They still have not called me back yet from last night, did you buy the warranty when you purchased your Q or later?
I will try calling that number.
Thanks

I purchased it Feb. 2008, with less than one month left on the factory warranty.

I purchased it Feb. 2008, with less than one month left on the factory warranty.

Thanks

Sony, was letting People join the Warranty as long as Your original was still in effect. One Year. But remember later they added to the OB on some sets... Time was no Problem. If You got the last Q at Sony Stile or anyplace had if New even out of box , Your waranty started then... How long was the Q waranty ?

Sony, was letting People join the Warranty as long as Your original was still in effect. One Year. But remember later they added to the OB on some sets... Time was no Problem. If You got the last Q at Sony Stile or anyplace had if New even out of box , Your waranty started then... How long was the Q waranty ?

3 years.

See on the XBR 2 One Year on all, OB 3 Years. Don't know if they would let one join or not..... Extended waranty is like insurance , if You don't use You lose the extra Money... If You need it You win... But Same goes with Sony... If You don't use they win...

See on the XBR 2 One Year on all, OB 3 Years. Don't know if they would let one join or not..... Extended waranty is like insurance , if You don't use You lose the extra Money... If You need it You win... But Same goes with Sony... If You don't use they win...

I don't know what you are talking about, but this is the Qualia 006 thread and the original factory warranty was for 3 years for everything.

What I am talking about is even if You get the last Quailia Sold New & Your build Date shows the set is almost 3 Years old at the time ...Your waranty is 3 Years from Date of You buy it. Sony was as long as You are in the 3 year waranty was giving folks a chance to join an extended waranty... I have more than one Sony set & each set has had differant warranty... Sorry not at home to see how long on the Quailia...

I will review my Sony extended warranty and post any information that's useful. I wish I could add something on the technical side about the OB replacement, but the technician had not worked on a Q, and that's a little scary. He has done a bunch of SXRD's though, (including my secretary's 60" RPTV) and did a capable and thorough job on it. He did not seem to know about the specifics of the Q OB, as it differs from any other TV, and I tried to gently inform him, without sounding too much like a typical know-it-all layperson. The facts are though, that the people on this forum do know more about the Q than anyone outside of a handful of Sony personnel and distributers. And I mean a handful.

Thanks

Just got home and checked my answering machine, Dave with Sony 1-877-865-7669 ext 86748 called and said that you had to by the extended warranty during the first 11 months, and that they do not offer one on this Qualia TV. This all sounds like BS!!!!

:mad:

Quailia has a better lens & the SXRD pannels was bigger if I remember. The smaller the screen, the less room to change one...


????????

Reduced my fan speed back to normal. However, maybe it's better to accellerate the time to failure, so it will still be within my almost 3 year's left on my warranty.

Although the fact that ABT does their repair in a clean room environment is encouraging, that is no guarantee that existing crud is removed. I've had two OB's replaced now(50" and Qualia) by two different repair agencies, and neither one intended to do any cleaning. When I pointed out the dirt, and the fact that the failure is due to contamination, both said "that's not too bad", so I did what I could myself. Unless they are trained to do cleaning, they will not take the time. Sad but true.

Sony has probably not made any money on their SXRD's, so I doubt if they will offer any additional OB replacements without being forced to by class actions. Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be enough Qualia clientel to make enough dent in their thinking regarding a threat of class action by Qualia customers. Any lawyers care to comment?

Will post the OB photo later for those who are interested.

You are correct about the Sony warranty, I think third party warranties may work differently. I purchased the 3 year extended warranty from Sony and the certificate shows the expiration data is 3 years after my original factory warranty expired. So I am covered until March 4, 2011. The number I called was 1-866-766-9259.


My GE is also AFTER the 3 year Sony period.

It is beginning to feel like after the prom here. So many people off to other sets and the poor Q having a bad case of OB acne. I still love it and I just hope that if the OB is going to die it does so just before the extended warranty goes so I can enjoy it for another 3 years. I still think we haven't seen the big breakthroughs that will make the Q pale. It does great things still and although it may not be tops in every category I still love mine (of course love has its limits if the OB goes out of warranty 5k is more than that limit).

It is beginning to feel like after the prom here. So many people off to other sets and the poor Q having a bad case of OB acne. I still love it and I just hope that if the OB is going to die it does so just before the extended warranty goes so I can enjoy it for another 3 years. I still think we haven't seen the big breakthroughs that will make the Q pale. It does great things still and although it may not be tops in every category I still love mine (of course love has its limits if the OB goes out of warranty 5k is more than that limit).

The other thing is that New Q's did not keep their MSRP as Sony tried to do. So, a $5000 OB on a 3-4K set is just not something that I would think many would support.

I will review my Sony extended warranty and post any information that's useful. I wish I could add something on the technical side about the OB replacement, but the technician had not worked on a Q, and that's a little scary. He has done a bunch of SXRD's though, (including my secretary's 60" RPTV) and did a capable and thorough job on it. He did not seem to know about the specifics of the Q OB, as it differs from any other TV, and I tried to gently inform him, without sounding too much like a typical know-it-all layperson. The facts are though, that the people on this forum do know more about the Q than anyone outside of a handful of Sony personnel and distributers. And I mean a handful.

Quailia has a better lens on the optical block & the SXRD has bigger panels. The smaller the screen size, the less room to change an optical block in any Sony TV... So If He has done a 60 , He can do a Qualia being a 70 inch & more space ...

OK, I spoke to a Sony extended warranty representative and this is what came of the conversation. The phone number is 866-374-0134. I bought a 3 year plan for about $509 a few weeks before my 3 year factory warranty expired. The effective date of the extended coverage began at the end of the manufacturer's 3 year warranty. So, I will have a total coverage of 6 years. I cannot extend past this time with Sony, UNLESS something is offered at the time the extended coverage expires. No promises, though. If your 3 year original warranty is up, the back of my agreement says that after a 30 day waiting period Sony may offer extended coverage, at its option.

Hope this helps. If someone would like to view the entire agreement, then send me your email by PM, and I'll get someone capable like my secretary to scan and send it to you.

Well, just giving a little update as to the status of my Qualia. As some of you may remember I had my optical block changed out about a month ago and everything was hunky dory. The detail came back the discoloration had gone and I couldn't have been happier. Then about a week or so later I noticed some discoloration starting to reappear, it actually seemed worse than before. To me, it appeared to be greenish tint all around the border of the screen, predominantly on the bottom right hand corner....of course mostly visible on a solid gray background.

This time the Qualiex service guy (yes the same one that had never seen a Qualia before and tried to lift the set by himself to "spin" it around and work on it....not the stand, just the *&#@(#& set!) said there was nothing wrong and this was how it was supposed to look. He said he would call Sony for suggestions. About 2 weeks later he comes back over and says he has a solution. He fiddles with the service menu...then with the white balance and says it's better. It did look a little better but it wasn't perfect and I was disappointed.

Yesterday I received my new bulb and threw it into the set. The discoloration disappeared completely and everything is back as it should be. I didn't think a new bulb would make such a difference. I figured the picture would be dim but I didn't know that it could deteriorate so much with an old bulb. The first two times I replaced the bulb, I did so because the bulb completely blew and there was no picture. This time (in a span of about 13 months) the bulb never blew so I thought that meant it was "just fine." Who knew.

I'm sure the bulb's lifespan was also significantly shortened when the Qualex service guy turned the set on and off about 25-30 times in a span of about 20 minutes on his initial visit to changed out the optical block. But that's neither here nor there.

I'm happy now.

Chet

Brian,

DD covered everything so well. I want to emphasize his first point - hold the camera steady and pan slowly. Unlike camcorders of yesteryear, fast movements with a crystal-clear picture (especially on the Q) are very hard to watch. Like DD says - you don't want to make people dizzy.

Try to practice with the camera before you leave.

Enjoy!

Hey Ron,

Thanks again for the great advice...we got back last week from Europe, tons of video was taken, mostly in Dubrovnik, Croatia's oldest city. There was a great summer festival going on, and in addition to the overwhelming beauty of this ancient walled city, there were all kinds of music and theater acts going on outside at night, great stuff! My video was not fantastic, as my tendency toward shakiness with the camera detracted from some shots...but I did manage to get a few good clips for sure, and learned alot in the process. BUT!!!!!!!!! I have bad news though gents!

I came back to my beloved Q, and found her exhibiting a shade of green, pretty faint right now, but definitely there when you're on the Memory Stick input, and other grey screens. It's really only in the middle of the screen, about the size of a girl's soccer ball, right in the middle...needless to say, I am very bummed out by this development. So, I ask you guys, especially Ron from the great nearby state of CT, what do I do to make my pain go away? Here are the facts, and my specific questions...any/all help is appreciated.

Fact 1. I bought the Q in November 2005, so the set is not even 3 years old, roughly 2 years and 8 months. Usage is fairly heavy, and I'm on my 3rd lamp.

Fact 2. My warranty, the original one, is not expired yet, and won't expire until November 15th or so of this year.

Question 1. Should I report this right away to Sony, or wait until the problem gets worse, so that no one could dispute that there is a problem???

Question 2. My set had been UMR calibrated back in '06. After the OB is replaced, will all the old UMR settings be gone? In other words, will I need a new UMR calibration? I particularly wanna hear from others that had a UMR calibrated set before their OB went belly up.

Question 3. After I get the OB replaced, under my original warranty, should I then run out and get an extended warranty through someone/Sony? I assume the answer is "hell yeah" but don't wanna assume.

Thanks again guys, it's such a beautiful set, this OB stuff is a crying shame. If I'm gonna get 8-10 years total out of this set, I am very concerned about future OB replacements as well.

Cheers again Ron, and everybody, I hope to have a proper Q picture back soon.

Thanks,
Brian

Hey Ron,

Thanks again for the great advice...we got back last week from Europe, tons of video was taken, mostly in Dubrovnik, Croatia's oldest city. There was a great summer festival going on, and in addition to the overwhelming beauty of this ancient walled city, there were all kinds of music and theater acts going on outside at night, great stuff! My video was not fantastic, as my tendency toward shakiness with the camera detracted from some shots...but I did manage to get a few good clips for sure, and learned alot in the process. BUT!!!!!!!!! I have bad news though gents!

I came back to my beloved Q, and found her exhibiting a shade of green, pretty faint right now, but definitely there when you're on the Memory Stick input, and other grey screens. It's really only in the middle of the screen, about the size of a girl's soccer ball, right in the middle...needless to say, I am very bummed out by this development. So, I ask you guys, especially Ron from the great nearby state of CT, what do I do to make my pain go away? Here are the facts, and my specific questions...any/all help is appreciated.

Fact 1. I bought the Q in November 2005, so the set is not even 3 years old, roughly 2 years and 8 months. Usage is fairly heavy, and I'm on my 3rd lamp.

Fact 2. My warranty, the original one, is not expired yet, and won't expire until November 15th or so of this year.

Question 1. Should I report this right away to Sony, or wait until the problem gets worse, so that no one could dispute that there is a problem???

in my case i waited until i was much closer to the full three years for this very reason...i'm in ny and simply went on sony's website and scheduled a service call online; tech showed up WITH a new OB, confirmed there was a problem and proceeded to replace...very smooth; my problem was most pronounced upon start up and would nearly go away after warming up a minute or so which had me concerned that i would have to fight to get it replaced (after reading jb007's experience)

Question 2. My set had been UMR calibrated back in '06. After the OB is replaced, will all the old UMR settings be gone? In other words, will I need a new UMR calibration? I particularly wanna hear from others that had a UMR calibrated set before their OB went belly up.

my set was umr calibrated and the adjustments he made to the service menue, etc. all remained; the new ob doesn't "reset" the electronics, HOWEVER, these umr adjustments were tuned for the original OB; i.e., they aren't technically applicable to the new OB, imo

i haven't had the chance to see if umr would be able to come back yet (i'm in NY and umr used to make frequent trips to the northeast to visit his son).

Question 3. After I get the OB replaced, under my original warranty, should I then run out and get an extended warranty through someone/Sony? I assume the answer is "hell yeah" but don't wanna assume.

i would recommend calling sony and getting their extended warranty now, even BEFORE you schedule a service visit (which, as i've stated above, i would wait until you get closer to Nov to allow the OB issue to become more pronounced...from everyone's experience here, this is almost guaranteed to occur)

Thanks again guys, it's such a beautiful set, this OB stuff is a crying shame. If I'm gonna get 8-10 years total out of this set, I am very concerned about future OB replacements as well.

Cheers again Ron, and everybody, I hope to have a proper Q picture back soon.

it is certainly a crying shame, particularly given the original cost of these sets...it will be very difficult to justify to my better half replacing the Q even though she never really knew the cost of the Q (don't ask, don't tell :D) b/c i would normally just say we need a bigger set and honestly, while the geek in me would always want bigger, better, i really don't need bigger than 70 (nobody i know has yet come close to 70 ;))

Thanks for the help Ben, great input indeed. I think you have a point about waiting a bit more before reporting the problem. Seems it will get worse fairly quickly. Obviously, I wouldn't let it get too close to the Nov. date, not to tempt fate ya know :-)

Makes sense on the calibration too, maybe we can get UMR back up this way later in the fall.

Thanks again, I really appreciate the advice.

Cheers,
Brian

Brian,

I purchased my Qualia after you in Feb, 2006 so your emerging problems with the green "thing" concern me. I already went ahead a few months ago and called Sony and paid the $500+ for an extended 3 year warranty to Feb, 2012. I'd be very willing to pay more $ for a longer warranty, but given the optical block cost Sony is citing @ $5,000, not likely Sony will want to offer longer warranties. Me thinks it may be nearing the time where we start a petition of disgruntled Qualia 006 owners to press Sony with more clout then any one of us individually.

Brian, like you I own an Anthem D2 and I just returned from a Star Clipper tall ship cruise with a stop in beautiful Dubrovnik (July 12) where I was experimenting with my new Canon Vixia HF100 hi-def camcorder. Incredibly beautiful city, difficult to imagine it being shelled in 1991!

Chris

Brian,

I purchased my Qualia after you in Feb, 2006 so your emerging problems with the green "thing" concern me. I already went ahead a few months ago and called Sony and paid the $500+ for an extended 3 year warranty to Feb, 2012. I'd be very willing to pay more $ for a longer warranty, but given the optical block cost Sony is citing @ $5,000, not likely Sony will want to offer longer warranties. Me thinks it may be nearing the time where we start a petition of disgruntled Qualia 006 owners to press Sony with more clout then any one of us individually.

Brian, like you I own an Anthem D2 and I just returned from a Star Clipper tall ship cruise with a stop in beautiful Dubrovnik (July 12) where I was experimenting with my new Canon Vixia HF100 hi-def camcorder. Incredibly beautiful city, difficult to imagine it being shelled in 1991!

Chris

Hey Brain and Chris,
I agree if you don’t have the extended warranty you better get one very soon, I was just told that they quite selling the warranty a couple weeks ago, Sony is using a company called Service Net Solutions to write the warranty; the cost is $802.00 for 3yrs,it better than paying $5K for a new OB. But I agree for what we paid for the Qualia, Sony should Man-up about this issue with the OB. I also bought my Q in 11/03/05

ManWithAPlan,

Question 1. Yes, report it right away. Or be very careful with any pre-existing condition issues or disclosures if buying an extended warranty.

Question 2. Hell, yeah.

Let me know if you need any help with the Sony extended warranty.

:)Here is a good place to post a commit or complaints; this is the Sony blog at the following link.
http://news.sel.sony.com/electronicsblog/?p=4

I came back to my beloved Q, and found her exhibiting a shade of green, pretty faint right now, but definitely there when you're on the Memory Stick input, and other grey screens. It's really only in the middle of the screen, about the size of a girl's soccer ball, right in the middle...needless to say, I am very bummed out by this development. So, I ask you guys, especially Ron from the great nearby state of CT, what do I do to make my pain go away? Here are the facts, and my specific questions...any/all help is appreciated.
Brian

Welcome back Brian. Sorry the Green Gremlin snuck in while you were gone :(

In my experience, once I started noticing the green, it got so bad that a few weeks later I couldn't watch it. And there was a delay until a new OB could be shipped from Japan. So you may want to schedule the replacement. I would also recommend getting the extended warranty as soon as possible.

ManWithAPlan,

Question 1. Yes, report it right away. Or be very careful with any pre-existing condition issues or disclosures if buying an extended warranty.

Question 2. Hell, yeah.

Let me know if you need any help with the Sony extended warranty.

I appreciate that. Who do i call? I know you had good luck with yours, and i'm not afraid to escalate, but I need a number to start with. To get the extended warranty that is.

Thanks again,
Brian

Brian,

I purchased my Qualia after you in Feb, 2006 so your emerging problems with the green "thing" concern me. I already went ahead a few months ago and called Sony and paid the $500+ for an extended 3 year warranty to Feb, 2012. I'd be very willing to pay more $ for a longer warranty, but given the optical block cost Sony is citing @ $5,000, not likely Sony will want to offer longer warranties. Me thinks it may be nearing the time where we start a petition of disgruntled Qualia 006 owners to press Sony with more clout then any one of us individually.

Brian, like you I own an Anthem D2 and I just returned from a Star Clipper tall ship cruise with a stop in beautiful Dubrovnik (July 12) where I was experimenting with my new Canon Vixia HF100 hi-def camcorder. Incredibly beautiful city, difficult to imagine it being shelled in 1991!

Chris

Awesome! Wow, great minds think alike...D2, new HD Canon Vixia, wow, uncanny! For the immediate term here, I need the number you called to extend with Sony, I'm gonna lean on them with both boots on this, not gonna hear about a 3rd party warranty. I have done some work with Sony over the years, hopefully that counts for something.

Thanks,
Brian

Hey Man with a plan,
I made numerous calls to Sony warranty dept and could not get them to even return my call after they found out what TV I had, I found this website and posted some complaints about the service I’ve be receiving, and later that night the phone started ringing, he is the number 866-374-0134 of the service dept and the website http://news.sel.sony.com/electronicsblog/?p=4#comment-17664 Sony is using a company call Service Net Solutions to write the extended warranty now, 3yr for $809
Hope this helps

Sony is using a company call Service Net Solutions to write the extended warranty now, 3yr for $802
Hope this helps

I guess all the bad OB's have caused the price to go up. Several of us got the 3 year extended warranty earlier this year for $500.

Brian,

I purchased my Qualia after you in Feb, 2006 so your emerging problems with the green "thing" concern me. I already went ahead a few months ago and called Sony and paid the $500+ for an extended 3 year warranty to Feb, 2012. I'd be very willing to pay more $ for a longer warranty, but given the optical block cost Sony is citing @ $5,000, not likely Sony will want to offer longer warranties. Me thinks it may be nearing the time where we start a petition of disgruntled Qualia 006 owners to press Sony with more clout then any one of us individually.

