I had the same problem happen to me. I have the Sony Trinitron KV36? I bought it in 2003, and here it is 7 years later giving me problems. After seeing on the internet that it was a possible fix if you knew how to solder I was determined to see whether or not I would be able to salvage it. As it turns out, all that was needed was the determination to try. After laying it on the floor and opening it up, I noticed how extremely dirty it was. After blowing some compressed air to clean it all out I plugged it back in. Presto!! There she was, in all her glory, shining like the first day I brought her home.

my Sony TV just died! December 2,2009 @ 16:30pm. Purchased TV Januany of 1998. Still had great picture and sound. Watching eve news and poof went black and red light just blinking. Looks like im getting a new TV for Christmas LCD Flat screen. Thanks for the info on how to fix but im ready for an new TV hope it lasts as long.

Incredible. Here I am, feeling like such a jackass after wondering for so long what the problem was... unplugging this and that, trying this, trying that... then I find this webpage and it hits me like a brick wall. So, a neighbor gave me this TV for free, she didn't need it and hadn't used it for a few years or so. I already had a Sony Trinitron, but smaller, and this one was bigger so I decided to put it to use. It was good for like a month, and then one day the video stopped but the sound kept going, and after another 3 or 4 seconds, the whole unit just shut down. I turned it back on... it was fine for a few minutes and then the same thing happened. After that, it wouldn't work, so I disconnected it and hooked up my old TV. A friend of mine suggested that maybe we accidentally had it set to go into rest-mode, on a timer or something. Maybe my daughter had done it, I thought. Now, another couple of weeks later I hooked up the big one again, the KV-27V40. It worked fine... for a couple of days! Suddenly, after maybe 5 hours of use, it went dead again and wouldn't come back on at all. I finally noticed a red light flashing 4 times, again and again... it was the TIMER light! That lends credence to what my friend said, but it won't come back on!!! Mine was manufactured in November 1998, exactly 10 years old. Happy friggin' Birthday, Sony. Out to the dump you go. I ain't spending $150 to fix this one, and my next one won't be a SONY if they won't own up to this problem.

i hoovered mines out about 9mths ago going a dream again. now 8yr old.

And another - exactly the same. Hey! all you ppl above. Mine lasted longer yours!

I bought my 27 inch Sony Wega KV-27HS420 January 2005 and yesterday July 12 2008 it went black. It will start for 4-5 seconds and then it will turn off by itself. The Standby light flashes 7 times stops for 2 seconds and flashes 7 times. It is only 3 years old. I have to bring it in to get serviced. My last Sony Tube TV lasted 13 YEARS!!! So I thought why not buy another Sony--not again. Samsung or Sharp LCD.

YET ANOTHER DEAD TV. SAME DEAL. All working fine, and a sudden death. manufactured in march 1998

I had a dead 27" 1999 Sony with the 4 blinking lights, so I just decided to get it repaired. $130 later it worked beautifully....for an hour...before I got the 4 blinking lights again.....AN HOUR LATER!!!!! and a dead tv once more. Now I gotta LUG it back to be repaired or thrown in the land fill..I will never buy a Sony tv again.

I guess mine lasted a bit longer than the rest of the postings here. The dead ones must be calling my set from TV Hell! Just tried to turn it on this AM (Feb 2008) and it didn't even blink, just the clicking sound and the blinks of death. Adios Sony. Not worth spending that much on you. Judging from the cost of fixing (self or by expert) it's not worth it either. Thanks.

My KV-27V40 just developed the 4 blinking lights of death. Manufactured November 1998, RIP 12/26/07. After doing a quick search to diagnose this blinking light problem, I suppose I should feel fortunate the set lasted this long. This was a bedroom, and not an every day TV. Think I'll use what it would cost to repair on a new set. Boo Sony!