! Wouldn't that make it blue?

Thanks for all of the input, you guys (and gals) rock!

BigTuna

Well I certainly did not expect to post this quickly but........

I received a call today (24 hrs later) from CC's service center telling me that a packet has been put in the mail that will authorize an exchange for my 60v500 at any CC store. Happy Day!!

Now the question is.........what will they exchange it for. Guess a trip to CC is a must today to make sure they still don't carry the v500's. Maybe the vf820 is the way to go? Maybe cash + the SRDX? Depends on how much more I guess.

Will they credit the rest of my service contract or transfer the time remaining?

I am happy to share a success story with the forum and hope the rest of you can be as lucky. I am not out of the woods yet, but can say that I am impressed with CC so far and BB can kiss my A$#.

Peace,

BigTuna

tuna,

the internal tuner is only for antenna reception....if you're using the tivo then i assume you'll use component or hdmi/dvi......i have to get an antenna....i hear that the pq is much better than through the cable box....

Now the question is.........what will they exchange it for.

What I did was tell the local CC folks immediately, but politely, that I really didn't want to stick with Hitachi. They told me how much in-store credit I would have and sent me to the TV section to decide. On the warranty, they pro-rated it and sent me a check for the remainder in about 4 weeks. Of course, that meant I had to shell out the full price for a warranty on the new set.

Thanks guys........

Funny thing, I actually received a second call from CC telling me that the packet is in the mail for my exchange.

How much store credit should I anticipate? If it's not enough, will they just exchange it for the 60vf820 (I assume this is the latest model that compares with the 60v500 without getting into the Director Series)?

Bong, get the OTA for sure. I use DVI from my HD Tivo so no problems there. I live in Bucktown, just a few miles from the towers and my OTA picture is flawless, much better than DirecTV's national feeds plus it isn't affected by weather. Go to http://www.antennaweb.org and put in your address, it will tell you what kind of OTA you need.

More updates as I get my packet and go to CC.......

BT

Hey guys

CC must have finally worked out a deal with Hit, because this just happened to me, also. I initially called CC service at the beginning of January because of the red haze (have extended warranty, bought set in Sept '03). Service guy came out for about 5 minutes, did a memory init, and said I needed a new light engine, and they'd be in tough. A week and a half later, a had a message from CC saying they were authorizing an exchange of my set, and I'd be getting paperwork in the mail. This is definitely a new program for them. It took me 3 trips to 2 different CC stores, and about an hour on the phone, but the A2 store finally got it figured out what was going on. My 3rd trip to the store was last night, and was offered a new 50V720 for even exchange, or credit towards the 820 (would have been about 250 more). I decided to go with the 720, and will have it delivered on Saturday. Piece of cake! I will get a check for the proration of my warranty, and I bought a new 2 year warranty.

Good luck to the rest of you. Even though this is my 1st post, I have watched this forum since before I made my original purchase, and I've learned very much from quite of few of you.

Bill

Can someone describe for me exactly what the red cloud issue is.

I have a 50V500A. Does it affect these sets as well as the 50V500?

On my set, the picture is fine so long as there is a signal being fed through an input. However, if I switch inputs, during the time it takes to switch signals, I can see that the otherwise black screen has a reddish hue, particularly in the center of the screen. Again, this symptom is not present when I am watching any program and I have never seen this when any image is being displayed. I always assumed that this was just a by-product of LCD-projection technology and is kind of like the uneven backlighting that you can see on most LCDs if you look for it.

Is this the red cloud? Will it get worse? I have no warranty and probably would not spend the money to replace the light engine.

Yes, that is the red cloud, and yes, it will get worse. You'll start to see the red cloud on dark scenes soon. I'd put as much pressure as you can on Hit. They know this is a design flaw, so they should be willing to work with you on some type of deal.

Does anyone know the part numbers of the replacement parts to fix this? Is it UX22202? The serivce manual contains fairly detailed instructions on replacing the optical engine and It looks like I can do it myself. The manual is not very clear on the part number though.