Brian, like you I own an Anthem D2 and I just returned from a Star Clipper tall ship cruise with a stop in beautiful Dubrovnik (July 12) where I was experimenting with my new Canon Vixia HF100 hi-def camcorder. Incredibly beautiful city, difficult to imagine it being shelled in 1991!


Chris


Three Qualia owners with Anthem D2s. How many Arc owners ?

We all paid ALOT of cash for our Q's only to discover that after 2-3 yrs we need OB replacements. Along with the new OB,we now have to get our sets re-calibrated for 400.00.And while we're at it,we are no longer confident with the lifespan of our sets,so let's spend another 800.00 for extended warranty. Did I mention the inconvenience of it all! The constant "keep your fingers crossed" that you won't develop the blobs the next time you turn the set on. Not much time to enjoy our 13K investment with piece of mind. Sony really needs to address this, just like they were finally forced to with the XBR sets.

All this was enuf for me to sell mine (1 replaced set and 2 ob's) When it worked,it was beautiful. As posted earlier I have moved on to the Pioneer 60" elite. It is in a league of it's own and it's picture just keeps getting better day by day. Now that it is broken in,the Qualia is a distant second to it's depth of image,color palette and well below the Pioneer's black level. I quickly adjusted to the smaller 60" screen at 9.5' viewing distance. Anyway, to Sony I hope you are monitoring this thread of late and man up to your faulty ob's. Extend the warranty!

We all paid ALOT of cash for our Q's only to discover that after 2-3 yrs we need OB replacements. Along with the new OB,we now have to get our sets re-calibrated for 400.00.And while we're at it,we are no longer confident with the lifespan of our sets,so let's spend another 800.00 for extended warranty. Did I mention the inconvenience of it all! The constant "keep your fingers crossed" that you won't develop the blobs the next time you turn the set on. Not much time to enjoy our 13K investment with piece of mind. Sony really needs to address this, just like they were finally forced to with the XBR sets.

All this was enuf for me to sell mine (1 replaced set and 2 ob's) When it worked,it was beautiful. As posted earlier I have moved on to the Pioneer 60" elite. It is in a league of it's own and it's picture just keeps getting better day by day. Now that it is broken in,the Qualia is a distant second to it's depth of image,color palette and well below the Pioneer's black level. I quickly adjusted to the smaller 60" screen at 9.5' viewing distance. Anyway, to Sony I hope you are monitoring this thread of late and man up to your faulty ob's. Extend the warranty!

Are you hearing the buzzing with the new set that others have posted?

I need to use DVE BluRay on my Q as it seems to have lost the deep blacks and greys along with some of the color depth...especially on blue and green. It seems too bright and have set it to power save mode. Right now I am assuming it is the settings!

Hey Ron,

Thanks again for the great advice...


Thanks,
Brian

Brian,

Also welcome back! In the grand scheme of things it would be better to call Sony more sooner than later.

I would not mention to them that your set was calibrated. Don't take the chance that they say the calibrator must have done something...

Umr is coming to calibrate my Q on August 12th. I had my OB replaced about a month ago. He should then be back in the area in about 3 months (maybe early Dec.) You could shoot him an e-mail at Accucal. If you get your OB replaced quickly maybe he had a cancellation and can come see you. You never know.

FWIW I still have 2 extra years on my Tweeter warranty.
I would extend. I wish I knew how long they will continue to make the OB vs. offerring a "similar value" replacement.

Ron

Are you hearing the buzzing with the new set that others have posted?

I need to use DVE BluRay on my Q as it seems to have lost the deep blacks and greys along with some of the color depth...especially on blue and green. It seems too bright and have set it to power save mode. Right now I am assuming it is the settings!


I do not have any buzzing at all and I have yet to hear a Kuro that does. I do not deny it exists,but I have put my ear up to 6 or 7 sets in relatively quiet rooms and I haven't heard it yet. No dead pixels either.

Three Qualia owners with Anthem D2s. How many Arc owners ?

I added the ARC-1. Started with an Anthem D1 in '95 upgraded to D2 in '97 and upgraded with ARC last month. ARC improved my sound a lot. I have 7 ceiling mounted Thiel Powerpoint 1.2's and 2 Velodyne DD-15 subwoofers. The ARC integrated the speakers and subwoofers together much better than Velodyne's software, which I disabled. Love Anthem for staying with its customers with constant support and upgrade paths.

A new Anthem D2 w/ARC retails for $7500. Steamy price, but Anthem stays with you. Though Sony has departed from its Qualia hi-end path, it should be shamed into providing its premium paying Qualia customers @ $13,000+/- a reasonable return on investment. Only way to do it is to get noisy about our OB problems.

Chris

[QUOTE=ManWithAPlan;14391235] For the immediate term here, I need the number you called to extend with Sony . . .

I called Sony @ 1-866-766-9259 (Sony) back in January and spoke to Angelique. Others on this forum had purchased same coverage with Jessica at the same number. I got this phone number off the Qualia thread back in January.

Cost was $509.87 charged to my credit card. Actual certificate arrived several weeks later via snail mail.

The only number on the Certificate is the # to call for Repair, which is 866-374-0134 and the effective date of coverage starts 1-27-09. Until then my warranty is the original warranty.

Chris

:mad:I think we are just getting jerked around about the extended warranty.
I just paid $809 for 3yr, I was told they just changed to a different company that writes the warranty, thats why the cost differents. I think this is BS.....

I do not have any buzzing at all and I have yet to hear a Kuro that does. I do not deny it exists,but I have put my ear up to 6 or 7 sets in relatively quiet rooms and I haven't heard it yet. No dead pixels either.


Great. Still like my Q except I believe I need to run the DVE in HD as I stated above the picture seems too bright with green and blue washed out a little. I sure would hate to go from 70" to 60 "!

I sure would hate to go from 70" to 60 "!

Actually, I adapted very quickly. It's actually less eye fatigueing, especially if you like to watch movies with the lights down. Having said that, I am only 9.5 feet away from my set. If you are more than 12 feet or so,it might be more difficult to go down to 60".

Actually, I adapted very quickly. It's actually less eye fatigueing, especially if you like to watch movies with the lights down. Having said that, I am only 9.5 feet away from my set. If you are more than 12 feet or so,it might be more difficult to go down to 60".


Well, we are between 11 and 12 feet away. Still, I love the Q on Vivid, but switched to pro when I noticed that Vivid had a lot of Moire patterns in the background or during slow pans. This was on both HD Cable and with my BD30 BR player. Need to get back to Vivid color and black level but on the Pro setting!

I love the Q on Vivid, but switched to pro when I noticed that Vivid had a lot of Moire patterns in the background or during slow pans. This was on both HD Cable and with my BD30 BR player. Need to get back to Vivid color and black level but on the Pro setting!

It will never happen - the VIVID setting adjusts the image to make it "Pop", and no amount of fiddling in the user or service menus can bring out that character from the PRO setting.

Well, we are between 11 and 12 feet away. Still, I love the Q on Vivid, but switched to pro when I noticed that Vivid had a lot of Moire patterns in the background or during slow pans. This was on both HD Cable and with my BD30 BR player. Need to get back to Vivid color and black level but on the Pro setting!

Pro is THE place to be. Anything else and you are crushing b/w info not to mention artifacts galore that are not from the original source. Your Q cannot be all it can be outside of pro mode/warm. Vivid on my Q was like a cartoon compared to properly adjusted pro. There is a learning curve in appreciating the benefits of pro.Once you discover it's virtues it is difficult to go back to vivid mode. Have you considered a professional calibration?

Pro is THE place to be. Have you considered a professional calibration?

Here, Here!

It will never happen - the VIVID setting adjusts the image to make it "Pop", and no amount of fiddling in the user or service menus can bring out that character from the PRO setting.

It "POPS" because it is crushing the black and whites to give the illusion of higher contrast. Vivid also defaults to COOL mode which gives you so called whiter whites. Like laundry detergent,if you want whiter whites, add blueing. Thats exactly what cool mode does. The negative effects of this are many.Fleshtones become pale,subtle colors are now masked by this blue vale that cool mode adds. Secondary colors (yellow,cyan,magenta) get lost in the sauce .You never truly get to see the directors intent for color presentation. The list goes on....

Pro is THE place to be.

I totally agree.

mpsan,

Take some time to write down all of your settings and then put your DVE in and set it to the Pro. You already have it out of the wrapper :D

I totally agree.

mpsan,

Take some time to write down all of your settings and then put your DVE in and set it to the Pro. You already have it out of the wrapper :D


Will do, DD. Too bad I do not live in Fairfield, CT (fixed computers at State Nat'l Bank) anymore I would be close to some experts! :D

I do agree with what everyone says and just want a little more color...not Vivid mode. My color, I believe is up to 45 now. I am on Pro/Warm, as well.

P.S. It would be just my luck to have UMR do his thing and then I would have an OB issue. That is the pain of the OB issue...you never know when it will strike. Do we know it is a matter of when and not if?

P.S. It would be just my luck to have UMR do his thing and then I would have an OB issue. That is the pain of the OB issue...you never know when it will strike. Do we know it is a matter of when and not if?

I think it is "when", considering the large percentage of folks on this thread that have had it done.

I am hoping by the time I run out of extended warranty that Pio will have a 70" Kuro out. Do you hear that SONY?

I think it is "when", considering the large percentage of folks on this thread that have had it done.

I am hoping by the time I run out of extended warranty that Pio will have a 70" Kuro out. Do you hear that SONY?

I would assume Sony does not read this thread. :D

Anyway, I have even seen that Pioneer will not be making their Plasma screens any more and will outsource them to Panasonic!

LINK (http://www.switched.com/2008/03/07/pioneer-stops-producing-plasma-panels/)

I think it is "when", considering the large percentage of folks on this thread that have had it done.

I am hoping by the time I run out of extended warranty that Pio will have a 70" Kuro out. Do you hear that SONY?

i have had the prior generation pio plasma, pro-fhd1 (only 50in), and have raved ever since getting it and still love it...not as big as the q, certainly, but a beautiful picture with very deep blacks (makes watching black content on the q sometimes painful...q is great for sports and gaming these days :))...i understand the kuro's are even better :eek:

I would assume Sony does not read this thread. :D

Anyway, I have even seen that Pioneer will not be making their Plasma screens any more and will outsource them to Panasonic!

LINK (http://www.switched.com/2008/03/07/pioneer-stops-producing-plasma-panels/)

at least i would presume they don't read it ANYMORE, or at least don't post anymore...

Will do, DD. Too bad I do not live in Fairfield, CT (fixed computers at State Nat'l Bank) anymore I would be close to some experts! :D

I do agree with what everyone says and just want a little more color...not Vivid mode. My color, I believe is up to 45 now. I am on Pro/Warm, as well.

P.S. It would be just my luck to have UMR do his thing and then I would have an OB issue. That is the pain of the OB issue...you never know when it will strike. Do we know it is a matter of when and not if?

memory isn't what it used to be so pardon me, didn't you recently have your OB replaced? if so, you should be good for almost another 3 years :eek:

but i hear you...it is probably the biggest reason i haven't bothered to track down umr...

memory isn't what it used to be so pardon me, didn't you recently have your OB replaced? if so, you should be good for almost another 3 years :eek:

but i hear you...it is probably the biggest reason i haven't bothered to track down umr...


Nope, I am still on my first lamp...and OB!

at least i would presume they don't read it ANYMORE, or at least don't post anymore...

Last December when I reported my bad OB to the Qualia hotline, they told me they were reading this thread.

Nope, I am still on my first lamp...and OB!

You watch your Q like I drive my 3 year old Vette (just turned over 5,000) ;)

i have had the prior generation pio plasma, pro-fhd1 (only 50in), and have raved ever since getting it and still love it...not as big as the q, certainly, but a beautiful picture with very deep blacks (makes watching black content on the q sometimes painful...q is great for sports and gaming these days :))...i understand the kuro's are even better :eek:


I'm hoping in then next few years there will be a really great 70"-80" set that doesn't cost $30k+. Because after my extended warranty is up, I am not paying $6K to replace an OB that will just fail again. Until then, I will continue to enjoy the 006 :D But, Sony is going to be out unless they step up.

You watch your Q like I drive my 3 year old Vette (just turned over 5,000) ;)

That is because we learned our lesson with our Kloss NovaBeam years ago. We watched everything on it...and burned out $250 tubes...all three were replaced at once...$750!

So, we now have two Plasma TV's upstairs and the Q in the room we only watch movies and Football in.

So, we now have two Plasma TV's upstairs and the Q in the room we only watch movies and Football in.

Exactly, special occasions :)

Aright guys, here's the latest on my saga. I have purchased the 3 year extended warranty from Sony who now farms all extended warranties out to this outfit ServiceNet, who does warranty writing for Sony and Phillips. The warranty was 809 dollars, charged it to my credit card, and it will start at the end of the existing, original 3 year warranty from Sony. For what it's worth, the ServiceNet people seem very competent and helpful. They made the point that they are not a 3rd party from a warranty coverage standpoint, because they are only writing the warranty. All service repairs and the responsibility for all coverage still belongs to the normal Sony Repair folks, and in fact, if you have a problem needing repair, you call the same Sony repair line that you would call with an original Sony warranty.

In any case, I'm all set there now. It was a kick in the ass to fork over another 800 bucks, but for peace of mind for another 3.5 years here, it feels okay, not great, but okay. So now, I will wait a little bit for my OB to get worse, and will see about the repair.

Thanks for all the advice guys, it truly does make a big difference. Thank God this forum exists and has intelligent, meaningful postings, or I'd be goin nuts over here :-)

I'll keep updating on the progression of the Green Blob, but it will probably sound like a familiar refrain.

In the progress of all this by the way, I lodged an official complaint with Sony's Customer Relations group. I'm sure it won't amount to anything, but I wanted to be on the record with Sony that they are not handling the failed OB issue properly, by designing a non-defective replacement OB that won't be prone to the same failure 2-3 years after replacement. I wish there was a good consumer complaint TV show that we could approach about this issue, to expose this crap publicly for what it is - complete and total disregard for well-paying, loyal customers of their products.

We live and learn I guess.

:cool:Hey Manwithaplan,
I’m glad you where able to get the warranty for the Q, I was in the same boat has you, I still have 3 months left on the factory warranty, still had to pay $809 for three more years.
Live and learn

Early bird gets the worm. I had one of the first OB failures about a year ago and posted photos of the process. I had purchased the GE 5 yr extended warranty for about the same $800 about a year into the ownership experience based on info on this site, so my warranty goes until 4/13. I figure that's at least two more OB replacements and I expect that GE will want to buy me out when the third one comes up because Sony won't be stocking the rebuilt OB's. If not, and they repair it, I will have had almost 10 yrs on the set and OLED should be going strong in big sizes by then--so it won't be a tragedy if I have to retire the set sometime after 2013. Actually, I will be looking forward to GE buying me out when the third OB replacement come up in 2012, or so.

I just bought a new receiver for the Q with the new audio codecs and HDMI 1.3 switching. Didn't even consider SONY because of their lousy product support.

Early bird gets the worm. I had one of the first OB failures about a year ago and posted photos of the process. I had purchased the GE 5 yr extended warranty for about the same $800 about a year into the ownership experience based on info on this site, so my warranty goes until 4/13. I figure that's at least two more OB replacements and I expect that GE will want to buy me out when the third one comes up because Sony won't be stocking the rebuilt OB's. If not, and they repair it, I will have had almost 10 yrs on the set and OLED should be going strong in big sizes by then--so it won't be a tragedy if I have to retire the set sometime after 2013. Actually, I will be looking forward to GE buying me out when the third OB replacement come up in 2012, or so.

I just bought a new receiver for the Q with the new audio codecs and HDMI 1.3 switching. Didn't even consider SONY because of their lousy product support.

I, too, have the GE. I will wonder just what their idea of an equal set will be? :D

So far I am still on my first OB...and lamp, for that matter.

I, too, have the GE. I will wonder just what their idea of an equal set will be? :D

So far I am still on my first OB...and lamp, for that matter.

Not much I am guessing. When I purchased my Sony warranty, they told me if OB's were no longer available, they would pay me $2,000 :eek:

Not much I am guessing. When I purchased my Sony warranty, they told me if OB's were no longer available, they would pay me $2,000 :eek:


...and how do they justify that?!!!

...and how do they justify that?!!!

Don't know, but that is all they said they were worth. I don't agree, but that is what they said. They called it fair market value.

Don't know, but that is all they said they were worth. I don't agree, but that is what they said. They called it fair market value.

Well, the GE one says if they can not fix it because they no longer feel it is worth it, they will give you a current comp set! Who knows? I don't know what Sony will do but I just scored two DTT901 boxes from CC for $17.98 out the door!

DD also, sent pics and they did a write up on that site I told you about. Will let you know whan it is there!

I'm hoping in then next few years there will be a really great 70"-80" set that doesn't cost $30k+. Because after my extended warranty is up, I am not paying $6K to replace an OB that will just fail again. Until then, I will continue to enjoy the 006 :D But, Sony is going to be out unless they step up.

Another thread on this forum is reporting on an upcoming 73" DLP Mitsubishi with laser "bulb" and 3-D capability. That may be the trick for me. Don't need flat panel, and I could reuse my Q stand. Really don't trust Sony, now. I might change my mind for a 70"-plus OLED but NOT at any premium price such as that we paid for our Q's.

well boys and girls, I finally have a resolution to my OB problem. I now have a new OB installed and the picture has been restored to it's former brilliance, if not better. With this aspect I am very happy. What I am more concerned about is the BS that was flying. Sony was less than helpful, and as a result I wrote a letter to the CEO of sony Canada, but only received an indirect reply through the retailer who is also the underwriter of my third party warranty. Sony's behavior is disgraceful! They overcharged for the OB,($8000) they ignored my initial report, preferring to call it an inquiry only, did not return my repeated request for phone calls to be returned. DISGUSTING!!! The retailer who wanted to scrap the Q said they were offered some kind of credits to repair my tv, but I believe they were concerned with my threat of legal proceedings.
I could not get a straight answer out of the tech on what kind of service life the new OB might provide, or if it had been modified, or upgraded, to address the OB issues we are currently experiencing. I feel like a fool for trusting Sony. I certainly don't want to go through this aggravation again in 3 years.
all the best
Ross

Anybody seen this:

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN

If you purchased or received as a gift a Sony high-definition television model KDS-R50XBR1, KDS-R60XBR1, KDS-70Q006, or KDX-46Q005 (the “Television(s)”), on or before July 25, 2008, you may be eligible to receive a settlement benefit.

Generally, to qualify you must have purchased (1) a Television, and (2) a device that produces an output visual signal of 1080p and can deliver a 1080p signal to a Television via an HDMI port (“1080p device”). A partial list of these 1080p devices is attached to this Notice.

AVAILABLE BENEFITS:

$90.00 Cash Payment
If you previously contacted Sony regarding the PC Input capability of your Television, you will automatically receive a check for $90.00.

