Sony KV34HS420 warranty issue screen anti-glare coating

[millisecond]

This is a brand new tv still under warranty. A few days ago, I experienced, while cleaning the screen with a soft microfiber cloth, the loss of the anti-reflecting coating in the left center of the screen. I can truly say that I was horrified by the experience. Because the tv is less than 90 days old, I called SONY for help with the warranty.

When the customer service representative asked me what the problem was, my response was met with a good dose of skepticism. I told him that I had used a soft microfiber cloth dampened with distilled water. He questioned me over and over again whether I had used any chemicals. Of course, I did not use any chemicals. I told him that I practiced the same care in cleaning the screen as I do when cleaning the lense of my digital slr, binoculars and glasses that have delicate anti-reflecting coatings. I was taken aback when he told me that "you can't clean the screen on your tv the same way you clean the lens on your camera." Come on, he could not be possibly be suggesting that the anti-reflecting coating of a 34 inch tv is more delicate than that used on expensive optics. After I assuaged him that I did not use any chemicals, he told me that "Sony will take care of the problem."

When I called the factory authorized service center in the Milwaukee area, as the Sony representative had instructed me to do, the man who answered the phone told me that Sony did not provide warranty coverage for the loss of the anti-glare coating. He told me that the screen did not damage itself. I explained to him that I did not do anything that would have damaged the screen and that Sony had already promised to take care of the problem. It took another call to Sony to get an event id number and back to the authorized service center before I was able to schedule an appointment with one of their techs. I also called Best Buy and they agreed to send a tech to take a look at the tv.

I would appreciate any suggestions, feedbacks in dealing with the warranty issue, etc. I will follow up on any developments after the tech visit. Thank you.

[lthompson123]

Sorry to say I have the same problem with a 34 inch HDTV, about 90 days old.

I will confess to using Windex for about 6 weeks before I read a few articles
about potential coating damage.

At the 6 week mark the coating was perfect. I had been cleaning the screen once a week with Windex and a very soft paper towel.

I changed to an Office Depot Product, 3M Anti-Static Electronic Equipment Cleaner, CL600, which can be used for Computer Monitors, PDAs, TV screens, etc.

I cleaned the TV (and my computer and PDA) with this product for about 8 weeks,
and last week I noticed a small stain in the left center of the screen. I applied the cleaner and try to remove the stain, which subsequently became larger. At that point I realized that the reflective coating was failing.

Calling Sony gave me the same results you encountered, skepticism and accidental damage not covered by the manufacturer. They did not believe that I had done light cleaning in the past 90 days and that the coating could be defective.

I called 3M about the product and they would not comment and immediately told me to call the manufacturer of the TV, even though the product clearly states it is suitable for TV screens on the can.

I called Circuit City, I have the Extended protection plan, AND,
the plan does not cover TV Screens!! CC was very apologetic and even conceded that the screen was probably defective, but the extra warranty did not cover the problem.

So I have an $1800 HDTV about 90 days old with the Anti-Reflective coating peeling off.

Looks like this coating has problems, but NOONE will admit it.

[lthompson123]

FYI,

The Sony Web Site has dropped the KD-34XS955 (which I own) and now only offers the KD-34XS955N.

A call to Sony Tech Support today verified that the only difference between the two models is that the later model with the "N" suffix does NOT have an Anti-Reflective Coating.

Not a suprise, but looks like warranty claims on the coating will be nearly impossible to prove.

Interesting note:
Sony Parts actually sells the Anti-Reflective film as a spare part for my TV.
Service centers in my area have no idea how to deal with this problem, even
on a non warranty call.

[justsc]

What exactly does it look like in this condition? How would the tv look if all of the anti-reflective coating were gone?

[Porcupine2]

I think the Sony techs are right to be suspicious of your guys' claims. I would be, if I were in their shoes, since they can't be certain you really didn't do something to damage the screens yourself.

This might sound insane, but if I were you guys I might try this. Get some distilled water or regular water (who cares) and just keep washing your screen over and over for no reason, and check to see if you are able to peel away any more of the coating. If you are, then you have now proved their coating really does have a problem with being water-soluble. You could perhaps even demonstrate this deficiency to them in person. If you cannot reproduce the problem with ordinary water, then the fault should be assumed to lie with you, and if I were the Sony servicemen I would probably not repair your screen for free.

[lthompson123]

With the coating damge on my 34in, viewing is not a problem, it is mostly evident when the TV is off or during very dark screen sequences, but average viewing is not effected.

