Are there any home fixes for screen burnins on sony wega hdtvs?

[yoda313]

Ok I have recently acquired a second hand sony wega hdtv. I don't have a model number yet. I am also not certain what type of tv it is. It is a 42" set.

It has what I believe are symptoms of screen burn in.

It has a purplish hue on the lower right hand of the screen. Also when I connected a vcr/dvd combo unit via hdmi I was able to notice inset lines inside of the 4:3 image that I was getting from the video tape. So that is telling me that it probably is some kind of burn in issue. The faint purplish lines are inside the viewable 4:3 box.

I can see in the menu that there is a grayed out option for diagnostics. Is this an option only available to technicians? Also there is a usb port on the back but I think it says service only. What kind of diagnostic tools do repair technicians use on modern sets? Is there any home kit that you can rent for a do it yourself test?

Is there some kind of reset function available?

What kind of repair costs are associated with burn ins if this is indeed what the issue is?

I'm not even 100% sure it is a burn in issue. It is not text or a graphic that is left on the screen. It is just a remnant of the vertical parallel lines you see for a 4:3 picture inside of a the regular 4:3 box.

It also has a light on it under the power button on the front of the set that says LAMP so I am assuming it is a dlp set but I don't know. Is there any chance it could be a plasma set?

I didn't get to talk to the previous owners about it. I am a recepient of it so I don't have all the details. I plan on connecting my pc to it to get the exact model number. I have that ability on my ati all in wonder hd pci-e graphics card. It reads my model number on my westinghouse hdtv so I assume it can do the same for the sony.

I also don't know if its 1080p or not. It does do 1080i for sure. I'd have to hook up my xbox 360 or ps3 to it to know if it can do 1080p for sure. Those are the only true sources of 1080p that I have (I do have a wdtv but I only have 1080i or 720p clips - to save space, any conversions from bluray were downressed to 720p - unless you know of places to get 1080p trailers?)

Thanks for any tips and advice. I plan to get the exact model by connecting my pc probably tomorrow. Than I'll know exactly what I'm working with.

[aedipuss]

the lamp light points toward it being the rear projection lcd they made for a while. it's a $150-200 light bulb that blows frequently. native resolution i think was about 1300x768. it would be about 15 inches deep.

burn in would be unusual for an r.p. lcd but was very common for plasmas back then.

[yoda313]

@aedipuss - thanks for the insight.

I did hook up my pc last night. Unfortunately my ati card only reported it as SONY TV and did not give any more detail.

I think that 15 inches is about right though it may be a bit deeper. I haven't measured the depth yet.

Also is there any way to do a home diagnostic?

I'll need to find the model number before I could even think about getting a replacement bulb. Would a replacement bulb eliminate the possible burn in symptoms? However there are about four or five dead pixels. Are those fixable at all?

Thanks for the info.

Also where would I check for a model number on a wega tv? There is a sticker thats torn off on the back of the set. I hope that it would have a stamped model number on the set. However I haven't found it yet in the back or on the base itself.

The good thing is I was able to get my logitech harmony remote to work with it so I can get in the menu.

[redwudz]

You could pull the back off and look for numbers in there, also inspect the interior of the set. There is likely a chassis number or something else you can do a internet search for. The FCC ID number will work.

Dead pixels, probably no hope. I have heard of a 'massaging' method, but I found it unlikely.

It's possible the 'burn in' is dust or a failing bulb.

[yoda313]

Thanks redwudz. With aedipuss' suggestion of a rear projection lcd set I think I may have found it. I searched the sony website and have narrowed it down to the kdf42we655 series. The pictures on the website seem to match my set. Also the onscreen graphics and capabilities seem similar.

It's possible the 'burn in' is dust or a failing bulb.

Is it possible to clean the insides yourself? Or is this something only to be handled by a professional?

If it is a bulb issue I'd have to weigh the option of turning this working free tv into a 200.00 tv with a handful of dead pixels. I am not sure.

One thing I do know is it would be a lot cheaper than buying a similar 42" set brand new. No 42" hdtv comes in at 200.00 I think the cheapest new 42" set starts at 800.00 still these days. Its the 32" sets that are "almost" dirt cheap these days (350-500 depending on sets - probably minimum 400.00 since I really haven't looked that hard at them).

Thanks for all the help.

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This set has a cable card input slot. I've been reading up a little on it. Does comcast charge for an individual cable card? I have a hdtv dvr that has its own cable card. I do have a hdtv cable package. I am a little confused on what comcast says it offers with cable cards. It says it does digital cable with a cable card but I am not 100% certain that it does hdtv cable with the cable card. It did seem to suggest that it won't do on demand or that type of stuff.

But will a cable card let you watch your high def cable channels like the food network and the history channel in hd without a box?

Edit - Looks like a replacement bulb would be this type:

A1606034B
LAMP BLOCK XL-2100U

I found an online dealer that had it for just 78.00! That would be great. Even if I'd be left with a handful of dead pictures getting a fully vibrant picture with a few defects would be intriguing.

Again I need to ask if this can be done yourself. Thanks.

[redwudz]

No idea about the internals of that set. I suspect it would be similar to a video projector with a light source, color splitting mirrors and some LCD shutters for creating the picture. LCD projectors have air filters to keep out dust, but no idea how a TV would do it. It may be sealed except for the bulb area. Probably when you open it up to remove/replace the bulb, you would see more about how it's assembled and you may be able to see if dust can get or is in there.

And since that doesn't appear to be a LCD front screen, dead pixels would be on the internal LCD shutters, so not much to be done with them.

From what I read, the internals of the actual projector system are likely not serviceable except by a shop. But maybe someone here is familiar with it.

Sorry, no knowledge of Comcast cards.

[yoda313]

Thanks redwudz.

I actually got details on how to remove the bulb. I got it open and checked the bulb. The thing looks clean and looks solid - no visible dark spots or anything.

However it is a phillips brand and not the sony model the website suggests. Does that mean it might not be fully compatible or 100% similar?

There was a mirrored type square that the bulb was in front of. It had multiple smaller squares (not really mirrors but really shiny).

I left a email on sonys support website. I'll see if I get a response.

I think I'll try to put in a call to comcast and see about a cable card. If its free or really low cost (less than 5 a month) I'll consider it. If its similar in price to another dvr I'll forget about it.