Samsung HL-R6178W DLP TV half of screen goes black

[nviles1]

Samsung HL-R6178W DLP HDTV

I just bought this tv used as is. Every once in a while, the right side of the screen goes black on all inputs. I have read from other locations that this is the DMD but suggests to replace the light engine.

I found the light engine for about $1000.

I would love to see if anyone has any experience replacing a light engine, or perhaps just the DMD.

Anyone had this experience?

 

[hadevine]

Having the same issue. Called Samsung and they will only cover it if it is a light tunnel issue. We had the light engine replaced 10/08. I spoke to the repair guy and he said it's a dmd board issue and will run me about $650.00. Looks like Samsung needs another class action suit before they will help with this issue. My set if 5 years old and I will never buy another Samsung again....not with out an extended warranty anyway. Had a Sony for over 10 years and NEVER had an issue. Looks like it's time to check out the new Sony LED-LCD.

 

[super-mike]

Greetings every one.
First of all the symptom nviles1 describe is frequently related to a defective DMD board. As for the 1000 dollar price tag, that’s totally bonkers. I found a web site that prices ranges from 250 up to 379 for complete light engines ( with color wheel & DMD boards included). Here:
http://www.discount-merchant.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=samsung%20light%20engine
I changed the light engine on my 61” Samsung tv and turns out its not that difficult (but its very time consuming), when searching the web for some guides I found some pretty neat reference tutorials that I used for replacing mine, since I have them saved in my bookmarks. Enjoy.
http://www.fixyourdlp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1315
http://www.fixyourdlp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=1289
http://www.youtube.com/user/FixYourDLPcom#p/a/u/1/0jr_9A5Xd2Q

 

[nviles1]

Best answer selected by nviles1.

 

[mlogotile]

Having the same issue. Called Samsung and they will only cover it if it is a light tunnel issue. We had the light engine replaced 10/08. I spoke to the repair guy and he said it's a dmd board issue and will run me about $650.00. Looks like Samsung needs another class action suit before they will help with this issue. My set if 5 years old and I will never buy another Samsung again....not with out an extended warranty anyway. Had a Sony for over 10 years and NEVER had an issue. Looks like it's time to check out the new Sony LED-LCD.

I am having the exact same problem.... first my light bulb blew, and at the same time I had a shadow down the left hand side about 3-4 inches wide. I did purchase the extended warranty. I replaced the bulb myself thinking it would take care of the shadow as well. Within 6 weeks of the light bulb blowing the whole picture went black again with a loud pop, I thought it was the bulb and called the extended warranty company(mine is exactly 5 years old also) and when they came out it was the color wheel and the light tunnel. the replacement parts didnt fit, so they ended up ordering a complete light engine..... used..... and then there was a 3-4 inch wide shadow along the whole bottom of the screen. Finally got a new light engine and within 7 days the right side of the screen goes black daily.... this has been going on since February... its JULY!! The repair company never calls me back and my extended warranty is up in NOVEMBER I am getting so FRUSTRATED. My previous tv was a 53 inch sony rear projection and it lasted over 10 years with no problems... I will never by a Samsung again.... sad because the picture is beautiful!!

 

[rosect]

I am having the exact same problem.... first my light bulb blew, and at the same time I had a shadow down the left hand side about 3-4 inches wide. I did purchase the extended warranty. I replaced the bulb myself thinking it would take care of the shadow as well. Within 6 weeks of the light bulb blowing the whole picture went black again with a loud pop, I thought it was the bulb and called the extended warranty company(mine is exactly 5 years old also) and when they came out it was the color wheel and the light tunnel. the replacement parts didnt fit, so they ended up ordering a complete light engine..... used..... and then there was a 3-4 inch wide shadow along the whole bottom of the screen. Finally got a new light engine and within 7 days the right side of the screen goes black daily.... this has been going on since February... its JULY!! The repair company never calls me back and my extended warranty is up in NOVEMBER I am getting so FRUSTRATED. My previous tv was a 53 inch sony rear projection and it lasted over 10 years with no problems... I will never by a Samsung again.... sad because the picture is beautiful!!

While I appreciate the work Super-mike has done, I agree that it is time for another Class Action against this company and the retailers (Best Buy in my case). Because I have experienced a lot of the problems in this thread with my HLR6168WX/XAA which I purchased April '06. The most recent is this intermittent black out of the right half of the set. I even purchased their 4 yr extended warranty which ran concurrent with the Manufacturer's Warranty. Another scam! I have tried every department at Samsung and Best Buy. Only to be told that "This defect" is not covered by the Light Tunnel Class Action Settlement", and that I am responsible for the repair cost of $750 -$850. I would rather use this money toward a Class Action of our own since this appears to be the only institution these F'ers respond to. Tomorrow I am presenting my case to the Attorney General's Office in CT. We'll take it from there

 

[Guest]