My damage is about the size of a quarter with a 3 in tail and other small damage stops on the screen.

Without the coating, I assume the screen would look just like the 34XS955N, which is now the only model available.

There is a post in this forum from someone who removed the dual facia assembly from a similar TV (XS or HS) and peeled the coating off. This makes sense because the coating film is sold as a spare part by Sony. Of course, this would void my warranty.

Apparently, the coating is too susceptible to damage with normal use, but this will be impossible to prove, even though Sony has conveniently discontinued the coating on this TV model.

There are no specific warnings in the user manuals about the extreme sensitivity of the coating, only the standard warning at the beginning of the manual for cleaning, and that also includes the case material.

Rubbing the coating at this point will remove more of the coating, because it is a film sheet and it is not "bonded" to the tube glass. The sheet has already broken, so just about any type of friction will continue to remove material.

I am looking for a local tech to do the film removal.

[Porcupine2]

Originally Posted by lthompson123

Rubbing the coating at this point will remove more of the coating, because it is a film sheet and it is not "bonded" to the tube glass. The sheet has already broken, so just about any type of friction will continue to remove material.

Oh. So once it has started to peel, it will just continue to come off without any solvents of any kind. It's just a bad film design, then. Oh well.

[lthompson123]

Further research and talking with Sony Techs revealed that the Anti-Glare coating is NOT a field replaceable film, it is a coating applied to the glass tube surface at the factory.

There is no procedure for removing the coating.

I have tried WD40 on a small area and it is working, but slowly.
The glass cleans up afterwards with Windex and the bezel is not damaged by the WD40.

Total removal time will probably be about 2-3 hours with lots of elbow grease!

[RandallA]

Does this problem only applies to this model KV34HS420? I have a KV-32HS420 and would like to know if I can at least use Windex to clean the screen.

[ScottGoldbach]

My wife and I have a Sony TV with the same problem as you've described. We plan to speak with an attorney about this. With the amount of people having trouble with this TV set, Sony could be opened to a class action case.

Scott

[silverghost1926]

SCOTT: The only people who do well in a class action lawsuit are the lawyers!!! Save your legal money!!! At best all you MIGHT get is a discount coupon for $100 off the price of your next SONY TV!!!( That is if you live long enough to see the suit settled!!! The legal system works at a snail's pace at best!!!" Class action lawsuits are a "Legal Scam"!!! The only ones who get rich are the class action "Scam" Lawyers!!! This won't get your screen coating problem fixed!!!

[mcduffeet]

Someone in my household, to remain nameless, used a liquid cleaner on my new KV-34HS420 screen. It is now damaged all over the placed with the coating apparently having been "eaten away". The manual does say to only clean with water and soft cloth, so not Sony's fault this time. My choice now seems to be (a) discard the set, or (b) replace the picture tube. (b) with service costs would probably cost as much as buying a whole new set. Don't suppose anyone knows of a product to apply to the whole glass to eliminate the problem?

[lthompson123]

I have been working on the coating on my 34XS955 since it failed even though
I used mild cleaning solution on the screen for only 90 days.

Removing the entire coating is proving to be difficult. I seems to harder to remove in some areas of the screen, pointing to the fact that the coating itself is most likely defective and failed in the weakest area.

What Cleaner was used to eat the entire coating area on your TV?
Did it damage the glass?

I have tried WD40, Clorox Cleanup, OOPs stain cleaner (more like paint thinner),
and these barely make a dent in the coating. I apply the cleaner to a soft rag or paper towel and work it on to a portion of the screen. I could take days at this rate to remove the coating, which is sprayed on at the factory.

If you have a compound/cleaner that can eat away the coating and does not damage the glass, then I would use it to remove the rest of the coating.
Just take care not to get the cleaner on the bezel or plastic surfaces on the TV Face.

There are too many cases of coating damage with standard household cleaners,
The warning in the manual for this is very generic and easily overlooked.
It should be stressed in the manual and during the sale, but then they would never sell the TV!!

Of course, new models no longer have this coating (at least for the XS955 series)

[mcduffeet]

To answer your questions ...

