Screen blanking on KDL55HX853

[pb1965]

So far this has only occurred when watching HD channels via the internal Freeview tuner...it doesn't happen when watching HD channels via a set-top box connected via HDMI.

The problem I am getting is that the picture blanks randomly for around 1 second before coming back. It can happen two or three times in quick succession and then not again for twenty minutes or even several hours. No disturbance to the sound whatsoever.

My first thought was that it might be a transmission issue. However, I've discounted this as I've noticed that if I have the programme info banner on screen at the same time as watching the programme, this also disappears only for them to both return about one second later. So my second thought was that it could be an LED backlighting problem. However, I'm not even sure about that now. I've discovered that if I am recording an affected programme via the tv's USB recording function, when I play it back, the picture blanks occur in exactly the same places on the recording as when the programme was broadcast!

As a final check, I dual-recorded a programme using the tv's USB recording function and my Humax PVR. I also watched this programme via the tv's internal Freeviw HD tuner noteing when the blanks occured. Both the tv and the Humax PVR were tuned to BBC TWO HD.

What I discovered is the screen blanks observed whilst watching the broadcast using the tv's tuner were also present in the recording made via the tv's USB recording function. However, when playing back the same recording made on my Humax PVR and connected via HDMI, there were no picture blanks. So this definitely rules out it being a transmission fault and seems to confirm it being an issue with the tv.

I first noticed this problem soon after my tv had performed a software update in the spring. I have tried doing a restore to factory settings but that hasn't prevented it from re-occuring.

So I'm left wondering has anybody else come across this problem? And if so, do you have a solution please? All responses gratefully received. Thanks.

[pb1965 · Accepted solution]

Panic over - I've found the answer on another thread which I've just found. 

[Drewde]

That's great.

Could you please post the solution so others who may encounter this problem know of the fix?

[pb1965 · Accepted solution]

The first post in this thread explains what you need to do...

http://community.sony.co.uk/t5/Televisions/KDL-46HX853-Screen-Blanking-on-HD-Broadcasts/m-p/561945#U...

But basically, you need to change the picture setting from  "Video optimized" to "Text & Graphics Optimized" to stop the screen from blanking when HD broadcasts contain brief bursts of 1080p content.

[Drewde]

Thanks a lot.