Sony KDF-55WF655 (All) Grand WEGA Owners - Blu-ray Forum

jswilli1 · 03-16-2008, 09:21 PM

Has anyone experienced the Blue Dot or Star pattern on their screen? I have owned my 55" Sony for nearly three years and have changed the lamp once. I started noticing a blue (bright) haze near the bottom left portion of the screen. Today the blue haze has increased in size and is about 2 inches wide and stretches 75% across the front of the screen. I checked Sony Website and found a page for additional warranty coverage through Dec 2008 for a "known" defect. After looking at the screen shots on the website although my defect is not the same in the screen shots it exhibits the same characteristics. I talked to sony and will be setting up for an in home repair this week as the defect is getting worse. Has anyone seen this problem or currently dealing with it on their sets? Here is the link for the pics on the sony site and the warranty info.

http://esupport.sony.com/perl/news-i...mdl=KDF55WF655

WayneC · 03-16-2008, 09:48 PM

Yes.. I have the exact same TV ,KDF-55WF655, and had a similar problems. There was like a blue-ish cloud over the bottom/left/center of the picture. You could watch content, it was just a discoloration in the picture, which HD makes all that more annoying to look at.

The light engine had to be replaced (the main component of the tv that actually generates your picture). It was covered by some kind of Sony extended coverage of the normal warranty. I did not purchase any kind of extended warranty, but evidently Sony knew of some defect or problem that they corrected in next years model, at least that's what the Service Rep on the phone told me. The repairman who replaced the part told me the cost of repair would be along the lines of 1200 or so if Sony had not covered it. I think their coverage only went until the end of 2007, but call the Sony home repair number and ask them for sure.

Wayne

jswilli1 · 03-17-2008, 12:18 AM

Thanks Wayne, Sony calls it an Optical Block, I have been watching the TV today and it is progressively getting longer and it appears to be moving up towards the center of the TV. I will be calling the authorized repair shop tomorrow to setup the repair job. Thanks again.

hb7 · 03-17-2008, 09:12 AM

i noticed a similar defect on my sony aswell, i have the 55 inch version of the kdf series, and i have a little bluish cloud forming near the bottom of the screen. where the bottom letterbox usually is during movies, right above it. anybody else experiencing this? because mine so far hasnt shown any stars or patterns from taht link provided by jswill.

jswilli1 · 03-17-2008, 03:47 PM

That is how my defect started out, a little bluish cloud/haze near the bottom left of the screen. Yesteday I watched the TV and the bluish haze went from the small corner all the way across the bottom of the TV. This morning when I turned it on the bluish haze was just in the bottom left corner. As the TV has "warmed up" it is starting to progress across the bottom of the screen again. I will initiate a repair order this morning when the repair facility opens up. hb7 I want to say I saw the left corner before but it was so small that it did not affect the picture, as time as progressed the defect is really starting to show itself. I would keep an eye on it and notify Sony as they are only covering it upto Dec 2008. I will update this thread as the defect issue plays out and when I get the repair done. I have a feeling there are several people out there with this issue as it applies not just to the 55" crowd but the other sizes also (as listed in the webpage).

jswilli1 · 03-17-2008, 04:16 PM

For reference the manufacture date on the back of my TV is January 2005. As Wayne C mentioned above this defect seems to affect the earlier models before they got it corrected. I would check your date and see when it was manufactered. Also copy down the Ser# which is next to it, Sony will ask you for it.

hb7 · 03-17-2008, 06:50 PM

i bought mine in december 2004 and i bought it from futureshop, i got a 5 year extended warranty with them, so would I contact futureshop or contact sony about this problem? thanks for the help in advance.

hb7 · 03-18-2008, 12:16 AM

I dont know if this is how your guys problem started or not, but yesterday i had the blue line going across the bottom of my tv, but today i've watched tv for about 2 hours and the line isnt there anymore, is this a typical symptom of the problem your guys tv is having?

jswilli1 · 03-18-2008, 04:50 AM

Same Identical problem I am having right now. It was there yesterday and this morning it was gone. After an hour it started to show up however.

hb7 · 03-18-2008, 05:19 AM

did your problem start out similar to mine jswilli, because i watched today today for about 5 hours combined and the blue line never appeared, i looked carefully aswell by changing channels and seeing if it appeared with different background colors.

jswilli1 · 03-18-2008, 05:53 PM

Exactly like yours. Everyday the line seems to change shape and size but is primarily still in the bottom left corner but it is enough to affect the picture now in that section of the screen. Since this is covered by sony and you have the extended coverage anyways, I think you can go straight to sony for the repair. I called the authorized repair facility in my area and they ordered the part so hopefully I will have it fixed in the next week or so. I will take some pics of my screen and let you see for yourself. Then we can see how similiar the defect is.

