Sorry the internal mount.

I don't recall seeing anything like that when I replaced my first lamp a few months back. I would check to be sure your filter is clean and that nothing is reducing the airflow for cooling of the set. As long as it doesn't get worse to where it affects lamp alignment it may be OK? Just guessing.... maybe you have a lamp that is running hotter than normal?

I'm getting wavy line thing on component inputs and an intermitent blinking timer light. I'll hold off a little bit to see if they don't get worse (or to see if you guys come up with some solutions :), but since it seems like at least the wavy line fix is not yet known - I'm starting the new TV research instead of looking at a full chasis replacement. I'm very disapointed in the quality as I'm about to throw out a TV WAY before I thought I would. At least shopping is fun...

Well I am about the send my entire chassis to PTS for rebuild. Before I do I wanted to check one last possibility. Does anyone know if the blinking green light can be caused by a light engine/lamp issue?

I don't recall seeing anything like that when I replaced my first lamp a few months back. I would check to be sure your filter is clean and that nothing is reducing the airflow for cooling of the set. As long as it doesn't get worse to where it affects lamp alignment it may be OK? Just guessing.... maybe you have a lamp that is running hotter than normal?

I clean my filter every time I clean the dust out of my set.

Hi guys I talked with Harry Shulman the attorney that is putting the Class action lawsuit together on Mitsubishi. He is trying to get some of US Replacement TV , some will get Money back Or longer warranty.
But when you email him you need to give him all of your problems with TV and any money out of pocket
The more people that sign up the Better it will be for US
harry@millslawfirm.com
http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8887

I am still waiting on a reply from the complaint I filed with the BBB... Mitsubishi has yet to respond. Funny that they have a solid rating on there, but have failed to respond to my complaints even after a month :rolleyes:

Well I am about the send my entire chassis to PTS for rebuild. Before I do I wanted to check one last possibility. Does anyone know if the blinking green light can be caused by a light engine/lamp issue?

I haven't heard of it. Replacing the chassis did the trick for JoeC. I believe the light engine/lamp gets exercised during power-on (not at the plug-in boot) and causes a red lamp light if a problem is encountered. But I couldn't assert that with 100% certainty unless I monitored the DMD inputs during boot (which I haven't done).

I believe the light engine/lamp gets exercised during power-on (not at the plug-in boot) and causes a red lamp light if a problem is encountered.

I think noplasma is right on this. You might try what Lee did in post 5226, disconnecting the 4 pin power connector FC to the FMT board to see if the set will stop flashing and complete boot. If so, try replacing the caps on the FMT. (if you haven't already?)

Dumb question: Did you make sure you observed polarity when installing the new caps?

tublly, I was careful about how I installed the caps & I double checked...they are on correctly.

Ruckus,
Short detected means that one of the DC voltage lines are shorted to ground.
It's a protection shutdown. So you need to probe all the DC lines to find which one is shorted and then track down which component is shorted.

Since the TV was working before your work, then the short is probably localized to the power board but it could still be on another board.
1st I would isolate the power board.

Hipnotiq, how do I check where the DC voltage lines have shorted? The soldering was a 1st time thing for me, so checking voltage will be even more interesting for me...

I couldn't wait any longer. ......

I cracked the seal on my 52725 that is under warranty but has the wavy lines.

I took the format board from the 52725 that is having the flashing power problem and put it in the working 52725. I got the flashing green power led problem on the working tv. (Kind of what I expected since I could remove the FC (power) connection on the format board and the flashing power Led tv would boot and stop flashing.)

So the format board is definitely causing the flashing power light problem.

I will swap all the boards one at a time from the flashing power led tv to the good tv to verify all the boards work.

During my board swapping I am going to see if I can eliminate the wavy lines on the tv that boots and narrow it down to a board. Hopefully I can do this without putting the shields back on.

Update:
I swapped all the boards into the wavy line tv one at a time except for the format board because that one was bad and ALL the boards(Terminal 1 & 2, DM, Power and Signal) worked but I still had wavy lines present.

So either the 2nd tv with the blinking power Led has the wavy lines problem also or the problem resides in the format board.

I have my Xbox 360 hooked up to component 1 and I have noticed if I change my Xbox 360 to 720p to 1080i the lines are worse so maybe it is something in the format board.

I will send the format board to PTScorp so they can rebuild it and when I get it back I can try it in the wavy lines tv to see if that was the problem.

Also, I took pics of all the boards in case someone needs them.
Terminal 2 board- http://img156.imageshack.us/my.php?image=terminal2ho4.jpg
DM Board - http://img256.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dmhv1.jpg
Format Board - http://img169.imageshack.us/my.php?image=formatpk2.jpg
Power Board - http://img153.imageshack.us/my.php?image=powerda6.jpg
Signal Board - http://img186.imageshack.us/my.php?image=signalbl6.jpg

Here is a list of all the larger Caps on all the boards. The red ones are the ones I have replaced and it also has Digi-Key's part#.
There are a few 1000uF 10v caps that I replaced with 1000uF 16v caps.
All caps I went with are rated for 105DegC.
http://img266.imageshack.us/my.php?image=capssk8.jpg

I saw iSean's pictures on page 160-something. Here are mine. Is this what others are seeing for the waving lines?

Forgive the flash feedback, camera didn't want to take the picture without it

PS-since I just checked and my HDMI input does not have the same lines,like others, looks like I don't don't need to go the new TV route. I can use the Receiver to do the video switching, and send one HDMI output from all my sources, to the TV. Total reprogram of all the remotes, and a rewire, but much better than the alternatives.

I saw iSean's pictures on page 160-something. Here are mine. Is this what others are seeing for the waving lines?

Forgive the flash feedback, camera didn't want to take the picture without it

PS-since I just checked and my HDMI input does not have the same lines,like others, looks like I don't don't need to go the new TV route. I can use the Receiver to do the video switching, and send one HDMI output from all my sources, to the TV. Total reprogram of all the remotes, and a rewire, but much better than the alternatives.

Yep thats what mine looks like in SD. Supposedly the FMT board is to come in this week at the repair shop. I'll let everyone know what happens.

Stephen

Lee,

Thanks for the info! I didn't send my FMT board to PTS--I sent my DM and Power. I did replace the 1000uf caps in the format board but its still nogo for me. At least the FMT board is easy to get to. I might crack the chassis open again and re-inspect the FMT board. Thanks again.

I will send the format board to PTScorp so they can rebuild it and when I get it back I can try it in the wavy lines tv to see if that was the problem.Sounds like a plan. Glad you decided to tear into it now. I was going to suggest that the warranty seal was a bit of a joke, easily circumvented. Before you ship the board, I would mark it in such a way that will help identify if the one you get back from them is yours, and be sure to carefully note what components were replaced. Marking the larger components prior to shipping might help in this.Supposedly the FMT board is to come in this week at the repair shop. I'll let everyone know what happens.We eagerly await the results. Sounds like we're making steady progress. I feel it's just a matter of time before we know the cause of the dreaded waves.

mzorola, sorry to hear that your 'repaired' boards didn't fix your problem(s), especially after the long wait for them. I admire your patience. I think I would have put my foot through the front of the TV by now.

Well - I replaced around 40 caps (mostly in the PS and Signal boards today). Unfortunatley I still have the "lines" on ALL inputs until the standby supply(ies) get warmed up. Afterwards, I have VERY faint lines on component only.

I guess, if I really want to narrow this down, I need to get some freeze mist and start shooting boards through the shields. (tough to run the set taken apart - for me anyway) I'm bummed. A lot of work today and no positive outcome.

Freeze mist would at least narrow me down to a board. I could then focus on component level if needed.

Or....wait to see what others find. :-) (nah- I'll see what I can do.)


p.s. I changed several caps on the Term2 board as well.

Looking at the FMT board there doesn't appear to be much to suspect for failure. There are only 4 large caps and I replaced those. Any ideas what else I should look at on the FMT board?

mzorola.... I replaced the caps on mine also and looked it over MANY times and found nothing but it is definitely what is causing my flashing power Led problem.

Did you check the surface mount fuses on the board?
Did you check the high wattage resistors(R8H10 and R8H20) and make sure the solder joints are good.

I am going to get mine sent out this week.

Lee,

Did you check the fuses on the FMT board? I know I checked the fuses on the DM and Power board but I don't think I checked the FMT board fuses.

Well - I replaced around 40 caps (mostly in the PS and Signal boards today). Unfortunatley I still have the "lines" on ALL inputs until the standby supply(ies) get warmed up. Afterwards, I have VERY faint lines on component only.

I guess, if I really want to narrow this down, I need to get some freeze mist and start shooting boards through the shields. (tough to run the set taken apart - for me anyway) I'm bummed. A lot of work today and no positive outcome.

Freeze mist would at least narrow me down to a board. I could then focus on component level if needed.

Or....wait to see what others find. :-) (nah- I'll see what I can do.)


p.s. I changed several caps on the Term2 board as well.Your effort is appreciated tbully. If you do use the freeze mist, try and hit those Schottky center tap diodes on the power board first. mzorola noticed that these were replaced by PTSCorp when he sent the board back for repair. There are two of them, side by side next to the 3300uf caps, attached to large heat sinks. They are a part of the power supply to all the boards and get quite hot. Since there are strong suspicions that the problem lies with the FMT board, I would try that next. Good luck.

Your effort is appreciated tbully. If you do use the freeze mist, try and hit those Schottky center tap diodes on the power board first. mzorola noticed that these were replaced by PTSCorp when he sent the board back for repair. There are two of them, side by side next to the 3300uf caps, attached to large heat sinks. They are a part of the power supply to all the boards and get quite hot. Since there are strong suspicions that the problem lies with the FMT board, I would try that next. Good luck.

I plan on stopping by my favorite electronics store in the next day or so to pick up a few cans. I'll let everyone know how it goes.

tublly, I was careful about how I installed the caps & I double checked...they are on correctly.

You might also try taking a magnifying glass and checking the entire modified board for splattered solder. I made that mistake while replacing a cap on a LCD monitor recently -- after I removed the solder splatter, it worked fine.

I plan on stopping by my favorite electronics store in the next day or so to pick up a few cans. I'll let everyone know how it goes.

It's interesting that your first round of cap replacements improved the wavy lines *somewhat*. So it seems there may be several contributing factors involved.

Using freeze spray sounds like a good approach. I agree with delar's recommendation to check the Schotty diodes. Also look at the voltage regs -- I've read that they've been known to become damaged when in the vicinity of swollen caps.

Thanks for the excellent work you're doing & for sharing all the results. A worthwhile parallel effort would be for someone with an oscilloscope to check the noise levels of the power rails and check the power conditioning and analog signal paths for noise introduction.

After reading of how many people are having problems with the wavy lines, it makes me wonder if I need to do another cap survey / replacement round. On one hand, I hate to work on a perfectly functional TV for fear of messing something up. On the other hand, I fear these swollen caps may be damaging other components which in turn is causing the wavy lines. I know that sometimes unanticipated noise can cause positive feedbacks and ringing resulting in overshoots that overstress one or more parts.

After reading of how many people are having problems with the wavy lines, it makes me wonder if I need to do another cap survey / replacement round. On one hand, I hate to work on a perfectly functional TV for fear of messing something up. On the other hand, I fear these swollen caps may be damaging other components which in turn is causing the wavy lines. I know that sometimes unanticipated noise can cause positive feedbacks and ringing resulting in overshoots that overstress one or more parts.

I have the same fear. My set is working. Now, if I unplug it and let everything (the standbys) cool down, my picture sucks for about 5 minutes while it warms. That voice in my head is screaming "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". The component issue is still here though but it's certainly watchable and I only see it on really dark scenes. I also don't want to leave all the folks here hangin'.

This could still be a cap issue, sure. I didn't replace ALL of them, although it feels like it. :rolleyes: Thermal issues can just as easily (and even more likely?) be a semiconductor issue.

Again, knowing that it's a thermal issue (at least in my case), freeze mist and a hair dryer is the best "next step" that I know of.

Wow, I have spent the past 2 days (on and off) reading about issues and I have the same issues many are having in this thread (wavy lines) and now, I have the green blinking light of death. I bought my 62525 4 years ago and purchased the extended 5 year warranty through Fry's. Has anyone had any luck in getting their TV fixed? I've read a few pages here and there, but didn't really see anyone mentioning if they got their TV fixed under warranty.

My wavy line issue is only noticed on dark scenes using component cable. I have since discontinued using component and only use hdmi with an hdmi switcher and I no longer have that problem. Luckily, I only use my TV to watch movies and some HD stuff with my cable, so the wavy line issue isn't a big deal to me, but I still have it.

My blinking green light happened on a power outage. Typically, when the power to my house trips, the tv will blink its green light in rapid sucession. Ususally, turning off the surge protector (leave it off for 30 seconds) and then turning it back on, after a minute, it'll stop blinking. Alas, the green light failed to stop blinking after several shut downs, so I called in a warranty fix with Fry's. I haven't heard from them yet, but Fry's tells me that some repair company will contact me to set an appointment and I was wondering what other's experiences were in going this route. I'm not much of an electronics DIYer, so this is really my only route to get it fixed. Thanks.

Simon,

You described my situation to the letter! Unfortunately I did not buy the extended warranty so after 3 years I have a $4K conversation piece!

Simon,

You described my situation to the letter! Unfortunately I did not buy the extended warranty so after 3 years I have a $4K conversation piece!
After going back and reading additional posts, I do see we are in the same boat. I haven't read a success story yet of a problem being fixed, so I'm worried that I'll have a 62" conversational piece as well :(

The component issue is still here though but it's certainly watchable and I only see it on really dark scenes. I also don't want to leave all the folks here hangin'.

Check out this link:

http://en.allexperts.com/q/TV-VCR-Stereo-1749/mitsubishi-widescreen-picture.htm

This looks exactly like your problem but involves a Mits *CRT* RPTV set build in 2003. So it appears this may be a common electrical chassis problem across multiple Mits brands. I share your gut feeling that it's probably not a capacitor that's experiencing this thermal dependency. If anything, I would expect a compromised capacitor lose its ability to store charge as it heats, not vice-versa (heat increases conductivity and tunneling effects).

For the record, I still think its caps that's causing the *non-temperature-dependent* issue that many people here are experiencing -- this is based on the fact that your cap repair removed most of the ripple and reduced the problem to the present temperature-dependent one. So in my view, you've already found a 95% fix for the primary problem people are facing -- that is, replace the 1000 uF clusters on the FMT and DM boards (and perhaps on the Power and Signal boards too). I'd be interested in seeing the result of someone else trying that fix. Now I believe you're working on the final 5% solution, which probably won't help people who haven't done the cap replacements.

Nevertheless, that would be cool if you pinpointed the component causing teh remaining portion of the problem.

After going back and reading additional posts, I do see we are in the same boat. I haven't read a success story yet of a problem being fixed, so I'm worried that I'll have a 62" conversational piece as well :(

Several sites I've visited have diagnosed the blinking green light problem as being caused by a bad DM board. I think they are basing this logic on an identified problem with older Mits RPTV's (not DLPs) where a bad capacitor problem (on the DM board) caused these symptoms. That doesn't seem to be the case with these DLP models. Several people here have tried replacing DM cards without luck -- so don't let your service tech try that. Insist on them replacing the entire electrical chassis (or giving you a new TV). Since you have the EW, they definitely owe you a working TV.