$180.00 or $60.00
E-Credit for past purchase of 1080p device

Submit a claim form, with the required proofs of purchase of a 1080p device, and you can receive: (1) a $180.00 e-credit (good towards the purchase of any item available on sonystyle.com) if you have a KDS-70Q006 or KDX 46Q005 Television or (2) a $60.00 e-credit if you have a KDS-R50XBR1 or KDS-R60XBR1 Television.

$75.00 or $28.00
E-Credit for future purchase of Sony Blu-ray Disc Player

If you purchase a Sony Blu-ray Disc Player between July 25, 2008 and 30 days after final approval of this proposed settlement, and you provide the required proofs of purchase, you can receive: (1) a $75.00 e-credit if you have a KDS-70Q006 or KDX 46Q005 Television or (2) a $28.00 e-credit if you have a KDS-R50XBR1 or KDS-R60XBR1 Television.

2. What is this lawsuit about?

This lawsuit is about the ability of certain Sony-brand televisions to display and/or accept a 1080p input signal. When you plug a video device into a television, that device transmits a video signal, which is then converted into an image that is shown on the screen. Plaintiff claimed that SEL and ABC Appliance represented and advertised that certain Sony high-definition televisions had a 1080p display resolution, but that these representations were misleading because the televisions did not always provide a 1080p display resolution, were incapable of accepting input of 1080p signals, and could not accept and display video content at 1080p resolution via the televisions’ PC and HDMI Input. SEL and ABC deny that they did anything wrong.

Anybody seen this:

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN

If you purchased or received as a gift a Sony high-definition television model KDS-R50XBR1, KDS-R60XBR1, KDS-70Q006, or KDX-46Q005 (the “Television(s)”), on or before July 25, 2008, you may be eligible to receive a settlement benefit.

Generally, to qualify you must have purchased (1) a Television, and (2) a device that produces an output visual signal of 1080p and can deliver a 1080p signal to a Television via an HDMI port (“1080p device”). A partial list of these 1080p devices is attached to this Notice.

AVAILABLE BENEFITS:

$90.00 Cash Payment
If you previously contacted Sony regarding the PC Input capability of your Television, you will automatically receive a check for $90.00.

$180.00 or $60.00
E-Credit for past purchase of 1080p device

Submit a claim form, with the required proofs of purchase of a 1080p device, and you can receive: (1) a $180.00 e-credit (good towards the purchase of any item available on sonystyle.com) if you have a KDS-70Q006 or KDX 46Q005 Television or (2) a $60.00 e-credit if you have a KDS-R50XBR1 or KDS-R60XBR1 Television.

$75.00 or $28.00
E-Credit for future purchase of Sony Blu-ray Disc Player

If you purchase a Sony Blu-ray Disc Player between July 25, 2008 and 30 days after final approval of this proposed settlement, and you provide the required proofs of purchase, you can receive: (1) a $75.00 e-credit if you have a KDS-70Q006 or KDX 46Q005 Television or (2) a $28.00 e-credit if you have a KDS-R50XBR1 or KDS-R60XBR1 Television.

2. What is this lawsuit about?

This lawsuit is about the ability of certain Sony-brand televisions to display and/or accept a 1080p input signal. When you plug a video device into a television, that device transmits a video signal, which is then converted into an image that is shown on the screen. Plaintiff claimed that SEL and ABC Appliance represented and advertised that certain Sony high-definition televisions had a 1080p display resolution, but that these representations were misleading because the televisions did not always provide a 1080p display resolution, were incapable of accepting input of 1080p signals, and could not accept and display video content at 1080p resolution via the televisions’ PC and HDMI Input. SEL and ABC deny that they did anything wrong.

no...interesting.

is there a link to where you found this?

Have a look at this link:

http://esupport.sony.com/perl/news-item.pl?template=EN&news_id=58

So, does this mean that if we bought a Panny BD30 we qualify as it can output 1080p? Also, the $$$ they give you is fine except that you seem to have to spend it at the Sony Store, or am I reading it wrong?

So, does this mean that if we bought a Panny BD30 we qualify as it can output 1080p? Also, the $$$ they give you is fine except that you seem to have to spend it at the Sony Store, or am I reading it wrong?

Yes, I believe, on both counts.

What really bothers me is that Sony is not going to correct the problem - namely none of the sets mentioned will accept a 1080P signal.

How does a few hundred dollars at the Sony Style Store restore the sets ability to display 1080P signals?

So, does this mean that if we bought a Panny BD30 we qualify as it can output 1080p? Also, the $$$ they give you is fine except that you seem to have to spend it at the Sony Store, or am I reading it wrong? According to Sony:

AVAILABLE BENEFITS:

$90.00 Cash Payment
If you previously contacted Sony Electronics regarding the PC Input capability of your Television, you will automatically receive a check for $90.00.

$180.00 or $60.00: E-Credit for past purchase of 1080p device
Submit a claim form, with the required proofs of purchase of a 1080p device, and you can receive: (1) a $180.00 e-credit (good towards the purchase of any item available on sonystyle.com) if you have a KDS-70Q006 or KDX 46Q005 Television or (2) a $60.00 e-credit if you have a KDS-R50XBR1 or KDS-R60XBR1 Television.

$75.00 or $28.00/E-Credit for future purchase of Sony Blu-ray Disc Player
If you purchase a Sony Blu-ray Disc Player between July 25, 2008 and 30 days after final approval of this proposed settlement, and you provide the required proofs of purchase, you can receive: (1) a $75.00 e-credit if you have a KDS-70Q006 or KDX 46Q005 Television or (2) a $28.00 e-credit if you have a KDS-R50XBR1 or KDS-R60XBR1 Television.

Sony's List of 1080P Players:

Sony Blu-ray Disc Players
PlayStation3
BDP-S1/S1E
BDP-S300/301
BDP-S500
BDP-S2000es

Blu-ray Disc Players (Non-Sony Brands)
Pioneer BDP-HD1
Pioneer BDP-LX70/70A
Pioneer BDP-94HD
Pioneer BDP-95FD
Samsung BD-P1000
Samsung BD-P1200
Samsung BD-UP5000/UP5500
Samsung BD-P1400
Panasonic DMP-BD10A
Panasonic DMP-BD30K
Sharp BD-HP20
Philips BDP9000
Philips BDP7100
LG BH-100
LG BH-200

HD-DVD Players
Toshiba HD-A3
Toshiba HD-A35
Onkyo DV-HD805
LG BH-100
LG BH-200

HD-DVD Drives
Microsoft Xbox360 HD-DVD Player
LG Super Multi Blue GGC-H20L

Blu-ray Disc PC Drives
Pioneer BDC-S02
Plextor PX-B900A
Optiarc BC-5500A

Blu-ray Notebook Retail Models
Sony VAIO VGN-AR190G (Jun. 2006 - Present)
Sony VAIO VGN-AR290G (Oct. 2006 - Present)
Sony VAIO VGN-AR390E (Feb. 2007 - Present)
Sony VAIO VGN-FZ180E/B (May 2007 - Present)
Sony VAIO VGN-FZ180E/B (May 2007 - Present)
Sony VAIO VGN-AR590E (Jul. 2007 - Present)
Sony VAIO VGN-FZ180U/B (Jul. 2007 - Present)
Sony VAIO VGN-FZ260E/B (Aug. 2007 - Present)
Sony VAIO VGN-FZ285U/B (Jul. 2007 - Present)
Blu-ray Notebook eCommerce/Direct Models:
Acer TravelMate TM8205WLHi (Jan. 2007 - Present)
Acer TravelMate TM8210-6038 (Jan. 2007 - Present)
Dell Inspiron XPS M1710 SMB (Mar. 2007 - Present)
Dell Inspiron XPS M2010 SMB (May 2007 - Present)
Sony VAIO VGN-AR370NXX (Jan. 2007 - Present)
Fujitsu LifeBook N6460-FPCM61054 (Jul. 2007 - Present)
Sony VAIO VGN-FZ190N5 (Aug. 2007 - Present)
Compaq 8510w (Blu-ray) (Aug. 2007 - Present)
Compaq 8710p (Blu-ray) (Aug. 2007 - Present)
Compaq 8710w (Blu-ray) (Aug. 2007 - Present)
HD-DVD-R Notebook Retail Models
Toshiba Qosmio G35-AV680 (Jul. 2007 - Present)
HD-DVD Notebook eCommerce/Direct Models
Acer Aspire AS9810-6994 (Jun. 2006 - N/A)
Fujitsu LifeBook N6420-FPCM60981 (Oct. 2006 - N/A)
Fujitsu LifeBook N6420-FPCM60982 (Apr. 2007 - Present)
HD-DVD Notebook Retail Models
Toshiba Qosmio G35-AV650 (May 2006 - Jan. 2007)
Acer Aspire AS9805WKHi (Aug. 2006 - Dec. 2006)
Toshiba Qosmio G35-AV660 (Oct. 2006 - Dec. 2006)
HP Pavilion dv9260nr (Jan. 2007 - Present)
HP Pavilion dv9260us (Jan. 2007 - Present)
Acer Aspire AS9810-6829 (Aug. 2006 - Present)
Acer Aspire AS5920-6313 (Jun. 2007 - Present)
Toshiba Qosmio F45-AV412 (Jun. 2007 - Present)
Toshiba Satellite P205-S6347 (Jun. 2007 - Present)
Toshiba Satellite X205-S9349 (Jun. 2007 - Present)
Toshiba Satellite X205-S9359 (Jun. 2007 - Present)
HP Pavilion HDX9010NR (Aug. 2007 - Present)
Toshiba Qosmio G35-AV660 (Aug. 2006 - Present)

Yes, I believe, on both counts.

What really bothers me is that Sony is not going to correct the problem - namely none of the sets mentioned will accept a 1080P signal.

How does a few hundred dollars at the Sony Style Store restore the sets ability to display 1080P signals?


...and it means buying something else at the store or you get nothing!

What really bothers me is that Sony is not going to correct the problem - namely none of the sets mentioned will accept a 1080P signal.

How does a few hundred dollars at the Sony Style Store restore the sets ability to display 1080P signals?


I believe most all of us knew the Q006 would not accept a 1080p signal and would only upconvert displayed images to 1080p. This has been discussed many times throughout this thread.

What we need is a class action lawsuit related to the OB issues we are facing.

...and it means buying something else at the store or you get nothing!...and, of course, this also means that if Sony is giving you a $100 ecredit, it only costs them $60 (at most) when you figure in their markup...

I believe most all of us knew the Q006 would not accept a 1080p signal and would only upconvert displayed images to 1080p. This has been discussed many times throughout this thread.

What we need is a class action lawsuit related to the OB issues we are facing.

I am starting to agree! I hate lawsuits and feel there are too many, but it may be all we have since we bought the Q on very good faith.

Also, a coupon in the sonystore is rather useless as the price is very much higher than what Circuit City charges for the same item!

I believe most all of us knew the Q006 would not accept a 1080p signal and would only upconvert displayed images to 1080p. This has been discussed many times throughout this thread.

What we need is a class action lawsuit related to the OB issues we are facing.
I agree on the 1080P issue, but we are a pretty informed group. I bet most of these sets were sold by dealers promising 1080P from source to eyeball...

AMEN to the OB issue -- with that you are talking about a substantiated product defect that will eventually impact every one of these sets, at great expense to the owners. This seems like a slam-dunk class action, especially in comparison to the 1080P issue...

I agree on the 1080P issue, but we are a pretty informed group. I bet most of these sets were sold by dealers promising 1080P from source to eyeball...

AMEN to the OB issue -- with that you are talking about a substantiated product defect that will eventually impact every one of these sets, at great expense to the owners. This seems like a slam-dunk class action, especially in comparison to the 1080P issue...



...and I know that at least one of us owners here is a Lawyer!

Now this is fascinating, I read the entire original complaint from the guy in Michigan...wow! I agree that our OB issue is WAY WAY WAY more real than this hoaky suit...

but oh heck, i'll take my 180 bucks to the sony store and buy 6 BluRay movies, and then watch them in 1080i/60 converted to 1080p by the Q :-)

Long live this David Tate guy, gotta love a guy who's not afraid to fight City Hall!

Peace,
Brian

Now this is fascinating, I read the entire original complaint from the guy in Michigan...wow! I agree that our OB issue is WAY WAY WAY more real than this hoaky suit...

but oh heck, i'll take my 180 bucks to the sony store and buy 6 BluRay movies, and then watch them in 1080i/60 converted to 1080p by the Q :-)

Love live this David Tate guy, gotta love a guy who's not afraid to fight City Hall!

Peace,
Brian


WOW, I just did not think of that. They show 884 BR movies at about $22 and free shipping! I will have to look for music ones like The Last Waltz. I never picked that one as one of my free ones.

I wonder if we need to send in all 5 pages of the form. I assume the sales receipt from BestBuy for my BD30 will be fine. However, it still may be a little soon to send that in. What does everyone else think? DiveDude will be happy when he sees this!!!

WOW, I just did not think of that. They show 884 BR movies at about $22 and free shipping! I will have to look for music ones like The Last Waltz. I never picked that one as one of my free ones.

I wonder if we need to send in all 5 pages of the form. I assume the sales receipt from BestBuy for my BD30 will be fine. However, it still may be a little soon to send that in. What does everyone else think? DiveDude will be happy when he sees this!!!

I agree about waiting. It could be that by opting into this settlement, we forgo joining a suit on the OB. I know the summary says that it is limited to the 1080P issue, but there can be a lot of devil in the details of the settlement we have not seen! We can wait until March 4 of next year, and I think I'll wait to submit the form until a little closer to that time. I don't think any of us will get the e-credit until after then, so there is no reason to rush.

I also think I'll complain to Sony about the OB problem--evidently those that did on the 1080P problem are getting real cash. I'll look on the Sony web site, and I think I'll also send a Certified letter, return receipt.

After a struggle, I think I found the place to send a question. Go to esupport.sony.com/us/support-contacts.pl. Click on e-mail mailbox for "TV's". You get 255 words. I stated my OB was replaced on 11/13/07 under warranty, that I understood there was a design fault, and I asked if my replacement would fail in the same way and if Sony was extending the warranty.

With regards to a Class action suit: As I understand things, the actual complainants in the suit (as contrasted to the "class") actually get money damages. I am volunteering to act as the central repository of people wishing to be listed as complainants in any suit. So, if you want to be on the list, please PM me with your name, address, ser #, and date of purchase. I'll hold this in case some lawyer gets on board, plus, I'll write the lawyer that did the 1080P suit and ask him if he is interested, and tell him how many names we have for the suit. I'd like to send the letter at the beginning of Sept.

Look at that: 200 posts and I became a "senior member". By the way, I had an e-mail today from Sony regarding the proposed settlement waiting when i fired up the computer. Don't know how I got on their list.

After a struggle, I think I found the place to send a question. Go to esupport.sony.com/us/support-contacts.pl. Click on e-mail mailbox for "TV's". You get 255 words. I stated my OB was replaced on 11/13/07 under warranty, that I understood there was a design fault, and I asked if my replacement would fail in the same way and if Sony was extending the warranty.


I may do this as well, but I am still on my first OB....and lamp. However, I do not want to wait to find out that mine dies as well and I am sure not going to spend $$$ for a new OB. It seems to be a matter of when it will fail and not if...and that even the new one is no better than the old. I have the GE Contract, but want to know what, if anything Sony will do. They seem to have a "here kid, here is $200 now go away" attitude.

It looks like the new S350 Sony BR player has its own issues, too. I am not sure I would get a Sony anything again, at least not in this price range!

Is 52" the largest (non-FP) display SONY now manufactures?

Although I agree that we of this forum knew that the Q 006 would not accept 1080P, I have a Sony Qualia brochure that starts with the first sentence: " Qualia 006 boasts a 70" screen with full (1080p) High Definition Resolution." While technically correct, there certainly was room for a person to believe that it would accept 1080p.

Is 52" the largest (non-FP) display SONY now manufactures?No. There's a 55" LCD on the horizon in the XBR8, and there are persistent rumors of a 70" direct view LCD to replace this (http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=11040914).

It looks like we are only deciding on this one issue and are giving up no right to do something about the OB issue.

and will release any claims against Sony and ABC relating to the ability of the Televisions to accept a 1080p signal as alleged in the Complaint.

Also...

They say you are only giving up the right to sue about any item from THIS case as shown in item 9, page 6..

Thanks, MPSAN. That relievs my concern on that point.

I've written to the lawyer in Chicago asking if he had any interest and that I was collecting names of people that might wish to be original claimants. Because we are so few, I pointed out that the problem also probably applied to the XBR line, as well. I am no expert in tort law, but it may be that the lawyer gets paid on the basis of time spent and damages recovered, rather than size of the class. I hope so, because there aren't many of us.

Sony replied to my question about whether the replacement OB was a new design and whether or not an extended warranty was to be offered with a short: "no extended warranty".

hi all. i just happened upon this thread today. i havent really been following it but i used to about a year ago. while i dont own a 006 i hope being a R60XBR2 sort of makes us brothers and as a result i dont get flamed for not being an owner in this thread..
i thought i'd add to the OB conversation by letting everyone know that in the XBR2 owners thread we are just starting to see bad OB posts starting around may of this year. most are a yellow staining however a few others, myself included, the problem is green.
though the problem hasnt grown to involve as many people as the XBR1 i think its just a matter of time.
i strongly feel there needs to be a class suit filed on behalf of all XBR owners. infact it probably should include all SXRD type displays. if not more. reading on another forum there are lots of owners of other sony dispays complaining about OB's turning screens blue and some problem called "roadmapping" aparently also a defect in OB's.

anyway just wanted to let ya'll know that i would support a suit and there are many others that have the same problem with other displays that would jump onboard. though they'd probably have to wait until the manufacturers warranty runs out.

just so you know i'm not trolling here's proof.

the bottom pic is what mine looked like in may of this year
the top one was taken yesturday.
service tech comming tomorrow.
**EDIT**
the bottom link dont work so good try this one
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=109727&d=1210182039

Thanks, MPSAN. That relievs my concern on that point.

I've written to the lawyer in Chicago asking if he had any interest and that I was collecting names of people that might wish to be original claimants. Because we are so few, I pointed out that the problem also probably applied to the XBR line, as well. I am no expert in tort law, but it may be that the lawyer gets paid on the basis of time spent and damages recovered, rather than size of the class. I hope so, because there aren't many of us.

Sony replied to my question about whether the replacement OB was a new design and whether or not an extended warranty was to be offered with a short: "no extended warranty".

