kdf-42we655 lcd panel factory

**The 2005 3LCD models are unique in that they are the only models between 2003 and 2007 that have not had a Sony warranty extension.***The expiration date of the extended warranty was originally 10/31/2008, but, based in part on the settlement of a class action lawsuit, on 11/12/2007, Sony extended the expiration date to 6/30/2009.

Most likely, all of the green discolorations occurred due to the presence of improperly polarized light in the green channel, arising from defective green polarizers and/or SXRD panels. There is more recent evidence from a subsequent SXRD class action lawsuit that green haze can be caused by skin oil or debris introduced during the manufacturing process (presumably, optical block assemblers touching the parts with their bare fingers). However, Sony claims that they cleaned such optical block parts in a clean room prior to releasing them.

Sony further claims that the yellow stains in the 2005 SXRDs, which tend to start in the upper or lower right corner, were caused by a "microscopic material" in the liquid crystal panels, disrupting their uniformity over time during prolonged exposure to UV light produced by the projection lamp. Sony claims that the extent of the discoloration depended on the amount of microscopic material present in the panel, which varied from TV to TV, and the frequency of usage by the consumer. They also claim that service records indicate that the issue always appeared within the first 3,000 hours of usage, if it was going to happen.

The blue discolorations seem to be the most common, particularly in the earlier (2003-2005) 3LCD models, although they are also observed in the more recent 3LCD models, as well as the SXRD models. These discolorations can take the form of blue blobs, haze, lines, bands, dots, star pattern, etc. In some cases, the discoloration is centered around an oval-shaped anomaly in the middle of the screen. In many cases, the discoloration (e.g., haze) is most visible on a gray background, but in other cases, the discoloration is visible on a black background (e.g., blobs). Once they become evident, the discolorations tend to accumulate and spread across the entire screen over the course of a few weeks to months.

The precise cause(s) of these discolorations have not been revealed by Sony, but the problem is well-known in the industry.Thediscolorations tend to be bluish in color,because the parts in the blue light path (particularly the blue polarizing filters and liquid crystalpanels) aresubject to the highest energy light (including UV) and heat. Photochemical and heat-based degradation of the blue polarizing filters can allow stray, improperly polarized blue light to pass through the blue LCD panel and onto the screen, leading to blue blobs on images that should be black. Photochemical and heat-based degradation of compounds in the blue LCD panel (e.g., the liquid crystal itself and/or alignment layers) can cause irregular distribution and/or alignment of the of the liquid crystal. This can lead to improper polarization of blue light as it passes through the damaged areas of the panel, resulting in the projection of stray blue light onto the screen.

images--typically called burn-in on older CRT and plasma displays. For example, this can occur in areas of black bars (e.g., letterboxes), in news ticker areas, or when pausing a program on a DVR.As the liquid crystal panels degrade over time, the

While the 2003-2004 3LCD models tend to have primarily blue discolorations, as described above, they can also suffer from stains in the yellow range, and this seems even more common in the newer 3LCD models (e.g., 2005-2006), particularly the A10s. These discolorations tend to start on the edges or appear within oval-shaped anomalies, and to spread over time. Similar to the yellow stains in the SXRDTM models, the yellow color arises due to light being completely blocked in the blue light pathdue to photochemical and heat-based damage (e.g., darkened areas on the orange-colored polarizing filter in the blue light path). The improper blockage of blue lightleaves the predominantly yellow light from the combined green and red light paths. TriState Module sells the orange-colored polarizing filter for the blue light path and reports that it can fix yellow discolorations.

On top of the high risk for blue discolorations described above, some2003-2004 3LCD modelsare also susceptible to developing an opaque, non-moving pattern on the screen, which is particularly evident on white or light backgrounds. This is referred to variously as stationary scribble, squiggly, random line, or road-mapping, and tends to be a solid color such as yellow, purple, or blue-green on a white background, but it varies somewhat depending on the specific color of the image on the screen.The problem tends to grow worse over time.

For the most part, this problem seems to have been caused by defective materials in a specific lot of LCD panels that were installed in the optical blocks, whichare particularly sensitive to damage arising from hot-cold (on-off) cycling. The color of the scribbles likely correlates with the light path with the damaged LCD panel. For example, damage to the blue panel may selectively block blue light in the damaged areas, leading to a yellow scribble (green plus red), damage to the green panel may lead to a purple scribble (blue plus red), or damage to the red panel may lead to a blue-green scribble. In some cases, different colored scribbles appear in different areas on the same TV, suggesting damage to multiple panels.

There is some evidence that leaving the TV on for an extended period (e.g., several days) can, at least temporarily, resolve or reduce this issue, perhaps by causing the defective panel to heat up, but this is not a complete or permanent fix.

For reference,in addition to liquid crystal projection technology (3LCD andLCoS/SXRDTM), othernewer technologies at the time included digital light processing (DLP) projection,plasma flat-panel,and LCD flat-panel. In the large screen market, DLP and plasma were in direct competition with liquid crystal projection in its heyday, and LCD flat-panels have overtaken the market as prices have come down on larger panels.