Several sites I've visited have diagnosed the blinking green light problem as being caused by a bad DM board.

Here's a link that may help some who have tried the caps and still have the blinking green light: http://www.techlore.com/forum/thread/20536/wd-62525-issue/ (see reply)

I know there was a cap issue on the DM boards for the older rear projection tv's that caused the blinking green power led.. I have that model too. (WS-55613)

My blinking green light on my WD-52725 is the format board. Verified it over the weekend. The person I bought the tv from had a tech come out and diagnose it and he said it was the DM board. (Not true in this case)

What I found interesting is that missing one ground screw on the board during re-assembly could cause it too. Of course it could have also been something else missed during assembly and blamed on the screw?

The flashing green light simply means that the set has not completed the boot cycle. There are many reasons that this might occur. The most common is the DM module. A bad EEPROM, a bad signal board, or a bad FMT board could also cause the problem. How have you determined that the FMT is the problem?

I have 2 52725 tv's and I took the format board out of the tv that has the flashing green power Led problem and put it in my working set and the problem followed the board. Plus when I disconnected the power cable going to the format board the tv would boot.

Very interesting. Disconnecting the power to the FMT leads me to wonder if the problem is not PS related. Have you experimented with leaving the set unplugged for extended periods? Will it boot then? One of the things that I keep finding is the high DA on the larger Jamicon caps. This could be playing havoc with the reset circuits.

It is not the power supply. I swapped all the boards one at a time into the working tv and all of them work except for the format board which gives the flashing power led problem. I am sending the format board out to PTSscorp hopefully tomorrow. Yes, It was unplugged for days. Still did not work.

I think the wavy line issue is the format board too. Hopefully I can prove it when the board comes back from PTSCorp.

I called PTScorp and they want $228 to repair the format board. Seems strange since a whole chassis rebuild is $295. I questioned it but she insisted that was the price.

They also say the part number is a 930B924002 which is for a wd-52525 instead of a 930B924003 which the manual shows is for a wd-52725. Are they the same boards?

Does anyone know how much the board is through Mitsu?

Thanks

Does anyone know how much the board is through Mitsu?

I believe JoeC paid $200 for a signal board and $300 for a DM board, so I bet a format board would also be in that range. Since you need to go through a authorized Mits dealer, you'd probably need to pay out extra to have them as your intermediary. PTSCorp is probably the best bet for 'outsiders' like us.

I believe JoeC paid $200 for a signal board and $300 for a DM board, so I bet a format board would also be in that range.

Yes, that is what they cost me. Although Mits won't sell you the board they did give me retail pricing and availability over the phone so you can give that a try?
(those prices were with trading in the old boards.)

Several sites I've visited have diagnosed the blinking green light problem as being caused by a bad DM board. I think they are basing this logic on an identified problem with older Mits RPTV's (not DLPs) where a bad capacitor problem (on the DM board) caused these symptoms. That doesn't seem to be the case with these DLP models. Several people here have tried replacing DM cards without luck -- so don't let your service tech try that. Insist on them replacing the entire electrical chassis (or giving you a new TV). Since you have the EW, they definitely owe you a working TV.

noplasma, thanks for the advice, so the DM board is probably not the issue as evidenced from past posts, but perhaps replacing the electrical chasis is the way to go. Are there any success stories on that?

I'd love just to get a new TV, but fear it will require much complaining and what not to get it done. I guess I'll do what ever it takes though.

Thanks for everyone's help.
I called Mitsu and they did give me the price. $325 and it is in stock and like you said I can't order it.
I then tried calling around to see if someone would order it for me. I found a place out of Cali who said they would order it for a cost of around $480.

I just decided to ship the board to PTScorp and sent it out today. I marked all the larger components so hopefully I get the same board back.

Here is another link I found on the flashing power light.
http://www.techlore.com/forum/thread/19524/Mitsubishi-WD-62725-Status-Light/

Was that $480 with the trade of the old board?

No, A new board. No exchange. I will double check tomorrow when she calls back. Since I am in Co she said it may be a little cheaper because of tax. She is going to give me the exact price tomorrow. I probably could have did a little more calling locally to find someone but I am at work and I already wasted a bunch of time on hold with Mitsu. What a crap hole that place is. At first they said I couldn't order the board but told me to call the customer relations number and after sitting on hold waiting for them the guy said I couldn't order it but if I call back again to parts they might sell it.

Well...it looks like my issue is with the Power Board. Where can I buy a replacement Power board for a 52525?

I'm guessing Mitsu won't sell one to me directly so I need to locate a retailer. Any ideas?

Well...it looks like my issue is with the Power Board. Where can I buy a replacement Power board for a 52525?

I'm guessing Mitsu won't sell one to me directly so I need to locate a retailer. Any ideas?

It seems likely this short condition was created during the cap solder repair. If you're unable to identify the location of the short, then your best bet is to send your power board to PTSCorp for repair.

I have an appt. today (this afternoon) with a local repair shop to come to my home to see if they can fix the green blinking light problem. I'm interested to see what they try to do to fix the TV. I'll update this thread after they fix (or don't fix) the TV.

I'll probably also address the wavy line issue on component.

I finally got my TV back yesterday. I had an extended warranty so I let the local dealer (after 50 phone calls) take it and replace 4 boards. It doesn't say on my invoice exactly what they replaced. I know the FMT was one of them. I believe from glancing at the tech's sheet, the other three were the T2, the DM, and the power pwb's.

The picture quality improved greatly (the scrolling horizontal noise and the waviness are gone) but the flickering pixels are still there exactly how they were before.

So I need them to take it back and replace more stuff I guess. Not sure what will happen if they can't fix it.

From going through this thread I don't believe anyone has found a solution to the flickering pixels from the VGA input. Very discouraging.

I am actually a little skeptical that they even replaced the FMT board. The tech listed 4 boards, and said it would take two weeks to get parts. It was three weeks as of last Friday so I called and they said one of the boards was on back order until Feb. But later that day they called me to schedule a pick up. I told the scheduler that one of the boards was on back order but she was clueless.

So I let them take the TV on Monday and the movers didn't know anything either of course. They returned in about 50 or so hours which was impressive, and the guys who dropped it off said they replaced all 4 boards so no need to schedule another pick up, but judging by the flickering pixels still there, I am guessing they weren't all replaced.

And a note for anyone replacing boards, there is some burn in time. When I first turned on the set I almost cried, as everything looked like complete garbage. It took about 20-30 minutes for everything to settle in.

And a note for anyone replacing boards, there is some burn in time. When I first turned on the set I almost cried, as everything looked like complete garbage. It took about 20-30 minutes for everything to settle in.

Could you explain "garbage" for 20-30 minutes? This sounds like my issue.

Thanks jdwk. We strongly suspect that the waves originate from the FMT board, so since you're TV has been cured of them, I suspect the FMT was one of the boards changed. Your flickering pixels on VGA have me puzzled. I wish there was some way you could capture them so we can see what they look like, but I personally would not describe what I'm seeing on my VGA as flickering pixels. When I have a blue desktop up, I see faint bands of horizontal lines. On screens where there's lots of dense text, lines or other graphics that are highly contrasting (black on white), I see what I can only describe as "tearing" of the text or line or whatever. What you describe sounds like a bad cable or connector, but I'm sure you've tried that as well as another computer, so I'm kind of at a loss. I'm just sorry to hear that after all that the VGA still has problems.

The repair company never showed @ my door nor did they call me to tell me they weren't coming. I have already complained to Fry's about this and will go there in person to complain some more. I am also calling the repair company to complain and why they never called me. AARRGGHHHH, my headaches have only just begun.

Count me in among the wavy line group on my WD62825. Purchased 11/04 and had a chassis replacement for a different problem a year ago. Three months ago the bulb went out, so I replaced it...and had the connector drop into the back of the set problem. Easy to fix, just a lot of screws. Went to watch a DVD that evening, hooked up on component and wavy lines, but not on HDMI. I think someone else mentioned they appeared right after changing the bulb. I had two new bulbs so tried both, same problem. Did I mention I also have the "sparkles" too? Looks like static.

Philips Warranty has been accommodating and the set is in the shop for another chassis replacement. They replaced it this week already but the new replacement failed, so they are waiting for a backordered part.

Ok, so Sony and Mitsubishi are off my list. What brand should I be looking at next?

When I first turned the set on with the new boards in it, images on both the VGA and the component were incredibly wavy. It lost signal with the component every five seconds intermittently, and there was a huge transparent blob that was horizontally scrolling. It took about 30 minutes for all of this "garbage" to go away.

I am pretty sure my flickering pixels would show up on my camera. I can at least try. So you can see what I am talking about. I talked to the tech who worked on the set, and he said that he replaced everything that it could possibly be hardware wise. He said to call Mits and get the software update for the set. However, that makes absolutely no sense.

After having the TV off for a while, the flickering pixels go away, and it takes 10-20 minutes for the set to warm back up and start flickering again.

Everything else is fixed though. No horizontal bands, no waviness, no bulb flickering, and the tuner seems to find the local stations better as well. It used to say no signal found a lot until I unplugged the set and plugged it back in.

I talked to the tech who worked on the set, and he said that he replaced everything that it could possibly be hardware wise.

Hmm...I don't think that's true. They may have replaced the primary electrical chassis boards, but there's still the DMD board in the light engine. Since the corruption is at the pixel-level, it appears something in the DMD signal path is dropping bits.

Went to watch a DVD that evening, hooked up on component and wavy lines, but not on HDMI. I think someone else mentioned they appeared right after changing the bulb.

Has anyone else seen the wavy line problem emerge immediately after changing the lamp?

Several sites I've visited have diagnosed the blinking green light problem as being caused by a bad DM board. I think they are basing this logic on an identified problem with older Mits RPTV's (not DLPs) where a bad capacitor problem (on the DM board) caused these symptoms. That doesn't seem to be the case with these DLP models. Several people here have tried replacing DM cards without luck -- so don't let your service tech try that. Insist on them replacing the entire electrical chassis (or giving you a new TV). Since you have the EW, they definitely owe you a working TV.

noplasma, so the tech guy didn't even show to my house yesterday and didn't even call to tell me he wasn't coming. Today, he calls me and without even seeing my TV says that he knows the problem to be a bad DM board. He wants me to take my TV off the stand and get him the serial number so he can order the part. IMO, he should have done this yesterday, but couldn't because he didn't show.

What will happen when replaces the DM board and it fails? Where have other people tried replacing the DM board and it didn't work?

What will happen when replaces the DM board and it fails? Where have other people tried replacing the DM board and it didn't work?

It'll make this process all the more long and painful... :( mzorola is one example of someone who replaced his DM board for this problem without avail.

As Icaillo said, the blinking green light is caused by a failure of the TV to complete boot. There are a number of a interactions with various boards that can cause that -- and apparently the DM board has traditionally been a common culprit. However, an unconfirmed theory of mine is that this particular line of DLP sets has a special problem in the Format board that hangs the processor. So the tech should either do some troubleshooting to determine what board is causing the hang-up OR he should just send in the entire electrical chassis.

If he insists on trying to replace the DM board, I hope for your sake that it's the problem. But if it's not, it could be months until you have a working TV again. You should raise that point (mention that on this forum, several people with similar symptoms have narrowed the problem down to the FMT board) and insist that they give you a temporary TV while they play their incremental replace-and-test troubleshooting game.

I am pretty sure my flickering pixels would show up on my camera. I can at least try. So you can see what I am talking about. I talked to the tech who worked on the set, and he said that he replaced everything that it could possibly be hardware wise. He said to call Mits and get the software update for the set. However, that makes absolutely no sense.
You are correct...that makes no sense. When the DM was replaced it would have the most recent SW version.

My blinking green light happened on a power outage. Typically, when the power to my house trips, the tv will blink its green light in rapid sucession. Ususally, turning off the surge protector (leave it off for 30 seconds) and then turning it back on, after a minute, it'll stop blinking. Alas, the green light failed to stop blinking after several shut downs, so I called in a warranty fix with Fry's. I haven't heard from them yet, but Fry's tells me that some repair company will contact me to set an appointment and I was wondering what other's experiences were in going this route. I'm not much of an electronics DIYer, so this is really my only route to get it fixed. Thanks.

This happened to me 3 times last night (3 separate brief power outages in the neighborhood). I got the TV to turn back on by holding in the power button. Specifically....after I plugged the TV back in I waited another 20-30 seconds, pressed and held the power button in, and then got a solid green light. Didn't happen on the first attempt every time, on the third go around it took three separate attempts at holding in the power button before the TV turned on. Just thought I would share. Good luck.

This happened to me 3 times last night (3 separate brief power outages) in the neighborhood. I got the TV to turn back on by holding in the power button. Specifically....after I plugged the TV back in I waited another 20-30 seconds, pressed and held the power button in, and then got a solid green light. Didn't happen on the first attempt every time, on the third go around it took three separate attempts at holding in the power button before the TV turned on. Just thought I would share. Good luck.

I had forgotten that Simon's issue happened after a power surge. If that was the cause, that may improve the odds that's he's dealing something different from FMT-board-induced issue reported by several here (which I don't believe is caused by a power surge). So maybe the DM board replacement will work yet...

DubC -- what you describe is interesting. It sounds like you're allowing the TV to perform the initial critical portion of its boot at plug-in (i.e., copying PROM contents to RAM, etc) but then by pushing/holding the power button, you're able to force it to stop its boot (which is probably hung by that point) and initiate the power-on stage.

Anyone do the software update? The tech said they send you the update on a flash card, and you load it up from the reader on the front of the set.

Anyone do the software update? The tech said they send you the update on a flash card, and you load it up from the reader on the front of the set.

Yeah, it's just that simple... it will come with an instruction sheet (well it did 3 years ago ;)). I believe you unplug the set, insert the flash card, plug the set back in, the software uploads, and that's it (don't remember if the set reboots immediately or if you unplug it again before you remove the card )

Three months ago the bulb went out, so I replaced it...and had the connector drop into the back of the set problem. Easy to fix, just a lot of screws. Went to watch a DVD that evening, hooked up on component and wavy lines, but not on HDMI. I think someone else mentioned they appeared right after changing the bulb.

Has anyone else seen the wavy line problem emerge immediately after changing the lamp?

Yes! Tom described my circumstances exactly including having the connector drop into the back of the set.
The wavy lines appeared immediatly after.

Yes! Tom described my circumstances exactly including having the connector drop into the back of the set.
The wavy lines appeared immediatly after.How can that happen? It's just a connector, right? I'm not doubting you, but it is puzzling. If true, then there a multiple causes for these waves because another person has recently confirmed that their chassis replacement fixed their wave problem.

How can that happen? It's just a connector, right? I'm not doubting you, but it is puzzling. If true, then there a multiple causes for these waves because another person has recently confirmed that their chassis replacement fixed their wave problem.

I agree it doesn't seem logical. Perhaps it was just a coincidense or maybe the new brighter lamp made the waves more obvious.

More bad news today from the repair tech, parts will not be available until "mid January". I sent a nastygram email to Mitsu but dont hold out any hope it will do any good. It really is too bad what Mitsubishi has devolved to. I will keep you posted........

