Pincushion issue I posted the following and henlopen kindly offered a solution: I had the flyback transformer replaced on this TV. After starting it up, I now have a pincushion (E/W) that won't resolve itself. Picture has a consistent hourglass image and wider than normal )|( . Any thoughts on component replacement or could this be a cold solder joint issue? Thanks in advance. _______________________________________ After further review of the insides of this TV....I found that the person who serviced the TV originally replaced Q502 (H-OUT) with a 2SD2645, but I'm thinking it should be a 2SD2634. Would these have much of a switch timing difference to cause pincushion issues? Thanks again.

Both transistors have built in damper diodes that are designed to work in "flyback" circuits, and the 2SD2645 is rated to handle 15 more watts and 2 amps more current than the 2SD2634, so I suspect the technican felt that the replacement part would be less likely to go bad. Of course if they subbed the transistor, could the flyback also be a substitute? Sometimes faulty capacitors in the collector circuit of the Horizontal output transistor can cause timing problems that also cause the transistor to fail. If that is the case, then further troubleshooting is required to find and replace said capacitor(s), and that could also be the root of your problem. There is also one other possibility I can think of (aha!) and that is that the 2SD2645 was a "off brand generic" that does not live up to its published specifications. With Sony products, I have learned (the hard way sometimes) that it is usually best to use only OEM parts.