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]

Thanks for the updates guys.

Im not really up with dolby vision, hdr+ stuff, so can only go off what I like to watch which is football( in many shapes and forms) on Sky Q 4k and BT 4k.

This problem has really put a spanner in the works as regards to picture quality.

I think most people want a firmware rollback just so they can watch a decent picture now as apposed to having a bad picture with DV activated. I understand what Kyletto is saying but with the TV as it is at the moment it is practically unwatchable. So as a layman my slant on it is Sony should roll it back then could/should  sort out the DV update with time to actually get it right.

Kyletto great that you have an industry name on board and are pressing Sony on this issue, its good that technical people are representing the non technical ( me being the top of that particular league table). I for one thank you for all you are doing to try and pressure the powers that be sort this out

Anyhow heres my update

Sony have asked me to send a video of the problem ,which I have done.Its not a great video as it was only taken on a mobile but I think you can tell the difference albeit not as much as being in the room.

I have had numerous calls and emails with John Lewis who at the minute have been very good with this problem.

They seem to be positive that they can / will sort me out.

I dont want to get rid of the TV as I really loved the thing until it started playing up( like the kids really😊)

I have also sent JL all the emails I have recieved from / sent to Sony.

I did ask the Sony customer services lady had they had many people complaining about the dimming she said only 2, which doesnt fill me with confidence as there seems to be many more on different forums with this problem.

Spoiler

As I said thanks for the updates and hopefully it will be sorted well before the world cup starts. I dont want to think of what I will do to the TV if it is the same during the world cup.

Regards

Bill

[Kyletto]

Yeah, like I said before, I can totally understand the desire people have to just have their sets working properly to watch Sport and things normally.

I managed to finally record some footage and get it up online last night, and whilst naturally some of the quality is lost through editing, encoding and uploading, and filming footage of a TV is never going to be the best quality, I do think it is a lot clearer and more demonstrative of the problem than any other footage I've seen online.

Have a watch below, and feel free to use/link to it with your own queries with Sony if you'd like (just obviously please don't pass it off as your own set/video)...

- Be sure to set the resolution quality to 4K in the Youtube viewer, too!

[Barcabod]

So fast forward to today.

I recieved an email from Sony asking me to make sure that the light sensor is turned off.

I replied to say that it is off as it was the last time they asked.

I then recieved another email which told me that the dimming was in fact a feature to stop screen burn and basically that was it.

Nice one Sony

I sent the emails to John Lewis asking where I go from here.

I recieved a phone call from a JL customer services guy who after a long conversation said that Sony and John Lewis's guarantees do not cover software updates, he told me that the TV was fit for purpose as it is a TV and it does show a picture. I pointed out that I might as well have given John Lewis 3 grand, walked out of the store and left the TV with them. Thats like spending £200 on a ***** meal,complaining only to be told yea but its still a meal.

John Lewis have told me they are not dropping this and will be pressing Sony for a fix,although they could not tell me when or if there would be a positive outcome. He said they would be in touch.This does not fill me with any confidence whatsoever.

Nice one John Lewis

So

Thank you Sony

Thank you John Lewis

Please pull my trousers back up when you have both finished smacking my ***** royal.

I will be sitting down with my wife who has a legal background and writing to both companies regarding their somewhat *****ty handling of a problem.

Needless to say if this problem does not get corrected  I will not under any circumstance be buying any other products from either of these 2 companies ( not that they would be arsed whats 1 customers £4000 on Sony TVs in the last 18 month mean to them)

Shoddy absolute Shoddy

[alistairgd66]

I then recieved another email which told me that the dimming was in fact a feature to stop screen burn and basically that was it.

Wow - well, for me that certainly is "it" - I'll be buying the Samsung Q9 rather than a Sony - or any other OLED if this is the current state of the technology - burn in is a major concern and for me it wipes OLED out of the equation.

For you it royally sucks and the only option left is mass awareness to the point that it's not just me that is warned off buying a high end Sony - it's anybody that watches watchdog or does any online research, because that's what I would do in your position - Watchdog loves stories like this.

Sorry for your pain dude, this is a hard one to take after spending that amount of cash. Shocking.

[Barcabod]

Thanks Alistaire I hope whatever TV you get does all that you want it to do.