hb7 · 03-19-2008, 09:31 PM

i've watched TV for about 3 days now and watched a couple movies as well as regular cable tv and the problem has not returned so far, do you guys think it is still the optical block problem or maybe it was just a one time fluky little problem the tv needed to be turned off the fix?

jswilli1 · 03-20-2008, 12:45 AM

I unplugged the TV to see if it corrected the problem and I still have the bluish haze at the bottom left. I watched the Simpson movie in blu-ray yesteday (Target BOGO) and due to the aspect ratio (black bar on top and bottom) the line actually moved up to the bottom portion of the movie. So it went from 2" width to 4 to 5" width of bluish haze. My son started playing Pirates of the Carribean on the PS3 and there were some patterns forming in the haze. I am definetely sure that it is the optical block. I did contact the repair facility and the part is on order. I will take a couple of screen shots and post them tonight or tomorrow sometime so you can compare them with yours.

jswilli1 · 03-20-2008, 05:38 PM

Here are the screen shots of the "Bluish Haze", Blue Dot, Star pattern defect. The defect consistantly changes and is bad one day and not the next. The PS3 screen was supposed to be a grey background and you can see the bluish haze really come out. The left corner is how it started on mine and generally looks that way when TV is powered on.

http://s128.photobucket.com/albums/p...rent=KDF_5.jpg

RWebb74 · 03-20-2008, 06:11 PM

JSwilli1, I have a similar situation with my Sony 50", except mine is more pinkish. It doesn't really look like any of the pictures on the sony site, which worries me. I contacted Sony, we went through some basic troubleshooting, then they gave me a number to call to schedule a repairman for diagnosis. They are covering the full repair of the optical block until the end of this year. But, if your issue is not the optical block, they will not cover it. I have yet to call the number, but I likely will sometime soon and report back.

jswilli1 · 03-20-2008, 06:22 PM

Is it in the same location or starting in the same location as mine and hb7? When was your TV manufactured (check back of TV near ser#). Also on your PS3 go to themes and try changing the background colors. I noticed that the bluish haze tends to "hide" with certain colors particularly orange and green backgrounds. I was weary also but now I am confident that this related to the optical block. The defect I see has always been bluish and has never changed color. Wayne C stated above that sony corrected this issue on later TV's, depending on the manufacture date of your TV maybe this could be a new defect? Post a couple of pics of your defect I am sure somebody else is probably seeing the same issue you are. There are quite a few people on this site with Sony HD TV's.

hb7 · 03-20-2008, 06:41 PM

jswilli, my problem looked a little different than yours, mine was a line that was about 1 inch thick n went all the way across the bottom of the tv, it was darker(navy blue color almost) than your's and mine was see through. it hasn't returned since it orginally happened, but I have a guy coming in to check it out later today, i'll see what he says and then report back.

jswilli1 · 03-20-2008, 06:54 PM

I had that line that went all the way across also, but mine consistantly changes. Have you changed your lamp yet? I replaced mine about 8 mos ago so the darker color could be due to an old lamp. I didn't take a picture when the line was all the way across.

hb7 · 03-20-2008, 07:00 PM

no, i havent changed my lamp yet. the line that went across the bottom of the tv was about 2 inches up from the bottom of the tv and went all the way across and then i switched through all the video inputs and cable channels and the line was there on every channel, so i just turned my tv off and went to sleep, then when i woke up the next day i checked it out and the tv has been back to normal ever since, the technician said he'd be here in about 4-5 hours so i guess i'll just wait n see what he says, over the phone he said there may be something wrong with the blue lcd panel, but once he checks it out i'll report back.

hb7 · 03-21-2008, 09:29 AM

the technician didnt come today so i couldnt get a definite answer, but i turned on my ps3 and put it to the grey colored background and kinda dimmed the picture and brightness and color of my tv and i could see a bluish haze that isnt really visible at the moment when i watch tv, but on lightly colored grey backgrounds, it is starting to become visible. it's not as bad as yours at the moment jswilli, but its starting to form.