Well the parts (complete electronics chassis assembly) were supposed to be in on the 19th, yesterday. Mitsubishi has backordered yet again. It is now into week seven of waiting for parts since this TV failed.

Well the parts (complete electronics chassis assembly) were supposed to be in on the 19th, yesterday. Mitsubishi has backordered yet again. It is now into week seven of waiting for parts since this TV failed.

It sounds like Mitsu's repair shop is swamped. Hmm... I wonder why?? ;-)

My replacement chassis is suppose to be in this week, I'll post how it goes but I am not expecting much. I suspect the shop lied to me about the one they supposedly installed last week that failed. In the meantime, I bought a 41" Toshiba to hold me over...I think I like it better than my 62" Mitsushiti.

After going to Fry's and complaining about the local repair company, 2 separate people on 2 different conversations assured me that the no showing and no calling was not usual. They also told me they are the best in the area and that they've had a service contract with them ever since Fry's opened its doors, so they must be good. I'll just have to play the waiting game and see if it all works out.

In the mean time, I did get my loaner tv, a 26" LCD samsung which I hooked up the Wii to and I have a dedicated tv just for wii gaming, so it's all good for now. It has helped ease my frustration with my tv for now.

I suspect the shop lied to me about the one they supposedly installed last week that failed.

They may not have...... I'm now waiting for a second replacement chassis, the first one started having intermittent shutdowns after one day!! Wonder how long this one will take.........

They may not have...... I'm now waiting for a second replacement chassis, the first one started having intermittent shutdowns after one day!! Wonder how long this one will take.........

Wow... at this rate, maybe you'll have a working TV by say... 2009 or 2010??

I am still waiting for the repair of my format board from PTScorp for my tv with the flashing power problem.

I did get contacted by Downtown Radio out of Denver. They are the company doing the warranty work on my other tv (WD-52725) that has the wavy lines issue. They called last week and requested in detail what my problem is. I told them the problem and they called today saying the tech diagnosed the problem from the details I gave and said it is the format board. Once the work is approved though the warranty company they will order the board and come install it.

Well the parts (complete electronics chassis assembly) were supposed to be in on the 19th, yesterday. Mitsubishi has backordered yet again. It is now into week seven of waiting for parts since this TV failed.
Why wait for the whole chassis? You should have them order the part that is actually defective.

I would presume a single part would ship much sooner than waiting for someone to build an entire chassis of refurbished boards.

I was checking their listed shipped dates for the chassis vs the FMT or DM board and I came across these 2 new service tips:

Hipnotiq - Where did you get the service tips from? Are there any for the wavy lines?
Unfortunately replacing the caps on my Format board did not fix the flashing power LED problem.

Well gang,

The service company called back and replacing the FMT board did NOT fix the wavy lines on my 52525. He candidly said he has no idea what its going to take to fix it. He's getting approval to replace the DM board and some additional capacitors from the warranty company. He really doesn't want to work on the TV anymore. I'm kind of hoping the warranty company will just give me a buy out. He's supposed to call us this week and let us know if he gets approval for the additional parts. I'll keep you posted.

Stephen

Looks like I am not alone. The service guy came out to replace the chassis in my tv for the wavy line issue. It took over a month to get the part and after he installed it the wavy line issue appears to be fixed, however, there are a number of other issues...cable card doesnt work, it will not tune any digital stations OTA or with cable and my set top box wont display properly at 720P or 1080i. As it was being installed I did notice that this chassis looked used versus new......amazing. so now i am worse off than before and only 2 weeks until superbowl! The service company and the technician were really responsive and did a fabulous job following up with me....it isnt their fault that Mits sent them crap! Now I need to wait for another chassis!

Looks like I am not alone. The service guy came out to replace the chassis in my tv for the wavy line issue. It took over a month to get the part and after he installed it the wavy line issue appears to be fixed, however, there are a number of other issues...cable card doesnt work, it will not tune any digital stations OTA or with cable and my set top box wont display properly at 720P or 1080i. As it was being installed I did notice that this chassis looked used versus new......amazing. so now i am worse off than before and only 2 weeks until superbowl! The service company and the technician were really responsive and did a fabulous job following up with me....it isnt their fault that Mits sent them crap! Now I need to wait for another chassis!
The cablecard not working makes sense because the cable company would probably need to re-setup the card in their system.

However, since no digital channels are working I would suspect one of the ribbon cable between the signal and DM was not fully connected.

Hipnotiq,

my original chassis did not recognize the cable card at all. This new chassis does recognize, however, when I do the "999" on the menu screen it comes up with a message about the cable card trying to pair, however, no information on host id or cablecard id like the manual states. Does the cable company need to do something to get this info to appear.

On the loose cable thing...is this easy to fix. I am an electrical engineer and am used to tinkering with many things and saw how to take out the chassis unit. I am assumming I have to take apart the chassis unit to see about these cables being disconnected. Will this be obvious as I take it apart or is there a picture somewhere that I can look at?

thanks for your suggestions here.

thanks,
jeff

Hipnotiq - Where did you get the service tips from? Are there any for the wavy lines?
Unfortunately replacing the caps on my Format board did not fix the flashing power LED problem.Yeah Hipnotiq, anything about wavy lines?

Unfortunately replacing the caps on my Format board did not fix the flashing power LED problem.

With regard to the Mits tip, I'm not surprised that severely degraded cap clusters on the FMT & DM boards can cause the blinking light. But apparently there's some other issue on the FMT board that caused the problem for Lee/Joe/Collin. Too bad they don't have better error signaling or we wouldn't be putting diverse problems into the same bucket.

Well, at least people will know how to fix the checkerboard problem now. I think that was primarily an infant mortality problem, so it only took Mits about 3 yrs to post a solution. At that rate, I bet they'll post a solution for the wavy line issue by 2011.

Yeah Hipnotiq, anything about wavy lines?

I felt like we were close to a solution for the wavy lines after tbully's work. Recall that he did the following steps and eliminated most of his wavy lines:

"I tore everything down, found puffy caps on both the FMT and DM boards and also soldered up some hot spots around regulators, transformers, and other heat sources. I didn’t pull the signal board apart – maybe I should have. I also did a quick solder job on the PS. I put the chasis back together, plugged it in and it worked!!"

So I wonder what did it for him -- was it his 1000 uF cap replacements or did he resolder a bad connection?

I am assuming I have to take apart the chassis unit to see about these cables being disconnected. Will this be obvious as I take it apart or is there a picture somewhere that I can look at?

The relevant manuals can be obtained here:

V26 Chassis Replacement Manual
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=6MKC3A3V

TV Service Manual (V26):
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=OMFZ8E7B

But if you're under warranty, I'd just let them deal with the hassle. That way if something goes wrong, they're on the hook.

With regard to the Mits tip, I'm not surprised that severely degraded cap clusters on the FMT & DM boards can cause the blinking light. But apparently there's some other issue on the FMT board that caused the problem for Lee/Joe/Collin. Too bad they don't have better error signaling or we wouldn't be putting diverse problems into the same bucket.

Well, at least people will know how to fix the checkerboard problem now. I think that was primarily an infant mortality problem, so it only took Mits about 3 yrs to post a solution. At that rate, I bet they'll post a solution for the wavy line issue by 2011.



I felt like we were close to a solution for the wavy lines after tbully's work. Recall that he did the following steps and eliminated most of his wavy lines:

"I tore everything down, found puffy caps on both the FMT and DM boards and also soldered up some hot spots around regulators, transformers, and other heat sources. I didn’t pull the signal board apart – maybe I should have. I also did a quick solder job on the PS. I put the chasis back together, plugged it in and it worked!!"

So I wonder what did it for him -- was it his 1000 uF cap replacements or did he resolder a bad connection?


I still owe you guys a "freeze mist test". I have new twin baby girls at home so I honestly haven't had time to get to the electronics store which holds banker's hours. :) I think I'll be able to stop by tonight though.

More to come....

Since the above quoted post, I'v replaced several caps on the supply, signal, and term-2 boards to no avail. (fyi)

Can someone give me a working link or tell me how to adjust my mitsubishi wd-62725 tilt / rotation. From what Ive read on here I do it from the back somewhere. My screen is tilted a little bit (one side is higher than the other). Also Ive seen people talking about the "keystone adjustment" but have also read that keystone messes with other adjustments. I think the one Im looking for is called a rotaton adjustment. I found a bunch of links on this forum but none will bring me to a working page.

Thanks

I still owe you guys a "freeze mist test". I have new twin baby girls at home so I honestly haven't had time to get to the electronics store which holds banker's hours. :) I think I'll be able to stop by tonight though.

More to come....

Since the above quoted post, I'v replaced several caps on the supply, signal, and term-2 boards to no avail. (fyi)

I'm still waiting to see if anyone else will replace their 1000 uF cap clusters to see if that fixes the non-temperature-related issue (as it did in your case). Good luck with those twins, btw! :)

Here's another relevant post:

They replaced the power board and now I have wavy lines. They have told me this is the FMT board. Bad caps strike again.

I find it interesting that his wavy lines emerged when he changed his power board. My current theory is that noise introduced into a local 3.3V supply via degraded 1000 uF 6V-rail caps on *any* of the boards will propagate noise into the FMT 3.3V line and cause wavy lines. Furthermore, there is separate culprit (not cap-related) that causes wavy line interference when the TV is cold (this is what tbully still has) that could potentially worsen with time into a full-blown wavy line issue. So there may be two separate phenomenon are causing wavy lines. tbully -- if you try the freeze mist, maybe you should start with the power board (don't spray the high voltage stuff though).

Interesting to see that Mits is recommending the replacement of caps from 1000uFD to 680uFD? Could that also effect the wavy line issue?

Incidentaly I had one other weird experience with my Mits before it died. Without fail on any input I would get a large semi transparent blue box that would overlay about 85% of the screen. On a regular HD station the box would appear after about 3 seconds after changing stations and it would stay for a while then disappear--only to return later. I could force the box to clear by pressing one of the PIP buttons on the remote. Very strange.

My current theory is that noise introduced into a local 3.3V supply via degraded 1000 uF 6V-rail caps on *any* of the boards will propagate noise into the FMT 3.3V line and cause wavy lines.Given the latest information, I'm inclined to agree with this assessment. I suspect, however, that there may be components other than the caps that are at play here. If so, diagnosis will be that much more difficult.

Can someone give me a working link or tell me how to adjust my mitsubishi wd-62725 tilt / rotation. From what Ive read on here I do it from the back somewhere. My screen is tilted a little bit (one side is higher than the other). Also Ive seen people talking about the "keystone adjustment" but have also read that keystone messes with other adjustments. I think the one Im looking for is called a rotaton adjustment. I found a bunch of links on this forum but none will bring me to a working page.

Thanks
The following was posted on a Mits thread some time ago. The poster refers to the Light Engine rotational screw. Maybe this will help.

Today, I successfully corrected the tilt problem of my 52525. For those who still suffer from this issue I will describe what I did. It is for informational purposes only.

WARNING: This procedure may void your warranty. It is described in the service manual and I suggest you read that first. Proceed at your own risk!

I suffered from the tilt problem most 525 owners had or still have. The front keystone adjustments did not fully correct the problem. Making the horizontals and verticals parallel to each other caused a 3/4 inch counterclockwise tilt of the whole frame. To correct this, the light engine (LE) rotational screw had to be adjusted. It is a 4mm Allen head screw located in the left rear corner of the LE as viewed from the back.

With the tv turned off, remove the front covers to access the keystone screws. Then remove the filter cover from the back. Remove the back black plastic cover and set aside, then remove the grey metalic cover behind it and lay down below the tv. Do not disconnect the rear fan. Re-attach the filter cover as the interlock switch it actuates must be closed. You are now ready to adjust.

With the tv on, in the service menu and with the color-lined test pattern displayed, adjust the front keystone screws until the both the vertical and horizontal lines are parallel to each other. Center the pattern using the HPOS and VPOS adjustments. This procedure is described elsewhere in this thread. To correct the resulting tilt of the squared image, first gently loosen the two brass-colored 10mm LE locking screws located behind the black foam hanging down behind the front keystone adjustment plate. Then, with your 4mm Allen wrench, locate and adjust the LE rotational screw in the back corner of the LE. Be very careful. The set is powered and there is not much room to maneuver. Turn the screw clockwise to rotate the image counterclockwise and visa versa. When the image is straight, lock the LE screws back down.

Double check your test pattern dimensions and re-adjust your keystones, HPOS and VPOS settings if necessary. When done, turn the tv off, re-attach front and rear covers, reversing the order of removal. Don't forget the filter cover. When all the covers are back on, turn the tv back on, re-enter the service menu and check the test pattern one more time. I noticed that when the front covers were put on, the keystones needed to be tweaked a final time.

I was able to get everything square to within 1/16 inch. The resulting 1/16 inch is caused by the "pincushion effect", where the centers of the verticals and horizontals bow inward or outward slightly. This is inherent in most DLPs and is not correctable (as far as I know).

Hipnotiq,

my original chassis did not recognize the cable card at all. This new chassis does recognize, however, when I do the "999" on the menu screen it comes up with a message about the cable card trying to pair, however, no information on host id or cablecard id like the manual states. Does the cable company need to do something to get this info to appear.

On the loose cable thing...is this easy to fix. I am an electrical engineer and am used to tinkering with many things and saw how to take out the chassis unit. I am assumming I have to take apart the chassis unit to see about these cables being disconnected. Will this be obvious as I take it apart or is there a picture somewhere that I can look at?

thanks for your suggestions here.

thanks,
jeff
Just too be clear, I am only guessing on a loose cable.
For someone who has never worked on this TV it is alot of work to dissassemble. I think you better leave it for someone else to fix.

If you cannot access the host ID, then make sure you have the RF cable connected to ANT1. If that doesnt help I think there is a problem with your DM board.

It looks like Mits doesnt do a very good QA when they send out the chassis. That's why I usually recommend single board replacement. You never know what you're going to get.

I haven't tried myself, but I read that the tilt/rotation adjustment on the light engine can be reached through the front by removing the card reader, and then using long-handled needle nose pliers. If anyone tries this, let us know if it works. Sure would be simpler.

What number do I call to obtain the software update? I used the service form online on Monday and haven't gotten a reply. I am sure it won't do anything, but then I can call back the local tech and tell him it didn't work.

Well I went ahead and sent the whole chassis to PTS for a rebuild. I listed as issues the boot issue and the wavy line issue. I'll let you'all know what happens.

What number do I call to obtain the software update? I used the service form online on Monday and haven't gotten a reply. I am sure it won't do anything, but then I can call back the local tech and tell him it didn't work.

Try this link:

TV Firmware (either v. 4.05 or 4.06, not sure):

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=DX8X5O0J

If I recall correctly, you'll need to use a 256MB CF card and name it "TOSHIBA256M". So if you have a card laying around, that's quicker than dealing with Mits. I was unsuccessful (and lost patience) in trying to get them to mail me one.

Any idea where I could purchase the following cables?

246C494050
246C493010

These cables connect the DM and FMT boards.

Thanks,
Randy

Mitsubishi. Possibly Digi-Key.

Any idea where I could purchase the following cables?

