Heard a popping noise and the screen went dead. Red lamp light is flashing on the front of the set.

I called the number on the sheet that came with the TV. 800-332-5368, it says to call this number if the lamp goes bad in the first year for a replacement. The rep said that is a misprint and I need to call 800 211 7262. I've been on hold now for 45 minutes.

Has anyone had any luck getting a free replacement lamp from Panasonic?

Is it normal for the glass filament to 'explode' when the lamp goes? I pulled out the lamp unit, and the inside of the glass housing is filled with small shards of glass.

Originally posted by dexter999
Heard a popping noise and the screen went dead. Red lamp light is flashing on the front of the set.

I called the number on the sheet that came with the TV. 800-332-5368, it says to call this number if the lamp goes bad in the first year for a replacement. The rep said that is a misprint and I need to call 800 211 7262. I've been on hold now for 45 minutes.

Has anyone had any luck getting a free replacement lamp from Panasonic?

Is it normal for the glass filament to 'explode' when the lamp goes? I pulled out the lamp unit, and the inside of the glass housing is filled with small shards of glass.
Ouch. So you were merely watching tv and the bulb blew?

Ouch. So you were merely watching tv and the bulb blew?

Yup.. right smack dab in the middle of Aqua Teen Hunger Force :(

Panasonic gave me the number of a local service center.. They are ordering the lamp unit and will come out to replace it when it arrives.

The local service guy just called me back.. Apparently, he has been waiting over 2 weeks for the same lamp for another customer. It is back-ordered and there is no ETA.

Do I have any other options? I bought it at Tweeter, you think they might take it back?

Spending 3k on a TV only to have it become a paperweight after 4 months, with no ETA on a repair seems a little ridiculous.

Originally posted by dexter999
Spending 3k on a TV only to have it become a paperweight after 4 months, with no ETA on a repair seems a little ridiculous.

This is astonishing, this seems to be the mantra of this forum! Search the HLN owners thread, the GWIII owners thread, any of the multiple "my HLP died" threads. If it's not one manufacturers crappy lamps, then it's another manufacturers faulty ballasts or "lamp-drivers". Now Panny's too?

Did older RP-CRT's blow bulbs once a year too?

Nope, I'm still on my first bulb after 3+ years of heavy use. This TV was on for a good 5-10 hours a day for the first two years as I lived with roomates who worked ( and some didn't ) different hours than myself.

Originally posted by dexter999
The local service guy just called me back.. Apparently, he has been waiting over 2 weeks for the same lamp for another customer. It is back-ordered and there is no ETA.

Do I have any other options? I bought it at Tweeter, you think they might take it back?

Spending 3k on a TV only to have it become a paperweight after 4 months, with no ETA on a repair seems a little ridiculous.
You do have other options. Check on Panasonic's site. They list all the certified Panasonic service centers in your area. I'd call all of them and see if one of them, by chance, has a bulb.

15 service centers within 100 miles, none have a lamp.. The best ETA I could get from a rep at Panasonic is August 6th to ship.. (though if I look at their website, it shows back-ordered til August 3rd). Which means at least 2 weeks before I can get it. This is the only TV I have btw. Guess there will be no Red Sox for me.

This thread makes me think about the idea of ordering another bulb to have on hand incase this happens.... I wish the price of them would go down. If you wanted to just get another bulb would you only look to Pannasonic to buy one through or does the manual / pannasonic have the specifics of the bulb and you might find another vendor to get one through? (I do not have the manual availbable to me at the moment.).

BTW I also have a PT50LC13 set.

Originally posted by NVboy
You do have other options. Check on Panasonic's site. They list all the certified Panasonic service centers in your area. I'd call all of them and see if one of them, by chance, has a bulb.

this reminds me to check on my lamp usage hours when i get home tonight :D hmm.. nvboy, have you noticed anyone with a 50lcx63 whose set needed bulb/lamp replacement already?

I want to see if we've gotten to a point yet where we can start seeing real-world hours on bulb life for our 50lcx63 sets

It's a whole lamp assembly. There doesn't appear to be any way to replace just the bulb. If there was, just from peeking inside it, you'd have to do some soldering & stuff.. The only way to get a new one would be from Panasonic.. The problem is; they don't have any!

Originally posted by dexter999
It's a whole lamp assembly. There doesn't appear to be any way to replace just the bulb. If there was, just from peeking inside it, you'd have to do some soldering & stuff.. The only way to get a new one would be from Panasonic.. The problem is; they don't have any!

I must have been mistaken then. I was under the impression that the user can change out simply the bulb itself (not any ballast or imagining unit, etc..). I thought I remember a piece of paper that came with the set telling the user how to do the bulb replacement on their own. Either way the obvious major bottleneck / issue is the availability of the bulb (or lamp unit, etc..) themself.

it is easily replacable, but the bulb sits in a plastic/metal housing that pugs into the set. It's not something that you can just replace with an aftermarket bulb. You have to get the whole assembly.. Maybe I'll post a picture in a bit.

Originally posted by GooglyBear
this reminds me to check on my lamp usage hours when i get home tonight :D hmm.. nvboy, have you noticed anyone with a 50lcx63 whose set needed bulb/lamp replacement already?

I want to see if we've gotten to a point yet where we can start seeing real-world hours on bulb life for our 50lcx63 sets
GB,

I haven't seen any mention at all of someone who had to replace their bulb yet. Then again, I'm still not sure how many of us are even on the forum. Seems like we can count all the PT-50LCX63 owners on 1 hand.

I'm still not even giving the bulb any kind of thought. If it goes, I'll deal with it then. Having 1 non-functional tv in the house won't kill me. Let me know how many hours you have racked up at this point.

Originally posted by NVboy
GB,

I haven't seen any mention at all of someone who had to replace their bulb yet. Then again, I'm still not sure how many of us are even on the forum. Seems like we can count all the PT-50LCX63 owners on 1 hand.

I'm still not even giving the bulb any kind of thought. If it goes, I'll deal with it then. Having 1 non-functional tv in the house won't kill me. Let me know how many hours you have racked up at this point.

:lol: I guess we can finally end the debate of which is the "best" of the lcd rptv class. I myself am guilty of being so contentedly happy with my set that I've gone awol for a bit. I was only drawn back in by JoePerri with his mod tut :D

I'll revive that ancient thread on panasonic life lamp hours later when I get home, I've had my set now for about 7 months come August so I'm curious to see where I'm clocking in at.

Pictures:

http://mysite.verizon.net/rew9/panasonic/

The LCX63 uses the same lamp

You can find that bulb online. Do a Google search.

Maybe if I want to pay $299 for it.. But it's under warranty so I have to go through Panasonic or an authorized service center..

Buy it online and send Panasonic the bill. If they can't replace it in a REASONABLE time, you have the legal right to do it yourself and bill them for your cost.

Are you sure the bulb is covered in the warranty? That doesn't sound like a manufacturer's defect.

I have posted my story here in another thread. Basically 2 weeks and it was good as new.

My 50LC13 lamp went out on July 12, 2 months after delivery. I have a 4 year warranty from BB. They did not send out the tech for 3 days. I'm still waiting for the lamp.

The Panasonic tsr just told me they expect 250 lamps to arrive by 8/2 for the entire USA. In 2 weeks there will be another 400 delivered and two weeks after that another 600.

Just FYI for those who are looking at a dark screen right now.

My first post after reading AVS Forum for years.

My lamp went out a couple of weeks ago over four of July, went out on a thursday while watching CSI Las Vegas. Friday morning I called panasonic since set was 10 months old. i was on hold to panasonic for approx 10 minutes. CSR simply told me to call my local authorized service center, made appointment for the next Wednesday due to Monday and tuesday being holidays for them and I. At the appointment time on Wednesday , service rep called , said he was running late and would order the lamp assy. they called me the next tuesday , said lamp was in, and rep came Wednesday evening, put the lamp in and reset the counter. took them only 6 days to get the lamp, they were surprised also.

Mine blew after approx. 3 months. The lamp was replaced but it didn't fix anything so they replaced the ballast which again didn't fix anything. I returned the set. A couple of months later I got 2 new bulbs in the mail. :confused:

Mine went first of June. Waited and waited because the lamp was on backorder. Finally when the new ballast didn't fix the problem I called Panasonic about ordering the lamp from 'alternate' distributors. The Rep took my name and number and called me back within 30 minutes informing me my lamp was going to be shipped ASAP. I had it 3 days later (weekend got in the way) and was up and running.

Call Panasonic back and ask about getting a lamp from a different distributor.

Arkid,

You have 2 lamps and no longer have the set? Or did you return it for the same set?

If you do have spare lamps, would you sell them?

Originally posted by dexter999
Arkid,

You have 2 lamps and no longer have the set? Or did you return it for the same set?

If you do have spare lamps, would you sell them?

I don't have the set anymore but i'm still interested in getting a new one, I just saw that they have them again at Sears after about 8 months (Sears is where I originally purchased the set). I have to buy from Sears as they offered me a 1K discount on any new set for all the trouble I went through.
I was going to wait until the new Sony's come out and then decide.
I don't feel right about selling them, maybe i'll donate them or something.

Arkid,
If your answer is that you do not have the set any more and are willing to selling the bulbs please put me down on the list of possibly interested parties. Thanks.

EDIT: I submitted this post at the same time you posted your response to dexter999.

Originally posted by arkid
I don't have the set anymore but i'm still interested in getting a new one, I just saw that they have them again at Sears after about 8 months (Sears is where I originally purchased the set). I have to buy from Sears as they offered me a 1K discount on any new set for all the trouble I went through.
I was going to wait until the new Sony's come out and then decide.
I don't feel right about selling them, maybe i'll donate them or something.

Don't bother selling them. Donate it to charity. The GooglyBear fund. :D

the Dexter999 fund needs them more. That poor charity is without television!

http://mysite.verizon.net/rew9/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/dsc00533.jpg

Originally posted by GooglyBear
Don't bother selling them. Donate it to charity. The GooglyBear fund. :D
Sorry, GB. Dexter's plight saddens me & seems to be a very worthy cause. How could anyone look at his sad picture and not be overcome with grief? The pain and suffering his set must be going through must be horrendous. I shall be praying to the TV gods for you, so hang in there Dex!

Why, oh why did I have to find this thread?:mad:

I've got until 08/01/04 to return my PT-50LC13.

After hours of reading about all the HLP and D-ILA (potential) problems, I was convinced I had to keep this set. Especially after reading JoePerri's black level mod. (black level being the only beef I have with this set)

I'm convinced that there is (obviously) no perfect RPTV technology at this time.

I think I will keep this set and the $500-1500 that I saved over current TVs and wait for "the next big thing" 1080P RPTV perhaps? Or larger true LCD flat panels. Currently the Sharp LC45GX6U is at $9000 for 45"
:eek: I'm sure there are issues with those as well.

BTW- Bulb is going strong after 27 days!! (knock on wood)

Wakebrder:

Relax...you're getting a pretty slanted view from this thread...I've had my PT-60LCX63 for a couple months and things are fine.

In fact, I'm watching it now and it's grea..<BOOM>...

Oh for crying out loud...damn bulb blew...smoke coming out of the speakers, sparks flying out of the screen...oh the humanity!!!

In fact, I'm watching it now and it's grea..<BOOM>... In fact, I'm watching it now and it's grea..<BOOM>...

Oh for crying out loud...damn bulb blew...smoke coming out of the speakers, sparks flying out of the screen...oh the humanity!!!


LMAO:D

If you read this forum enough, you could learn about all the negative effects of winning the lottery, getting a raise, sleeping with a supermodel, etc.

I think I will continue to enjoy my set and not worry about other people's "problem" tvs.

For piece of mind, just subscribe to all of the negative Samsung threads:confused:

Originally posted by Danabw
Wakebrder:

Relax...you're getting a pretty slanted view from this thread...I've had my PT-60LCX63 for a couple months and things are fine.

In fact, I'm watching it now and it's grea..<BOOM>...

Oh for crying out loud...damn bulb blew...smoke coming out of the speakers, sparks flying out of the screen...oh the humanity!!!
Dana,

I hope you didn't just jinx yourself by saying that.

