SXRD dying out!!!!! (optical block issue)........uuuugggghhhh! - Page 2 - Blu-ray Forum

solarrdadd · 11-23-2009, 02:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr.hidef

UPDATE:
The optical block has been replaced and all is well......whew! SXRD looks better now than it did even before the old block started to go....

just like i told you! after having mine replaced it looked even better than when i first got it. then after having my lamp of 3.5 years replaced it looked like a brand new tv!

best of luck to ya buddy!

Fasteddie516 · 11-23-2009, 02:59 AM

I hate to burst your bubble, but I had the Optical Block replaced on mine(same model as yours) once while still under warranty and it only lasted a year and a half more as the Blue Blob has returned again and it is no longer under warranty. The cost to repair is about $1000 with labor. This is the main reason that Sony has dicontinued producing these TV's. I called Sony, and they are not offering anything to compensate me. This TV wasn't even 5 years old.
I am very dissapointed as I loved this TV when it was working, but I will probably buy another brand TV.

Grand Bob · 11-23-2009, 03:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr.hidef

UPDATE:
The optical block has been replaced and all is well......whew! SXRD looks better now than it did even before the old block started to go....

Glad to hear that and hope it holds up for you. By the way, your TV looks great with the rest of your system in your gallery. My block hasn't caused any problems yet, but I only have about 4000 hours on it. I'm afraid it's only a matter of time...

mr.hidef · 11-23-2009, 05:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grand Bob

Glad to hear that and hope it holds up for you. By the way, your TV looks great with the rest of your system in your gallery. My block hasn't caused any problems yet, but I only have about 4000 hours on it. I'm afraid it's only a matter of time...

Thanks, I'm at about 6700 hours on my lamp.....

bhampton · 02-21-2010, 02:51 PM

Hi,

My Step dad looked at HDTV's forever before going with my recommendation for a KDS60A2020 which he got a great price for brand new.

I talked to him today about the extended warranty and said I would try to find out what to look for and stuff.

He says the picture is still "perfect" but he's not an enthusiast for these things and I think something suttle could perhaps be missed or maybe over-looked till just after the cut off date for getting this issue fixed.

I know now to tell him to look for green spots. (I have to tell him to look for problems in a set that I recommended and that he is happy with... I don't want him to start just looking at the set as a problem.)

I'm thinking he should call Sony and say he has the problem and just get the block changed before they stop offering the service. Would that be dumb? I think if he doesn't see the problem now he will certainly see it 3 days after they stop handing out the replacements.

Any input or thoughts??

Thanks,

Brian

fdm · 02-21-2010, 03:37 PM

If there's no visible signs of failure, they won't replace it. Mine has slight discoloration (kind of light grayish, with just a very slight yellowish tinge if you look at it from a certain angle) in a small area across the top of the screen, not really worth bothering with, most notable when playing black and white films, but you have to be looking for it (can barely see it sometimes in the skies of certain color films too).

I'm not brave enough to replace a nearly perfect OB with one that's gonna fail in a few months, assuming the replacement's not bad out of the box. Pretty big gamble I'm not willing to take. Once it turns green, another story.

For my model, an XBR2, the freebies go away after June. My extended warranty, though, should cover it through the end of next year.

bhampton · 02-21-2010, 03:51 PM

I think I'll email him some images I found of the problem and have him check using an Avia DVD (which I gave him coincidently.)

If he doesn't see anything using White IRE test patterns then he doesn't have the problem. That will be fine. He can just check again closer to the cut off date.

My understanding is he's still thrilled with the set and views it as "perfect". Which, you know, is great and stuff.

He's a bit more casual about his "TV" though which is why I worry he may have signs of the issue and have no clue.

=Brian

fdm · 02-21-2010, 04:01 PM

If anything will make it obvious, a white screen should do it. Seems to be when mine looks worst.

