Replacing the DLP Chip to Solve White/Black Dots Problem on Mitsubishi DLP TV

[Big Daddy]

I own a 73" Mitsubishi Model WD-73833 Diamond Series DLP TV. I purchased it in 2007. It has worked perfectly in the last five years. Its picture quality is stunning.

A few months ago, I noticed a very small white dot on the left side of the screen. It looked like a dead pixel on an LCD TV. DLP TVs are different than LCD TV. They don’t have dead pixels. They have a DLP chip with millions of tiny rotating mirrors. What appears to be a dead pixel is the result of a stuck mirror. The DLP chip is made by Texas Instruments and is used by Mitsubishi, Samsung, and Toshiba on their DLP TVs.

Anyway, the tiny white dot on the screen was not very bothersome and I ignored it. Several weeks later, I noticed the number of white dots have increased to three. To make a long story short, the number of white dots continued to increase until the TV was not even watchable. After doing some research on the internet, I realized that the DLP chip on the TV must be replaced. TV repairmen prefer to replace the entire Optical Light Engine as replacing the DLP chip is more involved and time consuming. The cost of replacing the Optical Light Engine is typically between $600 to $1,000. The entire Optical Light Engine can cost more than $500. Even when you purchase the Optical Light Engine from an online dealer, you have to pay $1,000 for a new one and when you return the old one back to them, they will refund $475. Check the following site:

http://www.tvlampsforless.com/Mitsub...60_p/75060.htm

I decided to replace the DLP chip myself. There are a few dealers on Amazon and Ebay that sell the chip. One of the best and most cost effective is ShopJimmy:

http://www.shopjimmy.com/catalogsear...lt/?q=dlp+chip
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Mitsub...ds=4719-001997

I ordered the chip from their Amazon store. It arrived in a few days. Unfortunately, I was too busy at the time and did not have the time needed to take the TV apart. In addition, I did not want to end up with no TV in the living room during the march of the Los Angeles Kings to the Stanley Cup. Additionally, the Olympics was a distraction, although NBC’s coverage was a national disgrace. I am tired of watching women’s behinds on taped delayed Beach Volleyball matches. While I was procrastinating and looking for excuses not to sit behind the TV and do the tedious and boring job of removing screws and disconnecting wires, the condition of the TV was becoming worse. The following picture demonstrates how awful the picture looked during the recent weeks:

Finally, after serious threats by my wife, I realized my life may be in danger or I may end up in doghouse again. I decided to get off my fanny and get to work.

The following pictures demonstrate the procedure you need to follow to replace the DLP chip.

Step 1. Remove several screws from the back panel and take it out.

Step 2. Remove additional screws and disconnect all the cables, including the DVI cable.

Step 3. Take the Optical Light Engine out and set it on a table.

Step 4. Remove a few more screws and disconnect all the cables from the top. Carefully, remove the cover from the top of the mother-board.

Step 5. Take the mother-board out by removing a few more screws that attach it to the entire unit.

Step 6. There is a screw that attaches the DLP processor to the mother-board. Loosen it and take the chip out and replace it with the new one.

Step 7. Put everything back together and keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best. In my case, everything worked perfectly and I am now allowed to leave the doghouse and sleep in the bedroom.

Note: It may be a good idea to wear plastic gloves, particularly in step 6, as electrostatic electricity can damage the chip and the circuit board.


For additional information, watch the following video:

http://www.howtorepairtv.com/