[kevlo9]

I just purchased a KF-50WE610 and was wondering what the bulb life was. How many hours are MOST people getting out of theirs. I heard that this TV had problems with bulbs buring out early. Is this STILL an issue? Is it on earlier build dates? If so which ones? Am I safe from this issue with getting a current model?


Thanks!

 

[kevlo9]

bump...


No one? I thought this was a pretty popular TV?

 

[Mitch_J]

Kevlo,

I've had this set a year now. Just yesterday I had the bulb replaced. BUT, I also had the driver replaced at the same time. The repairman said that on a lot of the early sets, They had problems with the drivers. He told me that the bulbs are diffetrent too. And that I can expect 3 years or so on it. BTW, The driver and the bulb were replaced under the original warranty.

Mitch

 

[kevlo9]

Thanks!


My set has a build date of August 2004.

 

[pparks1]

My set was mfg in Sept of 2003. I had my bulb replaces shortly after purchasing the TV in Oct and switched to the OSRAM.


Still on the OSRAM with light use (this TV mainly used only for watching movies).

 

[kevlo9]

Quote:

My set was mfg in Sept of 2003. I had my bulb replaces shortly after purchasing the TV in Oct and switched to the OSRAM. Still on the OSRAM with light use (this TV mainly used only for watching movies).

What is OSRAM?

 

[Mitch_J]

I have no idea what OSRAM is. Although I suspect that maybe it's another name for the driver unit my repairman replaced. Kevlo, I think you'll have many years of use from this set and this bulb. I hope you enjoy it.

 

[kevlo9]

Quote:

I have no idea what OSRAM is. Although I suspect that maybe it's another name for the driver unit my repairman replaced. Kevlo, I think you'll have many years of use from this set and this bulb. I hope you enjoy it.

So do the newer build dates have the updated driver unit? I'm confussed?

 

[Opus2]

Quote:

Originally posted by kevlo9 I have no idea what OSRAM is.

This is just a brand of bulb. Last I heard they were now using the Ushio brand bulbs which should be a very good bulb.

 

[Mitch_J]

Both bulbs. The original and the replacement were both labeled Phillips. Made in Belgium


And from what I've heard. Yes, all the newer sets have a new driver unit. The repairman said he's seen a lot of other LCD and even DLP sets all using the exact same driver. Without any problem on any of those other sets. He thinks that SONY had been sent "A bad batch" of drivers.

 

[LarryJoe]

How quickly we forget...


The early issue was with the bulb, a Phillips bulb, not the driver. Sony tried many things before determining the problem was related to the original Phillips bulb. This included changing out and or soldering some boards and giving people the same Phillips bulb.


The solution for the problem sets was an OSRAM bulb. OSRAM = Sylvania. These replacement bulbs did the trick (I have a spare in my closet). Later build sets now use a different Phillips bulb than the original. Different model number, etc. My 60" is used heavily (12+ hours per day), is a Dec 03 build and I am still using the original Phillips bulb. Read the manual, somewhere in there it states bulb life.


Long story short, if you have an August build (or even April 2004 or later), you are good to go. I bet you got a killer deal on the set too, my neighbor picked up a 50" GWIII for almost 33% under MSRP.

 

[Mitch_J]

LarryJoe,

Thanks for the link to that poll. I hadn't know of this before. I rarely wander into the Display Devices Forum.


As you've stated. There was some mod going around. But, My repairman never did the mods he always replaced the driver and the bulb. As you also say. It's a different Phillips bulb he replaced it with. All at no cost w/ 4 days left in the 1 year warranty period. Whew... That was close.

 

[kevlo9]

Thanks for the info LarryJoe!


I did get a pretty good deal on mine.

 

[LarryJoe]

Mitch - great to hear you got in under warranty. These sets are amazing, especially right now will all the HD Sports. I'm from Boston, so the Red Sox and Patriots get a lot of play on my set.


One question for you - Did you notice any difference in PQ with the new bulb over the old? Especially in terms of brightness and vibrance? I always wonder if as a bulb gets old, does it lose something so gradual it is hard to notice?

 

[LarryJoe]

Quote:

Originally posted by kevlo9 Thanks for the info LarryJoe! I did get a pretty good deal on mine.

I paid MSRP for my set right before the superbowl, then I found this forum and learned a ton. For one, I did not know you could barter at BB, Sears and CC. I got mine at Tweeter and I wished I had tried to knock off a few hundred. Thing was, it was a week before the superbowl and these GWIII's were in high demand and sold out everywhere. Beggars can't be choosers (or cheap) I guess, but seeing what my neighbor paid makes me sick for what I paid.


In hindsight, next time around, I buy the closeouts right before the new models arrive. Like the GWIII closeouts because the GWIV's are en route.

 

[Mitch_J]

I didn't notice any change in the PQ since the new bulb. I still have the old bulb, It still works. It apparently was the Driver unit that was failing. But I got them both replaced under warranty. And got a free(older) bulb as a spare. Yes I am enjoying HD sports lately. Although NBC really blew it in the olympic coverage (IMHO) Well enjoy your RedSox and it's to bad for you that the Pats have to go into Heinz field next week. Can someone say 6 and 1? J/K

 

[kevlo9]

Quote:

I paid MSRP for my set right before the superbowl, then I found this forum and learned a ton. For one, I did not know you could barter at BB, Sears and CC. I got mine at Tweeter and I wished I had tried to knock off a few hundred.

A friend of mine bought the 42" model about a year ago for more then I got the 50" for now!