Blue spot on a Sony LCD RPTV
 

I've had my Sony KDF-60XBR950 for over two years now and was very
pleased with it until few days ago. It has developed a blueish tint spot
in the middle of the screen, taller than wide. I noticed it 3 days ago
and it shouldn't have been there for much longer, I would have have seen
it. It's especially noticeable in flesh tones -- close shot of someone's
face shows half of the face normal, the other half blueish-purplish.
Also visible on a black and white picture.

It's there on all inputs and resolutions. I've been watching it over the
last couple of days and I think it's getting worse and growing (or could
be that I'm getting more annoyed with it...)

I recently replaced the lamp on the TV (for the second time, but the
original lamp still works), and I know it wouldn't have anything to do
with it, but put back the original lamp and it didn't make any
difference, tint still there.

I don't have extended warranty on the set. Any ideas and recommendations
are appreciated.

Thanks,

--
chicho M.

Blue spot on a Sony LCD RPTV
 

If the spot is blury, and poorly defined then you have durt incursion into
the light engine (Optic Block), a matter of pulling it out and cleaning
it.These sets have a couple of fans internally mounted that will probably
need a good cleaning also.
However, if the spot is clearly defined, with sharp edges then you may be
experiencing an optics related failure.
Either way, it will be necessary for you to have a qualified technician do
the diagnostics, if it is only the durt problem, should be able to take
care of it on the first trip at nominal service costs.
"Chicho Misho" wrote in message
...
I've had my Sony KDF-60XBR950 for over two years now and was very pleased
with it until few days ago. It has developed a blueish tint spot in the
middle of the screen, taller than wide. I noticed it 3 days ago and it
shouldn't have been there for much longer, I would have have seen it. It's
especially noticeable in flesh tones -- close shot of someone's face shows
half of the face normal, the other half blueish-purplish. Also visible on
a black and white picture.

It's there on all inputs and resolutions. I've been watching it over the
last couple of days and I think it's getting worse and growing (or could
be that I'm getting more annoyed with it...)

I recently replaced the lamp on the TV (for the second time, but the
original lamp still works), and I know it wouldn't have anything to do
with it, but put back the original lamp and it didn't make any difference,
tint still there.

I don't have extended warranty on the set. Any ideas and recommendations
are appreciated.

Thanks,

--
chicho M.

Blue spot on a Sony LCD RPTV
 

Art wrote:
If the spot is blury, and poorly defined then you have durt incursion into
the light engine (Optic Block), a matter of pulling it out and cleaning
it.These sets have a couple of fans internally mounted that will probably
need a good cleaning also.

However, if the spot is clearly defined, with sharp edges then you may be
experiencing an optics related failure.
Either way, it will be necessary for you to have a qualified technician do
the diagnostics, if it is only the durt problem, should be able to take
care of it on the first trip at nominal service costs.

"Chicho Misho" wrote in message
...

I've had my Sony KDF-60XBR950 for over two years now and was very pleased
with it until few days ago. It has developed a blueish tint spot in the
middle of the screen, taller than wide. I noticed it 3 days ago and it
shouldn't have been there for much longer, I would have have seen it. It's
especially noticeable in flesh tones -- close shot of someone's face shows
half of the face normal, the other half blueish-purplish. Also visible on
a black and white picture.

It's there on all inputs and resolutions. I've been watching it over the
last couple of days and I think it's getting worse and growing (or could
be that I'm getting more annoyed with it...)

I recently replaced the lamp on the TV (for the second time, but the
original lamp still works), and I know it wouldn't have anything to do
with it, but put back the original lamp and it didn't make any difference,
tint still there.

I don't have extended warranty on the set. Any ideas and recommendations
are appreciated.

Thanks,

--
chicho M.


Thank you Art,

Yes, the spot is poorly defined and I hope it's dirt. I will attempt
cleaning the light path myself as soon as I can get my hands on the
Lexan cleaner that Leonard recommended some time ago (Home Depot in CA
doesn't seem to carry it). I will also order the service manual for the
set. Will report back.

