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Thread: Hitachi 50V500 LCD RPTV Reviews?? |
    
New member Username: Keiferlj
Post Number: 1
Registered: Jan-07
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| Posted on Friday, January 19, 2007 - 06:38 pm: |
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I'm new here and I am a current 50V500a owner. It sounds as though I've been fortunate in that I have not had any significant problems in 3 years. Generally I have had many hours viewing this set with its fantastic picture.
However if your set is already out of warrenty, your not faint of heart and you just want to be easily able to clean the filter on the light engine than I believe I have solved this problem. I'm also sorry if someone has previously mentioned this approach before.
It all started when I came across the discussion and through details provided by Justin Powers about the light engine overheating because of dust in the filter. After much thought I decided to take the leap of disassembling and possibly ruining a working TV. I quickly realized how time consuming the job could be so I vacuumed what I could and reassembled the set.
I then positioned the set so that one end was on its stand and the other end of the set was on a chair. This allowed me to crawl on my back underneath it like I would do with a car. I was then able to remove the 6 screws that hold the center metal stiffening bracket located directly beneath the light engine. I then took a hot pencil soldering iron and carefully, slowly, methodically, taking sure as to push the point in too far, melted out the center of the honeycomb located adjacent to the front of the set directly behind where the metal bracket yhat I had removed.
I then pulled out the rectangular 2"x 3" plastic which exposed the Filthy filter at the bottom of the light engine. Because access as still somewhat tight I took a small flexible hose which was duck tapped to the end of a vaccume cleaner and vaccumed off the dust. This worked quite well.
I then duck tapped the rectangular hole I had made and gave the tape adequate overlapp to make sure it couldnt get sucked up into the set. I then reinstalled the metal bracket which covered any visible signs of the hole I had made.
Now that I have access to the filter I can clean it in less than 15 minutes and I intend to clean it every 6 months or so. This should prevent most problems.
The only other problem I have had with this set is it likes to turn itself on when ever the power goes off and on. I never identified it as either a defect or design problem but I solved it by buying a $50 computer back up power supply.
All said and done I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I hope this helps anyone that is fortunate to discover this forum like I did before their light engine melts down.
LK |
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New member Username: Cbcooldad
Post Number: 8
Registered: Nov-06
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| Posted on Sunday, January 21, 2007 - 01:22 am: |
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I believe my time on this site is finished. Yeah!!
I got my 50v500 back and everything is great. I kinda forgot how great this TV is. I must have been slowly getting used to the degrading picture. Wow, its like a new TV. I hope it lasts a long time.
My cost: $115.00 for a new light engine.
The tech told me to think plasma for my next set. He says there is less to go wrong. Who knows......
Good luck to everyone else who are still dealing with this malfunction.
Thanks all for everything.  |
Bronze Member Username: Sboone03
Post Number: 14
Registered: May-06
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| Posted on Sunday, January 21, 2007 - 10:45 am: |
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Regarding lamps, I saw an earlier post that someone had 8700 hours or so on the original lamp. I had the LE replaced several months ago and had about 9300 hours on the original lamp. I haven't checked but my guess is that it's well over 10,000 now. I'm going to order one now since I figure I'm on borrowed time and saw one on-line at Laptops For Less for $185.00, free shipping. Is there anything I should look out for here? |
New member Username: Cbcooldad
Post Number: 9
Registered: Nov-06
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| Posted on Sunday, January 21, 2007 - 09:37 pm: |
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I bought the same lamp and don't believe there is any thing wrong with it. It is just a good price.
I bought the lamp because my picture was getting dark. I thought the lamp was dimming. I put the new one in and there was no change. I emailed Laptops 4 less and they were willing to send me another one. All I needed was the order # and they would send me the RMA#. However, I did not follow through because my tech told me the lamp will just die when it is time and they do not dim. He told me that when he replaces the light engine, that will fix my problem and for me to hang on to the new lamp because I would need it.
He replaced the LE, my picture is better than ever and I have a spare lamp.
So....don't be afraid of Laptops 4 less,I believe they are reputable. |
New member Username: Brianlyle31
Post Number: 1
Registered: Jan-07
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| Posted on Monday, January 22, 2007 - 03:05 pm: |
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Hi Everyone, I am hoping I can find someone that has had the same problem I am having. When I attempt to turn on my tv (50v500), I will sometimes hear a squeaking sound coming from the lower right hand corner that repeats 3 or 4 times. The screen will never light up but the blue led is on as if everything is normal. Sometimes this doesn't happen at all and it just turns on normally. Any help of suggestions would greatly be appreciated!