An industry group of LCD projection manufacturers called the "3LCD Group" was formed in 2004 to help market the 3LCD microdisplay technology. Sony is a member of this marketing group, and, along with Epson, accounted for most of the production of the LCD microdisplay panels used in the projection models. Although the current 3LCD Group web site refers only to front projectors, it included rear-projection TVs when they were in production. For example, see this version of the 3LCD Group web site archived in January of 2005. Here is an excerpt from a 1/7/2005 3LCD Group press release:

“As the U.S. market leader in microdisplay televisions, Sony has always been committed to providing consumers with video products that exceed their expectations,” said Mike Fidler, senior vice president in Sony Electronics’ Home Products Division. “3LCD technology fulfills this role by offering an ideal balance between superior performance, overall reliability and manufacturing efficiency.”

Liquid crystal projection TV sales and marketing efforts attempted to steer customers away from competing plasma TVs by citing a short 10,000-20,000-hour lifespanof the plasma tubes (less than 10 years at 3-6 hours per day).In addition, the longevity of competing DLP projection TVs was questioned based on the use of moving parts (DLP technology uses a spinning color wheel with millions of hinged micromirrors). Consistent with this, Sony and its 3LCD Group have released marketing statements such as the following:

It is generally accepted that liquid crystal flat-panel displays have an expected life span of about 60,000 hours(about 27 years at 6 hours per day)(e.g., site 1, site 2, site 3). The liquid crystal microdisplay panels in Sony"s 3LCD and SXRDTM TVs are a bit different than flat-panels. However, Sony and the 3LCD Group do not differentiate LCD flat panels and microdisplays when speaking about reliability. For example, the following statement can be found on the 3LCD Group web site:

Reliable, Road-Tested Tecnology: LCD technology surrounds us – HDTVs, PDAs, mobile phones, monitors and more...this powerful and road-tested technology is an optimal way to achieve sharp, beautiful images. 3LCD systems are reliable and use a simple optical design: 3 chips and 1 prism.

Furthermore, the estimated 60,000-hour lifespan of an LCD flat panel is actually based more on the longevity of the fluorescent back-lighting than the liquid crystal components themselves. So, if the lighting systems were replaceable on these units, the lifespan could, theoretically, be much longer.In liquid crystal projection systems, the lamps are, in fact, user-replaceable, and Sony has exploited this to further promote the longevity of the technology. They strongly promoted that their TVs only needed a lamp change every several years to restore the TV to a like-new condition. Here are some quotes from some of Sony"s marketing:

The Fountain of Youth - User-Replaceable UHP Lamp. In the past, the gradual loss of picture quality was just part of owning a TV. Once the picture got to a point where it was unwatchable, the TV was replaced and the process started over. Sony recognizes the investment in time and money that a TV represents. That is the reason that Grand WEGA comes with an ingenious user-replaceable UHP lamp. After countless hours of enjoyment, simply replace the lamp and your Grand WEGA is as good as the day you bought it. In fact, with Sony"s renowned quality, Grand WEGA may be the last TV you ever own.The implication from these quotes is that liquid crystal rear-projection TVs could have an even longer life than a liquid crystal flat-panel display, and even CRT-based TVs, due to the user-replaceable lamps. In fact, a "white paper" from Sony on their projection systems directly suggests that liquid crystal microdisplay (fixed-pixel) projection panels offer "far longer life" than CRT-based TVs (e.g., see page 23):

CRTs have phosphors that are subject to burn-in when an image stays on the screen too long...Fixed-pixel projector display panels are immune to burn-in, offering far longer life. And the SXRD panel is particularly robust.However, unlike flat-panel liquid crystal displays with non-damaging fluorescent back-lighting, the UHP lamps in Sony"s rear-projection TVs create substantial direct heat, direct light (e.g., ultraviolet), and indirect heat (produced by conversion of reflected light). This damaging energy is focused on the small filters and liquid crystal panels within the optical block, significantly reducing lifespan.

Registered: Jan-07Posted on Friday, January 05, 2007 - 06:05 GMTI have a SONY KDF-42WE655. Rip Off. I have a blue haze on the screen. Apparently dust in the the optical block, $800 to $900 to repair.

I have the same Sony WEGA LCD 54". Yes, I have the same problems as all of you people.. My broke down after 3 month but luckly its still under manufacture warranty. I got it fix but about a year my tv appear to have blue spot here and there.. and started to go off on its own and came back on after like a minute... anyone one have any idea how to fix that and what is causing that to happen....

Registered: Jan-07Posted on Saturday, January 20, 2007 - 20:14 GMTI wanted to pass along a couple of things the technician mentioned. I watched him repair it (I used to be a technician as a teenager) and as you can see from the picture in my previous post, if anything gets on the little "eye" on the top of it (actually it is the projector lens), it will cloud up the picture. It could be smoke, pollens, dust, humidity, etc. He also mentioned that the rear projection LCD"s actually have a b&w picture and then it uses a "color wheel", not unlike the old film projectors to throw the colors up on the screen. If anything goes wrong with this (it is part of the optical engine and mechanical)you have a sucky picture and a sizeable bill. He conjectured that this is one of the reasons why the manufacturers are moving away from rear projection to non-mechanical system. It is just too bad that right now, rear projection is the cheapest way to get a good, large picture. But, technology marches on!

