18 replies to this topic

[EYLEVY]

Hi All,
Any one has this problem with Sony settop box DSTHD500
Its freezing a lot even after the upgrade their firmware on support website of Sony Australia
http://www.sony.com....ategoryId=30546

"Due to a minor change in broadcast transmissions within Australia, Sony wishes to advise customers, in order to adapt to this change, a minor software upgrade is required to one of its STB models; DST HD500.

Without this upgrade, customers may experience a momentary loss of picture when changing between channels which, is remedied by powering off the unit.

It is important to note that very few customers may experience this problem, however, if this does occur to your Sony STB Model DSTHD500, or you are unsure whether you require an upgrade, please contact our call centre for further assistance or to arrange for the software"

I got
Sony LCD Rear Projector HD 50" Grand WEGA 3LCD KF-E50A10
Sony Set Top Box DSTHD500 after upgrade of firmware
Onkyo TX-SR605 HD Receiver 7.1 channels.

Thanks
Eylevy

[JillB]

Thanks for this information, Eylevy, I was unaware of it, and ready to chuck my STB out after less than 2 years operation in an aircon environment. You have just reinforced my decision

Still having lipsynch problems, overheating problems, and pixelating probems with ABC every viewing session, as well as the problems you mention with freezing and just straight shutdown.

I would not recommend the Sony box to anyone

[simedog]

I had my Sony HD box replaced after only 3 months as it was began locking up for no reason. Now, just short of 12 months since that replacement and not surprisingly 3 months out of warranty, it locks up with all HD channels. It's back at the repairer who replaced it, and I've logged a call with Sony to escalate it. I told them that I was not happy having an expensive paper weight. Waiting a call back on the status of the work - whether I have to pay or not this time as it's out of warranty.

[EYLEVY]

simedog, on Jan 15 2008, 09:25 AM, said:

I had my Sony HD box replaced after only 3 months as it was began locking up for no reason. Now, just short of 12 months since that replacement and not surprisingly 3 months out of warranty, it locks up with all HD channels. It's back at the repairer who replaced it, and I've logged a call with Sony to escalate it. I told them that I was not happy having an expensive paper weight. Waiting a call back on the status of the work - whether I have to pay or not this time as it's out of warranty.

Thanks for that simedog
I sent an email to Sony Australia complaining about their product i will wait for an answer.
I told them i won't pay for repair ( i don't have warranty either)

[simedog]

EYLEVY, on Jan 15 2008, 12:34 PM, said:

Thanks for that simedog
I sent an email to Sony Australia complaining about their product i will wait for an answer.
I told them i won't pay for repair ( i don't have warranty either)

It'll be interesting to see what Sony have to say on both counts. You might find that if you don't get a response to your email in a reasonable time frame that it might be worth phoning the support line and logging a call that way. The procedure I had to do once I had raised a call with Sony was to take the unit into one of their authorised repairers and once they have it and have a job number for it, then to call Sony back with the repair job number for my case number. From their, my case was being escalated to a higher authority to evaluate the merits of my claim/complaint. I'm awaiting a call back from Sony on this.

[Vincentric]

EYLEVY, on Jan 14 2008, 11:24 AM, said:

Hi All,
Any one has this problem with Sony settop box DSTHD500
Its freezing a lot even after the upgrade their firmware on support website of Sony Australia

I got
Sony LCD Rear Projector HD 50" Grand WEGA 3LCD KF-E50A10
Sony Set Top Box DSTHD500 after upgrade of firmware
Onkyo TX-SR605 HD Receiver 7.1 channels.

Thanks
Eylevy

Hi Eylevy,

I've almost the same setup as you.

Sony KF-E50A10 DLP TV
Sony DST-HD500 HD Receiver
Sony DAV-FX999W Home Theater System

I bought the lot when I moved home in March 2006, and came across that same Sony advisory. So I thought I better get it done while it's still under warranty on 08/01/2007

Prior to the Upgrade, system information read:
H/W Version: BCM7038 DST-HD500
S/W Version: AUSN73T01 DT1r12t1f2F
Release Time: Nov 15 2005 10:56:18

After the "Fixed"
H/W Version: BCM7038 DST-HD500
S/W Version: AUSN73T16 DT1r12t1f2F
Release Time: Aug 2 2006 13:16:36

I have the same problem as well:-

• Random Lock Up (Getting more frequently in the last 3 months, suspect heat related based on what I read on the Net);
  
• Channel Drops Out;
  
• Program Information (i-Plate) is cut off after the first page (It's been like that since day one)

The box is in an "open-face" entertainment unit, with plenty of clearance on all sides. So I doubt that's the cause.

I agree with simedog, you may want to contact them on the phone instead. If you're a My Sony member (free to register for Sony product owner), you can call them on the prioritised My Sony product support line 1800 001 766. I'm still chasing to get mine sorted outside warranty.

Regards,

Vincent.

[simedog]

An update. It's fixed. Well, I should say, it's ready for collection. Repairer could not find the fault, although they did resolder the front panel because, I was told, that has been a problem in the past for lockups. So, what are the odds that when I pick it up and take it home, it'll fail within a few hours of me plugging it in?  

[simedog]

UPDATE: Got the box back. Repairer could not duplicate fault. Interesting as I was able to do it almost immediately after plugging the box in. Within 5 mins, I was able to reproduce the fault time and time and time again. What a piece of crap. To say I'm pissed off is a freakin' understatement right now. First port of call tomorrow morning is back on the phone to Sony to demand some real action. It's not good enough by ANY makers standards (let alone Sony) that within 15months 2 of their boxes that I"ve had have NOT survived the warranty period.  

