Sony TV unit suffers fresh blow with faulty sets

The Sony logo and slogan are pictured on a backdrop at a special screening of the new film ''Colombiana'' in Los Angeles, California August 24, 2011.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Electronics giant Sony Corp suffered a fresh blow on Wednesday after several of its Bravia LCD televisions sets emitted smoke or parts began to melt, a company official said on Wednesday.

Sony said it will offer free inspection and repairs available to 1.6 million of the TV sets.

Sony's television unit is already heading for its eighth straight year of losses, as it battles fierce competition from Samsung and LG of South Korea.

The 11 overheating incidents all took place in Japan, but the faulty parts may affect TV sets sold around the world, the company said in a news release.

There have been no reports of injuries or damage to anything other than the televisions, Sony said.

The televisions were manufactured in 2007 and 2008 and were mostly sold in Europe and the United States, although some were also sold in Japan and other parts of the world, a Sony spokeswoman said.

The company will alert customers to the problem via its websites and in some countries via e-mail and newspaper advertisements.

(Reporting by Isabel Reynolds; Editing by Chris Gallagher, Edmund Klamann and Mike Nesbit)