What Cleaner was used to eat the entire coating area on your TV? The entire coating hasn't been disolved, just splatter marks occurring over the entire surface (i.e. not limited to one corner or spot). It looks like I've got streaking all over the screen, but it is more serious than that. I'm currently at work, so I don't have the exact name of the product that caused this (I can look later today). It was a general household spray cleaner from "Trader Joes" (a chain store which might be in your area as well). It contains some form of alcohol, plus Cedar oil, and other oils ... a "new age" type of cleaner. The screen was only cleaned the once with this product, as far as I'm aware, so it could be a good candidate for dissolving away any remaining coating.

Did it damage the glass? I'm not sure, how could I tell? If I look at the screen close up, and at an angle, the "original" parts are dark grey with a muted reflection. The new splatter marks have a reflection like a mirror.

Now some questions of my own ...
If I, or we, find a way to totally remove the coating ... what will be the result? Will the picture look fine, just more susceptible to glare? I'm concerned about going down this road.

[lthompson123]

I cant say what the end result would be after removing the coating for all models, only the 34XS955.

Essentially, after the coating is removed on my TV, I wind up with the 34XS955N which is exactly the same TV without the coating. My model is no longer "available".

I have tried acetone, ammonia, M30 Hand Cleaner, toothpaste, etc.
(not all at once of course!)
Except for the defective areas, the rest of the coating is proving to be
very tough to remove. I am using the M30 Stain Remover paste and then
cleaning it up ammonia. This is slowy increasing the size of the bare glass
area, but it is slow going and there will be patchy areas of coating left
that have to be removed with elbow grease.

The picture is actually better since I have started removing the coating,
Constant applications of mild solvents are probably diluting the coating slowly and letting more light through. So viewing is not a problem for my TV except during very bright scenes.

I have been to other forums that have used one compound or another like M30 and claimed they cleaned up the screen in 15 minutes. That may be true, but they were not Sony brand TVs or computer monitors with this type of coating.

Unless you want to put a lot of time into this coating removal, you may be better off with what you have, if it does not interfere with your normal viewing.
It is also possible that portions of this "sprayed on" coating will never be removed from the glass. I have some very light areas of coating left in areas I have cleaned that do not respond to any type of solvent or cleaners.

[crzyakta]

any update on this? as I have a Sony FW900 24" widescreen monitor where the coating has chipped on the upper right (very noticeable) and would like to get the coating off, and perhaps apply some fresh coating...what is your option thus far as the best (and safest remover?)

Thanks

[ghersh]

Well, I don't know if I just got lucky, or if Sony has changed their stance on the issue, but I just got a call from the local electronic shop (authorized Sony repair) that Sony -is- going to cover the cost to replace my picture tube. TV is 11 months old (2yr warranty on picture tube). They are coming to pick up my TV on Friday, and there is a 14-21 day turnaround time. I am assuming they'll be putting in another 34sx955 tube or a newer 34sx955n tube. As long as it still is the SuperFinePitch, I should be ok.

[ioannisds]

It sounds like Sony might take care of my problem as well. I have a KV34HS420, and I called them today to tell them about the streaking I got after cleaning with a soft cloth diaper and a little water. The first lady I spoke to gave me a little bit of a hard time, but once I spoke to the higher ups, the guy was actually quite nice with me. The tech guy told me the anti-glare coating is actually "baked on" at the factory, and unless I used a really strong solvent or scrubbed really really hard, it shouldn't have come off. I was given a case number, told my tube was still under warranty (not labor though), and to call a tech in to verify the issue. We'll see what happens when the tech comes next Tuesday... By the way, any of you folks know roughly what labor should cost to have the tube replaced in one of these things?

[mst3k]

I have a 34XBR960 that the exact same thing happened to. In my case a hole in the coating of about 10-12 inches around opened up. I have tried everything to remove the rest of the coating. I got most of it but as stated there are areas of the screen that just refuse to come off. This sux and my screen looks terrible. My tv is just a tad over a year old. Could you please post the name of the Sony rep you spoke to that is willing to help you? Obviously someone at Sony knows its a problem or they wouldn't be willing to help
I hate mine so much Im thinking of donating it to a school and getting the Sony Bravia KDL-V40XBR1. Im just so bummed since this happened.

[luigih]

Yesterday I noticed for the first time this problem. After cleaning the screen with Pledge Muti Surface Wipes the film is coming off. The product supposed to be safe to use on electronics and plastics. No warning listed about using on units with anti-reflective coatings.

Tomorrow I will call Sony CS and put a warranty claim. Do you have any suggestions on how or what to say and not to say? Your help will be greatly appreciated.

And those that already taken the steps of claiming warranty, how did it go?

