Sony KDL40EX503 backlighting advice please!

[Oldboy]

Hello,

I bought the above TV last week and have been having trouble with the backlight (i think). In low light/dark conditions i get very noticeable clouding in the top right corner (the top left has the effect too but not as extensive) which takes the form of a nasty white streak going diagonally across the screen and approx 3-4inches long.

This impacts into the picture across all sources and is constantly cathing my eye whenever i watch the TV, i replaced my W5500 because of this exact problem but this new TV is worse than that...have i been just been incredibly unlucky or did the review sample exhibit these traits?

Also if anyone has purchased this TV i would appreciate your thoughts, have you had the same problem?

I feel i should point out straight away that i am NOT saying these TV's suffer the same problems as last year (and i'm not trying to start the subject of backlighting up yet again), i would just like to know if i should be looking at returning the TV for a replacement?

Thank you

 

[matthewpiano]

Return it. That sounds like completely unacceptable clouding to me.

I've not come across the issue on any of these models so hopefully you just have a bad one (some do slip through the net with such massive production runs).

 

[Oldboy]

Many thanks for the speedy reply Matt!

Exactly my thinking as i've seen no mention of the problem on these forums and last year the forums were buzzing with disgruntled customers complaining about clouding on the latest Sony range!

I will be contacting Amazon today and just hope they replace it.

 

[Anonymous]

Sad to say I had exactly the same problem with my 32ex403 - the 4 inch diagonal bleed from the top right hand corner - it drove me mad!

I returned it and got another one. It doesn't have such an extreme problem in the corner, but this one has slight clouding all the way down the left hand side. It's driving me mad but I don't know what to do! I really want the freeview HD for the world cup and I got a really good deal on the tv...but the problem really is bothering me. In every other way the tv is great, but from my experience this year's models have the same problems as previous incarnations.

 

[Oldboy]

Hello Wolfred,

I'm sorry the problem has affected you too....compared to my screen that is even worse! I really thought this year would have seen an end to the backlight problems of last year after so many complaints but perhaps it's just a case of being unlucky as the reveiw sample showed no signs of backlight problems?

The review of the 40EX503 is what made my mind up to change the TV, i thought (perhaps wrongly) i wouldn't experience the same problems as i did with the W5500 TV but here it is again and i have to say i'm very disappointed because the EX503 is excellent in every way apart from the cloudy backlight.

If i were you i would be returning that one aswell! After last years experience i can safely say that if you are not happy then keep returning the TV untill you are satisfied...or want a refund. You have to remember that you will be constantly looking at the TV and floors like excessive backlight will really annoy over extended viewing, and besides that i expext my new TV to not have these problems after all it's not like Sony advertise them as 'Backlight Cloudy Ready' LOL

UPDATE: Amazon are replacing the TV as their technical department think it is faulty, fingers crossed the replacement dosen't suffer the same problems! Will update with results of the new TV when i receive it.

 

[daveyjay]

I've been recommending this model to my parents for the last few weeks, off the back of the five star WHF review. I think I better tell them to hang fire for a while. Blimey.

 

[Oldboy]

daveyjay,

I would just like to state that the 40EX503 is excellent in every way and does justify the 5 star rating it received....BUT i have none the less received an inferior quality item to that described in the review. The WHF review states that they found no sign of the backlight issues that plagued last years models and as an owner of that exact series (40W5500) i can say that from the first 40EX503 model i have received that the problem was not only still present but actually worse than the W5500.

That is just a statement judged on the first one i have received and it's unfair to judge the whole range on just my experience due to the positive review from WHF and that i may well have been purely unlucky with the first TV, if the 2nd one has problems however then i may change my stance but also consider the lack of threads on the subject this year compared to last and you may well come to the same conclusion as me, just incredibly unlucky LOL. So right now i would still recommend one even after my experience so far.

I will however post an update on wednesday after the replacement has arrived to report if it's any better....in the meantime i have everything crossed that it doesn't have the same fault.

 

[daveyjay]

Let's hope you're right in saying that you've just been unlucky. It might, of course, be the other way around i.e. the WHF review team were lucky to have been given a tv that didn't have a backlighting issue.

I'm looking forward to your update, Oldboy, oldboy.

 

[Anonymous]

I have just recently purchased the 40EX503 and can report no problem whatsoever from the problems mentioned. I can honestly say its the best picture i have ever seen. (Even my wife is amazed)

I'm sorry to hear that many of you have problems. Maybe i just got lucky!

Have you tried turning the light sensor to ON? other than that, sorry i cant be of any help!

 

[Anonymous]

Funny you should mention the ambient light sensor - it's the one feature of the telly that I think is garbage! It's far too sensitive.

I'd advise anyone to turn it off in all circumstances and to simply manually adjust the backlight level when needed.

I found that when watching a film in a darkened room and the scene went from dark to bright (as happens a lot in the first Lord of the Rings) the tv actually responds to it's own light and dims the screen quite visibly after about a second of the bright scene. It drove me nuts! I turned the sensor off and the problem stopped immediately.

Glad you got a good screen Rocky - hopefully you're in the majority!

 

[Anonymous]

That's interesting Wolfred. I've recently brought the LOTR trilogy but not had time to watch them. But I'll bear that in mind when I do.

Incidentally, I personally find the ambient light sensor to be very good when turned ON. We can watch TV programs even in the afternoon without closing the curtains. And even watching Bluray's in the dark it has not disrupted our viewing pleasure.

