I’m a huge fan of internet video, but nothing can replace the big screen high definition experience. And while I knew it would happen sooner or later, I still wasn’t fully prepared when my large screen rear projection Sony Wega HDTV gave a loud pop and ceased to display the magic flickering lights that I’ve fallen in love with.
My first response was one of panic. I knew that it was possible that I might have a burned out bulb but, given some of the issues that other Wega owners have experienced, I also knew that it might be more serious. After the panic subsided, I made a few calls to see what it would cost me to bring in a pro. After getting a few quotes, I was shocked at how expensive it can be just to have a repairman troubleshoot your big screen. While I’ll admit to being tempted to use this as an excuse to make the jump from a rear projector to a flat screen, I also wasn’t ready to give up on my TV just yet.
So with gritty determination, I waded through the murky waters of online forums in search of a potential diagnosis. The more research I did, the more apparent it became that I had in fact exhausted the lovelight inside my television. Luckily, it turns out that this sort of repair is pretty easy for the home gamer to fix. So after finding a generic replacement lamp online (~$100), I eagerly tried my hand at television repair.