I always try and research any big purchase items to the enth degree, these companies talk the talk but when it comes to the crunch they do not walk the walk,Im fuming about this and starting to rant sorry.

Like I said I will wait for a while and see if anyone has the balls to admit the TV is now pretty much pants( although I wont hold my breath) and put the thing right

A mate of mine always buys a £300/£400 TV and says if it lasts 3 years hes quids in.

I always buy the so called best and jusify this by saying yea but its great at this, its great at that ,not anymore. 

But on a more pro active slant

Can people post what  settings they have  on  the TV when it is dimming maybe there is a sweet spot where this ABL dimming does not kick in.

Also anyone reading this and does not encounter the dimming problem what are your settings?

I am going to have a play over the weekend and see what if anything makes this better.

I have seen a post somewhere where it says have luminance on off and brightness on 14 which will stop ABL dimming. I have tried this setting,its like watching  TV in a dark room with sunglasses on.

I was also contemplating having the screen calibrated but do I want to spend another £300 on getting this done ,when I could follow my mate into tesco and get a TV that maybe isnt great at this or great at that but does actually stay the same brightness during a 90 minute game of football.

[alistairgd66]

A mate of mine always buys a £300/£400 TV and says if it lasts 3 years hes quids in.

Well, I've been hanging off saying this because I don't want to ***** off you guys that have shelled out - but I agree with your mate because my 5 year old LG 42" LCD that was only £450 brand new arguably outperforms a £3000 telly - and I struggle to justify replacing it!

• Why would I replace it when it has no operating system - which smart TV owners seem to bemoan regularly?
• Why would I replace it when OLED will be a constant burn in concern?
• Why would I replace it when even with all this "motion technology", there's not a single new TV at any price that I've seen that can match it for clarity of a football when it's flying across the screen during a footy match?

The only reason is a better movie experience.

Struggling to justify £3k spend for that.

Back to your issue, if you muck around with settings, all you are really doing is putting the TV into that dim mode constantly, otherwise it will dim itself anyway. You should not have to tweak a £3k telly to get it to show a decent picture for the length of a movie or footy match or gaming session.

I'm actually raging on your behalf now 'cause I know how mad I would be.

I think the publicity angle is better than legal - get watchdog on the case. See what happened to BMW lol!

[Barcabod]

Alistair 

Wanna sell me your TV haha I will pay a good price or can I watch the world cup at yours(I will bring the beer) haha

To be honest the thing that ***** me off the most is that I came from a pioneer plasma. It was/still is a cracking TV ( gave it to my sister). I waited and waited  to upgrade to what was widely acclaimed to be the best TV you could buy.

I agree with not having to tweak things to watch a tv with the picture set the way you want, but my reasoning is if I can get used to a dimmer picture it will save me taking a hammer to the ****** thing.

Maybe if I have not heard anything within the next couple of weeks watchdog may be getting my dulcet tones on the TV 

[Edited for language]

[alistairgd66]

can I watch the world cup at yours(I will bring the beer) haha

Sure, if I can watch my blu-ray movies at yours!

I missed that whole generation of plasma/LEDs, mine is even older than that!

Seriosuly though, compile a list of URLs that have complaints about the issue and send it off to watchdog along with the response you've had and the movie posted above. Id be surprised if they were not interested.

[jirober52]

If nothing transpires in the next couple of weeks I also will be contacting BBC Watchdog with all the information I have gathered to substantiate our claim that the issue plainly exists and that Sony who are responsible for the trashing of our sets are in complete denial.

I am totally exasperated with the whole issue, Sony Customer Support is the worst on the planet, I only wish I had looked at Trustpilot before the purchase of their acclaimed flagship model. I have little confidence that even after they see Kyletto's excellent video and the number of owners world wide with the same problem and who have contacted them will we see any positive response.

Even if do admit that there is a problem and a fix will be issued, bearing in mind the debacle of the Dolby Vision promised update which took a year to materialise, we all will be waiting a very long time. I also feel that £3K has be thrown down the drain, a complete and utter waste of money.

Totally gutted. 

[alistairgd66]

I am totally exasperated with the whole issue, Sony Customer Support is the worst on the planet, I only wish I had looked at Trustpilot before the purchase of their acclaimed flagship model.

Can you link to the trustpilot page you are referring to - I'd like to read that.

Thanks.