got my lamp replaced under my Sony warranty.

Velvet - I have a Sony extended warranty, but didn't think it covered a new lamp. Can you give me more details on how you got them to cover the lamp? When you called, did they give you any hassle? Did you have to send the old lamp to them? How did you make the claim? Thanks.

Mel

Has anyone experienced a strange blue light burst on the bottom of their Sony Wega 42"? I noticed it over the weekend while watching the race, the more I looked, it actually looks like there are a couple of these light bursts on the bottom; one in the middle (about an 1' off center) and the other is much larger (about 2.5" wide) on the right side of the screen (approx 3 inches from the right edge). Is this an adjustment issue or the light engine may be having an issue. Any help would be great. Thanks, Alan

Has anyone experienced a strange blue light burst on the bottom of their Sony Wega 42"?

Are you talking about a burst like a flash bulb going off or a lighter color, blue area?

Does it come & go or stay on???

Has anyone experienced a strange blue light burst on the bottom of their Sony Wega 42"? I noticed it over the weekend while watching the race, the more I looked, it actually looks like there are a couple of these light bursts on the bottom; one in the middle (about an 1' off center) and the other is much larger (about 2.5" wide) on the right side of the screen (approx 3 inches from the right edge). Is this an adjustment issue or the light engine may be having an issue. Any help would be great. Thanks, Alan

I had this exact same problem. The heat from the bulb has caused the plastic piece that holds the 3 LCDs to distort. In short, the heart of the TV is toast. That is the major design flaw in this set.

I sold mine when Sony would not do anything to resolve the problem. Whether that has changed over the last few months I don't know. Good luck.

light engine replacement

Wow, i can't believe i'm finding this thread today. i've owned the 42' a10 model since the beginning of 2006 and i'm now having my first problem. my screen has a reddish tint towards the bottom right corner extending up towards the middle. i only notice this tint/hue on a black screen. it's present on all inputs (ie video game/tv/dvd) but intensity varies depending on input. it does not affect the picture (watching tv, video game, dvd) only on a black/blank screen. does any one have any ideas what could be causing this? i was thinking it maybe the lamp but i'm worried it could be worse. with 300+ pages and the search function not specific enough i thought i'd ask the experts. Also, any hidden goodies to help with viewing or calibration tips?

thanks for your time.

Wow, i can't believe i'm finding this thread today. i've owned the 42' a10 model since the beginning of 2006 and i'm now having my first problem. my screen has a reddish tint towards the bottom right corner extending up towards the middle. i only notice this tint/hue on a black screen. it's present on all inputs (ie video game/tv/dvd) but intensity varies depending on input. it does not affect the picture (watching tv, video game, dvd) only on a black/blank screen. does any one have any ideas what could be causing this? i was thinking it maybe the lamp but i'm worried it could be worse. with 300+ pages and the search function not specific enough i thought i'd ask the experts. Also, any hidden goodies to help with viewing or calibration tips?

thanks for your time.

This was discussed by Dark Rain back in January, 2008, here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=12796448#post12796448
He says that it is because of the polarizers in the light engine, but others seem to think it is due to the light engine. Personally, I would take the word of UMR over anyone else....I also see the red tint in one corner on black screens, but I only notice it with my cable box. As for calibration tips, again, Dark Rain seemed to be the most respected on the Grand Wega Tweaks thread. His settings can be found here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6258295#post6258295

He kept his post up-to-date until he finally bought a new tv sometime last year. Good luck!

if i recall correctly i have my iris set to max, maybe if i turn it down the red won't be so noticable. also, who is UMR?

if i recall correctly i have my iris set to max, maybe if i turn it down the red won't be so noticable. also, who is UMR?

UMR is a calibrator that has contributed to the forum. He is very well-respected by everyone on the AVS forum.

Mel

I have seen many members mention how changing the lamp greatly improves picture quality/brightness. HOLY COW!!! I just replaced my original lamp(approx. 10,000 hours) with a new Philips lamp(XL-2400) from ebay. All I can say is I almost forgot what a beautiful picture this set displays. You can't really notice how gradually dim the lamp becomes until you put a new one in! Even the on-screen programming guide(Direct TV) is much more readable and vibrant. I had to turn dial my settings back a bit as well, bringing picture from 90 to 80. I have similar settings to Dark Rain but with a bit more color. I now remember why I bought this set 3yrs ago above the other competition.
If your lamp has considerable hours(7-8k hours) I strongly recommend buying a new lamp. You won't regret it :)

i am sorry, but how do you check the hours you have on the lamp?

FYI, there is a new website up at for A10/A20 owners who are suffering from the failed optical block issue. It's sonya20tvclassaction dot com (can't post the direct URL due to AVS Forum's spam protection)

Velvet - I have a Sony extended warranty, but didn't think it covered a new lamp. Can you give me more details on how you got them to cover the lamp? When you called, did they give you any hassle? Did you have to send the old lamp to them? How did you make the claim? Thanks.

Mel

I specifically asked the sony rep if the lamp is covered if that is the problem (I just made a general needs service claim that the picture was flickering) and their response was that lamps are not covered, yet... I pried as to what she meant by "yet" and she couldn't give a timeline but that "soon" Sony warranties would include bulb coverage. She had no idea if this would apply to those currently holding warranties or new purchases only.

But I didn't call in asking for a new lamp, I just did what you're supposed to do under the warranty, call and tell them you're having a problem. They process your claim and forward it to a local repair company who visits your tv and diagnoses the problem.

The repair guy spent about an hour with the tv switching inputs and trying different settings, went into the service menu, etc. When he was leaving he filled out some paperwork for the local business indicating that he recommended a new lamp & ballast. About a week later the repair guy came back and swapped in a new bulb out of a sony box, took about 5 minutes. He said his request for the ballast was denied (whether by Sony or the local company, I don't know).

I signed a sheet stating he did the work and that was it. :D

FYI, there is a new website up at for A10/A20 owners who are suffering from the failed optical block issue. It's sonya20tvclassaction dot com (can't post the direct URL due to AVS Forum's spam protection)

thanks, but what does it mean for us owners? do we get some sort of refund/replacement?

i am sorry, but how do you check the hours you have on the lamp?

Here is the procedure:

In standby mode, press the buttons on the Remote Commander sequentially, in rapid succession, as shown below:

1. Press Display , Channel 5 , Volume + , Power ON

2. To enter BE-micro service menu, press JUMP 2 times.

3. To display the lamp time, press Channel-4.
The screen displays:
“Total lamp time is 14 hours”

4. To display the panel time, press Channel-4.
The screen displays:
“Total panel time is 14 hours”

5. Press (jump) to return to the debug screen

6. From debug screen press (power) to turn the TV off and wait for the bulb to go out

"Standby Mode" means the tv is "off", and the "debug screen" is the first screen you see when you enter the Service Menu.

Mel

thanks, but what does it mean for us owners? do we get some sort of refund/replacement?

It's still pending, so I'm not sure what the ultimate remedy will be. I suggest signing up for the mailing list at that link if you're interested in keeping tabs on it's progress.

I loved this set until my optical block went bad last summer. I had it replaced and everything looked great but I have on small problem. Ever since the replacement I feel like I need an option to adjust the vertical display on the set.

When using a test image the bottom is cut off and the sides are a bit too. When watching a movie there is more black bar space at the top of the screen then there is at the bottom. It’s like the whole image needs moved up just a bit. Anyone have any ideas on how to do this?

I called the place I had it serviced at and they said it sounds like a service menu issue/adjustment to be made. They won’t come to my house and I’d take it there but it’s a 2 hour drive and they want me to leave it for a couple days and come back for it.

Anyone have any idea how to fix this. Keep in mind I’m trying to see how many hours I have on my bulb following the directions given earlier and I can get into the service menu but that’s about where the directions stop in helping me. Anyone familiar with this model. KDF46E2000? The service center said there is a vertical pitch adjustment in the service menu. I'd also like to know how to check the lamp hours. Mine comes up in the normal green font after doing the first procedure, if I hit jump twice it takes me to the screen its supposed to be on when I exit. If I hit 4 on the remote at the green font screen it doesn't tell me lamp hours or at least it doesn't say lamp hours. So i'm wondering if the menu is a bit different for the e2000 series or if i'm doing something wrong.

I’d also love to know what settings you have for your picture display. I’m a fan of vivid myself but as of late, the whole thing has just been too dim.

So i'm wondering if the menu is a bit different for the e2000 series or if i'm doing something wrong.



Did you try the forum for that model?

With all the warnings about messing up the service menu, I'd think you would want to avoid hitting the wrong buttons trying to do this!!!

Has anyone experienced a strange blue light burst on the bottom of their Sony Wega 42"? I noticed it over the weekend while watching the race, the more I looked, it actually looks like there are a couple of these light bursts on the bottom; one in the middle (about an 1' off center) and the other is much larger (about 2.5" wide) on the right side of the screen (approx 3 inches from the right edge). Is this an adjustment issue or the light engine may be having an issue. Any help would be great. Thanks, Alan

I have had no problems with this 3 year old tv other than the bulb burning out 2 months ago, but I noticed a similar problem a few days ago. I now have a light blue vertical line on the left of the screen (almost exactly where the dark area is on the left when you watch 4:3 content) and some light blue blotches near the bottom left of the screen. This blue line is on the screen on every input, but is hard to see unless I am watching widescreen. The blue blotches are also hard to see unless the screen is showing a white background. I have attached a picture that shows the artifacts clearly since my PS3 background is white.

I guess I need a light engine replacement? I will look into joining that class action suit since I've been out of warranty for 2 years.

i have the same exact problem as yours, only difference is that my blue light is on the right instead of left.

Did you try the forum for that model?

With all the warnings about messing up the service menu, I'd think you would want to avoid hitting the wrong buttons trying to do this!!!

I've headed there. I miss read this thread. Posted but no response yet. I did get the hours to display though so I'm happy with that at least.

I've headed there. I miss read this thread. Posted but no response yet. I did get the hours to display though so I'm happy with that at least.

I don't know if the service menus are the same, but for the A10 series, there's an explanation of horizontal and vertical size and position at the end of post #1909 here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8275345#post8275345

-Larry

has anyone had problems with component input?

as of late it seems that regardless of whether i put it on normal or wide it keeps jumping back and forth randomly when in 480p, dont have any problems with when i am on an HD channel

the source is a charter dvr that i have accessed the setup menu and played with the settings

charter / motorola
it doesnt matter whether i change the tv-mode from 4:3, 4:3 pan-scan, 16:9
whether i change the default res 720p, 1080i, 480p, 480i
whether i change the 4:3 default (normal)

sony
4:3 - normal
wide mode - normal

i have a warranty through circuit city (yea, laugh) till jan 2010. i called the warranty service before circuit city went out of business and they said that they would not be effected by it (as warranty is a 3rd party)

im just wondering if anyone knows a fix
or if they would try to fix it (e.g. firmware upgrade, board swap) or if they would (as they did on my last tv) just give me a card with what i paid for it and let me go buy another tv (obviously not at circuit city as they do not exist anymore) personally i would rather toss it back at them and spend the $1500 again on a newer better tv, 47 or 52 sharp aquos LCD (as the warranty allows if they cannot / will not fix it)

i was just wondering if anyone knew their policy about that. my previous tv was an apex and they didnt even check it, they just said they didnt fix them and took it back, no shipping box or anything. i still have the old box and could ship it back (as there are no circuit city's anymore) but i dont want them to slap a fix on it and have it still messing up again and have to deal with not having a tv while i ship it back and forth over a month waiting for them to give up or ship me back one that has been scratched or dented during travel / etc.

i bought it in the winter of 2006, and it has the initial firmware
(did they release any firmware updates that would fix this)
only found this firmware update for a power on/off bug back in 2005 - http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/swu-download.pl?mdl=KDFE42A10&upd_id=2075&os_id=25

any ideas / comments?

thanks,

Before condemning the TV. Try it with a different source that is able to display in either wide or 4:3 and see if you can replicate the problem.

another source on that component input or another of the sources (it has 7)

ill try the cable box in the other component video port tonight

regardless, its quite annoying that i cannot watch 4:3 source tv with-out the image flipping between 4:3 & 16:9 on its own.
and if it is the scaler hardware (and not just that port, then it would do it on any of the component ports)

b/c my arguement to them would be that one of the ports is faulty (either in software or hardware) and should be replaced under warranty. if they cannot get the part then they would replace the entire tv, since sony does not make RP-HDTV anymore, they i would assume they would do the same thing they did last time and give me a gift card (presumably a visa or mastercard as circuit city no longer exists)

another source on that component input or another of the sources (it has 7)

ill try the cable box in the other component video port tonight

regardless, its quite annoying that i cannot watch 4:3 source tv with-out the image flipping between 4:3 & 16:9 on its own.
and if it is the scaler hardware (and not just that port, then it would do it on any of the component ports)

b/c my arguement to them would be that one of the ports is faulty (either in software or hardware) and should be replaced under warranty. if they cannot get the part then they would replace the entire tv, since sony does not make RP-HDTV anymore, they i would assume they would do the same thing they did last time and give me a gift card (presumably a visa or mastercard as circuit city no longer exists)

to be thorough I'd do both. try all combinations of sources & inputs. (source ex: dvd player & cable box; input ex: component input 1, 2, 3...). Using a different source like a dvd player or something is a good way to rule out the cable box as the problem.

Hey guys quick question..
my 3 year old 42a10 has a bad optical block(i had blue and some yellow blobs on the screen). luckily i had 2 weeks left of my extended warranty through sony. so the service tech just left and he told me he's not sure if sony will pay for the $1000 part, or just replace the tv.

He guessed they will ok the job when i told him i paid $1800 for the tv. so what do you guys think? and what would they replace it with if they go that route?

either way i'm lucky i had just a little warranty time left.

Hey guys quick question..
my 3 year old 42a10 has a bad optical block(i had blue and some yellow blobs on the screen). luckily i had 2 weeks left of my extended warranty through sony. so the service tech just left and he told me he's not sure if sony will pay for the $1000 part, or just replace the tv.

He guessed they will ok the job when i told him i paid $1800 for the tv. so what do you guys think? and what would they replace it with if they go that route?

either way i'm lucky i had just a little warranty time left.