Thanks,
Brian |
New member Username: Surferboy
Post Number: 1
Registered: Jan-07
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| Posted on Monday, January 22, 2007 - 08:52 pm: |
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Anyone have a fix for the "set black side panel" on the Hitachi 50V500 from the default gray to black? The set does not remember black when turned off then back on and I have to reset it each time I turn it on. |
New member Username: Bphisig
Post Number: 1
Registered: Jan-07
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| Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2007 - 09:33 am: |
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Last night I was trying to do a service menu tweak for vertical banding, and I guess I held down the right arrow for too long, because I got a message saying "auto adjust" and from what I can tell, the brightness level got turned way up.
I can make it a little bit better if I go into the regular video settings and adjust the brightness down, but it still isn't the same as it used to be. I tried doing a factory reset, and this didn't appear to fix the problem.
Can anyone help me out with a fix for this? HELP!!!! |
Bronze Member Username: Thepet
Post Number: 13
Registered: Oct-06
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| Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2007 - 04:29 pm: |
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Brent,
You could try a memory init in the service menu. Go to the memory init checkbox and hold the joystick on the remote to the right for a few seconds until the checkbox has a check in it.
Good luck. |
New member Username: Bphisig
Post Number: 2
Registered: Jan-07
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| Posted on Thursday, January 25, 2007 - 10:58 am: |
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What does the memory init do? I'm pretty hesitant to try anything.
After reading the service manual, it appears that there are two adjustments for brightness. i think that is what was changed, but I will have to check tonight to make sure.
If it makes any difference, this all happened when I held the right arrow when on the 480p menu item in the service menu. I think it's the first item on the second page of the service menu. |
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New member Username: Jrashley53
Post Number: 1
Registered: Jan-07
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| Posted on Wednesday, January 31, 2007 - 02:21 pm: |
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My light engine went out last week -I now have high definition black & white TV. Repairman said it would cost $1,135 to repair. After reading the posts here, I called Hitachi myself (1-800-hitachi), was quickly referred to customer service, and was offered a free replacement lamp, but told I had to pay for the labor. I said that was not acceptable, the product was manufactured defectively, mentioned "warranty of merchantablity" (A breach of warranty occurs when the promise is broken, i.e., a product is defective or not as should be expected by a reasonable buyer) & then asked to speak to a supervisor. I was put on hold for about a minute, and the service rep said they agreed to supply parts AND labor. They asked for the phone number of my repair shop & said they would arrange it with them.
I don't think they should make people jump through hoops like this, they should have issued a general recall, but if they get it fixed, I'll be happy. I do love the TV - when it works right.
Will keep you posted about the outcome. |
New member Username: Cduff
Post Number: 1
Registered: Feb-07
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| Posted on Monday, February 12, 2007 - 06:29 pm: |
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HELP HELP HELP
I went into the service meni and now my screen is all red!!!! I had the red glow in the center and now I would give my left foot for just that much red!!!! HELP!!!
Thanks in Advance
Chris |
New member Username: Questkat
Toronto,
Ontario
Post Number: 4
Registered: Dec-06
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| Posted on Tuesday, February 13, 2007 - 03:58 pm: |
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February 2, 2007
To Hitachi Canada:
My Name is Bryce *** and I have been dealing with your company for the past few months on a customer service / consumer relation related issue in regards to my LCD Projection TV a model 50V500 which was purchased in April of 04. The reason I am writing this letter to you today is due to the lack of professionalism and respect that I received when calling into your customer service number this day to discuss my file with Hitachi Canada.
Today I called to enquire about file number 69143, and was speaking with a representative by the name of Kyle, whom was rude, unprofessional and has made a terrible example of what Hitachi Customer Service is about. According to your mission statement, Kyle has failed miserably at meeting the professional service and being that front line to your customers, which is outlined in your Mission Statement:
“Hitachi Canada Ltd ., through its employees, will always conduct business with the highest level of integrity, while striving to support the communities we live and do business in.”
“Our focus is to use Hitachi ’s technological strengths, to deliver products and solutions that reflect the highest core values of our organization and offer the greatest contribution to improving society’s quality of life.”
“Our goal is that all actions taken in the pursuit of excellence meet our customer’s needs and will serve to ‘Inspire the Next”
To get right to the heart of the matter, I was trying to speak with a Customer Service Manager, after speaking with Kyle twice at the phone number of 905-821-4545, to escalate a response to my issues and concerns as Kyle was not able to tell me any further information at the time, so I asked for a Supervisor. At this time Kyle said there is no manager available and would put me on hold, at which time he hung up on me…………… I phoned back to the switch board and asked to speak to Customer Service and was then transferred to the Customer Service line again. This time I received a live line with no agent apparently on the line, but was able to hear voices and people conversing on the other end.
