flashing grey screen

[butterghost]

Another Australian here, suffering from a similar problem - I've only just got my Vive and I'm having issues around the 30 minute/1 hour mark. I've not yet tried covering the rightmost sensor so I'll be doing that soon - but my issue is that if I avoid the loss of tracking the headset itself will begin running to hot to use for longer than 2 hours at most. Usually when the headset is removed at the 30 minute mark I need to spend another 30 minutes cooling myself down. I've purchased the third-party hardware "Vive 'n' Chill" to help deal with this issue but I doubt that will arrive anytime soon.

[donatelo11]

I have same grey flash problem, seems there is a lot of people having this new issue, whats going on.

[MartinMarty]

Wow, Vive N Chill. Looks hoakie as hell (this coming from the guy with a post-it note taped to the front of his HMD) but I was super impressed to see 9/9 good reviews. That's a great start. I'm just not sure whether it is supposed to be cooling your head or the HMD but you'll find out soon enough. Good luck!

[ManamalReacts]

I just purchased a HTC Vive. Been a week now using it and I just started to get the flashing when I play over an hour. The Headset gets very hot near the HDMI/USB inputs. I believe this is casuing the Headset to malfunction. Are there any third party cable that we can buy that are more heat resistant so maybe this problem can be avoided where we can play for more hours? Has HTC found out what the problem is? Does HTC support even care the headsets are overheating? How can't HTC support not replicate this issue? 

 

I have 30 days to return my Vive and I will do so if necessary. Hard to belive that HTC does not fix this heating problem or offer something else as a fix.

 

Well, I have 3 weeks left to return the set. Let's see how this plays out for me over the next 2 weeks.

[GTF147]

The fan idea seems to work, very annoying but if i pause what i'm doing and stand in front of the fan for a few minutes it does seem to stop the grey screen. At least it proves it is heat related, shame we are getting no assistance from HTC.

[Jakstalgia]

Has anybody had any luck with sending in their HMD in under warranty to repair this issue? I don't want to send in my Vive just for them to send it back unfixed, espcially since they make you pay for shipping.

 

Honestly at this point with how "helpful" Vive support has been with this issue I'm considering just asking for a refund or selling the thing if possible. With this many people reporting the same exact issue there is obviously a defect with a batch of Vive's that were shipped out and it doesn't seem like HTC wants to really help any of us. For $600 I expected a preimum product that would just work.

[Aidarpro]

Hey,

I have sent my HMD by warranty. They replacement mainboard. Till now it normally works. May be when come summer time the problem will back, i do not know.

You can look my posts in this topic (from the 1st page)

[1inallallin1]

I got my headset back. Found that I need a fan blowing on the headset the whole time and it runs great. Adds to the immersion, like wind is blowing on me.

[aleciuf]

Hi,

I have exactly the same problem, after about an hour of playng the display starts to flash gray and the tracking jitters, the camera floats at mid air, sometimes fly away as well as the controllers.

I tried everything: move the lighthouses, infinites install and uninstall (Vive software, USB drivers etc), connect the headset directly with 3-in-1 cable etc. Nothing. I contacted the support, I described the problem saying that they had to try it for about an hour, they gave me a shipment label and, after a week, the headset is coming back with no issue found. What should I do to get my Vive correctly working? I bought it on october 2017 and it never worked as it should. Please help!

 

PN: 99HALN004-00

SN: FA71AAB03393

Headset SN: FA71DJJ01759

 

 Thank you,

Alessio

[RK]

Sorry to hear.  I'm not sure what to suggest except sell that piece of junk on eBay and buy an Oculus Rift.  This is a real shame.  I've owned three Vive's and have been a huge fan, traveled across the country demoing it to people.  Probably got HTC several new sales.  But the product quality seems to be degrading and lately the customer support is a complete joke.

 

Reading through this thread there definitely appears to be a systemic, heat-related defect with the headsets.  So disappointed that HTC has refused to acknowledge the issue and make things right for their customers.  If anyone wants to start a little class action chime in here.

 

Given the number of customers suffering these issues and the potential for PR sensitivity, reproducing, diagnosing and fixing this issue should be a major priority for Vive engineers.  Excuses about limited availability of engineering hours and carefully controlling factors are just that - excuses.  I expect they could point a hairdryer at one of the returned HMD's for 10 minutes and produce the errant behavior.  I wouldn't be surprised if they already have reproduced it, and are just not admitting it.

 

I never had this issue on the original model headset, but am having it on the newer, revised, lighter version.  I'd be interested in hearing if others have had the flickering problem on any of: the original, the lighter version and the just-released PRO version.

 

All I can suggest to all the customers who have been completely left holding the bag on this is to push back with your other vendors - pressure Amazon to take a return, call your credit card company and complain (ask if you have third party warantee extension maybe they'll cover a replacement), report HTC to the BBB, and most of all, share your experiences on social media.  This company needs to be held responsible for it's wilfull ignorance and utter failure to live up to its warrantee responsibilities to its customers.