I've seen some pretty nice 42" SONY LCDs for $1,100 or less, but I'm not sure what the list price might be or how'd they'd structure a deal.

If they gave me a new LCD for $300-400, I'd jump faster than a speeding bullet!!!!

These rear projection TVs don't get any better with age!!!!!!

i'm one of the original posters on this thread and got my 42A10 when it first came out August '05.
Believe it or not i am still on the original lamp and am wondering if sony is still the source for the lamps or if there a less expensive solution?
I've got a lot of hours on the TV but it still looks great, just trying to prepare myself and have the bulb already on hand when it starts getting really dim or dies on me.

i'm one of the original posters on this thread and got my 42A10 when it first came out August '05.
Believe it or not i am still on the original lamp and am wondering if sony is still the source for the lamps or if there a less expensive solution?
I've got a lot of hours on the TV but it still looks great, just trying to prepare myself and have the bulb already on hand when it starts getting really dim or dies on me.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15694743#post15694743

After 11,000 hours on the lamp picture started to dim way too much. Not that it was so bad but the blacks were starting to blend. Swapped that puppy out and the picture is as good as the day I bought the set. Got the lamp from Sony. Wanted no BS if any problems. Whats $50 in the grand scheme of things. Wow

man, that blue light is getting worse on the tv. now i got it both vertically on the right and horizontally at the bottom. i guess i have a few months to go on this tv before it becomes completely worthless.

what a shame. spent almost $1700 bucks on this piece of junk. that's worth two 42' LCDs these days.

I just started to notice a redish hue that goes vertical on the right edge of the screen. It's an inch or so wide strip that goes top to bottom. Anyone else ever have this issue before? Thank goodness I still have about 8 months left on my extended warranty.

hipuerco, thanks for the link.

has anybody gone in and wiped down the mirror, etc. I'm assuming dust has gotten in there and might be dimming the pic.

I'm an original owner, having owned the set practically since its release. This past week I ordered a new lamp assembly from MAT electronics (cheapest whole assembly, but not an original Sony so far as I could find). Original lamp was not dead. It got to the point where I was worried it could go out at any time, it was taking a long time to start every so often. I had to jack the brightness up quite a bit to compensate. New lamp arrived this past week and had to readjust the settings.

Impressions, set looks amazing, like out of the box. If anyone has seen a degradation of performance not due to bad optics, consider replacing the bulb. You'll likely be amazed if you've clocke thousands of hours on this thing. One thing I noticed, silk screen effect is greatly enhanced with the new bulb. I noticed it when the set was new, it seemed to diminish to the point where it was not noticable, but again it shows up with the new bulb. Must be the greatly increased brightness.

If you can live with the depth of this set, and the fact that it doesn't look as fancy as a flat panel, with a new lamp it looks as good as most flat panel LCDs, and I think the motion response is a lot better due to the smaller LCDs, watch a hockey game and see what I mean.

This set still performs well, and if you're running at around 10k hours on it take my word for it and wait until you see what that new lamp does. Like night and day.

Assuming the set outlasts one of the two working bulbs I now have, I'm going to hack the first dead bulb assembly and attempt to make an LED light source for it. I don't imagine this will be that difficult. The overall lamp design is simple, it will be achieving the same brightness that might pose a challange.

Give it 1 month and the brightness should dip a little and stabilize at a new level.

Hopefully this will improve the SSE somewhat.

KDFE50A10 Red issues.

My set that I bought in 2005 is just noew showing a issue where the screen has a redish tint on the left 1/3 of the screen. I was watching "into the wild" last night and it was especially noticable on the white snow sceens, but now that I know what to look for, I see it everywhere, in the skys sceens or whatever too. The question is, is this a service menue fixable item? The bad thing is that its only on the leftmost 1/3rd of the screen. so its not like adjusting red is going to fix it. THis isnt a convergence issue because this is not geomety, correct? I switched content and inputs, and it is on all content accross all inputs.

#2 is this worth fixing? or is it going to cost 700+ and I should get a new set?

KDFE50A10 Red issues.

My set that I bought in 2005 is just noew showing a issue where the screen has a redish tint on the left 1/3 of the screen. I was watching "into the wild" last night and it was especially noticable on the white snow sceens, but now that I know what to look for, I see it everywhere, in the skys sceens or whatever too. The question is, is this a service menue fixable item? The bad thing is that its only on the leftmost 1/3rd of the screen. so its not like adjusting red is going to fix it. THis isnt a convergence issue because this is not geomety, correct? I switched content and inputs, and it is on all content accross all inputs.

#2 is this worth fixing? or is it going to cost 700+ and I should get a new set?

You've had the set a while and from your description it sounds like its someting that is NOT fixable in the service menu. Service menu adjustments regarding color are usually for overall color correction(i.e. red push). If its only a third of the screen its sounds like a deeper issue. Search this thread and I'm sure you'll find the answer. If its related to an optical block issue(which it sounds like it may) you might be SOL. Sony has implemented a replacement program(for known optical block failures) for older model rear projection LCD's, but not the A10, yet. As time goes on I fear this maybe become an more prevelant issue with this set.
BTW, I bought mine in Aug 05 and I have not had any problems(fingers-crossed).:)

KDFE50A10 Red issues.

#2 is this worth fixing? or is it going to cost 700+ and I should get a new set?

I can't believe it's worth that type investment....these guys don't improve with age!

I see 50" plasmas near $1000, so plunking down most of that on a 4 year old TV that might have more go wrong before too long is a questionable investment!!

Well, the verdict is in.. $900 for repair... I think I'll "Repair" this with a Samsung...

No more Sony.. I Spent $2500 on a tv that doent last 5 years.... which is too bad, I thought sony was one of the best for many years. And when they didnt stand behind this known issue...

Know of any good samsung sets for $1000?.. must be at least 50 inches.

Well, the verdict is in.. $900 for repair... I think I'll "Repair" this with a Samsung...

No more Sony.. I Spent $2500 on a tv that doent last 5 years.... which is too bad, I thought sony was one of the best for many years. And when they didnt stand behind this known issue...



One suggestion- there's another website dedicated to SONY issues....I think it's agoraquest.com

You might want to check over there and see if anyone has been able to get a discount on a new TV from SONY after their similar model has developed your problem.

Might be a long shot, but who knows!!??

Good Luck!!

I installed a new bulb today before the original one died. I purchased the KDF E50-A10 in November, 2005 and have had no problems at all. I decided to install the new bulb to be certain that it worked OK, and also to allow for the six month warranty on it. I went to the service menu and was suprised to see that the original bulb had 9,025 hours on it and was still working fine. I'll keep it for temporary replacement if the new one expires while I still own the TV. Is there a way to reset the lamp hours in the service menu, or do I just have to remember that I started at 9,025?

I installed a new bulb today before the original one died. I purchased the KDF E50-A10 in November, 2005 and have had no problems at all. I decided to install the new bulb to be certain that it worked OK, and also to allow for the six month warranty on it. I went to the service menu and was suprised to see that the original bulb had 9,025 hours on it and was still working fine. I'll keep it for temporary replacement if the new one expires while I still own the TV. Is there a way to reset the lamp hours in the service menu, or do I just have to remember that I started at 9,025?

Here is the procedure to reset the lamp hours timer from the service manual:

In standby mode, press the buttons on the Remote Commander sequentially, in rapid succession, as shown below:

1. Press Display , Channel 5 , Sound Volume + , Power ON

2. To enter BE-micro service menu, press JUMP 2 times

3. To display the lamp time, press Channel-4.

The screen displays:
“ Total lamp time is 14 hours”

4. To display the panel time, press Channel-4.

The screen displays:
“ Total panel time is 14 hours”

5. To display the lamp time clear, press Channel-5
7 times and Channel-1.

To reset the lamp time press Channel-3 > MUTING > ENT.

WRITE (Character color is red) is momentarily displayed and the lamp time is reset to “0”.

Thank You!!!

You're welcome...I hope it worked for you.

Mel

Thinking of selling my 50A10. Bought August 05, never a single issue with the set. Wondering what I should ask for $$? Brand new lamp installed about a month ago. What do you guys think a used one should go for?

Joe, I don;t see you getting more than $400-$500 for your tv. Even with the new bulb.

Well, the verdict is in.. $900 for repair... I think I'll "Repair" this with a Samsung...

No more Sony.. I Spent $2500 on a tv that doent last 5 years.... which is too bad, I thought sony was one of the best for many years. And when they didnt stand behind this known issue...

Know of any good samsung sets for $1000?.. must be at least 50 inches.

I WAS going to recommend the Samsung HL61A750 which is/was an LED RPTV that was a little more than $1000 but seems to be an outstanding tv. Apparently I was wrong since it is no longer available. Which makes me sad because my A10 is 3.5 years old and one day it will die and this was supposed to be the replacement. I guess you are stuck with a flat panel or a DLP with a wheel.

Retired our 42" A10 over the weekend to a niece for a college grad present. Still going strong. Replaced it with a new model 60" Mits DLP (WD-60737) for $994. I *think* we paid about $1,400 for the A10 in Feb 2006 at Amazon.

I have a Panasonic DVD recorder connected to my 42A10 using 480i component because it looks better than 480p with DVDs that the Panny creates. Obviously the Sony 42A10 does a better job of de-interlacing than the DVD player. I cannot tell a difference between 480i & 480p when watching commercial DVDs.

I’ve seen processes such as bob and weave that are used to interpolate and fill in the extra lines. How does the 42A10 handle de-interlacing a 480i signal?

I also have a Comcast Motorola HD STB and set it to output 720p to the 42A10’s HDMI input. However some HD programming is still displayed letterboxed and I use the TV’s Zoom feature to fill out the screen.

Sometimes a recorded program ends up letterboxed. And once in while I edit the program on a PC and then save it to a DVD-R. But then I need to use the TV’s Zoom in order to fill out screen when playing back. Or I can re-scale the program using the editing software. There are several options for re-scaling & I’m still trying them, but so far the TV seems to do just as good as anything.

What process does Sony use to re-scale the image? Bob, weave, etc?

Well guys I gonna have to say farewell to my 50A10. Its being replaced by Pioneer Pro111FD next Friday. The set has been wonderful and I have no complaints but I wanted to upgrade to the best. The A10 will be demoted to the basement TV, but its a nice second option.
I'd like to say thanks to all the contributors in this thread as you have helped me get the best out of my A10.

Well guys I gonna have to say farewell to my 50A10.

Sounds like the perfect opportunity for you to go into the service menu and see what some of the settings will do! And, of course, report your findings to the rest of us.

Sounds like the perfect opportunity for you to go into the service menu and see what some of the settings will do! And, of course, report your findings to the rest of us.

I actually went into service menu and applied the grayscale and red push tweaks soon after I bought the set. Not sure I wanna mess around in there and screw anything up. :)

Does anyone have recommendations on where to purchase replacement bulbs for a KDF-E42A10? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. :)

go straight to the sonystyle.com web site for bulk.

just great.
everybody on this forum can change out the lamp without killing their tv but not me.
ordered the sony replacement lamp and housing from vanns for $169.
received it this pm and excitedly put it in.
got the 3 blinking lights which i think means the lamp housing or door is not seated properly.
put it in 4 more times and even let the tv sit for 30 minutes.
No go.
3 blinking lights.
put my old lamp back in and there it goes. 3 blinking lights.

What do I do? Help?

just great.
everybody on this forum can change out the lamp without killing their tv but not me.
ordered the sony replacement lamp and housing from vanns for $169.
received it this pm and excitedly put it in.
got the 3 blinking lights which i think means the lamp housing or door is not seated properly.
put it in 4 more times and even let the tv sit for 30 minutes.
No go.
3 blinking lights.
put my old lamp back in and there it goes. 3 blinking lights.

What do I do? Help?

According to the Service Manual, the Self Diagnosis Function shows that the Power/Standby light will blink three times to indicate a Lamp Cover error. It says the cause is that the lamp is not set securely or that the lamp cover is not attached securely. After re-seating the lamp and lamp cover, unplug the tv for a few minutes so it will reset itself. Good luck!

how many minutes?

apparently i might be an idiot.
I didn't read the instructions on how to do this and there were no instructions with the lamp.
so I took the outside cover off and saw a screw on a knob(grey thing). I clearly didn't understand what the (grey thing)lever was for and proceeded to unscrew the lever and take the cover out.
after doing this 4 or 5 times i looked at the manual online and realized that the lever was an actual lever which made sense with the "open" and "close" embossed on the cover.
How could i have done something so stupid?
I guess the lever wasn't hitting the switch until i reattached it.
so i've probably screwed up the switch and the tv thinks the cover is off.

Thats what i get for not reading the directions and using a low power flashlight with my 46 year old eyes.

This has got to be a first. i suck.

Oh yeah, when i plug the tv in i get 6 green flashes and 3 red (which we know what that is about), what do the 6 green flashes mean?

Six green flashes indicates a "low B error", or the B_12V is not supplied (GT Board). Some type of power supply problem, evidently. You should call a repair shop.

I'm having trouble seeing one of my local OTA channels that went digital this week. On the first day it was available, I typed it in (51.1) and it was fine. Then I auto-scanned and haven't been able to see it since. The funny thing is, diagnostics tell me I have 92% signal and it's locked with no errors. The autoscan added the channel to my guide and the call letters from the PSIP information. So in every way I can test, the channel is there, but the TV only shows me black with "No Signal". I emailed Sony Style support but didn't get much help.

My setup: KDF-E50A10, powered attic antenna feeding 2 different TV's. The other one is a 26" Sylvania and it receives this particular station just fine. On the Sony, I've scanned well over 40 OTA digital channels.

So I'm stuck on what to do and wondering if others have seen this problem and if a firmware upgrade would take care of it, although I'm not inclined to pay a Sony rep. to come from 60 miles away just to install some software.

hi all, have anyone sucssfully cleaned the engine len and mirror on this unit?

hi all, have anyone sucssfully cleaned the engine len and mirror on this unit?

I'm pretty sure someone did this and posted very detailed instructions, at least 6 months ago!.

He even offered to help others.

You probably want to search this thread and see if it pops out......

how do you search within the thread? i'd tried "search this thread" option but nothing showed up.

how do you search within the thread? i'd tried "search this thread" option but nothing showed up.

