CaptainMarvel

I was sitting on my couch, happily playing Onimusha on my PS2 a little while ago, and I heard a loud sound come out of my KV-27FV16. Then the screen turned a funny tan color, with a VERY faint outline of what was on the screen. I flipped to the other inputs, and they kinda work... for a few seconds, the screen flashes pink, and then it looks alright. If the image is black though, the entire screen looks pink with a helix shape running through the middle.

I bought a Sears service plan when I bought the TV last month, so I HOPE I'm alright. Their systems are down right now though, so they can't tell me anything until 6 AM. Sony's customer service doesn't open until morning, so I can't call them either. And I know I can't sleep now.

Anybody else had to deal with a Sears service agreement? What should I expect?

edclem

If you just bought the TV last month, you're still under the factory warranty. Talk w/ your dealer about getting a replacement.

Sucks to hear the bad news, though

Centurion

Sounds like a manufacturer defect.
It's a good thing you purchased that Sears Service Plan.

CaptainMarvel

I returned it this morning; you gotta say one thing about Sears... they make returns totally hassle free. They also refunded my warranty price too, and didn't charge me extra for not having the box anymore.

The repair guy didn't seem surprised at all about what happened... he said he owned the 32 inch, and he was on the 3rd set, having had similar problems. I just went ahead and bought a non-flatscreen 32 inch with component inputs. I don't feel like dealing with WEGAs until they become a bit more stable.

Jeff L

The repair guy had 2 sets that ended up like yours? Hum. I did a lot of research before buying a Wega and never heard of anything like this. Of course Wegas aren't without their quirks.

Hopefully the new TV you got has a 16x9 enhanced mode. This is why I got the Wega and I could never go back. It's like looking out a window.


Jeff

Furious

Well I'll tell you one thing about the Wega's....you want to know which TV series have the single highest defective return rate at the chain I work at? Wegas, and not by a small margin either. I've allways wanted a Wega series due to the 16:9 squeeze, which is relatively rare on 4:3 sets, so I've kinda been put off by that and my prior experience with Sony tubes. These sorts of reliability problems aren't exactly new to sony. In the early 90's they had a couple of lines of 15" Trinintron monitors completely recalled and scrapped due to major problems (I was fortunate enough to go through 4 different montitors from one of the lines). I've also had rotten luck with the non-Wega trinintron TV's, going through 2 units before I got one that actually worked, then another 2 to correct horrible geometry problems not correctable via the service menu...fun. Sony = Great Technology, Questionable Quality Control

Sockmonkey

Is that because you work at the chain that was using hand-trucks to pick up the Wega boxes, despite Sony's warning not to?

Just curious, because like Jeff L, I've never heard any of these complaints about the Wega's reliability. I bought one two years ago, and have convinced several friends to buy since then. None of us has had any problems...

Josh H

I'd also garner that many of the problems are a result of more home theater buffs buying them than any other single line of 4:3. Many of the problems are things most people wouldn't even notice, i.e. the darker, or brighter spots, slight geometry problems on the older sets. More home theater buffs buy them, notice these minor problems, and return them. Of course this doesn't apply to cases like this where the tv died. And this is just speculation on my part, I could be dead wrong. Just a theory.

[Edited by joshhinkle on 03-21-01 at 04:48 AM]

John Sy

I've never had a problem with my Wega and I've had it for about two years now.

MxChino

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Sockmonkey
[B]Heh, have you ever tried to carry a wega more than a few steps? We've always used hand trucks to transport them. My back is more important then a damn tv.

MasterofDVD

Wow......sorry to hear about this. I also looked around ALOT before I bought my Wega and this kind of problem was never mentioned. Not at all looking forward to the day mine goes out. Better not be for a looooooong time!

* knocks on wood *

Sockmonkey

Sure have. It's easily done with two or even three people.
You're downright silly if you think it's a one person job.

My point had nothing to do with your back. It was to suggest that many of these "failures" may be due to transporting Wega's with a hand truck -- against Sony's recommendation.

CaptainMarvel

Come to think of it, the Sears I got my Wega carried it out on a hand truck. I wonder if that was what caused all the problems?

palebluedot

I' sorry but if a TV is not built well enough to be wheeled around on a hand truck, especially taking into consideration the weight of those Wegas, then I want no part of them. I have a friend who is a TV repair person at a HT store and when I was looking at buying a Wega he steered me clear of them. He told me in his shop, which sells and services all brands of TVs, Wegas have the highest return/repair of any TV by a pretty big margin.

Sockmonkey

Well, that's your choice.

However, for some people it's worth it to purchase from a reputable dealer that knows how to properly handle heavy yet fragile equipment, so that they can enjoy one of the best looking direct-view sets on the market.



Yes, and I have a friend who is a TV repair person at a HT store. He told me in his shop, which sells and services all brands of TVs, Wegas have the lowest return/repair of any TV by a pretty big margin.

My point is that these statements really don't mean crap...

The bottom line is that the Wega's are fantastic TV's. They are not without problems, but if you search the forums you will find that these problems are almost always related to brightness issues, banding, and geometry. I also believe that a lot of these cases are amplified by the "discriminating taste" of those that would buy a TV in this range. You will find very few accounts of Wega's actually dying, and in most cases these have been linked to the dealers' handling of the TV.

CaptainMarvel

No doubt. I miss my WEGA very much, but I live in middle Alabama. You can't find ANY high end electronics unless you go to Birminham or Atlanta, and the local stores just don't know how to treat electronics. I feel safer just buying less fragile technology until I get into an area that knows how to treat electronics.