Official 2005 Sony KDSR-50/60XBR1 SXRD Owner's Thread - Page 745

There's also an 82" Mitsu DLP. It's most definitely underwhelming coming from the SXRD but the size is nice and massive.

download a service manual

See HERE. Instructions for Optical Block access, replacement, cleaning and disassembly. Should get you there!

One caveat, I probably wouldn't recommend cleaning the mirror - very fragile and you could damage it. Maybe clean the lens, etc?

Yeah, I don't include instructions on cleaning the main mirror on my web site, although they exist in other places. If your picture is getting dim, my first suspicion would be that the lamp is getting old. How many hours are on it?

4/10 CC charged -- still no further contact from Sony or DB

For those of you who have called Sony about replacement, what information do you have to volunteer before they get to the offer stage? Many of you have mentioned having just a week to decide, but since I don't like being put on the spot (especially when the choices may be less desirable depending on what's available that day), I'd like to know what's in store for me when I call.

Is it not possible to feel them out anonymously? Is it possible to call back and try agian, or is whatever deal they offer the only deal I'll be able to get?

If you don't decide in a week they will call you back
I know that Sony wants to get the stickers off the SXRD sets so they don't ask very many questions
I actually called Sony parts dept last week to inquire about the two different model numbers listed for the optical blocks and the person who answered asked me why I was shopping for an optical block,and wanted to know if the sticker was still on my tv,when I said yes she went into the entire sales pitch to offer me a replacement tv at a reduced cost.......she was actually talking me out of purchasing a new OB,I found this very peculiar

That's very significant! It appears they are basically acknowledging that OBs are long-term unrepairable.

When I called about the second failed optical block on my KDF-55WF655, the Sony support person offered a virtually worthless discount off a smaller TV at the Sony online store and strongly promoted the fact that it was a non-projection (direct-view) LCD...[the following is a direct quote] "that does not require an optical block, nor does it require an optical block replacement plan."

I think that was part of their script at the time, because other customers reported hearing the same thing when they called in. That was back about 6 months ago now, though, and they may have removed it from their script.

4 years and 12,000 hours on 2nd O.B. and it still looks pretty good.

I hope I get results like that Best Buy Geek is coming out tomorrow to replace mine (1st ob replacement)along with the main fan and a new lamp....I only have 3 days left on the extended warranty so this is it.

All you have to say is "Hi, I'm having trouble with my XBR1", immediately they ask for your name and offer you the three EX model choices. No repair option available. You get a Ref#, then 1-2 weeks to call them back with a decision. Once you give your name and get a Ref#, you're in the system.

I got offer 4/9
called back 4/12
mailed sticker 4/13

now waiting for my CC to be charged and my tv to be delivered.

60EX700 would be a nice replacement. Noone has been successful getting 60" EX huh?

Are there no more XBR's planned? Or just not out for awhile?

Hi ALL,

This is a little off topic but I've been following this thread since the very beginning and owned a 60" XBR1 which had 4 repair requests under the BB EW and I was able to exchange/upgrade to a Kuro 60" which I'm very happy with.

Anyway, my slightly OT question is that Sony is still very much in the business of making SXRD based front projectors which seem to be very successful and consistently get very good reviews in video magazines. I assume the OB in the front projectors are similar to those in the XBR1s but seem to not have the same green blob problems the XBR1s had. And the bulb in a FP I assume is even hotter than the one in an RP and the greeb blob effect was often blamed on the heat from the bulb. So why couldn't Sony re-engineer the RP OB to be closer to the FB OB and we could have gotten new OBs that would have worked longer then the way the current RP OB replacements did?

Just wondering!!

Gerry

That isn't exactly true, but you may have to be very persuasive and insistent.

In general front projectors don't rack up hours nearly as quick. Their lamps tend to be much more comparitively expensive. It may be that, like 3 chip DLP, the main benefit of rear projection (lower cost) wasn't realized but would be much more reliable.

Or that front projectors racking up thousands of hours could well begin to see the same effect. Without knowing the number of optical blocks Sony has replaced and their internal memos / conclusions, it will likely remain speculation. For a long time, in this very thread, we were considering the Qualia 006 and XBR2. XBR2s look like they exploded big time, though they lasted longer than the A2000/A2020. IIRC there are now finally more than a few Q006...