Try post 9928:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=15382420&postcount=9928

hi all, have anyone sucssfully cleaned the engine len and mirror on this unit?

Check here.......
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=14617709&postcount=9860

Try post 9928:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=15382420&postcount=9928

Check here.......
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=14617709&postcount=9860

thanks guys. sound a bit complicated for me.

Been on the new bulb now a while and it looks darn good. Had to reset all the settings I'd bumped up to try and compensate for the aging bub, but for a set this old it looks darn good. I see no reason to replace it if a new bulb makes it look that good again.

Here is the procedure:

In standby mode, press the buttons on the Remote Commander sequentially, in rapid succession, as shown below:

1. Press Display , Channel 5 , Volume + , Power ON

2. To enter BE-micro service menu, press JUMP 2 times.

3. To display the lamp time, press Channel-4.
The screen displays:
“Total lamp time is 14 hours”

4. To display the panel time, press Channel-4.
The screen displays:
“Total panel time is 14 hours”

5. Press (jump) to return to the debug screen

6. From debug screen press (power) to turn the TV off and wait for the bulb to go out

"Standby Mode" means the tv is "off", and the "debug screen" is the first screen you see when you enter the Service Menu.

Mel


i did the following steps above and mine lamp and display time as 4687, is that in hours? also how many hours should these lamps last? should i be replacing this bulb (it's the original bulb) now or should i just wait until it goes out?

i did the following steps above and mine lamp and display time as 4687, is that in hours? also how many hours should these lamps last? should i be replacing this bulb (it's the original bulb) now or should i just wait until it goes out?

Yes, the number is the number of hours. The bulbs are rated at 4,000 to 8,000 hours, I believe, which means the average time of failure will fall between these numbers. It's a big range and some folks here have reported over 9,000 hours on the bulb.

Mel

Yes, the number is the number of hours. The bulbs are rated at 4,000 to 8,000 hours, I believe, which means the average time of failure will fall between these numbers. It's a big range and some folks here have reported over 9,000 hours on the bulb.

Mel

thanks Mel

Yes, the number is the number of hours. The bulbs are rated at 4,000 to 8,000 hours, I believe, which means the average time of failure will fall between these numbers. It's a big range and some folks here have reported over 9,000 hours on the bulb.

Mel

WOW, just checked mine....11,011 hours, probably should change the bulb just to regain some brightness.

Hey guys,

My new Dell Studio XPS 13 laptop just came in and I just cannot seem to be able to get the HDMI working with my KDF-E50A10 tv. It has an NVIDIA 9400m graphics card, and whenever the HDMI is connected, all I see are flickering colors. Ive tried adjusting the different resolutions and refresh rates, but still no luck. The NVIDIA control panel has an option for some "Custom Resolutions" as shown here:

http://img102.imageshack.us/i/nvidia.jpg/

Maybe these parameters need to be modified? The VGA output doesnt fill the screen, which is why I would prefer to stick with HDMI output. Any help would be great!

My wife called me from home saying that the TV isn't coming on. She said that there is no picture and that the Power/Standby light blinks continuously until she turns it off she
s left it on for 10 minutes with just continuous blinking. I asked if she was sure it was the power standby light and not the timer or lamp light and she said it is the power/standby.

We bought the TV back in 2005 and it has had the same bulb. But I would think if the bulb is the issue the "lamp" light would blink. I now told her to unplug the TV and let it sit for a half hour before plugging in. Anyone know what the issue could be?

EDIT: Unplugging and pluggin it back in seems to have brought it back online!

Hey guys,

My new Dell Studio XPS 13 laptop just came in and I just cannot seem to be able to get the HDMI working with my KDF-E50A10 tv. It has an NVIDIA 9400m graphics card, and whenever the HDMI is connected, all I see are flickering colors. Ive tried adjusting the different resolutions and refresh rates, but still no luck. The NVIDIA control panel has an option for some "Custom Resolutions" as shown here:

http://img102.imageshack.us/i/nvidia.jpg/

Maybe these parameters need to be modified? The VGA output doesnt fill the screen, which is why I would prefer to stick with HDMI output. Any help would be great!

I have this same issue, i believe your HDMI slot on the TV is broken/busted.

Have you try connecting any else to the TV via HDMI? Such as a DVD player, PS3, Bluray player, etc.?

My wife called me from home saying that the TV isn't coming on. She said that there is no picture and that the Power/Standby light blinks continuously until she turns it off she
s left it on for 10 minutes with just continuous blinking. I asked if she was sure it was the power standby light and not the timer or lamp light and she said it is the power/standby.


DeDondeEs, I believe this was a common problem with these units and Sony came up with a fix a couple of years ago. They were offering a free visit from a tech who would update through a rear USB or some such port. You can probably check further within this thread. Your solution seems to be the suggested interim fix, and many are probably living with it rather than worrying about the update, since the problem only occurs every few months,

Hey guys, I have a KDF-E55A20 purchased in May '06. Last time I checked, in June, I had 6600 or so hrs on my lamp.

Lately, every few days, the picture totally cuts out and nothing is visible. After maybe 30 seconds - 1 minute, I hear a weird kind of humming noise, and the picture comes back. This happened about 5 or 6 times during one hour this evening, and now its been on for another hour after that, with no problems.

I get no blinking or anything when this happens, green power light stays on.

Any advice/suggestions? I searched around, but I didn't recall seeing anything about the picture going away, but coming back on.

Hey guys, I have a KDF-E55A20 purchased in May '06. Last time I checked, in June, I had 6600 or so hrs on my lamp.

Lately, every few days, the picture totally cuts out and nothing is visible. After maybe 30 seconds - 1 minute, I hear a weird kind of humming noise, and the picture comes back. This happened about 5 or 6 times during one hour this evening, and now its been on for another hour after that, with no problems.

I get no blinking or anything when this happens, green power light stays on.

Any advice/suggestions? I searched around, but I didn't recall seeing anything about the picture going away, but coming back on.

Oh well, I imagine the lamp is on its last legs, so I think I'll replace it. Some insight from www.agoraquest.com suggested that I change the power setting to "reduced". I did that and the TV has been OK tonight so far.

My Sony Wega just started displaying a message stating my lamp needed replaced. I was just curious if anyone had an estimated time as to how long it usually takes after recieving that message and the lamp actually going out.

You guys with PS3s care to post your PS3 settings in relation to HDMI, blu-ray, gaming?

Oh well, I imagine the lamp is on its last legs, so I think I'll replace it. Some insight from www.agoraquest.com suggested that I change the power setting to "reduced". I did that and the TV has been OK tonight so far.

The TV became unwatchable earlier this week, with the picture cutting out every minute or so.

Got the lamp today and installed it! Working great so far (2 hours or so after installing it). The installation was cake, as was expected, only issue I encountered was the screws on the back that hold the front panel in are torqued severely, and I couldn't use a coin to loosen. I had to use needle nose pliers.

TV is beautiful, bright, and looks great again. I should have done this weeks ago anyways.

I have a 3 year old E50A10 that had begun to dim. I was considering the purchase of a new lamp based on the huge picture improvement noted by other posters to this thread. But before dropping the $200 for a new lamp module, I figured I would take a look at what condition my current lamp module was in. When I took it apart, I found two areas that had collected quite a bit of dust. 1) The concave lens that the lamp shined through, had a fine layer of dust on it. 2) The conical reflector that is part of the lamp also had a fine layer of dust covering the shiny reflective surface.

I put on a pair of laytex gloves and disassembled the lamp module. Then I cleaned the concave lens on both sides and the conical reflector using a camera lens cleaning solution, Q-tip swabs and lens cleaning tissues. You must be careful not to damage the filament of the lamp. I also vacuumed out the chamber that the lamp module resides in and cleaned the glass in the chamber (I assume this is the entry point of the light source for the optical engine). All of this was accessable simply by removing the lamp module and removing three screws to gain access to the actual lamp/reflector. The whole project took about 30 minutes and THE IMPROVEMENT TO THE PICTURE WAS AMAZING!!!

So the moral of this story is, before you plunk down your $200 for a new lamp module (or $120-$139 for a new lamp), try doing the simple cleaning I noted above. You should see a huge improvement in the picture quality for a $0 investment.

Also remember, if you do buy a new lamp, make sure you clean the convcave lens and the entry point to the optical engine that I mentioned above.

I was considering replacing my E50A10 with an LCD TV, but after this simple cleaning proceedure, I no longer see a need for dumping another $2000 into a new TV.

John



Would it be possible to just pull the unit out and pass over it with some compressed air to blow the dust off of the lens? I understand you did a very thorough job the way you did it but I would feel safer just blowing the dust off.

also just checked my bulb hours and they are at 0014095.

Is that really over 14000 hours of use? If so, it's still going strong.

At 14000+ hours, I suspect you would really notice a difference with a new bulb. I like saving a buck too, but I think you should at least order another bulb, since this one cannot be around much longer.

My KDF-E50A10 encountered a strange error. My PS3 is connected via HDMI since '06 it's been fine until now. Now I get no sound or image when I turn on my PS3. Connected my 360 via HDMI too and the games play fine and I tried playing a dvd with the 360 I get a 'HDCP' error pop up.

Everything was fine until this happened. What happened? Any help thanks!

Man O' Man what a difference. Our bulb popped in 50A10 Tue., tried my best
to find one locally Wed. Ordered one off eBay Thur. morn and just installed it.
Wow what a difference! It looks like new. Bulb came with a believe 6 month
warranty, I bought the whole assembly. Now I need to order a lamp to replace
the bad one for a stand-by because we also have a 42" E2000 which I believe uses
the same assembly.

If you've been turning up your brightness a lot lately, jump on it and put a new
lamp in there. It's worth it! Mom's very happy, she was tired of looking at the
46" Sharp LCD with no DVR for the last couple days.

BTW: I believe the A10 looks better than the Sharp ;-)

Just replaced my bulb and assembly Aug 27, 2009. Had 6868 hours. I could have used it for more hours but had noticed it was getting dim around the edges and I had to open up the Iris a notch. The color, hue and brightness just did not look sharp as it had for most of the bulbs life which started in Oct 2005. It was amazing the difference the new bulb made. I had been thinking about a new LCD but with this bulb change I am good to go for another year or so. The one HDMI input is a bummer but I can get a switcher if and when I get a Blueray player(Mostly for Netflix streaming as the 720P cannnot make optimum use of the format although it would still be good.
My unit was the KDF-E42A10. It has been a very good unit with no other problems. I have it on an UPS as our power out in the sticks does tend to drop off during thunderstorms and I can then shut it down when the lamp fan turns off or actually look at the program for about 20 min of UPS time. It did cost 1600.00 when I bought it but at least I have been enjoying HD for almost 4 years.

I have mine on a UPS also mainly just so it can cool the bulb down like it normally would
when the power goes out. I was at an auction recently that had several Panamax
M5300-EX Surge Protector Line Conditioners so I'm going to one of those on my system as
well. I looked at a new LG 240Hz LCD while looking for a bulb locally and I
really don't see enough difference between it and my A10 to make it worth
it to pony up for a new set.

I finally ordered my first new bulb for the TV from ebay. I have had the TV for 4 years and the last I checked (maybe 6 months ago) i was around 12000 hours. The picture looks a little dim and I want that wow factor back I jeep hearing about with e new bulb. I was going to buy a 50 inch 1080p RP from a friend of mine, but I decided to get a new bulb to give this TV a year or so of life and then go for a LCD flat panel 1080p. I want to wait a year or so for the LED technology to catch on and see where TVs are. It looks like 3D might be the cool new thing with the PS3 offering an update next year to enable that.

anyone know if best buy is still carrying these bulbs and/or if they are honoring their 1 replacement bulb offer in their extended warranties?

I thought I had 14000 hours, I was wrong, where did I get the number?? Anyway I just checked and I have 6400 hours, so its not that much but I figure I a new bulb will still look great.

Has anyone actually ever removed the screen on a 50A10 to clean the interior of the cabinet and the mirror?

A few weeks back I tried to do this and almost got there but ended up putting everything back together as I could not figure out how to remove the bottom section where the speakers are due to the various connected wires for the HA & HB boards. I have a service manual and it is quite vague regarding this procedure.

Do the wires have to be disconnected from the various boards on the TV in order to access the interior of the cabinet or is there something I am missing?

I just want to clean the mirror and optics as part of maintenance.

Any comments or help would be appreciated.
:confused:

Has anyone actually ever removed the screen on a 50A10 to clean the interior of the cabinet and the mirror?

A few weeks back I tried to do this and almost got there but ended up putting everything back together as I could not figure out how to remove the bottom section where the speakers are due to the various connected wires for the HA & HB boards. I have a service manual and it is quite vague regarding this procedure.

Do the wires have to be disconnected from the various boards on the TV in order to access the interior of the cabinet or is there something I am missing?

I just want to clean the mirror and optics as part of maintenance.

Any comments or help would be appreciated.
:confused:

Quite a while ago, maybe a year or more, someone did this and wrote a lengthy description...pretty sure he also said anyone with questions could PM him.

You might want to perform a search of THIS forum to see if you can find it.

Good Luck!!

Thanks philherz. I tried searching and did not come up with much. Any other places I could look?

Thanks philherz. I tried searching and did not come up with much. Any other places I could look?

Try this: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=14617709&postcount=9860

I'm pretty sure this is the one I was thinking about....he even offered to answer questions sent via PM.

Good Luck!!!!!

I recently switched from Cox (Northern Virginia) to Verizon FiOS - and have had a wonderful experience so far.

The signal levels from the ONT to my house are 25% stronger than the Cox connection was, so my HDHomeruns have 100% signal strength and quality on ever ClearQAM channel.

The cable card tuner on my HTPC also works great (ATI ocur) and the only problem I am having is with my KDF-E50A10 cablecard tuner.

With Cox, I had a singlestream cablecard that worked just fine (until Cox screwed me by swithing to SDV) but even with SDV the cable card worked.

With the FiOS intall, the tech brought FiOS' new multistream cablecards. It does not appear to work in my TV. I know the cards are OK because we ended up moving the one card we couldn't get working on the TV to the computer and it works fine there.

The TV will detect the cablecard, and correctly retrieve the channel listings (frequencies and channel names) for each channel. However, it is unable to tune each channel - it just stays black.

