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General discussion

Mitsubishi DLP Television WD-57831 Class Action Lawsuit

Jul 25, 2007 11:43AM PDT

Hello,

Is anyone interested in getting in on a class action lawsuit against Mitsubishi and their (known?) defective DLP televisions? I've seen numerous posts regarding lamps, ballast boards, DLP engines, total rebuilds, poorly assembled thermistor sensors, air flow problems, useless repairmen, etc. etc.

I too am experiencing the joy of making 3 Diamond Card payments as well as HD cable programming payments all for a television that stopped working back on June 30, 2007 and has had 2, now a pending 3rd, unsucessful attempts by incompetent "authorized repair centers" to fix it. ITS ONLY 6 MONTHS OLD!!! Randomly replacing parts without performing electronic troubleshooting is totally unacceptable.

Anyway, please let me know if anyone would be willing to sign some papers and get this thing going.

Thanks!

Discussion is locked

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chasis
Jan 19, 2009 5:34AM PST

Dont worry they wont be able to fix the chasis. They kept mind for almost 4 months i finally said enough is enough i demand a new tv!!!! there is a lemon law with tvs i found that out. if they have to fix the exact same part 3 times they have to repalce it with a comparaable model. Not only did they fix my chasis 3 times but they also had my tv for over 5 months! I told them bring me a new one or i am calling my atty. Finally we got a new model we went with the SAMSUNG. They offered us our choice of another Mitss or a Samsung. We went with the Mitts!!! Good luck and call them every day or you will keep getting put off. OH VERY IMPORTANT, DOCUMENT EVERYTHING THAT IS SAID DURING EVERY PHONE CONVERSATION AND EVERY TECH THAT YOU MEET. That will come in handy. I have a journal of every phone conversation I had. Trust me you will need it.

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RE: Chasis
Jan 19, 2009 10:13AM PST

That warranty is the Magnuson-Moss Warranty

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnuson-Moss_Warranty_Act

Also it doesn't have to be the same part 3 times. Its if they have to fix the TV 3 times then they have to replace it. You must have been dealing with a 3rd party warranty company as mits wouldn't do jack unless you jump through about 100 hoopes.

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warranty
Jan 20, 2009 12:00AM PST

OH I had purchased an extedned warranty threw GE. Let me tell you they were the rudiest company I ever dealt with. I fought with them for 6 months trying to get my TV fixed and then replaced. They were horriable to deal with. But if you stay persistant and fight with them every day they will replace the TV.

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RE: warranty
Jan 20, 2009 5:25AM PST

Did ge replace the TV? Asking because Mits is terrible! They don't care at all.

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messed up
Jun 20, 2009 6:42AM PDT

I bought a 60 Dlp in October and had nothing but trouble with it for the last 3 months. been in the shop more than in the house. I have "GHOST" on most of the shows I watch and when playing X BOX or watching a movie everything has trails. ex: when someone moves their arm you actually see the trai of the arm moving. Terrible quality picture also. Makes me sick to watch movies on this thing very long. Going in the shop again in 2 days. The store said something to do with the fact that it is only 60gh and Mitsubishi is recalling them to replace with 120gh? Anyone else having these problems??????

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RE: messed up
Jun 20, 2009 10:01AM PDT

I would suggest trying to get the place you bought it to take it back as credit in exchange for you buying another TV. If not then you better buy an extended warranty on it as MITS in my opinion are junk.

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Mitsubishi DLP WD62725 100's blck & wht rectangles on screen
Sep 12, 2009 12:01PM PDT

My Mitsubishi DLP TV now only shows 100's of black and white rectangles in a brick pattern on the screen. None of the controls work on the set or remote except for power on/off. With power on the screen shows the rectangles. Any idea what the problem is and how I might fix it?

DB

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mitsubishi wd
Sep 12, 2009 1:08PM PDT

Yikes.

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WD-52525
Mar 14, 2008 10:21PM PDT

sign me up 4000.00 tv 4years old 5 bulbs now red light on with new bulb

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Failure of Main Board
Mar 16, 2008 4:49AM PDT

I have a WD-57833 and am this minute suffering a third failure of the Main Board (this recent repair lasted for three days). I've owned my set for a bit over six months. My great disappointment with Mitsubishi is the unacceptably protracted time intervals between inquiry and reply, and, of course, the repeated failure of their equipment. I had a Mitsubishi set for twenty-five years that never failed and so buying my first big screen was guided by that. When it works, it's superior, I believe, to most others, but "working" is now not its best feature.

