BRAVIA screen trouble? Or just LCD?

[opaloka]

Hi.
I have my 40" Bravia for 3 months so far and i couldn't avoid noticing that on black areas (the lines outside the 4/3 screen) i can spot a slight fading to dark gray.
If we speak with percentages and assuming the overall black is 100%, the "faded" areas are around 94-97%.
The same happens on the lower center position when i have a channel with no signal (and the screen is flat black). The trouble shows after a couple of hours on the top right end corner for about an area of 3X3 inches and on the lower center it is like a vertical segment of 7X3 inches.
Obviously in colors and pictures i see no trouble, but i see it on flat colored (just a colored background) screen.
The same trouble happens also in my Mac 23" LCD monitor and on my PSP screen when i have a dark gray or a black screen (obviously to different locations). When i had my Mac monitor sent for repair, i was told that this was not a defect, and they changed the screen only to see that the same "problem" appeared to a different place on the screen. Note that the problem persists no matter where i stand to see the screen and i tried to put the screen in different locations so to have no interferences.
I wonder, is this a "trouble" of all LCD screens? I mean, is it expected not to have a clear even all flat colored screen as plasma screens do? And why does it happen on some specific places only?
Is this a defect to be solved?

many thanks for trying to help...

 

[Digital Dude]

Welcome to the wonderful world of LCD...

 

[opaloka]

so is that a problem that i have to be fixed before getting worse, or shall i not bother about it?
So far it is the same "defect" in the same areas.

 

[JKElect]

Getting true black on a LCD set is inherantly hard to do. This is by design. A LCD panel cannot block all of the light from the lamp. Most sets have a setting to help create a black image. If that setting is at max then try to turn down the brightness a little bit.

 

[opaloka]

The problem is not that the overall black is not 100% black, but that there are some areas that are "less black" than the rest. Imagine like faint spots of bleach on a black cloth. No matter if brightness is high or low these areas are always there (obviously more vivid in high brightness).

 

[bhelms]

Yeah, I think you have something unusual/not right there! I have (I think) the same same TV as you (bought it in early Dec.). What I see is a consistently black / slightly lit screen in the areas that are supposed to be black. And like JKElect said I'm also guessing that's due to the LCD not completely blocking the backlight. Sounds like you have something "blotchy" going on, and I don't see that. Do you have it with no source, i.e., when the TV is on an input with nothing connected? If not, there might be something in the source causing or contributing to the problem...

 

[opaloka]

Yes, i have it where no channel is on (empty), or just as when i take the antenna out (no signal). It is something that doesn't move or anything. After the first hour of "play" there it appears on the same place.
So is it something to trouble me? Or shall i live with it as "no problem" situation?
My model is the 40" A10 Bravia

 

[JKElect]

If it is something you can live with, just watch it and if it gets worse or larger have it looked at. If it is a problem with the LCD panels it will definitely get worse. I had to change out the light engine is my Hitachi at 2yrs old due to a manufacturing design flaw(not enough venting to adequately cool the panels). It started with a red halo, not what you are describing. Good luck, if it is not bad enough the tech may say no problem, but if they have seen the problem before, they would possibly fix it. It may warrant a call to a local Sony service center and ask if they have seen any like this.

 

[opaloka]

i will wait a bit , until it goes to the end of the warranty.
I will probably extend it to 5 years but i will call the service before that if it gets worse.
Many thanks for the info.

 

[bigthrust]

I bought a new Westinghouse 40" LCD (Samsung panel) and by default it has the washed out black look. What I did was set the contrast to 100% and backed the brightness way down to 25%. The blacks are darker than any LCD I have ever seen and the PQ (especially at 1080i) looks stunning). I compared this TV side by side at the Crutchfield Retail Store and once I go the contrast/brightness right, the TV stood out and looked very good. On an LCD try to use more contrast and less brightness as a rule of thumb. I also have to do this on my son's 26" Sharp LCD TV.

 

[opaloka]

hi.
I tried every combination with brightness and contrast (and "backlight"), but the "problem" persists to a bigger or lesser extent.
There are some lightly faint areas where the black is less black. There is no "plain" color (call it black or gray or whatever dark color) in the screen which is to be the same to all areas. There are some "bleaches" where probably the light of the back "lamp screen" escapes the black filter.
I hope this is no trouble but i am worried.
Do you notice this when the room with your set is with lights off?
Any ideas about it?

thanks