Sometimes, when I reset the cablecard I will for a split second see the channel and then it goes away.

I'm guessing that the TV is unable to utilize multistream cablecards? I've heard this of other Sonys.

Is there a firmware update available to address this? Sony's support responded with a form letter telling me to go read some random cablecard FAQ which was useless.

Should I ask FiOS to dig up a singlestream card?

I have a sony kf-50e200a. When I turn the tv on the screen comes up but then the tv automatically restarts, and the green light keeps on flashing. phoned sony and no one knew what the problem could be. i read somewhere that the seal around the lamp mount is loose and needs to be refitted. how would i do this? and is this the real problem?

At 14000+ hours, I suspect you would really notice a difference with a new bulb. I like saving a buck too, but I think you should at least order another bulb, since this one cannot be around much longer.

Yep, just ordered a bulb today. TV is showing bulb illness symptoms. Hopefully I can make it through this weekend.

When I turn the TV on I see the brightness of the TV slowly come to life, it hits it's peak and then I can visibly see the TV shift down a few notches brightness wise. Looks exactly like a bulb flickering then stabilizing.

Just need to make it to Monday's delivery date. :D

My 50A10 also has the blue / yellow blob defective optical block issue. Will never buy another sony again! Good luck to you other A10 owners. Unbelievable the treatment given to us owners that have experienced problems.

that's exactly what i did.

dump my sony down in the basement and bought a panasonic plasma.

I've looked and I haven't seen anything yet that I would be willing to dump my A10 for.
After putting the new bulb in it's like new again.

my sony kf-e50a10 flashing in red 5 times in standby mode and it did'nt turn on, what supposed to be the problem? please need help...

my sony kf-e50a10 flashing in red 5 times in standby mode and it did'nt turn on, what supposed to be the problem? please need help...

The Lamp LED "lights up in red when the lamp for the light source has burned out", according to the User's Manual. Looks like you need a new lamp.

Mel

The Lamp LED "lights up in red when the lamp for the light source has burned out", according to the User's Manual. Looks like you need a new lamp.

Mel

Bought mine eBay after trying for a day to locate one locally. Ordered on Thur.
morning had it Sat. at noon. Installing it was a piece cake, I bought the
entire housing not just bulb, $129 + shipping I believe.

The Lamp LED "lights up in red when the lamp for the light source has burned out", according to the User's Manual. Looks like you need a new lamp.

Mel

thanks for the reply mel but i had to clarify that the flashing red light was in a standby mode beside the remote sensor not in the lamp led indicator, does that also mean that the bulb has been burned out?

Amazing. Astonishing. Just popped the bulb unit in, jumped in the service menu and reset my lamp hours and then turned off the TV. Waited until the bulb cooled down then turned it back on.

WOW!

I had moved the picture and brightness up into the mid 70's and had to immediately back them back down into the mid 50's. Whites are so white and the darks are so dark. It really is like everyone writes, it's a new set!

I had a ridiculous amount of lamp hours on the old bulb. 14839. I hit it with some compressed air and put it back in the shipping box as a backup.

I'm going to start watching out for a bargain bulb only, no housing, on eBay and replace
the one that burned out so I'll have a back-up. We also have a 42" E2000 that
uses the same lamp assembly.

Hi everyone,

So I purchased my kdf-e42a10 in September of 2005 and haven't had any problems until today. I tried turning on the TV but after about 5-10 seconds it shut off by itself. I tried turning on the TV a couple of more times but it still shut off within a few seconds. I unplugged the TV hoping a little bit of rest would do the trick but no luck here. The weird part is I don't see any blinking lights at all. Once in a while I would hear audio and catch a quick glimpse of a scrambled picture before it turns off. Within the time it is on, the TV makes a humming and winding sound like it's trying to turn on and then a pop when it turns off.

My first assumption was the bulb has finally died but after some research on the web, the problem could also be the lamp driver/ballast. I tried doing a search but most people with the same symptoms had some kind of blinking light while I had none. I also tried cleaning the bulb and the inside of the cabinet with a can of air but that didn't work either. I've inspected the bulb and it looks OK. Does anybody have any solutions to my problem or ran into the same issue? Hopefully, it's the bulb because I've never opened up a TV before.

I have a red tinge across the top of the screen. (50A10) I replaced the bulb with a new Phillips and it's even more noticable. Does anyone else have this problem? Any solution?
Thanks.

I have a red tinge across the top of the screen. (50A10) I replaced the bulb with a new Phillips and it's even more noticable. Does anyone else have this problem? Any solution?
Thanks.

Sounds like optical block. Call Sony but not sure they will do anything with the A10 models. I have the 42a10 and I knock on wood it does not happen to mine.

Sounds like optical block. Call Sony but not sure they will do anything with the A10 models. I have the 42a10 and I knock on wood it does not happen to mine.

By "not sure they will do anything," do you mean "for free"? I confess to having not read every page of this thread. Has anyone here had problems that an extended warranty from Sony would not cover?

I bought a five-year warranty from the Sony outlet where I got my 42A10 (refurb, manufactured August 2005, purchased by me November 2006). At $30/year, it struck me as one of the few times that an extended warranty might be a decent deal. After reading all the posts here about optical block failures, I'm convinced I got good insurance.

By "not sure they will do anything," do you mean "for free"? I confess to having not read every page of this thread. Has anyone here had problems that an extended warranty from Sony would not cover?

I bought a five-year warranty from the Sony outlet where I got my 42A10 (refurb, manufactured August 2005, purchased by me November 2006). At $30/year, it struck me as one of the few times that an extended warranty might be a decent deal. After reading all the posts here about optical block failures, I'm convinced I got good insurance.

I'm guessing that jdmac29 (and most of the rest of us) assumed that you were asking because you didn't have a service contract.

If the contract is with a legit company, I'd think you're OK...no one's had a problem when it's under contract!!!

Tell them to fix it........

Sounds like optical block. Call Sony but not sure they will do anything with the A10 models. I have the 42a10 and I knock on wood it does not happen to mine.Sony says everything is the optical block. Their head has spun with the calls they get with these sets so thats their answer for everything. I repaired a KDF-E50A10 a few days ago that Sony told the customer it was the optical block and it was actuly a failure in the power supply. They just dont know what else to say about the LCD RPTV

Thanks for the replies regarding the optical block, etc. I've been living with the red for a whole year, and my wife had not even noticed until I pointed out after replacing the lamp a few days ago. I have seen some posts regarding cleaning of the lens & prism assemblies. Do you think it could be helped with the detailed cleaning, or is it a component problem?
We have a pretty clean, non-smoking environment, but it could be pulling in dust with the cooling fan. Any thoughts on that possibility?
Thanks, again!
Clyde

Thanks for the replies regarding the optical block, etc. I've been living with the red for a whole year, and my wife had not even noticed until I pointed out after replacing the lamp a few days ago. I have seen some posts regarding cleaning of the lens & prism assemblies. Do you think it could be helped with the detailed cleaning, or is it a component problem?
We have a pretty clean, non-smoking environment, but it could be pulling in dust with the cooling fan. Any thoughts on that possibility?
Thanks, again!
Clyde

I've been following this forum for about 4 years.....when this problem started to come up, I'm pretty sure that replacing the optical block is the only fix.

You might want to check the earlier posts or wait for someone with first-hand information on this type problem.

Good Luck!!!

Hi, I have had the 50 inch A10 tv for close to 4 years, recently my tv has been consistently turning itself off and on. I read that either getting a new bulb or cleaning the dust could fix the problem. I decided to try cleaning out the dust first to see if that would fix it. I took off the back panel and i used compressed air on the two fans and also the bulb itself.

That did not fix the problem though. Is there another fan somewhere that I am missing? There is not anything wrong with the picture and no red led light blinking, just the standby one. What should I do now?

Hi, I have had the 50 inch A10 tv for close to 4 years, recently my tv has been consistently turning itself off and on. I read that either getting a new bulb or cleaning the dust could fix the problem. I decided to try cleaning out the dust first to see if that would fix it. I took off the back panel and i used compressed air on the two fans and also the bulb itself.

That did not fix the problem though. Is there another fan somewhere that I am missing? There is not anything wrong with the picture and no red led light blinking, just the standby one. What should I do now?

-I had this problem on my set and replacing the bulb totally solved the problem.

Hey everyone, I just cashed in on my Best Buy Extended Warranty for my KDF-E42A10 set and a new lamp is being sent to me which should arrive in the next 4-5 business days (here's hoping it arrives in time for Thanksgiving).

Best Buy is providing me with a Philips F-9308-750-0RL lamp, which they state is an alternative to the Sony F-9308-750-0/A-1129-776-A XL-2400 lamp.

Does anyone have any experience with this Philips alternative? Is it basically the same as the Sony, but perhaps in a slightly different/cheaper casing?

And for those who are interested, we bought our TV in Februrary of 2006, the original lamp has just under 7,800 hours on it. I have had to change video settings and increase the brightness since the TV was new, and at this point the image is a little dull/dim and if I brighten it up really any further for it to be noticeable, the blacks get too light.

I'm excited to get the new lamp, I hope it's as good as the original.

Am getting ready to replace my 2001 Mits "diamond" model 65907.

Having surfed through various threads, it appears to me that the C9 model is a no brainer buyer vs the upgrade series.
Is this a fair evaluation?----Also--I have the bucks for the Laservue series---has anyone compared those laser based models to these DLP's?

thanks

Well it's been 2 yrs. since I read/posted to the forum but I read
all the emails of posts. This will most likely be my last. I bought
a new bulb last year so when the set went dim I could just
replace that and have a new set, well that didn't work out at all.
First it's the wrong bulb, it was too big, secondly when I went
to put the old one back in the plug that's in the TV has came loose
and there's no way to get it back in the right spot , so my
beloved 42A10 is toast.... I took the back off but there's no
access to that area to try and put it back. Word to the wise,
BE VERY CAREFUL!! or you'll be very sorry like me. Now I have
no HDTV just a $2495.00 piece of plastic, staring at me.
Bye it's been great
mark

Got my new lamp today from the Best Buy warranty, took a before and after picture (same picture settings):

Before (7,794 lamp hours):

http://www.werlinfamily.com/oldlamp.jpg

After (new lamp, 0 hours):

http://www.werlinfamily.com/newlamp.jpg

What a difference! So much detail was lost with the old lamp (and we didn't fully realize the extent of it...just thought the picture was 'dim').

What do you guys use to clean the surface (outside) of the screen? I had been just using a damp paper towel which has worked well for the past 3 years plus...however there is a mark on the screen now which I'm not sure if it's a scratch or just a heavy mark on the screen that isn't coming off with the old damp paper towel method.

My wife uses a new Swiffer to clean just the dust off the screen. If it needs a real cleaning
I use a blue shop type paper towel slightly damp. All these years and no scratches. The one
that gets me is when a relative comes in and says, "oh the TV looks great" and then puts their
hand right on the screen and I'm in the background grinding my teeth.

Got my new lamp today from the Best Buy warranty, took a before and after picture (same picture settings):



lol, i think i like the "BEFORE" pic. seems to give better blacks. ;)

I use the same spray lens cleaner and cloth I use for my glasses. With all the dust that gathers everywhere else, I'm surprised the screen doesn't get dirtier.

I spent some time searching this thread and didn't find what I was looking for. Hopefully I'm not asking a question thats already been answered.

Recently, my TV has not been processing HD signals correctlywhen I change input selections. When I change inputs, for example, changing from a component input to the HDMI (inputs 5 to 6) the picture is scrabmled. I have to change the selected input and then back again to get it to process correctly.

Has anyone else experienced this? Is it common? Would it cost a lot to get it fixed?

Any input here would be appreciated.

Hi guys, I'm at a friends house and I'm trying to connect his ps3 via HDMI on his sony wega kdf-e50a10, and we can't get it to display on the TV. It works via component, and the Comcast HD boxworks via HDMI, but when I connect the PS3 into the HDMI slot (it only has one), we get nothing. Does anyone know why this is?

Thanks in advance.

Hi guys, I'm at a friends house and I'm trying to connect his ps3 via HDMI on his sony wega kdf-e50a10, and we can't get it to display on the TV. It works via component, and the Comcast HD boxworks via HDMI, but when I connect the PS3 into the HDMI slot (it only has one), we get nothing. Does anyone know why this is?

Thanks in advance.

I think you have to tell the PS3 to output video on HDMI. Hook it up using the supplied cables and choose HDMI out in the PS3 menu. That should work.

Hi guys, I'm at a friends house and I'm trying to connect his ps3 via HDMI on his sony wega kdf-e50a10, and we can't get it to display on the TV. It works via component, and the Comcast HD boxworks via HDMI, but when I connect the PS3 into the HDMI slot (it only has one), we get nothing. Does anyone know why this is?

Thanks in advance.

Hdmi issues are common on these sets. I had one and one day the hdmi quit displaying blu Ray, but would still display directv via hdmi. It has to do with the set no longer recognizing the signal properly. Compatability issues. Did the ps3 work before with hdmi? Try changing the output to hdmi on the ps3 if this is the first time using it via hdmi.

I think you have to tell the PS3 to output video on HDMI. Hook it up using the supplied cables and choose HDMI out in the PS3 menu. That should work.

Hdmi issues are common on these sets. I had one and one day the hdmi quit displaying blu Ray, but would still display directv via hdmi. It has to do with the set no longer recognizing the signal properly. Compatability issues. Did the ps3 work before with hdmi? Try changing the output to hdmi on the ps3 if this is the first time using it via hdmi.

Thanks fellas. I was thinking that on the way home today, about it being a possible setting inside the PS3. I hope that's it. The PS3 was bought from another buddy who was using it via component, so it could be the setting indeed. I'll post the results when I go over his house tomorrow.

I have had no problems with this 3 year old tv other than the bulb burning out 2 months ago, but I noticed a similar problem a few days ago. I now have a light blue vertical line on the left of the screen (almost exactly where the dark area is on the left when you watch 4:3 content) and some light blue blotches near the bottom left of the screen. This blue line is on the screen on every input, but is hard to see unless I am watching widescreen. The blue blotches are also hard to see unless the screen is showing a white background. I have attached a picture that shows the artifacts clearly since my PS3 background is white.