While I appreciate the work Super-mike has done, I agree that it is time for another Class Action against this company and the retailers (Best Buy in my case). Because I have experienced a lot of the problems in this thread with my HLR6168WX/XAA which I purchased April '06. The most recent is this intermittent black out of the right half of the set. I even purchased their 4 yr extended warranty which ran concurrent with the Manufacturer's Warranty. Another scam! I have tried every department at Samsung and Best Buy. Only to be told that "This defect" is not covered by the Light Tunnel Class Action Settlement", and that I am responsible for the repair cost of $750 -$850. I would rather use this money toward a Class Action of our own since this appears to be the only institution these F'ers respond to. Tomorrow I am presenting my case to the Attorney General's Office in CT. We'll take it from there

I am also having the same issue on my 58" DLP. If you turn off the TV for ten seconds it is good to go for another couple of hours. I will never buy another Samsung TV like some many others have proclaimed. BTY, I live in CT also, I'd be interested in know if your effort go anywhere.

 

[Lencomusa]

I too have a Samsung 63" DLP that has never made it an entire year with major repairs. Now after year 5, the TV comes on for a few minutes and then blacks out. Turn it off for a while and it will come back on for another few minutes. No matter what type of electronic it would be, Samsung will be the last brand on my list. I would like to participate in any class action lawsuit that anyone intends to file. I paid over $3000 for the TV and endless repairs and Samsung doens't seem to care. I think we need to make them care!

 

[radio101]

I am having the same problem with my 48 inch that I bought less than 3 ago and would definitely if possible like to get in with you all on that class action suit even if it's to cut down on the cost of attorney/lawsuit fees.Please contact as soon as possible thru my E-Mail address-I will not open ANY mail that I am unfamiliar with(str8 Delete/trash them)so when/if you contact me please place your name on cc so that I know who it is because I have written the names down from this forum.Thanks and let's stop these bastards and get they to repair and correct there defective products.
rayo3914@yahoo.com

 

[anern]

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[xakeo]

While I appreciate the work Super-mike has done, I agree that it is time for another Class Action against this company and the retailers (Best Buy in my case). Because I have experienced a lot of the problems in this thread with my HLR6168WX/XAA which I purchased April '06. The most recent is this intermittent black out of the right half of the set. I even purchased their 4 yr extended warranty which ran concurrent with the Manufacturer's Warranty. Another scam! I have tried every department at Samsung and Best Buy. Only to be told that "This defect" is not covered by the Light Tunnel Class Action Settlement", and that I am responsible for the repair cost of $750 -$850. I would rather use this money toward a Class Action of our own since this appears to be the only institution these F'ers respond to. Tomorrow I am presenting my case to the Attorney General's Office in CT. We'll take it from there

I am totally in for a new Class Action. I too have called Samsung a number of times and it seems to the it's ok to spend 100's of dollars on top of what you've spend on the set already. Please contact me for more details or to add to the case.

xakeo@aol.com
305-542-7551

 

[bvhh]

I am totally in for a new Class Action. I too have called Samsung a number of times and it seems to the it's ok to spend 100's of dollars on top of what you've spend on the set already. Please contact me for more details or to add to the case.

xakeo@aol.com
305-542-7551

This has happened to me twice already in 5 years and once again my half screen is black. I am totally in for a Class action.

bvhh@yahoo.com

 

[bvhh]

This has happened to me twice already in 5 years and once again my half screen is black. I am totally in for a Class action.

bvhh@yahoo.com

 

[mp1992]

I've just purchased a used 50" samsung HDTV HL-P5063W. I was told by the seller all I needed was a lamp. Well that was a small part of the truth due to "All Sales Are Final". I was informed that I need a light engine. I have already invested $157 into tv and was wondering should I just accept my loss.

 

[f6487]

I couldn't agree more that I will NEVER buy another Samsung. I've got the HLR5078w DLP and purchased it new in 2005. Just like everyone else it started with the left side shadow so I replaced the parts in the light engine, then it was the color wheel, then the bulb and sure enough now it's the half black screen. It just started about two weeks ago and had done it twice in the last week. I just unplug the power supply in the back of the set and when I plug it back in it seems to works fine again. Until the next time it happens. Samsung has the worst customer service that I have ever encountered. At the time of my left shadow problem my set was out of warranty and I pleaded with samsung to cover the repair but they didn't want any of it. So I paid for the repair and Samsung ended up reimbursing me for every penny when the class action suit settled. Looks like it's time for another class action. Honestly, I'll never buy another Samsung and when I do purchase something I'm getting the longest warranty they offer. Seems like you don't have a choice today with the way they build this crap. I've never been a warranty guy but it seems like I'm getting burnt on all the appliances from stereo equipment to tv's.