At least all those fans in the unit should vacate the smoke fairly quickly from the area. :D

Maybe somebody can rig a nice mod to make the light engine accept a 150-watt floodlight from Home Depot.

Believe me, as I typed my little joke I was knocking on wood, crossing my fingers, throwing salt over my shoulder, and will avoid stepping on any cracks for the next week or two. :-)

I like the Home Depot idea, Bill...after all, a bulb is just a bulb, right? :-)

Dana

P.S. If there are negative effects from sleeping with a supermodel, I for one am more than willing to risk it for their sake. Take me, girls, I volunteer! (I suspect the supermodel membership in this board is fairly light, but thought I should make my statement just in case...)

Billj,

As you can see, I've already tried modding the set. Still trying to work out the kinks.

http://mysite.verizon.net/rew9/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/.pond/tvmod.jpg.w300h225.jpg

:D

Ok.. I'm bored without my TV. At least another week to go before the new lamp comes in. :(

Originally posted by dexter999
Billj,

As you can see, I've already tried modding the set. Still trying to work out the kinks.

http://mysite.verizon.net/rew9/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/.pond/tvmod.jpg.w300h225.jpg

:D

Ok.. I'm bored without my TV. At least another week to go before the new lamp comes in. :(
I like it! Rechargable too. Should come in handy when the power goes out. If you have a party at your place, you could pop on a red or blue filter to add some ambient lighting to the mood as well. Or you could have the flashing strobe effect, which would really freak out your guests.

Continuing on my Home Depot 150-watt floodlight theme, who says we couldn't rig the floodlight ($4 bulb) with a nice reliable rotary Lutron dimmer ($3) to dim the bulb in certain situations for black level enhancement? Then we could avoid that filter mod unpleasantness. :p

Billj, As you can see, I've already tried modding the set. Still trying to work out the kinks.

Excellent work. Might I suggest TWO Ryobi 18-volters in series for a higher output and extra power reserve?

Originally posted by BillJ
Continuing on my Home Depot 150-watt floodlight theme, who says we couldn't rig the floodlight ($4 bulb) with a nice reliable rotary Lutron dimmer ($3) to dim the bulb in certain situations for black level enhancement? Then we could avoid that filter mod unpleasantness. :p
But then all of the anti-LCD people out there would start bitching about how dim the sets are. They actually make stage lighting that accomodate different filters at one time. Just apply power & it will switch to the next filter. That would solve some problems. I haven't seen any that small, but I'm sure it could be done. Anyone want to start their own business?

Panasonic might be pissed if someone did actually find a way to replace their $300 lamps with a $10 mod!

I'm still working on my rechargeable flashlight theory. I also tried a halogen headlight, but I couldn't fit the 12 volt car battery in my entertainment center..

I'm also trying to harness the power of the sun with a series of mirrors going down to the TV. That would limit my TV viewing to clear daytime hours, but it would still be better than a dead set.

For cloudy days, how about a diesel generator powering a construction site light shining up through the ~1 inch LCD? Of course, you would probably want to route the exhaust out through the nearest wall or chimney. Lots of good options.

after 4 months, mine blew today

Did you contact support yet?

Is there still a problem with getting replacement lamps from Panasonic?

That's what I'm wondering about..

Since it seems some extended warrantys do not cover the bulb and they can go out with out warning I have considered simply calling up Pannasonic and seeing about ordering an extra bulb to have on hand. I wish we could do that as a powerbuy or something to get a deal because I know it won't be cheap.

I contacted BB because I have the EW, but in retrospect, maybe I should have just called the local panny service since they cover it for a year. BB ordered me a new lamp and ballast (I'm not sure if I want him to replace this) and said they would call if it would take more than a week or so. That was a few days ago so I'll give it til tomorrow to see about the delay.

He was supposed to come in the AM, but called and said he woul be a little late. I asked him if he had a lamp w/him and he said no so I said don't bother coming, just order those parts and meet me here when they get here.

He was very agreeable.

Originally posted by magaggie
This is astonishing, this seems to be the mantra of this forum! Search the HLN owners thread, the GWIII owners thread, any of the multiple "my HLP died" threads. If it's not one manufacturers crappy lamps, then it's another manufacturers faulty ballasts or "lamp-drivers". Now Panny's too?

Did older RP-CRT's blow bulbs once a year too?

Yes, but Sony has a new bulb on your doorstep before you even hang up the phone.

Well, BB refused to look into where the parts are until 10 business days after the order, even though the tech said he would send them 2nd day air. Warranty said he couldn't have said that because they don't order that way.

Finally today was 2 weeks so they said they would trace it and call me in 4 days. ridiculous.

I called a local panny repair place and they had a bulb, but it went out this AM. They are ordering one and a ballast, screw BB. The local shop is only half a mile away, I should have started w/them.

New bulb in 2 days from the local store. One question for anyone else replacing this bulb. Did it seem strange to you that that shipped in cardboard w/no protection for lint on the bulb? I went and got moisture free gas and blew the bulb off, But I would have thought that they would have tried something in packaging to avoid this.

hey fellas.....kinda new here. i've been mostly a lurker for some time.

anyways...my 50lc13 lamp blew after 9 months. i called panasonic and they asked me to fax the reciept of the purchase so they could send out a new lamp.

i was wondering if anyone could enlighten me on what is that i should expect from the new lamp. same life expectancy? and if the lamp blows outs prematurely every 6-9 months....what is it that we lc13/14 owners do? do i purchase the extended warranty from panny or will they remedy this problem when the standard warranty has expired? has anyone inquired with panny as to what we are to do if the replacement lamp blows prematurely outside the warrant period since this should last at least 6000-8000 hours based on usage and not 1000-1500 hours?

thanks in advance

sunny

The Panasonic warranty only covers the tv as a whole for 1 year. If you get a new lamp, the warranty doesn't get reset back to day zero. You have another 3 months of warranty coverage. After that, unless you have an extended warranty that covers bulbs, you will have to fork over for the next one. Only a few people, out of all the Panasonic owners here on the forum, have reported a blown bulb. I figure you take your chances with these just like you do with regular light bulbs. Some of them keep going and going, while others just die a premature death.

Mine's still going fine after a year. But now that my warranty has expired, I'm seriously considering ordering a spare from Panasonic just to have on hand. Figure sooner or later it'll go, and I don't want to be without the set for several weeks. Anyone else do this?

And does the lamp assembly itself come with any sort of warranty? You'd think a $300 part would have something....

Originally posted by ceccacci
And does the lamp assembly itself come with any sort of warranty? You'd think a $300 part would have something....

You'd think.

I have more than one tv in the house & watch very little to begin with. It would not hurt me one bit to be without my Panny for even a month. My take on the lamp situation is that I will buy when I have to. Theoretically, the price should drop as time goes by, people buy more sets (including Hitachi & Sony), and people end up needing to order one (necessitating the need for more production).

My Panny bulb blew out today. 9 1/2 months of thoroughly enjoyable viewing. Called Sears (after 15 minute hold) talked to guy who knew it must be the bulb. Will ship in AM via currier. Yeah Sears!! (That's a first for me)
At least I got to watch my E-A-G-L-E-S win Sunday.

This just happened to me today. PT-LCX6013...blown bulb after 5 months. Bulb looks identical to the photo posted here....little shards of glass visible inside.

Spent 30 min on hold just to land up putting in a request to have someone call me back. Fun. What's the latest in turnaround times on the bulbs?

I am half-tempted to take this thing back to Costco.

Hi all,
Here is the URL of an outfit that rebuilds projector lamps. Haven's checked their prices, but would think that they would charge less than panny. They say that their rebuilt lamps are half of the cost of a new lamp, and a 90 day no questions asked warranty.
Al

http://www.jopprugroup.com/plamp.htm

Well, looks like they have these in stock now. Panny actually called back within a day and said they'd send one out to me once I faxed them my receipt. So, other than the hold time on the initial call, the process for lamp replacement seems okay. I just hope this one lasts longer than the last one.

sje2081,
Does panny require you to return the bad bulb?
Al

Yes, they do.

The bulb in my PT50LC13 (bought 9 months ago) just blew a couple of weeks before Xmas. The guy from the service center came a few days later and replaced the bulb but that didn't fix the problem! The bulb was in fact fried but there's something else wrong with it? Ballast perhaps?

Anyway, they took the TV away and I called the service center today and they still don't know what's wrong with it. Apparently, it's a tough one because "everything's all stuck together inside"???? Geez that sucks since Alias is premiering tomorrow, 24 this Sunday and I can't watch any football games in HD glory!

On a side note, does anyone how these service centers operate? What stops them from telling me and the retailer that I got it from that the TV is 'unrepairable' when in fact it is. Since it's under warranty, I'd get a new TV to replace it and then one of the repair guys can just order a part for this 'unrepairable' unit and get a nice display for pretty cheap. I'm sure that I'm missing something here but I'm just curious how it works ...

Originally posted by MisterX
On a side note, does anyone how these service centers operate? What stops them from telling me and the retailer that I got it from that the TV is 'unrepairable' when in fact it is. Since it's under warranty, I'd get a new TV to replace it and then one of the repair guys can just order a part for this 'unrepairable' unit and get a nice display for pretty cheap. I'm sure that I'm missing something here but I'm just curious how it works ...

I'd assume that whoever ends up "paying for" the replacement TV (whether it's the retailer or the manufacturer) would want the "unrepairable" set in their possession first.

Originally posted by MisterX

Anyway, they took the TV away and I called the service center today and they still don't know what's wrong with it.

Give Panasonic a call. Tell them what's happening and they will transfer you to a person similar to a mediator. This person will call your service center and light a fire under them. I've had to do this a few times myself, although they never took my set away (the 1 year Panasonic warranty is for in-home service).

I think mine just blew too. I was relaxing with my dinner in front of the ESPN HD game last night. Went upstairs to grab a napkin. When I came back the screen was blank. I've tried turning it on a few times since then but all I get is a screeching crickets noise.

And the worst part is that I've had this tv for 16 months. No warranty for me. So are there any other options than forking out $300 to keep this thing from being another paperweight? Could the problem be something other than the bulb?

Well, I'm on my 3rd lamp in 18 months! Luckily Best Buy came through and covered the lamp! My original EW didn't cover the lamp (the more expensive one wasn't available at the time). Best Buy is covering the lamp under the original policies.

Still sucks that I've had 2 lamps go out though.

18 months and still going strong on original bulb (unless I just jinxed myself). I do have the set plugged into an ups which is plugged into a Brickwall (brickwall dot com). I replace regular light bulbs far more often.

Originally posted by klemsaba
Well, I'm on my 3rd lamp in 18 months! Luckily Best Buy came through and covered the lamp! My original EW didn't cover the lamp (the more expensive one wasn't available at the time). Best Buy is covering the lamp under the original policies.

Still sucks that I've had 2 lamps go out though.

i talked with a panasonic extended warranty rep just yesterday and i was told that there's currently no EW that covers the lamp, no matter how expensive. so basically after the original warranty expires we are screwed.

Originally posted by LarryJoe
Yes, but Sony has a new bulb on your doorstep before you even hang up the phone.

Guys!!??? CRT sets don't have bulbs, they have guns!! Big guns!! And if they go out it is a lot more than $300!! But they seldom go out prematurely. However they do require convergence, which the average Joe never does, so they seldom look as good as they should. Lew

I've got the PT-60LCX63 and lost a bulb at 1647 hours and 6 months. Panasonic replaced the lamp (800-237-9080) and I bought a spare from them. Couldn't find the lamp assembly any cheaper anywhere else.

It's interesting that the owner's manual lists the bulb "aproximate life" of 10,000 hours. I'm curious to see how long this bulb lasts.

Now at 11 1/2 months and the ballast died yesterday. Waiting to hear back from the service company in town as to part availablility and appointment time.

Originally posted by jojobiz
i talked with a panasonic extended warranty rep just yesterday and i was told that there's currently no EW that covers the lamp, no matter how expensive. so basically after the original warranty expires we are screwed.