--
chicho M.

Blue spot on a Sony LCD RPTV
 

Chico: You will need to disassemble part of the light engine and use canned
air to actually blow the debris out of the optical path. Recommend having
the service manual available, plus relavent service bulletins specific to
the cleaning procedures. This process normally produces realatively good
results. Adios
"Chicho Misho" wrote in message
...
Art wrote:
If the spot is blury, and poorly defined then you have durt incursion
into the light engine (Optic Block), a matter of pulling it out and
cleaning it.These sets have a couple of fans internally mounted that will
probably need a good cleaning also.

However, if the spot is clearly defined, with sharp edges then you may be
experiencing an optics related failure.
Either way, it will be necessary for you to have a qualified technician
do the diagnostics, if it is only the durt problem, should be able to
take care of it on the first trip at nominal service costs.

"Chicho Misho" wrote in message
...

I've had my Sony KDF-60XBR950 for over two years now and was very pleased
with it until few days ago. It has developed a blueish tint spot in the
middle of the screen, taller than wide. I noticed it 3 days ago and it
shouldn't have been there for much longer, I would have have seen it.
It's especially noticeable in flesh tones -- close shot of someone's face
shows half of the face normal, the other half blueish-purplish. Also
visible on a black and white picture.

It's there on all inputs and resolutions. I've been watching it over the
last couple of days and I think it's getting worse and growing (or could
be that I'm getting more annoyed with it...)

I recently replaced the lamp on the TV (for the second time, but the
original lamp still works), and I know it wouldn't have anything to do
with it, but put back the original lamp and it didn't make any
difference, tint still there.

I don't have extended warranty on the set. Any ideas and recommendations
are appreciated.

Thanks,

--
chicho M.


Thank you Art,

Yes, the spot is poorly defined and I hope it's dirt. I will attempt
cleaning the light path myself as soon as I can get my hands on the Lexan
cleaner that Leonard recommended some time ago (Home Depot in CA doesn't
seem to carry it). I will also order the service manual for the set. Will
report back.

--
chicho M.

Blue spot on a Sony LCD RPTV
 

"Chicho Misho" wrote in message
...

Thank you Art,

Yes, the spot is poorly defined and I hope it's dirt. I will attempt
cleaning the light path myself as soon as I can get my hands on the Lexan
cleaner that Leonard recommended some time ago (Home Depot in CA doesn't
seem to carry it). I will also order the service manual for the set. Will
report back.

If the spot is well defined it is on the panel itself or a defective panel.
I do not use the Lexan cleaner on the panels. I gently swab them to get any
dust. If the spot is bigger than a speck of dust you likely have a bad
panel. If this is the case, the individual parts are not available to
replace it and you have to either replace the light engine or have it
rebuilt.

Be sure to look at the polarizers to make sure that there are no problems
there and clean the entire light path if you are going to dissassemble it.

Leonard

Blue spot on a Sony LCD RPTV
 

Leonard Caillouet wrote:
"Chicho Misho" wrote in message
...


Thank you Art,

Yes, the spot is poorly defined and I hope it's dirt. I will attempt
cleaning the light path myself as soon as I can get my hands on the Lexan
cleaner that Leonard recommended some time ago (Home Depot in CA doesn't
seem to carry it). I will also order the service manual for the set. Will
report back.


If the spot is well defined it is on the panel itself or a defective panel.
I do not use the Lexan cleaner on the panels. I gently swab them to get any
dust. If the spot is bigger than a speck of dust you likely have a bad
panel. If this is the case, the individual parts are not available to
replace it and you have to either replace the light engine or have it
rebuilt.

Be sure to look at the polarizers to make sure that there are no problems
there and clean the entire light path if you are going to dissassemble it.