[jabba]

hello

I think i have a remedy for the freezing problem

i purchased my DST HD 500 2 years ago it work well for about 22 months. Over the last 2 months it started freezing where my 50 inch pana would go blank. All efforts to press remote buttons and all buttons on the DST box was jammed with the display on 'DSTHD500'. After unplugging from mains power the unit still would not reset, the display justed showed 'DSTHD500' after 2-10 resets i would finally come back on but same thing would happen after 10 or so minutes it would freeze.

I couldn't bare paying any more money for another box as this one cost me around $550.00 with the pana 50. I took it out to my shed pulled the top off then cracked a beer and looked at it. I powered it up and sat there and drank and thought this ****ing thing has a simple problem and i got nothing to loose. There are 2 main boards a big one with a 40mm square heat sink and another smaller board. the smaller board has a small aluminium heat sink about 25 x 10 wide and quiet tall approx 20mm. After 10 minutes i felt the 2 heat sinks and they both were warm but the smaller one seemed hotter. I thought it must be getting to hot and this is the problem.I had a very old computer in the shed so it thiught about pulling out the fan and installing it in the hd box. I removed the fan from my old computer and tried to fit it but it was all to hard as i couldnt find a 12volt take off.
The fan i pulled out was on a small 30mm square Al heat sink so i decided to drill ahole through the heat sink and screw it into the to of the 25x10 heatsink. iI just misses the top cover and another transformer thing. i then drilled holes above both heat sinks and after 12 hours of HD viewing it hasnt missed abeat

Give it ago nothing to loose mine is made in tawan

jabba

[jabba]

simedog, on Jan 30 2008, 11:03 PM, said:

UPDATE: Got the box back. Repairer could not duplicate fault. Interesting as I was able to do it almost immediately after plugging the box in. Within 5 mins, I was able to reproduce the fault time and time and time again. What a piece of crap. To say I'm pissed off is a freakin' understatement right now. First port of call tomorrow morning is back on the phone to Sony to demand some real action. It's not good enough by ANY makers standards (let alone Sony) that within 15months 2 of their boxes that I"ve had have NOT survived the warranty period.  

See my post sorry new to this forum stuff. May have and answer to the freezing problem
jabba

[Mr B]

jabba, on Jun 30 2008, 10:58 PM, said:

See my post sorry new to this forum stuff. May have and answer to the freezing problem
jabba

Hi Jabba, Have just joined forum in search of a fix for the problem you had. i'm curious if you've had any problems since the fix. i've had my unit for over 2 years and the problem is starting to become more frequent. I cant beleive how hot this thing gets.

If anyone else has advice I'd love to hear from you. I've emailed Sony today but I guess they wont help too much.

My unit went to a repairer over 1 year ago and he failed to find a problem .. or get unit to play up.

[simedog]

Mr B, on Dec 9 2008, 06:59 AM, said:

Hi Jabba, Have just joined forum in search of a fix for the problem you had. i'm curious if you've had any problems since the fix. i've had my unit for over 2 years and the problem is starting to become more frequent. I cant beleive how hot this thing gets.

If anyone else has advice I'd love to hear from you. I've emailed Sony today but I guess they wont help too much.

My unit went to a repairer over 1 year ago and he failed to find a problem .. or get unit to play up.

Interesting fix Jabba and glad you seem to have yours sorted. But for me, I shouldn't have to tinker with what is a $600 box to get it to just work. The end result of my dramas, I raised yet another call with Sony and told them I don't want the box. They can take it back and refund my money and they did - about 70% of what I paid for it as it was 3 months out of warranty. Although I questioned that I should get 100% of the cost back, I just took the 70% and gave them their pile of crap STB back. I've never replaced it either yet. I do have a Strong 5290 SD box that we used for a while, but we also have Foxtel IQ so that will do. No HD but I'm passed caring right now anyways haha.

Cheers,

Simon

[dogcrapau]

sorry to redig this
jabba where did you get source to power the fan?

[sila1999]

On the main board is a 4 pin header connector "J5" that can be used to get a 5 Volt source, the pin outs are as follows
1: SDA
2: SCA
3: +5v
4: Gnd

There is no 12V supply available within this unit

[dogcrapau]

sila1999, on Dec 17 2010, 10:06 AM, said:

On the main board is a 4 pin header connector "J5" that can be used to get a 5 Volt source, the pin outs are as follows
1: SDA
2: SCA
3: +5v
4: Gnd

There is no 12V supply available within this unit

thanks sila
did you do the mod on yours?
any tips? and results?

where would i be able to get a 5v fan?

[sila1999]

I have not had a problem of the unit over heating as yet, as for getting a 5V fan check Ebay as there are quite a few there that ma be suitable. If i was to attempt this then i would mount a fan on the rear panel by cutting a round hole and fixing a finger guard on the outside.

[dogcrapau]

sila1999, on Dec 22 2010, 12:34 PM, said:

I have not had a problem of the unit over heating as yet, as for getting a 5V fan check Ebay as there are quite a few there that ma be suitable. If i was to attempt this then i would mount a fan on the rear panel by cutting a round hole and fixing a finger guard on the outside.

how did you know that there is a 5v  there?
any chance theres 12v somewhere?

Edited by dogcrapau, 09 September 2011 - 01:00 AM.

[dogcrapau]

I have now fixed this problem, i am not sure why i cant  post a thread but i will post a DIY shortly on how i rectified this problem.

[dogcrapau]

http://www.dtvforum....showtopic=96800
This is my fix.. thank you Jabba and sila1999