03-16-2008, 09:21 PM	#1
jswilli1 Active Member Member since:Mar 2007 Location:Rio Rancho, NM Blu-ray collection:32	Sony KDF-55WF655 (All) Grand WEGA Owners Has anyone experienced the Blue Dot or Star pattern on their screen? I have owned my 55" Sony for nearly three years and have changed the lamp once. I started noticing a blue (bright) haze near the bottom left portion of the screen. Today the blue haze has increased in size and is about 2 inches wide and stretches 75% across the front of the screen. I checked Sony Website and found a page for additional warranty coverage through Dec 2008 for a "known" defect. After looking at the screen shots on the website although my defect is not the same in the screen shots it exhibits the same characteristics. I talked to sony and will be setting up for an in home repair this week as the defect is getting worse. Has anyone seen this problem or currently dealing with it on their sets? Here is the link for the pics on the sony site and the warranty info. http://esupport.sony.com/perl/news-i...mdl=KDF55WF655

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03-16-2008, 09:48 PM	#2
WayneC New Member Member since:Mar 2008	Yes.. I have the exact same TV ,KDF-55WF655, and had a similar problems. There was like a blue-ish cloud over the bottom/left/center of the picture. You could watch content, it was just a discoloration in the picture, which HD makes all that more annoying to look at. The light engine had to be replaced (the main component of the tv that actually generates your picture). It was covered by some kind of Sony extended coverage of the normal warranty. I did not purchase any kind of extended warranty, but evidently Sony knew of some defect or problem that they corrected in next years model, at least that's what the Service Rep on the phone told me. The repairman who replaced the part told me the cost of repair would be along the lines of 1200 or so if Sony had not covered it. I think their coverage only went until the end of 2007, but call the Sony home repair number and ask them for sure. Wayne

03-17-2008, 12:18 AM	#3
jswilli1 Active Member Member since:Mar 2007 Location:Rio Rancho, NM Blu-ray collection:32	Thanks Wayne, Sony calls it an Optical Block, I have been watching the TV today and it is progressively getting longer and it appears to be moving up towards the center of the TV. I will be calling the authorized repair shop tomorrow to setup the repair job. Thanks again.

03-17-2008, 09:12 AM	#4
hb7 Member Member since:Mar 2008	i noticed a similar defect on my sony aswell, i have the 55 inch version of the kdf series, and i have a little bluish cloud forming near the bottom of the screen. where the bottom letterbox usually is during movies, right above it. anybody else experiencing this? because mine so far hasnt shown any stars or patterns from taht link provided by jswill.

03-17-2008, 03:47 PM	#5
jswilli1 Active Member Member since:Mar 2007 Location:Rio Rancho, NM Blu-ray collection:32	That is how my defect started out, a little bluish cloud/haze near the bottom left of the screen. Yesteday I watched the TV and the bluish haze went from the small corner all the way across the bottom of the TV. This morning when I turned it on the bluish haze was just in the bottom left corner. As the TV has "warmed up" it is starting to progress across the bottom of the screen again. I will initiate a repair order this morning when the repair facility opens up. hb7 I want to say I saw the left corner before but it was so small that it did not affect the picture, as time as progressed the defect is really starting to show itself. I would keep an eye on it and notify Sony as they are only covering it upto Dec 2008. I will update this thread as the defect issue plays out and when I get the repair done. I have a feeling there are several people out there with this issue as it applies not just to the 55" crowd but the other sizes also (as listed in the webpage).

03-17-2008, 04:16 PM	#6
jswilli1 Active Member Member since:Mar 2007 Location:Rio Rancho, NM Blu-ray collection:32	For reference the manufacture date on the back of my TV is January 2005. As Wayne C mentioned above this defect seems to affect the earlier models before they got it corrected. I would check your date and see when it was manufactered. Also copy down the Ser# which is next to it, Sony will ask you for it.

03-17-2008, 06:50 PM	#7
hb7 Member Member since:Mar 2008	i bought mine in december 2004 and i bought it from futureshop, i got a 5 year extended warranty with them, so would I contact futureshop or contact sony about this problem? thanks for the help in advance.

03-18-2008, 12:16 AM	#8
hb7 Member Member since:Mar 2008	I dont know if this is how your guys problem started or not, but yesterday i had the blue line going across the bottom of my tv, but today i've watched tv for about 2 hours and the line isnt there anymore, is this a typical symptom of the problem your guys tv is having?

03-18-2008, 04:50 AM	#9
jswilli1 Active Member Member since:Mar 2007 Location:Rio Rancho, NM Blu-ray collection:32	Same Identical problem I am having right now. It was there yesterday and this morning it was gone. After an hour it started to show up however.

03-18-2008, 05:19 AM	#10
hb7 Member Member since:Mar 2008	did your problem start out similar to mine jswilli, because i watched today today for about 5 hours combined and the blue line never appeared, i looked carefully aswell by changing channels and seeing if it appeared with different background colors.

03-18-2008, 05:53 PM	#11
jswilli1 Active Member Member since:Mar 2007 Location:Rio Rancho, NM Blu-ray collection:32	Exactly like yours. Everyday the line seems to change shape and size but is primarily still in the bottom left corner but it is enough to affect the picture now in that section of the screen. Since this is covered by sony and you have the extended coverage anyways, I think you can go straight to sony for the repair. I called the authorized repair facility in my area and they ordered the part so hopefully I will have it fixed in the next week or so. I will take some pics of my screen and let you see for yourself. Then we can see how similiar the defect is.