[guvadc]

I noticed the same problem a few weeks ago on my xbr960 and I then contacted sony to see if something could be done. They first didn't want to do anything but after I got a little pushy they agreed to have someone come out and look at the set to determine if it was caused by physical damage on my part and if it wasn't physical damage they would replace the tube.

When the service person came and saw the set he knew right away that the film was peeling off and that it was the fault of the coating and not mine. He said that he would go back and contact sony to let them know that the tube needed replaced under warranty and form me to call back the next day to find out the response from sony. When I called back I found out that I would be getting my tube replaced and that this was a common problem with this set and that was the reason for the xbr960n with the coating baked into the glass instead of on top of the glass. Tomorrow on 9/12/06 the service people will come and replace my tube.
I hope my situation and resolution will help out anyone else with the same problem.

[chrisfny]

I noticed this problem on my KV-34HS420 after 1 year. Can anyone with successful warranty claims please give an update. I am curious as to the labor cost and a service rep. contact at SONY that will handle this issue without any grief.

[luigih]

Since my last reply I contacted Sony CS and explained the problem to the. The responce from them was to have the local service rep. inspect the tv and provide Sony with his expert opinion. They came by and pick up the tv on Friday 15 and advised me on Wednesday 20 that the warranty will cover the replacement of picture tube and labor. This would take 2 weeks to complete.

I just hope they don't mess up something else on the tv. My tv is working fantastic, better image than any LCD or Plasma display.

[Compass]

Anyone know if the 36XS955 also has this coating?

I received my TV a couple months ago and noticed vertical streaks across the entire picture that appear as if they're *behind* the glass, on the inside, that is. Difficult to tell for sure. The set was brand new and I hadn't touched the glass once when I first saw the streaks. I've since cleaned it with water, but have noticed no difference.

Three different service techs from two different companies have been out, and none of them have any idea what it is or how to fix it.

[chrisfny]

After a month of back and forth between the service center and SONY, I have a new picture tube at no cost to me. They do not make the tube with the anti-glare coating anymore which leads me to believe SONY could not get the process right, even though they will never admit it. So I have a little glare, but no annoying streaks. The serviceman told me that SONY will only be making LCD very soon, so if you have this problem get it fixed soon.

[neo7777]

I have a kd34xbr960 purchased on 3/25/06. It now has the coating problems you guys have been talking about. How long is the manufactures warranty in effect? I do have a 4 year in store( best buy) extended warranty. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, eventhough I realize I am probably stuck like Chuck.

[L3thal80]

I had an old Sony Trinitron monitor with the anti-glare coating on it. I cleaned it with Windex regulary for about a month before the coating started to get a thin spot in the bottom corner of the screen. I think it said in the manual or somewhere not to clean it with any chemicals. Anyways, I think it was the combination of the ammonia in the Windex, and the friction from wiping it that ate it away.

[devros275]

UNBELIEVABLE!! I have been looking for other people with this problem as I have been told it was my fault! I have the same TV, SONY's KV34HS420. I have been given nothing but the runaround! We bought our TV from a Big Canadian company FUTURE SHOP(OWNED BY BEST BUY) and had an extended warranty as well but they will do nothing. Sounds to me like SONY has a manufacturing problem with this! Has anybody heard anything more about this?? OR had any luck dealing with the companies?? We just bought our TV Last year.... The coating has rubbed off in one spot(size of a dollar coin) and spread out like cracks all over the TV.

[lazerfan]

Originally Posted by devros275

UNBELIEVABLE!! I have been looking for other people with this problem as I have been told it was my fault! I have the same TV, SONY's KV34HS420. I have been given nothing but the runaround! We bought our TV from a Big Canadian company FUTURE SHOP(OWNED BY BEST BUY) and had an extended warranty as well but they will do nothing. Sounds to me like SONY has a manufacturing problem with this! Has anybody heard anything more about this?? OR had any luck dealing with the companies?? We just bought our TV Last year.... The coating has rubbed off in one spot(size of a dollar coin) and spread out like cracks all over the TV.

May I ask how often you cleaned your screen and what you used to clean it? I bought mine from The Sony Store back in September and it is still fine. Thing is, I have only cleaned it once, using Monster Screen Clean. If was a customer return set and had icecream smeared on the screen.

[RWetmore]

I didn't know the 34XS955 and 34HS420 had the antiglare coating. My 30XS955 and 27HS420 both did not have the coating.

My advice would be to remove the whole coating - the screen is brighter without it anyway.