Help! GT30 has a strange clouding effect....what is it?

[Oldboy]

Further update:

TV being collected on friday as loan set has been sourced but still no idea what that will be so will have to wait til friday to see what turns up but now know that the repair agent is Visual FX which seem to be quite a big company operating throughout the south east of the UK (i'm in Essex) after a quick google search.

Has anyone had any dealings with this company, just wondering what their reputation is like and how quick a turnaround i can expect??

Will update on friday with what the loan set is but i'm not expecting anything of any quality, perhaps i will be surprised but tbh i'm expecting something very basic...perhaps even 720p resolution??

 

[The_Lhc]

Just an update after the engineer called today:

So the engineer duly called today, really nice chap who knew his stuff so good start...as is the way with these things i was unable to replicate the issue whilst he was here due to the bright conditions as the issue is most noticeable when it gets dark and i have to switch the floor lamp on.

I did try asking this before but where is the lamp in relation to the TV?

 

[Oldboy]

Ooops apologies The_Lhc i completely forgot to answer you, sorry.

The floor lamp is off to the right hand side of the tv in the corner of the room on the same wall as the tv is wall mounted so that it's not shining behind the screen to cut down on any reflections. I've tried moving all the furniture behind the sofa out of the way to make sure it's not just a reflection but this made no difference so i'm sure it's not a reflection issue, what's strange about the issue is that it's at it's worst when watching the blu ray player or anything over hdmi.

I've tried changing the hdmi cable in case that was the culprit but it made no difference and although the issue is sometimes visible over other sources such as tv it's never as bad as it is over hdmi so i'm at a loss as to what the issue is.

I should add that the tv is connected via hdmi 2 (for ARC) and that it runs into my amp where all other hdmi equipment is run through and that all video processing has been turned off on the amp (it's set to 'straight' in the amp's menu).

 

[The_Lhc]

Can you see the problem when the lamp is switched off (ie in complete darkness)?

There is a good reason I'm asking, a colleague has just recently bought a new top end Panasonic plasma and was immediately complaining of a similar thing, until he realised the "clouding" he was seeing was sunlight shining through the air vents on the back of the set onto the screen. As soon as he shut the curtains the problem disappeared. Of course he only found that out after he got the retailer to bring a replacement set to the house and wondered why the new one had exactly the same issue.

 

[Oldboy]

Yes it's there when the room is in complete darkness and is even worse in those conditions, the 'clouding' is most definately at it's worst when the room is in complete darkness but during the day in bright conditions it disappears completely...very strange indeed.

I don't know what else to do to try to eliminate any other possible cause tbh, i've run out of ideas hense why i called Richers to report the issue :?

 

[Oldboy]

Further update everyone:

My GT30 was collected today and the loan set turns out to be a Sharp Aquos LC-32D44E LCD tv, i'm not happy that it's a 32 inch tv and that i can't wall mount it...i've got to have it on the stand which has caused alot of issues as i now can't use my centre speaker as the tv has to be on the top shelf of my rack infront of the centre speaker.

The tv has no HDMI control or even an optical so i have to have sound from the tv through it's own speakers which is simply horrible, oh and it's a HD ready only tv that has a max resolution of 1080i and has no freeview HD tuner...not good.

I've had to place my new BDT500 bluray player on the floor infront of the stand which i'm not happy with but all i can do is hope that the quoted 7-10 days turnaround is not fiction and that i get the GT30 back soon as my living room looks a mess now, any longer than 2 weeks like this and i will get annoyed.

I had a feeling the loan tv would be basic but this takes the mickey, not even 1080p or even of the same size screen as the one taken away is disappointing to say the least :doh:

 

[robjcooper]

Further update everyone:

My GT30 was collected today and the loan set turns out to be a Sharp Aquos LC-32D44E LCD tv, i'm not happy that it's a 32 inch tv and that i can't wall mount it...i've got to have it on the stand which has caused alot of issues as i now can't use my centre speaker as the tv has to be on the top shelf of my rack infront of the centre speaker.

The tv has no HDMI control or even an optical so i have to have sound from the tv through it's own speakers which is simply horrible, oh and it's a HD ready only tv that has a max resolution of 1080i and has no freeview HD tuner...not good.

I've had to place my new BDT500 bluray player on the floor infront of the stand which i'm not happy with but all i can do is hope that the quoted 7-10 days turnaround is not fiction and that i get the GT30 back soon as my living room looks a mess now, any longer than 2 weeks like this and i will get annoyed.

I had a feeling the loan tv would be basic but this takes the mickey, not even 1080p or even of the same size screen as the one taken away is disappointing to say the least :doh:

Is the 5 year warranty a Richer's one or a panasonic? If the former, you might want to read the following excerpt from the full terms and conditions:

12.[/b] RS will not cover the cost of modifying any cupboards or storage units and work surface where the product is built in which have become obsolete upon provision to you of a replacement product.