They did not comment on the "New OB Design" question ?

hi all. i just happened upon this thread today. i havent really been following it but i used to about a year ago. while i dont own a 006 i hope being a R60XBR2 sort of makes us brothers and as a result i dont get flamed for not being an owner in this thread..
i thought i'd add to the OB conversation by letting everyone know that in the XBR2 owners thread we are just starting to see bad OB posts starting around may of this year. most are a yellow staining however a few others, myself included, the problem is green.
though the problem hasnt grown to involve as many people as the XBR1 i think its just a matter of time.
i strongly feel there needs to be a class suit filed on behalf of all XBR owners. infact it probably should include all SXRD type displays. if not more. reading on another forum there are lots of owners of other sony dispays complaining about OB's turning screens blue and some problem called "roadmapping" aparently also a defect in OB's.

anyway just wanted to let ya'll know that i would support a suit and there are many others that have the same problem with other displays that would jump onboard. though they'd probably have to wait until the manufacturers warranty runs out.

just so you know i'm not trolling here's proof.

the bottom pic is what mine looked like in may of this year
the top one was taken yesturday.
service tech comming tomorrow.
**EDIT**
the bottom link dont work so good try this one
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=109727&d=1210182039


Looks like the OB was starting to go bad in May.

Thanks, Ted, and everyone else. My concern is that I have no issues...yet. I am past my 3 years and am not sure just what GE will do. I understand that no Company can be sure just how long any component will last...that is what the M in MTBF is all about. :D

However, when we in the Computer Business, and I mean "big iron" main frame systems discover a failing component, we always replaced it with one of a better design, or fix of the original. We also made this available free to our customers. In this case, Sony has a part...a main part, in our Qualia that has a bad design and it seems to be a matter of when it fails and not if it fails. What is bad is that Sony seems to have no plans to fix this component...the OB...so that a new one will have the same issue as the one replaced. It is great that they gave some of you new OB's, but it seems as though that is the last one. This is too expensive a set to only have the use of it for 3 or 4 years! I am not sure just what can be asked for in a class action but I am thinking a large % of the price we paid would be in order as the set will be worthless if they do not fix this component. I also am not talking about a rebate to be used in a Sony Store either!

Any other thoughts?

...In this case, Sony has a part...a main part, in our Qualia that has a bad design and it seems to be a matter of when it fails and not if it fails. What is bad is that Sony seems to have no plans to fix this component...the OB...so that a new one will have the same issue as the one replaced... I am not sure just what can be asked for in a class action but I am thinking a large % of the price we paid would be in order as the set will be worthless if they do not fix this component. I also am not talking about a rebate to be used in a Sony Store either!
AGREED -- this is analogous to engine failure in an automobile. That's how critical the OB is and THAT is why Sony's response is infuriating. We bought these things on faith. There were no magazine reviews out when I bought my set; I bought based on Sony's claimed expertise with SXRD technology, the specs, and Sony's reputation with the G90 and other high-end display devices.

I also built a website and disseminated a LOT of information through it to promote the Q006. As of today I've had 12,500 hits on my Q006 webpage (I rewrote it early on, which reset the counter and lost the first 1,500 hits).

As to compensation: IMHO anything less than 50% of the purchase price would be insulting. Doing it as a percentage of actual price paid would be the only equitable way, I think, given the huge differences paid between those who were first and those who bought last.

Spoken like someone near the front of the queue, no???

:D

AGREED -- this is analogous to engine failure in an automobile. That's how critical the OB is and THAT is why Sony's response is infuriating. We bought these things on faith. There were no magazine reviews out when I bought my set; I bought based on Sony's claimed expertise with SXRD technology, the specs, and Sony's reputation with the G90 and other high-end display devices.

I also built a website and disseminated a LOT of information through it to promote the Q006. As of today I've had 12,500 hits on my Q006 webpage (I rewrote it early on, which reset the counter and lost the first 1,500 hits).

As to compensation: IMHO anything less than 50% of the purchase price would be insulting. Doing it as a percentage of actual price paid would be the only equitable way, I think, given the huge differences paid between those who were first and those who bought last.

Spoken like someone near the front of the queue, no???

:D

Yes, brt. :D

Are you in your RV now? Also, why did I get your PM to Ted? I got it as a Visitor message.

Also, if we paid $10,000 and they did give us $5,000 (Sure they will) then it may be at our expense to change their still bad OB. Can you believe that....pay $$$ to have it "fixed" only to have it fail again as the root cause was never fixed. I can imagine how you feel about the Web Page. I even had someone else buy a Q after seeing mine!

Don't you like my postings here...Root Cause, Big Iron and MTBF. You can tell what I used to do. Wait 'til DiveDude comes back here!

Are you in your RV now? Also, why did I get your PM to Ted? I got it as a Visitor message.

Also, if we paid $10,000 and they did give us $5,000 (Sure they will) then it may be at our expense to change their still bad OB. Can you believe that....pay $$$ to have it "fixed" only to have it fail again as the root cause was never fixed...Very weird that you somehow rec'd my message to Ted; I just checked and it was addressed properly...

No more RV -- we sold it exactly a year ago. Perfect timing given what's happened with diesel fuel. After writing that, I just realized we went from a nearly 40-foot long bus to a smart fortwo in about nine months... :eek:

My first French car; now all I have to do is find out how to ask for directions in French?!? ;)

Actually, I was thinking of $5K to simply walk away. If the average Qualian got 2-3 years of use out of the set this wouldn't make things perfect -- but it would help us pay for something to replace our sets.

Besides, the thought of replacing a dirty-old faulty OB with a brand-new faulty OB is one of the most genuinely WTF moments yet provided by a large corporation. A corporation that, ironically, used to take pride in its' technical acuity and customer loyalty...

The truly sad thing about this debacle is that -- given the image quality -- a Q006 could actually serve for 5-7 years as a primary display device. I have yet to see anything in an RPTV that makes me want to pull out my wallet, and the plasmas just aren't good enough, big enough, AND affordable enough to make me pull the trigger. A 70-inch Kuro might get my attention...

That's something that's never happened with me for a very long while; over the past decade there was ALWAYS something an order of magnitude better (after 2 years) that made me want to trade up...

Maybe THAT'S why the OB problem is REALLY occurring; if we all bought Q006's and kept them for ten years then Sony would've really gotten messed over, eh?

Well, I see that the latest review in HT Mag says the KURO was great but there were some pic issues. One was the Color Temp was off and NOT adjustable. Yeah, $5K would help a lot. Then the question would be as to what to do with the Q. Sell it? I sure would not sink that money in an OB.

We still have our Class B and at 24MPG Diesel, that is not too bad.

...Yeah, $5K would help a lot. Then the question would be as to what to do with the Q. Sell it? I sure would not sink that money in an OB.

We still have our Class B and at 24MPG Diesel, that is not too bad.
24mpg in any RV sounds pretty good; is yours based on the MB Sprinter platform?

My problem with the Qualia is that we bought it just before I had reconstructive surgery on both knees. Because I knew I'd be (essentially) flat on my back for a minimum of 3 months, I had the thing installed in our bedroom.

Problem is, we barely got it up a flight of stairs -- the switchback kind with a landing halfway up. I'm serious when I use the term "barely"; we first had to dismantle and remove all of the hand rails -- and even then I thought we might just have to slather the Q in Crisco® to get it around the corner at the landing. So, it's practically built-in...

24mpg in any RV sounds pretty good; is yours based on the MB Sprinter platform?

My problem with the Qualia is that we bought it just before I had reconstructive surgery on both knees. Because I knew I'd be (essentially) flat on my back for a minimum of 3 months, I had the thing installed in our bedroom.

Problem is, we barely got it up a flight of stairs -- the switchback kind with a landing halfway up. I'm serious when I use the term "barely"; we first had to dismantle and remove all of the hand rails -- and even then I thought we might just have to slather the Q in Crisco® to get it around the corner at the landing. So, it's practically built-in...

Yup, LTV Sprinter! I even changed the battery(s) to a pair of 105AH Lifeline AGM's and a 3 stage converter!

I do remember that you had it in the bedroom! My Q is still working fine except that I need to do something about the Blacks and the amount of color. No, I do not want a mode where everything looks like a cartoon, but I just don't have the color or Blacks I used to. I have DVE on BR and will be playing with that next.

OH, Sony got dealers mad, too. Back when we bought our sets, they were told that they would only be sold in a few places in an area and NONE would be discounted. That worked for a week and my Dealer, who sold Sony Only, was mad! I can not believe, that for this much money, Sony wants to just walk away...and turn us off to any of their other products.

Well, I see that the latest review in HT Mag says the KURO was great but there were some pic issues. One was the Color Temp was off and NOT adjustable.

This only applies to the new non-elites. The Elites are fully adjustable to include color space adjustments.They calibrate to near perfection. As a former Q006 owner, it was a great set. After the break in period , the Kuro is without a doubt a superior set in every catagory. The Q is more immersive, but not by as much as you would think. I have gotten used to the 60" screen and I am just fine with it. The Kuros are about as perfect a tv as one could wish for. The only complaints so far are that some units have a buzz comming from the panel that can be heard from one's sitting position. I have personally never heard this buzz on any sets that I have examined including the one that I own.

This only applies to the new non-elites. The Elites are fully adjustable to include color space adjustments.They calibrate to near perfection. As a former Q006 owner, it was a great set. After the break in period , the Kuro is without a doubt a superior set in every catagory. The Q is more immersive, but not by as much as you would think. I have gotten used to the 60" screen and I am just fine with it. The Kuros are about as perfect a tv as one could wish for. The only complaints so far are that some units have a buzz comming from the panel that can be heard from one's sitting position. I have personally never heard this buzz on any sets that I have examined including the one that I own.

OK, yes I had heard about the buzz, too. I would hope to keep a 70 screen, however.

They did not comment on the "New OB Design" question ?

No. Only answered the part asking about an extention of warranty. I was sure that the reply would be non-responsive, but I wanted to go on the record.

In the letter to the lawyer, I stated that we had suffered economic damages as a consequence of Sony discontinuing the Quallia line after promising us that it would be their premier products [B]and[B] by selling a defective product with an inherrent design fault which they are not correcting and which will prevent the owners from enjoying the full life of a very expensive product. I asked for either 1) refund of purchase price paid, or 2) replacement of the OB with one in which the design flaw has been corrected and a new 3-year warranty. I think we should stand firm on full refund. A court will decide what is equitable if we get that far. Only the named complainants generally get cash up front. Passive members of a class generally get some form of voucher and the attorney gets full fees. I've been in this canoe club long enough to know that the only winners are the lawyers and the named complainants in these class action suits. Everyone else gets a doughnut hole, unless you really want another product from the same company. For instance, I was part of the class who owned Ford Explorers that lost resale value after the rollover propensity became obvious. What did I get? A coupon for $500 off the purchase of another Ford Explorer.

WRT the XBR problem: My Q 006 OB failure was a yellow stain over the whole screen, not a green blob.

In the letter to the lawyer, I stated that we had suffered economic damages as a consequence of Sony discontinuing the Quallia line after promising us that it would be their premier products [B]and[B] by selling a defective product with an inherrent design fault which they are not correcting and which will prevent the owners from enjoying the full life of a very expensive product. I asked for either 1) refund of purchase price paid, or 2) replacement of the OB with one in which the design flaw has been corrected and a new 3-year warranty. I think we should stand firm on full refund.
Well-stated! I have been lucky so far and can't yet detect this problem on my set. Sorry if I'm missing something that's already been covered, but has this problem been directly correlated to anything besides runtime? If someone hasn't already, it would be interesting to see the degree of correlation on the sets with failures...

I don't know if any of this helps, but -- besides my set's is relatively low runtime (compared to some of you tube-heads) -- it is connected to a regulated power-supply, is located in a room that has very good dust filtration (wife & daughter have allergies), and is NEVER run for short periods. If I have to turn it on briefly, I set the sleep timer so that it runs for 30-60 minutes before shutting off.

Oh yeah, I also had our priest bless it the last time he was over for a big game...

:D

Just got back from a vacation . . . you boys have been busy.

Most importantly, DiveDude, good luck, Godspeed, all of the rest for a speedy recovery.

I just got my OB replaced, literally last night. The $509 spent on the Sony extended warranty was well worth the final bill of $5,428.00. No, we should not have had to purchase an extended warranty solely for the reason of knowing we have a TV with an apparently defective design flaw. I would suspect the majority of Q owners would not spend over $5K for a repair outside of factory or extended warranty. And of course we should not have to purchase another warranty if the same problematic part is used in a repair. Having said all of that, damn I'm glad I spent the $509, at this time anyway.

Now, FWIW, I am a lawyer and have been involved in representing clients that have been included in class-action suits, of one kind or another. This is a highly specialized field and any meaningful comment by me is beyond the true level of my expertise. Still, you guys saved me about five large, because I would never have bought the extended warranty without this thread having exposed the failing OB. I suppose I could have wised up knowing the suit existed on the first generation SXRD XBR1/2 sets, but that is most likely giving me more credit than I deserve.

Since there has already been some movement to contact the attorney for the first cause of action, then let me offer my time to act in any way that I can to assist the Q thread owners. At the very least I can contact the attorney and then report to all with anything meaningful. Several pages ago I commented that there may not exist enough Q owners (1000+/-??) to warrant a lawsuit. That was my speculation and not founded on any legal analysis. Many factors go into the feasibility of a class-action suit, so again, PM me with a lawyer and I'll make a call for us.

I realize you guys understand this, but my liability carrier would insist that I give a disclaimer that I am not rendering any legal advice and am not acting now or in the future as legal counsel. My involvement will be as a concerned, common owner of the same set as you, with the same like-kind issues we face related to Q ownership. There, that's out of the way. Let's see what can come of our initial inquiry.

In the letter to the lawyer, I stated that we had suffered economic damages as a consequence of Sony discontinuing the Quallia line after promising us that it would be their premier products [B]and[B] by selling a defective product with an inherrent design fault which they are not correcting and which will prevent the owners from enjoying the full life of a very expensive product. I asked for either 1) refund of purchase price paid, or 2) replacement of the OB with one in which the design flaw has been corrected and a new 3-year warranty. I think we should stand firm on full refund. A court will decide what is equitable if we get that far. Only the named complainants generally get cash up front. Passive members of a class generally get some form of voucher and the attorney gets full fees. I've been in this canoe club long enough to know that the only winners are the lawyers and the named complainants in these class action suits. Everyone else gets a doughnut hole, unless you really want another product from the same company. For instance, I was part of the class who owned Ford Explorers that lost resale value after the rollover propensity became obvious. What did I get? A coupon for $500 off the purchase of another Ford Explorer.

One other thing they could do...but not sure if it would help is to have Sony agree to replace this part for as long as we own the set...in addition to some cash rebate! I sure like #1, however, as it sure sums up what a lot of us feel...a $10,000+ set that they stop making, and a product line (Qualia) with little or no support any more. How many of us, me included, would have held off for something else or would have bought something else in the $4, 000 range then?

One other thing they could do...but not sure if it would help is to have Sony agree to replace this part for as long as we own the set...in addition to some cash rebate! I sure like #1, however, as it sure sums up what a lot of us feel...a $10,000+ set that they stop making, and a product line (Qualia) with little or no support any more. How many of us, me included, would have held off for something else or would have bought something else in the $4, 000 range then?Thanks, sofer, for your help on this...

Mspan, you touch something very relevant -- the fact that Sony presented their Qualia line as something very different from their normal line. They made the point that these products were supposed to be the very best as far as engineering, design, and construction -- and promised a commensurate level of customer service. THAT is why I was willing to pay a price 2-3 times that of other products in the market, and THAT is why it's apparent that Sony has failed us on the OB issue...

Very good info sofer, and I trust that we can suspend any Lawyer Jokes...Hey how many Lawyers...NO, I will comply...but once this runs its course! :D

You mention that you would have to get a new warranty after yours expires, but I would almost bet that Sony will not offer one on the Q after the one you have expires! I have a GE and they do state that if it costs more for the part/repair than the current value of the set, they can offer you a new comparable set (whatever that may be).

brt3...I also wonder about the hours and asked many pages ago with no answer. I, too, have no issues, but only use the Q for 1080p..I mean 1080i BR Movies :D and some football, like the SuperBowl. I bet I have less that 1000 hours on the set and am still on the first lamp...and OB!

Well-stated! I have been lucky so far and can't yet detect this problem on my set. Sorry if I'm missing something that's already been covered, but has this problem been directly correlated to anything besides runtime? If someone hasn't already, it would be interesting to see the degree of correlation on the sets with failures...

I don't know if any of this helps, but -- besides my set's is relatively low runtime (compared to some of you tube-heads) -- it is connected to a regulated power-supply, is located in a room that has very good dust filtration (wife & daughter have allergies), and is NEVER run for short periods. If I have to turn it on briefly, I set the sleep timer so that it runs for 30-60 minutes before shutting off.

Oh yeah, I also had our priest bless it the last time he was over for a big game...

:D

Well, I would be very interested in how many hours are on your set (see the first post in this thread). I seem to need a new OB every 2000 hours (it's already more yellow again than I would like to have to put up with - mine is another one that just gets yellow stains). If yours has more than that, maybe there is a way to extend the life (mine also never is on for short periods, runs in power saving mode, and has a big ugly UPS protecting the bulb from damage).

Well, I would be very interested in how many hours are on your set (see the first post in this thread). I seem to need a new OB every 2000 hours (it's already more yellow again than I would like to have to put up with - mine is another one that just gets yellow stains). If yours has more than that, maybe there is a way to extend the life (mine also never is on for short periods, runs in power saving mode, and has a big ugly UPS protecting the bulb from damage).
I will try to post the hours from my set over the weekend. If we could compile these it would be interesting to see how much of this problem is related to hours of use versus other factors...

I will do the same but will not turn it on just for that. However, the last time I looked was 12/21/07. We had 519 hours! So, I averaged 16.2 hours a month! I am sure this has increased since my BR purchase, and will see if this holds.

mpsan,

I can confirm that Sony will not at this time offer another extended warranty after the first one expires. Also, the back of my warranty states, inter alia (lawyer speak, just for you) that if you are out of the manufacturer's warranty, Sony will consider an extended warranty, at its option.

brt3,

An excellent point about advertising "state of the art . . .", thus justifying a premium price point. That would definitely be part of the prima facie (dang, did it again) case allegations in the pleadings.

I do have a buddy who is an excellent and fearless litigation attorney. I'm sure he'll be much more in tune with the merits of a prospective case like this, and the prospects of certifying numerous plaintiffs as a class-action, versus just having a bunch of PO'd consumers of a similar ilk.

Great sofer. It will be nice to see if we can get a feel for when these OB's do fail! Somehow I just knew Sony would not let you get another contract, unless it costs $6000!!

The above message included no Lawyer jokes.
I am mpsan and I approve this message.

Great sofer. It will be nice to see if we can get a feel for when these OB's do fail! Somehow I just knew Sony would not let you get another contract, unless it costs $6000!!

The above message included no Lawyer jokes.
I am mpsan and I approve this message.

Think about this.

The cost of the OB replacement is mostly the OB at about $5000.00 US.
The OB is supplied by Sony. Sony sells it to the TV repair company at a profit who then bills the extended warranty company. They are happily pocketing the profit for the defective super expensive OB from the tv service company.

And

Sony started with an inventory of OB units from sets they never assembled after they canceled production .I understand now Sony gets the old OB back and rebuilds them. Probably at a pittance.