Unfortunately, Mits won't sell service parts to customers. Try calling around to all the authorized Mits servicers in your area and see if any of them will order it for you. They may want a fee for their trouble.

I'm working with a local Mitsubishi certified service center. They have told me that one cable is no longer manufactured and the other must be purchased with one of the circuit boards. I think my only hope is to find someone that is scrapping their set and buy the cables. I've sent WHT180 a PM.
Thanks,
Randy

Try this link:

TV Firmware (either v. 4.05 or 4.06, not sure):

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=DX8X5O0J

If I recall correctly, you'll need to use a 256MB CF card and name it "TOSHIBA256M". So if you have a card laying around, that's quicker than dealing with Mits. I was unsuccessful (and lost patience) in trying to get them to mail me one.

Cool thanks. I think I do have one in an old camera somewhere.

Well the tech from Sound Advice came today. Didn't even touch the tv, told him the problem, and what people on this board did to fix it, so he said "ok, I will order the chassis"
and then he left. So I guess i will wait to see if they are still back ordered and go from there.

Service Center just called on my wavy line issue again. The second "chassis" they received is also defective and the part is on backorder again. They recommended I call Mitsubishi just for a little extra push. Speaking with Level 2 support, I was told my part would be "expedited" but they did not have a date. They also indicated the service center ordered a DM board, not a chassis, so I explained to him that others are not having success with this problem (which he admitted he knows about) by just replacing the DM board. He is calling the service center to figure it out with them. Stay tuned.

anyone have pictures of this wavy line?

anyone have pictures of this wavy line?

See this link:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=12793673#post12793673

Ok, slightly OT here but for those of you with extended warranties through Tweeter or Sound Advice. Who actually is "in charge" of his warranty? What I mean is, who do I call to try to get bought out of my warranty? I would think Tweeter, but the tech from there said the only thing I can do is call Mitsu, so I am a bit confused.

Well the tech from Sound Advice came today. Didn't even touch the tv, told him the problem, and what people on this board did to fix it, so he said "ok, I will order the chassis"
and then he left. So I guess i will wait to see if they are still back ordered and go from there.

Not to be negative but, dont get your hopes up too high. My set died on 12/7 and the tech ordered a chassis. Mitsu committed to ship it on 1/9, 1/19, 1/21 and the latest is 1/28. Hopefully you will have better luck. As for me, I am thoroughly gripped with Mitsu and vow to never buy another thing from them.

Looks like those of you with extended warranties are getting the shaft too in the way of no available replacement parts. What a total f*cking mess. I'd be livid if I bought a warranty and had to go through this. The way it stands now, I am just waiting for this POS to die before getting something non-Mitsubishi.

You guys need to push your warranty companies to just outright replace the thing... waiting months for a fix is unacceptable.

UMD-Terp, I AM WITH YOU 100%

There are 179 pages now and no way to search a thread, so I appologize if this has been covered.

Where is the best/cheapest place to buy replacement parts? Not lamps, but DM boards, fans etc.

I dealt with Mits about a year ago and replaced all of my fans. The experience was less than pleasant. My neighbor has the same tv and needs a new DM board. I want to help him out but do not want to go through Mits if I do not have to.

Your help is always appreciated!

I'd contact a local servicer and see if they can source them to you.

It is so sad to see the posts in this thread these days. Although my TV never gave any hint of giving me any issues whatsoever, I am not sorry at all that I sold it.

An owner's thread should not have to degrade into a "how to fix it" thread after just 3 years. :(

Wow what a thread! :)

It appears a new firmware update came out withing the last month or so?? Can someone enlighten me as to what the latest firmware update does?

I want to update my parents 52725 for them.

Thanks

Where is the best/cheapest place to buy replacement parts? Not lamps, but DM boards, fans etc.

I recommend PTSCorp -- they'll repair most boards (as long as there isn't visible burn damage).

www.ptscorp.com

Well gang,

The service company called back and replacing the FMT board did NOT fix the wavy lines on my 52525. He candidly said he has no idea what its going to take to fix it. He's getting approval to replace the DM board and some additional capacitors from the warranty company. He really doesn't want to work on the TV anymore. I'm kind of hoping the warranty company will just give me a buy out. He's supposed to call us this week and let us know if he gets approval for the additional parts. I'll keep you posted.

Stephen

Looks like I'm headed down the same road you've travelled.

Called about wavy lines problem 1/03/08. Service tech arrived a week later. Could not diagnose. Left, saying "I'll call Mitsu engineers for help and get back to you."

He didn't get back to me. After a week and a half, called BB service, was told that problem would be assigned to a manager and that they would research the problem and see "if parts are available or if you are eligible for a replacement tv". They called yesterday to report "FMT board ordered, on back-order, unknown lead time". Said they would call again by Monday, 28 Jan, with info as to lead time.

I asked the BB rep what was typical cut-off for a replacement vs. waiting for back-ordered parts. He couldn't give a definite answer (of course not, I would suspect he has been counseled to be purposefully vague on such matters as liability and typical practice in this regard), but said "45 days sounds pretty typical".

dnslammers, I've been following your story, and it sounds like your case isn't "typical", and it also sounds like an FMT board replacement isn't going to do the trick. I'd be bouncing off the walls and on the phone with anyone involved whose number I could scrounge, daily, until I got satisfaction.

If they can get the FMT board to me in a decent time frame, I will let them try it, but I'm going to start pushing for a replacement tv if that proves futile, or 30 days after report of the problem if the part hasn't arrived, whichever comes first.

Looks like I'm headed down the same road you've travelled.

Called about wavy lines problem 1/03/08. Service tech arrived a week later. Could not diagnose. Left, saying "I'll call Mitsu engineers for help and get back to you."

He didn't get back to me. After a week and a half, called BB service, was told that problem would be assigned to a manager and that they would research the problem and see "if parts are available or if you are eligible for a replacement tv". They called yesterday to report "FMT board ordered, on back-order, unknown lead time". Said they would call again by Monday, 28 Jan, with info as to lead time.

I asked the BB rep what was typical cut-off for a replacement vs. waiting for back-ordered parts. He couldn't give a definite answer (of course not, I would suspect he has been counseled to be purposefully vague on such matters as liability and typical practice in this regard), but said "45 days sounds pretty typical".

dnslammers, I've been following your story, and it sounds like your case isn't "typical", and it also sounds like an FMT board replacement isn't going to do the trick. I'd be bouncing off the walls and on the phone with anyone involved whose number I could scrounge, daily, until I got satisfaction.

If they can get the FMT board to me in a decent time frame, I will let them try it, but I'm going to start pushing for a replacement tv if that proves futile, or 30 days after report of the problem if the part hasn't arrived, whichever comes first.

More updates:

As you know the FMT replacement board didn't work. THey said they tried the DM board and that didn't work either. Now they are trying to get approval for replacing the chasis from the warranty company. The service company said he's not sure if the warranty company is going to ok the chasis replacment due to how much money has gone into the tv so far. I'm supposed to call service company this week to see if they got approval. I'll start pushing the idea of a replacment tv and see how that goes. I'm not too stressed about this since I have a loaner hdtv from our store. But I'd like to get this resolved...

Stephen

Update: (excellent news)

I was finally able to purchase some freeze spray this weekend. If you recall, I used to have the blinking green light of death until replacing the cluster(s) of 1000uf caps on the DM, FMT, and PS boards. (I also later did the Signal and Term2) My issue after fixing the green blinking light was that, when the set had been unplugged for a period of time (read: standby supplies cool down), my picture was very wavy on all inputs but looks like the "component input complaint" that everyone has here. After warm up, the HDMI input looks great but I still have slight lines in the componnent / analog inputs.

Now on to my findings:
I sprayed down the PS board and found it was stable. I then started shooting spray from the back of the set towards the DM, FMT, and signal boards. (hoping to narrow it down before pulling shields) When I hit the DM board, the issue reappeared. I carefully seperated the FMT board to get access to the DM board when the set was running. Although I don't have complete access to the board, I think I have narrowed it down to a small number of surface mount caps.

If someone can send me a good picture of the DM board (especially on the right side of the micro), I can circle the three or four of the caps I believe are the problem childs. My freeze mist can can't quite reach that far but I think I have it close.

Afterwards, I'll see if someone has their board handy to give me values.

Thanks.

p.s. if there's an engineer or tech from Mits reading this, you owe me money.

:D

Good job bully, you da man!!

Nice work tbully

Here's a picture of the DM board

http://img256.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dmhv1.jpg

The problem cap is within the "red" area of the attached image.

More than likely in the "black" area but it was hard to get the tube from the can down that far. If someone can get me the values of all the caps in that area, I'd probably be game for replacing them and see what happens.

takers?

I have set my TV to auto-tune channels off a cable feed (directly from the wall.)

I get all my analogs 2-79, the digital channels for ABC,CBS,NBC and Fox as well as some PBS channels. It then continues on, memorizing channels that have no content like 94-536 (for example.) Finally it memorizes some channels that show NO channel number at all.

It also adds the music channels, but if I switch to one of them, it takes 2-3 minutes to change channels.



I am a Comcrap customer. My local ComCrap office says they don't offer cable cards. My development offers me basic cable, which is enough for me.


Any suggestions?

What's the best way to get a new lamp? Should I get the full housing? I got the solid red lamp light on my 62725. I'd never replaced the lamp and I recall it giving us a few messages a while back. I think it finally went out.

The problem cap is within the "red" area of the attached image.Yikes, there are a lot of caps within those circles. It's kind of disheartening to think that one of these type capacitors is prone to failure like the electrolytics. It could mean that each individual case of wavy lines could be caused by a different cap, and there are loads of these caps on all the boards except the power board.

ParrotSqualk, I have the same problem with QAM, strange channels numbers being memorized, working channels with no numbers assigned. The problem pretty much renders QAM tuning useless. TWC here.

Yikes, there are a lot of caps within those circles. It's kind of disheartening to think that one of these type capacitors is prone to failure like the electrolytics. It could mean that each individual case of wavy lines could be caused by a different cap, and there are loads of these caps on all the boards except the power board.

True statement. I'm not sure this will help any, but once I get all the values, I'll purchase them all. However, while doing the replacement procedure, I'll check each cap with heat / cold, to see which one(s) go out of tolerance. Maybe that'll help the situation.

I'd get the values myself but I have a 90% working TV. I'd hate to pull it apart just to get values, put it together again (because it'll take me a week to get replacements) and then have to take it apart AGAIN. As you know, these things are a pain to work on.

The overall count of caps that I have circled does not compare to the number I've replaced. :D It doesn't seem too bad to me. :p

I can circle the three or four of the caps I believe are the problem childs. My freeze mist can can't quite reach that far but I think I have it close.

Nice work -- by the way, I don't think those are caps. Those look like TO-5 or TO-39 cans so I bet they're either transistors or simple ICs (op amps or regulators). And that makes sense, since I doubt a cap issue would be so temperature dependent. I have a high-res picture of the DM board at home... I'll see if I can read the labels tonight. I bet the problem can be traced down to a single part.

Nice work -- by the way, I don't think those are caps. Those look like TO-5 or TO-39 cans so I bet they're either transistors or simple ICs (op amps or regulators). And that makes sense, since I doubt a cap issue would be so temperature dependent. I have a high-res picture of the DM board at home... I see if I can read the labels tonight. I bet the problem can be traced down to a single part.

Here's a random link I found that has some pictures of what I'm dealing with.

http://www.niccomp.com/Catalog/smcap.html-ssi

I've seen these go bad in the past (even thermal related). I was able to shoot in a small area so I'm 90% sure we're still dealing with an electrolytic cap issue.

I've spent this much time, I'd be willing to "take one for the team" and see if it helps.

What's the best way to get a new lamp? Should I get the full housing? I got the solid red lamp light on my 62725. I'd never replaced the lamp and I recall it giving us a few messages a while back. I think it finally went out.

Your best bet is probably to buy the full housing directly from Mits. If you buy a just-a-lamp from a third-party dealer, I recall people recommending that it be made by OSRAM.

Here's a random link I found that has some pictures of what I'm dealing with.

Ahh... right you are! :-) Nice to know that bad caps come in all shapes and sizes...

Two nights ago my wife reported that our TV exhibited some strange behavior. The video went out while the audio continued. After about 10 seconds, it entered a perpetual shut-down blinking-green-light phase which was only stoppable by a cord-pull. Worked fine thereafter -- hopefully it was a fluke since we're hosting some people for the Super Bowl, but if not, I may need to open the damn thing up again soon... :(

Am I going to have to do a swollen cap survey every six months to keep this thing running???

Ahh... right you are! :-) Nice to know that bad caps come in all shapes and sizes...

Two nights ago my wife reported that our TV exhibited some strange behavior. The video went out while the audio continued. After about 10 seconds, it entered a perpetual shut-down blinking-green-light phase which was only stoppable by a cord-pull. Worked fine thereafter -- hopefully it was a fluke since we're hosting some people for the Super Bowl, but if not, I may need to open the damn thing up again soon... :(

Am I going to have to do a swollen cap survey every six months to keep this thing running???

Yikes! I had a few of these instances before it just stayed out. I lost track of your issue. You already did the cap replacement, right?

I would hope caps (even the crapiest of brands) would hold up for 6 months. :mad:

You're on a UPS, right? Don't let that thing lose AC! :D

Yikes! I had a few of these instances before it just stayed out. I lost track of your issue. You already did the cap replacement, right? ... You're on a UPS, right? Don't let that thing lose AC! :D

I've replaced the two 3300 uF's on the power board and the four 1000 uF's on the Format board thus far. If the TV goes bad for good again, I'll probably start by replacing the other 1000 uF clusters. Hmm... could the TV actually make it through boot? I don't want to think about that.

I would hope caps (even the crapiest of brands) would hold up for 6 months. :mad:

My "six months" figure was referring to the rolling destruction of the original Mits caps. I think the Mouser and Radio Shack replacements are of good quality. Hopefully. Or maybe I need to start buying space-grade caps...

Here's a random link I found that has some pictures of what I'm dealing with.

http://www.niccomp.com/Catalog/smcap.html-ssi

I've seen these go bad in the past (even thermal related). I was able to shoot in a small area so I'm 90% sure we're still dealing with an electrolytic cap issue.

I've spent this much time, I'd be willing to "take one for the team" and see if it helps.

Looking at the link makes me question whether these type caps are a DIY repair. If there are no exposed solder terminals, don't we need special equipment to remove/solder them from/to the board? I've never actually seen this package in hand, so I'm just asking.

Looking at the link makes me question whether these type caps are a DIY repair. If there are no exposed solder terminals, don't we need special equipment to remove/solder them from/to the board? I've never actually seen this package in hand, so I'm just asking.

I asked my co-worker (an expert on these matters) about this -- apparently, the program I work on doesn't use these due to reliability issues. Since they are a surface mount, there's no stress relief between the part & board, so after enough thermal cycles, the solder can crack. A solder crack fits well with the temperature dependence that tbully was describing.

When the boards are originally manufactured, solder paste is positioned on the board conductive pads. These surface-mount parts are then positioned and the solder is flowed during a bake. DIY repair may be tricky. Typically, you need a hot air gun or pencil (my source says a blow dryer won't cut it) to soften the solder for removal (and subsequent part placement). Since hot air guns put off quite a bit of heat, more than several seconds of exposure may burn the board.

