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Review NaN of
Price Paid:
$2300.00
from Circuit City Summary:
After slightly less than 4 years my Sony KV-36XBR400 has developed an intermittent problem. I will be watching one channel (i.e. 45) and the set will suddenly start showing the video for a different channel (i.e. 4). The audio is correct for the channel I'm tuned to (45) but the video is for the wrong channel (4). If you change channels or switch to one of the VIDEO inputs the audio changes accordingly but the video continues to be for the wrong channel (4). Eventually the video image begins to get "jumpy", intermittently freezing, and sometimes permanently freezing on an image/frame or perhaps just going blank. Because the problem happens on the video inputs (i.e VIDEO 1, VIDEO 2, etc.) as well as the tuner, I don't believe it's a problem with the tuner.
I have contacted a Sony Authorized Repair service about this. They have about a 10-day backlog so there is quite a long time before they can come to inspect the set. Here's the painful part... I have had two repair appointments scheduled and as the repair day approaches the set stops exhibiting the problem. If the repairman can't observe the problem, he can't repair the set. So I have to cancel the appointment and wait for the TV to act up again.... at which point I have another 10-day lag before the repairman can come look at it.
Because the set weighs 240 pounds it's not easy to take it into a repair shop so in-home repair is most desirable. But, I need the TV to be in its broken state when the in-home repairman comes out. Sigh. Currently the TV is unusable about 20% of the time, totally unpredictable, and, in a sense, unrepairable.
I asked the Sony Authorized Repair service if they had a guess as to the problem based on the symptoms. They are 90% certain it is some circuit board, but it will cost me over $750 ($275 for in-home service call/labor and $440 for the circuit board plus sales tax) for that repair and they can't guarantee that will fix my problem.
I loved this set while it worked reliably but I am hugely disappointed that it is failing after less than 4 years and the repair is so difficult, so expensive, and so uncertain.
At this point, while I'd like to repair this set, I am frustrated to the point of buying new and buying ANYTHING BUT A SONY. Strengths:
Great picture. Weaknesses:
Unreliable. Poor repair options. HEAVY.
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