Think about this.

The cost of the OB replacement is mostly the OB at about $5000.00 US.
The OB is supplied by Sony. Sony sells it to the TV repair company at a profit who then bills the extended warranty company. They are happily pocketing the profit for the defective super expensive OB from the tv service company.

And

Sony started with an inventory of OB units from sets they never assembled after they canceled production .I understand now Sony gets the old OB back and rebuilds them. Probably at a pittance.

So, are you saying that we now would get a rebuilt part that may not even last as long as our original? That is possible.

One point is that if Sony did pay us as per Ted99's Item #1...what happens to the set?

Seems to me a fair remedy for damages is to provide OBs that would give us an expected lifetime of service. Since most people keep their TVs for several years, therein lies the negotiation.

If Sony just buys us off, one way or the other, then we could be left with one of the world's largest paperweights. BTW, the first Q stand that was delivered had a crack on the front. Rather than pay the cost of shipping, the vendor told me to keep it and then sent me a replacement. I gave the first stand to my secretary and then convinced her to buy a 60" SXRD. Then the OB failed on it and had to be replaced. At least it was under warranty, but nice move on my part to talk her into this fine technology. Ouch.

I posted the following on this thread back in December when reports of problems with Sony re: the Qualia 006 first started being reported:


"Obviously, posts about problems with Sony Service beginning to appear on this thread are a concern . . .

I purchased my Qualia 006 in Jan, 2006 and so far have had no problems. My prior set was the $9,000 Toshiba LCoS 57HLX82, one of the first LCoS sets ever, which came out in 2003. After 3 years, it finally flared out. To Toshiba's everlasting glory, they sent a truck to pick up the set and immediately sent me a check for the FULL ORIGINAL $9,000 COST, which I flipped into purchasing the Qualia 006 (for circa $10,000). Toshiba purchased back EVERY LCoS 57HLX82 at FULL original cost from EVERY owner who requested full refund. Toshiba sent a truck to pick each set up and immediately mailed a refund check.

Sony has an ethical and reputation obligation to fully support owners of a $13,000 device during the full 3 year warranty period and a “reputation obligation” to make parts available for a reasonable period of time (say 10 years?). For a $13,000 retail product, it is entirely reasonable to expect the viewing quality to be serviced up to EQUAL TO ORIGINAL during the ENTIRE warranty period.

If instead, Sony chooses to follow a path of only “partial” service by defining some deterioration as normal wear and tear (such as post above by JP007), then this group of Qualia 006 owners will undoubtedly become “noisy” and generate considerable news worthy notoriety for Sony.

Toshiba’s support of its 1000+/- Toshiba LCoS 57HLX82 owner’s offers an extraordinary example of corporate responsibility and class, especially since Toshiba refunded all owners even those who’s warranty had expired . . . . news about shabby customer support by Sony vs. stellar customer support by Toshiba would be an interesting “read”," but traditional print magazines and newspapers might be wary of losing Sony ad dollars.

All I want is for optical blocks and parts to be available for the $13,000 retail Sony Qualia 006 for a reasonable period of time, at least 10 years from original date of purchase and either the ability to pay for warranty coverage at a reasonable cost for the full 10 years (instead of 6 years presently - 3 free + $509 for additional 3 years) and/or reasonable cost of optical block replacement @ $500+/-, not the ridiculous $5,000+ Sony now quotes.

If a year from now, we as a Qualia 006 group have not gotten Sony's attention to do the right thing here, I will at least spread the story as far and wide as I can for my own "therapy".

Chris

I posted the following on this thread back in December when reports of problems with Sony re: the Qualia 006 first started being reported:


"Obviously, posts about problems with Sony Service beginning to appear on this thread are a concern . . .

I purchased my Qualia 006 in Jan, 2006 and so far have had no problems. My prior set was the $9,000 Toshiba LCoS 57HLX82, one of the first LCoS sets ever, which came out in 2003. After 3 years, it finally flared out. To Toshiba's everlasting glory, they sent a truck to pick up the set and immediately sent me a check for the FULL ORIGINAL $9,000 COST, which I flipped into purchasing the Qualia 006 (for circa $10,000). Toshiba purchased back EVERY LCoS 57HLX82 at FULL original cost from EVERY owner who requested full refund. Toshiba sent a truck to pick each set up and immediately mailed a refund check.

Sony has an ethical and reputation obligation to fully support owners of a $13,000 device during the full 3 year warranty period and a “reputation obligation” to make parts available for a reasonable period of time (say 10 years?). For a $13,000 retail product, it is entirely reasonable to expect the viewing quality to be serviced up to EQUAL TO ORIGINAL during the ENTIRE warranty period.

If instead, Sony chooses to follow a path of only “partial” service by defining some deterioration as normal wear and tear (such as post above by JP007), then this group of Qualia 006 owners will undoubtedly become “noisy” and generate considerable news worthy notoriety for Sony.

Toshiba’s support of its 1000+/- Toshiba LCoS 57HLX82 owner’s offers an extraordinary example of corporate responsibility and class, especially since Toshiba refunded all owners even those who’s warranty had expired . . . . news about shabby customer support by Sony vs. stellar customer support by Toshiba would be an interesting “read”," but traditional print magazines and newspapers might be wary of losing Sony ad dollars.

All I want is for optical blocks and parts to be available for the $13,000 retail Sony Qualia 006 for a reasonable period of time, at least 10 years from original date of purchase and either the ability to pay for warranty coverage at a reasonable cost for the full 10 years (instead of 6 years presently - 3 free + $509 for additional 3 years) and/or reasonable cost of optical block replacement @ $500+/-, not the ridiculous $5,000+ Sony now quotes.

If a year from now, we as a Qualia 006 group have not gotten Sony's attention to do the right thing here, I will at least spread the story as far and wide as I can for my own "therapy".

Chris

Chris,

Everything you say makes sense and is quite reasonable. There is/would be a limit as to how long they would support this set. I feel 10-12 years from purchase is fine. A little shared responsibility over the years is not unreasonable either. I know it is tempting to punish Sony and try to get them to pay our mortgage/rent but that's not likely.

Let's see where this goes...

Ron

Chris,

I remember your post and thought Toshiba really came through. I considered that set but was worried about the fledgeling LCOS technology. Then I got excited by the Intel announcement that it was entering the LCOS arena. That didn't last long. I was determined not to get a DLP set, but now the LED backlit ones are interesting.

In a tenuous analogy, I used to be a high-end audio guy. Unfortunately, I came along at the time of the transition from analog to digital and became part of the test group of consumers that got stuck with horribly unreliable chip products that were clearly prematurely unleashed on the public. My rant on the Proceed line could form its own thread. Suffice it to say that our Q OB problem smells an awful lot like my first "early adopter" dilemma. One curious difference is that in audio, a lot of the companies are small, almost cottage industry providers. They cannot afford a bad product fiasco and recover like a huge consumer electronics company. I really wonder what it would take for a relatively small group like us to get satisfaction.

Chris,

I remember your post and thought Toshiba really came through. I considered that set but was worried about the fledgeling LCOS technology. Then I got excited by the Intel announcement that it was entering the LCOS arena. That didn't last long. I was determined not to get a DLP set, but now the LED backlit ones are interesting.

In a tenuous analogy, I used to be a high-end audio guy. Unfortunately, I came along at the time of the transition from analog to digital and became part of the test group of consumers that got stuck with horribly unreliable chip products that were clearly prematurely unleashed on the public. My rant on the Proceed line could form its own thread. Suffice it to say that our Q OB problem smells an awful lot like my first "early adopter" dilemma. One curious difference is that in audio, a lot of the companies are small, almost cottage industry providers. They cannot afford a bad product fiasco and recover like a huge consumer electronics company. I really wonder what it would take for a relatively small group like us to get satisfaction.

You, too!!! I had the Proceed AVP and had so much trouble they had the shop give me an IRIQ...still had issues and got my $$$ back and got a Meridian 568. I can not upgrade it to the new lossless audio, but it still sounds great. I will get a new Pre/Pro but will no longer get highend! I remember a time when highend audio meant a lot! Now everyone uses mp3 and wonders why stuff doesn't sound any better when you play it through a large setup! I remember the days of Crown...and I had their Amps and a 10 1/2" Deck. Krell, etc. were dreams!

Anyway, a company sure has the right to end a product line, Qualia, or a specific model like the Q006, but they are expected to support it with parts!

Ok, I said I would post my updated hours. As I said I am still on my first lamp. I started using the Q on April 15, 2005. As of last night, before watching Vantage Point, I had a total of 656 Hours! So, I guess in 40 Months I average 16.4 hours/Month!

mpsan,

I won't get started for the viewing sake of the rest of the forum, but . . . .

Started with an AVP, but I had to spend more money when I "upgraded" to the AVP2. Then Proceed discontinued the entire line. But not before I got stuck with a PMDT transport. A $5,000 player that couldn't open its drawer. After I think the 3rd return, I sold it in the box, along with the AVP2, and got Lexicon pre/pro and player. They've been flawless and I use the 5.1 inputs for SACD/DVD-A. For now I use a PS3 and will get a Blu-ray player that decodes the lossless codecs onboard and has 5.1 outs for DTS Master and Dolby TrueHD. FWIW, my amps are Levinson and I have Legacy speakers. Meridian is terrific gear. The only reason I don't shelve my electronics for full HDMI is because I use balanced ins/outs and I don't want to have to go with all new cables.

mpsan,

I won't get started for the viewing sake of the rest of the forum, but . . . .

Started with an AVP, but I had to spend more money when I "upgraded" to the AVP2. Then Proceed discontinued the entire line. But not before I got stuck with a PMDT transport. A $5,000 player that couldn't open its drawer. After I think the 3rd return, I sold it in the box, along with the AVP2, and got Lexicon pre/pro and player. They've been flawless and I use the 5.1 inputs for SACD/DVD-A. For now I use a PS3 and will get a Blu-ray player that decodes the lossless codecs onboard and has 5.1 outs for DTS Master and Dolby TrueHD. FWIW, my amps are Levinson and I have Legacy speakers. Meridian is terrific gear. The only reason I don't shelve my electronics for full HDMI is because I use balanced ins/outs and I don't want to have to go with all new cables.

OK, a quick OT answer. Yes, I too use XLR, but the Meridian is XLR for Fronts only...Left/Right/Center.

I was thinking of taking a listen to the Integra 9.9 due out next month to replace the 9.8. I have B&W N800 series speakers and they are quite good.

Anyway, I hope we can someday resolve this Q006 issue...we sure like the 70" screen size. Also, we had a custom cabinet made (from Diamond Case Designs) and a shelf for the very large and heavy B&W Center speaker. So, I sure have spent a lot on this Q006 and hope we can make it last more than 3-4 years! A new set may cause placement issues.

See how I got back on topic? :D

mpsan,

I won't get started for the viewing sake of the rest of the forum, but . . . .

Started with an AVP, but I had to spend more money when I "upgraded" to the AVP2. Then Proceed discontinued the entire line. But not before I got stuck with a PMDT transport. A $5,000 player that couldn't open its drawer. After I think the 3rd return, I sold it in the box, along with the AVP2, and got Lexicon pre/pro and player. They've been flawless and I use the 5.1 inputs for SACD/DVD-A. For now I use a PS3 and will get a Blu-ray player that decodes the lossless codecs onboard and has 5.1 outs for DTS Master and Dolby TrueHD. FWIW, my amps are Levinson and I have Legacy speakers. Meridian is terrific gear. The only reason I don't shelve my electronics for full HDMI is because I use balanced ins/outs and I don't want to have to go with all new cables.

You might want to look at the Anthem D2. It allows the use of balanced connections and will give you HDMI out.

Yeah, B&W and Anthem are also top flight gear. For now, once I get the lossless capabilities with a new BD player, I'm set for awhile. I was in the market for the Sony S550 coming soon, but it's hard right now for me to buy Sony.

Talking about large center channels, my Legacy Marquis has two 15" woofers to match my Legacy Whispers' four 15 inchers.

Last audio OT, I just finished setting up a Sonos system. It's a wireless multiroom solution that is just fantastic. The company has super support staff, on and off line. After my typical exhaustive research mode was up I found it's the most seamless aftermarket way of getting music throughout a house.

BTW, this thread has always been very tolerant of OT posts. I wonder if age has anything to do with it . . .

I may be out of action for a couple of days as I'm in the crosshairs of TS (soon hurricane) Fay. Thankfully, I'm 15' above sea level, which is on a mountain in Florida.

I am sticking with the PS3 - my main complaint is the noise. Its nice to have something that is actively being updated though and heck I even toss in a game now and then (unlimited blockbuster rentals including video games is nice). I must admit I have pretty much run out of blu-ray stuff to watch but at least its also a great upscaler.

Speaking of games - I must admit the Wii fit isn't bad so far my wife and I have gotten a good bit of use out of it. Anything to make a workout more enjoyable - sadly they are hard to come by stores can't seem to keep them on the shelves. Nintendo really needs to rethink their manufacturing partners - you have to get the product out there while its hot these consoles and games usually don't age well.

Take care sofer and watch out for the storm. We used to live in Palm Beach Gardens for a time.

Anyway, I thought the D2 would not do Lossless or HDMI 1.3a.

Take care sofer and watch out for the storm. We used to live in Palm Beach Gardens for a time.

Anyway, I thought the D2 would not do Lossless or HDMI 1.3a.

The Anthem D2 is HDMI 1.1, and thus will accept multi-channel LPCM over HDMI just fine. In other words, as long as the Dolby TrueHD or DTS MA, etc. is decoded in the player (where it ought to be done), and then fed over HDMI to the D2, you've got your lossless audio with all new levels of fidelity!

I am doing this now, and have been for a year with the Pioneer 94HD BluRay box (at least with Dolby TrueHD, as Pio doesn't support the others on the 94HD). I am debating upgrading to the new 05 from Pio, but probably will not for now.

Cheers!
Brian

Take care sofer and watch out for the storm. We used to live in Palm Beach Gardens for a time.

Anyway, I thought the D2 would not do Lossless or HDMI 1.3a.


Your correct on that. Only does HDMI 1.2 and pass thru on the decoding.
PS3 and others can decode HD Lossless formats.

Any options if out of initial warranty and did not get extended. Orig purchase date 3/05. Thankfully OB still intact...

The Anthem D2 is HDMI 1.1, and thus will accept multi-channel LPCM over HDMI just fine. In other words, as long as the Dolby TrueHD or DTS MA, etc. is decoded in the player (where it ought to be done), and then fed over HDMI to the D2, you've got your lossless audio with all new levels of fidelity!

I am doing this now, and have been for a year with the Pioneer 94HD BluRay box (at least with Dolby TrueHD, as Pio doesn't support the others on the 94HD). I am debating upgrading to the new 05 from Pio, but probably will not for now.

Cheers!
Brian

Well, I would think that the quality of the decoding would be better if a player just sent the untouched bitstream to a much more expensive pre/pro than built in to a player costing perhaps 10% of the pre/pro.

Just my opinion.

Any options if out of initial warranty and did not get extended. Orig purchase date 3/05. Thankfully OB still intact...

If your original warranty has run out you are going to have a problem getting and extended warranty now, but I would still try.
Sony is using a company called Service Net to write the warranty.
Good luck.

Well, I would think that the quality of the decoding would be better if a player just sent the untouched bitstream to a much more expensive pre/pro than built in to a player costing perhaps 10% of the pre/pro.

Just my opinion.

Well, you might think that, but you might be incorrect as well :-)

Read up on it, there is absolutely no difference in decoding in the player vs. decoding in the receiver. Read Dolby and DTS' own whitepapers on their encoding, and they agree and advise that it be done in the player, so that PIP and other mixing of audio with future Profile 2 capabilities for movies can occur properly. THink of TrueHD and DTS MA as zip files, and you are simply unzipping a zip file to get the lossless audio. The underlying bits and bytes don't change if i unzip a file on an IBM mainframe or on a 300 dollar Dell micro-laptop.

Cheers!
Brian

http://www.anthemav.com/NewSitev2.0/AnthemProduct/AVM30_40_50/Literature/Downloads/HDMI_Questions_PDS.pdf

Read about half way down the list of FAQ's...it's very funny to me that many of these people that are running out and buying Brand X latest receivers touting HDMI 1.3 and bragging that they can decode DTS MA and TrueHD, are the very same people now starting to complain that they cannot utilize language selection and other interactive features that the BluRay players make possible.

It is fun to watch this going on in some of the BluRay forums on here...

Enjoy HDMI 1.1 on the D2, and upgrade to something better whenever there is truly something better, that's what I say. I won't be shy to upgrade when that day comes.

Cheers,
Brian

Regarding a possible Class Action Suit for OB failure

I have had a preliminary conversation with an attorney who is exploring taking the case. This forum is a public forum, so I cannot be too specific about tactics. E-mails are also subject to discovery. I have PM's from 4 other owners, so far. It is also useful to have owners whose OB has not failed, yet; so that it can be determined if there has been a change in the OB design between first build and the replacements.

http://www.anthemav.com/NewSitev2.0/AnthemProduct/AVM30_40_50/Literature/Downloads/HDMI_Questions_PDS.pdf

Read about half way down the list of FAQ's...it's very funny to me that many of these people that are running out and buying Brand X latest receivers touting HDMI 1.3 and bragging that they can decode DTS MA and TrueHD, are the very same people now starting to complain that they cannot utilize language selection and other interactive features that the BluRay players make possible.

It is fun to watch this going on in some of the BluRay forums on here...

Enjoy HDMI 1.1 on the D2, and upgrade to something better whenever there is truly something better, that's what I say. I won't be shy to upgrade when that day comes.

Cheers,
Brian

...First, we are not talking about a receiver but a pre-pro. I guess you are telling me that a BR player has the same analog quality output as you would get with a pre-pro. Bitstream IS like a zip file as you put it...but it seems to me if a player "unzips" the stream and THEN sends the audio out analog outputs then that quality can suffer.

Anyway, we normally just watch a movie and some extras and have very little desire, if any, to use any of the 2.0 features.

I just saw the class action settlement for this tv and the one I have a Q005 on the sony support page. The $180 settlement doesn't seem enough. I would much rather have them ad the 1080p function to the tv somehow instead of getting a gift card to buy products at MSRP from sonystyle. Of course I don't see this happening any time soon so ill just fill out the form and send it in.:(

...First, we are not talking about a receiver but a pre-pro. I guess you are telling me that a BR player has the same analog quality output as you would get with a pre-pro. Bitstream IS like a zip file as you put it...but it seems to me if a player "unzips" the stream and THEN sends the audio out analog outputs then that quality can suffer.

Anyway, we normally just watch a movie and some extras and have very little desire, if any, to use any of the 2.0 features.

