Sony SXRD flickers intermittently after bulb replacement

[Sylin]

So, I just replaced the bulb in my 50" Sony SXRD (KDS-50A2020).

Everything was great for a few days. And then I noticed that the screen is flickering from time to time. Sometimes for minutes... sometimes for hours on end. It's VERY annoying.

Has anyone else encountered this problem?

I've read online that changing the Power Save settings seems to fix this for some people. I turned it Off, and the problem temporarily corrected, but returned about a day later.

I've also noticed it doesn't do this on very dark images or very light images, but in-between or high-saturation screens (like the PSN store, for example) seem to be affected more (or perhaps I'm just noticing it more).

I'm WAY out of warranty so I hope this isn't an expensive fix. I've submitted an RMA request on the bulb but I am not holding my breath with this online vendor.

[ClaytonMG]

From what I understand, there is no fix. I had the exact same problem. Luckily (sort of) I was still under warranty from Sony. After multiple repair men and terrible, TERRIBLE service (one idiot repair man touched the lense multiple times on the optical block which looked wonderful when projected), I received pro-rated (in other words $700 less than what I paid) store credit from the place I bought it from. They replaced the optical block, the balast, the mother board, the iris control board and something else. None of it fixed the issue.

At one point a Sony tech person told the repair person that the flicker we're seeing is a reflection off the inside of the set... Probably not true, but that was the closest answer we got.

It took us 7-8 months to get the situation resolved, but now I have a far superior (and unfortunately more expensive) plasma.

[lifeboat]

"Everything was great for a few days. And then I noticed that the screen is flickering from time to time. Sometimes for minutes... sometimes for hours on end. It's VERY annoying."

I had this problem and replaced the bulb and the problem went away.

Eric Klien
Lifeboat Foundation
+1 (775) 329-0180 Voice
+1 (775) 329-0190 Fax
Skype ID lifeboathq
Twitter lifeboathq
http://lifeboat.com

[ClaytonMG]

Originally Posted by lifeboat

"Everything was great for a few days. And then I noticed that the screen is flickering from time to time. Sometimes for minutes... sometimes for hours on end. It's VERY annoying."

I had this problem and replaced the bulb and the problem went away.

Eric Klien
Lifeboat Foundation
+1 (775) 329-0180 Voice
+1 (775) 329-0190 Fax
Skype ID lifeboathq
Twitter lifeboathq
http://lifeboat.com

You know what the funniest (and also the saddest) thing is, the only thing that they didn't replace was the lamp for some reason. Oh well, I learned a lot from this experience!

Good luck replacing the lamp! Let us know if that works!

[Sylin]

Originally Posted by ClaytonMG

You know what the funniest (and also the saddest) thing is, the only thing that they didn't replace was the lamp for some reason. Oh well, I learned a lot from this experience!

Good luck replacing the lamp! Let us know if that works!

Thanks, will-do!

Oddly enough, if I have Power Save set to OFF, and it flickers, I can turn Power Save ON and it stops. If it starts to flicker again, then I just switch Power Save to OFF again, and it stops. It sounds like some sort of power issue... perhaps inconsistent voltage going to the lamp?

I'll see what the vendor I bought the lamp from says. If they agree to replace it, great. If not, I dunno... those Panasonic G15's are looking mighty nice...

[ClaytonMG]

Originally Posted by Sylin

Thanks, will-do!

Oddly enough, if I have Power Save set to OFF, and it flickers, I can turn Power Save ON and it stops. If it starts to flicker again, then I just switch Power Save to OFF again, and it stops. It sounds like some sort of power issue... perhaps inconsistent voltage going to the lamp?

I'll see what the vendor I bought the lamp from says. If they agree to replace it, great. If not, I dunno... those Panasonic G15's are looking mighty nice...

Same thing here. It'd stop for a few days after I'd mess with the Power Save mode, and then start right back up. Out of all the different techs that came out to check the set, only one of them actually stayed long enough to see the flickering (since it really doesn't happen right on cue) and he said he had never seen anything like it. That's when Sony told him to replace the iris control board and the mother board (but it's called something else...)

Who knows, hopefully the lamp replacement will help. I am curious to find out if it does. I wasn't able to replace our lamp because it was under warranty and I didn't want to void anything although it actually almost was voided. The dumb repair guy that put his finger prints on the lens said we got water on the inside of our set... but the middle screen actually just had some bent fins on the top of it from when it was manufactured... found that out from a different repair guy. Ahhh the stories from this set.

[Josh]

Are you sure you bought a new bulb? Some of the lower priced offering online are just used bulbs that haven't exploded yet. Did the package come sealed?

[solarrdadd]

you might want to check to make sure the lamp is seated properly. when you replaced the lamp did you replace the "lamp/bulb" or did you replace the entire assembly? to replace the lamp you would have to have disassembled the entire thing to change the lamp. I recommend you find an entire pre-assembled unit housing with a new lamp ready to just "pop in" and try that. again, check the seating of the lamp to make sure it's not going out on some heating safety. also do you notice your lamp cooling fan working alot more than usual and perhaps faster than usual?

i had my lamp changed (complete assembly swapped in/out) about 4 months ago and it works fine. i was told to leave it on a particular setting (perhaps it was normal) not vivid or anything like that for at least a week or two of watching then i could switch it to vivid or something else.

that new lamp made my SXRD look like a brand new set! best of luck to ya!

[dg5150]

I also had this problem last year. I purchased a "compatible" bulb from a website for far less than the Sony branded bulb, the sales person told me they were identical. They were not. Then I purchased a "Sony" bulb from an authorized Sony dealer on eBay, and had no problem. I could tell a difference in the casing right away after I got the new Sony bulb. I don't know if the different casing had something to do with the way the bulb fit in the TV, but it definately fit tighter - the generic bulb did not fit as tight. Compatible bulb started flickering immediately - not one flicker from the Sony bulb 8 months later. If you look around on eBay, you can still find a good deal on the Sony bulbs - I think mine was only $25 more than the generic. Absolutely worth it. By the way, the power saving did no good on the generic bulb, it still flickered whether the setting was on or off. But no problem with the Sony bulb with either setting. Hopefully (and probably) that's what the problem is. Stay away from the generic bulbs. Even if you have to eat a restocking fee on this bulb, it's worth it. Just return it.