Dimming issue after PKG6.2858.0082 software update.

[jirober52]

Since the PKG6.2858 update I have a dimming issue with my Sony A1. The picture pre update was stunning, however since the update I am experiencing varying levels of brightness which has completely ruined ths set for me. Colours are lacklustre and mostly dim, a factory reset has failed to rectify the problem. It seems that a number of owners on the AVSForums are experiencing similar problems. Only hope that Sony bring out a fix but not holding my breath.

[Barcabod]

Here is my reply

Thank you for your response

I have carried out all the suggestions from 1 to 4 in the first part of your email.

Prior to this and as I stated in my previous email i did a factory restore of the tv

On carrying out the above processes the problem was still present.

As per the second part of your email

1: The dimming happens after a couple of minutes of watching a screen with say football or a talk show where the main bulk of the picture does not change for a couple of minutes. The dimming does not change once the picture flicks to another scene i.e an advertisement. 

However if I change channel then  go back to the channel i was watching then the picture is bright again for a couple of minutes.

2:  Sorry I dont understand the question do you mean without the aerial or sky q connected

3: I have a sky Q box connected straight to hdmi2 I have also swapped the hdmi leads ( they are all 4k compatible leads) to see if this solves the problem

I have also swapped to hdmi 1,2 and 3 but the problem persists

Just for added information and so you know what happens in the real world of watching the TV,when watching sky sports news the picture dims after 2 minutes and looks dull and washed out. The only solution is to change channel and then go back to sky sports news ,the picture then has brightness but then dims again after 2 minutes.

Also when watching a talkshow where the main picture does not change for a couple of minutes even though the people on screen may be moving the screen dims and looks washed out.

As you can appreciate after spending £3000.00on a flagship TV this situation is not one I had envisaged or I am happy with.

I must at this point reiterate that before this new firmware update the TV had no such problems with any sort of picture dimming and I was in fact happy with the TV. I feel that this now renders the TV impracticable for normal usage when you have to change channel to get back the picture Sony advertised I would get when I purchased the TV.

Thanks for your reply. I look forward to your continued help.

Regards 

Bill

[Kyletto]

Thanks for the details and updates, Barcabod - will be interesting to hear how the conversation develops.

I received the following response earlier this evening, which sounds somewhat promising:

Dear Mr Pedley
Thank you for contacting Sony support regarding your Sony KD-65A1.
We are sorry to learn of the issue you have encountered with your TV after the latest software update in which the auto dimming function does not allow you to watch the TV properly. 
Please accept our apologies for any unintended inconvenience this may have caused.
Furthermore, please be advised that your case is currently under investigation, and you should be contacted by the relevant department within 24 business hours. 
Should you have any further questions, please feel free to reply to this email.
Thank you for your enquiry
Yours sincerely,
Asmaa

I am relieved that there seems to be at least some acknowledgement of the problem and its cause. Hopefully the sheer number of complaints and messages such as these will paint a clear picture that there is a serious problem at work.

I'll keep you all up to speed, and will upload the video tomorrow - I have ended up working a lot later than anticipated today!

[jirober52]

Excellent email,  it is amazing what a bit of journalistic clout can do and lets hope that Sony finally acknowledge that this is indeed a very serious flaw and that they issue a fix as a matter of urgency.

I too was asked to send a video to highlight the problem but as I am not in possession of the necessary quality equipment, I was certain that Sonys' response would be that the TV was within specification. I am at a loss however to understand why Sony insist on video evidence when so many are now reporting this highly frustrating issue. The number now coming forward with the same issue should be conclusive for Sony to respond positively however this has not been the case.

Richersounds are sending an engineer out to view the problem, I have recorded sufficient evidence for him to view. Last nights'  Spurs v Watford opening ten minutes hightlights the problem with the screen showing a variation of brightness that it is impossible for any denial of the issue.

Living in hope that one day I can have my pre PKG6.2858 telly back.   

[Barcabod]

I recieved this from Sony today

Thank you for your recent e-mail with the needed information.

We are sorry to learn that the issue still persists after following the recommended steps.
Based on your detailed description for the issue, we recommend that you follow the steps listed below to switch off the (Light sensor) option in order to test the outcome if possible:
(HOME - Settings - Display - Picture - Light sensor).

In case the issue still persists, please confirm to us if the issue still persists when watching the TV’s content while not connecting any external devices (for example: Sky box).

Should you have any further questions, please feel free to reply to this email.

Thank you for your enquiry.

Yours sincerely,

Asmaa

SONY SUPPORT TEAM

Heres my reply as you can tell Im not very technical 

I confirm that the light sensor is turned off.

I do not have an aerial to plug the tv intoonly a sky q box, but i do have another sony tv in the bedroom.

I have plugged the bedroom tv into the skyq box downstairs and can watch that without any dimming at all

I understad that Sony are recieving many complaints regarding this problem.I cant understand why the firmware update is not reversible.