At this time, I recognized the voice of Kyle, speaking to others about this “A$$HOLE” that he had on the phone that was asking to speak to a manager, at this time someone responded “PUT and LEAVE THE PERSON ON HOLD AS I DON’T WANT TO SPEAK WITH THEM” (I assume this was the manager). This chit chat went on for a while until another person who I did not recognize the voice of, said “YOU HAVE A CALL” obviously unaware that I had been on the line through their entire conversation up to that point (Approx 2-3 minutes). At this time, Kyle announced himself and I said, “Kyle, this is Bryce ****, and I would like to speak to your Manager”. Kyle responded with the statement “He is not around at this time”. I asked to be transferred to the Supervisors extension so that I may leave a message, to which Kyle said “I am not able to transfer calls, due to a problem with them (Customer service, I Presume) not being able to transfer calls to internal numbers”.
I find that statement very hard to believe, being as I researched this TV and company ( HITACHI) prior to deciding to purchase this TV, and came across how many companies, and how much technology Hitachi has, and utilizes, it’s hard to believe that your agents and infrastructure is unable to transfer simple telephone calls.
At this point, I became quite frustrated and ended the call with Kyle, and contacted the Hitachi switchboard, @ 905-821-4545 and spoke with the receptionist and asked to be transferred to the Manager / Supervisor of Customer Service, as I had been asking a representative (KYLE) to transfer me to the Managers extension and he had refused to. I am wondering if you only have on Customer Service Representative as over and over I only seem to speak with Kyle. The receptionist said that she would speak to Customer Service and get them to transfer me to the Manager. I again got transferred to Customer Service, and once again got Kyle. I asked to be transferred to speak with David Williams. Kyle says “He is not able to transfer the call”. I asked to obtain David’s email address so that I may send him an email and was told by Kyle that he is not able to give out that information. Kyle said then that he was not able to transfer me either, but would get David to call me back. I asked at what number would he be calling and instructed Kyle to get him to call me at work @ 905-***-****. This was updated (Apparently) and the call ended. As of yet, now 3 hours later…. I still am yet to receive a call regarding this matter.
I then called Sears Canada, (whom I have also been in contact with as the TV has been purchased through them) and updated the Sears Representative about the issue with Hitachi that I have been experiencing. I gave her the background on the issues and she offered to get in touch with them on my behalf. She called me back after the conclusion of her conversation and was told that David Williams @7997 was no longer an employee of Hitachi , Canada and that the Manager is actually a person by the name of Chris……?? How is it that Kyle would not know this but instead kept me on hold and refused to put me through to a Supervisor, someone whom he willfully knows is either no longer employed with Hitachi, but continues to let me believe that I am going to receive a call back from this Service Manager that I find out from a third party and not a rep of Hitachi that this person does not exist in this company any longer…. That is neglect of duty and extremely unprofessional.
This is one of many calls that I have made to Hitachi in an attempt to resolve an issue that has been diagnosed and concluded by both, Hitachi Service Representatives, Sears Technicians and countless websites to be a problem with the first generation Light Engines issued for the 50V500 units. The issues I am experiencing with my set, is that there is a huge red circle in the entire view/screen of the TV. For example, when there is a black or darkened image to be portrayed on screen, it seems to be twilight and colors and images are distorted.
Many websites and technicians have diagnosed this problem as a LIGHT ENGINE issue, due to “inadequate ventilation” in the first generation of these units, as there is not enough ventilation holes to deal with the immense heat created by the LIGHT ENGINE which fry’s the LCD causing the RED CLOUD EFFECT on the SCREEN. In the replacement LIGHT ENGINES ( UX22201D) , the ventilation area was changed and takes into consideration the VENTILATION issues in earlier models.
I am a consumer who did a lot of research on purchasing this TV and paid approx. $**** CAD for this TV only for this to happen to my set a little after 2 years. I feel that I have been wronged by this and would like to be in contact with someone from your company to resolve this issue and renew my faith in Hitachi so that I can actually enjoy this TV that I saved enough money to purchase, and enjoy with my friends and family. I loved the TV enough to go and get it but am not satisfied with the amount of service and consumer relations I have experienced thus far with Hitachi Canada . I am eager after months and months of research and obtaining information that anyone has requested of me … only to end up in a conversation that ended up going nowhere with your representative Kyle.
