Mitsubishi DLP 06 - blooming video

It is hard to get them to do anything, and very hard to get parts in a timely manner. I wish reps from Mitsusbishi would read this, because Mitsubishi customer service and customer satisfaction is among the worst I have ever experienced. Maybe it would be wise for ths USA to give these Asians a run for the American electronics dollar in affordable, but not cheap market. Mitsubishi makes garbage.

mnurse,

It is evident you have an axe to grind with Mits. This post has nothing to do with getting Mits to do anything and nothing to do with parts; it is about finding a service center dabhome feels comfortable with and his/her belief that it needs a new light engine. You have added nothing useful, informative or helpful.

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While free speech is allowed in many cases these are technical discussions. We are seeking the truth regardless of the outcome. In this sense the site is not a free-for-all. Please, no flames, inflammatory remarks, name calling or foul language. Please make your point with intelligence, wit, and facts with integrity and respect. Of course there are many opinions and please express yours within the framework of the Forum.

This site is asking you to refrain from doing this again. You have made your post about your problem and stated your very real issues. We hope your TV is repaired soon. You are not allowed to post disparaging remarks of opinion to all Mits repair threads. If that is your current purpose we respectfully ask you to take your axe elsewhere because posts of that nature will be deleted going forward.

I have the blooming video issue.

I have no idea what you are talking about. Where did you read about this? Can you provide a link or explain what your problem is? What is your model#?

So both of these companies were Mits authorized service centers? What is your zip code?

1. They did not come out so they did not verify any problem you are having. As for the rest... strange...

2. I have told customers things at their home and heard them attempt to tell their spouse what I had said and it ALWAYS come out wrong. I ask the customer to let me explain it to the spouse.

Per this servicer who did visit you and saw your problem it sounds like you need a generic RP cleaning...

DLP light engines do not have light path cooling so the dust cannot be inside the light engine. It does have a lens and inside your cabinet is a mirror and they will collect dust and need to be cleaned to maintain peak image performance. This is not covered by ANY manufacturers warranty. Some extended warranties offer regular cleanings as part of the contract and you should always verify that your contract actually says that rather than believing what a sales person told you. Any rear projection design will need a cleaning at some point - some sooner than others, even under warranty, due to the environment the consumer is using it in! The manufacturer is not responsible for your unique environment and cleanliness.

Based on the information you provided neither Mits nor the extended warranty is going to replace your light engine - that is not your problem.

I have the blooming video issue.

I have no idea what you are talking about. Where did you read about this? Can you provide a link or explain what your problem is? What is your model#?

On AVS Forum. I have a MITS 65732. Here is a link of an image from an AVS forum member who had a similiar problem. My display looks similiar.
http://i10.tinypic.com/47vv49h.jpg

So both of these companies were Mits authorized service centers? What is your zip code?

Yes. 48154

1. They did not come out so they did not verify any problem you are having. As for the rest... strange...

I figured why have them come out if they were going to transport the TV on it's face. Besides, I wanted the TV fixed in my home.

2. I have told customers things at their home and heard them attempt to tell their spouse what I had said and it ALWAYS come out wrong. I ask the customer to let me explain it to the spouse.

Per this servicer who did visit you and saw your problem it sounds like you need a generic RP cleaning...

Maybe. But, is $200.00 reasonable for a routine cleaning? Besides based on the picture above do you believe it is due to dust?

DLP light engines do not have light path cooling so the dust cannot be inside the light engine. It does have a lens and inside your cabinet is a mirror and they will collect dust and need to be cleaned to maintain peak image performance. This is not covered by ANY manufacturers warranty. Some extended warranties offer regular cleanings as part of the contract and you should always verify that your contract actually says that rather than believing what a sales person told you. Any rear projection design will need a cleaning at some point - some sooner than others, even under warranty, due to the environment the consumer is using it in! The manufacturer is not responsible for your unique environment and cleanliness.

Based on the information you provided neither Mits nor the extended warranty is going to replace your light engine - that is not your problem.

I agree if it is a dust problem then it is my problem. However, based on many of the postings on AVS Forum, with similiar problems, I do not believe it is a dust problem. At this point, it seems like the only way to determine if this is dust or a light engine problem is to get the lens cleaned and see if the problem goes away.

I looked at the picture and it looks like a psychological test Without some background of what I am looking at it is meaningless. How about the AVS forum link discussing this?

Looked up your zip at the Mits consumer site - Oh My God - you have 19 service centers within 20 miles. Surely one or more of those can get it right. Shipping on the face makes no sense and could crack the mirror. It can be done but we would not take that risk (if we had to move one). Upright is how it is shipped from the factory to retail.