Short of a hot air gun, a high power soldering iron may also do the trick (if you heat the entire metal can). A hot can probably won't damage an electrolytic cap (it's the multi-layer ceramic type that is more sensitive to heat).

In terms of the big picture -- surface-mount solder flows are a delicate process. If Mits isn't doing it properly, then weak solder joints that break after many thermal cycles of normal wear will become more common. As delar alluded to, any of the surface-mount caps run risk of this susceptibility (although the area that tbully pinpointed could run higher risk if the temperature cycles more severely or has any built in stress).

I agree with noplasma on all counts. I do have experience with replacing these. It takes a hot iron (pencil) with great care. I've even been known to replace with the normal axial type cap, again carefully. (not recommended but it works in a pinch)

So - not to be annoying - but - can anyone give me the values? :-) I'll give it a shot and maybe I'll get lucky. (or destroy my DM board - one of the two)

Wow what a thread! :)

It appears a new firmware update came out within the last month or so?? Can someone enlighten me as to what the latest firmware update does?

I want to update my parents 52725 for them.

Thanks


Anyone care to help me out here??

I agree with noplasma on all accounts. I do have experience with replacing these. It takes a hot iron (pencil) with great care. I've even been known to replace with the normal axial type cap, again carefully. (not recommended but it works in a pinch)

So - not to be annoying - but - can anyone give me the values? :-) I'll give it a shot and maybe I'll get lucky. (or destroy my DM board - one of the two)

It's nice to have someone with real field experience on the forum. Too many of us engineers have spent much more time behind the desk than at the bench.

I'll see if I can read values off of my DM photos (on my home computer) tonight.

Anyone care to help me out here??

I haven't caught wind of there being any new updates within the last year or so... where did you hear that there recently has been a new version?

It's nice to have someone with real field experience on the forum. Too many of us engineers have spent much more time behind the desk than at the bench.

I'll see if I can read values off of my DM photos (on my home computer) tonight.

Once a tech, then an engineer, and now management..... ya know somethin? I miss the "tech" phase.

Bully:

I have been an engineering tech for over 20 years, and an engineer for 7 years. I have changed thousands of those capacitors, and it is very simple.

The best way to do it is to use two soldering irons, one in each hand; you heat up both pads (one on each side of the cap) at the same time, and lift out the part lifting with both hands at once.

I use this technique to change all surface mount parts, resistors, diodes, inductors, and caps.

ha... man, I suck at soldering anything surface mount. I guess that is fitting since I am a desk-jockey engineer mainly.

Bully:

I have been an engineering tech for over 20 years, and an engineer for 7 years. I have changed thousands of those capacitors, and it is very simple.

The best way to do it is to use two soldering irons, one in each hand; you heat up both pads (one on each side of the cap) at the same time, and lift out the part lifting with both hands at once.

I use this technique to change all surface mount parts, resistors, diodes, inductors, and caps.

That is talent my friend. I usually heat up one side and SLIGHTLY lift. Problem with this is you risk damaging the other side. The other way I remove them (space permiting) is by using solder wick.

I may try your way out on some old boards to see how it works.

I'll see if I can read values off of my DM photos (on my home computer) tonight.

Unfortunately, I don't have any photos detailed enough to read values off of. Hopefully Lee still has a set open & can get you the values...

OK, that sounds good for potential repair. I didn't know if the solder pads were exposed enough to get to with an iron tip. If that is the case, it shouldn't be too difficult.

TBully, you aren't feeling brave enough to just resolder the caps on your board, are you? You may just have a bad solder joint. If my set were apart, I'd try that first just to see.

OK, that sounds good for potential repair. I didn't know if the solder pads were exposed enough to get to with an iron tip. If that is the case, it shouldn't be too difficult.

TBully, you aren't feeling brave enough to just resolder the caps on your board, are you? You may just have a bad solder joint. If my set were apart, I'd try that first just to see.

I would certainly do that if the set was apart. For me, it's worth the cost in parts to get them first before diving in. I will, however, have a look with a magnifying glass before doing any work.

We're so close to solving this problem, I would consider reworking a half dozen boards just to prove out the theory if it would fix my set once and for all! It's not that hard, it's a lot easier than it sounds.

Jim

We're so close to solving this problem, I would consider reworking a half dozen boards just to prove out the theory if it would fix my set once and for all! It's not that hard, it's a lot easier than it sounds.

JimWell, tbully is close to solving his problem, but that doesn't necessarily mean that his failing capacitor is the same one failing in all of our sets. For DIYers, freeze spray troubleshooting might be required to determine what specific capacitor is at fault. But even then, it might be difficult to narrow it down if the suspect component doesn't readily reveal itself when exposed to changes in temperature. Unlike tbully, I don't see a difference in wavy line severity between my set starting from cold and when it's running at normal operating temperature.

One of my tv's is still in pieces. I took a look at the DM board and here are the caps in the red and black circles. Note! It is midnight and I am tired and the writing was small.

http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/1970/caps1ww1.jpg

Just thought I would share the flickering pixel problem I have. You can see them all pretty well using displaymate. Streaks of flickering white pixels. No way in hell this is a software problem, but the local tech thinks I need to upgrade. I should be getting a 256MB CF card tomorrow to try it out. But I am sure I'll be calling the shop back and telling him the noise is still there. Other than this, the set is working beautifully since all my boards were replaced.

http://members.cox.net/jkernen/pictures/mini-IMG_0589.JPG

That is talent my friend. I usually heat up one side and SLIGHTLY lift. Problem with this is you risk damaging the other side. The other way I remove them (space permiting) is by using solder wick.

I may try your way out on some old boards to see how it works.

I'm a "one leg at a time" guy myself.

Examine the solder connections closely before you remove these... a cold solder joint is not uncommon with these caps, and be patient during removal... you don't want to damage the pad or trace on the PCB. :eek:

One of my tv's is still in pieces. I took a look at the DM board and here are the caps in the red and black circles. Note! It is midnight and I am tired and the writing was small.

http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/1970/caps1ww1.jpg

Lee, Thank You!

I'll get these caps on their way asap.

Well, tbully is close to solving his problem, but that doesn't necessarily mean that his failing capacitor is the same one failing in all of our sets. For DIYers, freeze spray troubleshooting might be required to determine what specific capacitor is at fault. But even then, it might be difficult to narrow it down if the suspect component doesn't readily reveal itself when exposed to changes in temperature. Unlike tbully, I don't see a difference in wavy line severity between my set starting from cold and when it's running at normal operating temperature.

Delar, You are correct. I'm also nervous that I'll fix my "cold standby" problem and STILL have the component issue. :-) One problem at a time I suppose....

Interestingly, these things are so close to the micro, I wonder if they failed any worse (i.e. don't come back in to tolerance after warm-up), if it would cause the "blinking green light" issue. I may have just caught mine early enough to "see" it before it's catastrophic.

Anyone with the boot issue may want to: unplug, heat up that area of the board with a hair dryer, and see if it'll boot. Ya never know! :D

(all above assuming that it's a bad cap and not a bad solder joint in my case)

Anyone with the boot issue may want to: unplug, heat up that area of the board with a hair dryer, and see if it'll boot. Ya never know! :D

Good point. And then try freeze spray if heat doesn't do it. With cracked solder joints, depending on the break, sometimes heat will restore connectivity & sometimes cold will do the trick. At least my colleague who works in the Failure Analysis lab says he's seen it go both ways.

Well, tbully is close to solving his problem, but that doesn't necessarily mean that his failing capacitor is the same one failing in all of our sets. For DIYers, freeze spray troubleshooting might be required to determine what specific capacitor is at fault. But even then, it might be difficult to narrow it down if the suspect component doesn't readily reveal itself when exposed to changes in temperature. Unlike tbully, I don't see a difference in wavy line severity between my set starting from cold and when it's running at normal operating temperature.

delar -- have you considered replacing the rest of your clusters of four 1000 uF caps? When tbully fixed his main wavy line problem, he did those cap replacements & then some solder touch-ups as well. It would be nice to know if it was the former or latter that did the trick for him. Of course, that's hoping that your issue has the same cause...

So I just received a call from Mitsubishi... they are setting up an appointment with the local servicer to "fix" whatever issues are with my set. I filed a claim with the BBB a few months ago, and this may be in response to that. I had my light engine replaced twice under warranty, but somehow they have no record of the first replacement... idiots...

I will show them the wavy lines as well as the failed HDMI input on my set. The replacement ballast I put in myself is holding up fine, so I'll make sure they don't mess with that. They are supposed to come next Monday... I urge whoever is having issues to file a complaint online with the BBB... that is the only way things will get moving.

It has been a couple weeks since I sent my format board to PTS Corp for repair for the flashing power led problem. I called them today to get an update and they said the bored status is now marked difficult to repair and it is going to a senior technician. If he can't fix it then they will send it back unrepairable. I asked how much a replacement board is through them and they said $400. It is cheaper through Mits.

One of my tv's is still in pieces. I took a look at the DM board and here are the caps in the red and black circles. Note! It is midnight and I am tired and the writing was small.

http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/1970/caps1ww1.jpg

Hey Lee - possibly a stupid question here..... what is the first column for? Are these location identifiers?

Not a stupid question. Those were on the caps themselves. I believe it has to do with the manufacturer's part number and or physical size.
Also, I just assumed the value was uF as it had no identifier... just 100 or 47 I guess they could be pF.
I tried to look up the caps by the location identifier in the service manual but I couldn't find any of them.

Not a stupid question. Those were on the caps themselves. I believe it has to do with the manufacturer's part number and or physical size.
Also, I just assumed the value was uF as it had no identifier... just 100 or 47 I guess they could be pF.
I tried to look up the caps by the location identifier in the service manual but I couldn't find any of them.

Ah - so you did the manufacuture -> "real" value for me? Thank you.

caps those size are uF...

I will show them the wavy lines as well as the failed HDMI input on my set.

Thanks for the update. I'd be interested in whether they can troubleshoot the cause of either of those issues. I will definitely try the BBB route if I encounter any future issues that I can't solve myself.

I think their troubleshooting will consists of haphazard board replacements... which will probably be back-ordered. The service center found my repair records, and they have down 2 light engine replacements as well as the other repairs performed, so at least Mitsubishi has the full repair history.

If I had no other repairs, I would have probably just started repairs like many of you have with cap replacement and such, but I am hoping Mitsubishi will step up and take responsibility for this TV they sold me given the amount of repairs performed on it under warranty. IMO, it is not normal to have to go through 2 LE replacements and a ballast replacement on a TV that was purchased brand new.

Does anyone know if the boards from a WD62825 will work for a WD52725. The manual shows them as different part #'s. Seems like I read in here at one time someone swapping them.
I can pick up a WD62825 for $200 that took a power surge. Might have a good format board.

So - I got home from work today and what was waiting for me!!??

A fast green blinking light! HA! :mad:

A simple unplug, wait a few seconds and a few prayers fixed the situation but I'd love to know what the HECK IS GOING ON!?

There was no power outage. My set is connected to a PC grade power conditioner / UPS. I didn't have my normal wavy lines when "cold" so I know the unit was powered the entire day. (standby anyway) I wonder what else can cause this light because the set should have already been "booted". This seems like a programatic thing that someone at Mits should share with us. :o

I don't expect any answers....just venting. :confused:

Does anyone know if the boards from a WD62825 will work for a WD52725. The manual shows them as different part #'s. Seems like I read in here at one time someone swapping them.
I can pick up a WD62825 for $200 that took a power surge. Might have a good format board.

I wonder if it truly is a power surge or just another cap nightmare? For 200 bucks, it may be worth the gamble. I like my 62825 (aside from all the "fun" we've been having lately). A true "power surge" can be one of the easiest repairs you can do on a device like this.....speaking from experience. (lightning strikes are a different story)

I'm sure most, if not all, boards (and other components) would be interchangeable. In fact, I think I remember seeing WD52725 on one of my boards when I was working on them a few weeks ago. (signal I believe)

I might as well get it.
Here is what he said.
The TV's model # is WD62825 and it has not been taken apart with the exception of taking out the bulb. How does $200 sound to you because I originally paid $6900 for it. Are you at all interested in the stand? If you are I will sell you the TV and the stand for $300. The TV will play audio but no picture. It had an electrical surge through the satellite. There is also no bulb.

I might as well get it.
Here is what he said.
The TV's model # is WD62825 and it has not been taken apart with the exception of taking out the bulb. How does $200 sound to you because I originally paid $6900 for it. Are you at all interested in the stand? If you are I will sell you the TV and the stand for $300. The TV will play audio but no picture. It had an electrical surge through the satellite. There is also no bulb.

I'll retract my previous statement. No picture but sound could be a little more serious issue. Still $200 seems cheap.....I'm not sure how handy you are, I'd risk it. :-) Then again, I'm not the smartest guy on the block, either.

I am an electronics tech so I am handy. Thought I was being wise when I bought the 2nd 52725 with the blinking LED power problem for $350 and that might cost me $300 or $400 for a format board. I could probably part it out and make $200 back if I can't fix it.

delar -- have you considered replacing the rest of your clusters of four 1000 uF caps? When tbully fixed his main wavy line problem, he did those cap replacements & then some solder touch-ups as well. It would be nice to know if it was the former or latter that did the trick for him. Of course, that's hoping that your issue has the same cause...I've considered replacing the rest of them, yes, and I'll continue to consider it, at least for the near future.

I've considered replacing the rest of them, yes, and I'll continue to consider it, at least for the near future.

Sometimes I wonder if maybe I should *root* for my TV to die. Then I might be able to convince my wife to let me get a new LED DLP (no color wheel or rainbows, no lamp replacements, 1080p for Blu-Ray, etc). Maybe something like this:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8293376&type=product&id=1173577986348

The upgrade day may come in perhaps a years time. Of course, it would be nice to have a working 62525 to sell at that time. I guess I feel sorry for the sucker who buys it. :)

That sucker would probably be me. ha ha

Since you are in Co. That sucker would probably be me. ha ha

If you fine-tune the art of fixing these things, I bet there will be a steady flow of broken sets being sold for parts over the next few years...

Finally got a hold of a 256MB CF card and did the software upgrade. The upgrade worked just as the instructions said, but as expected my flickering pixels are still there as strong as ever.
Since the noise is identical to the way it was before the boards were replaced there has to be something left. Looking at the circuit diagram in the service manual, there really isn't anything there since VGA has the most direct path to the optical engine.
I am sure it could be pinpointed with a freeze spray like you guys are using to diagnose the wavy lines and such, since the pixels don't flicker until the set has warmed up. However, I don't want to open up my set since it's under warranty. I guess I could call a different service shop since these guys don't want to help.

Finally got a hold of a 256MB CF card and did the software upgrade. The upgrade worked just as the instructions said, but as expected my flickering pixels are still there as strong as ever.
Since the noise is identical to the way it was before the boards were replaced there has to be something left. Looking at the circuit diagram in the service manual, there really isn't anything there since VGA has the most direct path to the optical engine.
I am sure it could be pinpointed with a freeze spray like you guys are using to diagnose the wavy lines and such, since the pixels don't flicker until the set has warmed up. However, I don't want to open up my set since it's under warranty. I guess I could call a different service shop since these guys don't want to help.

