RCA RTRU5827-B-US mostly black screen with lines

[x_orange90_x]

I was just given this tv yesterday and when I plugged it in I was surprised by the symptoms it presented. For starters, it's a 58" and every 58" tv I've picked up, regardless of brand, has ended up being a bad panel. This one looked like a bad panel at first glance, but the top portion of the screen has a full length, solid, good picture. I've never seen a bad panel do this simply because they are divided in half with Left and Right sides, therefore giving a half-good image or no image at all. I may have a tcon to swap into it, but I'm not sure that's the issue either. I haven't opened it up yet either. What do you guys think?

[x_orange90_x]

So I swapped out the tcon and the image dramatically improved. I still have some single pixel lines across the bottom 1/4 of the screen.

[x_orange90_x]

Bottom 1/2 of screen*.... I can't see it being multiple bad COFs or bonds though. 1 maybe, but not 2 or 3. I put the original tcon back and it went right back to the original symptoms too, so I definitely think something is wrong with the tcon. The donor I used for testing was from a Vizio 58", and I also swapped all of the ribbons with it not that did not eliminate the thin lines.

[nomoresonys]

Interesting, It does make me wonder too, if maybe the replacement tcon is a little faulty??

[x_orange90_x]

Interesting, It does make me wonder too, if maybe the replacement tcon is a little faulty??

I thought I had at least one other tcon from a 58" but I couldn't find anything else that fit. I'm considering pulling the bezel off though and checking for side tabs and seeing if pressure on them will affect the lines. I really don't think it's that though, unless the manufacturer had a bad batch of chips or the process of applying them to the panel was iffy. For out right failure though I don't see more than one failing.

[nomoresonys]

Those ones on the bottom, how they are all even does remind me of one I had with bad tab bond contact.

[x_orange90_x]

Those ones on the bottom, how they are all even does remind me of one I had with bad tab bond contact.

I plugged it in again with the donor tcon just to double check the lines. What's weird is that they aren't uniform across the screen. Check out the pics attached. How is this possible??

[nomoresonys]

Tough call, if all the cables are clean (can clean them with a pencil eraser) not damaged, fit well and correctly plugged in not crooked, thinking it must be bad tcon or tab bond. One that I had a bad/loose tab bond had those same tight lines on entire display but only one bond was loose, shimmed it and display was back to normal.

[x_orange90_x]

Tough call, if all the cables are clean (can clean them with a pencil eraser) not damaged, fit well and correctly plugged in not crooked, thinking it must be bad tcon or tab bond. One that I had a bad/loose tab bond had those same tight lines on entire display but only one bond was loose, shimmed it and display was back to normal.

One of the side tabs, correct? I rarely see those on these newer panels. I did push on each of the bottom ribbons but they made no change. I think I'll pop the bezel off and see if there are side tabs.

[nomoresonys]

No, it was an older vizio if I recall, think it was like a 42 inch, had only tab bonds on the top, was top right one looking from the back.

[nomoresonys]

Suppose it could be any of them, if it has side cofs look real close at them, you might see a tiny pin hole or the cof will be black and maybe misshaped or one will get hotter than the rest, check both sides of the cof if possible.

[nomoresonys]

Seems like I've rarely seen a bad side cof present like that tho.

[nomoresonys]

It seems like the rca and philips are very crappy and a pain to fix, have been for me lately.