CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 12:32 am Post subject: Sony's dirty little SxRD secret?

I got this email from a customer yesterday, I've cleaned up the typing a bit, but here's what he says about SxRD:

Hey, i thought that was you on ebay. I've been getting your updates newsletter emails for like 3 or 4 years now. Back then i was looking at a sony 1272 model i think....7inch and only could spend 1400-1700$ then.... but some stuff happened and I ended up about a year ago getting the Sony SxRD R50XBR1 1080 tv set...

It retailed for $4,000. I was able to get it online shipped to me brand new and with a extended 3 year warranty for $2600 or so. Everyone at best-buy and all those places all agreed it had the Best picture out by far for anything under $10,000 . Sony made a new system it uses " SXRD" its like its made of silicon. I dont know all the tech details right here with me but i did alot of reading on it and it was better then any LCD plasma or the one that uses millions of little mirrors made by Texas tech.

Anyways it didnt have any of the problems some of those would have like rainbow effects and some other things people complained of.. and the black level was the best only 2nd to CRT projectors. After about a year of watching this amazing tv with hd-dvds in 1080 and a good surround sound.... it was amazing .. and even normal dvds were up converted to 1080 with the hd player and made them 2 or 3 times sharper.

Anyways after a year my tv suddenly started getting this ... uh " greenish yellow BLOB" right in the middle upper left part of the screen ... and it slowly progressed to nearly all the screen...... well my 1 year warrenty was up with Sony, ... I did get the extra 3 year warrenty with the place I bought it from but they said i had to pay the 400$ to ship it and would take 2 months to fix and get it back to me..... so i was a little upset.

Well... I ended up just keeping it. Then a few weeks ago I feel asleep watching tv.... and i woke up in the morning and it was off ... i went to turn it on and the power on green light just flashes and it sounds like its trying to come on the cooling fan turns on in the back and then after about 10 secs the green light turns to red and shuts off... I looked online ...and EVERYBODY is having that problem with the "green blob" in all the HD TV forums same time frame right when the damn warranty runs out 10-14 months after you get it.

Well Sony finally admitted there was a major flaw in it after a big class action lawsuit filed in New York 'cause they wouldn't even help anyone or admit something was wrong and you would sit on the phone for hours with customer service. well they FINalLY listed on there site that untill Oct. 31st 2008 anyone with my model and the same model in 60 inch is extended and 100% covered by them no matter when you got it.

The thing is people would send it in... get it back 2 months later... and then the screen would be all PINK!.... and have to go through all that sh*t again. The "block" they are replacing is costing Sony 1100$ per tv.... anyway they now say if after 2 times if it still is happening they are giving people the new model the R60XBR2 SXRD... since they only make the newer one in 60 inch and 70 inch people who got the 50inch br1... get a free upgrade....

I haven't heard of issues with the projection devices. I wonder if this fault will eventually show up in SxRD projection sets as well?

beachbunnyfl · Joined: 12 Sep 2007 Posts: 27 Location: Seminole, FL

I heard about it last year, just before I was about to buy one.
Happily I did more homework on the internet and decided super hot bulbs
that burn out and spinning color wheels that bind up made no real sense to me.
I found Curt's site and read, and read and downloaded until I got the old Nec XG110
working- it was dead and free for the hauling away. I replaced the bad IR board, replaced the worst tube-
the blue, and removed the excessive glycol from all the tubes- all with help from this site.
Curt- your Nec setups have lead me thru convergence a few times THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
After buying an HDFURY, thru this site of course, an HD-A2, thanks for the the $100 Walmart tip last thanksgiving,
I am watching a 100 " 1080i TV- all for less $$ than Sony's cost to remove the green and pink blobs
I would have had to buy the hdmi switching receiver anyway.
Smoothing and painting a wall ultra white was the only CRT extra involved.
Hopefully all the learning will forestall the old timer's disease for a while.
As to Sony, almost every one of their products I have purchased has gone bad suddenly and prematurely.
My $20 contribution to this site was and will remain a pleasure to remit.
Thanks to all!
Robin

Tom.W · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 6635

I heard the same awhile back from the folks at circuit city and another place called ultimate electronics. I have to admit it did have a damn nice picture but so does the 1209s ! Smile

The SXRD chip at 0.78 inches diagonal...

http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press_Archive/200302/03-008E/

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10270

I have three friends with Sony SXRD imaging systems and none of them have complained about anomalies. I guess we take the good with the bad. Its not like anything had a 0% failure rate.

Person99 · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 4899 Location: Flower Mound, TX

aspec2 · Joined: 10 Apr 2006 Posts: 549

I have a friend with one of these and it has a green blob on the upper right hand side. It was a pretty amazing picture for a digital, though.

Walt