I guess I need a light engine replacement? I will look into joining that class action suit since I've been out of warranty for 2 years.

I have the exact same problem as described above. Blue line is on the left and in about the same place. This just started happening tonight. I've had the TV since Jan 2006 (KDF-E50A10). I checked the lamp hours and it's at 11,051 hours. I suppose the bulb should be replaced, but I doubt that will address the blue line issue? Sounds like the blue line is related to the optical block problem described here?

http://sites.google.com/site/sonylcdrptvproblems/#TOC-Lawsuits

Well, the blue line is annoying - I guess I'll have to buy a new TV :)

Does a PS3 have to be set to 1080i before connecting it to the HDMI connector on a A10? We tried to hookup my sons PS3 to watch Harry Potter on Blu-Ray but got nothing but some partial screen swiggly lines. It works fine on their Sharp 1080p but they left set on 1080p when they unhooked it so we figured that might be the problem.

I know this may be a silly question, but I am curious. Is the kdf-e50a10 3D compatible? Reading the news today that the PS3 will do 3d Blu Ray's, eventually, I wondered if I had the ability to utilize it!

Thanks!

I tried it at lunch, Yawny, and I honestly can't tell if it worked or not. I had the same issue you did, the screen went blank and my green power light stayed on. After a few minutes of this, I unplugged and re-plugged after a 10 count, at which point the setup screen appeared. All my user settings went to factory reset and it appears that some of my red push settings did as well.

After the "reset" - vivid settings were 0002 - 0046 across all resolutions; standard settings were 0002 - 003c for HD resolutions and 0000-003c for SD resolutions and Custom settings were 0002 - 003c for HD and 0000- 003c for SD.

However, I noticed that the "live color" was on "low," which I forgot was the standard factory condition for the custom setting. When I turned "live color" off, my custom settings went to 0000 - 0017 (which was my red push fix). Live Medium was 0002 - 0046 and High was also 0002-0046.

I recall changing redpush on standard a long time ago, so I'm pretty sure this "reset" changed those figures - but the custom setting of 0000-0017 befuddles me. It is either the factory setting or the "reset" did not reset my redpush setting for that particular color mode.

any thoughts?

Should we have let the screen stay blank longer after hitting "ent." I have the service manual and it clearly says "wait until appearing initial setup display" after telling you to hit "8" and "ent."

By the way, the screen after the first jump in the service menu is the only screen where you will get a yellow "reset." If you hit "8" on any other screen, the letters will flash, but nothing else happens.

Phil

I performed the reset procedure today and my screen also went blank after pressing [8] [ENT]. After unplugging and replugging the TV, I had the Initial Setup screen. All user control settings were back to default, but the red push value for CH_ITU_MODE1 (0000) and CH_AXIS1 (0017) for the Custom Picture mode did not reset.

Note: The first time I pressed [8], it timed out before I pressed [ENT] (the "RESET" had reverted back to "SERVICE") , so I had to press [8] again. The "RESET" did not turn yellow for me prior to the screen going blank.

Oh well.

If your set is still working properly and just looks dim the new bulb makes substantial difference, I can't believe how much it did for mine. The brightness was at near max and I had to back it off substantially. The old bulb still worked and I set it aside just in case. I ordered a new bulb from MAT Electronics several months ago. The difference was night and day. I've owned this set since it hit the streets, its been moved to the dining room / kitchen as of now but its still working as good as when it was purchased.

Got my new lamp today from the Best Buy warranty, took a before and after picture (same picture settings):

Before (7,794 lamp hours):



What a difference! So much detail was lost with the old lamp (and we didn't fully realize the extent of it...just thought the picture was 'dim').

What do you guys use to clean the surface (outside) of the screen? I had been just using a damp paper towel which has worked well for the past 3 years plus...however there is a mark on the screen now which I'm not sure if it's a scratch or just a heavy mark on the screen that isn't coming off with the old damp paper towel method.

i have the same tv, same best buy warranty... did they do any testing on the bulb to verify dimness or just replace it without question? I don't know how dim mine really is as after almost 4 years of gradual change, I may not know... and warranty is good only for a few more months!

Just checked.. 5151 hours in 3.5 yrs (dang, 4hrs a day?!)...

Called up the 888-bestbuy number, let them know it was dimmer than it used to be, they are shipping me a bulb...

they said i can install it myself or i can have them come and do it for free (but have to schedule, take off work, etc)... is it worth it for them to just come and do it for me?

It's easy enough just to do it yourself. I'm not that handy, and I did mine in about two minutes. Just make sure you observe the orientation of the housing so you don't try to put it in upside down.

Resolved my hdmi port issue now my a1,ps3 can display via hdmi. I ordered a used p-board off ebay and viola it worked!!

I did the 'red push' fix and 'gray scale' tweek. Anyone know how to reset all the settings back to stock?

TIA

I did the 'red push' fix and 'gray scale' tweek. Anyone know how to reset all the settings back to stock?

TIA

The method for returning the settings to "shipping condition" from the Service Manual can be found in my earlier post
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=15704318&postcount=9975

You can read what the others say....Yawny says it works but thinks step 3 & 4 need to be reversed. I have never tried this, so you use the method at your own risk. Good Luck!

yep steps 3 and 4 are reversed and it worked thanks!

just great.
everybody on this forum can change out the lamp without killing their tv but not me.
ordered the sony replacement lamp and housing from vanns for $169.
received it this pm and excitedly put it in.
got the 3 blinking lights which i think means the lamp housing or door is not seated properly.
put it in 4 more times and even let the tv sit for 30 minutes.
No go.
3 blinking lights.
put my old lamp back in and there it goes. 3 blinking lights.

What do I do? Help?


Hello all! I had to learn about this 3 blinks after lamp replacement the hard way. Somehow my lamp door had been broken. The half of the doors lever lock that flipped the switch was broken and I was getting the same 3 blinks after the lamp replacement.

I had tried calling a local repair shop and they said they quit working on these sets and to just get a new one. Good thing I didn't throw it away! I had Geek Squad come out to do an autopsy (I owed her that, so many good times, pc gaming, DVD watching with the ladies etc.) for $150 and he gave me the good news about the lamp door. He just charged me for the visit only and taped up the switch. That didn't hold due to the heat I presume so I tried electrical tape. Next day TV was down again with the 3 blinks. So I went ahead and zip tied the switch and put the door back in. It works great now and with the new bulb it's like a new TV!

It is simple to get to for those that are having this issue. Just remove all the lower panel screws and pull the panel out. Dust everything good. The technician said the fans are heavy duty and can take the canned air dusting. Then if you look into the left hand side of the back panel you'll see the slot for the door lock to hold the switch down. I just wrapped the tie wrap around the switch snugly but not too tight through the slot around the back of the TV through the lamp door. Good to go.

Apparently Sony does not sell this door anymore. I have been back in contact with the TV repair shop I had called earlier who said that people had left a few with blown light engines etc. So hopefully he can get me a door but no big deal if he doesn't! :)

I am trying to sell my 50A10 but am not sure really what its worth. I paid a lot when I bought it 4 years ago but TV prices have come down so much. You can almost get a new 50 inch LCD for like 600 or 700. I was thinking around 400, is that too much, not enough?

you can ask for whatever you want, but will you sell it?

i would say you be lucky to sell it for around $200.

I am trying to sell my 50A10 but am not sure really what its worth. I paid a lot when I bought it 4 years ago but TV prices have come down so much. You can almost get a new 50 inch LCD for like 600 or 700. I was thinking around 400, is that too much, not enough?

you can ask for whatever you want, but will you sell it?

i would say you be lucky to sell it for around $200.

I have the same set and knowing that the "optical block" issue is a possibility, I think you would be lucky to get anything for it. My TV is on the way out since I'm starting to see blue crap all over the place -- so for me, I'm probably going to have to pay someone to get rid of it! :)

I have the same set and knowing that the "optical block" issue is a possibility, I think you would be lucky to get anything for it. My TV is on the way out since I'm starting to see blue crap all over the place -- so for me, I'm probably going to have to pay someone to get rid of it! :)

I'd think some of the parts might have scrap value.

As a minimum, if the lamp's not too bad, I'm sure that would sell on eBay.

I am trying to sell my 50A10 but am not sure really what its worth. I paid a lot when I bought it 4 years ago but TV prices have come down so much. You can almost get a new 50 inch LCD for like 600 or 700. I was thinking around 400, is that too much, not enough?

Why would anyone pay $400 for what by today's standards is a mediocre set at best even when working right? I agree you would be VERY lucky to get $200 for it...and if anyone offers $100 I would take the money and run! I had a 50A10 too and it was ok in it's day but I sold it in early 2007 for $1200 and moved on to plasma. Right after that prices started to plummet..I was VERY lucky to sell mine for that much! LOL

Would hate to spend $$$ if anyone has a suggestion...
My 42 wega kdf-46E2000 is acting up. Turned it on and the fan starts but then shuts off. The red power light flashes red 3 times, then pause and flashes again 3 times.
No picture, no sound. Help?:confused:

Would hate to spend $$$ if anyone has a suggestion...
My 42 wega kdf-46E2000 is acting up. Turned it on and the fan starts but then shuts off. The red power light flashes red 3 times, then pause and flashes again 3 times.
No picture, no sound. Help?:confused:

Sounds like you need to replace the lamp.

Would hate to spend $$$ if anyone has a suggestion...
My 42 wega kdf-46E2000 is acting up. Turned it on and the fan starts but then shuts off. The red power light flashes red 3 times, then pause and flashes again 3 times.
No picture, no sound. Help?:confused:

It's a Lamp Cover Error. Either the lamp cover is not attached securely or the lamp is not set securely.

-Larry

Hi everyone,

My 50 inch KFE50A10 crapped out on me 2 weeks ago and according to the tech guy it's the Q box. Has anyone ever had this replaced?

He said it would cost nearly $600 (inc parts and labor) to replace which I'm not going to do with all the other issues that may come up with this tv.

I know the writing is on the wall and I should just ditch this lemon but I just want to make sure. Thanks!

Got my new lamp TV is looking new again! bye bye dim!

Got my new lamp TV is looking new again! bye bye dim!

Bye bye dim, and hello blue blobs. From what I gather from quite a bit of reading latley, after most people have replaced their lamps the problem started to show itself. :( I never knew until recently that the a10 had so many problems. I thought, like everyone else I am sure, that this TV would last for years and only need a lamp replacement.

I have just replaced my lamp and the one that is in the TV now flickers; luckily it has not even been in the TV 30 days and it has a 90 day warranty.

^^^nope Sony replaced my OB in '08 with a new 'redesigned' version as the tech said. So I'm good for a couple of years.

^^^nope Sony replaced my OB in '08 with a new 'redesigned' version as the tech said. So I'm good for a couple of years.

Well, that's good!

I don't have any problems now and hopefully won't for a long time; I will say it has been an exeptional TV for me.

My 50A10 has been all good and fine until 2 weeks ago. Powered it on and it had no picture, but has sound.
Thinking it was the lamp went out I ordered a new replacement.
Lamp came in today and installed it. Still no picture only sound.
Fan is blowing so I am wandering what happened. The green light in front is on, no blinking or red lights blinking.

Could the lamp ballast or power supply be bad?
Has this happen to anyone here?
Thanks!

The menu shows up properly.
All inputs have sound but no picture.
The picture looks like green snow "colored snow"

Do I have an optical box problem? Why does the menu show up fine?
Do I have a power problem? Which board should I be looking at?

The inside of the TV was full of dust. Could something have overheated?

Any help would be appreciated.

I have the TV completely torn apart on the dining room table! The wife wants it out of there...
Would love to just order the bad component than junk the TV.


I have got the tv to come on for 10min while a portable fan blows on the rear of the tv. I think that something may be overheating and shutting down.

Marcus

Just noticed a yellow haze in the center of the screen while watching a B&W program last night. I usually watch a certain B&W program on Saturday & never noticed this problem before so I'm presuming I'm catching it in the very early stages.

I don't usually buy an extended warranty but did this time because it was only $69.99 for 3 additional years. It expires in 2 months and I'll file a claim on Monday & see what happens.

The TV tech came out & took one look & said I need an optical block. Glad I got the extended warranty. They have to order one. He said new ones are not available & they are all rebuilt. Where they order it from is up to the warranty company. So it could come from Sony or who knows where. If it lasts another 4 yrs I'll be happy.

Does anyone know if it's true that only rebuilts are available? I could understand that may be true because they don't make RPTVs anymore.

Just thought I'd share this with everyone. I have a KDF-E50A10 that I bought in March 2006. About six months ago I started seeing the "blue blobs" that have been attributed to the defective optical block. Many of you probably know there is a class action lawsuit going on right now (http://www.sonya20tvclassaction.com/main/home.sfx).

I called sony and asked about a fix. They said I'd have to have the optical block replaced. A guess on cost was $800 to $1000 which they did not offer to pay since the TV is not under warranty. However, they did offer to sell me a new (or at least I think it is new) TV at a discounted rate. They are offering one of three different models at different costs:

model kdl55ex501 - $850 + local tax
or
model kdl46ve5 - $425 + local tax
or
model kdl40z5100 - $340 + local tax

I have not looked for any details on these models. I did look for the first one on the sony website (www.sonystyle.com) and could not find it. And they are giving me one week to decide. It is all kind of strange. The email I got does not contain any of the model number or price info. I had to call to get that info. When I asked if they had the model number and price info posted on their website I was told the offer was exclusive to me and could not be found posted/published anywhere.

This all seems rather fishy. The optical block seems to be a fairly well known issue but I'm wondering if Sony is being less than open in addressing the problem. Maybe this is how companies in general respond when there is a pending lawsuit. So, I wondering if I should take their offer or join the lawsuit.

Any advice from those who have already been down this road? Anyone get a different offer?

Thanks.
Don

Just thought I'd share this with everyone. I have a KDF-E50A10 that I bought in March 2006. About six months ago I started seeing the "blue blobs" that have been attributed to the defective optical block. Many of you probably know there is a class action lawsuit going on right now (http://www.sonya20tvclassaction.com/main/home.sfx).