Thanks again for your continued help

[alistairgd66]

As someone who was planning on walking into currys and buying the new A8F this weekend - this is a big concern. Some comfort in the Sony responses above, but I am left wondering if screen burn is really resolved at all if they are still tinkering with brightness settings.....

[Barcabod]

I have been in constant contact with Sony and John Lewis over the past few days

John Lewis sent an engineer who looked at a secret menu and told me that everything seemed ok as far as the menus were concerned.He did however witness the screen dimming.He  looked on my settings but said all was ok with that too. He said sometimes that the settings could make the picture dim( why put those settings on the tv in the first place if they have an adverse effect). I pointed out that before the firmware update with the same settings the problem was not there.It is only after the update that problems have arisen

Meanwhile

Sony have asked me to do numerous processes i.e. factory restore ,panel refresh, etc all of which made no difference. They have also asked me to take a video of the problem. Which I have done with a struggle on my phone camera.

I then phoned John Lewis again

I had a lengthy conversation with John Lewis customer services lady who asked me to send the videos to her too, also all the correspondance between myself and Sony customer services. THIS i have done.

As we stand I am now waiting for JL and Sony to come up with a solution for me.

I am totally disgruntled with this problem, my tvand my enjoyment of it is ruined and I am running around trying to get the problem sorted

Not happy one bit

[Barcabod]

Has anyone else reached a solution on this , it seems to have gone quiet regarding this problem

[alistairgd66]

I feel your pain, this is not funny for such an expensive purchase.

You are going about things the right way, and you are not being brushed off with silly responses. Such issues do take time though - Sony need time to work though this.

It seems to me, based on whats been posted so far, is that a new anti burn in algorithm in the latest firmware is either too aggressive or just plain poor programming.

From the examples given it sounds like it is comparing the amount of colour present per frame as the trigger for safety dimming. So while to the human eye a football game has lots of movement, to the TV, it sees 80% green for 90% of the time as a trigger for safety dimming to prevent burn in.

What I can't understand is how such an algortihm passed the most basic of QA.

[jirober52]

The problem here is the time that Sony are taking to even acknowledge that the problem exists. It seems everyone who are in contact with Sony Support are receiving the same brushed off silly responses despite the fact that the issue is being reported world wide (take a look at the AVSForum, it has its own Sony A1E Dimming Defect thread).

I feel exhausted mailing Sony, all their replies seem to come from a script. In my last email, I asked them to explain how long the distracting arbitary dimming should last when implemented by the set. Was it for a short duration or was it to last intermittenly for the entirety of a soccer match as it occurs in my case. A few other questions were also asked, here is their response. Please be informed that unfortunately we will not be able to provide  an answer to your technical questions however, this is a phenomenon that is related to the latest software. However, no acceptance that it was an issue and that Sony are working on a fix.

This is really distressing for everyone with the problem, there are many owners who have purchased these sets when they where first introduced for £5000 and £3500 and the level of Sonys' support is a disgrace and I beleive in contravention of the Consumers Rights Act 2015.

[Kyletto]

Hi all,

Apologies that I've gone quiet over the past week - personal circumstances and also being away over the Bank Holiday weekend to blame!

I am quietly confident in the directness and acknowledgement that I have received from my responses with Sony thus far - at present I am about to send them further evidence (hopefully this evening), but the wheels definitely seem to be turning in regards to them realising this is a significant, widespread problem.

I'll keep you up to speed with the situation as and when it develops.

I've also been in touch with Vincent Teoh of HDTVtest, who I'm sure many of you are aware is a hugely respected voice and presence in the community. He has also assured me that he is in contact with Sony and pressing them on the issue, which is a great voice to be lending support to the problem, but he also re-iterates that they can bit slow to resolve and respond (i.e. see the DV update). I will hopefully be meeting with Vincent wihtin the next month or so, so let's hope Sony have already begun taking steps to resolve this for their customers.

I do think it would be wise to stop asking for a simple resolution such as a firmware rollback, though. Given that the TVs in question were advertised with forthcoming Dolby Vision support, I believe it would be far more productive for Sony to be pursuing a course of action which will enable us to keep DV without this ridiculous algorithim/bug. Simply having the option to roll our firmware back is not, I believe, the most forward-thinking and satisfactory outcome and, if anything, could be giving Sony an easy out that will then preclude future DV support for the foreseeable.

It cannot be out of the realms of Sony to isolate and fix this problem whilst still enabling DV support for their sets, especially as it was something promised to adopters at the point of purchase.

I understand that people just want their sets to work - however, given the expense and cost of these sets, I think playing the long game is more important than a quick fix which robs the sets of one of their most anticpated (and advertised!) features. I cannot comprehend having such an expensive OLED without Dolby Vision, especially after how long we waited for it in the first place.