This has caused a lot of frustration and stress on my part and I would just like to receive a comparable fix to this issue and to receive an answer and apology based on the actions and responses and unprofessional attitude I have experienced today.
At the end of all of this mess created today… I just simply want to have my TV back in working order the way it was intended to be so that I can get away from this headache and get back to just enjoying the TV like the way it was intended to work. Based on the Implied Warranty of Merchantability, I would say that this is neither the quality nor the experience I was expecting when I purchased this Hitachi Product.
http://www.hitachi.ca/Apps/hitachicanada/content.jsp?page=about/contact_us/index .html&path=jsp/hcl/hcl/en/
Sales, Customer Service & Technical Service Information
Hitachi knows the value of support, and has deep commitment to its existing and future customers. ( BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN NON EXISTANT )
The development of a leading support network has made Hitachi one of the world's leading global electronics companies. We invite inquiries into products or technology you may already have, or to learn more about something that you may be considering for your life, or for your business. ( WELL THE INQUIRIES I HAVE MADE HAVE NOT GONE ANYWHERE AND IF THIS IS THE TYPE OF CONVERSATIONS I AM TO HAVE WITH YOUR COMPANY, I WILL NO LONGER THINK OF HITACHIFOR NOW OR FOR FUTURE LIFE AND OR BUSINESS)
If you are interested in learning more about Hitachi, or have questions regarding any of Hitachi's superior products, please contact us through one of these methods:
Write us at:
Hitachi Canada Ltd.
2495 Meadowpine Blvd.
Mississauga , Ontario
Canada
L5N 6C3
Tel: (905) 821-4545 (TRIED THIS AND ONLY GET KYLE)… TRIED ALSO A MANAGER THAT DOES NOT EXIST AS HE NO LONGER WORKS FOR THIS COMPANY. KYLE ALSO REFUSED TO PASS ME THROUGH TO WHOEVER IS NOW OVERSEEING THE CUSTOMER SERVICE/ ORGANIZATION.
Fax: (905) 826-8818
Email us at:
customerservice@hitachi.ca
However, when contacting your organization, I was extremely impressed by the professional attitude and empathy from the switchboard/receptionist, Thank You, for your assistance.
END RESULT after a personal phone call from the CEO of Hitachi Canada, Friday Afternoon 30 minutes after sending this above note (who was on a private jet at the time returning from Argentina) Aknowledged the receipt of my note... and told me that this would be investigated and followed up on Monday morning.
Monday morning, the results are in and...
Hitachi 50V500 LE = $0
Service to install = $0
Lamp for 50v500 = $0 (Supplied by Sears Canada)
Service for LAMP installation = $0
Getting that Kyle guy fired = PRICELESS
Also turns out that Hitachi Customer Service line is contracted out to a third party company..... (NOT AUTHORIZED HITACHI PERSONNEL)
Anyways... Thank You to all of those who have written on this thread as all of your input was critical in determining my issue and helping me become more informed on this issue. It was also nice to see that if you push enough and don;t take NO for an answer that you can still accomplish your results.
Thank You again, my RED CLOUD BROTHERS AND SISTERS...
Sincerly,
Bryce |
Bronze Member Username: Zepp36
Colorado
Post Number: 11
Registered: Mar-06
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| Posted on Friday, February 23, 2007 - 02:56 pm: |
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Bryce,
I think the good news is that there is life after red cloud with these TV's.
I went thru much the same saga you did with my 50V500 a year ago. It was two months of general consternation and untold dozens of phone calls.
But eventually Hitachi won my trust and solved the problem to my satisfaction.
Now a year later my replacement LE has performed flawlessly. I'm getting more and more HD programming from Comcast and the picture and sound on the 50V500 is stunning. And that's with my original lamp at 6500hrs. |
New member Username: Questkat
Toronto,
Ontario
Post Number: 5
Registered: Dec-06
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| Posted on Friday, February 23, 2007 - 03:15 pm: |
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I actually and just tying up all the loose ends today finally..........
TV LOOKS BRILLIANT .... AGAIN ...FINALLY and turns out to get the part installed, a new lamp and the service to replace the LE,...I paid about $125.00 CAD So .. can I really complain about a $1400 Service call and part cost costing my $125.... NOPE....
It just ammazing to me how many hoops one has to actually jump through, in order to get the defective part replaced.
In speaking with the HITACHI AUTHORIZED TECH, he stated that the ventilation is the cause due to inadequate ventilation and the filter being clogged. The replacement LE has 2 times the ventilation space as the original...