In home service will vary and should not be expected. An ASC is only obligated to either repair it in home or provide the labor and transportation for pick up and delivery. The reason for this varies from the philosophical to the practical. I do On-Site service but if I were in New York that would not be practical at all. As noted you have plenty of choice - see who will do it your way.

The price seems steep on the surface but I have not torn into one yet. Some products are straight forward and others require near complete disassembly. 1st and 2nd gen Mits is straight forward. We charge less than what you were quoted but prices vary with location due to the local economies. you have choice so I would call around, explain that you have a problem that will need a tech to look at it and one company already said it needs a cleaning and you would like to know how much they charge for that if their tech determines the same.

BTW, taking that Mits list and comparing it to the NESDA service centers for your area could be VERY helpful in finding quality.
http://www.nesda.com/locator/state_search.php

At this point I am going with the cleaning until you give me more info about this blooming video. Tech wise, that is a CRT term that relates to the way that beast works. An FPD can't bloom! They can clip either burying blacks or turning variations of peak white into one solid form. Solarization is another FPD performance term...

I looked at the picture and it looks like a psychological test Without some background of what I am looking at it is meaningless. How about the AVS forum link discussing this?

Sorry, I thought it was obvious that there was a "glow" around the edge of the person that shouldn't be there. This happens with all images that are bright (such as white) on black. Over time it has been getting worse and worse.

The link is http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9939098&&#post9939098. This is just one of many, but because he posted pictures which show the problem I used it.

Looked up your zip at the Mits consumer site - Oh My God - you have 19 service centers within 20 miles.

BTW, taking that Mits list and comparing it to the NESDA service centers for your area could be VERY helpful in finding quality.
http://www.nesda.com/locator/state_search.php

Very useful link. Thanks!

At this point I am going with the cleaning until you give me more info about this blooming video. Tech wise, that is a CRT term that relates to the way that beast works. An FPD can't bloom! They can clip either burying blacks or turning variations of peak white into one solid form. Solarization is another FPD performance term...

I should have called it a blooming effect. You are correct it is not "truly" blooming.

At the top of that thread is a great symptom description of cleaning...

I've noticed lately that when white letters are shown against a black screen, the black becomes "lighter."

In other words, I don't see pure white against pure black.

The whiteness of white text or a white image spills over into the black background making it a very light black.

I've also noticed whiteness spill over when watching images from DVDs and Dish.

For example, someone's white shirt will create a spilling over of white into all adjacent surroundings and objects.

I looked at a series of images called Mits Aurora XX... Don't know why that the one you posted appeared weird yesterday but I get it today

It all smells like a cleaning. That is your next step.

I test for this using a high 100IRE and low 20IRE window. You can get these patterns from calibration DVDs. Watch the black around the white box at 20IRE, switch to 100IRE, the black should look the same. If it became brighter you need a cleaning!

It all smells like a cleaning. That is your next step.

You are probably right. However, this all started to happen 4 months after I got the TV. I certainly hope I don't have to have a cleaning every 4 months.

I test for this using a high 100IRE and low 20IRE window. You can get these patterns from calibration DVDs. Watch the black around the white box at 20IRE, switch to 100IRE, the black should look the same. If it became brighter you need a cleaning!

I have the DVE HD-DVD disk. It doesn't seem to have a 20IRE and 100IRE window, but it does have a 20%-80% pluge image. Of course as the white gets brighter. It spills out more into the black. It is not that the black gets lighter. It is that the white produces a "glow" or reflection into the black. Exactly, what blooming would look like.

I think you are right. At this point, I will have to get somebody out to do the cleaning and then if that doesn't help, it will be a clear cut case to replace the light engine.

David

dabhome,

I have the exact same tv as you, Mitsubishi WD-65732, and I am on my third light engine due to the blooming problem. This is a known problem with these sets, and the replacement light engines are supposed to not have the problem. I have had this light engine now for almost 6 months without any issues. Your best bet is to call Mitsubishi customer care and ask to be transferred to their level 2 support to actually talk to someone that has working knowledge of the set. I hope it works out for you and you will be amazed at the difference and the detail that you were missing when you get new light engine.

ksbarnz, thank you for posting to this thread!

Guys, I have not received one phone call over this problem that seems so common on your end. Geez, these are 2006 TVs and if it is so common then why has it not come up? It has not even come up with my colleagues! What this means for dabhome is it may be tough to get an ASC to respond to this properly.