I just bought a Panasonic PT-50LC14 from Circuit City this past weekend, and after several brutal minutes of warranty pitches, I finally told the sales person to either drop the topic, or I was walking...

Anyway, after I got home with the TV, I did some research on the Panasonic bulbs and found out about some of their problems.

The CC salesman was quite elaborate about their warranty covering the bulbs. So, I did the math. $500 for a 5 year warranty (1+4), and covers the bulbs. So assuming that in 5 years, I may have to replace my bulb twice, I'm ahead $100. If I have to replace it about once a year, I'm ahead over $1000. Seemed like a decent enough gamble, especially since it covered the rest of the TV too.

The next day, I called the CC sales person and told him I was going to come in and buy the warranty. I got their warranty information home, and promptly called their warranty service number. The person on the phone stated that their warranty does in deed cover the lamp.

What I find really strange about this is that I typically DO NOT EVER buy the extended warranty. I used to work at a local electronics retailer (Sun TV), and I sold those damn things. It was all about commission to the salesperson.

But in this case, it seemed like the math was easy to do, and I confirmed that CC's warranty covers the lamp directly with the warranty people -- not just the sales person.

It kind of surprised me considering Panasonic out right states that the bulb is a "consumable" item.

What actually pi**ed me off about this whole transaction was the $120 for a Monster HDMI cable.

Originally posted by jerrykurtz
I just bought a Panasonic PT-50LC14 from Circuit City this past weekend, and after several brutal minutes of warranty pitches, I finally told the sales person to either drop the topic, or I was walking...

I NEVER EVER buy extended warrenties on electronics. Well, mostly never ever, since I did buy one for my RPTV. The Circuit City guy did hook me with "The bulbs are covered" line. It's nice to hear that he wasn't lying.

Usually, for most electronics, I believe in "Self Insurance". Meaning that I will use all the money that I didn't spend on all those extended warrenties to pay for the repair of anything that breaks before I got sick of it. So far, nothing has broken except for my Cannon Mini-DV camcorder which went belly up after the extended warrenty (that I didn't buy) would have expired anyway. I was already sick of it anyhow, and had it lasted two months longer, it would have been sitting on a self after being replaced by a DVD-R camcorder.

Update on PT-60LCX63

Now on the 3rd call to Panasonic. 1st Servicer said "In House" on the phone, appts. available tomorrow and would call me back. Never heard back so I went over there. Had no record of the call or the information. Told me he'd have to take the unit for 2-3 weeks if the part is available. Spoke to Panasonic again and they gave me another servicer, who wouldn't come to my area. On the 3rd try I got a servicer who check the part availability and he showed it "unavailable with no ETA".
This latest call to Panasonic got it kicked up to Panasonic Field Service who are going to contact the 3rd servicer and try to arrange the part.
I also called Panasonic parts directly and they show a 2 week backorder and would only sell it to me if I have an authorization.

And so it begins.

Anyone know where there is a LSEB3087A Ballast CBA sitting on a shelf?

Panasonic has absolutely no structure to their organization, especially that dealing with consumers. I absolutely hate calling them because you never know what new story will be told.

Don't let anyone take it out of your house. The warranty is for in-home service. Period. Good luck with the waiting game.

Originally posted by jojobiz
i talked with a panasonic extended warranty rep just yesterday and i was told that there's currently no EW that covers the lamp, no matter how expensive. so basically after the original warranty expires we are screwed.

I bought my PT-50LC13 from PC Richard in October 2003 with a 5 Year EW. My bulb blew 2 weeks ago on Saturday. I called the warranty number and they said someone could be there as early as Wednesday to take a look at it. The service guy showed up with a new bulb, popped it in said "sign here" and was gone in less than 5 minutes, no charge to me.

Has a step-by-step procedure for changing the bulb in a PT-50LC13 been posted anywhere?

Originally posted by gotpeter
Has a step-by-step procedure for changing the bulb in a PT-50LC13 been posted anywhere?
I believe that instructions come with the bulb.

Instuctions for installation come with the lamp. In fact, if you are under warranty and call Panasonic they will ask you to get a screwdriver and remove the old lamp while on the phone and confirm that the lamp has blown. Ths only takes about two minutes. If the lamp is blown, Panasonic will ship you a new one after you FAX them your receipt (took only 48 hours for me to receive a new lamp). If you then ship them back the blown lamp (they pay for shipping) your credit card will not be billed the $300 for the new lamp. I found their customer service very helpful and the process was efficient.
BUT, it was troublesome that my lamp blew after only 1571 hours with 701 on-off cycles. (that is quite a bit short of 10,000 hours). My warranty only has two more months on it, and so future lamp failures will be on my dime, unless I spring for Panasonics one year warranty extension at $259. The info they sent me does not say that lamps are exluded, but I will call before considering purchasing this extension.

Thanks. My Panny is out of warranty so I had to cough up $275 (incl. tax) to my dealer - Anderson TV, Redwood City, CA - to get a new one. They were nice enough to give it to me at their cost. Installed it in about two minutes.While I have not run the lamp analytics yet, I doubt we got 4000 hours out of the bulb which is much better than yours but a far cry from what it should be. My efforts to call Panasonic were met with the same frustrations expressed by others in this thread; i.e., long wait/hold times. Anderson TV has asked me to put together an email to Panasonic delineating my experience and they will try to help get me some kind of satisfaction. We'll see.

OK, I'm ten day short of 20 months. Till this evening it's been flawless.

I got home from work and walked in the door and heard the pop! I haven't checked the hours in a long time. A year ago I was just under 2000 hours so it's probably at twice that now. I didn't go for the EW so I'll be paying for this one.

My questions for the ones who already know are:

Is this a Panny only part?

Where is the best place to buy from?

What are they charging for lamps these days?

Thanks in advance.

LZ

To answer you questions:
Yes, it is.
Go to your dealer first and nicely raise a stink. I was able to get mine at cost - ~$250.00 - from my dealer (Anderson TV, Redwood City, CA). They are also fighting with Panasonic about this and have called me numerous times to keep me apprised of the situation. We are not alone on this.
Not sure what the retail price is; have heard as much as $400. You can find them online.

Good luck. Let me know how it turns out.

Peter

Originally posted by docwebb
...
BUT, it was troublesome that my lamp blew after only 1571 hours with 701 on-off cycles. (that is quite a bit short of 10,000 hours). My warranty only has two more months on it ...

Please take note of what the manual says: "Due to the characteristics and use conditions of individual lamps, the lamp may cease to light before the stated lamp life. Influences of frequent lighting, continuous light use for over 24 hours, the number of times lit, the length of time between lightings, etc. may shorten lamp life."

So in essence they are telling you: Don't run the set for extremely long periods; minimize the number of power cycles; allow plenty of time between uses.

700 cycles is an average of >2x per day if you had the set 10 months.

That very well could have contributed to the decreased life.

You can't just pick out 1 thing that the manufacturer states (the 10,000 hour thing) and ignore all the rest of what they say.

If two cycles a day - not an abusive usage pattern, don't you think? - drops the expected bulb life that much then there is a problem with the hardware not the user. [We have projectors at work getting hammered far more than that and we get 5-6K out of those halogens.] Of course, Panasonic CTA with the above highly subjective statement. However, it all gets down to what is reasonable and 1.5 > 2k hours on a $300 bulb ain't reasonable, IMHO.

You know, since Pan. *isn't* specific ... who knows? Maybe 2 *is* abusive if there is only 10 minutes between them. Maybe the 2x/day "average" really was 5x per day, two days per week. I dunno. I just know when I read that paragraph, and I read the hundreds of pages of GWIII bulb problems, I decided to employ the most conservative usage pattern I could. On and off 1x per day, 5-10 hours. Who knows, my bulb could go tomorrow and I'll be cussing like other folks. But for now I have to think that, along with the "bad luck factor" hitting some folks, there are usage or power issues that contribute strongly to short life. I'm not accusing or blaming, just extrapolating an explanation based on the wishy-washy info Pan. provides in the manual.

Agreed and I have instituted a similar usage pattern on my set only with about half the hours. Protection fron power fluctuations has always been there. We'll see . . .
Panny's silence on this issue has been deafening. Until that changes, I have purchased my last item from them and will spread the word whenever given the chance. It's the least I can do.

Peter

I still say it comes with the technology, and that a bulb is simply a bulb. Panasonic owners are not unique from the rest of the RPTV lamp driven crowd.

What about gum that advertises itself as being "long lasting?" Or the thousands of other products out there that have some sort of durability/endurance claim? People are just more irritated, by nature, when a large $$ purchase is made.

If my lamp goes, then it goes. I'm not going to run out and sue someone simply because I don't think the lamp lasted as long as it should have. I've had the repairmen out numerous times for various issues, and there were a number of visits that my tv would be powered on/off close to 30 times all within a couple of hours. Everything still works, knock on wood.

Originally posted by Led Zealot
OK, I'm ten day short of 20 months. Till this evening it's been flawless.

I got home from work and walked in the door and heard the pop! I haven't checked the hours in a long time. A year ago I was just under 2000 hours so it's probably at twice that now. I didn't go for the EW so I'll be paying for this one.

My questions for the ones who already know are:

Is this a Panny only part?

Where is the best place to buy from?

What are they charging for lamps these days?

Thanks in advance.

LZ

Thanks for your input. I went and purchased a replacement from Panny although I probably should have searched more on the internet.

I read a lot about this set here B4 buying and understoon the lamp issues so I've been carefull about usage and have B/U and surge protection. As I said, it's been flawless and I've really enjoyed the set. I do think the cost of replacement is excessive (gouging) for the lamp as I can see this as a possible semi-annual maintanance item. If I get another 5000 hours out of the next one I'll be pretty happy. I should find out tomorrow when it arrives. I have my fingers crossed that it's not a balist or something more difficult/costly. --By the way, I live here in town where they manufacture these units in Washington and I've been in the factory and seen them. I was told that they are produced here and also in Mexico. It's very interesting.

Breaks Over (no pun intended) Have a good day!

LZ

I have had my PT50LC13 for about 9 months. I had several pixels stuck on red, blue, and green.

Yesterday, a Panasonic authorized service center representative came out and replaced the light engine. The stuck pixels were, of course, gone.
However, the picture was noticeably dimmer.

Today, 15 minutes after I turned on the TV, the bulb blows.

Did anyone notice the picture being dimmer right before their bulb blew?
Is it possible that something the repairman did caused the bulb to blow?
It seems to me it would be an amazing coincidence that the bulb blew one day after the repairman replaced the light engine and had to move the bulb from the old light engine to the new light engine.

I will call the service center tomorrow, but I'm just curious if anyone else has had a similar problem.

I've had my light engine replaced & the old lamp pulled out and installed with it. Haven't noticed any dimming or anything else abnormal, and this is about 4 or 5 months after the engine was replaced.

Thanks for your reply NVboy.

I talked to the service center today, and they have ordered a new lamp, and will be replacing it next week.

just cruious on the following as I own a panny dlp myself but..........

does panasonic cover the bulb the first year (like the dlp)? and if so how is that resolved? does panasonic have you send the dead bulb to them and then send you a replacement or what?

and I have not heard of anything like this with the dlp but is this a "bulb" problem or an "lcd panny" problem?

just curiuos as I really don't want hassle, I just want tv ;)

Panasonic covers the lamp in the LCD for the 1 year warranty period. The "problem" is bulb based, mixed in with people getting angry when it blows before they think it should.

Are the 50lc14's or 43lc14's (2004 models) affected by this lamp problem? I am looking at the sony 42 or panny 43 and am now very worried about panny lamps.

Every LCD on the market is affected by the so-called "problem." It is only more pronounced in the Panasonic models because the manuals state a "maximum life of 10,000 hours" on the bulb. If the lamp blows prior to the 10,000 hours, then many people view that as the "problem."

I did a Google search for the part number and found several places that had it for $288 which, while not pocket change, is not outrageous. I try not to turn mine on more than once a day. I figure turning it on is the biggest strain on the bulb so it's better just to leave it on.

That's a good policy BW. I'd also follow Pan.'s advice not to run it extremely long periods of time (like 24 hours).