For the purposes of this discussion, there is no difference between terming it a receiver vs. a pre/pro...I am quite aware of the difference. I do not send Analog anything out of my BluRay player. I send multichannel PCM audio, 96khz/24 bits, 5.1 channels, over HDMI in a "digital" fashion the entire way. You seem to now be talking about Analog audio, and if we take the discussion there, then yes, you are right, the Analog (6 or 8 RCA cables) out of a BluRay player is not going to sound as good as sending the digital PCM stream or the Bitstream to a decent pre-pro or receiver. Let's not mix Digital-to-Analog conversion, where differences are huge from one product to another, with unzipp'ing the compressed lossless codec (TrueHD, DTS MA, etc), and simply sending on the unaltered underlying lossless PCM audio. They are two VERY different things.

Let's be very specific what we are talking about, yes?

And finally, your statement that you have no need for all these Profile 2.0 features anyway, is exactly why the D2 should not be seen as "lacking" anything! If that's all you need, well then hell, HDMI 1.1 is gonna be more than enough for ya. Again, it seems like the Marketing Managers of Brand X and the slick magazine video/audio crowd are being very successful in their goal of helping you defy common sense on this one. On the one hand, you point out perceived lackings in the D2, and in the very next breath, you say you don't need Profile 2.0, you just pop in movies and watch them in English.

I gotta admit I'm confused. Which is it?
Brian

For the purposes of this discussion, there is no difference between terming it a receiver vs. a pre/pro...I am quite aware of the difference. I do not send Analog anything out of my BluRay player. I send multichannel PCM audio, 96khz/24 bits, 5.1 channels, over HDMI in a "digital" fashion the entire way. You seem to now be talking about Analog audio, and if we take the discussion there, then yes, you are right, the Analog (6 or 8 RCA cables) out of a BluRay player is not going to sound as good as sending the digital PCM stream or the Bitstream to a decent pre-pro or receiver. Let's not mix Digital-to-Analog conversion, where differences are huge from one product to another, with unzipp'ing the compressed lossless codec (TrueHD, DTS MA, etc), and simply sending on the unaltered underlying lossless PCM audio. They are two VERY different things.

Let's be very specific what we are talking about, yes?

And finally, your statement that you have no need for all these Profile 2.0 features anyway, is exactly why the D2 should not be seen as "lacking" anything! If that's all you need, well then hell, HDMI 1.1 is gonna be more than enough for ya. Again, it seems like the Marketing Managers of Brand X and the slick magazine video/audio crowd are being very successful in their goal of helping you defy common sense on this one. On the one hand, you point out perceived lackings in the D2, and in the very next breath, you say you don't need Profile 2.0, you just pop in movies and watch them in English.

I gotta admit I'm confused. Which is it?
Brian

Brian, I think we took this enough OT. However, I guess I had thought you were saying that with a player that decoded the Lossless audio it would be sent out via the RCA jacks. Not sure you mentioned PCM, but of course the PCM route is the way to go. We usually do not dig into the extras and would probably not even care about the games or extras available with a Profile 2 player. Anyway, I have the Panny BD30 and it looks good here. Also, I think a 7K prepro would have better quality than a 3K Reciever.

When we lived in Hartford, a few of us would debate this audio stuff for ever. Of course we would listen to the stuff in Boston and NYC...but that was Decades ago! :D

Brian, I think we took this enough OT. However, I guess I had thought you were saying that with a player that decoded the Lossless audio it would be sent out via the RCA jacks. Not sure you mentioned PCM, but of course the PCM route is the way to go. We usually do not dig into the extras and would probably not even care about the games or extras available with a Profile 2 player. Anyway, I have the Panny BD30 and it looks good here. Also, I think a 7K prepro would have better quality than a 3K Reciever.

When we lived in Hartford, a few of us would debate this audio stuff for ever. Of course we would listen to the stuff in Boston and NYC...but that was Decades ago! :D

Ahh, a miscommunication perhaps then. Probably my fault. We agree on the somewhat dubious value of Profile 2 stuff - I do occasionally watch Extras, director's commentary stuff, etc. but I agree that the whole interacting over the web and pulling down different scenes is not really interesting for me. Maybe I will change that impression when I see it in action, but its not high on my radar right now.

The hobby just keeps getting more and more interesting, that's for sure! Always fun to imagine where we'll be in 5 years, let alone 10!

Do I hear "GreenRay"??? :-)

Ahh, a miscommunication perhaps then. Probably my fault. We agree on the somewhat dubious value of Profile 2 stuff - I do occasionally watch Extras, director's commentary stuff, etc. but I agree that the whole interacting over the web and pulling down different scenes is not really interesting for me. Maybe I will change that impression when I see it in action, but its not high on my radar right now.

The hobby just keeps getting more and more interesting, that's for sure! Always fun to imagine where we'll be in 5 years, let alone 10!

Do I hear "GreenRay"??? :-)

Well, I hope the kids will someday hear great quality audio and stop using MP3 at home! :D

Some people think the profile 2 players will be able to get firmware updates over the internet but that will depend on the vendor. Anyway, I hope our Q's last a long time!

Gentleman,

No enlightened discussion of audio quality is complete without consideration of the proper use of Shakti Stones and precise elevation of cabling ;P

Gentleman,

No enlightened discussion of audio quality is complete without consideration of the proper use of Shakti Stones and precise elevation of cabling ;P

PLEASE don't forget the replacement power cords! :D

Did you do OK in the storm?

Gentleman... no enlightened discussion of audio quality is complete without consideration of the proper use of Shakti Stones and precise elevation of cabling ;P
Kinda reminds me of the ancient Steve Martin routine:

"I just starting taking some amazing stuff. These pills -- I've never seen anything like them, ever. Absolutely incredible! They're called... P-L-A-C-E-B-O-S..."

(written as a recovering member of TAA: Tweak-Aholics Anonymous)

mpsan,

The storm has changed course about four times in the last 24 hours. Now it looks like it will go offshore, maybe upgrade to a hurricane, and then boomerang back through FL. I live right in the middle of the curve, just below Daytona Beach. So, lots of rain, some wind, but tornadoes are the biggest concern. The only other problem is that it is moving so slowly it will dump about 12" of rain and low-lying areas will flood.

Such as life in the Sunshine State. Thanks for asking.

Last OT audio post. My favorite high-end eyebrow raiser was when a reviewer said a speaker's high treble region sounded a little harsh, or whatever. The speaker manufacturer raised hell, and the follow-up review revealed that the room had just been painted and the paint must have had some material imbedded in it that affected the speaker's sound. Some adjustment was made of some sort, and amazingly the problem was corrected.

mpsan,

The storm has changed course about four times in the last 24 hours. Now it looks like it will go offshore, maybe upgrade to a hurricane, and then boomerang back through FL. I live right in the middle of the curve, just below Daytona Beach. So, lots of rain, some wind, but tornadoes are the biggest concern. The only other problem is that it is moving so slowly it will dump about 12" of rain and low-lying areas will flood.

Such as life in the Sunshine State. Thanks for asking.

Last OT audio post. My favorite high-end eyebrow raiser was when a reviewer said a speaker's high treble region sounded a little harsh, or whatever. The speaker manufacturer raised hell, and the follow-up review revealed that the room had just been painted and the paint must have had some material imbedded in it that affected the speaker's sound. Some adjustment was made of some sort, and amazingly the problem was corrected.

I saw what was going on in Fla. We were in Palm Beach Gardens and our Apt. was on the Intercoastal waterway! It was the worst lighting we ever experienced. Flash/Bang...no delay!

Also, remember when the great highend improvement for CD's was to color them with ink? !!!

Re: Possible class action suit.

If the attorney takes the case (on a contingency basis), they will need a Q006 that has failed and not been repaired so that their expert can examine it for the failure mechanism. They will buy out the owner of the set so that they have it and the owner is not hurt. So, if anyone has a failure of the OB (green blob/yellow stain); please contact me before you call it in for repair. Also, if a set fails outside the SONY warranty (a lot of people are in or near this point) and one didn't get the extended warranty--this should be an attractive option.

Hi All,

This is my first post.

My Q006 is from the first batch shipped, so it’s about three and a half years old, and out of warranty. My set has approximately 4600 hours on it and exhibits a faint bluish tint toward the edges on an all-white screen. Have other owners noticed this in the early stages of an optical block failure? I don’t see green blobs, and black and white still looks black and white. Picture quality is still good, but without a side-by-side with a new set, it’s hard to tell if and how much it may have degraded.

I recently called the Qualia number to see if they’d make a commitment to me to make good on the optical block problem, should that happen to mine and they refused.

I was aware of the catastrophic meltdowns that Toshiba’s fabled 57HLX82 LCoS displays experienced before buying this set, and before buying, I called Qualia and explained to them what happened with Toshiba’s attempt at LCoS and how it ended and how Toshiba was buying back all of the sets, and I asked Qualia if they would stand behind their product in a similar manner, should it suffer similar consequences. Back then they were singing a different tune: it was an unequivocal “YES.”

Like most every other Q006 owner, I’ve generally been pleased with the picture quality, and have considered it the best on the market since its inception. And like many others, I purchased it, expecting a much higher degree of service than one usually gets from Sony. It was a major factor in my forking over so much money.

I certainly agree that for such a premium, one should expect considerably more than 3 years of service before becoming victim to a $5500 design flaw. I’d certainly be willing to participate in proceedings that would force Sony to live up to their obligation.

Ted99,

Not sure that mine rises to the level of a true optical block failure yet, but should it get worse, I might be interested in the buyout, should it come to that. Otherwise, I'm certainly interested in the lawsuit. I'll PM my info to you.

Dan

DanF66 - what you describe is similar to how mine appears to behave before the OB starts it's downward spiral. It is much easier to see using a white field, a camera, and photoshop (move the cursor over the screen to see values change). When new (OB) my set has been very uniform (not perfect, but good - corners are always difficult). As it gets worse on mine it seems to get horizontal streaks. The really interesting thing is that mine behaved the same way when the first OB went out, and now is doing the same thing. It makes me wonder if there is an external influence which affects how the OB dies (green vs yellow). Just a thought, but interesting to me...

I have bright yellow blotches instead of skin tones on many DVDs. About 9 months ago, Sony sent a service man who just set the picture controls to "default". We could not get the set to "go yellow" in his presence, so he left. I recently replaced the lamp ($$$) hoping it would help. Still have the Screaming Yellows, but not all the time. I paid $13,500 June 2005.

Unfortunately, it appears we may all be headed down the road toward litigation (class or mass) with Sony. The extreme expense of this set, along with the promises of exceptional service, do not measure up to the inherent design defect that Sony appears unwilling to permanently correct.

I would have very little incentive to accept a refund if it was anything less that 50% of what I paid. A new replacement 70" TV appears to be the most equitable solution.

We should all continue to post our experiences and stay together as a group, in hopes of having this situation resolved favorably.

jb007

I have data for a number of people, now. DanF66 was very helpful in his description of his status. For those of you that have already sent me your info, and new joiners; It would be helpful to know the following: 1) 1st OB, or replacement? 2) extended warranty? 3) any manifestations of incipient failure? I will be able to tell from purchase date if you are in Sony's warranty. MPSAN, THESTEWMAN, RonB63, and DanF66--I have your status.

I am waiting to hear back from the first attorney expressing interest--it's a question of fronting the $ needed to prepare the case, including an expert evaluation of the problem by dissection of set(s).

It's a shame when something so good can go so bad. My Qualia goes out of warranty (standard) in March of next year. My OB was replaced this year. I hope and pray that my OB goes south late next year so I can at least get it and another one covered under the extended warranty.

I have been left high and dry with a Pioneer Pro-510....I refuse to purchase another Pioneer product. My Sony potentially is even worse.

Maybe I should start reading more and watching less TV :)

John

Re: Potential lawsuit. It's incredible how we all have the same feelings which I will summarize: 1) Sony sold us a very expensive product as the "Lexus" in a Toyota line, and then abandoned us. 2) We expected to keep our Q's a long time because of the cost. 3) We think Sony should either fix the problem or keep providing spare OB's under warranty for 10 yrs. 4) We are very suspicious of further Sony purchases. Sir Howard Stringer: Are you listening?

I've received one note saying that Sony was no longer offering extended warranties on the Q006 because "The original warranty was so long". I know of several owners who have purchased the 3-yr additional warranty from SONY. Sounds like they are bailing out of a defective product. It would be useful to know if there are any others who tried to purchase the additional 3-yr warranty from Sony, and were refused, and when this ocurred.

Re: Potential lawsuit. It's incredible how we all have the same feelings which I will summarize: 1) Sony sold us a very expensive product as the "Lexus" in a Toyota line, and then abandoned us. 2) We expected to keep our Q's a long time because of the cost. 3) We think Sony should either fix the problem or keep providing spare OB's under warranty for 10 yrs. 4) We are very suspicious of further Sony purchases. Sir Howard Stringer: Are you listening?
Well said! In my case, I remember being obsessed with Sony at an early age. They came out with a very miniature transistor radio when I was about 9 years old; I remember staring at that thing through the display case -- and the joy that resulted when the very nice clerk actually opened the case and let me handle the radio.

Thus began a long "trip" with Sony, that took me through gems like their KV-4000 -- a miraculous (for then) minaturized 4" Trinitron that was a fantastic piece of engineering and build quality. I still have mine and it STILL works. I've owned countless Sony TVs and been very happy with them; the XBR-100 CRT set I have still looks nice and works like a champ after 10+ years. The first generation Walkman players I bought were indestructible. My TC-D5M cassette deck -- another beautiful and bulletproof piece that I've owned (and used) for over a decade. Numerous Sony shortwave radios have graced our home -- a Sony Earth Orbiter 5000, ICF-2010 (two), ICF-SW77, ICF-SW55 (three), ICF-SW07, and several more that I can't remember off the top of my head. All have functioned beautifully. To this day I record 2-4 hours a week on my PCM-D50; though it's not quite as bulletproof as the TC-D5M, it does a very nice job.

Get the picture, Sir Howard? I've owned so much Sony gear that I can't even begin to list it all here. I've always lusted after it, and the purchase and subsequent joy of ownership usually lived up to the anticipatory lust -- and fueled my desire for more. As a result, I always wanted the next great thing coming down the pipeline.

Sony have taken a group of early adopters -- some who can probably afford anything and others who will scrape and save to buy the best and keep it for many years -- and are rubbing our noses in the very brand loyalty they spent nearly 40 years (in my case) cultivating.

Since we have been used as beta testers for an immature product, we should be compensated for doing the work that Sony's depleted engineering force DIDN'T do. They tried to leapfrog the competition -- and, in doing so, jumped the gun on key aspects of their SXRD technology.

brt3

My "luck" has been somewhat different with SONY but I bought the Qualia anyway. I had the NS975V DVD player and had drawer freezes, etc. Had to get another. I had an issue with the S-VHS VCR's. I had two SLV-R5 decks and they had the best picture/sound around. Then they had Power Supply issues and it was no longer worthwile to fix them. One still has a PS issue and the other has an audio channel out. I think SONY has a history of making the best possible item...SVHS when they got out of Beta format...and then either dropping it or making a very much cost reduced version in the following years. I do, however, still have a 707ESD CD player that I believe was $2000 back then!

Unfortunately, it appears we may all be headed down the road toward litigation (class or mass) with Sony. The extreme expense of this set, along with the promises of exceptional service, do not measure up to the inherent design defect that Sony appears unwilling to permanently correct.

I would have very little incentive to accept a refund if it was anything less that 50% of what I paid. A new replacement 70" TV appears to be the most equitable solution.

We should all continue to post our experiences and stay together as a group, in hopes of having this situation resolved favorably.

jb007



i agree, jb.

unfortunately, though, nothing will happen unless/until an action is brought before a court of competent jurisdiction.

i would seriously consider looking at the attorney(s) that handled the non-Qualia SXRD class action as they have experience with what is likely the identical issue.

short of half the original msrp or replacement by an equivalent 70 in set, however, i would opt out of any class action that would result in the usual bogus result.

i agree, jb.

unfortunately, though, nothing will happen unless/until an action is brought before a court of competent jurisdiction.

i would seriously consider looking at the attorney(s) that handled the non-Qualia SXRD class action as they have experience with what is likely the identical issue.

short of half the original msrp or replacement by an equivalent 70 in set, however, i would opt out of any class action that would result in the usual bogus result.

Let's keep in mind the other suit DOES include the Q06, though I get what you mean. Just don't want folks thinking that one doesn't include them, it actually does.

But I agree with your larger point that we need to get at least 50% of MSRP, or a commitment to re-engineer the optical blocks so that they do not fail at the current rate. I am less interested in swapping out the whole set, I would like to see optical blocks be the center of the focus here. If not for this one part, I would be happy with this set for 15 years, never mind 10. The lens and SXRD chips themselves are top notch in this set, we will never see this quality with other sets, at least for a long time.

Just my 2 cents,
Brian

Let's keep in mind the other suit DOES include the Q06, though I get what you mean. Just don't want folks thinking that one doesn't include them, it actually does.

But I agree with your larger point that we need to get at least 50% of MSRP, or a commitment to re-engineer the optical blocks so that they do not fail at the current rate. I am less interested in swapping out the whole set, I would like to see optical blocks be the center of the focus here. If not for this one part, I would be happy with this set for 15 years, never mind 10. The lens and SXRD chips themselves are top notch in this set, we will never see this quality with other sets, at least for a long time.

Just my 2 cents,
Brian

Good points, all. While litigation could eventually lead to a result of Sony agreeing to replace our failing OBs for a period of x years, it is unlikely they could be forced to build a brand new OB without the design defect. Sony has moved away from its proprietary SXRD technology, and presumably, is doing no further R&D in that area. That is why a more likely outcome would be reimbursement or replacement with a current product.

In regards to the relatively "low" number of Q006 owners, that cuts both ways. While some legal counsel may be less inclined to take on the case as a class action, Sony may be more willing to give up more at the end of the day.

i agree, jb.

unfortunately, though, nothing will happen unless/until an action is brought before a court of competent jurisdiction.

i would seriously consider looking at the attorney(s) that handled the non-Qualia SXRD class action as they have experience with what is likely the identical issue.

short of half the original msrp or replacement by an equivalent 70 in set, however, i would opt out of any class action that would result in the usual bogus result.

The first thing I did was write to the lawyer of record for the 1080P class action. Have not heard back from him (or the second lawyer) yet. I had a long conversation with the second lawyer and I empthasized that I was not interested in the usual "settlement" of a coupon for another product from the misbehaving vendor.

Let's keep in mind the other suit DOES include the Q06, though I get what you mean. Just don't want folks thinking that one doesn't include them, it actually does.

But I agree with your larger point that we need to get at least 50% of MSRP, or a commitment to re-engineer the optical blocks so that they do not fail at the current rate. I am less interested in swapping out the whole set, I would like to see optical blocks be the center of the focus here. If not for this one part, I would be happy with this set for 15 years, never mind 10. The lens and SXRD chips themselves are top notch in this set, we will never see this quality with other sets, at least for a long time.