Most consumer electronics is junk these days. Try to find a single non-high end display in the Display section without a serious issues. If it's not clouds, it's banding, if it's not banding, it's electronic failures. Sony to Samsung to Mitsu to Pioneer to Panasonic... it's all semi-disposable junk that will quite doubtfully be running in 20 years. Look at the Xbox 360 RROD and the PS3 YLOD. Stuff is made to as cheaply as possible... I think SXRD is great tech and could be viable. I'm still a big fan of rear projection, in fact... it's just Sony didn't make the design to be upgradable or easy to maintain (look at how deep the fans are and where dust accumulates). I would love a modular rear projection set designed with the long term in mind... Rear projection with replaceable lamps is well suited to that, but the corners can't be cut. A modular, easily accessible well engineered design would be great: "upgrade your video processing from WEGA to Bravia 2? Undo the thumbscrews and Remove panel A, Change out this card." "Want to upgrade your HDMI board, change out that card." etc etc. But it's not in anyone's design paradigm right now.

I agree with this
I was offered 3 EX models and immediately shot them down
for now I'm fixing my SXRD and taking the gamble that this summer brings better options

That's assuming that Sony will still be offering replacement sets in the summer.

I called this morning and was offered the following:
KDL52EX700 $325.00 + local sales tax
KDL55EX500 $225.00 + local sales tax
KDL46EX700 No Charge

Not sure what to do. From these 3 choices, the 52EX700 seems the best, though it is 8 inches smaller than my 60 inch XBR1. Really wish I had known about this early, to get the 55HX701 or even the 46NX700.

Wow, they seem to have dropped prices on everything... I was going to settle for the free 46 incher since they don't offer the NX700 anymore. At this price even though it's not as good as the HX,,, the 52 incher is tempting... maybe they dropped prices because they are going to offer something different at the 550 price point (NX800???)..... one can hope I guess...

Try to demand the 60" EX700

I had a 60XBR1 and couldn't get them to offer any 60" models. I took a 52EX701. It is a dwarf on the stand compared to the 60XBR1, both the 8" in screen size and the speaker bar on the right/left sides. I do like the 52EX701 though for PQ, feature, function.

....

Hmmmm, not sure how I was able to get the KDS-60EX700 then. Perhaps I just spoke with someone that was sick of arguing with people and wanted to get rid of me, maybe the person needed a smoke break, not really sure. But Sony has already charged my cc and I am awaiting a shipment email. I haven't heard of many people getting a 60EX700 as a replacement for their 60XBR1's though. Did I just get lucky?

Perhaps it's not a price drop. Those are different EX models than they were offering before. I believe the EX500/EX700 models are 1yr warranty (instead of 3yr on the 501/701) and the EX701 includes wifi (instead of only wifi ready on the 700).

Drats...........looks like sony pulled another fast one.......wish they'd freakin keep their story straight..

How much did they charge you? Thanks.

I've read my 'acceptance' letter from Sony and seeing as how there is nothing stated that I have to keep this a secret the offer was for $600 + local tax....shipping included. Not sure if that is a good deal or not....I'm satisfied as a buddy of mine is going to pay me for my SXRD so that helps to defray the cost a little. But damn, I do love the SXRD when it works!!

I'd definitely take that deal. Almost too good to be true, which it probably is for most.

I'm happy you got the 60. Seems like a good deal and I'm jealous. ;-) I did make 3-4 phone calls asking for a bigger TV deal, but didn't have any luck.

I took the 52EX700 set. Spoke to Sony today, trying to get a 55HX701 or the 46NX700. The person I spoke to, who seemed knowledgeable, said there are no more in stock. That is why they changed the offer. He also indicated that the exchanges have been going on for some time (since at least 2009, when they gave people XBR9 sets), and that the exchange would not be lasting much longer. I even offered to be put on a waiting list for the 55HX701, and was assured that it would not be offered again as an option. So I decided to take something now instead of possibly getting nothing in a few months.
None of these sets will replace the XBR1 I have, because they are all smaller in size. My son really wants me to get something larger than 60 inches, as the set is located in the family room. So I will look for something else to put in the family room. I'll put the 52EX700 in either the library (would make a nice sized computer monitor) or a guest room. Thus, it does not have to be the highest picture quality set. And the Netflix, etc. streaming is an added touch. Actually pretty good for $325.00.
The way I look at it, any offer from Sony is more than I expected. Had it not been for Slickdeals, I would not have known about this offer.
I love the picture from the XBR1 (but for the color problem), and also have a SXRD front projector in my theater. I think SXRD technology produces the best picture of all the available technology (except for the 9 inch CRT projector I also have, but that is dead technology). I even like it better than the Panasonic 50V10 plasma in my sitting room (have not noticed issues with increased black levels; I don't push the settings). It will be sad to see it go.