It doesn't seem reasonable that you can only turn on and off your T.V. once a day, not with a family and everyone on different schedules. What are we supposed to do? Turn on the T.V. in the morning and just leave it one until everyone goes to sleep? Even if you do that, you're going to hit 10000 hours in just 2 years, plus that seems like a lot of wasted electricity.

Got the new bulb installed and everything works great again. Hope I get more hours than the last one.

3800+/-
1600 cycles+/-
20 months normal use.

As I said before, I have been careful and have not had any abnormal usage. I'm not disappointed with the length of time the bulb lasted, but would be nice to get more hours. I think the cost of replacement is exce$$ive.

LZ

By the way...

For those of you who haven't changed a bulb yet, don't forget to clean the lense before you re-install the lamp.

Cheers

led Zealot,

What did you use to clean the lense? I'm assuming no solvents and a lint free cloth? Micro-fiber cleaning rag? Or did you go with a lint free cloth used for cameras and the like?

If you did use a solvent (household cleaning solution) what did you use and was is something Panny suggested?

Thanks in advance for any information.

Originally posted by rabidrabbit
It doesn't seem reasonable that you can only turn on and off your T.V. once a day, not with a family and everyone on different schedules. What are we supposed to do? Turn on the T.V. in the morning and just leave it one until everyone goes to sleep? Even if you do that, you're going to hit 10000 hours in just 2 years, plus that seems like a lot of wasted electricity.
Once a day isn't anyone's rule, or even the official recommendation ... it is just a practice some of us have tried to adopt to maximize bulb life.

I don't disagree with you. Personally, I look forward to common usage of LED illumination ... LEDs should last forever (ok, maybe not forever, but a helluva long time comparatively).

Anyone purchase and use a Tweeter Extended warranty on a blown bulb (>1 year old)? I have that extended warranty and believe I remember them saying it covers the bulb.

Anyways I'm trying to be conservative and the Tweeter warranty might be for only 1 bulb replacement even though it's a 4 or 5 year extension.

So I'm very close to just buying an extra bulb outright to have on hand.

Anyone have a good experience with an online purchase of this bulb? If so what store was it?

Another question about cleaning the lense that Led Zealot mentioned. Would an air duster (like for computer keyboards / cases) work or simply make a bigger mess.... ??

I have the Tweeter ext. warr. but have not blown a bulb yet. I don't plan to purchase a spare bulb. I can live without tv a few days, or weeks even, if and when it goes. Plus, it isn't a *certainty* but in general, prices for things like this tend to decrease over time. Worst case, prices are very unlikely to increase over time ....

Originally posted by AcuraCL
prices for things like this tend to decrease over time. Worst case, prices are very unlikely to increase over time ....

I'm banking on it. I feel better waiting for the thing to blow & dealing with it at that time. Having one on hand, sitting around for who knows how long just seems like a waste, in many different ways (what if you get one with a defect out of the box, but don't discover that until you replace it, while at the same time losing out because the bulb's warranty is expired, etc.). If it was only a $.99 part, I'd have a crate of them in storage.

Anybody else have a green pixel? Noticed it just after one year (of course). Haven't had time to call Tweeter about it (I bought their EW)...

Originally posted by Beaker1024
led Zealot,

What did you use to clean the lense? I'm assuming no solvents and a lint free cloth? Micro-fiber cleaning rag? Or did you go with a lint free cloth used for cameras and the like?

If you did use a solvent (household cleaning solution) what did you use and was is something Panny suggested?

Thanks in advance for any information.

Beaker, I just used a soft bristle brush on a vacuum. I wanted to use some kind of cleaner, but didn't know what was best. Vacuuming seemed to do the job just fine. It's got a Brighter picturer now.

GL

Originally posted by rabidrabbit
It doesn't seem reasonable that you can only turn on and off your T.V. once a day, not with a family and everyone on different schedules. What are we supposed to do? Turn on the T.V. in the morning and just leave it one until everyone goes to sleep? Even if you do that, you're going to hit 10000 hours in just 2 years, plus that seems like a lot of wasted electricity.
Actually I calculated that I've had mine on for an average of seven hours a day since August 15, 2004. (1789 hours in 251 days, lamp on 279 times) The manual says power usage is 220w with audio at maximum but who turns it up that loud?:p

Originally posted by hibricc
Anybody else have a green pixel? Noticed it just after one year (of course). Haven't had time to call Tweeter about it (I bought their EW)...
I noticed one on mine when I first got it. I could look at it up close and back away and see it at a good distance. After a while I stopped obsessing about it and I haven't noticed it since. The pale green is very easy to ignore. I'm glad it's not red. :)

Originally posted by Bookworm
Actually I calculated that I've had mine on for an average of seven hours a day since August 15, 2004. (1789 hours in 251 days, lamp on 279 times) The manual says power usage is 220w with audio at maximum but who turns it up that loud?:p

But if you calculate that people are up about 14 hours a day (say 8am - 10pm) x 365days x 2years = 10220 hours and 730 on/off cycles. That's what it seemed to me to be what people were recommending to maximize the life of the bulb.

My point was that with a family, people watch TV at different times. Adults may watch the news in the morning before work and at night before bed. Children may watch afterschool cartoons and then play video games after homework is done. Then the family may watch TV together after dinner. That's potentially 5 on/off cycles a day unless you just leave the TV running even when nobody is watching. Maybe everyone else just has a lot of TVs at home and the big TV is only allowed to be used once a day. Turning on/off the tv 4 or 5 times a day doesn't seem unreasonable to me but then I only have 1 TV.

Help.. My bulb blew and I have an extended warranty with Circuit City. They said that it is user installable and sent me a box to ship the bulb in. When they get it, they'll ship me a new one..

Problem: no instructions. They refer to the owners manual that has no instructions on where the bulb is.. I took my TV apart and couldn't find the bulb. Searched here and Google... no instructions.

Can someone please give me guidance on where to find my bulb?

Thx,
Brian

Help.. My bulb blew and I have an extended warranty with Circuit City. They said that it is user installable and sent me a box to ship the bulb in. When they get it, they'll ship me a new one..

Problem: no instructions. They refer to the owners manual that has no instructions on where the bulb is.. I took my TV apart and couldn't find the bulb. Searched here and Google... no instructions.

Can someone please give me guidance on where to find my bulb?

Thx,
Brian

You should have received instructions with the bulb, but I'll try to help a bit. Underneath the screen on the base of the tv is a long silver bezel cover. It's about 4" wide or so. This needs to be pried off, which you can do by using your fingers to pull at it a bit. There are only a few places where it actually pops into the case & is very easy to remove. Once this is off, there is a compartment on the left side with 1 screw (don't remember if it is marked or not). Thats where the lamp is. You should be able to simply remove it once the compartment is open. Someone else will hopefully post better instructions, but I'm confident you'll figure it out.

That's all I needed. Thanks AVBoy.

Well, my third lamp went out last week! This one only lasted 3 months! There has to be something else wrong with my TV. Anyhow, it only took a week to get a replacement and Best Buy took care of the cost through my extended service plan.

Well, my third lamp went out last week! This one only lasted 3 months! There has to be something else wrong with my TV. Anyhow, it only took a week to get a replacement and Best Buy took care of the cost through my extended service plan.

Ouch! You should both call & write Panasonic and raise a stink. They may decide that something else is causing premature (which is not really a word they use when discussing lamps) failure.

The warranty has apparently been extended to 18 months on the original bulb, 12 months on replacement bulbs. See this thread:-

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=538207&highlight=panasonic+bulb

Well I finally heard back from Panasonic. Here's what the letter from a Donald Eppinger, Consumer Affairs Division said;

BEGIN QUOTE
"We are aware that a number of people who purchased Panasonic projection Tv's are not currently happy because of their experience with the Ultra High Pressure Mercury Lamp used in those TV's and we look forward to satisfying you and the other valued customers."

"To put the problem into some context, while the Ultra High Pressure Mercury Lamp are expensive, they are still light bulbs. Light bulbs blow out from time to time and need to be replaced. You should also know that based upon the best information that we have, the vast majority of people who have purchased Panasonic projection TVs hav not experienced the kinds of premature burnout you and others have seen."

"So here's what we are doing to address the problem."
"----We are extending the limited warranty on the original UHPM Lamp included with the new unit, from 90 days to 18 months, from the original date of purchase of the Panasonic Projection Televsion with model numbers PTxxLCx3."
"----If you have experienced repeated lamp failures, or otherwise suspect that there may be a defect on your TV causing the Lamp failures, we will arrange for an in-home inspection and, if necessary, repair of you TV."
"----If you have already purchased a replacement Lamp for your TV an provide us with proff of purchase, we will refund the purchase cost of the Lamp or lamps, to you."
"----Any additional replacement Lamp will carry a one year manufactures warranty, rather than a 90 day, limited warranty."

"We are truly sorry that you experienced dissatisfaction with you Panasonic Projection TV and appreciate the opportunity to turn you into a loyal Panasonic customer."

END QUOTE

Well I'm glad to hear that they realize there is an issue and getting the replacement lamp warranty up to a year is good. I'm still not happy that there seems to be a $300.00/year cost of ownership with these units. I know that "Light Bulbs blow out from time to time and need to be replaced" but my decision to purchase was based on a TCO for 5 years of the purchase price, based on their lamp hour rating. Even if I got 50% of their rating the TCO would only be $300 for 5 years based on my usage.

We'll see where this lead.

I get to join the bulb club:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5695225&&#post5695225

Well, my third lamp went out last week! This one only lasted 3 months! There has to be something else wrong with my TV. Anyhow, it only took a week to get a replacement and Best Buy took care of the cost through my extended service plan.
Your lamp ballast should have been replaced by now, too. This is what's causing the premature failure. A Panasonic replacement kit has been available for awhile and should have been replaced by BB.

Is this related to the PT-50LC13 model only?

I have seen posts about the bulb going early in the LC13 models mostly 50". I have a PT-60LC14 and have not heard too much issue with the LC14 models. Can anyone respond with certainty? Just curious as I have had mine for about 5-6 months.

In case anyone is wondering what (visually) corresponds to "pop" (audibly):

Is this related to the PT-50LC13 model only?

I have seen posts about the bulb going early in the LC13 models mostly 50". I have a PT-60LC14 and have not heard too much issue with the LC14 models. Can anyone respond with certainty? Just curious as I have had mine for about 5-6 months.
Yes. Only the LCx3 series has this issue. The LCx4 series, which is essentially the same, has the upgraded lamp ballast.

Yes. Only the LCx3 series has this issue. The LCx4 series, which is essentially the same, has the upgraded lamp ballast.

Is this insider info? Haven't heard one peep about the so-called cause of premature lamps. If you have some more info, or better yet links, please share. I'm sure the few hundred people who have signed the bulb petition will be more at ease if they learn there is an actual cause (concrete, rather than speculated).

It was good to see Panasonic step up and address the issue. However, I e-mailed Panasonic Canada to confirm they were also extending the bulb warranties, and this is the reply:-

"Please be advised that Panasonic Canada Inc. does not have any current plans
at this time to extend the bulb warranty on our Rear Projection LCD TVs."

Any Canadian lawyers around? Since Panasonic US have practically admitted there is a design/manufacturing flaw with many of the xxxLC13 sets it would be an easy case to make......

It was good to see Panasonic step up and address the issue. However, I e-mailed Panasonic Canada to confirm they were also extending the bulb warranties, and this is the reply:-

"Please be advised that Panasonic Canada Inc. does not have any current plans
at this time to extend the bulb warranty on our Rear Projection LCD TVs."

Any Canadian lawyers around? Since Panasonic US have practically admitted there is a design/manufacturing flaw with many of the xxxLC13 sets it would be an easy case to make......

I am so glad I got the C.C. 4 yr warrenty....
My bulb blew on saturday afternoon....
called warrenty direct... skipped cc wait... tech got on in 2 minutes.....
confirmed my purchase and warranty... I held for another 2 mins and a guy came on and said an order for a bulb has been placed.... it wll be there in 5-7 days...