I realized I had the red cloud after reading this forum in January. I immediately called CC to schedule a visit and was sent a tech within a week. Within 5 min of arriving he confirmed I needed a LE replacement and would order one. From reading the posts here I was expecting a long wait for the new LE. CC called that evening that the LE was placed on order and anticipated delivery within 10 days. I thought to myself "yeah sure" and I will be waiting still come baseball spring training. To my amazement, 8 days later I received a call from CC saying the LE had been received and wanted to schedule a time to replace it. This was a week before superbowl and I tried to persuade the woman to please schedule me before the big game. She firmly stated that the earliest that it could be scheduled was today (day after SuperBowl). I reluctantly agreed and afterwards thought that it was good that it was in fact after the big game in case something happened and I wasn't able to see the game at all. Any way, the CC tech arrived at 9am, completely dismantled my $3600 HDtv to parade rest in less than 30 minutes. I thought I smelled money burning but realized it was my imagination. After many many screws and a jungle of wires being disconnected and my assistance in lifting the LCD screen from the base, the LE was replaced. The whole evolution took approximately 2hrs30min. The red cloud is gone. but the picture is about 1/4 to 1/2 inch tilted to the left. Not that noticable unless you are looking for it and I was after reading this forum. I mentioned my concern to the tech who confirmed it was atilt but could not find how to correct it. He said that the mount for the LE was not moved and he ensured the LE was seated correctly. He called his office and asked a senior tech/boss if there was a way to make adjustment through the service menu. He went into the service menu and there was an option for H positioning and V positioning. He said that these options were not for our problem but for moving the picture up/down or left/right. His boss confirmed that there were no adjustment for the problem we had. He could not troubleshoot any longer since he had 8 more service calls to make, but did say he would reschedule a visit to fix the tilt. I can live with the slight tilt for now but he confirmed he would be back. He said he had another LE on the truck and would replace the whole LE if need be. Can you believe that? A whole new LE on his truck not spoken for and he is willing to replace mine with another new one? And people here have been waiting months for a LE? I don't understand that..........
Another problem I noticed this afternoon after the tech left. The picture seems to have either a bluish tint or seems really dark. Especially during dark scenes it looks like watching the screen as if I was looking at a negative. I went through all the video adjustments in the menu and improved it some, but still seems like looking at a negative in real dark scenes. Has anyone else experienced this before? When the tech returns I will have him calibrate it I guess. In fact, I will call CC tomorrow to confirm the tech's return and actually put in the repair call for that exact issue just for documentation purposes. Well there it is, a LE replacement from initial call to replacement in less than a month. I am amazed yet not completely happy with the result. I'll keep you up to date on subsequent tech visits.

Rawhide

Has anyone without a warranty gotten any kind of service from Hitachi? I bought mine from Sears and have a blue cloud! It isn't bad if I don't run it long. I also notice the gray bars have "burned in" a bit. I tried the "wipe" but it never went away. Of course, I'm out of warranty, but with all the problems Hit has to know, right?

Cheers

Smooth-

I don't think LCD's can suffer from "burn in"? Not sure what your problem is?

Here's my update (which may be helpful to those w/o a warranty). I received my exchange paperwork today from CC (under my EW). This was AUTHORIZED by the manufacturer NOT CC. It is very clear that CC does not want the TV shipped to a service location, it is to be shipped directly back to Hitachi for credit.

My point is that Hitachi finally realizes they cannot make the LE's fast enough to replace the sets that are having problems and they are willing to give customers a replacement set as compensation. Call Hitachi directly if you do not have an EW. CC couldn't care less, they get their money/profit margin either way.

I go to CC tomorrow to see what my options are. More updates to follow.

BigTuna

my 60v500a is also showing a red cloud i had a teck in from PC richards today, he was hear for 5min and said it was the LE, they would have to order it. my problem is they said they would have to take my tv once the LE came in( about a week) because this needs to be done at there shop. has anyone have had there tv taken to get this job done, it seems most people are having this problem repaired in there homes, also the teck said the bulb would be replaced as well (under the EW) he said it was part of the LE, i thought the bulb was separated. has anybody have there bulb replaced with the LE?

A new bulb is part of the LE. It comes already installed.

I have to say that this problem may be discouraging but Hitachi customer service is excellent and they have agreed to provide a new light engine for my 50v500A.