However, I do have the motionflow setting on'standard'. 'high' is just too unreal!!

 

[Oldboy]

So there is hope that my replacement won't exhibit the same problems then as rocky has received a set with no problems. Makes me feel more optomistic about the replacement that arrives tomorrow, just hope it is fault free.

As for the ambient light sensor i have to agree with wolfred it must be turned off, i wouldn't go as far as to say it's garbage as it may have a use for someone but it impacts on the picture far too much. I also got that strange dimming effect when using it in low light conditions and it really does drive you mad lol, i did however use it to test if it made any difference to the backlight but it does nothing you can't do with a manual setting and made no difference to the backlight problem.

Good to hear that good screens are out there...somewhere!

 

[Anonymous]

All the best with your replacement Oldboy

. Let us know how you get on with the new set.

 

[Oldboy]

I personally only use Motionflow for SD material and not HD and it does work nicely, you are right about the 'high' setting as that makes it too weird and a bit like having sea sickness!

I'm still unconvinced by the ambilight sensor myself but good to hear you have a use for it, i guess it's just down to the enviroment you are watching it in after all every room has differing light levels.

 

[Oldboy]

Thanks rocky

will keep you posted with the outcome of the replacement.

 

[Oldboy]

Hello again,

Just an update on the replacement 40EX503, it arrived about midday today and from the tests i have carried out so far in as dark a room as possible on a very nice sunny day (great day to have off lol) i can find no trace of the big white streak!

I have tested TV, DVD and bluray and there seems to be no problems. However it is tonight when the big test comes and i can view it in darkness but the streak was evident in these exact conitions so it looks promising so far.

Will update again this evening or tomorrow morning with the results of the darkness test but thumbs up so far

 

[Anonymous]

hey oldboy

sad to see things have not changed i replaced my 40w5500 with a 40w5810 for the exact same reason plus stuck pixels and due to that whathifis review of the 40w5810 had no backlight issues well mine had it from day one but not as bad as the other sets so i lived in hope it would get better but it is acually getting worse i am sad to say plus i seem to get a smear effect that we chatted about not sure if you remember? i really hope your issues go away with the new set when i have settled in at my new house i will be contacting sony centre to seek a replacment but i was banking on your set but now i am not so sure i have had my set 4 months now though

The worse thing is i love watching movies in low light or no light conditions i cannot do that as i look at the diagonal lines of light in the top corners all the time

 

[Oldboy]

Hello Snakey!

I'm sad to hear your 40w5810 has backlight problems

and even more annoying that it is getting worse! From what i have seen of peoples experience the clouding eases slightly over time so to hear yours is getting worse is worrying and like you i would be seeking a replacement ASAP after you have settled in to your new house (wish you all the best in your new home btw).

Yes i do remember our chat about the smearing effect! That was another of the reasons for me swallowing the extra cash to get a brand new model this year in the hope that those problems had been consigned to the bin....

Below is an update on the replacement after extensive tests in low light/darkness, have put it into a seperate reply so everyone can see it quickly.

I really hope you get your replacement soon and see an end to the backlight problems, i truly sympathise as i know what it is like to constantly look at a screen that has inconsistant backlighting....unfortunately i can't type that here due to the ammount of expletives i would need to use lol

 

[Oldboy]

UPDATE:

Hello all,

So after an extensive test with the replacement 40EX503 i received yesterday i am very happy to report absolutely NO backlight issues!

The screen is consistant even in complete darkness with no light sources and black out curtains so it's very hard to get it any darker in the room, the white streak in the top right corner i reported with the first set is not present atall and all corners of the screen are consistant.

It seems then that i was just incredibly unlucky after my bad experience with the w5500 last year and i would highly recommend the 40EX503 if you are looking for a new TV. However if you receive a set with these issues i urge you to return it and get a replacement as it is, in my opinion, faulty.

Finally after a year or so of trying i have a Sony LCD that has no faults...it took a while to get here but now i'm really happy

and very glad to see an end to the backlight problems.

 

[Anonymous]

Excellent news Oldboy!

and as you say, the set is highly recommended. You got there in the end.

 

[TKratz]

Snakey:

The worse thing is i love watching movies in low light or no light conditions i cannot do that as i look at the diagonal lines of light in the top corners all the time

May I then recommend you find a plasma screen. No backlight issues there and perfect for conditions like you describe.

 

[daveyjay]

Well, I think you've been extremely tolerant and patient, Oldboy. I don't really understand why people aren't just a little more scathing when commenting on problems they've encountered with products from HUGE companies like Sony. Wouldn't it be nice to receive a little something from the company just to say sorry for the hassle you've had. I don't know whether it's a British thing, but we all seem to put up and shut up most of the time. Don't get me wrong, I know you've had a replacement, and you're very happy with your new tv, but I just can't help but think that it's a little bit too easy sometimes for these big companies. And you've been faithful to the brand - they ought to be falling over themselves to find ways to compensate you. And no, before someone says it, getting a replacement tv isn't really enough.

 

[Oldboy]

daveyjay,

When i think about it you do have a point.....i know the retailer has done all it can in immediately agreeing to a replacement and sending it via next day delivery so perhaps an email to Sony should be the next port of call detailing my greivance. The only problem with that idea is, as you point out, Sony are a huge company and i very much doubt my email will get anything other than a standard response ie we're very sorry blah blah blah! The words blood and stone come to mind straight away lol.