Need Help Troubleshoot Plasma TV VIZIO P50HDM

[necro13]

I'm posting this for one of my neighbors who has a defective Plasma TV Vizio model# P50HDM

The problem is that you turn on the TV, there would be sound, but screen stays dark, there are distorted images but once again, hard to tell since there are no backlight. Has anyone ever encounter this problem before that can tell me which parts are bad? It's a expensive TV and quite a waste to just trash the unit.

I've opened up the unit and all the caps looks ok (no bulging), there are surface mount electrolytic capacitors on some of the boards so I don't really know if that were the problem or something else. Any help is greatly appreciated.

[Wizard]

Re: Need Help Troubleshoot Plasma TV VIZIO P50HDM

Measure all the 4 voltages for the panel, be careful! (It is on the sticker) They are high voltage and high current. Measure the voltages on the power supply outputs.

This looks like Samsung panel.

Cheers, Wizard

[Krankshaft]

Re: Need Help Troubleshoot Plasma TV VIZIO P50HDM

From what I've heard Vizio is a bargain basement brand no matter what the spin doctors at Walmart or Costco may tell you.

I read an article that they weren't even providing replacement parts until recently with abysmal warranty service.

Just out of curiosity what type of caps are in there from the pics I think those stubby radial snap ins are Samwha?

In any case as Wizard said be real careful when measuring a live chassis also be careful to not short anything out with the DMM probes which can make matters worse.

[necro13]

Re: Need Help Troubleshoot Plasma TV VIZIO P50HDM

Hello, thanks for your comments. Unfortunately, I no longer have access to the plasma TV to look at. I've suggested to the neighbor to sell it for parts over craigslist ... see if anyone is interested in it, since I don't have any experience fixing plasmas. The warranty has long expired, and the story on this TV is that it was left turned on over a hot summer night and the next day it just doesn't show picture anymore, except sound.

[NxB]

Re: Need Help Troubleshoot Plasma TV VIZIO P50HDM

Probably damaged the panel

[tmwalsh]

Re: Need Help Troubleshoot Plasma TV VIZIO P50HDM

If it hasn't already been disposed of, I'd bet on the inverter or the fluorescent backlights being non-functional. The third image - with the 4 toroids and 4 transformers is the inverter. It makes A/C into hi-volt DC, and sends it off to the lamps. Many times the transformers go bad, or the caps go leaky and cause the dark screen symptom. You can test or try to find replacement inverters (may not even be the same brand, generics can be made to work if they have the right amps/volts needed, and you can hide your frankenstein work behind the cover...).
Lamps are not very expensive, but require mechanical skills for delicate objects...

Too bad to waste such a huge screen.
tom