End result..... SATISFIED.......
Thank You to all of you who assisted in the determination of these issues and your comments and suggestions were key in getting my issues resolved...
Bryce |
New member Username: Donm
Post Number: 1
Registered: Mar-07
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| Posted on Thursday, March 08, 2007 - 01:48 pm: |
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Has there been any LE problems with the 50v500a sets? Mine is starting to develope this blue spot starting at the top center of screen and moving down towards the center of screen. It has a Dec.'04 manf. date. I bought it year and a half ago. |
Gold Member Username: John_s
Columbus,
Ohio
US
Post Number: 1398
Registered: Feb-04
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| Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 09:32 am: |
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Don, I have followed this thread since the beginning and I believe there is no difference in the LEs of the "A" sets vs. the non-A TVs. There does seem to be a difference in the service menus between the two, but the dreaded blue blob/red cloud plagues both groups equally.
Good luck. |
New member Username: Airhog
Florida
Post Number: 8
Registered: Oct-06
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| Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 12:27 pm: |
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Actually Hitachi is sending different units for the two sets the 50V500 gets part# UX22201D
And the 50V500A gets # UX22202D (Add "R" to the end of either for the remanufactured unit)
Using the wrong LE in the wrong set will cause color issues or service menu issues depending on which is used in what.
But as for everything else there identical, same internal parts, same form factor, same problems. |
New member Username: Candymanaz
AZ
Post Number: 6
Registered: Mar-04
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| Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 12:39 pm: |
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after 3 years, i finally got hit.
surprising it took so long.
i got the blue blob.
hitachi made me get a authorized service rep to come out and diagnose, wich cost me $75. Even after I told them of all the research I had done.
Now they only want to send the LE to Abel's video wants to charge me $395 just to install the LE. That doesn't include the lamp.
I have sent a BBB inquiry to Hitachi since their customer service reps aren't helping.
Hitachi did say there is a different light engine between the 50v500 and the "a" model. |
New member Username: Candymanaz
AZ
Post Number: 7
Registered: Mar-04
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| Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 01:26 pm: |
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Hitachi Rules!
I just called Hitachi again, and they are sending Abel's Video the part and are faxing them authorization for the labor! All I have to do now is get them the tv when the part comes in!
WOOHOO!
Hitachi has just made me a lifetime customer!
Before I bought this tv I did alot of research and was happy I bought it. Then I read all the posts on the issues and was dreading the day this would happen to my tv.
Well, all I can say is, Hitachi really came through and makes me happy I bought the tv, again, in the first place!
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New member Username: Donm
Post Number: 2
Registered: Mar-07
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| Posted on Wednesday, March 14, 2007 - 01:16 pm: |
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Update on my blue blob: Called two service company's, spoke with two different service techs. After telling them the symptoms both said they didn't need to come out that they knew what the problem was. LE.
Called Hitachi and they said " how could they possibly know without physically looking at set." So, 96 bucks later Sears rep says "its the light engine". Good news is after Hitachi confirmed with Sears they say they will pay for new LE,not refurbished. Bad news is they wont pay for install. Sears was going to charge 826.65 for a refurbished LE and 242.00 for the install. Hope they have fixed the problem. |
New member Username: Luvharmony
Post Number: 1
Registered: Mar-07
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| Posted on Wednesday, March 14, 2007 - 10:47 pm: |
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The "red blob" has been progressively getting larger and larger on my 50v500 for the last year and half or so. We were watching a dvd when we first noticed it. The movie had a lot of dark scenes in it so it was noticeable that there was an awfully lot of "red" in the black background. However, before that my kids noticed something wasn't quite right. When it did occur I did some research on the web and could not find any information about this problem. I was about to throw my tv out the window when I decided to do one more search on the internet and see if I could find out any information. Sure enough, I found this site! I was so glad to know that it wasn't "just me."
It is sad when you spend this much on a tv and you're so excited about it and all and it turns out like this.
I used to have the High Definition package with Directv, but canceled that because it wasn't worth extra money to pay for it when the picture was so crappy!
Anyhow, I called Hitachi and let them know of my research of this "known problem." The guy said I had to have a company come out and diagnose the problem before they would do anything, even though we both know what the problem was. The guy on the phone was very up-front with me and said that once I do that, I can call back and speak with CR - Customer Relations. However, he indicated that I should probably have my husband call and do the talking; someone that won't be taken advantage of and someone that was willing to be an ***hole about it!
Today we had a company come out and access the problem. Other than turning on the tv, the tech knew what that the problem was with the light engine right away.