It arrived wed (blue) and I sid it in in under 5 mins... Perfect...
My was 18mons old... 10,000 + hrs....
I watch 10 hrs a day and 6 on computer ... 8300HD ....

What va GREAT eperience....
I saw some flickering on the PC side only the last few months and the tech said to ask for a bub replacement when I see signs like tat afte 8,000 hrs...

LOVE MY SET... BEST $2500 I ever spent....

I am so glad I got the C.C. 4 yr warrenty....
My bulb blew on saturday afternoon....
called warrenty direct... skipped cc wait... tech got on in 2 minutes.....
confirmed my purchase and warranty... I held for another 2 mins and a guy came on and said an order for a bulb has been placed.... it wll be there in 5-7 days...

It arrived wed (blue) and I sid it in in under 5 mins... Perfect...
My was 18mons old... 10,000 + hrs....
I watch 10 hrs a day and 6 on computer ... 8300HD ....

What va GREAT eperience....
I saw some flickering on the PC side only the last few months and the tech said to ask for a bub replacement when I see signs like tat afte 8,000 hrs...

LOVE MY SET... BEST $2500 I ever spent....

Tenguru, what model do you have? Thanks.
Chiphead

Anyone purchase and use a Tweeter Extended warranty on a blown bulb (>1 year old)? I have that extended warranty and believe I remember them saying it covers the bulb.

Anyways I'm trying to be conservative and the Tweeter warranty might be for only 1 bulb replacement even though it's a 4 or 5 year extension.


[This may be moot now that Panasonic has apparently extended the bulb warranties...]

I had my first bulb replaced by Tweeter last November after 8 months of ownership and less than 2k hours on it. At the time, the tech who did the work told me that the EW covered one bulb replacement. (Not sure whether that first one was under the manufacturer's warranty, since it was inside of a year.)

Fast forward seven months to this past weekend when bulb#2 went pop. Not sure what the hours are. Called Tweeter and scheduled a service call to replace the bulb, after assurance from "Annie" on the phone that this second bulb was indeed covered. I'll double-check with the tech when they call next week to confirm my appointment, and report back here....

hibricc -

Thanks for the information! I will be watching for any update on how Tweeter's extended warrenty covers this 2nd bulb. I'm still on my first (original) bulb and going on two years with the set.

Can you also comment on how long it takes from the day your bulb dies (assume calling tweeter warranty that day) to when the set is working again (new bulb in and working).... Just so I can be roughly prepared on how long I'll be out if/when my bulb goes.

OT BTW How helpful / good have you found their warranty service department (on phone and the tech).

Thanks again for any information.

hibricc -

Can you also comment on how long it takes from the day your bulb dies (assume calling tweeter warranty that day) to when the set is working again (new bulb in and working).... Just so I can be roughly prepared on how long I'll be out if/when my bulb goes.

OT BTW How helpful / good have you found their warranty service department (on phone and the tech).


Assuming they keep my scheduled appointment, both times it'll be ten days from failure report to in-home fix. I blew a gasket over that the first time (I've got two boys under 5, so being without ON Demand and the DVD player for that long isn't fun), but took it in stride this time.

The local Tweeter guy was annoyingly blase, pretty much telling me "tough luck" and to call Tweeter service (might be my particular salesperson, who isn't one of their friendliest). The appointment scheduler on the phone couldn't really provide any info, they're just order takers. The tech who came to my house was EXTREMELY knowledgeable and helpful.

The nice thing about going to Panasonic directly was they sent the replacement second day. However, mine blew on the Sat. night before Memorial Day, so I had to wait an extra day to call it in. Total down time was about 4 days though.

i just bought a PT-44LCX65 and it has the a ty-la1000 lamp and i'm really worried about it's life span. I wonder if i should take it back and go with another tv? Is this a problem with this model as well. 2000.00 is not an amount of money that i can spend on a hunk of junk? any info would be great.

Wanker, there seems to be "a problem" but I don't think it's been fully identified, except that for now Panasonic is limiting extended coverage to LCX3 models. Whether it's a bad batch of bulbs, ballasts, design, or a combination of these things, isn't known.

But your set should be fine. It's 2 complete generations past the affected sets.

Panasonic changed lamp supplier after issues with ealier LCx3 sets. The new lamp still uses the same model number TY-LA1000. From talking to a local Panasonic repair shop, the original lamp is made by Toshiba and the new ones are made by Philips.

I looked very closely at the blown one before returning it, and the new one before installing it. Couldn't see any printed or stamped brand name anywhere. Also couldn't believe how incredibly cloudy the glass was on the blown one, considering I doubt it had >3500 hrs on it.

Tweeter guy came as promised today, and he had a new bulb with him. After confirming that the one in the set was blown (lookit all the pretty glass shards!), he replaced it in under five minutes. Since this was my second replacement in less than two years, he ordered a new ballast from Panasonic. No guarantee it would prevent future problems ("50/50 chance" he said). Told me I'd get a call in a week or two to schedule that replacement (in-home, no charge under Tweeter's EW).

Same guy as last time... extremely knowledgeable and friendly.

BTW, I have one green pixel that I pointed out to him. Unfortunately, Panasonic won't authorize a new light engine unless there are two stuck pixels in the same quadrant (upper left quarter, top left quarter, etc.). Since I only have one, I'm out of luck. The tech scrutinized the screen to look for a second one, but no dice (I knew there was only one). So I'm in the odd position of now hoping for a second stuck pixel in the upper left quadrant. Go figure...

i just used a dry swiffer to clean my lens i guess that will do?

do they just send u the bulb or the whole casing that slides out of the tv?

i just used a dry swiffer to clean my lens i guess that will do?

do they just send u the bulb or the whole casing that slides out of the tv?

They send you the whole lamp assembly. Probably the biggest reason these things cost so much to replace.

and as i understand the replacement unit carries a one year warranty correct?

Correct

My lamp blew out; I'm not sure it did but C.C. made that assumption and sent me a new one. They sent a TY-LA1000 for my PT 50LC13. I started to install it and was shocked that the lamp inside the TV is definitely different from the lamp sent.

Has anyone had this problem?

I'm accessing the lamp from the front of the TV just as stated on the instructions. The diagram is different, the lamp size is different, and the housing is different.

I haven't read yet about anyone else having a different looking lamp.

Thanks for the info.

Purchase the PT 50LC13 8/03 and first bulb blew 4/05 after less than 4,000 hours of use. Fortunately I purchased the EW from Tweeter. Tweeter gave me no hassles, showed up when they said they would and replaced the bulb.

Four months later the replacement bulb blows. I will be calling Tweeter tomorrow and will keep all apprised of the outcome. It is really unbelievable that a company would sell a $3,000 tv that had the large number of bulb and ballast problems reported here and at other sites.

Make sure you sign the petition at www.**************.com/panbulb/

Good luck with your lamp replacement, i feel your pain. My bulb blew on my pt50dl54 DLP after only 2 months!!! mine was model i purchased on boxing day but never received until june, so it might have been an earlier build.

hopefully this won't be an ongoing problem!

Hey guys, can anyone cofirm that Panasonic has indeed fixed this issue with the CL14's and up. Any LC14 owners out there who can confirm they've had the TV for a while now with no problems?

I have the opportunity to pick up a good deal on the PT50LC14cs but I can't afford a bulb a year or less.

Thanks in advance
JASON

I have a panny 60LC14. Purchased 12/10/04. Bulb blew 2 weeks ago. Called Panasonic, after a hold of 45 minutes the service rep stepped me through pulling the bulb out. It was shattered. Faxed receipt the next morning and had the new bulb in 2 days. Panny will cover that new bulb for an additional year.

I have seen posts of people claiming the LC14 line does not have this problem. It does. I had 1600 hours on the bulb with a LON of 400 when it blew.

I am not happy this has happened and the possibility of it happening again is very good, however I am happy with the TV itself.

Gary

I joked about the bulb issue early in this thread and of course ended up on the less funny side of things... :-)

I had my PTLCX63 stop working few months ago, just a month or two out of the 1 year warranty. Luckily I had purchased w/American Express, so I was able to use the AmEx extended warranty coverage to get both ballast kit and bulb replacement free...total cost would have been around $800 or so, if I remember correctly. The bulb hadn't blown yet, but did get a new one as the repair shop said the old one was "too dim" and didn't look good.

I'm hoping the ballast fix will stop the bulb problem...anyone also had a ballast fix have any new bulb problems?

Have had my panny PT-50LC13 since 1/2004 and picture is getting dark - briteness down, and picture is degraded and have a tech coming out from Tweeters to check it out and clean it. Have the extended warranty. Following this thread I see that there must be a way to check hour use on the bulb. Can someone clue me in please. I am under the impression that if you crank up the brightness when the unit is dirty it will shorten the life of the bulb. Also has anyone cleaned the set themselves?

I can help you with the lamp hours:

With TV off, press and hold volume down on TV and TV/Video on the remote for about 7 seconds.
When TV comes on look for xxxh and xxxlon.
The xxxh is the number of hours the lamp has been on and the xxxlon is the number of times the lamp(TV) has been turned on.
To get out of this mode just turn the TV off.

Bookworm - couldn't get it to work for me - thanks anyways

That's odd, can anyone else confirm that this is the correct procedure? That's what I have written down and have used a couple of times to get my hours.

I bought my 50LC14 in Aug '04 these are my numbers so far:
11/04 688h 106lon
04/05 1768h 297lon
08/05 2568h 420lon

Bookworm - maybe I can't get it cause I'm using DVI cable and set is always on digital input. I've retried it on every input and get nothing. Picture has gotton so dark I'm not using it until Tweeter gets here. I can lighten pic but have to go top of the setting. I see Panny is getting $299 at their site for bulb - has anyone gotten it cheaper? Gotta watch the Pats on regular set today. Is the set supposed to come on on it's own after pressing volume down and tv-video buttons on the remote as you stated ? I shut set off - wait until red light stops blinking - on remote hold down volume button and tv-vidro butto at same time for 7+ seconds - then turn set on - and have gotten nothing

Is the set supposed to come on on it's own after pressing volume down and tv-video buttons on the remote as you stated ?

Could be I didn't make this clear in my original post. Start with the TV off. Press the volume down button on the TV and the TV/Video button on the remote simultaneously and hold for about 7-8 seconds. The TV will come on by itself and then you see the info on the screen. To exit this screen just turn thr TV off and the next time you turn it on it will go back to normal operation. Hope this clears up any misunderstanding.

bookworm - just as you said and it helped if the remote had good batteries in it -had to hold down volume button on the TV itself and hold down tv/video button on the remote for over 7 seconds and then red light went out and up popped info on the screen - had 6593 hours. Thanks - think they will soak me for a new lamp - 299 and they are not coming down in price (yet) I do not use the Panny TV remote but a Harmony to control everything so thought the batteries were OK.

I'm glad it worked for you this time. :) That works out to about $13.50 a month, I guess that's not too bad, huh?

Got a call this PM that Tweeter could fit me in today instead of scheduled 20th date. I was worried that something outside of the bulb was wrong because briteness had gotten better but picture was inferior to before. Well new bulb was put in and it's like brand new - terrific service - no outragous costs - and saw the tech clean the set - He took off the back lower cowling which is a one piece job.(vents are located on bottom of each corner of the set) He stated that the fan can get dirty and should be cleaned fairly often. Fan natch is behind the bulb and gotten to from the back. I was under the opinion that everything else was sealed by what he had said. His opinion was that the increased brightness I suddenly got was that the bulb was probably going to finally go kaput. Did not feel that I got ripped off with 6,602 hours (not the 10,000 as Panny advertised) on my bulb and would not hesitate going to Tweeter again. Service tech was a nice guy - knew his stuff - and treated my wife and myself very well. Did not make us feel uncomfortable at all. Bulb is good for 5,000 hours. Will have to see how long it lasts.

One note of caution...if the problem w/your set blowing bulbs early is in the ballast, replacing the bulb isn't going to fix the problem...so the extended warranty on the bulb is in some ways a bit of a distraction. When my bulb blew I had the bulb and ballast replaced so that I wouldn't have the same thing happen to my new bulb. I did this through the Amex extended warranty...not sure how hard it would have been to get Panny to replace the bulb and ballast without having more than one bulb blow, and didn't want to take my chances and wait for that to happen.

