Samsung PS-50C91HD - clicking issue, opinions/advice?

[kinggimped]

Hi all, this place seems to be an amazingly knowledgeable and helpful community, I'm really hoping you can give me some guidance with this issue.

First of all, my setup. I'm running a HTPC with XBMC from an old laptop, connected via a DVI to HDMI cable. Since I only use the TV for the HTPC, the audio runs straight from the laptop to an external 2.0 system I have. As home theatres go, hardware-wise this is extremely simple.

As for me, I have experience with setting up HTPCs with TVs and am generally very technically inclined when it comes to computers and software, but my hardware knowledge of TVs is pretty much non-existent.

I bought this Samsung PS50C91HD plasma screen today second-hand, the seller told me about the audio issue before I bought it but I got a very good price for it, so I figured it'd be worth having and perhaps circumventing the audio problem.

First of all, the video is perfect. Looks fantastic running at native resolution (1360x768) via HDMI. Massive improvement in image quality from my previous TV. No issues there, I'm very happy with it in this regard.

However, it seems there's a problem with the audio board in the TV, as it clicks every second or so. It sounds like the same kind of click a TV makes when it turns on, but it seems that it fails to load properly, and so keeps trying. I'm guessing it's a faulty audio board, if there is such a thing. The click seems to be coming from near the bottom right corner of the TV.

At first I thought muting the internal speakers - since I am not using them at all - would work, via the TV's setup menu. The click persists. I've searched around the menus to try and find another option that would disable the onboard audio, but there is nothing else except an "Internal Mute" setting, which does not stop the clicking.

I've tried running the audio through the TV (3.5" jack from laptop's LINE OUT to HDMI/DVI IN, then AUDIO OUT to subwoofer). The audio works (through the external speakers, not the TV speakers), but cuts out with every click.

Even if not muted, the TV's speakers do not work. I don't particularly mind since internal speakers are pretty bad anyway and I'm fine with the audio running straight from the PC.

However, I can't get rid of the clicking noise. No matter what channel the TV is on or what source it's using, even if it's a blank screen with no audio, the clicking persists. Seems like the TV is desperately trying to initialise audio from the moment it's turned on, but is not able to do so because of a hardware fault.

I found out how to access the service menu and had a cursory glance around for any option that sounded related to the issue, but I am certainly not going to mess around with anything there without professional advice.

This is a relatively minor issue as when I'm watching a movie the volume from the speakers is usually loud enough to drown out the clicking. However, obviously this is not ideal, and I'd like to get rid of the clicking if it's at all possible.

So, in your undoubtedly more expert opinions, what are my options here to fix the clicking? There's no warranty. I've done some research and found that they don't make this model any more, and the vast majority of issues I've found from searching about the problem have been video related rather than audio related.

My best bet is probably to find a TV repair guy/engineer around here to come and take a look at it, and hopefully replace the faulty part (and even if that costs a fair amount, I'll still feel all right about it since I got the TV cheaply). However, since I don't even need the audio on the TV since it's running straight from the laptop and I'm only using the HTPC, I was wondering if there was some easier way to disable the audio completely so it doesn't even try to initialise (which I'm assuming is the source of the clicking). A couple of hours of looking online has failed to find a solution, so I'm hoping that somebody here may be able to help.

I would hugely appreciate any help or advice here. If you need any more information I'll be happy to provide it.

[tom66]

Re: Samsung PS-50C91HD - clicking issue, opinions/advice?

Simplest way is to take the cover off and unplug the speakers from the main board

[kinggimped]

Re: Samsung PS-50C91HD - clicking issue, opinions/advice?

Hi tom66, thanks a lot for your reply!

2 questions:

Firstly, is doing this actually likely to fix the issue, since the problem does not seem to be with the speakers but rather the board itself trying to initialise? If the speakers are unplugged, won't it still try to start the audio system when the TV is switched on? Pardon my ignorance here, I don't mean to imply you're wrong, I'm just curious as to how it works.