I strongly suspect that the service people are aware of this problem and have been instructed to make it right. This is pure conjecture on my part, but they seemed reluctant to fix it until I was asked for the serial number of my set. After I gave it to him, he just agreed to fix it. Now I just have to wait for the part, which I am told could take about 10 days.

After receiving my paperwork from CC authorizing a replacement directly from Hitachi, I went to the store today. It did take them a while to figure this out but basically they gave me a $3000 store credit for a 60v500 that I have had for 2 years. Couldn't have been happier, no depreciation since that's what I paid in the first place.

Then the fun started.......plasmas simply priced me out of what I wanted to spend past the $3K. I took a look at the Hitachi 60vf820 for a while, not bad but will it have the same problem down the road with the LE?? Still could see significant SDE which had always bothered me on the 60v500.

Then the guy took me over to the Sony SXRD (Sony 60" HDTV KDS-R60XBR1)......uhhhh ohhhhh! Wow, what a picture and no SDE even close up. Cool looking tv with both silver and black accents. The problem, $1500 more than my $3k credit.

I am sure everyone knows what I did............get the Sony on Thursday after they pick up the other junk. I am not bashing the v500 for those of you who have them, I am simply not confident that Hitachi has fixed the problem. The Sony is supposed to be the most advanced tv on the market capable of 1080p once someone besides Playstation has content.

I was able to receive 2 years credit on my EW after I purchased the new 4 yr EW. I also got $200 off the Sony and free delivery ($50). I was also able to put the balance on their 24 month/0% financing no problem. I'll happily pay $50 a month for the next 2 years for this baby!

Thanks to everyone here who has posted and good luck to everyone with their v500's. If you have any concerns with your set, I would put some pressure on Hitachi and see what you can get. If you have the EW, you should be able to do what I accomplished today and at the very least get a brand new vf820 without spending a dime.

BigTuna

The red cloud has spread very fast on my set.

I first began to notice it several weeks ago, and then it was only present on the screen when there was no signal being input. I am sure this was the case because I really studied every aspect of the picture to see if the cloud was present in any images, and it sure wasn't - even as late as last weekend.

Last night I saw it for the first time (and repeatedly) in dark scenes while watching Lost. My wife even noticed it and pointed it out without me even saying a word.


My new light engine is hopefully on order by now and I hope it comes in soon.

Received my new 60" SXRD yesterday from CC. They took my v500 back. I asked the delivery guys if they were seeing a lot of v500 returns and he said (take this at face value) yes and that there was a RECALL on these sets from Hitachi. Not sure if this is accurate or not, but it is worth a call to Hitachi for those of you waiting on LE's.

The SXRD is simply amazing, the picture is stunning. No SDE, no fan noise, nice black levels and amazing color. I would recommend.

I want to thank the forum once again for providing me with some very valuable info that got me out of a bad situation. My process was fairly easy, but very repeatable for those of you with the time and patience. Not saying you need to spend another $1200 for a new TV, but at the very least, you should be able to get a new Hitachi (vf720/820) which hopefully is better than the v500 series.

Good luck to everyone dealing with this issue.

BigTuna

Congrats BigTuna! Your road was alot easier than mine and I hope it will be for others. I swapped mine out for the 50" SXRD and I still cant get over how great the picture is.

Like most of you, I have smudging problems with my 50v500. A while after I got it, a tech came out to look at the problem. Of course, he didn't see the smudges since they only come at certain times. He decided to replace the light box, which of course didn't help.

I was about to take the tv apart and figure out what the problem was myself, but I was way too scared. I entered wipe mode to get the screen all white and I could see many smudges. Out of frustration, I started to wipe them, knowing that it wouldn't do a thing since I can tell they are on the other side of the screen.

I began tapping them. I don't know why. I noticed that one of the smudges became smaller. I wasn't sure if I was just imagining things. So I tapped it harder and sure enough, they began to go away! I thought, "this is great, now I just have to tap all of them", but they were all gone!

I have no idea how long they will stay gone, but try it anyway. Thanks for all the info.

can anyone tell me if the 60v500a has the virtual 1080p processer i saw somewere in this thread stating it did i have looked all through the manual and the only thing thats mentioned is virtual hd (in the index saying page 66) but on page 66, is for on screen display