I shall be a participant and/or contributor to some more effective, organized complaint. Let me know what is the status and what I might do to assist. I must report at the outset, though, that my practice requirements keep me very much occupied all day on week-days and frequently on Saturdays, as well.

Thank you.

Dr. Edward J. Green

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Mitsubishi DLP WD-57731 CLASS ACTION
Mar 17, 2008 12:51AM PDT

Count me in. I have a WD-57731 and am very disappointed with it. Have your lawyers contact me via e-mail.

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Some tips... WD-57831
Mar 22, 2008 5:50PM PDT

I have a WD-57831, mfg 1.2007, purchased 2.2007. I am at 3,000 hours/13 months on the original bulb.

-Make sure tv has good ventilation, keep amplifiers far enough away and not on the top rack of the matching tv stand.

-Take the bulb housing out monthly, spray screens clear with compressed air. Adjust frequency based on dust levels/pets/etc. Also make sure the vents on each side of the TV stay clean.

-Get an uninterruptable powersupply/battery backup -- brown-outs & power flashes are very hard on the bulb - the set needs continuous power for a 60-second cooldown.

-If you get an airflow error and yellow status light, make sure the screens aren't blocked #1, and #2 you probably need the thermal sensor replaced as this is a defective part. It appears Mits has extended warranty 2 extra years for this part also.

-Mine did this two weeks ago, and to Mitsu's credit, I called, had a human being on the phone very quickly, who transferred my call to a local tech, who came the next day during my lunch break and fixed it quickly. I have not had problems since.

Crossing my fingers on bulb life.

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16mos old 4 bulbs later wd-52631
Mar 22, 2008 10:49AM PDT

I bought a Mitsu 52" DLP Oct. 06. First bulb lasted 7mos, 2nd bulb lasted 6 mos. (oh look 1mo out of warranty) Mitsu paid for a service call. They just checked my fan operation and made sure I didn't have dust then shrugged and said I don't know. I had to buy a bulb. 3rd bulb has lasted 4mos and died last night. That means I'm on bulb #4. I'm calling them monday. I'm super upset.

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My problems
Mar 24, 2008 5:28AM PDT

I bought a WD-65732 in October 2006. So far with the set I have had the following problems:

- First Light engine replaced due to "tiger stripe" shadows on the screen
- Second Light engine replaced due to "Blooming" effect. Check avsforum. They have a lot of info on this problem.
- Bulb replaced once
- Temperature Sensor replaced due to over heat message

And now it looks like my light engine is going out again. It is showing the same "blooming" effects as the second light engine. I contacted Mitsubishi in Feb. and I got the usual generic call back and was told that my case is being reviewed and should hear back from someone in two business days. That was almost a month ago, so I just filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. Long story short, stay away from Mitsubishi products!

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blotches/shadows
Apr 22, 2008 2:01PM PDT

anyone else have this issue. this is the only post that i have read that had the same problem that i am currently having right now. anyone else get this shadow/stripes where pictures tend to bleed when they are on top of the blotches/shadows? blooming if you will

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Light Engine
Apr 23, 2008 1:05AM PDT

I had the exact same problem with 2 light engines. it is definetely the light engine.

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I feel robbed WD-65721
Mar 24, 2008 9:15AM PDT

I have also had 5 lamps go out in the one year I have had this TV. My warranty expires tomorrow 3/25/08 and Mits has failed to perform their due diligence regarding their warranty. I had my 5th lamp go on the 16th and they still have no replaced or mailed new one. I have a technician out to my house twice and nothing has worked to fix this TV. I have expressed that I felt a replacement was necessary but the technical assistance and the technician blame dust build up and therefor find that the TV is unreplaceable. I have cleaned the dust out of the TV every week since the first lamp burn out. I am MORE than happy to take part in law suit and will do everything I can to help.

carsonjnewton@gmail.com

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law suit
Mar 24, 2008 9:36AM PDT

If your including the WD-52327 in your law suit, count me in.
What a let down from what I thought was decent company.
let me know what you need from me.

Thanks

ltldrmrboy66@hotmail.com

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law suit
Jun 24, 2009 10:52AM PDT

If you get a suit started count me in also. My TV is only 2 years old and the 3rd bulb has just gone out. This is the worse television ever.