Just my 2 cents,
Brian

I do not believe that the 1080P item is what BD meant. I believe there has already been an issue with non-Qualia SXRD sets.

I hope to have something of substance to report this week. I am reluctant to discuss the merits of a lawsuit online. Many people believe Sony monitors this website and while it's debatable whether any of our comments would make or break a case, I prefer to err on the side of caution. I will say that since the discussion of the failing OBs began, I have not read a single post that wasn't a considered and reasoned opinion. There is much common ground among us. Give me some time to follow up on some things.

I do not believe that the 1080P item is what BD meant. I believe there has already been an issue with non-Qualia SXRD sets.

Ahh right, the green blob suit for the non-Qualia's...makes sense that that's what he is referring to. My mistake.

-brian

I do not believe that the 1080P item is what BD meant. I believe there has already been an issue with non-Qualia SXRD sets.

Ahh right, the green blob suit for the non-Qualia's...makes sense that that's what he is referring to. My mistake.

-brian

i'm on vacation so haven't been checking in that frequently...it seems that clarification was provided without me :)

thanks mpsan...

i can remember some xbr sxrd set owners popping in here trying to rally us for that suit at the time and we all dismissed him/her :o:eek:

I hope to have something of substance to report this week. I am reluctant to discuss the merits of a lawsuit online. Many people believe Sony monitors this website and while it's debatable whether any of our comments would make or break a case, I prefer to err on the side of caution. I will say that since the discussion of the failing OBs began, I have not read a single post that wasn't a considered and reasoned opinion. There is much common ground among us. Give me some time to follow up on some things.

The reality is that many companies have said their sets were 1080 capable, but until 1080P sources became available starting with HD-DVD and BD just a couple of years ago, few people ever realized that 1080 could just as easily be Interlaced as it could be Progressive.

Now that 1080P sources are becoming more common, the advertising ballyho of 1080 vs. 720 is revealed to be more complicated - especially if one bought a set years ago thinking they were future proof (at least with regard to 1080 (P or I).

This lack of advertising clarity is fraud on the part of the manufacturers and their advertising agents, and should never be tolerated, again!

And definitely not in a $13,000 MSRP Rear-Projector like the Q006!!! A replacement input board should be demanded to correct the problem, now, and for all owners of this and similar sets.

Hi:
My Q has the failing OB. I have the Sony extended warranty and called and had a service guy come out ten days ago.
My Q has the Yellow blob; service guy left saying the OB will take about two weeks to get, and he will be out to replace it shortly thereafter.
Count me in on the lawsuit.
Sony needs to stand tall and make the right ethical decision.
We may be small in numbers, but we are the ones who lead the buying decisions.
Dave

The reality is that many companies have said their sets were 1080 capable, but until 1080P sources became available starting with HD-DVD and BD just a couple of years ago, few people ever realized that 1080 could just as easily be Interlaced as it could be Progressive.

Now that 1080P sources are becoming more common, the advertising ballyho of 1080 vs. 720 is revealed to be more complicated - especially if one bought a set years ago thinking they were future proof (at least with regard to 1080 (P or I).

This lack of advertising clarity is fraud on the part of the manufacturers and their advertising agents, and should never be tolerated, again!

And definitely not in a $13,000 MSRP Rear-Projector like the Q006!!! A replacement input board should be demanded to correct the problem, now, and for all owners of this and similar sets.

The input board will do us little good without a good OB. :D

Spoken like a true champion!

The input board will do us little good without a good OB. :D

True. But the issue of the suit concerned Sony's advertisers claiming 1080P compatibility when they knew that no SXRD set could accept that input frequency!

The OB is a separate issue.

True. But the issue of the suit concerned Sony's advertisers claiming 1080P compatibility when they knew that no SXRD set could accept that input frequency!

The OB is a separate issue.

Didn't they have a mod for 1080p for the Qualia SXRD Projector?

Hi:
Just talked with the service company out of Oceanside California.
The OB is being shipped from Florida; scheduled for replacement on Sep 2.
(First called on August 1).
Regards,
Dave

Didn't they have a mod for 1080p for the Qualia SXRD Projector?

Yes they did, I believe it was something like a $1500.00 to $3000.00 owner financed modification. It might have been as much as $5000.00, I can't remember the exact amount, sorry. Maybe a kind 004 owner will see this and offer the right information.

Yes they did, I believe it was something like a $1500.00 to $3000.00 owner financed modification. It might have been as much as $5000.00, I can't remember the exact amount, sorry. Maybe a kind 004 owner will see this and offer the right information.I looked around and found it was $3,000-3500. I would rather have that option for my qualia 005 and for free or at a resonable price instead of a gift card.

FWIW, I recall hearing a story at the time the 1080p input upgrade for the Q004 was being made available, that a Q004 owner that was a very important customer of Sony had made the request, and that is why it happened.

Yes they did, I believe it was something like a $1500.00 to $3000.00 owner financed modification. It might have been as much as $5000.00, I can't remember the exact amount, sorry. Maybe a kind 004 owner will see this and offer the right information.

I own a Qualia 004 and am familiar with the R2 upgrade.

The upgrade costs $3K if you ship to Sony. Add an extra $1.5K if you have a Sony licensed Qualia upgrade person fly to your house to do it.

It uses the DVI input and is only 1080P60 - not 1080P24.

I didn't do it as for about the same price, I bought a Lumagen Radiance that will convert 1080P24 from Blu Ray to 1080P24sF (Qualia's native rate). And the Radiance is needed for anamorphic stretch in my CIH set up and does so much more..

Hope this helps...

FWIW, I recall hearing a story at the time the 1080p input upgrade for the Q004 was being made available, that a Q004 owner that was a very important customer of Sony had made the request, and that is why it happened.

You got it! But only for the Q004, not any other Q models! But I have tried. :p

I have been reading these threads for the last few years and I must confess that I am flabbergasted at Sony's response to the OB problems on their standard and qualia lines. It seems to me that this company has some kind of death wish. Alienating early adapters of a much touted technology and then to apparently turn and run when problems develop is not the way an intelligent, customer committed company should act. Sony could well benefit from the integrity that Toshiba demonstrated when faced with a similar situation. I guess "pissing off" the particular demographic that is represented by the purchase of a five figure video display seems acceptable to them. The lack of transparency by Sony is a disgrace. If these replacement OB's suffer from the same maladies, with out proper remediation, then we have all been played for fools.
please excuse my rant
Ross

Based on posting a comment at Sony I received a call from someone at the Corporate Office related to my complaint about abondonment of Qualia customers of the Qualia line and my recent repair of my failed optical block. They have left their customers!!! His response was that I might seek an outside provider extended warranty but Sony was not offering one. He did not comment on Sony providing on going support of this product and would not confirm that the optical block was redesigned only that they have 'no reason' to believe it will fail within the same time frame in the future (2 years 8 months) and that there was no response to the 'buy back' suggestion because I couldn't afford to sustain an $11000 loss because of their poor design and lack of integrity to stand behind their product. He lamented that he ' was not able to meet my customer service expecctations' and when I suggested that he refer the matter and my position to someone who could he said ' that there was noone higher, this was from the corporate office and noone else would call me on these concerns' ---We are all shxx on by Sony, certainly I would recommend that all of us not only complain but that we take it to our families and friends that Sony is NOT a company of integrity and concern for their customers who do not deserve anyone's business in the future

Yes you are correct, it’s sad to say that a company as big as Sony, and there treating their customers this way,
For what we all paid for this Qualia006 unit, Sony should step up and make it right with us all.
I talked with one of the head managers with Sony’s corporation back early July when I was trying to purchase my extended warranty, I expressed my concern and disappointment with Sony and there design flaw in the optical block, and their lack of concern in this issue. As I told him that I could have purchased any other set out there, but chose the Qualia unit due to Sony’s reputation and quality and past experience, Boy has that changed!
He played the design issue down and told me that when I see the new technology that they are working on, it will blow you away. I told him maybe somebody but not me if Sony doesn’t step-up and do the right thing about the Qualia issue that’s going on right know!

Christefan--would you please post the address for the Sony customer blog on which you posted. My experience with Sony's web site is that anything other than product info is very hard to locate. I would suggest that all of us post on our opinions. This site seems to be getting Corporate attention. My post will be along the line of having been burned by being an early adopter for "advanced Sony technology, including the first CD player, I'll be waiting a long time in the future.

I picked the site up from our own forum here, posted by a member awhile back. It seemingly was routed through to the corporate office for customer service. Feel free to get posting, you'll see a couple of my comments if they haven't taken them down yet-my first post in the month of July was removed. Take care all--http://news.sel.sony.com/electronicsblog/?p=4

I picked the site up from our own forum here, posted by a member awhile back. It seemingly was routed through to the corporate office for customer service. Feel free to get posting, you'll see a couple of my comments if they haven't taken them down yet-my first post in the month of July was removed. Take care all--http://news.sel.sony.com/electronicsblog/?p=4

I wonder if there is a way to ask Rick Clancy about our Qualias? I would think that posting on the blog may get them mad...not that they do not deserve it!

I wonder if there is a way to ask Rick Clancy about our Qualias? I would think that posting on the blog may get them mad...not that they do not deserve it!

Hey guys,
Yeah back in July when I was trying to get my extended warranty for my Q and was getting the run around from customer service, I found this website that look pretty good, so I fired off some post and later that night the phone started ringing. And I got the extended warranty also.
This is the website http://news.sel.sony.com/electronicsblog/?p=4

And this is Rick Clancy E-Mail Rick.Clancy@am.sony.com
it was posted on the above website.
Hope this helps.

Hey guys,
Yeah back in July when I was trying to get my extended warranty for my Q and was getting the run around from customer service, I found this website that look pretty good, so I fired off some post and later that night the phone started ringing. And I got the extended warranty also.
This is the website http://news.sel.sony.com/electronicsblog/?p=4

And this is Rick Clancy E-Mail Rick.Clancy@am.sony.com
it was posted on the above website.
Hope this helps.

I am curious were you still in warranty when you got your extended warranty? It sounds like there may be a few Q types who missed the news about the defective OB design and didn't shell out for the warranty before the 3 year ran out.

This is pretty sad they seem determined to turn our tv's into large blob art. I know my 3 year extended doesn't feel long enough and it is not fun to think that they will stop making the OB soon (especially if they decide its cheaper/easier to simply pay out rather than keep shelling out OBs).

I know my "repair" took 2 OBs and I am probably not the only one so the cost to Sony per repair is probably more than 1x costs + labor. Thanks all of you looking into options Sony should accept they made a mistake and offer free OB replacements or some other accommodation.

Speaking of warranties I tried both in July when my optical block first went to get an extended warranty and again as recently as the corporate call i got the other day--in that call the person said that Sony had no provision for extended warranties for Qualias so there is a lot of run around going on here about whether you can or can not get an extended warranty. The person from the call looked up something related to my info and commented that I still had a couple of months left on my warranty and that i might be able to obtain a third party warranty but nothing through Sony itself.

I am curious were you still in warranty when you got your extended warranty? It sounds like there may be a few Q types who missed the news about the defective OB design and didn't shell out for the warranty before the 3 year ran out.

This is pretty sad they seem determined to turn our tv's into large blob art. I know my 3 year extended doesn't feel long enough and it is not fun to think that they will stop making the OB soon (especially if they decide its cheaper/easier to simply pay out rather than keep shelling out OBs).

I know my "repair" took 2 OBs and I am probably not the only one so the cost to Sony per repair is probably more than 1x costs + labor. Thanks all of you looking into options Sony should accept they made a mistake and offer free OB replacements or some other accommodation.

Yes my Q was and is still under the original factory warranty until November of this year, then the 3yr extended warranty kicks in.
I was told by a Sony rep that they where using a company called Service Net Solution to write the extended warranties. When I started calling and posting on the above Sony website I was contacted the next day by Service Net to setup my extended warranty, I was told someone from Corporate had called and told them to write the warranty, I paid $809.97

Hey, for old time's sake, Zechman and Penton-Man, you guys still out there?

PM I believe is still in bluray heaven - if you do a search of his posts he mentions the forum. I haven't been over in ages but I can only imagine they are done doing the victory dance over HD's dead destandardized body by now :).

PM I believe is still in bluray heaven - if you do a search of his posts he mentions the forum. I haven't been over in ages but I can only imagine they are done doing the victory dance over HD's dead destandardized body by now :).

PM is here...

LINK (http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=31882&page=252)

He will respond to a PM there. He said I was one of the few who followed him over there.

PM is here...

LINK (http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=31882&page=252)

He will respond to a PM there. He said I was one of the few who followed him over there.
He's also kept busy creating the following webpage:
http://www.ehow.com/video_4403395_common-french-phrases-asking-directions.html

He's also kept busy creating the following webpage:
http://www.ehow.com/video_4403395_common-french-phrases-asking-directions.html

:D I guess he needed this!

For BD 30 owners, new firmware ver 2.3 available for 24p problems.

Just in case it is important to him, I say DiveDude (or Mini Dive, on his behalf) should make the post for page 500.

BTW, I have not forgotten to follow up on some things.

Zechman? The Royal Historian? Doth he still lurk?

I think all of this talk of impending doom of our Qualias has struck a nostalgic chord. Not to be presumptuous, but middle age could also be a factor.

Just when I was counting down the days to buying a Sony s550 Blu-ray player (much less possibly both of the new ES Blu-ray player and ES SACD player) and now I'm faced with abandoning Sony for the rest of my life and the rest of as many lives as ask my opinion about such things.

Had the new light engine put in the Q today. Took the tech about two & 3/4 hours. Eric did a great job; it was his first, and I would say he is a talented young man.
The picture looks like new. So good, I have to check the menu to see if he put it on vivid.
Eric said that it was a new light engine. The box was from Japan. Who knows.
Anyway, nothing but good things to say. Just hope that the same problem won't reoccur.
Regards from Dave in Southern California.

Had the new light engine put in the Q today. Took the tech about two & 3/4 hours. Eric did a great job; it was his first, and I would say he is a talented young man.
The picture looks like new. So good, I have to check the menu to see if he put it on vivid.
Eric said that it was a new light engine. The box was from Japan. Who knows.
Anyway, nothing but good things to say. Just hope that the same problem won't reoccur.
Regards from Dave in Southern California.

Thanks Dave, congrats, and that helps me feel like maybe there's hope yet for us. I will be calling in my growing green blob soon. Can I ask though, how bad was yours, I mean, was the set viewable still without too much noticing of it, or was it reallly nasty when you called it in? I just don't want to call to early and have people try and tell me nothing's wrong...I mean, you can see it pretty easily on black and white or light gray screens, but not during normal viewing yet.

let me know.

Thanks again, and congrats again on the new lease on Qualia life!!!

Brian

Brian,

Based on my own experience and that of all others in the thread on their failed OBs, it looks like you need to call in for service. I had the same concerns when I first noticed the problem and it sounds as if your OB is at least as far along the failure path as mine was. Good luck.

ManwithaPlan:
My Q showed a "Yellow Blob" that was fairly large in the middle of the screen.
It was most noticeable when viewing a black & white film; but the colors on the screen were also slightly off, dimmer and not as vivid (which I thought might be my bulb).
Like you, I hesitated to call "too soon".
Since the new light engine was installed, the picture looks like new. Same bub.
Call now.
My service took about one month from the time I called, then to have the service tech come out to evaluate, order the part, and then schedule the replacement of the light engine.
My warranty work was done on a Sony extended warranty through TechExpert Express out of Oceanside, California. The work was done by Eric Carrello (spelling?), who did an excellent job in less than three hours.
Kudos to TechExpert Express and Eric.
Best of luck in replacing your light engine.
Thanks again to all the contributors on this forum.
Dave

Thanks Dave, congrats, and that helps me feel like maybe there's hope yet for us. I will be calling in my growing green blob soon. Can I ask though, how bad was yours, I mean, was the set viewable still without too much noticing of it, or was it reallly nasty when you called it in? I just don't want to call to early and have people try and tell me nothing's wrong...I mean, you can see it pretty easily on black and white or light gray screens, but not during normal viewing yet.

let me know.

Thanks again, and congrats again on the new lease on Qualia life!!!

Brian

that's it my friend, you have to wait no longer...

I used QualxServ from the sony website and thought it was the best experience possible...

https://eservice.sony.com/webrma/web/repairRequest.do?operation=createwo&button=qualx

I had a horrid experience with the local qualx person so it is variable alas. You might want to ask them for a few options if they have them and see if any of them have a great reputation in your area (and experience with the Q is a definite bonus). I had a horrible experience but most seem to have had a good one - if in MN don't do the Qualx :) - I see you are in Mass so you won't end up with the same problem person I had but you might want to check out your options.

Just a quick question as it was said that with a new OB it almost look like the Q was set to Vivid. Mine has no blobs (Green, Yellow, none) but there just isn't the deep rich color that I had been used to. OH, there are less than 700 hours on the set, so a dim lamp should not be an issue. Just wonder if anyone saw this before the OB issue?

Just a quick question as it was said that with a new OB it almost look like the Q was set to Vivid. Mine has no blobs (Green, Yellow, none) but there just isn't the deep rich color that I had been used to. OH, there are less than 700 hours on the set, so a dim lamp should not be an issue. Just wonder if anyone saw this before the OB issue?

i can only speculate that perhaps a tuning in the service menu is called for...

...Or maybe a cleaning of the glass where the lamp is located

hi guys
I was wondering if anyone has had any problems with a replaced OB, mine is working well so far
Ross

Someone reported awhile back that theirs was replaced and the new one failed within like two weeks-probably a bad install

Ok, I will see if it is dirty. I can also see what I get with DVE Blu edition.

The picture post-new OB is as good as I can remember from day one.

mpsan, I agree a lens cleaning can't hurt. That is unless you try to do it after the Q has been on a while. I use moist lens cleaner tissues from an optical store every time I change bulbs. I'll go through half a box sometimes cleaning the entire cavity, so obviously a lot of stuff builds up in there.

The picture post-new OB is as good as I can remember from day one.

mpsan, I agree a lens cleaning can't hurt. That is unless you try to do it after the Q has been on a while. I use moist lens cleaner tissues from an optical store every time I change bulbs. I'll go through half a box sometimes cleaning the entire cavity, so obviously a lot of stuff builds up in there.

OK...I had thought I was OK as I have <700 hours on the set and we have a very clean area as we have a whole house air cleaner/filter included with our 24X7 low rate whole house HVAC setup.

Hey guys,
I have not checked the previous threads, but figured I'd mention that Sony Support site posted a lawsuit where Qualia SXRD and LED TVs are involved. For more info check out your support site page or go here (http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/news-item.pl?template_id=1&news_id=58&mdl=KDX46Q005).

Hey guys,
I have not checked the previous threads, but figured I'd mention that Sony Support site posted a lawsuit where Qualia SXRD and LED TVs are involved. For more info check out your support site page or go here (http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/news-item.pl?template_id=1&news_id=58&mdl=KDX46Q005).It's been posted and it's good to see another qualia 005 owner on the forum.