HeavyHitter · 02-21-2010, 04:49 PM

Brian,

Unless your father's set gets really bad or where he starts noticing the issue during regular viewing (and what he doesn't know won't hurt him here as ALL SXRDs have color uniformity issues to some extent even out of the box), I would leave it be. I suggest you do some research as you are opening up a real can of worms replacing the OB as they are typically fail FAR more quickly than the original blocks and are generally POS. Keep the original block as long as you can possibly handle. There are a countless number of people who have had multiple blocks replaced. It's a nightmare for many people. Now, with that said, Sony is offering replacement LCD sets in some cases for people who have the issues with their SXRD, however, you typically still have to pay a decent amount for one. Sony has also extended the warranty into 2011, as well.

bhampton · 02-21-2010, 05:02 PM

Hey heavy,

Thanks, you have valid points.

I know he bought the set for ~$1300 new in the box and has been only fully satisfied with it.

I've also has the experience of finding a fault with something I own only a month or two too late to have it repaired. This happened with a washing machine actually. Maytag was giving everyone with my machine $600 to buy something else but I found out about the whole deal just a little too late.

Given the cost of these HDTV and the cost of repairs,... if he has this problem after the program ends it's likely more feesable to just replace it instead of repair it.

I have read reports of people on their 3rd replacement OB and other that said when theirs was done the set looked better than it ever did new. I suppose everyone is relatively different in how closely and how critically they view the display.

Anyways,.. I'm going to be visiting "home" in April so I'll give Avia a spin and see what's up. I would have to agree that there's no sense in fixing it if it isn't broken. He uses it enough that I think it should have it by now if it was going to be getting it.

(The webpage for his set A2020 says June 2010 is the cut off.)

-Brian

solarrdadd · 02-21-2010, 05:40 PM

i've had my sony for 4+ years now. i've had the OB replaced almost 1.5yrs ago and about 9 months or so i had the lamp changed. it's going strong and looks and functions great. if i get another year or two out of it, i'll be more than happy. i also picked up a spare lamp. despite the OB issue, which was resolved quickly and at no cost to me, i am very, very happy with my Sony RPTV.

HeavyHitter · 02-22-2010, 03:06 AM

No problem, Brian.

I own the 60A3000 SXRD model which has probably close to 3000 hours. I've had no issues so far, however, the issues seem to begin happening closer to the 5000-6000 marker in many cases. Although Sony covers the OB on these into 2011, I do have the extended warranty through Mack (Texas Tapeworks) which goes until Nov 2011.

A lot of people initially (back in 2007 when the A3000 was released) thought the A3000 was immune to such issues since it does use a redesigned OB. However, now that people are racking up hours on them, more and more OB issues are starting to surface. On any rate, I'll be in a new display before my extended warranty ends regardless what happens to my display.

Quicksilver · 03-14-2010, 07:35 AM

I own a Sony KDS-60a3000 with around 4300 hrs of use.

Mine had the green tint and I had it replaced by Sony in late January. The OB didn't last even a month. Now I have a reddish and green tint on the screen. I called up Sony to have another repair done and they won't fix it. Now they are offering me another tv. I have to pay $1350 for a 55EX500 or $1750 for a 55EX700. I tried to get them to go lower and they refused. Their offer is final and I have a week to decide. This really sucks. I paid around $2000 for this tv and I got 2 years out of it. Sony broke my tv and I have to pay for a new one out of my pocket.

ClaytonMG · 03-14-2010, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quicksilver

I own a Sony KDS-60a3000 with around 4300 hrs of use.

Mine had the green tint and I had it replaced by Sony in late January. The OB didn't last even a month. Now I have a reddish and green tint on the screen. I called up Sony to have another repair done and they won't fix it. Now they are offering me another tv. I have to pay $1350 for a 55EX500 or $1750 for a 55EX700. I tried to get them to go lower and they refused. Their offer is final and I have a week to decide. This really sucks. I paid around $2000 for this tv and I got 2 years out of it. Sony broke my tv and I have to pay for a new one out of my pocket.

Wow, you're where I was at (except mine had quite a few issues like flickering and odd black trails). They wanted me to either take a 42" TV for my 60", or else pay more money and get a 46" instead. Or for more than twice the price of the 60", I could've gotten a 52". They told me it was them doing me a favor. Luckily, I called the place I purchased the TV from and since I also purchased a warranty, they were able to give me store credit and not go through Sony's twisted company. Unfortunately it was pro-rated so I lost out on about $800 (due to Sony and their repair people dragging their feet). I also lost out on the $500 warranty. Lovely...