My husband then called Hitachi, and asked to speak to a CR - Customer Relations - person. They said that they were all busy right now and would have to call him back. After waiting 45 min. I told him that they wouldn't call him back so he would have to call them.
He called them again and was transferred to a CR rep. He was very polite and didn't beat around the bush with them. He told them exactly what he wanted, which was a brand new light engine free of charge. They agreed to this with no problem and will be sending it to the tv repair company. We do however have to pay for labor. So all in all the tv will end up costing us about $322.00. I am happy. I will let you know when it's all said and done and how my tv looks after it's fixed. Thank you everyone on this message board for "arming" me with the information I needed to get what was right! |
New member Username: Mitchy_beaman
Post Number: 1
Registered: Mar-07
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| Posted on Wednesday, March 21, 2007 - 11:10 pm: |
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I purchased my Hitachi 50v500 in July of 2005 for 3600$. I was never asked to purchase extended warantee, in fact I was surprised to find out that the TV only had a one year warantee.
I first noticed something weird with my Hitachi about 3 months after I bought it. When I turned it on it would show a red haze but the picture seemed unaffected. So at that time I figured it was OK. Approximately 17 months (December 2006) after the day I purchased my TV I noticed that a blue blob was forming in the top right corner of my TV.
I immediately looked on the net to see if I could find anyone else with this issue. Thats when I stumbled on this site and realized that I was not alone.
I placed my first call to Hitachi and they informed me that I would have to get a tech to take a look at it even though I knew that it was the light engine. The tech in my area does not do house calls so I was forced to physically transport the TV to the repair shop and take the chance of smashing it. I was not able to bring the TV into the repair shop until February and I had to give the repair guy 100$ before he would even look at it. At the end of the day the repair guy told me the LE was pooched and had to be replaced. He also informed me that it would be over 1000$ to fix. This is when I noticed that there were 3 other TV sets in his shop for repair...all of them Hitachi's just like mine.
So I lugged my TV back home and called Hitachi back. The rep. told me that the repair guy has to fax the work order to them before we could proceed. Of course, by this time the repair guy's shop is closed. So I wait until the next day and call the repair guy and give him the fax number (you'd think he'd know) and ask him to send the work order to Hitachi. The next day I call Hitachi back and they inform me they never received any fax. So I call the repair guy back and he said he sent it but would send it again. So again, I wait until the next day to call and finally they received the work order. Now the rep tells me that they need the original invoice for my TV. This is in March, I've placed about a dozen calls and this is the first time that they ask me for this. So I call the Brick(where I purchased it) and ask the guy to fax Hitachi the original invoice. I call Hitachi back about an hour later and they say that they received the fax and that I should wait one week for them to review my claim. I wait the full week and call them back. Now they tell me that they never received the fax(sound familiar). So I call the Brick back and get the guy to send it to them again. I call Hitachi back to confirm that they received it and they did. So I wait another week and Hitachi still has not called me back like they promised. I wait two more days and finally I received a message on the answering machine.
I called them back and the customer rep was happy to inform me that they would cover 523$ of the cost. I asked the rep if this amount was the complete cost of the part and he did not know. So I asked him to transfer me to someone who would know and he transfered me to the guy that I had been dealing with most of the time. He told me that the 523$ was the full amount of the part but that I would have to pay the labor. I was satisfied with this until I called the repair guy and he told me that Hitachi is only covering half of the part and that after tax, shipping and labor costs I would have to fork over 716$ to fix it.
So once again I call Hitachi back, livid, and tell the guy the whole story of what I've had to put up with over the last three months. I asked him how he figures that I should have to pay anything for a TV set that I paid 3600$ for not even two years prior. I get put on hold for about 10 minutes and then the rep tells me that my case is still being investigated and that they will call me at work the next day. Well tomorrow is the next day and I will hopefully find out if Hitachi will pay for their defective LE part.
I am not impressed with the service I received from Hitachi. In fact, I think its safe to say that I will never buy another Hitachi product again. Since December the quality of the picture o nmy TV has gotten worse. The blob has grown and is now in the middle of my TV. My lamp life is at around 4000 hours. I'll post the result of my saga once it is completed. |
New member Username: Candymanaz
AZ
Post Number: 8
Registered: Mar-04
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| Posted on Thursday, March 22, 2007 - 01:24 am: |
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well, abel's came and picked up my tv yesterday for repair at their shop. They said it'd be about a week. So my wife and i have sworn off tv for a week! so far so good.