I just burned out my second bulb - 10 months on each! With my EW at Sears, Sears & I had quite a tussle & quite frankly I lost! The first occurance, they agreed to send me the bulb directly for my install. This time they won't - they're concerned about the reason it failed again. Anyway, I need a technican to look at the broken bulb so he can order a new one - and hopefully a ballast at the same time. BTW - where is the ballast located & how easy is it to replace?

My second bulb just burned out last night. 6 months on this one.

I called Panasonic directly, and they're sending out a new bulb and a technician to have a look at the ballast. I have an EW with Tweeter, but have chosen to deal directly with Panasonic on the bulb thing after reading the post here about them covering it.

Right. A "technician" came out to examine the ballast and ended up destroying the set. "Shorted out the light engine" or so they say. Final chapter on my experience with Panasonic. My dealer replaced the set with a Mits DLP. Unbelieveable.

My second bulb just burned out last night. 6 months on this one.

I called Panasonic directly, and they're sending out a new bulb and a technician to have a look at the ballast. I have an EW with Tweeter, but have chosen to deal directly with Panasonic on the bulb thing after reading the post here about them covering it.

Ouch! Good luck with the ballast. Has this given you any push to get a different TV? I need to use mine more often so that I can have all of my problems while the EW is still valid, although I've been looking at other sets nevertheless.

Ouch! Good luck with the ballast. Has this given you any push to get a different TV? I need to use mine more often so that I can have all of my problems while the EW is still valid, although I've been looking at other sets nevertheless.
Nah. I went looking at sets a week or two ago. I saw the latest and greatest and nothing really blew me away as compared with mine. Plus, I'm one of those "buy and hold" types. I was actually hoping the second bulb would go because I have suspected based on incidences reported here that there certainly is a ballast issue, and this seems to confirm it.

You've had a much worse time of it with Pan. though, and I can understand why you'd want to move on. But so far they've treated me pretty well, and I still love the picture on this set. I am (cautiously) hopeful that a ballast fix will return it to "normal" bulb life expectancy.

Prices on sets have trickled down slowly until a couple of months ago, when they plunged. I don't know if that's in anticipation of holiday sales, or whether it will continue. I still think we're in HD-technology infancy (well, maybe toddler-hood) so I just can't see ditching this set for something else that's still not quite free of glitches.

Now if flat-panel LCDs hit the same price/inch as RP-LCDs ... I just might grow weak :D

Right. A "technician" came out to examine the ballast and ended up destroying the set. "Shorted out the light engine" or so they say. Final chapter on my experience with Panasonic. My dealer replaced the set with a Mits DLP. Unbelieveable.
That may not make a difference with mine. I have a cluster of 3-4 stuck pixels (red) near dead-center of my set. I haven't called service on it yet, so when the tech comes out I may complain about it at that time. I think that many pixels together may get me a new light engine anyhow.

Ouch! Good luck with the ballast. Has this given you any push to get a different TV? I need to use mine more often so that I can have all of my problems while the EW is still valid, although I've been looking at other sets nevertheless.
The tech stopped by yesterday. He checked for a fault code in the SM, saw none, and pronounced the ballast as ok. (When he said on the phone he'd be able to check the ballast for proper functioning, I imagined him hooking up some kind of test equipment to it and checking.) His theory as to why I have blown 2 bulbs in less than 2 years: "must have been bad bulbs."

So, here we go. Bulb No. 3, up and running. What are the odds of getting 3 bad ones :confused:

I purchased my PT-50LC13 4/2004 and the first bulb blew on 8/2005. It’s now 12/2005 and that replacement bulb already blew.

The original bulb had ~5000 hours on it. I haven’t checked what the second one had on it yet, but obviously not much as it was replaced in August.

I fear we are all going to be having similar problems to ones mentioned on this thread. Does anyone know if Panasonic has done anything about this issue yet?

I might start bugging Circuit City to honor the “NO LEMON” guarantee on my 4 year warranty I purchased. I’m sure that will be a battle too.

Rf, Panasonic has extended the bulb warranty on this set. Original bulb is covered 18 months, replacements for 12 months. If you sprung for a replacement within that warranty period, Pan. will reimburse you. There are 2 past threads that provide the details ... but essentially the phone reps are well-versed (in my experience) and if you call 1-800-211-PANA (I think that's the number), they should take care of you. Make sure you have 20 minutes to spare before calling, that's the usual wait time on hold.

The tech stopped by yesterday. He checked for a fault code in the SM, saw none, and pronounced the ballast as ok. (When he said on the phone he'd be able to check the ballast for proper functioning, I imagined him hooking up some kind of test equipment to it and checking.) His theory as to why I have blown 2 bulbs in less than 2 years: "must have been bad bulbs."

So, here we go. Bulb No. 3, up and running. What are the odds of getting 3 bad ones :confused:
Not to be too gauche and respond to my own post ... but the tech really pissed me off ... before I knew what he was doing and could stop him, he was mucking with the brightness/contrast settings. I had calib'ed them to the HDNet test patterns for my DVI input. HDNet used to show the patterns at 8 am Tues mornings ... now it's like 6 am. I could smack him ... I do NOT like getting up at 6 am :mad:

Not to be too gauche and respond to my own post ... but the tech really pissed me off ... before I knew what he was doing and could stop him, he was mucking with the brightness/contrast settings. I had calib'ed them to the HDNet test patterns for my DVI input. HDNet used to show the patterns at 8 am Tues mornings ... now it's like 6 am. I could smack him ... I do NOT like getting up at 6 am :mad:

He's probably one of the more brilliant types who thinks the problem is related to your settings. Why didn't you stop him? I would have yelled at him the second he started messing with my picture settings. You could always have him called back out for a full calibration-just complain that it now looks horrible & you want it fixed.

Hi Guys

I tried to look at the current lamp # of hours on, and the following is what it displayed

Current Lamp 18 Hrs
USD DISP ON
CON COUNT 29
BKSV 46 9e 49 47/6bu

Can any one tell me whar this means, and what kind of bulb life I can be looking for.

I purchased this set on Nov 23rd 2005 from Frys Electronics

Please let me know.

Regards
Pnarayan

The Current Lamp # is simply the number of hours your set has been on. I don't know if they count turning it on for 5 minutes as an hour though. Your other number of 29 is the number of times you have turned on your set.

If you are one of the lucky ones, a Current Lamp of 10,000 is the Holy Grail. If you are like the rest of us, it could be anywhere from 1 hour-10,000 hours. It's just a bulb, and technology hasn't reached the point where these things can be produced for a definite lifespan.

It was good to see Panasonic step up and address the issue. However, I e-mailed Panasonic Canada to confirm they were also extending the bulb warranties, and this is the reply:-

"Please be advised that Panasonic Canada Inc. does not have any current plans
at this time to extend the bulb warranty on our Rear Projection LCD TVs."

Any Canadian lawyers around? Since Panasonic US have practically admitted there is a design/manufacturing flaw with many of the xxxLC13 sets it would be an easy case to make......


My 50LC13 developed problems after 24 months of use (1800 hours). The unit kept shutting itself off. Futureshop (=Canadian Best Buy) service plan authorized repair. The tech came and replaced the ballast, which did not fix the problem. Then (after waiting 5 weeks for a part from Japan) they replaced a heat sensor which sits on top of the bulb assembly. Again this did not fix the problem. Then on a whim the tech decided to change the bulb. This fixed the problem. However, this created another problem; the service plan does not cover consumables (ie bulbs).

This is where things got interesting. Tech says that I will have to pay ($450 CDN) for the bulb. I call Futureshop and tell them that the service plan should cover it because the bulb was not "consumed" but was likely defective and overheating or shorting out causing the thermal sensor to trip. They then tell me that Panasonic Canada knows that the lamps are defective on these models and have been replacing bulbs at no charge. They tell me to call Panasonic Canada.

I call Panasonic Canada tech support. I get a bitchy French woman who reads off of a script and tells me that there is no "recall" on this tv and that she can't help me. I tell her that Panasonic USA is aware of problems with the bulbs in this tv. "But sir, I work for Panasonic Canada"....is the reply I get over and over again.

New tactic. I tell her that Futureshop told me and the Panasonic service tech also told me that they have dealt with other customers with the same problems and the Panasonic Canada has replaced the bulbs at no charge. She then suggests that "perhaps these people have not told you the truth". At that point it is clear that I'm getting nowhere with this person. She says she will transfer me to someone else, and then hangs up on me.

I call Futureshop back and tell them my experience with Panasonic Canada. They tell me that for sure they know that Panasonic Canada is aware of the problem and that they will call them. They get do a conference call between Futureshop, the tech and Panasonic Canada. 30 minutes later Futureshop calls back and tells me that Panasonic will replace the bulb at no charge.

So the gist of it is that Panasonic Canada will replace faulty bulbs :) ....but make sure you get your seller to talk to them directly, as the Panasonic customer service people are evidently unaware that problems exist with this set. :confused:

I get a bitchy French woman


:D :D Thanks! That made my day. Others may not find it funny, but I can envision that quite easily & it's funny to me.

I'll keep your experience in mind whenever my lamp goes. I'm already considered a problem child by Panasonic, so they may actually cave in and give me a free one rather than suffer my wrath once again.

Hi All, okay so here is my scoop: yesterday, turned on my PT50LC13 which I've had for just over two years. Blinking green light for a minute, then shuts down, blinking red light with the LAMP light blinking every 5 seconds. So... consult my trusty manual, troubleshooting guide says "contact your local dealer", so before I call, I pull out the lamp assembly, and sure enough there are bits of broken glass inside the bulb, and the long glass element looks broken (I assume it attaches to the middle rear of the bulb. This one looks broken off). However, it does not look "blown" in the usual sense, no blackened glass or anything like that. I then call my local dealer, who orders me a new lamp to the tune of $450.

So anyway, I am reading these forums, and I am hearing a lot about ballast. Now I know what ballast is in regards to fluorescent lights... but what are we talking about here? Same thing? Anyone know what might be happening to my set? Anyone know how much it costs to replace the ballast? And more to the point, am I on the verge of replacing the lamp assembly, turning on the television, and then having it blow again? Sorry for all the rapidfire questions, but this got real expensive real quick... should I just go out and buy another HDTV?

TheCogs, the blown bulbs that I've seen (I've had *3* now) look exactly like what you describe - the bits of glass, disconnected central filament, no signs of "blackening". And based on this thread (and others), two years life actually sounds pretty good. Unfortunately, it's just beyond the new 18 month manufacturer's warranty on original bulbs. But I wouldn't worry about having to turn right around and replace another bulb at your expense, since Panasonic has extended the warranty on replacement bulbs to one year. (But read gbanting's post above about Panasonic Canada first.)

IMO, the jury is still out on whether replacing the ballast would fix the problem of early bulb burnout. I had my ballast replaced this past June after two bulbs burned out within the first 18 months... then bulb#3 lasted six months before popping. Oh, and the ballast isn't something I'd want to replace myself, though others might.

If I had to pay for any of these repairs (I have Tweeter's 5-year EW, thankfully), I'd be raising holy hell with Tweeter and/or Panasonic for a replacement set.

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

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

my PT50LC13 lamp blew out last night. I owned the tv for 2 years and a month. Thank goodness I purchased the BB warranty! They actually keep the part in stock. Should have another within 8-10 business days. I m having a super bowl party for about 50 people and would be extremely pissed if my tv wasnt working.

Bought TV in 2/04 the 1st bulb blew in 11/04. Second bulb blew 10/05. When the 2nd bulb blew in 10/05 I started searching the net and forums for info on these Pany's. I found that these units seem to be having issues and that it is always with the bulbs or ballasts. Further research informed me that Pany has uped the bulb warranty on this model and that if the first (original) bulb goes out within 2 years and ANY replacement bulb even if it is 2nd, 3rd or more they will warranty for a full year even if you purchased from 3rd party. I called Pany customer support to see if this is true and they said it was and as long as I had a reciept for the TV and or replacement bulb they would send out a new one at no cost. The lady told me she would send a bulb and schedule a tech to come out since this was my second bulb all at no cost but I still haven't seen the tech and that was a couple of months ago. I did recieve my new bulb 3 days later at cost to me. I don't remeber the 800 number I called but you can find it on Pany's site listed as customer service.