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Try Contacting your local TV News ....
Mar 24, 2008 9:37AM PDT

With all the talk of class-action suits getting started in California, the rest of us might try contacting our local TV news providers - their investigative/consumer complaint departments may be interested in airing this story. Be sure to refer them to this and the other forums on the net. Obviously this is more than just a few defects, and with the 2009 switchover to all digital over-the-air broadcasts (and Americans being urged to buy digital TVs) there may be additional relevance to report on such a story.

Good Luck!

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status of the law suit
Mar 24, 2008 9:43AM PDT

many many posts re: dissatisfaction with Mitsubishi...is there any progress on the law suit?

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Mitsubishi
Mar 24, 2008 10:11AM PDT

nope, but my TV is on the fritz again!

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Interesting HDTV Magazine Article - Extending the Lamp Life
Mar 25, 2008 5:17AM PDT

Here is some good info (even though it's Toshiba flavored). This really should be included in the owner's manual, printed on the box, hanging by a chain attached to the TVs on display at your local store, available on the website and part of all salesman's sales pitches (in other words - DISCLOSED BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER PURCHASE):

By Richard Fisher
Community Director
Posted on February 7, 2007
http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/articles/2007/02/making_your_hdt.php

If you have one of the new lamp-based microdisplays such as DLP, LCoS, SXRD, D-ILA or LCD it will definitely pay off to learn how to extend your lamp life. Lamp life varies by manufacturer design based on the application of the product and varies anywhere from 2000 to 8000 hours. Lamp replacements run from $200-$500 but most consumer rear projection displays are in the $200-$300 range and also lean more towards longer rather than shorter life design. The good news here is unlike any other display you have owned you can bring these back to brand new performance by simply replacing the lamp.

Lamp replacement is generally easy and comes in the form of a cartridge. It is considered a consumer replaceable device and does not require a technician to perform. Most manufacturers will provide a direct replacement when under warranty. Should you decide to replace the lamp yourself, do not touch the face or glass of the lamp in the cartridge. Like a halogen lamp, body oils on these surfaces will cause hot spots on the lamp surface and cause the lamp to explode or crack. Please check your owner's manual for further replacement details for your product.

While I prefer writing definitive articles, this will not be one of them. The following information represents what the industry has experienced and represented over the last decade. In two aspects that have been considered critical for lamp life, Toshiba has taken the opposite stance and I am unable to confirm if they are right. Nevertheless, that is how their products operate and also what they officially recommend so it has been included since not following their policy would also prevent you from having any legitimate claim on premature Toshiba lamp failure.

Heavy Vibration: Kids jumping up and down on your floor, heavy footsteps and excessive volume from home theater system subwoofers can cause the display, and ultimately the lamp, to vibrate, inducing an instant failure.

Keep Power Cycles to a Minimum: Lamps are arc based and turning them on, called striking the lamp, is the most destructive process and plays one of the biggest roles in lamp life deterioration. Try to keep this at 2-3 times per day at the most. Rather than turn it off for only a few hours, it is best to leave it on. This is the same recommendation given for our old CRT technology.

Proper Ventilation: Be careful of applications where the product is buried in an enclosed environment without good ventilation. Air movement is essential for the exchange of outgoing warm air with incoming cool air.

Keep Filters Clean: Not all products have filters. If they do, replacing them should be covered in the owner's manual and you must maintain them to prolong lamp life, keep light path cooling at peak efficiency and, with LCD projection, prevent debris from entering the light path degrading image performance.

Power Down Cycles: Most displays feature a 10-60 second grace period or delay when initiating a power down sequence. This prevents unnecessary striking of the lamp to safeguard against unintentional power down commands. Some manufacturers, like Toshiba, have this as a menu item called "Instant Startup". Testing such a feature is easy: With the display on, press the power button. Within 10 seconds press power again and within a few moments the picture should return. If you find yourself waiting a minute or longer, or the power on command is being ignored, then the lamp was turned off and will not be turned on again until the sequence has completed. This could be due to an older display, in which case there is no solution, or like the Toshiba you may have a menu item that addresses this.

AC Surge Suppressor: If there is anything with a motor that is plugged into the same AC outlet, or on an outlet on the same circuit, it will generate spikes which can upset the ballast in the TV, causing a burst of additional current to the lamp. Some people have reported lamps failing as window AC units or vacuum cleaners are turned on! The solution is to install a surge suppressor. If you also want to protect against lightning, you should read AC Surge/Lightning Suppressors.

Loss of AC power: You should not unplug or remove AC power from the unit to turn it off. Turning off requires a typical 2 minute process to cool the lamp. Many auxiliary products, such as a cable box or satellite receiver, offer a switched AC outlet to "conveniently" turn your TV on and off - don't use it! If your electric company has problems maintaining the power while you are watching TV, then you need an uninterrupted power supply (UPS), like you would use for a computer.