You are in a much better position than myself and most others here. You have a WARRANTY. I'd use it and abuse it. Don't stop calling Mits until you are statisfied. Of course, take good notes for us. ;)

Update to my wavy lines/flickering pixels on VGA: BB tech arrived Friday with new formatter board. Replaced, fired up tv...I haven't seen the wavy lines on analog since (tested with Bourne Ultimatum on HDDVD @720 as well as cable box over component). HOWEVER, my VGA input remains unusable, with noise in the form of randomly firing horizontal lines of sparkly pixels making all but the largest of text illegible (I used to enjoy pixel-perfect display, but it has degraded to the point I wouldn't be able to type this without a headache on that display). The noise is present in the picture without any peripheral input to the set, and can even be seen over the top of the tv menu.

This leads me to believe that my wavy lines issue was separate from my issue with VGA. Also, it leaves me wondering as to the issue with VGA...correct me if I'm wrong, someone, but the VGA basically feeds directly to the FMT board, is processed, and follows the same path that all other signals take to the light engine. I suppose the portion of the FMT involved in processing VGA could be receiving interference from some other place in the set, but the issue is beyond my familiarity with the parts involved.

I had told the tech about this thread and the numbers of people experiencing the problem, as well as the fact that at least a few wavy lines issues that I had read about got the new FMT board treatment, which subsequently failed to solve the issue. I also told him that Mitsu liked the DM board as the next likely candidate, which was borne out by Mitsu's response to the tech, later that evening, "now replace the DM board." The tech told me that since I'd already waited a month, he would put in a good word for a replacement TV, but that it was up to BB in-home service.

I called BB service that evening and explained that I thought that one month's wait for a part was reasonable, but pushing it...and that I considered it unreasonable to speculate further on the matter, with such a depth of lead-time for parts involved in the set. The rep told me I've been put on the list as a candidate for a replacement, and that it would take 3-5 business days to find out if I'm a winner or whether I would be waiting for another back-ordered part that may or may not have anything to do with my remaining problem.

Thanks for the update. Good to hear the FMT board was the source of your waves.HOWEVER, my VGA input remains unusable, with noise in the form of randomly firing horizontal lines of sparkly pixels making all but the largest of text illegibleThat sucks! Your description of the firing horizontal lines is what I'm seeing here too, just not to the degree you're experiencing. Hearing that this problem and the waves on analog appear to be two seperate issues is disheartening to say the least. Coupled with the fact that the wave problem is looking more like an issue that can only be solved via board replacement(s), or at the very least requiring skilled solder repair, then that kind of puts me on the path toward replacing this TV.

My hope that there was a common cause to all these problems appears to now be just wishful thinking.

I got a question. I was one of the first to pick up this set when they were introduced. I'm on my now second bulb and the TV is going great. However, I've noticed something recently but don't know if it happened with the new bulb or something with dishnetwork. Whenever I'm watching a HD channel (like Discovery HD) and they display some info on the bottom of the screen (like this is so and so) it cuts the name in half. It's like a little of the top and bottom of the picture is cut off. Anyone else notice this? Could it be that I accidently pushed something out of alignment when I swapped the bulb? or is it something with dish? Yep, I've changed the format both on the dish box and tv settings. Still get the same result.

I did have to dismantle the tv to change the bulb. The electrical socket wasn't secured well in the mount so when I installed the new bulb the socket came out and I had to open the TV up to plug the bulb up from the rear. TV is way out of warranty.

Interesting update to my 62525 blinking green light problem. A quick re-cap:


Power outage
Blinking green light comes on
TV doesn't reset
Called in issue to Fry's
Tech diagnosis issue to be a bad DM board without seeing the TV in person


3 weeks after opening the issue, tech comes out to replace DM board and it doesn't fix my Tv. Blinking green light still there. Tech does some testing and now thinks it's the format board. Orders new format board and now I'm waiting again.

I look at the DM board and visually inspect the power and format board and I see no swollen caps. Tech is surprised as he said 95% of the TVs he fixes like mine, he'll see swollen caps on 1 of those 3 boards and none of mine have it. So, he's thinking that even replacing the format board will not do any good. The power board, according to his tests, is good, so he thinks it's the format board even though his test say that the format board looks good. I think that was his way of telling me that he has to at least try 1 more thing before declaring the TV to be unfixable. I then find out from him that the HQ in California will decide that after replacing the DM and format boards and it doesn't fix my TV, what my local, Austin, store will do for me; whether that's giving me store credit to purchase a new one or what my options will be for a replacement.

Hopefully, I can get a new TV out of this. Hopefully.....

So the service center tech came out today to check out my TV. I showed him the dead HDMI input and the wavy lines. He tried a DVD player that he brought with him and that one didn't work either. He put a call in to Mitsubishi and I guess they will look into replacing the chassis. No idea when or how long it will take to get it done.

Thanks for the update. Good to hear the FMT board was the source of your waves.That sucks! Your description of the firing horizontal lines is what I'm seeing here too, just not to the degree you're experiencing. Hearing that this problem and the waves on analog appear to be two seperate issues is disheartening to say the least. Coupled with the fact that the wave problem is looking more like an issue that can only be solved via board replacement(s), or at the very least requiring skilled solder repair, then that kind of puts me on the path toward replacing this TV.

My hope that there was a common cause to all these problems appears to now be just wishful thinking.

delar and hithere, sounds like we have the same problem. They replaced all my boards, and I still have the flickering pixels on my VGA. Mine are not as bad as yours probably and as you can see from the picture I posted back a bit, the patterns are more vertical than horizontal.

I've left a couple messages with the tech who replaced my boards, and no call back. I guess my next step is to call the warranty company again.

Question for you guys. When you first turn the set on, are the flickering pixels already there, or does it take a few minutes for them to show up/get worse? Mine takes a few minutes before I can notice them, and about 20 before they are full on.

I got a question. I was one of the first to pick up this set when they were introduced. I'm on my now second bulb and the TV is going great. However, I've noticed something recently but don't know if it happened with the new bulb or something with dishnetwork. Whenever I'm watching a HD channel (like Discovery HD) and they display some info on the bottom of the screen (like this is so and so) it cuts the name in half. It's like a little of the top and bottom of the picture is cut off. Anyone else notice this? Could it be that I accidently pushed something out of alignment when I swapped the bulb? or is it something with dish? Yep, I've changed the format both on the dish box and tv settings. Still get the same result.

I did have to dismantle the tv to change the bulb. The electrical socket wasn't secured well in the mount so when I installed the new bulb the socket came out and I had to open the TV up to plug the bulb up from the rear. TV is way out of warranty.
There is an electrical adjustmnet for vertical centering, you probably just need to adjust it upwards an inch or so.

CADCONV

I have the same issue that you are speaking of, where the words are cut off on the bottom of the screen on my 52525 using Dish Network. I have also noticed the same thing on a friends Samsung DLP.

PTScorp called today and said my format board for my 52725 is unrepairable and they are sending back.

I did pick up the WD-62825 off CraigsList for $280. They said it had no video just audio. It also was missing the lamp. I threw a lamp in it and the orange lamp led lit up (error 34). I tore it apart and found 2 3300Uf caps bad on the power supply board. I replaced them along with the 4 1000uf caps. I also replaced the 4 1000uf caps on the DM and format boards. I put it all together and I get the flashing green Led. ughhhhhh
Thinking it was the caps I installed.....I removed all but the 3300Uf caps and checked them all and found nothing.

If I disconnect power going to the format board then the tv boots and the power Led stops flashing. I can then plug in power to the format board and power on the tv and everything works fine until power is lost again. For now I just put a switch in the back to kill power to the format until the tv boots then power the format board and power on the tv.


I am still waiting for a format board from the warranty company on my other working 52725 with wavy lines.

PTScorp called today and said my format board for my 52725 is unrepairable and they are sending back.You should ask them if it's unrepairable because they can't narrow down the problem or because the suspect component(s) are too difficult or impossible to replace.ughhhhhhI admire your perseverence. It was a worthy gamble.For now I just put a switch in the back to kill power to the format until the tv boots then power the format board and power on the tv.Perhaps we should recommend to Mitsubishi's designers to incorporate such workarounds into their future models.

Actually they did say it was IC8B02 that was bad and they are not available from the manufacturer.

I looked it up in the manual and it is a CXA3506R (8-bit 120MSPS A/D Converter Amplifier)
It looks like about a 150 pin chip. I am thinking what you said. "It is too difficult or impossible to replace."

I saw one place that had this chip priced at $98. Ouch! Hope this chip going bad isn't the cause of the endless blinking led. Would pretty much mean this problem is only fixable if still under warranty.

I recently connected an HDMI cable from my satellite receiver to the HDMI input on my 52725 and when I turn the TV on I get only a blue screen. Previously, I was using component video cables for the video input to my TV.

Based on what I read in the owners manual, it seems like this connection should be plug and play. Are there any settings in the TV that need to be changed when connecting an HDMI input?

Actually they did say it was IC8B02 that was bad and they are not available from the manufacturer.

I looked it up in the manual and it is a CXA3506R (8-bit 120MSPS A/D Converter Amplifier)
It looks like about a 150 pin chip. I am thinking what you said. "It is too difficult or impossible to replace."

Thanks, this is very useful info. At least there's a workaround. It's been months since the last time I've booted my TV -- in my opinion, flipping a switch twice at boot-time is less hassle than dealing with Mits (and paying out the bucks for a replacement board).

I wonder why the ADC hangs it at boot but then apparently works fine thereafter. Perhaps the on-chip PLL is losing lock & hanging it? Those circuits can be very sensitive.

Well got a call from Tweeter, they said the chassis came in and he setup an appointment for the 26th of this month. A little pissed off, as I was hoping the part would not be available and I could try to get out of this TV (under warranty). A little more pissed off that they have the part and its going to take them til the 26th to come out and install.

Is there anything I should check for after chassis replacement (besides wavy lines)? I have read that QC isn't the greatest on these, so I a worried about this. How do I check for proper geometry after the repair?

I recently connected an HDMI cable from my satellite receiver to the HDMI input on my 52725 and when I turn the TV on I get only a blue screen. Previously, I was using component video cables for the video input to my TV.

Based on what I read in the owners manual, it seems like this connection should be plug and play. Are there any settings in the TV that need to be changed when connecting an HDMI input?

May be a stupid question, but did you change the input device to MONLINK?

Well got a call from Tweeter, they said the chassis came in and he setup an appointment for the 26th of this month. A little pissed off, as I was hoping the part would not be available and I could try to get out of this TV (under warranty). A little more pissed off that they have the part and its going to take them til the 26th to come out and install.

Is there anything I should check for after chassis replacement (besides wavy lines)? I have read that QC isn't the greatest on these, so I a worried about this. How do I check for proper geometry after the repair?
Hey Sunbed... sorry I didn't get back to you on the PM. I was waiting to let this thing unfold a little more. Unfortunately, I'm getting nowhere with getting the thing replaced. It sounds like you were able to get more out of NEW than I was.

My new appointment is scheduled for next Tuesday to replace the chassis. But, hey, surprise! The f-ing thing quit working yesterday. It's acting like the lamp is blown, which would be the 2nd blown lamp in just over 3 years. I'm pretty sure he put a new lamp in with the new light engine, though. So who knows. Either way, it's unacceptable when you're sold on only having to replace ONE bulb every 3-4 years!

I have spoken with a George Castillo at MDEA, who said they will "escalate" my issue if I continue to have problems after the chassis replacement. I have also spoken with a Debbie at NEW, who told me their "Lemon Policy" usually takes 4 times with the same problem to replace the TV. She also said they are very aware of the problems with Mitsubishis. Pretty soon, they'll be at the cost of the TV with all of these repairs:

-Ballasts
-caps replaced
-FB circuit board
-light engine
-chassis replacement
-labor cost?

What's next? I still have almost 2 years left on the extended warranty, so at least I'm covered there. With my luck, it will work perfectly until the thing expires-then quit the following day.

Nope, not a stupid question. I left it on SAT/Cable because that's where the feed was coming from. Didn't think of changing it to MONLINK. I've nevered used the MONLINK input device so I didn't make the connection between that device and the HDMI input.

I'm officially an idiot.

Thanks for responding.

Thanks, this is very useful info. At least there's a workaround. It's been months since the last time I've booted my TV -- in my opinion, flipping a switch twice at boot-time is less hassle than dealing with Mits (and paying out the bucks for a replacement board).

I wonder why the ADC hangs it at boot but then apparently works fine thereafter. Perhaps the on-chip PLL is losing lock & hanging it? Those circuits can be very sensitive.

When I get some time I will rip the boards out of my working wavy line 52725 one at a time and put them in the 62825 and find out which board is hanging up the boot. I know it seems odd but I think the power supply board is hanging it.

As far as the 52725 with the format board that PTS corp couldn't fix. They did say they replaced some other components but would not tell me which ones. I marked all of the larger components so when I get it back I should be able to tell what they replaced.

BearGator56-

Man that sucks. Sorry to hear that, I can't believe they are not buying you out. Keep on trying though its all in who you talk to.
Let me know how the chasiss replacement goes. I have an issue with them putting a "refurbished" part in my TV, but complaining about that didn't seem to get me anywhere.
I too have 2 years left on my warranty, and will be keeping a very close eye out for anything wrong.

Call your Consumers affairs dept in you county. They will tell you what your wrights are for a lemon. In New Jersey it is three times for repair or 30 days total with out it working and that is all so includes waiting for parts. But you get three years from date of
purchase.
I hope this Helps
Daniel

Update on flickering pixels. Local shop called back, and I told him the software update didn't work, and he was convinced it was a source problem. That was until I told him that on the VGA, if I bring up the TV menu, the flickering pixels can be seen within the menu. That got his attention and he said he would call mitsubishi and talk to them and give me a call back tomorrow. I'll let you know what he says.

From a technical standpoint, really what could it be? The problem has to lie after the menu is overlaid over the source, yet not affect the other inputs. I am thinking it is noise coming from the VGA signal (or A/D converter) that is corrupting the final output to the optical engine. Is there some kind of shielding that may have broken down over time?

Update on flickering pixels. Local shop called back, and I told him the software update didn't work, and he was convinced it was a source problem. That was until I told him that on the VGA, if I bring up the TV menu, the flickering pixels can be seen within the menu. That got his attention and he said he would call mitsubishi and talk to them and give me a call back tomorrow. I'll let you know what he says.

From a technical standpoint, really what could it be? The problem has to lie after the menu is overlaid over the source, yet not affect the other inputs. I am thinking it is noise coming from the VGA signal (or A/D converter) that is corrupting the final output to the optical engine. Is there some kind of shielding that may have broken down over time?

Update on flickering pixels. Local shop called back, and I told him the software update didn't work, and he was convinced it was a source problem. That was until I told him that on the VGA, if I bring up the TV menu, the flickering pixels can be seen within the menu. That got his attention and he said he would call mitsubishi and talk to them and give me a call back tomorrow. I'll let you know what he says.

From a technical standpoint, really what could it be? The problem has to lie after the menu is overlaid over the source, yet not affect the other inputs. I am thinking it is noise coming from the VGA signal (or A/D converter) that is corrupting the final output to the optical engine. Is there some kind of shielding that may have broken down over time?