I called sony and asked about a fix. They said I'd have to have the optical block replaced. A guess on cost was $800 to $1000 which they did not offer to pay since the TV is not under warranty. However, they did offer to sell me a new (or at least I think it is new) TV at a discounted rate. They are offering one of three different models at different costs:

model kdl55ex501 - $850 + local tax
or
model kdl46ve5 - $425 + local tax
or
model kdl40z5100 - $340 + local tax

I have not looked for any details on these models. I did look for the first one on the sony website (www.sonystyle.com) and could not find it. And they are giving me one week to decide. It is all kind of strange. The email I got does not contain any of the model number or price info. I had to call to get that info. When I asked if they had the model number and price info posted on their website I was told the offer was exclusive to me and could not be found posted/published anywhere.

This all seems rather fishy. The optical block seems to be a fairly well known issue but I'm wondering if Sony is being less than open in addressing the problem. Maybe this is how companies in general respond when there is a pending lawsuit. So, I wondering if I should take their offer or join the lawsuit.

Any advice from those who have already been down this road? Anyone get a different offer?

Thanks.
Don

Pretty interesting...they quoted you: model kdl55ex501 - $850 + local tax

Best Buy sells a Model: KDL55EX500 (not the same #, but close) for $1,710

I also found this on Craigs List:

Date: 2010-03-08, 12:55PM PST
Reply to: sale-7enxy-1634650775@craigslist.org

"I have one Sony 55" LCD flat panel model KDL55EX501 brand new in the box. ....I got this brand new from Sony as a replacement for another TV, so it's still in the box and would come of course with full factory warranty. Best Buy currently sell this TV for about $1,900 including tax so here's your chance to save $700 and get the same TV for $1,200......."

The TV tech came out & took one look & said I need an optical block. Glad I got the extended warranty. They have to order one. He said new ones are not available & they are all rebuilt. Where they order it from is up to the warranty company. So it could come from Sony or who knows where. If it lasts another 4 yrs I'll be happy.

Does anyone know if it's true that only rebuilts are available? I could understand that may be true because they don't make RPTVs anymore.

Nice - hope it works out for you. My set is no longer under warranty so I'm SOL at the moment, unless I find the energy to pursue a small claims suit.

As for the rebuilts, I'm not sure. I did read somewhere that the issue will resurface itself again eventually in the refurbished blocks. It may have been here,

http://sites.google.com/site/sonylcdrptvproblems/

Ain't the internet amazing - I find people thousands of miles apart with exectly the same issues. I too stared to have image problems (in my case yellow blotches) on a 4-yr old KDF-42EA10. I discovered lots of interesting threads, including the pending class-action lawsuit threar mentioned here. I added my name to the class but figured since warranty is long over, I'd just be thankful for the years I got from it and move on.

A couple of days ago, a letter arrives from Best Buy, where I purchased the TV back in '06. Seems I had also purchased a 3-yr extended warranty that was due to expire in April '10. Wow, that was a surprise; I had completely forgotten that! I called Geek Squad yesterday and the guy immediately offered up a new optical block installation; they'll install it next week. They also cover the bulbs and have offered to supply a new one to cover the original that I replaced a year ago (glad I kept the old one!). I guess the extended warranty paid for itself.

Now, regarding your question; I was at BB last night perusing LCDs. To my eye, the KDL-46VE5 is one of the best 46" screens they had. The 120Hz motion blur compensation is very good; not quite as slick as the 240Hz Sony and Samsung but also not quite as "queasy" either, and nearly half the price. Color depth/accuracy, image stability, low-level resolutiion are all excellent. For $1099 it is a bargain; for the price offered you, a steal! Just be sure it comes with a full warranty (it's a Sony, you know...)

Hope that helps.

pg


I called sony and asked about a fix. They said I'd have to have the optical block replaced. A guess on cost was $800 to $1000 which they did not offer to pay since the TV is not under warranty. However, they did offer to sell me a new (or at least I think it is new) TV at a discounted rate. They are offering one of three different models at different costs:

model kdl55ex501 - $850 + local tax
or
model kdl46ve5 - $425 + local tax
or
model kdl40z5100 - $340 + local tax

I have the KDF50A10. Old, purchased when first out. I just checked hours on original lamp, 18,142!! I checked it a year or 2 ago it was 13,157. To me seems very high with original bulb.

It is getting dim but a new problem started a week ago. Turn set on and in about 1 minute it reboots, lamps off at least no picture. Green power light blinks a while and picture returns and the off and on again. It will do this 2 times. It will then stay on with no other problems.

The lamp I can replace BUT if something else is going on I'll replace TV of course.

Got any ideas? Thanks, Dave

The tech replaced my optical block today with a Sony rebuilt unit. Took him a little over 1.5 hours. He had trouble with the projection bulb safety switch & shimmed it somehow. My wife immediately thought the picture looked brighter, and it does appear snappier.

The paperwork has a price of $558 for the optical block. There was no core charge listed but it did state the core must be sent back. I'm glad I had the extended warranty which was only $69.99.

Still on my original bulb with 6080 hours on it & unfortunately I could not get it replaced. However I've seen the bulbs for $100 or less, so the price has come down.

My optical block was replaced but not my bulb. I figured might as well start looking for a good price on the bulb. Every picture I've seen shows the bulb with the housing, however only some of the listings actually mention with housing.

The part # in the Sony manual is XL-2400. Does that automatically mean with or without the housing? Is there some specific part # difference to look for that means with or without housing?

Thanks in advance.

My optical block was replaced but not my bulb. I figured might as well start looking for a good price on the bulb. Every picture I've seen shows the bulb with the housing, however only some of the listings actually mention with housing.

The part # in the Sony manual is XL-2400. Does that automatically mean with or without the housing? Is there some specific part # difference to look for that means with or without housing?

Thanks in advance.

Bought my replacement a year ago....kinda remember a pretty distinct price break with/without the housing.

In any case, I always ask if not 100% sure on all my internet purchases......

I just replaced my bulb only 3 days ago. the housing from where I bought it was like $2o-$30 more. I just like taking apart that stuff.

The heat glass/lens in front of bulb was not in good shape. It had to removed it and on the bulb side had a white deposit that would NOT wipe off with anything. I tried solvents etc. I finely used Simachrome a VERY fine metal polish on the glass and it is perfect now, the fog is gone.

Put it back together and you can't believe the difference! Looks better than new, well maybe. Original bulb and it had 18,142 hrs on it!

Look at my post 3 or 4 up. Not one person answered it.

I have the KDF50A10.

It is getting dim but a new problem started a week ago. Turn set on and in about 1 minute it reboots, lamps off at least no picture. Green power light blinks a while and picture returns and the off and on again. It will do this 2 times. It will then stay on with no other problems.

The lamp I can replace BUT if something else is going on I'll replace TV of course.

Got any ideas? Thanks, Dave

No idea about your problem, but I've seen some very useful service info in this forum:

http://review.agoraquest.com/viewtopic.php?topic=26237&forum=34&start=135&select_page_number=10

Good luck!!!

Greetings all,

I need help. I'm getting a headache from all the searches and forums I've read. :P

I have the KDF-E50A10 and it's been a great TV for me for about 5yrs now. Still on the first bulb and it gets used quite a bit. (crossing fingers) Problem is, I've had my Xbox 360, PS3 and Sony DVD player all hooked up via HDMI to an HDMI 4 to 1 switch. That hooked into my one HDMI on my TV. This setup has worked for a little less than a year now. Suddenly last weekend I get no picture from my PS3, nothing from the DVD player either. But the Xbox 360 works without issue. I tried swapping cables, I tried hooking straight to the TV. The Xbox continues to work without any hiccups whether through the switch or direct to the TV. I tried the PS3 hooked to another TV and it works fine.

The display info tells me the PS3 is sending in 720p and the DVD player in 1080i but it fails to produce any video or audio. It's like someone turning their back to you and pretending you're not there. They obviously know you're there but are acting like you aren't.

So, if anyone has any input.. I'd really appreciate it. This seems to be a handshake issue but really.. The Sony TV works with the Xbox.. but won't with the Sony PS3 or the Sony DVD player??? :P

Thanks for any input or anything you can recommend.

Anyone willing to post their PS3 HDMI settings here?
I just got Bad Company 2 and i seem to be getting alot of black crush in the game, if im standing outside a building and looking into a dark one it is completely black, no detail or anything. it is very annoying. I probably need a new bulb, as i am still running my first one for 5 years or so now...

I have a defective Sony 42A10 with the blue blobs and called Sony Customer Relations. They offered me one of the following tvs and gave me a week to respond:

KDL52EX701 $1050.00 + local sales tax
KDL55EX501 $850.00 + local sales tax
KDL46NX700 $660.00 + local sales tax
KDL46V5100 $380.00 + local sales tax

I don't have the space for the 52 or 55 inch tvs so I am trying to decide between the KDL46NX700 and the KDL46V5100. Anyone have any experience with these tvs? Any recommendations?

I have a defective Sony 42A10 with the blue blobs and called Sony Customer Relations. They offered me one of the following tvs and gave me a week to respond:

KDL52EX701 $1050.00 + local sales tax
KDL55EX501 $850.00 + local sales tax
KDL46NX700 $660.00 + local sales tax
KDL46V5100 $380.00 + local sales tax

I don't have the space for the 52 or 55 inch tvs so I am trying to decide between the KDL46NX700 and the KDL46V5100. Anyone have any experience with these tvs? Any recommendations?

Is this what they are offering for sets still under warranty? This post suggests others getting similar offers, but lower cost ($500 difference). Haven't researched yet why the cost might be different.

My 42A10 only had a 1 year warranty and that expired 3 years ago.

I have a 50a10 TV, going on about 4 years now. I used to get some of the free HD channels through my basic TV cable using the QAM tuner. About a year ago, they all stopped working, I've rescanned and nothing comes up.

In another room, I have a a sony w4100 LCD TV and it still can scan and get the HD channels, so I know it isn't my cable company.

Has my QAM tuner failed?
anyone else have this issue?
Is it a replaceable part?

Can someone post a picture of the blue blob?

When you guys are calling Sony about this issue, and they're offering alternative TV's (for a cost), are they verifying anything with your current TV? Do they send someone to pick up your blue blob TV, or do you have to bring it somewhere to exchange for the new TV?

You have to mail them the original model/serial number sticker from the back of the old television. After they receive and "verify" it, they charge your credit card and ship your replacement TV. They don't care what you do with the old TV; mine will become a puppet theater.

Be sure to send the sticker registered so that someone has to sign for it. I sent mine Priority Mail tow weeks ago, and though it clearly was delivered (the USPS site says so), Sony are having a hard time finding it.

pg


Can someone post a picture of the blue blob?

When you guys are calling Sony about this issue, and they're offering alternative TV's (for a cost), are they verifying anything with your current TV? Do they send someone to pick up your blue blob TV, or do you have to bring it somewhere to exchange for the new TV?

Thanks very much for the info. Anyone have any good pictures of the blue blob? I have a bluish tinge to the screen in the top left, and a reddish tinge near the middle/bottom/right...just wondering if it's the same thing you guys are experiencing.

Thanks!

for the people that have called sony customer service, which number did you dial exactly?

for the people that have called sony customer service, which number did you dial exactly?

this is the number to call.

1-239-768-7547

thanks!

i'd called yesterday and was offered these prices:

KDL52EX701 $850.00 + local sales tax
KDL55EX501 $650.00 + local sales tax
KDL46EX700 $300.00 + local sales tax

obviously, i'd jumped on the 46". it's a no brainer.

I have a KDF-E50A10 that has the optical block (blue blob) issue. I called Sony a couple weeks back and was offered the KDL-46NX700 for $660.00 (there were other sets offered, but I went with the newer 46 with the monolithic design). I had to take a picture of the TV with the blue blob issue, along with the piece of paper on the front of the set with the sticker on it. I sent that into Sony (via regular USPS mail) and was sent an email 3 days later confirming receipt. My order is currently being processed and just waiting for the email to indicate that replacement unit has shipped.

i'd called yesterday and was offered these prices:

KDL52EX701 $850.00 + local sales tax
KDL55EX501 $650.00 + local sales tax
KDL46EX700 $300.00 + local sales tax

obviously, i'd jumped on the 46". it's a no brainer.

I was offer the above with the exception of the KDL46NX700 $460 + local sales tax instead of the KDL46EX700. I will probability request the KDL46NX700.

with these discounted offers. i don't feel so bad spending $1,500 for my 42A10 a few years ago. considering how prices have falled so much for HDTVs.

Yeah. I almost wish my 42A10 would fail so I could get a new 1080p set for $300-500! :D

WTF??? i left this TV down in the basement the past 6 months, unused. now i turn it back on and pops in a DVD and all the blue blobs are GONE? damn it. what just happened?

did this happen to any of you guys? i am gonna leave the tv on for a few hours and see if it comes back.

nvm.

i left the TV on for about an hour and the blue blob came back. i guess it needs to get the engine warmed up.

Yeah. I almost wish my 42A10 would fail so I could get a new 1080p set for $300-500! :D

The amount of a discount you get will depend on what TV you originally had. People that bought larger, more expensive sets will get a larger discount. I had the 50A10 and the cheapest offer for me was the KDL46NX700 for $660. But considering what the retail price of the set is now, it's a pretty good deal. If the 50A10 was working correctly, I wouldn't be able to sell it for $1000 - $1200, which is about the discount I'm getting now for the 46NX700, although I imagine this set will drop in price as the year continues.

The amount of a discount you get will depend on what TV you originally had. People that bought larger, more expensive sets will get a larger discount. I had the 50A10 and the cheapest offer for me was the KDL46NX700 for $660. But considering what the retail price of the set is now, it's a pretty good deal. If the 50A10 was working correctly, I wouldn't be able to sell it for $1000 - $1200, which is about the discount I'm getting now for the 46NX700, although I imagine this set will drop in price as the year continues.

I actually disagreed with this statement.

I have the 42A10 and was offered the KDL46EX700 for $300. This is a $1,400 discount off of the $1,700 MRSP. The set is currently selling for around $1,500+ at most retailers.

I am not sure what logics Sony uses in offering the discounts, but I don't think it's "bigger discount for bigger TV".

I actually disagreed with this statement.

I have the 42A10 and was offered the KDL46EX700 for $300. This is a $1,400 discount off of the $1,700 MRSP. The set is currently selling for around $1,500+ at most retailers.