My advice, if you purchased a warranty, call the place you bought the TV from and see what they can do for you. They might just be able to help.

Quicksilver · 03-17-2010, 04:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClaytonMG

Wow, you're where I was at (except mine had quite a few issues like flickering and odd black trails). They wanted me to either take a 42" TV for my 60", or else pay more money and get a 46" instead. Or for more than twice the price of the 60", I could've gotten a 52". They told me it was them doing me a favor. Luckily, I called the place I purchased the TV from and since I also purchased a warranty, they were able to give me store credit and not go through Sony's twisted company. Unfortunately it was pro-rated so I lost out on about $800 (due to Sony and their repair people dragging their feet). I also lost out on the $500 warranty. Lovely...

My advice, if you purchased a warranty, call the place you bought the TV from and see what they can do for you. They might just be able to help.

I have still have a Circuit City warranty for my tv. I am waiting for a answer from them.

I joined the "I Have a Defective Sony TV" on Facebook. There are a lot of people having the same problem with Sony.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Have...5766612?ref=ts

Grand Bob · 03-17-2010, 04:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quicksilver

I have still have a Circuit City warranty for my tv. I am waiting for a answer from them.

Being bankrupt, do they even respond to requests for service? Won't Sony take care of it as part of the class action lawsuit?

Quicksilver · 03-17-2010, 05:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grand Bob

Being bankrupt, do they even respond to requests for service?

Yes. Circuit City's uses the warranty is from Assurant Solutions.

This is from Sony:
http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/new...mdl=KDS60A3000

Quote:

Models: KDS-50A3000, KDS-55A3000, KDS-60A3000

As part of the Sony commitment to quality, Sony is announcing that it is extending the limited warranty (parts and labor), in the United States, on the optical block of the above-referenced 2007 model SXRD televisions until June 30, 2011, regardless of purchase date. For any customer who requires repair of the optical block on one of the affected models, Sony will cover the cost of the optical block repair (parts and labor) at no charge through June 30, 2011. This extended warranty does not apply to the replaceable projection lamp or the other parts that may be used in the televisions.

Sony is also announcing that for any owner of these model televisions who paid out-of-pocket expenses on or before December 31, 2009 for an estimate or repair service to replace the optical block, Sony will reimburse the customer by mail for the cost of the optical block and the labor expense to replace it, subject to certain conditions. To receive reimbursement, please follow completely the directions on the claim form for reimbursement; all claims must be postmarked by January 31, 2010. See the claim form for complete terms and conditions.

All other terms of the Sony limited warranty continue to apply. Sony utilizes a network of hundreds of qualified independent third-party servicers to perform in-home television warranty service. Sony, through its authorized servicer network, will endeavor to repair your set within 30 days of your first contact. For diagnosis, warranty service, or if you are not provided a repair within 30 days, please contact Sony at (888) 649-7669.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grand Bob

Won't Sony take care of it as part of the class action lawsuit?

Sony isn't helping me out at all. They fix my OB once in my 60a3000 and it has green and red tints in less than a month.
Now they are offering me a "DEAL." $1350 for a 55EX500 or $1750 for a 55EX700 for a new replacement tv.
For that price I can buy another name brand tv. That isn't a deal.

Halcro 1 · 03-17-2010, 02:06 PM

I have a KDS A3000 ,, It works but SONY SUCKS the coolest thing they ever made was the robot dog AIBO

Grand Bob · 03-17-2010, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quicksilver

Sony isn't helping me out at all. They fix my OB once in my 60a3000 and it has green and red tints in less than a month.
Now they are offering me a "DEAL." $1350 for a 55EX500 or $1750 for a 55EX700 for a new replacement tv.
For that price I can buy another name brand tv. That isn't a deal.

Yow!

kaliraver · 03-18-2010, 01:48 AM

I use to have a SXRD 50A2000 and Best Buy replaced it since it broke down 3 times with in a year (during year 3 of ownership). I got a Sony XBR9 as a replacement and I am very happy with the upgrade

Good luck to those that are having issues with that TV, it was a headache.