Hello ALL:

I just wanted to let you know that DiveDude is doing OK and has the time to use his 006 a lot now. He said to let you all know. I expect he will be back ASAP...he will have a lot to read here!

Hello ALL:

I just wanted to let you know that DiveDude is doing OK and has the time to use his 006 a lot now. He said to let you all know. I expect he will be back ASAP...he will have a lot to read here!

Please send him my best wishes and heartfelt prayers for a speedy and complete recovery!!!

Please send him my best wishes and heartfelt prayers for a speedy and complete recovery!!!

+1 Well said, Ben Dover.

Hi everyone. :D I still have a lot of recovery to do, but wanted to let my fellow Qualians know I am back. I had a few complications that put me back in the hospital twice, but I seem to be coming along.

Looks like I have a lot a reading to do.

Go, DiveDude, go! Glad to have you back and remember -- you have a lot of folks out here rooting for your continued recovery!

Looks like I have a lot a reading to do.

I think you need to recline in a cushy chair while MiniD. recites the last 20 or so pages to you.

This sounds like the quality time you two need after your ordeal.

Welcome back you have been missed. The natives appear to be restless as the whole "what about our OBs" discussion rages on. We all want to ensure that we don't have one of the largest paperweights ever made in a year or two.

Bah! I was hoping you would be page 500 turner DD but I couldn't pass up the chance to say welcome back!

Glad to hear your in recovery mode.I hope it will be short lived.
Read up on the OB discussions and get yourself on the list if you feel inclined.

not sure if this was posted here (i recall 2.3 being posted; not sure about 2.4), but for those Q owners with the Panny BD30, seems as though 2.4 was quickly made available after 2.3 (i never got around to putting 2.3 on my bd30 so it seems i can save a cd and go straight to 2.4 thanks to me laziness :))

Panny BD30 v2.4 Firmware (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=14616597#post14616597)

dd, welcome back...

if you don't have the strength to update your bd30, you may want to read all about yet ANOTHER video codec, VC-2 (http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=WHULJOJ0RE5JYQSNDLSCKHA?article ID=210601489)...when will it end?!?

i haven't yet reviewed the settlement docs that arrived in the mail from sony re the sxrd 1080p class action, but if the "voucher" covers this new sony item i might bite:

http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/16/sony-ericssons-hcb-108-bluetooth-speakerphone-helps-you-escape/

their picture frames look elegant too but again carry the sony premium :(

Am I reading this correctly, or is the settlement $90?

Am I reading this correctly, or is the settlement $90?

Looks like $180 OR $75 IF YOU OWN A 004

Here is the Litigation Claim Form (http://esupport.sony.com/docs/SEL_Date_Claim_Form_FINAL.pdf)


Selection 1 $60 E-Credit

To qualify for this benefit you must (1) have a Sony television model KDS-R50XBR1 or KDS-R60XBR1 and (2) have purchased a 1080p DEVICE (see definition of this term below) on or before July 25, 2008.

Selection 2 $28 E-Credit

To qualify for this benefit you must (1) have a Sony television model KDS-R50XBR1 or KDS-R60XBR1 and (2) have purchased a Sony Blu-ray Disc Player (excluding gaming device) between July 25, 2008 and 30 days after the Court grants final approval. (To find out the date the Court granted final approval, go to http://esupport.sony.com/EN/news/article58.)

Selection 3 $180 E-Credit

To qualify for this benefit you must (1) have a Sony television model KDS-70Q006 or KDX-46Q005 and (2) have purchased a 1080p DEVICE (see definition of this term below) on or before July 25, 2008.

Selection 4 $75 E-Credit

To qualify for this benefit you must (1) have a Sony television model KDS-70Q006 or KDX-46Q005 and (2) have purchased a Sony Blu-ray Disc Player (excluding gaming device) between July 25, 2008 and 30 days after the Court grants final approval.

I bought an Oppo 983 which handles 1080P so I will be able to get a
$180 credit that I can use at the Sony Style Store to buy myself
the new 180gb PS3 when it finally shows up.

not sure if this was posted here (i recall 2.3 being posted; not sure about 2.4), but for those Q owners with the Panny BD30, seems as though 2.4 was quickly made available after 2.3 (i never got around to putting 2.3 on my bd30 so it seems i can save a cd and go straight to 2.4 thanks to me laziness :))

Panny BD30 v2.4 Firmware (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=14616597#post14616597)

I've been running 2.4 since it came out and I have had zero problems from any disc at 24 fps. Before it, I had to switch to 60fps for a number of discs to get them to run.

I've been running 2.4 since it came out and I have had zero problems from any disc at 24 fps. Before it, I had to switch to 60fps for a number of discs to get them to run.

Yes, I am also running 2.4 with no issues.

OH, I was wondering if we would get settlement docs...I have not gotten any yet. Are you (BD) the only one so far?

Yes, I am also running 2.4 with no issues.

OH, I was wondering if we would get settlement docs...I have not gotten any yet. Are you (BD) the only one so far?

I must have received the settlement docs at least a couple of weeks ago; was just checking the envelope for a date but there is no post office markings. it came from houston, texas.

perhaps i got it b/c of my recent OB repair? maybe i registered the product on their site? not sure...

i've got to either find the receipt for ONE of my many 1080p devices or hope i still have one of the boxes :eek:

i can scan/post the docs but it seems they are available online.

Yes, I am also running 2.4 with no issues.

OH, I was wondering if we would get settlement docs...I have not gotten any yet. Are you (BD) the only one so far?

I got settlement docs on the day before it was first mentioned on the forum. Don't know reason, but I, also, was registered with Qualia for free replacement lamp in the first year and also had the OB replacement. My docs were the same as shown on the web. Already sent them in.

Was to have a meeting with the lawyer considering the Q006 Class Action suit this week, but we all took a direct hit from Ike and many things are postponed.

that's it my friend, you have to wait no longer...

I used QualxServ from the sony website and thought it was the best experience possible...

https://eservice.sony.com/webrma/web/repairRequest.do?operation=createwo&button=qualx

Aright, so the picture is now officially horrible, green blob bigger and more intense. I just called the original Qualia help line (Florida office of Sony), and they have opened a repair case for me based on my original 3-year warranty that I am still covered by. The repair will be handled by QualxServ, apparently the guru's for Sony in the Northeast here. I have a scheduled visit from them for Sept. 23rd, so we'll see what they say. This is real bad timing with football season and MLB going on, but I postponed as long as I could on this one, so my own fault I guess. I ordered a new lamp as well, just so I can have a totally fresh experience when all this gets resolved.

Any comments guys on whether I should replace the lamp *before* the tech comes out next week, or leave it on the old one, and only replace the lamp immediately *after* the Optical Block is replaced. I hope these repair guys know what they're doing with my beloved Q.

Thanks as always for the help guys,
Brian

Thanks All:

I sent in my 1080P docs that were online. I had thought that you were saying that you got a confirmation that they got the forms you sent in. Perhaps they sent a request since you did not include proof of buying a 1080P device?

Aright, so the picture is now officially horrible, green blob bigger and more intense. I just called the original Qualia help line (Florida office of Sony), and they have opened a repair case for me based on my original 3-year warranty that I am still covered by. The repair will be handled by QualxServ, apparently the guru's for Sony in the Northeast here. I have a scheduled visit from them for Sept. 23rd, so we'll see what they say. This is real bad timing with football season and MLB going on, but I postponed as long as I could on this one, so my own fault I guess. I ordered a new lamp as well, just so I can have a totally fresh experience when all this gets resolved.

Any comments guys on whether I should replace the lamp *before* the tech comes out next week, or leave it on the old one, and only replace the lamp immediately *after* the Optical Block is replaced. I hope these repair guys know what they're doing with my beloved Q.

Thanks as always for the help guys,
Brian

My experience with the Qualx technician in NY was VERY good...he came out WITH the replacement part in hand and didn't subject me to him telling me what I already knew and then waiting for them to order, receive and schedule a new appointment.

The repair itself also went very well and the guy cleaned out the innards of the Q and the fans as well at my request, although this guy likely would have done it anyhow as he seemed very proficient and cared about his work (too rare these days!).

If the hours on your current bulb are at the upper limit of the avg hours YOU have been getting on your bulbs then perhaps you should change it out; you could have the tech put the new bulb in since they have to remove it anyhow for the OB replacement (and therefore avoid multiple install/remove/install cycles on the bulb).

That being said, if you aren't really close to your magical bulb life limite, IMO, I would leave the old bulb in until it kicks the bucket...these things aren't cheap and you will definitely notice the difference regardless of a new bulb or not.

My experience with the Qualx technician in NY was VERY good...he came out WITH the replacement part in hand and didn't subject me to him telling me what I already knew and then waiting for them to order, receive and schedule a new appointment.

The repair itself also went very well and the guy cleaned out the innards of the Q and the fans as well at my request, although this guy likely would have done it anyhow as he seemed very proficient and cared about his work (too rare these days!).

If the hours on your current bulb are at the upper limit of the avg hours YOU have been getting on your bulbs then perhaps you should change it out; you could have the tech put the new bulb in since they have to remove it anyhow for the OB replacement (and therefore avoid multiple install/remove/install cycles on the bulb).

That being said, if you aren't really close to your magical bulb life limite, IMO, I would leave the old bulb in until it kicks the bucket...these things aren't cheap and you will definitely notice the difference regardless of a new bulb or not.

I appreciate the feedback. Hopefully, I'll have a similar experience with them. I definitely want to have the whole inside cleaned out well. I'll insist on it with the repair tech. As for the lamp, not sure what I'll do there, but definitely good to get your take on it.

Thanks again,
Brian

So, as I was debating replacing the lamp, I thought I'd check out CNBC and see how much of my life savings was missing(!), so I turned on the beloved Q, only to find that the lamp light started blinking, and the set wouldn't turn on. Well, ok then I thought, the gods have spoken, and they want me to replace my lamp right now, in time for the Sox/Rays game. So alas, I have now replaced my lamp, and the picture is much much better. However, the greenish/yellowish blob is still present as one would expect, in fact just as vibrant as ever! I wanted to make sure the blob was indeed still there for the tech to see when he comes out on Tuesday, and I'm happy to say it is. In the meantime, I can at least enjoy a few more days of Sox games and NFL Sunday ticket before getting my new OB. Funny how if you wait long enough, some decisions get made for you :-).

I'll let you all know how Tuesday afternoon goes for the repairs - they called me and said they will have the Optical Block with them when they arrive. They also claimed on the phone that the new Optical blocks are an improved design, and should not have the same short lifespan the first one did. We'll see, and I'll ask the question again of the tech, and in fact I'll try to get him to show me the physical differences between the old one that he takes out of the set and the new one before he puts it in. I do look forward to a better looking Q all the way around.

Cheers gents!
-Brian

By the way, the old lamp that was totally burnt out had only 1459 hours on it, way way less than the 3100 or so that I used to get on my old lamps. My pet theory is that the slow steady death of the Optical Block somehow puts a greater strain on lamp life. It's a theory...we all know what they say about theories...they're like web pages, everybody's got one...

BTW, the first thing I saw when I powered up my new lamp for the first time was Big Papi hitting a towering home run to right...it was a truly beautiful sight made even more beautiful by the Q....hell, even with a f-ugly green blob on this set, she's still prettier than anything else out there.

-Brian

BTW, the first thing I saw when I powered up my new lamp for the first time was Big Papi hitting a towering home run to right...it was a truly beautiful sight made even more beautiful by the Q....hell, even with a f-ugly green blob on this set, she's still prettier than anything else out there.

-Brian

You sure that wasn't just the left field wall!? ;)

You sure that wasn't just the left field wall!? ;)

HA! The Green Monster huh? Hmmm, I'll doublecheck through some lengthy "research" in the form of long viewing sessions of baseball, specifically Red Sox games. It will be grueling work, and I can only imagine the sores that might develop from all these long viewing sessions. However, I am nothing if not a patriot, and in the interests of science, and better understanding the insidious green blob, I will sacrifice my own wishes to study the game, errr, I mean blob, more....

Expect a full report after the weekend :-)

Cheers,
B

Aright guys, the deed has been done. My beloved Q went under the knife today and had her Optical Block replaced. The repair tech, Jay from QualxServ, did an excellent job. It took about 3 hours total, including time for vacuuming all the dirt out of the interior and using an air compressor to blow out the scirocco fans and various other parts once removed. The new optical block came directly from China, with Mandarin Chinese labels still on the box. According to Jay, he has replaced over 75 OB's on Sony models, namely the 50 and 60 inch SXRD models. He had only done 1 other Qualia 006, but its basically the same routine he says. Jay insists that Sony has made internal engineering changes to the new OB's for all models, such that they "should" not fail again. He said these are not susceptible to the same problem 2.5-3 years from now. I certainly hope he's right!

As for the picture quality, I now have a brand new OB and brand new lamp. She looks amazing, very very good. The greenish/yellow is totally gone, and whites look so crisp now, with grey coming through the way it should, flat and grey.

Just in time to watch the Sox try to clinch a playoff berth here! All's well that ends well I guess, now it's time to enjoy her again all fall/winter long!

Thanks for puttin up with my anxiety about this earlier on guys, I really appreciate everyone's patience and guidance in doing this right.

Cheers to you all!
-Brian

Brian,

Glad to hear your Optical Block replacement went well!

If your tech has already replaced over 75 Optical Blocks in our Qualia 006's lower priced sibling 50 and 60 inch SXRD models, that suggests a huge number of total replacements when the number is extrapolated worldwide.

The repair tech's comments you relayed about Sony having made internal engineering changes to the Optical Block were good to hear and opposite of previous reports posted on this thread. It certainly makes sense for Sony to have tried to improve the Blocks for all the obvious reasons of reputation and blunting criticism by slowing massive future failures of their expensive, former flagship gear. But, I guess we won't really know for another few years, at least 2.5 - 3. Encouraging nonetheless.

What was the effect of the calibration settings umr had done originally to your Q? Were they reset to factory defaults as a result of the new Optical Block or retained in memory somehow? Are you going to schedule a re-calibration?

Chris

Brian,

Glad to hear your Optical Block replacement went well!

If your tech has already replaced over 75 Optical Blocks in our Qualia 006's lower priced sibling 50 and 60 inch SXRD models, that suggests a huge number of total replacements when the number is extrapolated worldwide.

The repair tech's comments you relayed about Sony having made internal engineering changes to the Optical Block were good to hear and opposite of previous reports posted on this thread. It certainly makes sense for Sony to have tried to improve the Blocks for all the obvious reasons of reputation and blunting criticism by slowing massive future failures of their expensive, former flagship gear. But, I guess we won't really know for another few years, at least 2.5 - 3. Encouraging nonetheless.

What was the effect of the calibration settings umr had done originally to your Q? Were they reset to factory defaults as a result of the new Optical Block or retained in memory somehow? Are you going to schedule a re-calibration?

Chris

I lost the calibration settings the UMR made. I would love to get it re-optimized, but for now just enjoying the new picture. I'm up for re-cal anytime though.

Thanks for the encouraging words. It's interesting that Sony does nothing but flat panels now, having left their LCOS technology (SXRD) in the dust. The Q is still an amazing set, I look forward to years of further enjoyment :-)

Cheers,
Brian

I still think that something should be done! Mine has no problems so far due to only having about 700 hours on the Q. My problem is that by the time I have an issue, I will be even out of my extended warranty.

I believe that Ted99 is aware of this, and one thing Sony should do is offer an OB no matter how old our Q006 is...at least for 10+ years.

I lost the calibration settings the UMR made. I would love to get it re-optimized, but for now just enjoying the new picture. I'm up for re-cal anytime though.

Thanks for the encouraging words. It's interesting that Sony does nothing but flat panels now, having left their LCOS technology (SXRD) in the dust. The Q is still an amazing set, I look forward to years of further enjoyment :-)

Cheers,
Brian

I asked my service tech when he changed out my OB and he indicated that any changes made in the Service Menu are retained. What troubled me at the time was that those changes were specific to the OB that was part of the set when umr calibrated it and not the new OB.

I think the tech was right since all other items that would have been stored in memory were retained after the OB swap.

I still think that something should be done! Mine has no problems so far due to only having about 700 hours on the Q. My problem is that by the time I have an issue, I will be even out of my extended warranty.

I believe that Ted99 is aware of this, and one thing Sony should do is offer an OB no matter how old our Q006 is...at least for 10+ years.

At your "burn rate" I think I would be dead before having to worry about hitting 6-10K hours :D :eek:

At your "burn rate" I think I would be dead before having to worry about hitting 6-10K hours :D :eek:

Thank you for your words of comfort. :D

New optical block to touch down on my qualia t minus 6 days and counting. Finally got around to arranging free time so the service facility could get to my set. A little nervous, but the guy said he has experience with it and I can't wait to start watching my blurays again. Haven't watching much of anything since the green monster reared it's ugly head....it was just too depressing.


Club968. Would you share the symptoms of OB going bad? My 006 is still working but the color and contrast are reduced. I replaced the lamp 1 year ago. Would that be the symptoms of a bad OB? Or does it have to have a green blob or something? Thanks.

Club968. Would you share the symptoms of OB going bad? My 006 is still working but the color and contrast are reduced. I replaced the lamp 1 year ago. Would that be the symptoms of a bad OB? Or does it have to have a green blob or something? Thanks.

Go to any channel or input with lots of grey in it. Black and white movie channel, or if you own a black and white movie DVD of some sort. Otherwise, even easier is to tune to the Memory Stick input on the Q, and if you see any yellowish/greenish stain near the middle of the screen, any discoloration other than just flat grey, you have the beginnings of the OB problem. Even on the generic Menu screen, which itself is grey, you could notice it on mine where it was not flat consistent grey across the Menu UI area...it was greenish toward the middle, then flatter normal grey as you get closer to the perimeter of the screen. The Memory Stick input is probably the quickest/easiest way to tell.

I just had mine replaced last week, and it's awesome, never been better!

Brian

Club968. Would you share the symptoms of OB going bad? My 006 is still working but the color and contrast are reduced. I replaced the lamp 1 year ago. Would that be the symptoms of a bad OB? Or does it have to have a green blob or something? Thanks.

I have no "blobs", but have mentioned that I have the same issues you just mentioned. All looks OK, but contrast and color is just not there any more. I only have 700 hours on the Q and will try DVE BR version soon! I have no idea what changed. I do not want a movie to look like a cartoon but color should not be washed out with less gray than I would expect.

Without 'blobs' and no sign of green or yellow areas you could be experiencing the bulb beginning to go, as they are about to die the brightness and contrast usually head south. Try another bulb if you have one in house and see if that livens up the picture-take care

Without 'blobs' and no sign of green or yellow areas you could be experiencing the bulb beginning to go, as they are about to die the brightness and contrast usually head south. Try another bulb if you have one in house and see if that livens up the picture-take care

I totally agree. And I'm on my second OB replacement since April 2005.