My million dollar question is this... if you grabbed 10 people off the street and they looked at your TV how many would quickly see this for themselves? Is it obvious to any neophyte? Videophiles can make a servicers job way more difficult no matter how right they are. TV service is not the ISF and it does not come with an ISF calibrator except for a hand full of shops around the country!

At first it was barely noticeable and it progressively got worse. At first it would have been hard to see if unless you knew what to look for but as time went on it was really noticeable. Bright objects would bleed over onto dark backgrounds. Do a quick search for Mitsubishi blooming problem on the rear projection forum at AVS and you will see that it has been a problem for a few people. Some with multiple light engine replacements, like myself.

Finally saw one today, WD65732, it is the light engine.

Extended warranty and manufacturers warranty
Provide your symptom and arrange for a service call and there is no need to tell them you think it is the light engine. Hopefully the result will be the tech stating it is the light engine.

Out of warranty
You must call a Mitsubishi Authorized Service Center and arrange for a service call and there is no need to tell them you think it is the light engine. Hopefully the result will be the tech stating it is the light engine. At this point you either pay for the repair or contact Mitsubishi for assistance.

Good Luck!

I'm a little late to this problem (just found this forum with a google search for "dust in light engine") but my 65831 had the halation issue, and it WAS the light engine.
Fortunately, I bought a service contract thru Magnolia/Best Buy and I experienced remarkably good service. Tech came out and saw the issue (white bleeding into dark backgrounds). He ordered an exchange light engine which was drop shipped to our home. He then came out and installed it and our 2+ year old TV had a new life!
It was startling how much the original light engine had deteriorated the image contrast!
I was itching to do a post mortem on the old engine, but the tech took it back with him.
I'm an EE and have worked for GE with imaging systems for many years, and I'm certain there was dust/grime accumulation somewhere in the internal light path. This engine has no less than three fans, and the screen on the projection lamp appears to be capable of filtering out small birds and that's it.
This seems like a fundamental issue, and replacing light engines is not very cost effective for ensuring clean optics!
My 2

While you may have a point with other MD technology DLP does not require cooling of the optical light path, cooling is all external.

I have no idea if the problem is a broken seal and debris getting inside or the breakdown of an optical element at the molecular level.

While you may have a point with other MD technology DLP does not require cooling of the optical light path, cooling is all external.

I have no idea if the problem is a broken seal and debris getting inside or the breakdown of an optical element at the molecular level.

Thanks for the quick reply!
I'll hope this was a one of a kind failure. I can understand a molecular breakdown. There's got to be tons of UV coming from that lamp! At any rate, the image is stunning and the service contract is good for almost another 2 years, so all is well.
Bruce

Don't mean to beat a dead horse, but here is a query and response from Mitsubishi, FYI.

-----Original Message-----
From: Bruce Anderson
Sent: Friday, February 13, 2009 2:56 PM
To: MDEA Service
Subject: WD65831 TV

Dear sirs:

I currently own a WD65831 TV, S/N 101006, purchased 11/25/2006, and I
am very happy with it except for one issue.

The lamp was replaced under contract on 11/06/2008 and I recently
noted a loss of contrast and a loss of detail in black areas, with
light scattering around bright objects on a dark background. This was
most noticeable on the bottom of the screen and it exactly mimicked
the consequence of dirty optics.

Our excellent service technician replaced the entire light engine and
image quality returned to stunning - just like new! I recalibrated
with my DVE disk and image quality is now simply superb.

Fortunately (for me) the TV is under contract. The bad news is that
the contract expires 11/25/2010. My concern is that this is an
expensive way to maintain reasonable image quality.

How do I prevent this from happening again? We are non-smokers, have
a central vacuum system and live in Oregon, so environmental dust
should not be an issue. The projection lens is easily accessible, but
can the light engine internals readily be cleaned? Any suggestions?

Looking forward to your response.

Bruce E. Anderson



From: [email protected]
Subject: RE: WD65831 TV
Date: February 23, 2009 12:59:38 PM PST
To: [email protected]

Thank you for contacting Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, Inc.
We are pleased to be able to assist our customers via our website. Here
is the information that you have requested:

Everything that you are doing is excellent. The previous light engine
was just defective. You shouldn't have any further problems as it seems
that you take excellent care of the TV.

MDEA Service

I've been in and out of this forum on the problem of apparent loss of contrast with what appears to be a dirty lens in my Mitsubishi 65831 TV's light engine. I had the engine replaced under contract which totally cleared the problem. I am noticing a return of this issue and started a search to find out what is going on. I came across this:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1148792
which corroborates my original theory that a lens surface INSIDE the light engine is the culprit, and that this issue may be more widespread than originally thought. It looks like a once a year cleaning or sell the damn thing.