Exceptions not listed on certificate1.[/b] Loan units are not supplied

Conditions as per certificate1.[/b] All benefits under the agreement will cease if:
a)[/b] If RS have any reasonable grounds to believe that your claim is in any way dishonest or exaggerated,
your claim and/or warranty may become invalid and no refund of the cover, or any remaining terms of
the cover will be offered.

Not really sure why you'd expect any retailer to keep a stock of different sizes and standards of TV to use as loan sets - when my samsung 50" plasma was taken away for a replacement screen, they left me with a 32" basic LCD, but as it was only for a couple of weeks at least the kids had something to watch. Hopefully you'll only have to 'put up with it' for a short while and they'll sort out your problem.

 

[Oldboy]

Currently the tv is under the first year warranty from Panasonic which runs out in 5 weeks time and the 5 year warranty i purchased is from Richer Sounds not Panasonic.

Yes i was aware of Richer Sounds not providing loan sets as i actually read the information within my warranty (which is rare for me lol) BUT what i was told on the phone was that i would receive a loan set of at least the same size but not of the same spec hense my annoyance, tbh i was just annoyed with the chaos the loan set has caused and i ranted a little which i shouldn't have done.

I'm just happy to have a tv to watch in the meantime but i'm sorely tempted to unmount my Samsung 32inch LED from my bedroom wall and set that up in the living room and use the loan in the bedroom for the duration because the LED is 1080p and has a freeview HD tuner etc, so i may do this later today.

I apologise for the slight rant, i was just annoyed at the time and am perfectly happy with the situation this morning...i'm just happy my GT30 is being repaired at no cost to myself so any inconvenience in the short term is fine as it's not much of a hardship in the meantime eh.

 

[GSB]

To be honest i think you have every right to moan,how much trouble have you had with tv's supplied by RS?!!

My GT30 has been faultless and is about the same age as yours,still you may get a GT50 yet

 

[Oldboy]

I've not had as much trouble from Richer Sounds as i have had from other retailers tbh, i had two faulty GT30's then a 2 week wait to get this 3rd one which has been fine up until this issue and in comparison Richers have done all they can to help at all times.

I got a no quibble exchange on the first two faulty tvs and they were quick to act on the repair of my current tv, ok i've had a bit of hassle with the near 100mile round trip each time to my nearest store to return the two faulty tvs and alot of hassle getting the 3D glasses i was entitled to upon purchase of the tv, but i've been very happy with Richers service and when you compare them to the frequent horror stories of retailers on here they are amongst the best.

I won't be complaining unless ther tv repair takes alot of time to complete.

 

[Oldboy]

Quick update,

How about this for service from Richer Sounds....i received a call today from Richers to see how it went on friday and if they were able to solve the issue on site or if it was taken away, very good of them to give me the call i thought and even better news was that they will call me every 4 days to keep me up to date with the progress of the repair as they will now keep in touch with the repair company to keep me informed of how it's going.

Take note all other retailers that's what i call customer service and is simply brilliant service from Richer Sounds, i'm a very happy chappy that i bought my tv from them and so far full marks to Richers :clap:

 

[laserman16]

Oldboy.

Thats good that they are trying to keep you up to speed with whats happening.

A far better experience than boozercruiser had with his retailer.

 

[Oldboy]

Unfortunately 5 days later and no update or contact from Richer Sounds so i'm starting to doubt i will get regular 4 day updates as promised...i feel a call coming on monday to find out what's happening but the quoted 7-10 days turnaround looks unlikely at present.

I will be patient untill friday when it reaches 14 days since the tv was taken away then i will start to chase up both Richers and Visual FX alot more. Surprised that i never got the promised call from Richers though.

 

[GSB]

Chin-up mate

 

[Oldboy]

Thanks, just missing the tv now

 

[Oldboy]

Update:

Got a call from Richer Sounds today regarding the tv repair and they were not happy that the repair company had not been in touch atall during the repair process and they duly phoned them whilst i was on the line, i was told the tv had been repaired and that the repair company would be in touch today or tomorrow to arrange a day to drop it back to me.

I had to go and pick up my lovely new mountain bike today and when i got back they had left a message on the answer phone, i rang them back and the tv will be back with me on thursday, annoying that i have to wait almost another week for it to be delivered back to me but at least it will be back in time for the olympics.

No details about what the fault was or what has been done to rectify the issue but i will ask those questions when it's delivered to me so i will update this thread once it's back with me, hopefully the repair hasn't introduced any further issues such as loud buzzing or excessive fan noise but if it has i will back on the phone very quickly.

Fingers crossed all goes well on thursday, i'm looking forward to getting the tv back that's for sure

 

[BenLaw]

Good news, fingers crossed for you also. As ever, keep us updated, good luck

 

[Oldboy]

The next episode:

My GT30 arrived back from repair yesterday, hooray, and i was told that the screen had been replaced on the tv which may go some way to explaining the 3 week wait to get it back.

