Description. The Uneven Brightness Problem has infected Sony Wega TVs from the start. It's characterized by a "rain" streak or jagged lightning bolt on the lower left side of the screen when the picture is near black. When the picture is nearly white the first vertical 1/3 of the screen is darker and slightly pink..
What You Need To Know. The problem varies from set to set. I had to lug my buddy's new 32" Wega up a flight of stairs so he could exchange it for a new one only to find that it had the same problem! Luckily, the second set wasn't as bad. There are a few techniques to help remedy the problem.
Fixing The Problem. The uneven brightness problem is amplified when using a bright picture setting. Using a video calibration DVD like AVIA or Video Essentials greatly reduces the problem since a proper video calibration yields a dimmer, warmer picture. Usually, that's still not enough. That's when you'd go into the service menu and turn down the "sbrt" parameter 3-6 notches. Now the picture is about 90% problem-free. The streak may be gone, but during very bright scenes and all-white screens, you'll see it. If you're still frustrated by the uneven brightness problem, call Sony, describe what you see, and a service-person will come out and replace a coil under warranty. I've heard that this may or may not work. |