Secondly, if doing that would in fact fix the clicking problem, would this be something that would be possible for me, a complete newbie to TV hardware, to be able to do myself? I have plenty of experience building and fixing computers, but none with televisions. I have read scary things about capacitors in plasma TVs holding charges and plenty of warnings for beginners to stay out. But if it's as simple as unplugging a cord, I feel like it would be a waste of money to call a professional out to do it. Then again, I certainly don't wish to risk breaking the TV completely (or indeed, killing myself in the process :P).

[cashkennedy]

Re: Samsung PS-50C91HD - clicking issue, opinions/advice?

Taking the cover off the back of the TV is very safe, so long as once it is off you dont touch any capacitors , metal traces on the boards, or heatsinks on the power supplys, and anything else that likely carrys electriciy and is not insulated. (Basically the only thing that anyone with common sense might not be expecting to shock them is the heatsinks on the power supply, but dont touch them as they often are live.)

You can very safely disconect the speaker while the unit is unplugged, they usually just have faston connectors on the speaker side that are crimped extremly tightly so you can pull / pry them off. Both speakers should connect to a board with a clip on conector that you just squeeze the clip to release and pull it off. (the speaker wire connector to the board is much easier to remove then the connector to the speakers)

I doubt the sound is comming from the speakers, but perhaps having no load on the board will stop the clicking ... But if you have a whole board that only handles some sound inputs / outputs. You could even try disconnecting that whole boards power connector and see if the TV starts and runs fine without that board connected (Id not be surprised at all if it ran fine without that board connected).

How are you determining that the board that has the part that is clicking is a sound board. There are lots of boards in a plasma TV and it would be much more likely that one with much higher voltage would be making a clicking noise imo...

[kinggimped]

Re: Samsung PS-50C91HD - clicking issue, opinions/advice?

Hi cashkennedy, thanks for your reply! Very useful info to know.

Luckily I live in China, where getting somebody who knows their way around to have a look doesn't have to be an expensive thing. So I'd probably rather ask a professional to have a look before touching anything myself, I really wouldn't feel confident that I wasn't just breaking the TV myself without some kind of guide or at least a circuit diagram to look at.

As for determining that it's the sound board with the problem, well... first of all the internal speakers don't work, so I figured that the sound board isn't initialising properly. Everything else seems to be working absolutely fine. Secondly, when I hook up external speakers through the TV (via HDMI/DVI IN through AUDIO OUT) the sound works, but cuts out for half a second or so every time it clicks. This to me is another clue that there is a problem with the sound board, unless the clicking is unrelated (which seems unlikely). Thirdly, the guy who sold it to me told me that there was a problem with the sound board, though I'm not sure where he got that info from because he didn't get it repaired before selling it to me.

However, you guys are pretty much guaranteed to know more about the problem than me, so perhaps the clicking is coming from somewhere else.

What with my total lack of knowledge about rooting around inside the TV and all... what I will probably do is get a technician (I do have a TV repair shop literally a couple of buildings down from my apartment building) to come and take a look at it. I'll communicate to him that I don't particularly care if the sound on the TV doesn't work... so long as he can get rid of the clicking then I'm happy.

Thank you both very much for your insight, I really appreciate the help. I'll let you know how I get on!

[kinggimped]

Re: Samsung PS-50C91HD - clicking issue, opinions/advice?

OK, just to let you guys know, I managed to fix the issue.

As it turns out, of all things the STAND for the TV was badly fitted, and was pinching one of the cables that ran from the main board to the right hand speaker. So it turns out that the speaker was the cause of the clicking. After I opened up the back I made sure the connections from the speakers to the main board were tight, and then affixed an extra screw in the stand to keep it away from the wire, the clicking immediately stopped. I put the back on again, re-mounted the stand, and now I have a fully-working TV - even the speakers work perfectly!

Feel like I really got a bargain on this TV now - bought it for cheap because of the audio issue, and ended up fixing that within 24 hours.

Thank you both for your help, wouldn't have had the confidence to have a look myself without your advice, and I probably wouldn't have had the insight to check those cables immediately.

Moderators, you can close this thread now if you like. Thanks again tom66 and cashkennedy, I really appreciate your help! Really happy with my new TV