Initially all seemed well but i knew the real test would be the evening when low light conditions would reveal if the problem had been solved or not and guess what, no it hasn't |( if anything the problem is worse now than when it went away for repair and i have a strong suspision that the repair company (Visual FX, Thurrock) just carried out the most expensive repair possible in order to try to solve the issue and to extract the highest possible profit from the repair. Yes i'm very cynical.

So this morning i was back on the phone to Richer Sounds for some more advice and now the tv is being recalled back to Visual FX who will pick it up on tuesday but i have to say i have little faith that they are capable of finding and repairing the issue but i have to give them the chance. I wisely asked to see the job sheet when the tv came back as i wasn't left a copy and it stated that the fault had been found, although made no reference to what it was, and that a new screen had been fitted.

So now it looks like i'm going to be without the tv for the duration of the olympics and get to see only a fraction of it on the big screen in HD which i'm less than happy about and given my track record with disasterous tv issues i have a feeling this one may rumble on even longer. If Visual FX can't repair the tv this time then i get the feeling i'm going to end up entering into yet another legal battle and that's the last thing i want to happen.

Completely and utterly gutted and angry to put it politely :wall:

 

[bigboss]

Oh, that's really annoying! |(

I think you should speak to Richer Sounds & see if they can loan you a better TV for the duration of the Olympics while the TV is away for repairs.

 

[Oldboy]

Thanks bigboss,

Apparantley i'm not even receiving a loan set of any kind this time as the repair is a recall, i'm less than impressed with that it must be said! Richers t&c's even state that a loan set won't be supplied and tbh i'm still not sure how it came to pass that i received one last time, i'm getting on the phone to Panasonic today to see if they have any ideas what the issue may be but i doubt they will have any answers but i think it's worth a shot?

 

[GSB]

:wall: think i would be seeking some advice regarding those t&c's,a call the trading standards maybe?....there can't be an unlimited repair time,if the set is faulty they should replace as simple as.

fingers crossed oldboy :beer:

 

[Oldboy]

:wall: think i would be seeking some advice regarding those t&c's,a call the trading standards maybe?....there can't be an unlimited repair time,if the set is faulty they should replace as simple as.

fingers crossed oldboy :beer:

There is a slight issue there, when the repair guys returned the tv they said they work on a 3 strikes policy ie they will attempt to repair the tv 3 times then it's a new set. This is similar to what i was told the last time i had an ongoing issue with a previous tv and got consumer direct involved, the sale of goods act 1974 states that the retailer or manufacturer must be given "a reasonable amount of time to repair the item" and consumer direct about a year or two ago told me that 3 attempts is considered a reasonable amount of time.

I'm very grateful for your advice GSB and now you have brought it to my attention i may well get some further advice from consumer direct as you can no longer contact trading standards in these circumstances, consumer direct now deal with these sorts of enquiries.

I think it's reasonable to give them one more attempt to repair the fault with the tv but if it's not solved this time i will be arguing my case for a new tv and take it as far as i need to in order to get that exact resolution as a 3rd trip to the repair agent is highly unlikely to solve the fault.

I have phoned Panasonic today for some advice (12 mins before i got to speak to someone...shocking) and they are not aware of any examples of my issue and have requested that the repair agent speaks to their technical support team to resolve the issue. I will ask but i have my doubts as to whether or not they actually will, in the meantime i remain angry at the prospect of waving goodbye to the tv for at least another 3 weeks just in time for the olympics |(

 

[GSB]

i reckon the repair involved replacing certain parts,rather than diagnosing what was causing the problem,so i guess the same will happen again.

if it was mine i'd be writing to richer's head office and detailing how disgusted you are,and how happless it has left you....you had a terrible experiance with the gt30's youv'e had.you went to them becouse you trusted them,they have let you down imho...they need to be made aware.

 

[Oldboy]

i reckon the repair involved replacing certain parts,rather than diagnosing what was causing the problem,so i guess the same will happen again.

if it was mine i'd be writing to richer's head office and detailing how disgusted you are,and how happless it has left you....you had a terrible experiance with the gt30's youv'e had.you went to them becouse you trusted them,they have let you down imho...they need to be made aware.

You do have a very good point! I've just dug out my receipt for the tv and the guarantee and i'm going to write to Mr Julian Richer detailing my experience with this tv since i bought it (3 different tv's 2 issues with the 3rd one and the latest issue yet to be resolved and now on the 2nd attempt to repair). When i look at it like that i think it might be time to complain...oh and i forgot the over 2 month battle to get the 3D glasses i was entitled to when i first bought the tv.

I'm going to compose a letter this evening detailing my experience and post it off over the weekend and see what response i get...not expecting any sort of resolution from the letter but i think it's worth making them aware of the experience i have had with them with this tv.

To add balance to the equation every other product i have purchased from Richer Sounds has been great and fault free but the GT30 has been an experience i'm not wanting to repeat in a hurry and the repair company don't seem to be up to much either :wall:

 

[GSB]

if you do indeed send a letter,send it by recorded delivery,it shows your serious,and they cant then turn round and deny any word from you.

hopefully the tv will be working by the time they reply