11-23-2009, 02:59 AM	#22
Fasteddie516 Member Member since:May 2008 Location:Long Island 4K collection:- Blu-ray collection:- DVD collection:-	Fasteddie516 I hate to burst your bubble, but I had the Optical Block replaced on mine(same model as yours) once while still under warranty and it only lasted a year and a half more as the Blue Blob has returned again and it is no longer under warranty. The cost to repair is about $1000 with labor. This is the main reason that Sony has dicontinued producing these TV's. I called Sony, and they are not offering anything to compensate me. This TV wasn't even 5 years old. I am very dissapointed as I loved this TV when it was working, but I will probably buy another brand TV.

02-21-2010, 03:37 PM	#26
fdm Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Nov 2007 Location:Way Out West 4K collection:- Blu-ray collection:- DVD collection:- Digital collection:- iTunes collection:- Blu-ray reviews:2 Trading Score:3	If there's no visible signs of failure, they won't replace it. Mine has slight discoloration (kind of light grayish, with just a very slight yellowish tinge if you look at it from a certain angle) in a small area across the top of the screen, not really worth bothering with, most notable when playing black and white films, but you have to be looking for it (can barely see it sometimes in the skies of certain color films too). I'm not brave enough to replace a nearly perfect OB with one that's gonna fail in a few months, assuming the replacement's not bad out of the box. Pretty big gamble I'm not willing to take. Once it turns green, another story. For my model, an XBR2, the freebies go away after June. My extended warranty, though, should cover it through the end of next year. Last edited by fdm; 02-21-2010 at 03:41 PM.

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02-21-2010, 02:51 PM	#25
bhampton Blu-ray Baron Member since:Aug 2007 4K collection:616 Blu-ray collection:2125 DVD collection:37 Blu-ray reviews: 5 Trading Score:18	Hi, My Step dad looked at HDTV's forever before going with my recommendation for a KDS60A2020 which he got a great price for brand new. I talked to him today about the extended warranty and said I would try to find out what to look for and stuff. He says the picture is still "perfect" but he's not an enthusiast for these things and I think something suttle could perhaps be missed or maybe over-looked till just after the cut off date for getting this issue fixed. I know now to tell him to look for green spots. (I have to tell him to look for problems in a set that I recommended and that he is happy with... I don't want him to start just looking at the set as a problem.) I'm thinking he should call Sony and say he has the problem and just get the block changed before they stop offering the service. Would that be dumb? I think if he doesn't see the problem now he will certainly see it 3 days after they stop handing out the replacements. Any input or thoughts?? Thanks, Brian

02-21-2010, 03:51 PM	#27
bhampton Blu-ray Baron Member since:Aug 2007 4K collection:616 Blu-ray collection:2125 DVD collection:37 Blu-ray reviews: 5 Trading Score:18	I think I'll email him some images I found of the problem and have him check using an Avia DVD (which I gave him coincidently.) If he doesn't see anything using White IRE test patterns then he doesn't have the problem. That will be fine. He can just check again closer to the cut off date. My understanding is he's still thrilled with the set and views it as "perfect". Which, you know, is great and stuff. He's a bit more casual about his "TV" though which is why I worry he may have signs of the issue and have no clue. =Brian

02-21-2010, 04:01 PM	#28
fdm Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Nov 2007 Location:Way Out West 4K collection:- Blu-ray collection:- DVD collection:- Digital collection:- iTunes collection:- Blu-ray reviews:2 Trading Score:3	If anything will make it obvious, a white screen should do it. Seems to be when mine looks worst.

02-21-2010, 04:49 PM	#29
HeavyHitter Blu-ray Champion Member since:Jul 2007 Home Theater Gallery:3 Trading Score:112	Brian, Unless your father's set gets really bad or where he starts noticing the issue during regular viewing (and what he doesn't know won't hurt him here as ALL SXRDs have color uniformity issues to some extent even out of the box), I would leave it be. I suggest you do some research as you are opening up a real can of worms replacing the OB as they are typically fail FAR more quickly than the original blocks and are generally POS. Keep the original block as long as you can possibly handle. There are a countless number of people who have had multiple blocks replaced. It's a nightmare for many people. Now, with that said, Sony is offering replacement LCD sets in some cases for people who have the issues with their SXRD, however, you typically still have to pay a decent amount for one. Sony has also extended the warranty into 2011, as well.