I don't think you should say you'll never buy another hitachi. It's not a hitachi part that went bad, from what i understand. It's a defective part in a tv, it happens. The question is, how does Hitachi resolve it.
If they pay for the defective part to be replaced, then all is good!
I'll also continue to post once I get my tv back from the shop to let you all know the outcome. |
New member Username: Jimbeckel
Rochester,
Illinois
Usa
Post Number: 1
Registered: Apr-07
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| Posted on Thursday, April 26, 2007 - 08:08 pm: |
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I have a Hitachi 50V500 purchased in July 2004. The white colors on the screen now appear to have a pinkish hue. I have tried to adjust the color and tint with no success. I do not have the red or blue blob problem. Does anyone have any idea what causes this? Is it a bad bulb or the LE problem? |
New member Username: Airhog
Florida
Post Number: 9
Registered: Oct-06
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| Posted on Thursday, April 26, 2007 - 08:27 pm: |
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James, what your witness to is the beginning of the end unfortunately. The pink or blue tint, (pink in your case) is the start of the dreaded blob issue. If your TV has not been updated to the new light engine then it's only a matter of when, not if.
Call Hitach, and then your repair man. |
New member Username: Jimbeckel
Rochester,
Illinois
Usa
Post Number: 2
Registered: Apr-07
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| Posted on Thursday, April 26, 2007 - 08:39 pm: |
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Justin,
Thanks for replying so quickly. We've been sitting here most of the night trying to figure this out, but it's getting worse, not better, despite our attempts to adjust the color and tint. We appreciate knowing that the blob is coming next. Just to clarify, it's not the bulb but the light engine, correct? If it's the LE, do you know what those generally cost and if you can get the part on the internet? I'm an electronics technician, so would prefer not to pay a repairman if I can manage to do it myself. Thanks! |
New member Username: Airhog
Florida
Post Number: 10
Registered: Oct-06
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| Posted on Thursday, April 26, 2007 - 08:47 pm: |
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Yes it is the light engine, call Hitachi and tell them your problem, they have been real good about replacing them. The part costs about $1200 for a new unit, and around $400 for a refurb so calling them first is a good way to go.
As for replacing it yourself, it's not really difficult, i did the swap myself as did a few others here, Although getting Hitachi to send the unit directly to you is another issue. Although not impossible. |
New member Username: Jimbeckel
Rochester,
Illinois
Usa
Post Number: 3
Registered: Apr-07
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| Posted on Thursday, April 26, 2007 - 09:03 pm: |
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Justin,
Thanks for all the info. We'll do battle with them tomorrow and hope for the best. Thanks again. |
New member Username: Luvharmony
Post Number: 2
Registered: Mar-07
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| Posted on Thursday, April 26, 2007 - 10:59 pm: |
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welcome to the red blob club James. Best of Luck. By the way, now that my tv is fixed, I'm lovin' it again! whoo hoo. I'm very happy w/ the way hitachi handled the problem w/ us over the phone |
New member Username: Donm
Post Number: 3
Registered: Mar-07
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| Posted on Friday, April 27, 2007 - 02:50 am: |
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Well, Hitachi sent the new LE. Sears installed for $242. Twenty four hours later heard a pop then saw white bar along bottom of screen,worse, sometimes when I turn set on all I get is a bright blue screen with pink stripes. Takes several on/off cycles and it eventually comes on. To their credit Hitachi sent another LE and Sears installed it for free. |
New member Username: Sjones1
Post Number: 10
Registered: May-07
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| Posted on Wednesday, May 02, 2007 - 08:01 pm: |
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Looks like Discount-Merchant.com has the cheapest price on the lamps...
http://www.discount-merchant.com/UX21516-Lamp-p/hitachi_lp700_ux21516_oem.htm&Cl ick=1466
They are relatively inexpensive compared to the RCA and Philips DLP LCOS Lamps!
S. Jones |
New member Username: Jimbeckel
Rochester,
Illinois
Usa
Post Number: 4
Registered: Apr-07
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| Posted on Friday, May 18, 2007 - 10:18 pm: |
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I have an update on my problem with the pinkish hue, it turns out that it was not the light engine problem. It was a EEPROM that holds the factory default settings that went bad. The service center replaced the EEPROM reprogrammed and checked out, it works great back to normal!!!!!! |
New member Username: Rushfan2112
Post Number: 2
Registered: May-07
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| Posted on Monday, May 28, 2007 - 09:34 am: |
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Hello all in the blue/pink blob group,
First, I want to thank everybody for all of the suggestions given and comments allowing me to feel that at least I'm not alone in this battle. Second, congrats to everyone that has been able to get Hitachi to fork over a new LE for you, I think that's great!