The remaining issue with my tv seems similar to yours...try this: Does the noise remain without a VGA source present? Meaning, unplug the VGA cable to the tv, and bring up the tv menu while on the VGA input. On mine, the "sparklies" remain. This goes a long way, imho, towards proving that the problem is definitely not source related. Edit: I'm intrigued by your idea, but doesn't this process take place on the FMT board, and since I've just had mine replaced, and the problem remains...

Update to my problem: BB service guy contacted Mitsubishi, they are telling him to come out to the house again and take voltage readings from various points, looking for (gasp) bad filtering/caps. This is kinda funny, because I had told the guy early on that:

1) FMT board was likely to be Mitsu's first prescription, but that it was on back order, and not likely to fix the problem (true, but Mitsu had him replace it first).

2)Mitsubisihi would likely try a DM board replacement next (true...they mentioned it to the service rep on the phone but they haven't done the replacement yet, and so far as I know no parts are on order and I have no idea as to time frame, or if they intend to carry this out).

3) If it were me, I'd be looking at caps (which is what Mitsu is now telling him to do).

Ok new update.

I called Mitsu since Tweeter got the chassis before they were expecting it, and its on backorder for some other people here.

So, it ended up that Tweeter ordered a different part for me. Can someone who is more in the know tell me what this is please.

Part #955B298001

Google search brought up a part simply called a module.

The original part #955B298002 is a chassis according to the google search.

So, can anyone here tell me the difference between these??

Thanks!

Ok new update.

I called Mitsu since Tweeter got the chassis before they were expecting it, and its on backorder for some other people here.

So, it ended up that Tweeter ordered a different part for me. Can someone who is more in the know tell me what this is please.

Part #955B298001

Google search brought up a part simply called a module.

The original part #955B298002 is a chassis according to the google search.

So, can anyone here tell me the difference between these??

Thanks!

According to the service manual:

955B298001 is the part number for the elect. chassis for the xx525 models
955B298002 is the part number for the elect. chassis for the xx725 models
955B298003 is the part number for the elect. chassis for the xx825 models

955B298001 is the current part number for a V26 chassis.

Got a call from the repair facility today, my 62825 is supposedly fixed and being delivered Saturday with no wavy lines and sparkling pixels. No explanation on the repair other than a chassis replacement, and with that, a second DM board because the one in the replacement chassis was bad. I'll report on Sunday. After 4 weeks in the shop I am hoping it's fixed but with this set I won't be surprised if it's not.

Thanks for the clarification guys.

I have a 52725, so is this the correct part? Is there any difference between this chassis and the **525 chassis? I think the only difference between the 2 is the screen, and diamond shield, but its been along time since I read up on this.

***EDIT****

Well after some more research in the service manual, it does appear to be a different part. It looks like the Signal, Format, and DM boards all have different part #'s compared to the other chassis that they want to put it. Might not make a difference, but I think I will call and complain to get the correct part installed anyway.

Any thoughts?

Has anyone fixed the bright spot on a 62825 other than replacing the light engine? At first I was thinking it was light coming through a hole in the back but it looks like it is coming from the light engine. After reading back a few years I found this.

The bright spot is an internal reflection of light "leaking" out of the light engine.

Has anyone ripped apart a light engine?

No word from Mistubishi yet, although the local tech said he had another customer with the same problem, so hopefully that puts some more weight on it.

Well the warranty company did not want to spend the money to replace the chassis after they already replaced the FMT and DM board so they said they talked with Mitsubishi and I will be able to get a replacement TV. Thats cool with me. I'll let you know how the process works. Not holding my breath....but this would be nice.

Stephen

Well looks like i'm going to get a replacment tv. The warranty company said they have to find from Mits a comparable model to the 52525 that I had. I don't see that Mits makes any 52" DLP tv's any longer. You guys have a guess what model they may come back with as comparable?

I would try to get $$ instead of the tv. There are alot of nice tv's out right now, and I am no longer impressed with Mitsu.

Samsung has a 50" and 57" led DLP out right now for a decent price and you no longer have to worry about lamps or color wheels.

That is what I am shooting for if I can get them to buy me out.

Considering the number of sets that we have sold, the problems seem to be very few. You must keep in context that the problems that get discussed here represent a very small percentage of the sets in the field. For all their ineptitude and obtuse policy, Mitsubishi is still a company that in the end does the right thing in most cases. This can be said of very few vendors that I see in today's electronics market. Mitsubishi is far from perfect, but overall, their products have and continue to be a good choice.

I agree that we are a small percentage of the total units sold, but keep in mind all the people who don't post on these boards that may be having issues, or don't have the know how or extended warranties to take care of the issues.

Although we are the minority, there seems to be enough people here who all have the same issues with the same tv's bought around the same time to prove this is a design and/or manufacturing error. In the end Mitsu is not taking care of us as we are all getting the run around with extending warranties, or paying out of pocket to repair these on our own.

Mitsu may have fixed these issues with the new models out now, I guess we will find out in about 3 years. I for one am not willing to take that chance.

My $.02

No doubt it was a lousy design from a servicer's point of view. The new sets are a completely different chassis design, though how far the batches of bad caps go into newer production is hard to say at this point.

As the service manager for a dealer who has sold many of the Mitsubishi sets, I can honestly say that the problems have been minimal for our clients and Mitsubishi has stepped up to provide parts assistance when requested. I just got a credit today for the one chassis that we had to replace on a V26 set in all of 2007. The set was 3 years old and they covered it.

I can update on my problem (finally)...

I called BB and they came out on Dec 21 to try and swap the lamp (the TV would not start up, and would light up the LAMP LED). This didn't help, so they ordered parts (a ballast and a new power board, which they did after talking to Mits, apparently).

They finally got the parts, and they swapped the power board out today in about 45 minutes (after a very long wait). This fixed it - I was hoping that there would be more problems, since EW only covers me through August. I don't see any wavy lines, but I will keep an eye out for them.

I got a look at the Power board, and of course it had at least 2 swollen caps (they might have even leaked a bit at the center of the "X" emboss at the top).

My warranty company just emailed me with an offer to replace my 52525 with a 57" Hitachi HDTV Monitor with Digital Tuner Model 57F59 . Is that funny or what!!! I politely said no thanks. A comparable tv would be Mits DLP not an old Hitachi 57 CRT. This could be a painful negotiation...

Stephen

My warranty company just emailed me with an offer to replace my 52525 with a 57" Hitachi HDTV Monitor with Digital Tuner Model 57F59 . Is that funny or what!!! I politely said no thanks. A comparable tv would be Mits DLP not an old Hitachi 57 CRT. This could be a painful negotiation...

Stephen

Ouch. Who is the warranty through? And where did you buy the TV?

Update: Service technician arrived today to take a few readings, replaced 3 jamicon's on the power board. Didn't help. That's the third visit. He said prior to this one he was going to recommend replacement if this didn't work. After the service, I got a call from him passing the buck to his "supervisor" saying that since the TV was $3k at purchase, it was worth it to "try a different approach" and he has placed an order for (get this) a new light engine and power supply. WTF does this have to do with the light engine? I asked him, "At least one of my inputs works without issues (HDMI), if that input works, then isn't the optical engine operating correctly?" He didn't have an answer for that, but he says he's going to "put in for a replacement chassis".

Calls to BB In-Home Service are all the same...they put my complaint "under investigation" for possible replacement TV, then 15 minutes after I get off the phone, they deny it on the basis that the TV is still "fixable", as deemed by the repair tech. I have been quoted 45 days as the maximum they usually wait for repair parts before authorizing replacement, but I don't know if that's 45 days from the first time they order parts, the second, or the third, or if it's a perpetual cycle used to keep customers at bay until the Attorney General's Office is contacted.

After 3 service calls over 5 weeks, and a damaged coffee table he decided to use as a work bench, I feel I've fulfilled every reasonable expectation BB could have of me. Every service call is time either my wife or I have to take off work, and I have great doubts as to the troubleshooting methodology presented so far. I don't care if they replace the set with another 52525, I just want a working set in a reasonable time frame.

I have chosen, therefore, to let the wife loose on them. She's unhappy about the coffee table. I expect justice in short order (give her a week or two).

I have chosen, therefore, to let the wife loose on them. She's unhappy about the coffee table. I expect justice in short order (give her a week or two).Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war.

Ya, I think 3 trys to fix it is about enough. If they can't get it right by then, its their problem. Good luck, let us know how it goes.

Hell hath no fury like a women scorn, and all that

I bought the tv thru Ovation Electronic here in Mason, Ohio. The warranty is thru Warranty company of America. (waca.com)

I just checked my VGA input again last night, and in the matter of 4 weeks or so, it has significantly degraded. Where as before I could use it for some Desktop activities, now I cannot even bear to look at it. It has pretty much been rendered useless.

During that time, however, the waves I see on analog have not gotten any worse as far as I can tell. Not sure if there's any significance to that, just thought I'd pass it along.

I got my 62825 back after 4 weeks in the shop for wavy lines, flickering pixels and waiting on parts, and rewaiting when the first replacement chassis was bad. I know this will not help those who are trying to diagnose the wavy line problem, but my set is now working properly. For how long is anybody's guess, but I have two years left on the warranty and after that I'll test my soldering skills. I must say in order to get me through the 4 week period, I bought a 42" Toshiba and I like that set's picture much better.

I got my 62825 back after 4 weeks in the shop for wavy lines, flickering pixels and waiting on parts, and rewaiting when the first replacement chassis was bad. I know this will not help those who are trying to diagnose the wavy line problem, but my set is now working properly. For how long is anybody's guess, but I have two years left on the warranty and after that I'll test my soldering skills.

I'll be in the same boat after Tuesday. That's when the tech comes to replace the chassis. I have just under two years left on my extended warranty. As we all know, these problems started for most at 3 years into ownership.

I have a real bad feeling that we're all going to see a repeat at 3 years again. Replacing a defective chassis with the same thing is likely to reproduce the same results. Just long enough for Mitsubishi and the EW companies to push off the issue to where it won't be their problem any longer.

Maybe I'll start leaving the set on all the time to accelerate the issue...

Quick question:

Does the chassis replacement cover/include replacing all the boards?

Quick question:

Does the chassis replacement cover/include replacing all the boards?

I believe it includes the FMT, DM, and signal board. Likely, in my case, that a new chassis and power supply would solve my isssues...at least, I think that replacing everything in the signal chain prior to a known-working light engine should fix the set. Kinda overkill, methinks, but at the very least, I'm not troubleshooting on my dime, so if they can get me a replacement chassis in a reasonable time frame, then they can have at it.

Someone above asked about my problem with VGA...mine used to look great, then it looked like the picture of the flickering pixels hosted above (took about ten minutes to come up with the problem after boot), now it looks like an analog tv on a station with a whole lot of drift, and that's immediately after startup.

Under the terms of my warrantee, "replacement" means a model with comparable features. That's fine, but if I wanted, I could get pretty anal about meeting that requirement ("Well, the LG doesn't have an IR repeater, and that Toshiba doesn't have firewire, and that Sammy doesn't have a memory card reader and this other one you suggested doesn't have VGA input...") I hear that you can pay the extra for upgrade to a better model (in my case, I hope to get one of the Pioneer plasma's, and if it happens this week, I might still be able to find one of their 720p sets that went on clearance last week).

I'd be all set if they just fixed my tv, but how many tries do they get?:rolleyes:

Update: Just got off the phone w/ BBIHS, they've gone ahead and ordered a new chassis/ps for the set. Goody! Now they can impress me by getting it in a reasonable time frame. Anybody have any ideas as to lead time?:D

The reality of the situation for Best Buy is this: They are a brick-and-mortar store in the age of the internet purchase. Their one and only offering that allows them to claim relevance in this age is the idea that service and advice is better via a local representative vice a faceless "loading dock and a phone rep" organization. I would think that they would be bending over backwards to correctly host each and every complaint involving customers who purchase the service plan...but not so. BB has chosen to make the quick dime, focusing their efforts on buttressing themselves against any claim not in keeping with short-term margin, to the point they apparently think that 2+ months is a reasonable amount of time in which they may endeavor to fulfill their obligation under the service contract.

I've given my opinion of service contracts before on this forum...I don't recommend them, for precisely these reasons, and for the fact that the margin on them is so large. Why insure at an average loss that which you ought to be able to afford to replace as a luxury item? Was I not offered the plan at a ~50% discount, I would not have gotten it.

BB is a box mover with clerks. They have some good techs, but their service is limited by the majority of their people who are poorly paid and have relatively little experience in what they are doing. There are very few dealers who actually provide useful service in manner that is effective for the consumer. If you want to find one it will likely be a specialty dealer who is self-servicing and does not rely on others for repairs. They are getting pretty rare.

Someone above asked about my problem with VGA...mine used to look great, then it looked like the picture of the flickering pixels hosted above (took about ten minutes to come up with the problem after boot)...

Where is the picture you mentioned above? I would like to see what this flickering pixel image looks like.

I figure this is one of the things that I will keep an eye open for, since my warranty is up in August...

Where is the picture you mentioned above? I would like to see what this flickering pixel image looks like.


Delar posted them on this page:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=444566&page=173

They're kinda hard to show in a photograph, they appear randomly and flash all over the place. Mine now looks like the whole screen is exhibiting some kind of interlacing issue or like station drift on an analog tuner...it seems like, if you were to explain it as if it were a CRT, like if the horizontal sync was off by a centimeter, but only every other line, and fluctuating rapidly. I'll see if I can get a pic tomorrow.

New Chassis Installed...

Tech came today and put in the new chassis. I checked out the labeling on it, and it is from a 62725 (mine is 62525). It took away the wavy lines on component, but now I have a couple new issues.

The HDMI (Monlink) had a green hue on it when it was first hooked up. The tech pulled the HDMI plug out, then put it back in. The picture was all blue. He did it one more time, and it appeared normal. He said it probably had a "handshake" thing going on.

Everything seemed OK, so he was on his way. I watched a BluRay on component for a while to see if it was all good. No wavy lines.

So, I switch back to DirecTV on HDMI. The green hue thing is there. The screen starts cycling a few times to a black screen, then back to the green picture. After 3-4 times of this, the picture appears normal. The "hue" thing looks like when you have component cables are used, but one of them isn't in all the way.

Now, the last thing. The picture is curved upwards on the left and right sides. You can really tell when there is a guide grid, news ticker, or sports headliner. This was showing when the tech was here, and he said that it can't be adjusted on these sets. Hmmm...

Well... That's where I'm at for now. I'm going to give the HDMI thing a few days to see what happens. I'll definitely be pushing the curvy screen, though. That's not something that should be happening.

spiff72, I posted a picture of my set with displaymate showing the flickering pixels on page180. They still haven't been able to fix it.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=12964636#post12964636

New Chassis Installed...

Tech came today and put in the new chassis. I checked out the labeling on it, and it is from a 62725 (mine is 62525). It took away the wavy lines on component, but now I have a couple new issues.

The HDMI (Monlink) had a green hue on it when it was first hooked up. The tech pulled the HDMI plug out, then put it back in. The picture was all blue. He did it one more time, and it appeared normal. He said it probably had a "handshake" thing going on.