I am not sure what logics Sony uses in offering the discounts, but I don't think it's "bigger discount for bigger TV".

I wasn't offered the EX version of the 46, just the NX. Considering the price difference between the 2, the $300 for it sounds about correct. Sony may not be making a difference between the 42A10 and 52A10. However, some have been offered the 46NX700 for $160, but that's because it looks like they had more "expensive" sets to begin with. But I don't really know what the logic is and at this point I don't really care :) I should have my 46NX700 this week.

I agreed. Who cares as long as we get our TVs.

I received my KDL-46NX700 a week after sending in the serial number tag. Just stunning, no comparison to the old E42A10. Super bright, killer motion flow, tons of inputs. The built-in wireless N and Bravia internet is a great feature; Netflix without wires and boxes! For $660 it was just a steal. Go for it!

pg

updates: mailed in my serial tag on Sat and got email today that it had been received. my order is being processed and expect delivery in two weeks. waahooo..........

Have the blue blob and stars on my Grand Wega KDF-55XS955 that I bought in 05 for $2,400 with our wedding money. Sony offered first:
KDL55HX701 - $950+ all have tax
KDL52EX701 - 950
KDL55EX501 - 750
KDL46EX700 - 400

All prices are based on your size and model time of purchase.

We chose the KDL55HX701 because it was internet ready. Keep in mind we really don't have the money for this luxury right now, but we had 7 days to make a choice. We gave our credit card number and received the confirmation e-mail. 5 days later, YESTERDAY, we receive a phone call that this tv is no longer being offered. I can not tell you how upset we are!!!!

Well the new offer is this:
KDL52EX701 - 950 + all have tax
KDL55EX501 - 775
KDL46EX700 - 415
KDL46V5100 - 280

WHAT IN THE WORLD!! WHY WOULD PRICE GO UP??? This is their mistake!!

We really didn't want a smaller tv. Actually my husband has been wanting a bigger tv for years, but haven't had the extra money. Now they want us to go down in size, BS!!
So, I need your help. I know that the 52EX701 is internet ready, but don't want a smaller tv. How hard is it to hook the 55EX501 to a computer, and how much?
Which one would you all choose????
Need some advice fast. Before they run out of everything.

Had KDF-E42A10 with yellow blur.

Selected KDL-46EX700 replacement offer of $300 + tax.

4/13 mailed my s/n.
4/19 email confirmation from sony
4/21 credit card charged
4/22 email from sony with tracking info. (actually shipped from Chicago on 4/21)
4/23 call from DB Schenker to schedule delivery Sat. between 9am - 12pm.
4/24 delivered at 8:50am. to my home in Austin, TX.

TV is now set up and looks great!

wow, that was fast. you're lucky. still haven't received mine.
i too chose the 46EX700

4/10 - mailed in s/n
4/14 - sony received my mail
4/20 - credit card charged

still waiting......................

I choose the 46NX700 for $460 + local tax to replace my KDF-E50A10

4/18 - mailed in s/n
4/23 - credit card charged
4/28 - email from sony with tracking info
4/30 - call from DB Schenker to schedule delivery on Monday between 9am - 12pm
5/4 - delivered at 12:30pm to my home

TV is now set up and looks great!

just got shipment email today. they sure take their time.

it's being shipped from CA to CT. probably another week before it's in my home.

Reading the posts about Sony offering discounted replacement sets has me at least a little hopeful. I have a KDFE-50A10, which has the yellow blob problem. I have been shopping for a replacement, thinking that since this set is well past even the extended warranty I bought, any help from Sony is a long shot at best. While I was thinking of going plasma this time around, if I could get a good LED back-lit LCD for cheap, I would definitely go that route.

Here is the twist - I am Canadian. Has anyone had success getting Sony Canada to provide any help?

ohhhh yyyeeeaahhhhhh

my 46ex700 arrived today. this thing is SWEET!!!!!!!

I have a 42a10 and over the last couple months have had issues where the TV video wouldnt turn on. I could get sound out of the TV, but no video. The light on the front would flash green. I would unplug it from the wall for 5 minutes and it would work again.

The other day it happed again, but this time I had video with one large exception. There was a rainbow of vertical color bands across the entire set. Tried unplugging it to no avail, even waited an hour before calling Sony. After they troubleshot the issue, they diagnosed the issue as the optical block and offered me the same replacement everyone else is getting. I talked it over with my wife, did some research and decided to pull the trigger on the 46.

The next morning, I went to take a picture of the TV to complete the replacement offer but alas, the TV works now. I know this issue will come back, but Sony will not allow me to continue with the replacement without the photo. They want me to call a repair out to my home and have them diagnosis the issue, but I dont want to waste the money. I know this issue will come back and I somehow bet the offer of the replacement will be more expensive. I can barely afford the new price.

I just wish I would of taken that photo sooner so that I could go ahead and process the replacement!!

Just venting a bit folks, so thanks for listening....

I exchanged my 42A10 for the 46EX700, great set but I'm looking to tweak it a bit.
Any links to some calibration threads on this set?

thanks
dave

Hi all, I'm using the optical out from the KDF-E50A10 connected to my dac. However the dac can't recognize the signals because the KDF-E50A10 sending out signals supporting the Dolby don't know what it call. Can someone tell me is there an option in sub manual can change the audio bitstream to PCM 2 CH only and how? I known how to get in the sub manual to do the red push fix but don't know where to go and how to change the audio output setting. I'm using the digital antenna connected to my KDF-E50A10 for local channels only and trying to use optical audio out connect to my Bel Canto Dac. My dac only accept either optical or coaxial cable. Thanks in advanced and your help would be greatly appreciated!

-Wil

I would like to understand better these blue blob, yellow streak, etc issues. My A10 is approaching 5 years old too. I bought a Sony extended warranty which will expire in a couple of months.

I am kicking around the idea of replacing the bulb, since I have everything turned way up now to get a good picture. What I don't want to do is spend $100+ to replace the bulb and have the optical board or whatever die soon afterward. If these A10s are dieing, and Sony is offering replacement sets for a good discount, then I would prefer to go that route.

Q1: So, where can I find a good description of the blobs and streaks, preferably with pictures, so that I can assess whether my set has any symptoms at all of this?
A1: See http://sites.google.com/site/sonylcdrptvproblems/#TOC-Blue-discolorations-blobs-haze-line for a decent set of pictures. My set currently does not exhibit any of these symptoms.

Q2: It seems like I can just call Sony and tell them my set has some blobs or streaks, even without a repair call to prove it, and they will offer these replacement deals. Is this correct?

Thanks all. Been a satisfied A10 owner for all these years, but would not mind having a 1080p set!

^^^I'm in the same boat.
My a10 isn't showing any blue blobs or yellow haze yet.
Can I just call Sony and do a trade-up?

From what I understand, you can only get a replacement set at a discount if you have a TV that is currently having a problem with the optical board or other issue. I had to take pictures of the set showing the problem and send that to Sony. I had a 50A10 with the blue blob problem and got a KDL-46NX700 to replace it at $660.00.

I just called and got offered the following:
KDL52EX700 for $600
KDL55EX500 for $500
KDL46NX700 for $450

My questions are, 1) which offer is best? I don't really want to shell out any money right now but from my research the 52" seems like the best deal???

The service rep said I had some time to respond but did say if I didn't want to upgrade they would send someone out to service my KDFE50A10. It has the blobs in the lower right corner. I originally purchased in 2005 for ~$1000....got a great deal at the time. What to do, what to do.....
Appreciate any help....also I have never replaced the bulb...it's due I am sure

chonour - I think you're hitting the issue of a firmware bug that was fixed. Every certain number of hours, the TV won't turn on properly- and needs to be unplugged for the 5 minutes like you're experiencing. There was a firmware update that fixed this- I may still have the files somewhere or other. If you want to PM me your email address, I'll look for the files and if I have them, I'll send them to you. You have to pop off a litttle cover in the back of the TV and plug in a memory stick w/ the files on it. It either needs to be a rather thin memory stick, or a memory stick on a usb "extension" cable.

My dad's 42A10 doesn't have bad stains yet, but they are starting to appear, and don't show up in pics very well. Does anybody have a set of pics they are willing to share so I can use them to make a claim? Any help would be appreciated.

My dad's 42A10 doesn't have bad stains yet, but they are starting to appear, and don't show up in pics very well. Does anybody have a set of pics they are willing to share so I can use them to make a claim? Any help would be appreciated.

Get a better camera :) I don't think other peoples photos will help with the claim anyway. When I took my pictures, I had to put a piece of paper next to the TV with the serial number and E-ticket number on it and made sure it was visible in the photo.

Lamp approaching 10k hours. Darker image, brightness and pictur are maxed out and still hard to see during the day. I removed the lamp for the first time to look at it today. I blew off all the dust and then blew out the housing area that it goes into with compressed air and used a shop vac at the same time to extract the loose dust. Was hoping the quicky cleaning would do something, don't think it did.

Can I replace the entire lamp or do I have to replace the bulb and take it apart? Is there any quick ways to search for this info, I cannot seem to find a thing online or searching AVS. Had a hard enough time finding how to get into the service menu.

Where are people buying these? Does anyone buy the entire lamp unit for a few more dollars?

Lamp approaching 10k hours. Darker image, brightness and pictur are maxed out and still hard to see during the day. I removed the lamp for the first time to look at it today. I blew off all the dust and then blew out the housing area that it goes into with compressed air and used a shop vac at the same time to extract the loose dust. Was hoping the quicky cleaning would do something, don't think it did.

Can I replace the entire lamp or do I have to replace the bulb and take it apart? Is there any quick ways to search for this info, I cannot seem to find a thing online or searching AVS. Had a hard enough time finding how to get into the service menu.

Where are people buying these? Does anyone buy the entire lamp unit for a few more dollars?

I'd call sony and see what price they're charging. If I remember correctly it was competitive with other places to get the bulb, and was around $150-200. But it's been over a year since I've looked as I no longer own the tv.

Lamp approaching 10k hours. Darker image, brightness and pictur are maxed out and still hard to see during the day. I removed the lamp for the first time to look at it today. I blew off all the dust and then blew out the housing area that it goes into with compressed air and used a shop vac at the same time to extract the loose dust. Was hoping the quicky cleaning would do something, don't think it did.

Can I replace the entire lamp or do I have to replace the bulb and take it apart? Is there any quick ways to search for this info, I cannot seem to find a thing online or searching AVS. Had a hard enough time finding how to get into the service menu.

Where are people buying these? Does anyone buy the entire lamp unit for a few more dollars?

You can either replace the bulb or the bulb with housing.

I replaced mine a year ago and found a lower price option on eBay...worked fine so far!!!!

THANKS! :D

I looked up the Sony XL-2400 lamp online. Sony.com has it for $200 and Vanns.com has it for $139 shipped. Just ordered it from Vanns, almost ordered from Mwave but when I called they said it was a 3rd party brand not a Sony OEM. I really hope this lamp will breath new life into this almost 5yr old TV, picture only works well at night now with maxed out settings for picture/brightness/iris.

http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/item/features/750200000/sony-xl-2400?v_c=GoogleBase&ne_ppc_id=914&ne_key_id=6205956

UPDATE: The new lamp arrived in perfect condition and was super simple to swap out. The picture is like new again. I did perform a factory reset for each of the color profiles under the menu and then still turned down the brightness/contrast levels even further. As my second TV I hope to get another 3-5yrs of use out of it. I wish I would have spent the $140 a year or so ago. I don't see how anyone would want to buy just the bulb for only $20-40 less. Just get the factory OEM lamp and swap it out in less then 5mins depending on your access to the side of the TV.

Can anyone please link me to the Service Menu Lamp counter reset steps. :)

...Can anyone please link me to the Service Menu Lamp counter reset steps. :)

You can check out my Sony Service Menu (http://sites.google.com/site/sonylcdrptvproblems/sonyservicemenu-checkingandresettinglamp) page. Look under the heading "2005 3LCD: A10 (UNTESTED)". Note the fact that I have not tested this process, so be VERY CAREFUL. If you report back, I can update my site on whether it worked.

Hi,

I've got a Sony KDF-e50A10 purchased in November 2005 with the blue blob problem. I first noticed the problem in December 08 and contacted Sony in January 09. I went through their Executive Committee and they basically blew me off. I got an offer of a replacement TV but the price was higher than what I could buy the TV for at my local store. I've just lived with it since then but now I'm having another problem with the TV and I started to research that when I noticed that people were now getting decent offers from Sony for a replacement.

I've basically sworn off of buying anything with Sony on it for the past 18 months but I'd reconsider if they were reasonable. I've probably spent over $3,000 on electronics/camera/video products since then and I would have gone with Sony products for many of these in the past but not since how they treated me last year.

Do you think Sony will give me a better offer than before and which number did you call to start the process?

Thanks,

...Do you think Sony will give me a better offer than before and which number did you call to start the process?...

Offers are better now, although not necessarily fully equitable. One way to get an offer is to post about your problem on the Facebook I Have A Defective Sony TV (http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Have-a-Defective-Sony-TV/182875766612?ref=nf) page. The Sony Listens team monitors that page and will likely contact you with an offer. There is also a pending class action lawsuit on the A10 and A20 models, but it is awaiting a ruling on a motion to dismiss.

You can check out my Sony Service Menu (http://sites.google.com/site/sonylcdrptvproblems/sonyservicemenu-checkingandresettinglamp) page. Look under the heading "2005 3LCD: A10 (UNTESTED)". Note the fact that I have not tested this process, so be VERY CAREFUL. If you report back, I can update my site on whether it worked.


Thanks for the link. Anyone know if I even need to reset the counter? I was planning on just noting this point at which I changed out the lamp.

Thanks for the link. Anyone know if I even need to reset the counter? I was planning on just noting this point at which I changed out the lamp.

I don't think you need to reset it. It is just a matter of convenience.

I had my optical block replaced a couple months ago. But the other day I wondered if there is/was any way to tell if it is properly aligned. IOW when it was installed is there any wiggle room that might cause it to be crooked? Or is it really such a tight fit that it just goes into the main housing/mirror housing of the TV and that is it?

