Mitsubishi DLP WD73833 - 3rd optical engine!

[pamadeo2]

I have a new set just purchased last November. Within a month, an array of light mushroom-shaped spots showed up in the upper right corner of the screen. Tech said it was a problem with the light engine, and it was replaced.

A month after the replacement, a similar set of spots showed up on the left side of the screen. Again, the optical engine was replaced (just a week ago). Now it seems that another spot is beginning to show up again with the 3rd optical engine.

The spots are visible regardless of input source, and are even visible after the unit is turned off before the lamp shuts down. With all the optical engine replacements, it seems to me that maybe something else is damaging the mirror arrays, and every time the tech replaces the optical engine, the new one eventually breaks.

Has anyone seen something similar to this problem? I've uploaded photos of the spots if anyone cares to take a look:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24629350@N07/

If anyone has a suggestion, please let me know!

[BuddAdams]

Hi: We now live in a "plug in a new part somewhere and hope" repair world. They don't know what's wrong; their check list says "new Light Engine" and there probably isn't another item in their list and you're not reaching and engineer could think beyond the "check list". Don't ask us; insist on speaking to the supervisor. If he says "light Engine" ask for the bosses boss. The larger the company, the harder it is to locate someone who really knows anything. Frankly after three attempts, I've heard of a Lemon Rule I think you've qualified for. Try very hard to return it NOW. If you wait, you could get lost in their system, then you'd hear, "you waited too long to tell us, bla bla.....". What ever, get names, dates, of your supposed tech helper experts. You are well along the "slippery slope". Get off now!

[sbanuelos]

I have the same unit since last August without any problems. I try to look at your pictures, but they are real dark. What is the serial number of your TV? What city/state do you live at? I'll will try to get some information for you if I can from Mitsubishi. If you can send other clearer picture, it will help. Are spots there with regular video or only went unit is turn off?

[sbanuelos]

Let me have your name and telphone number to contact you direct. I am trying to help you with your unit.

[BuddAdams]

Hi: As a TV is developed some sets will be run for however long the development takes, a few months possibly, but this tests a very small sample of all the possible things that can go bad over time. Beyond that nothing the manufactures do prepares them to answer questions about failures after 5 running minutes, or the length of time it takes them to final test the set. Longer term, large sample testing is at the costumers expense. Certainly your set is fixable; the question is do you want wait and help finish their long term engineering test program? Realize also, that internal fiddling increases considerably the probability that something that now works will be dinged. Dump this set and start over. It's just a TV, you're not obligated to it in any way. Good Luck.

[sbanuelos]

Mitsubishi already has your information. I am sure someone from Customer Relation dept. will contact you. Thanks

[Richard]

sbanuelos,

WOW! What a nice surprise! Thank you for your direct support.

[pamadeo2]

Thanks everyone for the responses!

Budd, yep, I'm of the same opinion that there's something funky with the set, and it would be best to start over. I had been trying to just go through the warranty repair route, which only put me in touch with local techs. Thanks to the response from sbanuelos and a Mitsubishi email, I think they'll be contacting me sometime next week. Hopefully to switch to a new set!

sbanuelos, sorry the pictures are dark, but that's the only time you can only see the spots, and then the camera had a hard time focusing. Yes, the spots are there with regular video, but only visible in dark scenes. Of course, this is really distracting in movies when it's supposed to be black, then they really jump out at you. I will PM you the serial #, and other information you asked for, in case you may need it. Thanks for your support!

[sheldon1451]

Sbanuelos:::
Where were you during my 5 months without a TV??....(extended factory warranty for sets with defective light engines).
Nice of you to join in and help though. Hopefully, people with these kinds of issues will not have to go through what I, and others, went through. I even had my extended warranty that I purchased cancelled because of how my "fix" was handled...!
sheldon

[sbanuelos]

Just trying to help anyone with service problems if I can or direct them to the proper department.