Everything seemed OK, so he was on his way. I watched a BluRay on component for a while to see if it was all good. No wavy lines.

So, I switch back to DirecTV on HDMI. The green hue thing is there. The screen starts cycling a few times to a black screen, then back to the green picture. After 3-4 times of this, the picture appears normal. The "hue" thing looks like when you have component cables are used, but one of them isn't in all the way.

Now, the last thing. The picture is curved upwards on the left and right sides. You can really tell when there is a guide grid, news ticker, or sports headliner. This was showing when the tech was here, and he said that it can't be adjusted on these sets. Hmmm...

Well... That's where I'm at for now. I'm going to give the HDMI thing a few days to see what happens. I'll definitely be pushing the curvy screen, though. That's not something that should be happening.

Sounds like a geometry problem, I wouldn't wait another day. Get on the horn and demand another chassis or a new tv. If its not perfect then don't settle til it is.

Does anybody have pictures of replacing the capacitors that are know to blow on the MITS DLP?

Sounds like a geometry problem, I wouldn't wait another day. Get on the horn and demand another chassis or a new tv. If its not perfect then don't settle til it is.

It seems odd that the geometry would be upset when the replace the electrical chassis unless they didn't reassemble the TV correctly.

Here is my theory of why this could be:

I watched them pull the chassis out of my TV, and there is a vertical bracket on the left side of the chassis that they remove to gain access (and to be able to remove the chassis). This bracket seems to stiffen the back of the TV (keep it upright). When it was removed, it was clear that the back of the TV sagged a bit (they had to lift the corner formed by the angled upper surface of the back of the TV and the vertical surface of the back (where all the connections would be). If this bracket wasn't reinstalled correctly, the sagging back could definitely affect the geometry, since the large mirror would be out of position.

If the tv is under warrantee/service plan, check out your "no lemon" policy, might be worth a read if your geometry issues constitute a separate service call (which they would, so long as you have a service receipt for the repair they just did).

"Can't be adjusted on this set" is a load of bunk...either the set is displaying correctly, or it's not, and if not, I'd get them to fix it, right now. You don't need to feel bad about making sure you get what you paid for (in terms of service and price of the set itself).

Oh, and no theory involved in the fact that these sets have a lot of flex to them, especially when the support system in and around the chassis is removed, and much of the plastic ends up supporting its own weight. I had slight, "correctable to tolerable" geometry issues when I first got the set, and something I didn't mention about my recent spate of service calls: My geometry issues actually improved, no more distortion in the lower right corner of the picture (which was only visible, in the first place, if you had a test pattern up or something). Service tech didn't do anything in regard to geometry except reassemble the tv correctly.

Called Tweeter's service center today to open up another file about the geometry/curvature issues. They are forwarding the problem to the service manager, and I should expect a call back. This whole thing is just really irritating.

When I got my set back it had a definite lower tilt to the right. I took off the small front panel right in front of the light engine and adjusted the allen bolt to level it out. Took less than 5 minutes. Is this the geometry issues you are having or is it something more involved?

When I got my set back it had a definite lower tilt to the right. I took off the small front panel right in front of the light engine and adjusted the allen bolt to level it out. Took less than 5 minutes. Is this the geometry issues you are having or is it something more involved?

More involved. It's not just a tilt one way or the other. It's both the left and right sides that are "pushed" up. Kind of like how plywood would sag with no support in the center. On DirecTV, when I have the guide up, the PIP box at the top right is very squeezed. From the left side of the PIP to the right, it looks like it's about a half an inch shorter. The lines of the guide are pretty bad, too.

I got my call back from Tweeter, and they told me I had to call NEW. So I called NEW, and they conferenced us in with Tweeter.

So, the tech apparently noted the bow in the picture, but said it was within this 1/8" spec that Mitsubishi allows. They said that he put in a call to Mitsu. The tech didn't call anyone while he was at my house, and didn't say a word about any 1/8". He just told me it wasn't adjustable.

So now, Tweeter left the tech a message, and he's supposed to call me back. Apparently, it's up to him whether the TV is repairable or not.

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii186/beargator56/WD62525007.jpg
Look at right side of "power shares QQQ" and how it lifts up
http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii186/beargator56/WD62525006.jpg
PIP from Guide...right side lifts up
http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii186/beargator56/WD62525005.jpg
Look at bottom center, and how the left and right lift up from there in a curve
http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii186/beargator56/WD62525002.jpg
Bottom left corner. You can see it curving from the bottom center

Oh yeah...here's a pic of how nasty the fan that sits on top of the chassis gets:

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii186/beargator56/WD62525008.jpg

@BearGator: It seems obvious that is greater than 1/8"....and if they give you flac about it not being adjustable, just tell them it IS adjustable...you didn't experience the issue for years until your service tech "adjusted" it:D

More involved. It's not just a tilt one way or the other. It's both the left and right sides that are "pushed" up. Kind of like how plywood would sag with no support in the center. On DirecTV, when I have the guide up, the PIP box at the top right is very squeezed. From the left side of the PIP to the right, it looks like it's about a half an inch shorter. The lines of the guide are pretty bad, too.

I got my call back from Tweeter, and they told me I had to call NEW. So I called NEW, and they conferenced us in with Tweeter.

So, the tech apparently noted the bow in the picture, but said it was within this 1/8" spec that Mitsubishi allows. They said that he put in a call to Mitsu. The tech didn't call anyone while he was at my house, and didn't say a word about any 1/8". He just told me it wasn't adjustable.

So now, Tweeter left the tech a message, and he's supposed to call me back. Apparently, it's up to him whether the TV is repairable or not.

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii186/beargator56/WD62525007.jpg
Look at right side of "power shares QQQ" and how it lifts up
http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii186/beargator56/WD62525006.jpg
PIP from Guide...right side lifts up
http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii186/beargator56/WD62525005.jpg
Look at bottom center, and how the left and right lift up from there in a curve
http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii186/beargator56/WD62525002.jpg
Bottom left corner. You can see it curving from the bottom center
looks like you can adjust the trapazoid geometry from the front of the TV. just remove the front mesch and try to turn either of those 3 knobs near the card reader input.

@BearGator: It seems obvious that is greater than 1/8"....and if they give you flac about it not being adjustable, just tell them it IS adjustable...you didn't experience the issue for years until your service tech "adjusted" it:D
Talking to the girl at Tweeter today was very frustrating. It was obvious they didn't want to do a thing. She even asked me if I had called the tech about the problem after he left. I replied, "that's not my job." The tech already stated his position that it wasn't adjustable before he left my house. Funny... They told me the tech was supposed to call me back today and it didn't happen. Looks like I'll be calling again tomorrow.

It just pisses me off that people act so removed from the world about these things. I know that being a phone rep can't be the greatest thing, but these people should really put themselves in our shoes. How would they like to have a $4000 TV that has had a tech out to fix a half dozen times. They act like it's easy to just be there and take off from work.


looks like you can adjust the trapazoid geometry from the front of the TV. just remove the front mesch and try to turn either of those 3 knobs near the card reader input.

I don't think those keys fix this, do they? I thought those were to adjust the light engine if it's not seated right. He didn't touch the light engine this time. It was a chassis replacement. The picture was fine before that. Wouldn't I have needed to adjust those before the chassis replacement? The problem would have existed before, I would think.

Update: My new chassis/ps shipped, tech to arrive saturday and install...


....and none too soon. My wife and I were about to sit down after a long day to some vegetating, and the tv shut off all-of-a-sudden, and of its own accord. After powering the set back on, this is what all component inputs look like:

http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/8975/componentgo0.jpg... still waiting for Jessica Alba to swim by.

VGA continues to look like:

http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/8265/dsc01244go7.jpg

Don't let the VGA pic resolution fool ya, it doesn't get any more legible than that.

One for the cheap seats:

http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/4496/dsc01244hg0.jpg

New update from my warranty company. As you might remember they first offered a replacment Hitachi CRT tv. Yuck. Said no thank you.

They just emailed me with their next TV offer of a Mits WD-57833. Now thats more like it. This would replace my WD-52525. I went and read the specs on the 57833 and it appears to be a Diamond Series with all the goodies. I think this might work. I want to see if I can get them to throw in the matching stand since I'm going to lose the use of my matching stand for the 52525. I'll keep everyone posted. It seems to me that everyone with an extended warranty really should just be patient and build your case as to why they should replace your tv since parts take so long and they don't always seem to fix the wavy issue. I've been working thru this since Nov 2 and it appears it might have finally come to a good resolution.

Stephen

Yikes hithere. I thought my VGA was unwatchable, but yours takes the cake.

Makes me want to go get a VGA cable to see what that looks like on mine...

I don't think those keys fix this, do they? I thought those were to adjust the light engine if it's not seated right. He didn't touch the light engine this time. It was a chassis replacement. The picture was fine before that. Wouldn't I have needed to adjust those before the chassis replacement? The problem would have existed before, I would think.
can u take a picture of the geometry test pattern? Then we will know for sure.

OK, I escalated my problem to someone of a "higher authority" at Tweeter. Amazing how things happen when you do that. I got a call from a local DM, who got the forwarded e-mail from the "higher authority." He agreed that my problems have went on for too long, and offered to swap out my set. Here's my choices:

-Samsung HLT6189S
-Sony KDS60A3000
-Mitsubishi WD65734

The Sammy is the LED DLP technology. No moving parts, no bulb to replace. I've heard good things about the Sony, but it's a discontinued model (Sony isn't making projection any longer). I've seen some very nice screen shots of a 734 model Mits on here that made me think WOW, but I'm leary of going with another Mits.

What would you do? I think these are some decent sets that they offered. All are 1080p and 24fps ready. I'm going to head to a local B&M store to see if they have these models to compare. The closest Tweeter (HiFi Buys) store to me is about 45 mins to an hour away.

I have a feeling I will get the Sammy. I have two smaller LCD HD sets from them that work very nicely. The idea of not having to replace a bulb is good, too. Not to mention, the Sammy is Energy Star rated!

I would go for the Sammy. But That is just ME.

OK, I escalated my problem to someone of a "higher authority" at Tweeter. Amazing how things happen when you do that. I got a call from a local DM, who got the forwarded e-mail from the "higher authority." He agreed that my problems have went on for too long, and offered to swap out my set. Here's my choices:

-Samsung HLT6189S
-Sony KDS60A3000
-Mitsubishi WD65734

The Sammy is the LED DLP technology. No moving parts, no bulb to replace. I've heard good things about the Sony, but it's a discontinued model (Sony isn't making projection any longer). I've seen some very nice screen shots of a 734 model Mits on here that made me think WOW, but I'm leary of going with another Mits.

What would you do? I think these are some decent sets that they offered. All are 1080p and 24fps ready. I'm going to head to a local B&M store to see if they have these models to compare. The closest Tweeter (HiFi Buys) store to me is about 45 mins to an hour away.

I have a feeling I will get the Sammy. I have two smaller LCD HD sets from them that work very nicely. The idea of not having to replace a bulb is good, too. Not to mention, the Sammy is Energy Star rated!

I think I would go with the Sammy too, but I would do a quick scan of the appropriate threads here first.

I just came back from my next door neighbors house and he has the Sony KDS60A3000. I Like my pitcher better on my WD-62725 set better and He dose too. He only had his TV for less than 3 weeks. He has had it calibrated and it looks So soft. The company is coming back out to see if they can get it looking better.

Sammy all the way. Congrats!!

OK, I escalated my problem to someone of a "higher authority" at Tweeter. Amazing how things happen when you do that. I got a call from a local DM, who got the forwarded e-mail from the "higher authority." He agreed that my problems have went on for too long, and offered to swap out my set. Here's my choices:

-Samsung HLT6189S
-Sony KDS60A3000


I went with the A3000 when I upgraded. It is an amazing TV. Doesn't really matter that it is discontinued. The color display is amazing and pretty much spot on with just a few tiny tweaks.

I have pictures here:
http://flickr.com/photos/15926686@N00/

TV stuff on the 2nd page.

I just came back from my next door neighbors house and he has the Sony KDS60A3000. I Like my pitcher better on my WD-62725 set better and He dose too. He only had his TV for less than 3 weeks. He has had it calibrated and it looks So soft. The company is coming back out to see if they can get it looking better.

I wouldn't trade my A3000 back for my old Mitsubishi. I've never liked the soft look of a calibrated set. :)

The blacks on the A3000 and the dark detail blow my old Mitsu TV away.

Thanks for the pics, Shape. I was trying to find some in the owner's thread, but I wasn't really impressed by what I saw. Like I was saying, the Mitsu pics in their owners thread really had a WOW factor to them. I'd like to see your set with some Blu Ray or HD DVD source material if you have them!

I always take time in BB to look at the newest TVs. What guy doesn't, right? Mitsu still impresses me in person, too. But the Sammys all look damn good as well. I generally don't like Sony stuff anymore. Not sure why, but have never been really impressed, and they're usually pricier.

I mentioned the Sony being discontinued because I worry about future product support. Not to mention, the technology is one of the rarer ones. I believe it's a form of LCOS, but I may be wrong on that. DLP has been improved on enough now that it's a safer bet, IMO.

I'll be going on a field trip tomorrow to check these things out in person. If you guys have any other suggestions other than those 3 sets, I'd be happy to hear them. If I see something I like better than these offers, I will ask about them. Hopefully, I can wrap this up by the end of the weekend!

Thanks for your replies and help!

Thanks for the pics, Shape. I was trying to find some in the owner's thread, but I wasn't really impressed by what I saw. Like I was saying, the Mitsu pics in their owners thread really had a WOW factor to them. I'd like to see your set with some Blu Ray or HD DVD source material if you have them!

I always take time in BB to look at the newest TVs. What guy doesn't, right? Mitsu still impresses me in person, too. But the Sammys all look damn good as well. I generally don't like Sony stuff anymore. Not sure why, but have never been really impressed, and they're usually pricier.

I mentioned the Sony being discontinued because I worry about future product support. Not to mention, the technology is one of the rarer ones. I believe it's a form of LCOS, but I may be wrong on that. DLP has been improved on enough now that it's a safer bet, IMO.

Being DLP sure didn't seem to help these 2004 sets. Any TV can have something go wrong. Mitsu still seems to have low bulb life issues. 4000 hours is about all you get. The Sonys are specced at 8000 hours, and I've even seen some reports of people getting 10,000 hours out of them.

Incidentally, SXRD isn't going away. Sony still uses it in their front projectors.

I got my 60" A3000 for just $1665. That was WAY cheaper than any other 60" TV at the time. The TV was $1850 at Circuit City, and I had a 10% off coupon from www.aaa.com/circuitcity . They are now offering an 8% off coupon at that site.

Here is Transformers in HD on the A3000:
http://flickr.com/photos/shapegsx/2053529285/sizes/l/

And on the WD-52525 (same frame):
http://flickr.com/photos/shapegsx/2039412770/sizes/o/

Honestly, though, you can't judge it by pictures. The camera ends up having more to do with the image quality than the TV itself. I think I exposed the A3000 picture a bit too dark, for instance. But I think it shows that the detail is there. Look at the thin scaffolding behind and to the left of Optimus Prime in both photos.