I'm having the same problem as the rest of you. I bought my 50V500 in June 2004 and it has around 7500 hours on it and now it looks like this:
You can't see the pink blob in the middle too well because the blue blobs are overpowering it. I've emailed and spoken to 2 different Hitachi CSRs and I keep getting the same thing that there's nothing they can do about it. Extremely irritated with Hitachi and their crappy customer service and not being the type of person that wants to be a complete jerk in order to get a company to fix a major flaw in their own design, I've been doing some research on doing it myself. I was able to find a copy of the service manual here: http://www.eserviceinfo.com/downloadsm/13178/Hitachi_50V500.html, but you have to download 13 .rar files and then combine them all into one file and it's ~35MB in size. I followed the steps on the last 14 pages on how to remove the Light Engine to at least look at the LE in my TV and saw that the filter was completely clogged with dust just like Justin posted earlier.
I was able to find a reconditioned, redesigned LE (part #UX22201DR) at www.ued.net for $612.34 with a $200 refund for sending back your old part making it $412.34 to fix it myself. I've also deleted all but the last 14 pages of the service manual and posted it here for anybody who is in the same boat as me and can't get Hitachi to do the right thing, but still want to keep your 50V500: http://www.eserviceinfo.com/downloadsm/29684/Hitachi_50V500.html
I'm actually still in the phase of deciding whether to fix the TV myself, which honestly isn't that hard, it's just a little intimidating at first, or to say screw Hitachi and get a new LCD all together.
I hope this might help some people reading this post and getting to the very bottom of it. |
Bronze Member Username: Airhog
Florida
Post Number: 11
Registered: Oct-06
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| Posted on Monday, May 28, 2007 - 11:30 am: |
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Zak,
That's unfortunate that Hitachi wont replace your LE, I have had very few if any problems getting new LE's. As you saw in my other post with the pink blob, i was able to get a new LE shipped to my door with a little coursing.
As of now however my "new" LE is having the exact same problem your having. Even down to the locations of the blue blobs, I'm wondering what the problem is in this instance since the same areas are affected.
My new LE will be here tomorrow, I didnt mention the "blue blobs", stuck with the tried and true "red blob" story and they were pretty quick to get things settled. I'll be installing it myself and documenting all the findings when i dissect the old LE once again. I'm interested to see whether the actual LCD's are getting damaged by heat again, or if its something unrelated.
I cant imagine that this would happen to a new LE in under 3 months with the newly redesigned airflow in place, but who knows. This will definitely be my last battle with this set, so hopefully it sticks for a while, with all the new sets out there and this one not supporting 1080p it's time to move on anyway.
If you give me a few days so i can tear the old one apart, it may give you some ammunition against Hitachi to get your claim approved. But if it were me and i had to pay for the part, i would just take the money and put it towards an new set. Especially since theres no guarantee that the new LE will last.
-Justin |
Gold Member Username: John_s
Columbus,
Ohio
US
Post Number: 1597
Registered: Feb-04
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| Posted on Monday, May 28, 2007 - 10:31 pm: |
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Justin, I am surprised Hitachi has been so accomodating to you in view of the fact that you have been doing your own tear-downs and replacements. I would have guessed they'd want an outside tech to do some verification.
Anyway after your second self-accomplished LE replacement, you will probably know the nuts and bolts of this operation better than the actual 'certified' techs who're supposed to be better than any "amateur."
Aside from a single stuck pixel, my set is still going. Since it is in a dedicated HT finished room in the basement, I rarely use it more than about 10 hrs a week. I know of course it's only a matter of time before the pink cloud/blue blob arrives, but at this rate I'll be so long out of warranty Hitachi won't give me the time of day.
So when that day comes I have come to some conclusions about what I will do:
As prices come down on projectors my interest goes up. There's something very appealing about the prospect of a 100" image on the wall behind where the 50V500 now sits.
Whatever system the actual TV turns out to be, it will be 1080p.
It will not be Hitachi. Years ago when I used to sell TVs on the floor of a major retailer I was always impressed by the Hitachi Ultravision TVs. They used to routinely blow away the Sonys, Mitsubishis and other rear projection TVs on the floor. So back in Dec '03 when I was looking it didn't take long to pick this set. I knew the store was eager to sell the TV (due no doubt to high profit margin) because they were dealin' and offering 2 years same as cash. So I went for it.
Next time I won't be so trigger happy.
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