ANYBODY WHO HAS BEEN RIPPED OFF :mad: BY THE SHORT LIFE OF THE LCD TELEVISION LAMP (lamp number TYLA1000) WHICH IS USED IN THE PANASONIC PT50LC13 TELEVISION SHOULD DEFINITELY CHECK OUT THIS LINK TO SIGN A PETITION TO PANASONIC...IT ONLY TAKES A MINUET & THOUSANDS HAVE SIGNED ALREADY !!!!!!!

:( OOOOOOK, the antispam filters for this forum automatically prevents me from posting the website address of the petition unless I first make 5 posts, THEN, I hopefully will be able to post the petition website on the 6th posting

SOOOOOO,

THIS will be POSTING 1 of 6

THIS WILL BE POSTING 2 of 6

This Is Posting 3 Of 6

This Is Posting 4 Of 6

THIS IS POSTING 5 OF 6

Ok now, I should be albe to give you that website on the next posting.....

Now that we've gotten by the AVS Forum's astute antispam filters, HERE IS THE WEBSITE...

http://www.**************.com/panbulb/petition.html

Hi All, okay so here is my scoop: yesterday, turned on my PT50LC13 which I've had for just over two years. Blinking green light for a minute, then shuts down, blinking red light with the LAMP light blinking every 5 seconds. So... consult my trusty manual, troubleshooting guide says "contact your local dealer", so before I call, I pull out the lamp assembly, and sure enough there are bits of broken glass inside the bulb, and the long glass element looks broken (I assume it attaches to the middle rear of the bulb. This one looks broken off). However, it does not look "blown" in the usual sense, no blackened glass or anything like that. I then call my local dealer, who orders me a new lamp to the tune of $450.

So anyway, I am reading these forums, and I am hearing a lot about ballast. Now I know what ballast is in regards to fluorescent lights... but what are we talking about here? Same thing? Anyone know what might be happening to my set? Anyone know how much it costs to replace the ballast? And more to the point, am I on the verge of replacing the lamp assembly, turning on the television, and then having it blow again? Sorry for all the rapidfire questions, but this got real expensive real quick... should I just go out and buy another HDTV?

I have the same problem as described above; however, when I examined the lamp it appeared to be ok - no glass particles and the bulb looked intact. Any idea as to what maybe the problem with my TV turning on?

I have the same problem as described above; however, when I examined the lamp it appeared to be ok - no glass particles and the bulb looked intact. Any idea as to what maybe the problem with my TV turning on?

I have a similar issue, but I think it's a bit different from everyting I've seen so far. I created a new thread since it seemed a new issue.

See thread 680731 (showthread.php?t=680731), "Panasonic PT50LC14 won't turn on"

Grr, sorry, system won't allow me to post URLs yet...

Gah! 2nd lamp gone. This one lasted like 18 mos....but I only average maybe 1-2 hr of TV a day (one power cycle). Guess I am going to have to pay for this one. I am really tempted to take this thing back to Costco....but feel bad for sticking them with it after 2yrs. Freakin' Panasonic piece of junk....last item I ever buy from them.

Freakin' Panasonic piece of junk....last item I ever buy from them.
Panasonic was famously known for its reliability and durability in the 1980s. Good old times have already gone and wasted.

Take a look here;
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=686490

check it out www.tvlampsettlement.com

Right. So which one of us is Matt Aragachi?

I'm on my 3rd lamp now for almost a year. If this one is gone before May 07, I'm qualified to receive $1,000 rebate or a new TV according to the settlement letter I received yesterday.

Fortunately (or unfortunately) for me, I have panasonic paid the 2nd lamp and my credit card company paid the balaster. I only paid for the 3rd lamp but expect to get my money back after the settlement is certified by the court this fall.

"A. An extended warranty until November 30, 2007, which covers Performance Problems if
you had a Performance Problem on or before May 31, 2006 and, if you did not, an extended
warranty which covers Performance Problems until May 31, 2007."

I blew my first bulb before 5/31/06, so as I read it I have until 11/30/07 to blow No. 3. Got that one last August, and its normal warranty would be until Aug. 06.

The judge will rule on the acceptability of the settlement in Sept. I'm not so sure he'll go for it ... seems like they're asking an awful lot. I mean, even if I pop No. 3, Panasonic has paid for each of the bulbs. Is it really fair to make them give me $1k/new DLP?

I'm hoping it does go through..

Another thing to note in the proposed settlement...

"You do not have to permit Panasonic to remove your TV at Issue if you elect the Rebate Certificate Remedy"

So if I blow my 3rd bulb before Nov 30,2007 I could get a new bulb under the extended warranty, then submit my claim form with Proof of 3 bulb replacements, request the $1000 rebate.

I would then have a working Pt50-LC13 and could go out and buy a nice $1500 Plasma or LCD & only pay $500 for it.

The rebate is only valid towards another Panasonic TV. Would you buy another Panasonic TV after this?

Is it really fair to make them give me $1k/new DLP?

Absolutely fair. I paid nearly $3k to purchase a brand new TV. And yet I have to replace lamp each year (regardless who paid for it) and about a month of waiting for the lamp to be delivered or replaced each time.

I already prepared to junk the TV when this 3rd lamp pops. It's just not worth the money to buy lamps one after another.

So let's pray my 3rd lamp pops soon. And I'm going to get a Plasma or LCD or anything that does not have projector lamps in it.

Would you buy another Panasonic TV after this?

If panasonic pays for 2/3 of it, lets me keep my PT50LC13 with a new bulb, and the new one doesn't rely on a lamp, I would.

Well my 3rd lamp just blew so I received the settlement notice in the mail. So are people taking the $1000 rebate or going with the new DLP? Any idea which model it would be?

The settlement is just a "proposed settlement" for now. It needs to be be ok'd by the judge on Sept 22.

For now, I'd just call Panasonic and get them to ship you a new bulb.

The settlement is just a "proposed settlement" for now. It needs to be be ok'd by the judge on Sept 22.

For now, I'd just call Panasonic and get them to ship you a new bulb.

Ahhhh, ok. Thanks for the info.

Well my 3rd lamp just blew so I received the settlement notice in the mail. So are people taking the $1000 rebate or going with the new DLP? Any idea which model it would be?
That's a tough one.

I'm going to wait until the signup period is nearing an end to decide. A new DLP is just another potential bulb problem set. I have never much liked plasmas, but they're slowly growing on me (which is how I'd use a $1k settlement).

I'll take it to the wire to decide ... IF the settlement is approved.

I just called for a replacement lamp and was told that my case was going to be reviewed by management, then a decision would be made to either replace the lamp or offer me a replacement television. I'll keep everyone updated.

I'm an owner of a PT-50LC13 and just received the class action lawsuit notification today. I'm curious if I got these papers due to my purchase at Best Buy or because of signing the online petition a few weeks ago (can't remember if I provided address info), but in any case, I'm sooooo happy to see this happening.

I bought my TV back in July 2004 and I'm now my 3rd lamp. These have been covered by the extended warranty I got at Best Buy, but when that runs out, I'd be hosed if it wasn't for this lawsuit. I also have a couple dead pixels at this point, which I can do nothing about. I have 2 21" LCD monitors by Viewsonic for my computer...and not one dead pixel, and they're a year older and on alot more!

It's so unfortunate that these model TVs had so many problems...I really do enjoy my TV but always have the worry of what's to happen next.

This lawsuit is absolutely great news, and I'm lookin' forward to buying a new TV with that $1000 certificate (hopefully, Panasonic has some nice flat panel LCDs at that time).

It still works but the picture is noticeably darker. So do I try to get a freeby from my retailer? Can I or is this normal bulb wear out and not subject to the extended warranty? It's been 2 years since my 'within warranty replacement of bulb'. Love the set but this is a bit of an issue---replace the bulb every 2 years, come on. I have a 20 year old Mitsubishi crt set --same picture tube.

Got word back from Panasonic that my DLP replacement may not happen since I've only had two lamps blow, not 3. My beef is, its obvious these TVs are defective (and I have a defective one, 2 lamps in 2000hrs? Come on...). The reps I've spoken with (Marty and Warren I believe) have been friendly, but I am not sure how much power they have in the matter. They are going to try and push it through.

Honestly, I went to Costco today and talked to them about it. They said just take it back to them for a full refund. I would have to hire movers probably since I no longer own a truck, but TVs cost like a thousand less now it seems for comparable models. If I don't hear positive word by next week, it's going back. I REFUSE to waste everyone's time by getting another lamp. It's a new Panasonic DLP or Costco return at this point.

Let me know how it goes, Ithaca...sounds like we are in the same boat. But if your 3rd lamp blew, I don't see what the hold up would be for you. They made it sound like the 3rd going would seal the deal.

I would skip the Panasonic DLP and go the Costco route. Fortunately Best Buy replaced my LC13 with a new Sony LCD that is way better.

Good luck!

I would skip the Panasonic DLP and go the Costco route. Fortunately Best Buy replaced my LC13 with a new Sony LCD that is way better.


Yeah, I kind of want to. But A) I feel like a shmuck taking it back to Costco after 2 years, even if they don't seem to mind and B) It's a hassle, rather someone just bring me a new working TV and take the other one away.

I want to give Panasonic a chance to make things right, but I am not going to be strung along either.

I did the Costco return on my PT60LCX63 and haven't regretted it. Costco was extremely nice and almost encouraged me to return it after I told them that I'd had a lamp blow and then a tuner fail in 1.5 years.

I just got a KDf-E42A10 about 2 weeks ago I already have about 125 hours on it in those 2 weeks. I hope it can last me a year lol. I hope to get a new bulb each year.

What is the risk if I wait till the lamp does not work anymore before I replace? Any problem with damaging the balast?

ok i got the settlement claim form last week and i'm a bit confused about what to do and emailing/calling the lamp settlement people has not helped.

is anyone that bought the pt50lc13 (i bought mine in june 2004) automatically enrolled/involved in the settlement or do we need to fill out this claim form they sent us? also i have had 2 lamp failures, both which panasonic replaced for free, so do i need to send in proof of these failures for the extension of the warranty or what? and what proof do i need to send in if i do...they only send packing slips with the replacement lamps. the claim form is kinda unclear on what to do/send in if you have had less than 3 failures and just want to be part of the settlement and part of the extension of the warranty until the end of 2007.

greg

You have until some time in 2007 to join the suit. You are not automatically enrolled, you have to send the form in. You need to provide some proof of failure to qualify.

If I were you (and I am in a similar position) I would just wait and hope for failure #3 ... this qualifies you for the maximum remedy. There is no rush to send the paperwork in.

You have until some time in 2007 to join the suit. You are not automatically enrolled, you have to send the form in. You need to provide some proof of failure to qualify.

If I were you (and I am in a similar position) I would just wait and hope for failure #3 ... this qualifies you for the maximum remedy. There is no rush to send the paperwork in.

Yup...same situation here. Julu 2004...2 failures so far (covered by Best Buy warranty) and waiting for that 3rd failure. As soon as it happens, I'm all over this lawsuit...but it was just installed last month.

Hmm...maybe I should leave the TV on 24/7 :p

This is the first time I've been sorry to have one of the good ones! <g> Still on my first bulb after 2 1/2 years.

I just got off the phone with Panasonic and they still have not reviewed my case. The ball has been in their court since last Monday (June 5th) when I faxed them all of my receipts, so obviously this has gone beyond just a minor annoyance. I've been without any sort of television in my house for a week and a half and they still haven't proposed a solution to me. Frustrating.

