Sony KDS-R70XBR2

[Nicco]

Hello,



I find myself in deep trouble with a Sony KDS-R70XBR2. I told a friend I would try to get his TV up and running before the Super Bowl! I am self taught and have no professional training, but with the help of the ever ending internet and its DYI videos and forums, I have managed to fix all types of electronics including a couple of Projection Televisions. When it came down to fixing a Samsung and Mitsubishi DLP, I got by with help from forums and almost always got the TV up and running with a Lamp, Ballast and/or Colowheel. But this Sony uses LCD projection technology that I am having a hard time grasping, so I am stumped, here are the details:



I Replaced the lamp, put the cover back on and plugged the tv in. The standby lamp blinked green and then went into a 3 blink pattern. I noticed that the cover that screws on over the lamp wasn't attached correctly or the lamp was misaligned, so I removed the cover, pulled the lamp out. I reinserted it and put the cover on firmly and correctly, turned on the TV, and got the same blink pattern.



Should I replace the ballast and if so I have no idea how/where to find one!?



I appreciate the help.

[JJP]

Hi Nicco,

I'm new to the forum as well but have been reading some articles on the Fix Your DLP blog about the fake lamps on the market. Where did you buy your lamp? If you bought it on Amazon or ebay you may have been sold a fake lamp from a Chinese manufacturer. They claim their products are compatible and genuine but I found the one I bought didn't fit into my TV or projector properly. The problems you are having might stem from the lamp itself. Where did you buy it? I'm not an expert so maybe someone else can jump in and reply to this.

John James (JJP)

[ovadoggvo]

Nicco,

My first question for you would be:

Where did you buy the replacement lamp for your Sony KDSR70XBR2 Television?



Before you start to tear apart your KDSR70XBR2 television set, let's make sure the lamp you purchased was and original Philips lamp. The Sony XBR's originally came with a Philips Lamp and a Philips Ballast that are meant to work together. Sometimes you will find cheaper replacement lamps on the online marketplaces such as Amazon or eBay - due to the natural design of these marketplace is becomes difficult to spot counterfeit lamps as well as differentiate the sellers who are selling original Philips lamps vs Generics under the Philips or Sony brand.



The lamp is a good place to start before we diagnose further and check your ballast, power supply, or other boards!



Also, can you post your lamp code or partnumber of the lamp you purchased so we can confirm that it's the correct part number / wattage for your KDS-R70XBR2 TV set?

[Nicco]

Thank you JJP, ovadoggvo,



Well darn, I purchased my lamp on Amazon and it was under [b]SONY KDS R70XBR2 Replacement Rear projection TV Lamp XL-5300 / F-9308-760-0[/b] So obviously I thought it was an original Sony, but now I question the honesty of the seller. I see the Philips brand on the inside of the old lamp. I cannot read the inside of the new Amazon one, but it appears to have no markings, I will open the case enclosing the lamp and get back to you as soon as I get home. I have little faith since the lamp cost $45 dollars and the bare lamp alone is worth twice as much if I browse for Philips.



Thank you both for the help!

[ovadoggvo]

Nicco,

No way that you would be able to buy an original XL5300 Philips lamp for your Sony KDS-R70XBR2 under $80 at best if your buying a bare lamp.. That lamp is a 180W/200W 1.0 Philips lamp which crosses into the front projection sector.



I would suggest you return the lamp under the Amazon 90-day policy and pick one up from D-M here:

http://www.discount-merchant.com/p-114-sony-xl-5300-lamp-replacement-f-9308-870-0.aspx



You know you are getting an original Philips XL-5300 lamp for your Sony KDSR70XBR2 TV...

[Nicco]

Thanks again Ovadoggvo,



As I read more about these lamps on forums, the more I see bootleg generic lamps causing problems everywhere. I filed a return to Amazon for the lamp I purchased and noted in my reason and feedback that it was "a bootleg, did not say Philips on it I checked." As I checked the generic Amazon lamp I noticed the plastic housing is a little elaborate but not impossible to take apart, the price difference on Discount-Merchant is not much, this makes me wonder if the price is the only reason someone would buy a bare lamp versus a complete lamp?

[ovadoggvo]

Nicco,

I don't see any reason why anyone would opt-in to a generic lamp for their Sony DLP or LCOS TV... I don't care which model you have, specially people with the KDS-R70XBR2 XBR Series TV's that cost 6k-8k in the market when they were released. Here is a good read about the knock-offs that should be of interest to you:

http://www.fixyourdlp.com/2008/11/21/beware-of-third-party-generic-dlp-tv-lamps-counterfeit-copy-lamps/



This should also give you a good idea of the difference in lifespan:

http://www.discounttvlamps.com/t-oemvscompatiblefp.aspx