I never checked the original setup & just presumed the factory properly put everything together. But the other day I was curious & measured the black bars on a 4:3 image and they are not equal. The top of the picture is very slightly tilted to the left. You cannot even tell on a 16:9 picture because of the overscan. Everything may be within spec, and the same as with the original optical block. But it made me question if the block has a sloppy fit and might be a bit crooked. I don't know how you could tell this when putting the TV back together because it does not look like you can turn it on until everything is put back together.

I previously did center the image via the service menu using an overscan test pattern on a DVD. And this did not change with the new block. IIRC the test pattern only has indicators at the center of the edges, so you cannot tell if the top or bottom is the same.

Can you reach in there & twist the optical block to align it?
Or can you change the tilt of the picture by going into the service menu?

I just called and got offered the following:
KDL52EX700 for $600
KDL55EX500 for $500
KDL46NX700 for $450

My questions are, 1) which offer is best? I don't really want to shell out any money right now but from my research the 52" seems like the best deal???

The service rep said I had some time to respond but did say if I didn't want to upgrade they would send someone out to service my KDFE50A10. It has the blobs in the lower right corner. I originally purchased in 2005 for ~$1000....got a great deal at the time. What to do, what to do.....
Appreciate any help....also I have never replaced the bulb...it's due I am sure

What did you end up doing? I got the same offer, but they offered the 52 inch KDL52NX800 to me for $875 instead of the EX700. I'm thinking that is the best deal even though I don't necessarily want to spend $875 at the moment. Anyone have an opinion if 240hz and LED is worth $350 versus the KDL55EX500?

I had my optical block replaced a couple months ago. But the other day I wondered if there is/was any way to tell if it is properly aligned. IOW when it was installed is there any wiggle room that might cause it to be crooked? Or is it really such a tight fit that it just goes into the main housing/mirror housing of the TV and that is it?

I never checked the original setup & just presumed the factory properly put everything together. But the other day I was curious & measured the black bars on a 4:3 image and they are not equal. The top of the picture is very slightly tilted to the left. You cannot even tell on a 16:9 picture because of the overscan. Everything may be within spec, and the same as with the original optical block. But it made me question if the block has a sloppy fit and might be a bit crooked. I don't know how you could tell this when putting the TV back together because it does not look like you can turn it on until everything is put back together.

I previously did center the image via the service menu using an overscan test pattern on a DVD. And this did not change with the new block. IIRC the test pattern only has indicators at the center of the edges, so you cannot tell if the top or bottom is the same.

Can you reach in there & twist the optical block to align it?
Or can you change the tilt of the picture by going into the service menu?

If your A10 model is like my WF655 model, the optical block is screwed into the frame, and, if the screws are not tight, it can result in a crooked picture. Also, there is a "wedge" with screws on the back bottom of the TV that allows slight adjustments of the physical location of the optical block. In addition, there are likely electronic adjustments in the user and/or service menus that allow very minor adjustments. However, all of this should have been done by the servicer.

I exchanged my 42A10 for the 46EX700, great set but I'm looking to tweak it a bit.I am receiving a 46NX700. How long did the replacment process take?

my process took about a 3 weeks total start to finish. i ended up getting the 52" ex700

my process took about a 3 weeks total start to finish. i ended up getting the 52" ex700I thought about that next step in size but I really don't have the room for it. Besides, I like the whiz bang features on the NX. Don't know if I'll ever use them but who knows? ;)

I have a 42A10 just starting to gets the blue blobs. Is Sony offering to repair these units??? I know it's probably not a smart thing to do as the issue will surely come back, but I'm willing to take that chance. So, has anyone been given the choice of repair or a discounted tv??

Thanks so much

Phone the Sony support number and report your problem. You will then be directed to another department where you will probably be offered four options on replacement sets. One might be a no cost replacement while the others will be upgrades and will be at an extremely discounted cost.

I have a 42A10 just starting to gets the blue blobs. Is Sony offering to repair these units??? I know it's probably not a smart thing to do as the issue will surely come back, but I'm willing to take that chance. So, has anyone been given the choice of repair or a discounted tv??

Thanks so much

Discount offers on A10s are typically not great. You may also want to post your problem on the Facebook I Have A Defective Sony TV (http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Have-a-Defective-Sony-TV/182875766612?ref=nf) web page. Sony monitors that page and people tend to get somewhat better offers there, although still not excellent. There are many people there reporting on their defective A10s. There is also a class action lawsuit (http://sites.google.com/site/sonylcdrptvproblems/sony-class-action-lawsuits#TOC-2005-3LCD-A10-and-A20-class-action:) pending on those models, but it is unknown if/when it will be resolved. If you are able to remove and replace your own optical block, it can be rebuilt (http://sites.google.com/site/sonylcdrptvproblems/sonykdf-55wf655opticalblockreplacement) for around $200.

Discount offers on A10s are typically not great.Must politely disagree. One offer was a no cost replacement. The other three were at over 60% discount from street price.

I was offered a repair, at my cost, or a replacement with a choice between three different displays. I opted for a KDL-52EX700 for $625 plus tax, free shipping. It was a complete no brainer for me. A better deal could probably be sought but not without the drama and blood pressure increase that would negate a minor reduction in price. I will probably repair the 50A10 optical block myself at some point in the future.

Ok I'm glad I found the official thread for this TV.

I posted a separate thread with this issue, but nobody has responded so maybe someone here can tell us what we should do.

Here's the thread I created with pics of the screen.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1263355

This is my dad's TV that he purchased at Best Buy around 5 years ago. He doesn't have a receipt, and its no longer under warranty. I've spent the better part of this evening reading about all the problems with these units and I also read a google page about a class action lawsuit. It appears that Sony was offering free repairs of this TV up until June of 2009 and we're long past that.

What would any of you suggest that we do at this point? What would Sony do for us, if anything since we don't have the original receipt? My dad is pretty disgusted that this TV didn't make it past 5 years and didn't even make it past its first bulb change.

While your problem does not directly relate to the optical block degradation problem discussed lately, you may still be eligible for consideration by Sony for a replacement TV by simply having one of the affected A10 sets. I can't see how it would hurt to ask, but id be upfront with the description of the problem. If you misrepresent yourself, you will be asked to proved it with photographic evidence before any exchange will be made.

If you misrepresent yourself, you will be asked to proved it with photographic evidence before any exchange will be made.The replacement offer is made contingent on your supplying certain items. I was told to submit two requirements for a replacement: the original model/serial number tag from the set and a picture of the set with your assigned event number in the picture. My replacement was approved the day that information was received. The set arrives tomorrow. :)

Wow, I haven't been on this thread in a LONG time. I noticed some blue blobs on my screen and decided to check in. I guess I'm glad to hear that Sony is doing something about this. So, if I'm reading the recent posts correctly:
Call Sony Support (on the Sonystyle web page, or what's listed in the manual?)
They'll offer some upgrade options after I explain the problem.
Can you negotiate better offers?

Can you negotiate better offers?I felt my offers were more than fair considering they really don't have to do anything. I never even considered going for more since their response could then be, "Offer withdrawn. See ya." ;)

I felt my offers were more than fair considering they really don't have to do anything. I never even considered going for more since their response could then be, "Offer withdrawn. See ya." ;)

Actually, there are legal reasons why they may owe you more, since the TVs contained latent defects at the time of purchase, rendering them unmerchantable. See my Sony Rear Projection TV Problems (http://sites.google.com/site/sonylcdrptvproblems/) web site for details. Lately, the better deals seem to be coming from a somewhat secret Sony Listens team who monitors complaints on the Facebook I Have A Defective Sony TV (http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Have-a-Defective-Sony-TV/182875766612?ref=nf) web page.

Actually, there are legal reasons why they may owe you more, since the TVs contained latent defects at the time of purchase, rendering them unmerchantable. See my Sony Rear Projection TV Problems (http://sites.google.com/site/sonylcdrptvproblems/) web site for details. Lately, the better deals seem to be coming from a somewhat secret Sony Listens team who monitors complaints on the Facebook I Have A Defective Sony TV (http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Have-a-Defective-Sony-TV/182875766612?ref=nf) web page.

I posted my problem along with my pictures on that facebook page and was contacted through facebook the very next day by a Sony Listens rep. I was given a phone number to call today to discuss replacement options for my dad's TV.

Actually, there are legal reasons why they may owe you more...And I'm sure the lawyers are lining up to "help".

As I said before, my offers were more than fair. I'm happy. Sony's happy. Win - win. Case closed.

And I'm sure the lawyers are lining up to "help".

As I said before, my offers were more than fair. I'm happy. Sony's happy. Win - win. Case closed.

If you go back about nine months in time, those of us with this same problem were being offered "discounts" by Sony that resulted in prices that were still higher than sale prices at Sony-authorized Internet dealers. In other words, I could buy the same TVs at Amazon.com for less than Sony's discount prices. Sony has been dragged kicking and screaming, with extensive consumer outcry and several lawsuits, to the point where they are now making fairer offers for their latently defective liquid crystal rear-projection TVs. I'm glad you were able to close your case with them so easily, though. Good luck with your new TV.

I called Sony's priority line this morning about the problem with my dad's TV that I posted above.

We found the receipt and he paid $1700 for this TV September 2005, plus the $180 he spent for the bulb last Friday. The bulb that the repair shop will not take back now. That's what ticked us off the most. The TV should have lasted longer than 5 years, but I also fully understand that its out of warranty. The $180 though for the bulb the other day.. was just throwing money into the wind.

I called fully expecting a low-cost replacement offer of some sort and I prepared my dad for this. However, their first offer was for a KDL-40EX500 at NO-COST. Yes.. free. I wasn't expecting that. The next offer was for a 46", but I cut the guy off and didn't even listen to it, because he can barely get his current 42" into his cabinet. It may very well have been that the larger sizes would have cost him some money.

Needless to say, I was rather shocked and surprised at this. I've never been a Sony man myself. I've owned 3 Samsung Panels over the last 7 years that have been great - a 50" DLP, 22" monitor, and a 50" Plasma and never had any issues. Sony scored a lot of points with me today. We've got some paperwork to do - have to send in a picture of the TV with someone holding a piece of paper that has the reference number just below the screen, along with sending in the sticker with the S/N and model number from the back of the TV. They said 3-4 weeks for processing and I hope they hold up their end of the deal.

Oh.. and I called the standard toll-free number given to me by that Sony rep on Facebook, but after sitting on hold for a very long time, I called their priority service number, which is a toll call (239) 768-7606 and was on hold maybe 3 minutes tops.

However, their first offer was for a KDL-40EX500 at NO-COST. Yes.. free.That was one of my options. I selected the 46". I won't post the price but it was very, very attractive.
...have to send in a picture of the TV with someone holding a piece of paper that has the reference number just below the screen, along with sending in the sticker with the S/N and model number from the back of the TV. They said 3-4 weeks for processing and I hope they hold up their end of the deal.Stick a piece of paper with the reference number written on it to the set for the picture. Doesn't have to be really good. They are primarily looking for the serial/model number tag you'll send. And, figure about a week tops to receive your replacement after they receive your items. My set came from Chicago and took two days. Check the DBSchenker website for shipping times to your location.

Good luck.

I had a 52A10 which was replaced with a KDL-46NX700 set. I paid $660 for the replacement via Sony's offer. This was back in April. I think the offer was more than fair, so I was happy. The 46NX700 is working well for me :)

I sure wish my 42A10 would die so that I could get in on this too!

I sure wish my 42A10 would die so that I could get in on this too!Just keep an eye out for color change splotches on the screen. I think Sony expects quite a few.

Opinion Time

We are kicking around the idea of doing some updates in our house. Our 2005 Sony 42A10 sits in a center bookcase unit in a wall of bookcase/cabinets, and it barely just fits in (the bookcase looks almost custom-made for the TV, but it wasn't). If it ever breaks, we would likely want to get a 46 or 47" set, and that would not fit, so I would rip out the bookcase as part of the remodeling, and place the new set on a credenza-style stand. However, if we had a good feeling that the 42A10 will last another 5 years, then we might not bother and leave the built-in bookcases in place.

1. Given all the optical block and color blotch etc issues people are having with the A10 series, what is the likelihood this will happen to my set (so far, no symptoms of anything)? Is it near certain, or is this happening to just a minority of sets?

2. Okay, put your house-buyer hat on for a moment. If you were house shopping, and you walked in and saw a built-in wall cabinet unit (that holds up to a 42" HDTV) that matches the kitchen cabinets in the adjoining room, would this be a plus or a minus? Feel free to ask your significant other about this one :-)

Thanks

Note: Replacing the 42A10 with another 42" HDTV (that just fits) is not an option, since WAF is low for a pedestal sitting inside the box-like area that the 42A10 is in. I mentioned a rear bracket mounting arrangement, without pedestal, with some sort of cantilevered mount to bring it to the front of the box area, but WAF is low on this idea too.

Edit: Picture is worth 1K words:
http://www.wardpreston.net/craigslist/Photos/TV%20and%20cabinet.JPG

Opinion Time...1. Given all the optical block and color blotch etc issues people are having with the A10 series, what is the likelihood this will happen to my set (so far, no symptoms of anything)? Is it near certain, or is this happening to just a minority of sets?

According to optical block rebuilder John Breton, the A10 series has the lowest build quality of all of Sony's liquid crystal rear-projection models. That does not bode well for A10s. You may dodge the bullet, but I would not count on 5 more years.

What is usually the quality lifespan of lamp? I've had my set since Feb. 2007 and as of today it has 7,023 hours on the bulb/lamp. Same for the panel. I think the picture has gotten dimmer, but I can't tell too much.

I replaced the bulb on my 42A10 at about 9,000 hours. It had not failed but the picture was dark. New bulb made a huge difference. Then the brightness started downhill pretty quickly again when the orange blotch showed up.

At the time I replaced my 52A10 because of the blue blob issue, it had 11,500 hours on the lamp. Still viewable, but not bright.

I replaced the bulb on my 42A10 at about 9,000 hours. It had not failed but the picture was dark. New bulb made a huge difference. Then the brightness started downhill pretty quickly again when the orange blotch showed up.

That sucks. I presume the optical block had to be replaced? How much did that cost?

The only problem I have seen on my TV is occasionally you can see that edgers are jagged or weird artifacts on the screen, but usually just restarting it makes it go away.