That's really annoying. WTF? It was their idea to ponder whether to replace the bulb or the whole set, it's not like you demanded it .... The asses.

let's all shake our tv's really hard he he

would the packing slips they sent with the 2 free replacements and hopefully a 3rd soon qualify as proof of failure?

greg

would the packing slips they sent with the 2 free replacements and hopefully a 3rd soon qualify as proof of failure?

greg
I think it will. It's the only documentation Pan. provided. I know they have me using the same "case no." for each incident, so their records would almost certainly be subject to subpoena for support too.

yah they did the same thing for me on my 2nd replacement asked for the case number for the 1st replacement. at least panasonic is efficient. i got both my replacements in 2 days

[QUOTE=AcuraCL]You have until some time in 2007 to join the suit. You are not automatically enrolled, you have to send the form in. You need to provide some proof of failure to qualify.

It is my understanding that class actions are all in unless you opt out. So I think your in, you just won't be compensated for any damages after 2007.

Tom

[QUOTE=AcuraCL]You have until some time in 2007 to join the suit. You are not automatically enrolled, you have to send the form in. You need to provide some proof of failure to qualify.

It is my understanding that class actions are all in unless you opt out. So I think your in, you just won't be compensated for any damages after 2007.

Tom
Ok, I understand your correction/clarification ... the point being if you don't declare that you've had a multiple failure or a bulb failure, they don't know, so your only automatic inclusion is in an extended warranty.

"November 30, 2007: Postmark Deadline for Claim Form submission"
http://www.tvlampsettlement.com/

If you don't send in a form, you don't get the booty.

I have a 50 inch lcd Panasonic rptv. Bought it September 2003. The lamp failed in May 2004. Panasonic replaced the lamp under warranty--installation and all. Two years later it's June 2006, the tv display says 'Lamp needs replacement'. But the picture is still ok, a little darker but by no means unacceptable. I hear about all this class action law suit here, I get a notice in the mail formally telling me about the class action suit. So I call Panasonic in an effort to get a freebee lamp. Doesn't work. They will not honor my request. I must buy one. I do buy a lamp for $300. So I am trying to decide if I run any risks if I run a few more months on my old lamp until it fails. Will the ballast fail? If so I guess I should replace it now. But what if when Panasonic replaced my 1st bulb they did not reset the timer? Then I would be getting an indication of way too many hours on my current 'in the set' tv.

So questions:

How do I read my current lamp usage?
When (after how many hours, turn ons, whatever) is the 'change lamp' message supposed to display?
If my lamp is on its last legs will I run any risks (ballast?) to run it for more time?

Why doesn't Panasonic realize I will never buy another Panasonic product if they don't employ some sort of extended warranty on this in lieu of some class action law suit?

This is the first time I've been sorry to have one of the good ones! <g> Still on my first bulb after 2 1/2 years.

No doubt. Same here, except with the other non-lamp related issues I've had. I'm getting more and more tempted to just sell it, probably for $2500 less than I paid.

When I talked to the representative on Tuesday afternoon, he said they would be contacting me within 24 hours with a response. Well as you can guess I didn't hear back from them. So I called again this afternoon and my case is still pending. I was told to call back on Sunday......

Great news!!!..... I have heard back from Panasonic. They are offering a replacement television PT56DLX75. I'm off to do some research on this model so if anyone has any info about the set, it would be much appreciated.

Awesome Ithaca. Thanks for the update.

*crossing fingers AND toes hoping for blowout #3*

The reviews of PT56DLX75 have been decent but I haven't been able to locate this model anywhere in the area. Obviously it would be nice to look at this set myself before agreeing to the exchange. I can't talk to the representative until Monday but I'll keep you guys updated.

What's to know? The Panasonic DLP's are positioned a step up from that company's LCD RPTV's. You can't go wrong.

You might ask the Rep if the PT56DLX actually has a QAM tuner (like their website says) because I see no evidence in the user manual or in actual use that the set has this valued feature.

On the + side, SD PQ with a Directv feed is very good. And, a 56" screen will make a 50" screen seem small.

On the - side, the knock against the PT56DLX is that there's no access to the service menu for videophile fine-tuning. Also, the current cost for a replacement lamp is $314--noticably more expensive than the sales leader in the DLP market. Further, for reasons touched on below, the lamp probably will not be carried over to the 1080p sets so there is not much hope of economy through standardization in the future.

About the lamp, it comes with an 18-mo warranty (on a new TV purchase) with a 1-yr warranty on the replacement bulb. Not bad at all. Unlike some of the competition who use 120-and-150 watt bulbs, the Panny bulb is only 100 watts. Maybe the HD2+ non-wobulated chip doesn't waste as much light and maybe a 100 watt bulb will last longer than the hotter burning lamps. Who knows, and time will tell.

Ultimately, what sells me on the PT56DLX is wow-factor and amazing bang-for-the-buck. I won't let this TV drain my bank account. I have 3-yrs before I even have to worry about paying for a lamp, 4-yrs of TV warranty, and at least 7-yrs before the total cost of the 56" DLP + EW + lamps (at current price) exceeds $2000. I can live with that!

Has anyone had BB allow a return on the set under the extended warranty? I went over there and they said I was out of luck.

I have accepted the replacement set so here's a few notes in case this happens to anyone else soon....

1. I asked about the warranty on this replacement set and was told that there was no specific warranty on it because I'm receiving it as a replacement set. The only warranty that would be honored would be whatever I transferred over from the original purchase.

2. I paid $300 for the first replacement lamp and the proposed settlement states that lamp should have been covered by Panasonic. I was told that I should contact the claims administrator once the settlement has been made. They would decide my compensation.

3. The exchange will take about 2 weeks to complete. That makes a full month without television and a full month of a wasted cable bill. Ugh.

But damn, I'm excited to get this new set up and running!!

I've been through two bulbs, on my third. I can't take the DLP exchange 'cause single chip gives me a headache (that's why I bought the LCD in the first place). BB says the unit has to have 4 repairs before they call it a lemon.

I thought you guys might enjoy the story of what I've gone through to get the replacement set so here goes.....

When I talked to the panasonic representative on June 19th, she answered all of my questions and I told her that I would contact her the next day informing her of my decision. Well on the next day I called and left her a message saying that I had accepted the offer and asked if she could please call me back to confirm. I didn't hear from her for a few days so I called again on the 22nd basically leaving the same message. I still hadn't heard from her by the 27th so I called and talked to someone else. Well, it turns out my representative was on vacation through the end of the month. So when I told her that I was going to contact her on the next day, she didn't even inform me of her vacation time or hand me off to a different representative. Thanks.

So the ball finally got rolling on the 27th and I was told that the replacement would take 7-10 business days. With the holiday weekend of the 4th coming up I figured it would be closer to 10 days. Well here is is July 12th and I still haven't heard from the local dealer to set up a delivery time. So I decided to call the local dealer to get an update. I got an answering machine saying "Our business is closed from July 10th through the 14th for a full business vacation. We will be reopening on the 17th". :eek:

So now my couch has been facing a broken television for the past 6+ weeks. And there is no end in sight yet.

I have had 2 ballasts go bad, without the bulb blowing the second time. Does a ballast count as a "perfomance failure" in the law suit?

I have had 2 ballasts go bad, without the bulb blowing the second time. Does a ballast count as a "perfomance failure" in the law suit?
I'm not a lawyer, and I don't play one on tv, and I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Select last night, but the web page: http://www.tvlampsettlement.com/

says, "The goal of the Settlement is to provide relief to Settlement Class Members who have experienced, or may in the future experience, problems with the lamps in their TV at Issue."

To me, lamp is lamp.

OTOH, I wish I could include my LCD panels themselves. My second cluster of bad pixels has just appeared (red). I'm going to be calling the ext. warranty guys in the next couple of days.

Anyone have an update with what happened at the Fairness Hearing back on the 22nd?

Hello All. I am new to this site and thread. I found it by googling Pt60LCX63 and repair. I've owned this set since Feb, 2004. I purchased a new lamp in July 2005 and last night the unit failed again, but different symptoms. I am wondering if anyone has had the following problem:

I turn on the set, it comes up normally, the picture appears, then operates for 10 to 20 seconds, then turns it self off. After turning itself off, the on-off switch light blinks red, the fan motor stays on and the lamp light blinks red about once every 3 seconds. This continues forever or at least overnight!

I can turn it on again and it will do the same thing. If I unplug the unit, the red blinking on-off lamp goes off, and turns green when you power it up.

I performed the exercise to observe the hours on the lap, about 540 hours and about 350 on-offs. The set turned itself off again after displaying this info.

My bulb is not bad, at least not in the burned out sense. I inspected it and there are no broken bits, no discoloration.

I read all the stuff about the problems of others and the lawsuit. I called Panasonic repair and they referred me to the lawsuit phone number.

So, I am in a quandary. It seems that the proposed settlement may take months to complete and then who knows how long before they fix anything. I've read about the ballast problems but I don't know if that is what I have.

I had a problem soon after buying this set. It refused to turn on with a blinking red light, and the dealer swapped it out for a different unit.

I did not get a lawsuit notice in the mail but I have requested the claim form.

I would appreciate any information that anyone might have. I found a repair manual on eBay for this TV and I should have it in a few days. I will be pleased to share any information from this manual.

Thanks.

Does anyone care the the PT-56DLX75 replacement only has 1280x720 resolution compared to the 1920X1080 of the PT-50LC13.

Also the replacement does not have the DVI input nor picture-in-a-picture capability.

Anyone have an update with what happened at the Fairness Hearing back on the 22nd?

Check the settlement page... updated to show that the settlement "Received Final Approval" on 9/22.

[QUOTE=masterdon]Does anyone care the the PT-56DLX75 replacement only has 1280x720 resolution compared to the 1920X1080 of the PT-50LC13.
[QUOTE]

Nope... especially since the PT-50LC13 is only 1280x720, too.

I'm on my 3rd lamp. This time the lamp light indicator comes on and I've taken the lamp out but it does not appear to be shattered. Is there a way to test the lamp extenally from the TV?

Thanks

So I had my PT50LC13 on last night and hear a pop and then a sizzle type noise. And off goes the TV, never to come back on again. I purchased the TV in Sept. 2003, I'm I covered under the class action?

Has anyone received a replacement yet for the PT-50LC13, PT-60LC13, PT-50LCX63 or PT-60LCX63? If so what are they replacing it with?

My PT-50LC13 is own for the third time.

I'm also very interested in this as I also have this set. It's been in disrepair 6 times in 4 years. It's back in the shop once again for 17 days and counting. Panasonic blows me off everytime I call. Any info will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

I have called the lamp settlement number and left my info but have never recieved a call back. From what I have heard the replacement for my pt50lc13 is a panasonic 56" dlp (PT 56dlx75) I'm not sure if thats correct or not but I've read on another forum that was the set they recieved

Could you please supply the phone number? Thanks

1(866) 579-1850 Thats the only number I have. The only problem is it's all automated and you have to leave your info for a live person to call you back. I left mine about a week ago and stilll no response.

Thanks for the number:)

what's the scoop on the class action, and what problems are you guys having.

The tuner is flaky on my 60lcx63. Sometimes both the cable and antenna tuner just decides not to work. Then maybe the next day it starts working again.

Here is the URL for the settlement http://www.tvlampsettlement.com/faq.php3.

The problems are related to the bulbs.

I have a PT-50DL54 can I get in on this?

The class action is only going to apply to 4 sets (pt50lc13, pt60lc13, pt50lcx63 and pt60lx63) as of right now. I have heard of owners of different set wanting to try to set up a class action for they're sets because of similar problems, but I'm not sure of the model numbers.

The class action is only going to apply to 4 sets (pt50lc13, pt60lc13, pt50lcx63 and pt60lx63) as of right now. I have heard of owners of different set wanting to try to set up a class action for they're sets because of similar problems, but I'm not sure of the model numbers.

thanks!

Do I qualify?

I purchased a PT-60LC13 in June, 2004. I bought the 5-year extended warranty.

Twice, I have replaced the TY-LA1000 lamp, at no cost to me. (Panasonic sent new bulbs, I returned broken ones.)

Also, I had a system board failure. It was replaced under warranty by authorized service.

Do these qualify as three "Performance Problems"?