Leonard



Thanks Leonard,

I was also planning to clean behind the anti-reflective screen. There
are smudges visible when the TV is off, especially in the top corners
(yes, we smoke in the living room). Got the service manual today, and
looking at it, it doesn't seem very easy to get access to the inner
surface of the protective screen... Maybe only from inside, after
removing the frame and the diffusion plates. Or am I missing something?
The model again is KDF-60XBR950.

Thanks again,

--
chicho M.

Blue spot on a Sony LCD RPTV
 

Leonard Caillouet wrote:
If the spot is well defined it is on the panel itself or a defective panel.
I do not use the Lexan cleaner on the panels. I gently swab them to get any
dust. If the spot is bigger than a speck of dust you likely have a bad
panel. If this is the case, the individual parts are not available to
replace it and you have to either replace the light engine or have it
rebuilt.

Be sure to look at the polarizers to make sure that there are no problems
there and clean the entire light path if you are going to dissassemble it.

Leonard



Well, I used the long weekend to carry out the cleaning job. Although it
did improve the overall picture quality, it didn't solve the "blue spot"
problem... I think a better name for it would be "bright blue spot
problem", more on that later.

I've cleaned every piece of optics in the light path, none of it
appeared to have significant dust on it. I'm not sure what the
polarizers are, I assume they are the filter-like pieces in front of the
LCD panels, just before the light hits the panels? One of them (the
reddish one, farthest from the light source, which I think is on the
blue panel) has a pattern on it. Like a 16:9 rectangle with sharp edges
and fog going from the edges toward the center. It does not clean or
change, I tried many times, looks like a permanent discoloration... I
should have taken pictures while I had the Optical Unit Block disassembled!

The LCD panels look clear and even, but of course, that doesn't mean
they are problem-free. So the "blue spot" is actually brighter blue than
the rest of the screen, which makes me think it's not dirt related, I
would expect it to be darker than the rest of the screen if that was the
case. It's almost not noticeable on a white screen (like the ice on the
NHL finals), and gets more visible as the picture gets darker. I will
take some screen pictures tonight (too much ambient light now) and post
a link.

So what do the experts think? Do I really have to have the light engine
replaced, or are there any other options? Approximately how much is the
light engine? Can I order it and replace it myself, or is it only
available to (and installable by) certified Sony repair shops?

Thanks for all your input!

--
chicho M.

Blue spot on a Sony LCD RPTV
 

"Chicho Misho" wrote in message
...
Leonard Caillouet wrote:
If the spot is well defined it is on the panel itself or a defective
panel. I do not use the Lexan cleaner on the panels. I gently swab them
to get any dust. If the spot is bigger than a speck of dust you likely
have a bad panel. If this is the case, the individual parts are not
available to replace it and you have to either replace the light engine
or have it rebuilt.

Be sure to look at the polarizers to make sure that there are no problems
there and clean the entire light path if you are going to dissassemble
it.

Leonard

Well, I used the long weekend to carry out the cleaning job. Although it
did improve the overall picture quality, it didn't solve the "blue spot"
problem... I think a better name for it would be "bright blue spot
problem", more on that later.

I've cleaned every piece of optics in the light path, none of it appeared
to have significant dust on it. I'm not sure what the polarizers are, I
assume they are the filter-like pieces in front of the LCD panels, just
before the light hits the panels? One of them (the reddish one, farthest
from the light source, which I think is on the blue panel) has a pattern
on it. Like a 16:9 rectangle with sharp edges and fog going from the edges
toward the center. It does not clean or change, I tried many times, looks
like a permanent discoloration... I should have taken pictures while I had
the Optical Unit Block disassembled!

The LCD panels look clear and even, but of course, that doesn't mean they
are problem-free. So the "blue spot" is actually brighter blue than the
rest of the screen, which makes me think it's not dirt related, I would
expect it to be darker than the rest of the screen if that was the case.
It's almost not noticeable on a white screen (like the ice on the NHL
finals), and gets more visible as the picture gets darker. I will take
some screen pictures tonight (too much ambient light now) and post a link.

