Sony 43" LED TV KD-43X85J - drawing nearly 12W on standby

[newflinder]

Hi,

I've just discovered that my recently supplied TV is drawing nearly 12W on standby, rather than the 0.5W that it is supposed to draw. This is made worse because it doesn't actually have a real power on/off switch. When it's connected to the mains it powers up in standby, and the on/off switch on the underneath just does the same as the remote control switching between On or Standby. 

Any ideas on settings that might be causing this?

Initially I didn't have it connected to my network, so no Internet services could be running, and Bluetooth off as well. Just to humour it I connected it to wireless, and let it do a software update. That hasn't changed anything. The various power saving settings all seem to be to do with going into standby automatically, not what it does while it's on standby.

I've checked the power draw with two different devices, an unbranded plug in power monitor, and a TP-Link P110 smart plug.  Until I find a solution I will have to keep the smart plug connected so I can switch it off, the only other option is to unplug it every time.

This TV was a warranty replacement, replacing an earlier model with a display fault.  So I'm not sure what the warranty status is for this replacement.

Hopefully it's a setting somewhere that I can change.

Thanks, Tony S

[Mooly01]

No quick answer but I would suggest you monitor the power draw for an hour or more after putting into standby. Make sure you are looking at instantaneous power draw at that time and not an average power draw over time.

The TV may not enter its lowest power state until a significant time period has elapsed, possibly 10 or 15 minutes.

If that doesn't prove or disprove anything then repeat and make sure you have no external equipment connected apart from an aerial.

Beyond that you would have to try a factory reset (which contrary to popular belief isn't always the answer but it would have to be tried) and if still no good you would have start asking questions of Sony.

[newflinder]

Thanks for the suggestions.  I'll try leaving it for an hour or so and see whether the power drops.

! found a couple of settings, "Remote Start" was already disabled, and there's a setting to update EPG while on standby which was enabled. I also temporarily enabled Wireless, connected to the home network and let it update its software, before disabling wireless again.  None of these appeared to make an immediate difference.

I don't know if anyone knows of other settings worth checking.

Initial useless response from Sony was the tell me where the power button is located.  Useless because pressing that button doesn't switch off, it puts it into standby.  And also even if that was a hard power off, it would be a work around and doesn't address the actual fault.

[Mooly01]

I would need one in front of me to explore all the options I'm afraid but I would think that if you do perform a full factory reset (not a 'soft' reset) then the unit should return to default OOB (out of box) state and should in that condition once just tuned in and configured normally meet its published specs on power consumption.

[newflinder]

Spoiler

Initially all my tests showed it continuing to draw between 10.5 and 12W for as long as I left it plugged in, certainly for at least an hour. 

Further responses from Sony completely unhelpful ..

After I pointed out that their advice to use the power button did not help, they then advised that it should be unplugged from the mains.Back to them again saying that's an even worse work around, and the set should work according to it's specification.

Their final response was to quote screeds of stuff about how all their products are tested and certified to this or that standard and essentially refusing to believe that mine was misbehaving.

HOWEVER - and luckily for my temper, the set has in fact now started working properly, on standby it draws up to 12W but only for less than a minute before dropping down to between zero and 0.5W

I have no idea what the fix was. I tried various things including enabling wireless, connecting to the home network, doing a software update then disabling wireless.  In the menus I switched off every option that I reckon we can do without, or anything whose meaning wasn't obvious. None of these made any difference to the fault.

However a few days later it started working OK and fingers crossed it has continued to do so.  

It's still on a smart plug programmed to power off late at night and requiring to be manually switched back on.

[Mooly01]

Pleased to hear its working OK although it is all a bit of a mystery by the sound of it.

[SkyNet404]

Keep the TV tested hopefully it carries on working fine mate, and congrats. 

[newflinder]

Cheers.  I think what I'll do is leave the smart plug in place but disable the scheduled power-off.  Then I can check it a few times to make sure it's still behaving.  I can also see total power drawn over a period of a week or so which would soon show if it was back to it's old tricks.

Ideally I have other uses for the smart plug so don't want it there forever.

[SkyNet404]

Oh cool, it's great to know that you can do or try many things, all the best.