03-19-2008, 09:31 PM	#12
hb7 Member Member since:Mar 2008	i've watched TV for about 3 days now and watched a couple movies as well as regular cable tv and the problem has not returned so far, do you guys think it is still the optical block problem or maybe it was just a one time fluky little problem the tv needed to be turned off the fix?

03-20-2008, 12:45 AM	#13
jswilli1 Active Member Member since:Mar 2007 Location:Rio Rancho, NM Blu-ray collection:32	I unplugged the TV to see if it corrected the problem and I still have the bluish haze at the bottom left. I watched the Simpson movie in blu-ray yesteday (Target BOGO) and due to the aspect ratio (black bar on top and bottom) the line actually moved up to the bottom portion of the movie. So it went from 2" width to 4 to 5" width of bluish haze. My son started playing Pirates of the Carribean on the PS3 and there were some patterns forming in the haze. I am definetely sure that it is the optical block. I did contact the repair facility and the part is on order. I will take a couple of screen shots and post them tonight or tomorrow sometime so you can compare them with yours.

03-20-2008, 05:38 PM	#14
jswilli1 Active Member Member since:Mar 2007 Location:Rio Rancho, NM Blu-ray collection:32	Here are the screen shots of the "Bluish Haze", Blue Dot, Star pattern defect. The defect consistantly changes and is bad one day and not the next. The PS3 screen was supposed to be a grey background and you can see the bluish haze really come out. The left corner is how it started on mine and generally looks that way when TV is powered on. http://s128.photobucket.com/albums/p...rent=KDF_5.jpg

03-20-2008, 06:11 PM	#15
RWebb74 Active Member Member since:Sep 2007 Location:Bloomington, IL Home Theater Gallery:1 Blu-ray reviews:1	JSwilli1, I have a similar situation with my Sony 50", except mine is more pinkish. It doesn't really look like any of the pictures on the sony site, which worries me. I contacted Sony, we went through some basic troubleshooting, then they gave me a number to call to schedule a repairman for diagnosis. They are covering the full repair of the optical block until the end of this year. But, if your issue is not the optical block, they will not cover it. I have yet to call the number, but I likely will sometime soon and report back.

03-20-2008, 06:22 PM	#16
jswilli1 Active Member Member since:Mar 2007 Location:Rio Rancho, NM Blu-ray collection:32	Is it in the same location or starting in the same location as mine and hb7? When was your TV manufactured (check back of TV near ser#). Also on your PS3 go to themes and try changing the background colors. I noticed that the bluish haze tends to "hide" with certain colors particularly orange and green backgrounds. I was weary also but now I am confident that this related to the optical block. The defect I see has always been bluish and has never changed color. Wayne C stated above that sony corrected this issue on later TV's, depending on the manufacture date of your TV maybe this could be a new defect? Post a couple of pics of your defect I am sure somebody else is probably seeing the same issue you are. There are quite a few people on this site with Sony HD TV's.

03-20-2008, 06:41 PM	#17
hb7 Member Member since:Mar 2008	jswilli, my problem looked a little different than yours, mine was a line that was about 1 inch thick n went all the way across the bottom of the tv, it was darker(navy blue color almost) than your's and mine was see through. it hasn't returned since it orginally happened, but I have a guy coming in to check it out later today, i'll see what he says and then report back.

03-20-2008, 06:54 PM	#18
jswilli1 Active Member Member since:Mar 2007 Location:Rio Rancho, NM Blu-ray collection:32	I had that line that went all the way across also, but mine consistantly changes. Have you changed your lamp yet? I replaced mine about 8 mos ago so the darker color could be due to an old lamp. I didn't take a picture when the line was all the way across.

03-20-2008, 07:00 PM	#19
hb7 Member Member since:Mar 2008	no, i havent changed my lamp yet. the line that went across the bottom of the tv was about 2 inches up from the bottom of the tv and went all the way across and then i switched through all the video inputs and cable channels and the line was there on every channel, so i just turned my tv off and went to sleep, then when i woke up the next day i checked it out and the tv has been back to normal ever since, the technician said he'd be here in about 4-5 hours so i guess i'll just wait n see what he says, over the phone he said there may be something wrong with the blue lcd panel, but once he checks it out i'll report back.

03-21-2008, 09:29 AM	#20
hb7 Member Member since:Mar 2008	the technician didnt come today so i couldnt get a definite answer, but i turned on my ps3 and put it to the grey colored background and kinda dimmed the picture and brightness and color of my tv and i could see a bluish haze that isnt really visible at the moment when i watch tv, but on lightly colored grey backgrounds, it is starting to become visible. it's not as bad as yours at the moment jswilli, but its starting to form.

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