Toshiba engineering, on the other hand, claims this process is not necessary and that their products do not provide a cool down process; when the lamp turns off so does the fan.

Power Settings: Many displays offer two power levels for the lamp. If you want to increase lamp life, set it for low power at the expense of light output and remember: Lamp based rear projection displays are brighter than necessary in nearly all cases, so this is not much of a penalty and slightly improves black levels. As the lamp ages, light output will drop and you will notice it does not seem to be as bright as it once was. When this happens, go back in the menu and switch it to high power. Ordering a replacement lamp at this time is not a bad idea. Light output will continue to drop, and at this point in the life cycle it will also start to change color, creating a yellowish overcast most evident in the whites. Once you notice that, replace it. As a videophile, be aware that you will lose 25% of your light output within the first 500 hours and by the time the lamp turns yellow, you are well past a loss of 75%. Replacing the lamp well before it has reached that point is in your performance imaging interest.

Again, Toshiba engineering has a differing view: They recommend you disregard the above and set the display for the high power setting because the lamp was designed and life span maximized for the higher power setting. While counterintuitive to what one would expect, that is exactly what Toshiba engineering claims based on comparisons of televisions owned by consumers and the televisions on display at the store, which run all day long in high power mode, receive one power cycle per day, and in some cases none. Toshiba found that dealer demo displays could get up to 7000-8000 hours out of a lamp. It is noteworthy that the same claim has been made for years with ordinary incandescent light bulbs used with a dimmer.

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Class action law Suit
Mar 31, 2008 8:44AM PDT

please count me in. Going through the same problem as everyone else. Total waste of money.

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WD-52525
Mar 31, 2008 10:28AM PDT

Same situation. Replaced lamp cartridge only to still get the solid red light as if the lamp was bad...

Count me in.

Jaime O. Diaz

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WD-52631
Apr 2, 2008 7:32AM PDT

Hey, I've been reading through the forum and see lots of people having issues with the bulbs. I don't have an issue with the bulb but at this point I kinda wish I did.

My issue is the HDMI ports. I plug a valid working HDMI source into the ports and it gives me a blue screen. I've tested this on multiple items and each does the same thing. I've reset the TV several different ways and each time it just gives me a blue screen.

The component cables do fine for 1080i, but I'd love to actually be able to use the 1080p, like I paid for.

Does anyone have any ideas?
My 1 year warranty expired in March, just days later this issue. I've called Mitsubishi and they basically said to get bent because my warranty was expired, even if only by days.

If anyone knows what might be wrong with the HDMI's please let me know. I just can't see spending $500 to fix it.

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LAMP LIFE
Apr 4, 2008 3:02AM PDT

I firmly believe that the lamp will last longer if your never turn the tv off. You get over 6000 hours and 9 months of life. This is about $12 per month. The lamp was dim for only the last week of its life.

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HDMI
Apr 4, 2008 3:04AM PDT

It maynot be the TV thats the issue. I had the same thing happen. The TV is certified with a "Simplay" logo. This means that the set is gauranteed to work with other certified devices. Not all manufacturers are on the same page unfortunately. Cable boxes are the biggest culprits with this issue! The HDMI cable allows 2-way communication between devices and sometimes the TV thinks it cannot display the source do to copyright agreements. Make sure the devices connected are "Simplay" certified and that the HDMI cable is version 1.3. As far as 1080P is concerned, very few devices are capable of true 1080P. There is not a cable company on the planet delivering 1080P and wont be for a very long time. Trust me I work for one... If you dont have a Sony Playstation 3, a Blu-Ray or HDDVD player then forget about it!. There is absolutley NO differance in picture quality if you use component cables from your cable box or DVD player for that matter. Even if you purchased a DVD player that up-converts to 1080P, it's not true 1080P anyway.

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Never buying a Mitsubishi TV again...
Apr 4, 2008 3:09AM PDT

I can tell you this much, since buying this TV we have purchased 3 more TVs. ALL SONYs... I will never buy a Mitsubishi TV again...

We are getting ready to buy a new one for our bedroom and will look to the 52" BRAVIA

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Flat Panels
Apr 4, 2008 3:17AM PDT

I'm with you Re:Mitsubishi products, However you might want to research power consumption with flat panel displays! Some can cost upwards of $200.00 a month or more to operate. They love Electricity especially plasma displays...