Sony technology at its worst

This is a Sony light engine. It showcases the liquid crystal display panels discussed here.



This a traditional color wheel.

A warped lcd panel.







Most light engines use a color wheel but Sony developed colored liquid crystal display panels that did not aim to please. Here is why.

Digital Light Processing technology was invented in 1987 by Dr. Hornbeck of Texas Instruments, Inc. He invented the Digital Micromirror Device (DMD), which is a semiconductor that can accurately direct photons like nothing known to man.

The DMD is used in DLP televisions in congruence with a lamp, a prism, a projection lense, a light funnel and initially, a color wheel to project a picture on a screen.  Here is where the problem lies. 

Sony replaced the color wheel with six colored lcd panels. Sony chose to be different.

Sometimes different isn't a good thing. Not in this particular case.

"Sony is always ahead," said Mr. Pickett.



However, by leaving out the "wheel" part, it left out the option of having a fan. The idea behind the color "wheel" was to have a cooling device to deter the amount of heat produced by the ultra violet rays and polarized blue light. Without the fan, the light engine overheats.

Once the light engine has overheated the lcd panels become warped and this is reflected across the television screen as large multi-colored blobs.

Due to the defects caused by Sony, there was a class-action lawsuit. It was eventually settled  October 23, 2007 but we are still seeing the effects of their poor technology to this day.



Today if one of these light engines fail the extended warranty has expired but we are still able to order the lcd panels from different distributors.

For information regarding the lawsuit, visit http://sites.google.com/site/sonylcdrptvproblems/sonyrearprojectionlcdtv-opticalblock

Problem Child: Sony DLP 60 inch, Model KDF-60xs955

Since July 2011 we have experienced an influx of what we would like to call our "problem child," the Sony 60" DLP, model number KDF-60xs955.

Fifteen of these sets have been repaired or are in the process of being repaired.

The most common problem?

According to Mr. Pickett, "a faded picture with specks all over it."

The only way to fix it is to replace the light engine. The light engine basically provides the light, color and projection of the image onto the screen.

There have been some very simple solutions to the various problems that consumers have encountered. Often times simply adjusting the convergence or the red, green and blue tints is all that is necessary.

For more information regarding this product visit http://www.sony.com/.