So what do the experts think? Do I really have to have the light engine
replaced, or are there any other options? Approximately how much is the
light engine? Can I order it and replace it myself, or is it only
available to (and installable by) certified Sony repair shops?

Thanks for all your input!

The pink colored filter is a polarizer or UV filter and if it is damaged
needs to be replaced or the LCD panel will be damaged in a short time.
Unfortunately, I don't think Sony is selling the parts individually. Bitch
to Sony about it.

Leonard

Blue spot on a Sony LCD RPTV
 

Leonard Caillouet wrote:
"Chicho Misho" wrote in message
...

Leonard Caillouet wrote:

If the spot is well defined it is on the panel itself or a defective
panel. I do not use the Lexan cleaner on the panels. I gently swab them
to get any dust. If the spot is bigger than a speck of dust you likely
have a bad panel. If this is the case, the individual parts are not
available to replace it and you have to either replace the light engine
or have it rebuilt.

Be sure to look at the polarizers to make sure that there are no problems
there and clean the entire light path if you are going to dissassemble
it.

Leonard

Well, I used the long weekend to carry out the cleaning job. Although it
did improve the overall picture quality, it didn't solve the "blue spot"
problem... I think a better name for it would be "bright blue spot
problem", more on that later.

I've cleaned every piece of optics in the light path, none of it appeared
to have significant dust on it. I'm not sure what the polarizers are, I
assume they are the filter-like pieces in front of the LCD panels, just
before the light hits the panels? One of them (the reddish one, farthest
from the light source, which I think is on the blue panel) has a pattern
on it. Like a 16:9 rectangle with sharp edges and fog going from the edges
toward the center. It does not clean or change, I tried many times, looks
like a permanent discoloration... I should have taken pictures while I had
the Optical Unit Block disassembled!

The LCD panels look clear and even, but of course, that doesn't mean they
are problem-free. So the "blue spot" is actually brighter blue than the
rest of the screen, which makes me think it's not dirt related, I would
expect it to be darker than the rest of the screen if that was the case.
It's almost not noticeable on a white screen (like the ice on the NHL
finals), and gets more visible as the picture gets darker. I will take
some screen pictures tonight (too much ambient light now) and post a link.

So what do the experts think? Do I really have to have the light engine
replaced, or are there any other options? Approximately how much is the
light engine? Can I order it and replace it myself, or is it only
available to (and installable by) certified Sony repair shops?

Thanks for all your input!


The pink colored filter is a polarizer or UV filter and if it is damaged
needs to be replaced or the LCD panel will be damaged in a short time.
Unfortunately, I don't think Sony is selling the parts individually. Bitch
to Sony about it.

Leonard


Yes, it's not going to be my first time bitching to Sony... Back in 2003
I got my first HDTV, KF-60XBR800. After 3-4 months it developed a very
similar problem, green tint on about 2/3 of the screen. I called Sony
(still under warranty) and few weeks later a technician showed up. He
said he's never seen such defect and he will proceed to have the optical
block replaced. In the next couple of months 3 appointments were
canceled by Sony in the last minute (actually, when I called them in the
afternoon to find out what's happening) -- delayed parts, technician out
sick, etc. So finally I asked them about replacing my set with the new
model. They approved it few days later, asking for another $650 (it has
ATSC tuner, iLink, and some other features). I agreed, and in Feb 2004 I
received the KDF-60XBR950 (manufactured 01/2004) and they picked up the
old TV.

The new one was trouble-free for a little over 2 years, but now it looks
like it needs the optical engine replaced, if individual parts are not
available. Not under warranty anymore... I used to be very confident
buying Sony products, but I don't think my next HDTV will be Sony. The
question is what to do with this one? What is a ballpark figure for the
optical block? I hope I can at least save on labor charges by replacing
it myself?

I took some pictures for those interested to see the problem:

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/chicho/KDF-60XBR950

Any comments/suggestions are welcome.

--
chicho M.