Registered: Jan-07Posted on Sunday, January 21, 2007 - 02:35 GMTI have the kdf-42we655 and have the bluish portion on the bottom of the screen. What was it that was the problem with this symptom? I called sony, they said that its not covered because its not under warranty, but this was prior to finding this site. I plan on taking it in to the service center and talking to them. Again.... what was the problem found with a bluish tint on portions on the picture?

Models: KF-42WE610, KF-50WE610, KF-60WE610, KDF-70XBR950, KDF-60XBR950, KDF-42WE655, KDF-50WE655, KDF-55WF655, KDF-60WF655, KDF-55XS955, KDF-60XS955, KF-42WE620, and KF-50WE620.

Registered: Jan-07Posted on Wednesday, January 31, 2007 - 02:21 GMTThe conclusion of my Sony LCD rear projection TV Blues- I will never buy anything from Sony or Circuit City ever again. Sony changed their original offer to pay 100% of my repair down to only paying 25% of the optical block repair necessary to fix the blue blob discolorations. Sony refused to answer questions about the replacement part. So I am not going to have it repaired. Why waste my money on fixing a piece of crap TV with unknown quality replacement parts. Sony refused to answer why they pay different $ amounts for different customers (I call it discrimination). Sony is doing a poor job of managing this crisis. In the end, Sony will loose a whole lot more revenue than the small cost of the TV repair. Circuit City edits their product reviews posted on their website. They edit the negative reviews cutting out a major portion of what the consumer sent them. You can"t trust the reviews you see on their website (misrepresentation). Sony and Circuit City can"t spell customer service or integrity.

I had a Hitachi before I changed to the Sony KDF-E50A10. The reason I"m pointing to this is that the Hitachi has a systemic problem caused by the Light Eengine vent filter clogging resulting in over heating. The interesting part is that it looks like Sony makes the LCD parts and the TV shows a lot of the same issues that are being discussed here. This post has some really good pictures of the problem.

My Name is James Hightower, I too have the same issue with my 55 inch LCD projection TV. I purchased my Sony in December of 2004, In September of 2006 I began to notice the blue tones in bottom of my TV. Like most, I have been denied warranty on this issue. Currently I am in contact with the office of Sir Howard Stringer, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Sony Corporation.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I had a Pink Blob issue on a 1st generation Hitachi RPLCD set. There was an overheating issue that basically caused the Small LCD panels in the light engine to burn. In the case of the road map issue the filters overheat and start to form what looks like micro-cracks. If you want to see pictures, there is a post on the Hitachi forum from somebody that disassembled the Light engine and did a beautiful job of documenting it. Sony"s name is clearly printed on the ribbon cables of the LCDs.

Registered: Dec-03Posted on Thursday, February 15, 2007 - 01:58 GMTI have the model#KDF-42WE655 which has the blue corner and dots also.The tv is 2years old with no extended warranty, thinking what do i need it for, it"s a Sony tv,big mistake.Called Sony about it but they won"t repair it because it"s out of warranty,the Sony repair guy want $800.00 to repair it, which is ridiculous.Just a total rip off and i won"t repair it for this kind of money.What can someone do for Sony to listen and repair these tvs? This tv is my 2nd Sony tv and i know i will never buy Sony product again.

I purchased a SONY LCD projection TV in March 2004. I had to replace the bulb once about a year ago. In the last month, I have had to severe problems with the set.

Models: KF-42WE610, KF-50WE610, KF-60WE610, KDF-70XBR950, KDF-60XBR950, KDF-42WE655, KDF-50WE655, KDF-55WF655, KDF-60WF655, KDF-55XS955, KDF-60XS955, KF-42WE620, and KF-50WE620.

Registered: Mar-07Posted on Monday, March 05, 2007 - 10:18 GMTHi Guys I am planning to purchase a sony sxrd full hd 1080i 60"" lcd projection tv (KS60R200A). Any suggestions? Reviews?

Registered: Mar-07Posted on Tuesday, March 06, 2007 - 06:04 GMTDustin, thanks for the feedback. I would definitely look for alternatives and revert back for more suggestions. Kindly do suggest some alternatives as I have also used used a 54"" samsung dlp rptv which I recently changed with a 40"" samsung lcd tv. But I mostly watch movies or sports with low lights in the room and found the rptv more satisfying due to the size without compensating much on picture quality. Hence, the decision to switch back to bigger screen size. By the way I was now thinking on the 70"" model.

I purchased a SONY LCD projection TV in March 2004. I had to replace the bulb once about a year ago. In the last month, I have had to severe problems with the set.

Registered: Mar-06Posted on Friday, March 16, 2007 - 23:26 GMTThis has nothing to do with your problems but it does have to do with Sony. I live 10 miles from the Sony plant in Pa. They are laying off most of the workers except for 250 that will build theBravia. The SXRD and LCD televisions are going to be made in Mexico. Bob