02-21-2010, 05:02 PM	#30
bhampton Blu-ray Baron Member since:Aug 2007 4K collection:616 Blu-ray collection:2125 DVD collection:37 Blu-ray reviews: 5 Trading Score:18	Hey heavy, Thanks, you have valid points. I know he bought the set for ~$1300 new in the box and has been only fully satisfied with it. I've also has the experience of finding a fault with something I own only a month or two too late to have it repaired. This happened with a washing machine actually. Maytag was giving everyone with my machine $600 to buy something else but I found out about the whole deal just a little too late. Given the cost of these HDTV and the cost of repairs,... if he has this problem after the program ends it's likely more feesable to just replace it instead of repair it. I have read reports of people on their 3rd replacement OB and other that said when theirs was done the set looked better than it ever did new. I suppose everyone is relatively different in how closely and how critically they view the display. Anyways,.. I'm going to be visiting "home" in April so I'll give Avia a spin and see what's up. I would have to agree that there's no sense in fixing it if it isn't broken. He uses it enough that I think it should have it by now if it was going to be getting it. (The webpage for his set A2020 says June 2010 is the cut off.) -Brian

02-21-2010, 05:40 PM	#31
solarrdadd Blu-ray Prince Top ranked HT gallery Member since:Jul 2008 Location:Virginia Home Theater Gallery:255 4K collection:204 Blu-ray collection:1339 DVD collection:4 Blu-ray reviews: 42 Trading Score:316	i've had my sony for 4+ years now. i've had the OB replaced almost 1.5yrs ago and about 9 months or so i had the lamp changed. it's going strong and looks and functions great. if i get another year or two out of it, i'll be more than happy. i also picked up a spare lamp. despite the OB issue, which was resolved quickly and at no cost to me, i am very, very happy with my Sony RPTV.

02-22-2010, 03:06 AM	#32
HeavyHitter Blu-ray Champion Member since:Jul 2007 Home Theater Gallery:3 Trading Score:112	No problem, Brian. I own the 60A3000 SXRD model which has probably close to 3000 hours. I've had no issues so far, however, the issues seem to begin happening closer to the 5000-6000 marker in many cases. Although Sony covers the OB on these into 2011, I do have the extended warranty through Mack (Texas Tapeworks) which goes until Nov 2011. A lot of people initially (back in 2007 when the A3000 was released) thought the A3000 was immune to such issues since it does use a redesigned OB. However, now that people are racking up hours on them, more and more OB issues are starting to surface. On any rate, I'll be in a new display before my extended warranty ends regardless what happens to my display.

03-14-2010, 07:35 AM	#33
Quicksilver Active Member Member since:Apr 2008 Location:USA	I own a Sony KDS-60a3000 with around 4300 hrs of use. Mine had the green tint and I had it replaced by Sony in late January. The OB didn't last even a month. Now I have a reddish and green tint on the screen. I called up Sony to have another repair done and they won't fix it. Now they are offering me another tv. I have to pay $1350 for a 55EX500 or $1750 for a 55EX700. I tried to get them to go lower and they refused. Their offer is final and I have a week to decide. This really sucks. I paid around $2000 for this tv and I got 2 years out of it. Sony broke my tv and I have to pay for a new one out of my pocket.

03-17-2010, 02:06 PM	#38
Halcro 1 Senior Member Member since:Nov 2008 Location:Everywhere Home Theater Gallery:12	I have a KDS A3000 ,, It works but SONY SUCKS the coolest thing they ever made was the robot dog AIBO

03-18-2010, 01:48 AM	#40
kaliraver Blu-ray Samurai Member since:May 2007 Location:San Francisco Bay Blu-Ray SteelBooks™: (150+) Blu-ray collection:373 Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:274	I use to have a SXRD 50A2000 and Best Buy replaced it since it broke down 3 times with in a year (during year 3 of ownership). I got a Sony XBR9 as a replacement and I am very happy with the upgrade Good luck to those that are having issues with that TV, it was a headache.

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