 

[d121316here]

While I appreciate the work Super-mike has done, I agree that it is time for another Class Action against this company and the retailers (Best Buy in my case). Because I have experienced a lot of the problems in this thread with my HLR6168WX/XAA which I purchased April '06. The most recent is this intermittent black out of the right half of the set. I even purchased their 4 yr extended warranty which ran concurrent with the Manufacturer's Warranty. Another scam! I have tried every department at Samsung and Best Buy. Only to be told that "This defect" is not covered by the Light Tunnel Class Action Settlement", and that I am responsible for the repair cost of $750 -$850. I would rather use this money toward a Class Action of our own since this appears to be the only institution these F'ers respond to. Tomorrow I am presenting my case to the Attorney General's Office in CT. We'll take it from there

 

[d121316here]

While I appreciate the work Super-mike has done, I agree that it is time for another Class Action against this company and the retailers (Best Buy in my case). Because I have experienced a lot of the problems in this thread with my HLR6168WX/XAA which I purchased April '06. The most recent is this intermittent black out of the right half of the set. I even purchased their 4 yr extended warranty which ran concurrent with the Manufacturer's Warranty. Another scam! I have tried every department at Samsung and Best Buy. Only to be told that "This defect" is not covered by the Light Tunnel Class Action Settlement", and that I am responsible for the repair cost of $750 -$850. I would rather use this money toward a Class Action of our own since this appears to be the only institution these F'ers respond to. Tomorrow I am presenting my case to the Attorney General's Office in CT. We'll take it from there

I have the Samsung HLR5078WX with the same problem of the right half of the picture going blank. Also,
I replaced a broken color wheel and the light bulb last year. The local Samsung Tech says I need a DMD
Board and Samsung will not provide this or pay labor. I talked direct with their exec office today, Saturday, 8/27/2011. They would pay for a "light tunnel" because of a class action lawsuit, but that is not my problem. Good luck with a lawsuit. I actually concluded the Board "cuts out" because of heat. Since I pointed a small
fan at the light area, I have no more problems. It may be that the internal fan cuts out and does not run.
You might want to try a fan.

 

[f6487]

Same exact situation here and you get nothing from Samsung. At the time that my HLR5078w started with the left side shadow my tv was out of warranty. This was prior to the Class Action suit and Samsung would do my repair at no charge. I had a local tech come out and do the repair and then when the class action settled I sent in my receipts to Samsung was sent a check by them. Still can't believe that. But then the color wheel just shattered and shortly after that the bulb blew. I purchased parts and did those two repairs myself. But now it's been a month or two and I'm fighting with the half screen black issue. I love the picture on this tv but I can't justify paying anymore money to get this problem fixed. I read quite a bit and it doesn't seem like a cheap fix. I guess I'll try the fan method and see if that buys me some time. I established quite a good relationship with one of the attorneys that was part of the legal team with the left side shadow suit. I'm going to email him and bring this latest problem to his attention. You can almost set your watch as to when these problems are going to pop up and to me it's a clear pattern. Faulty equipment and Samsung should make good on it. I will NEVER buy another Samsung. All these companies have crappy customer service but I'll take my chances with anyone over Samsung.

 

[irj]

While I appreciate the work Super-mike has done, I agree that it is time for another Class Action against this company and the retailers (Best Buy in my case). Because I have experienced a lot of the problems in this thread with my HLR6168WX/XAA which I purchased April '06. The most recent is this intermittent black out of the right half of the set. I even purchased their 4 yr extended warranty which ran concurrent with the Manufacturer's Warranty. Another scam! I have tried every department at Samsung and Best Buy. Only to be told that "This defect" is not covered by the Light Tunnel Class Action Settlement", and that I am responsible for the repair cost of $750 -$850. I would rather use this money toward a Class Action of our own since this appears to be the only institution these F'ers respond to. Tomorrow I am presenting my case to the Attorney General's Office in CT. We'll take it from there

Please let us all know how this case develops.
I have the same problem and spoke to Sammy Support. I asked if it was a known problem and they side-stepped that question and told me I needed a service at my cost.

 

[f6487]

This may be a helpful tip that can stretch a little more life out of your tv. It had been posted earlier and it seems to be working for me. Originally I read where someone in another forum positioned a small fan in the rear of the tv blowing air away from the tv. I tried that and had no luck, screen still went half black after about an hour or once the DMD board heated up. So I positioned the fan blowing almost directly into the vented area of the tv. I was worried at first about dust particles ending up on the mirror or color wheel but at this point didn't have much to lose. So my little fan seemed to keep that area cool and it seems that if the DMD board or whatever little chip on the DMD board doesn't over heat you won't get the half black screen. I ran a test and kept my tv on for 7 straight hours without once getting the half black screen. It worked for me so it's worth a try. I've been trying to purchase a refurbished DMD board from discount tv parts but they don't have any in stock at the moment. When they do have them they cost $135.00 and I would be willing to give that a try. Otherwise it's purchase a new DMD board or entire Light Engine Assembly from Samsung for way too much money. I'll never buy another Samsung, that's for sure. Good luck.