Sony KDL-52W5100 verticle lines

[Ifixstuff9]

Hello everyone,

I've been working on a Sony KDL-52W5100 that has a seemingly randomly occurring issue with vertical lines on the screen. These line span across the entire panel depending on what is being displayed, they aren't limited to just one area. The weird thing is, sometimes the TV will power on and display a perfect picture. When working, it will run for hours with no issues. Other times, the screen will be distorted from the second it powers on. When the lines are present you can sometimes hear a high pitched whine.

I tried disconnecting the cables that connect the tcon to the LCD panel one at a time and I get mixed results. Sometimes half of the screen is black while the other half displays a normal picture, as expected. Other times one half of the display has the vertical lines and the other half is white.

At first I suspected the TCON, but now I'm wondering if maybe theres a short in the panel that's causing the issues? The thing I don't understand is why the problem only appears some of the time - the TV will run hours with a perfect picture, or only a few minutes before the lines appear.

I've uploaded pictures showing the progression from a good picture to the vertical lines... as well as each tcon cable disconnected.

[nomoresonys]

Re: Sony KDL-52W5100 verticle lines

Might be a bad tcon, looks like one there and a couple on ebay for a few dollars more: https://www.tvpartstoday.com/LJ94-02...j94-02676k.htm

[budm]

Re: Sony KDL-52W5100 verticle lines

Does flexing the panel have any effect?

[Ifixstuff9]

Re: Sony KDL-52W5100 verticle lines

Tried flexing the screen, no change.

[Ifixstuff9]

Re: Sony KDL-52W5100 verticle lines

So I had initially suspected the TCON as well but when the TV is in its vertical line state with one half of the panel disconnected, you can still see faint vertical lines in the disconnected half.

[budwich]

Re: Sony KDL-52W5100 verticle lines

You need to get access to the panel edge boards at the top of the set. Back to your previous posted picture... does the other side show the same result when the cabling "disconnect" test is done? Re-check and post picture of the whole display with the two tests (one side then the other).

[budm]

Re: Sony KDL-52W5100 verticle lines

"I tried disconnecting the cables that connect the tcon to the LCD panel one at a time and I get mixed results. Sometimes half of the screen is black while the other half displays a normal picture" Ah I missed that.

[Ifixstuff9]

Re: Sony KDL-52W5100 verticle lines

I took some more pictures as requested in post #6. I'll explain them further below.

Pictures #1 and #2

I took these a few days ago. In the first picture the left side of the panel is disconnected, in the second the right side. I find this very interesting because the panel worked exactly as expected: the disconnected side was black, and the connected side displays a non-distorted image.

#3

I took this one today. The left side of the panel (when looking at the TV from the front) is disconnected, and the right side is still connected. The left side is white with faint vertical lines (whereas in the previous two pictures the disconnected side is black). The connected right side is displaying the vertical lines. I want to point out that the lines on the connected side change color and move horizontally based on the video playing.

#4

This is the panel with the right side disconnected and the left connected. The right side is black and the left displays a distortion free picture.

#5

Immediately after taking #3 and #4 I connected both sides of the panel and powered on the TV. Surprisingly the image was perfect; no lines or distortion.


I really don't know whats going on at this point because the results vary so wildly. Sometimes it works without a problem, other times the picture is distorted. As seen in pictures #1 and #3, I got very different results disconnecting the left side of the panel, with no apparent reason why the panel failed in one and not the other.

At first I suspected the tabs at the top of the screen, but because the set will sometimes display a perfect picture, and the fact the that vertical lines move with the video being played, I'm not so sure.

[budwich]

Re: Sony KDL-52W5100 verticle lines

I think you might need to use your glasses when connecting up the ribbon cables... :-)
Any misalignment, even slight will give an unpredictable outcome. Having said that, now that the tv is working, stop playing with the cables. If you get a chance, input a known test pattern (one of the best is smpte color bars)... the pattern may highlight any slight panel issues which may not be readily noticeable with a moving picture and / or menu type picture which don't really push the panel.

[nomoresonys]

Re: Sony KDL-52W5100 verticle lines

Also clean your ribbon cables and connections if you have not already.

[Ifixstuff9]

Re: Sony KDL-52W5100 verticle lines

Thanks for the help everyone. I powered up the TV again - vertical lines. This is the first time I've turned it on since I took picture #5 were the screen was perfect. I didn't mess with the cables or anything in between, it just stopped working as far as I can tell.

I decided to reseat the ribbon cables (trying my best to get the alignment perfect) and this time the picture was broken up horizontally (among other things). I took a video to show what's going on, I'll put a link below. In the video you can hear a high-pitched whine coming from the TCON.

After taking the video I power cycled the TV and it displayed a perfect picture. Keep in mind I didn't touch anything; I just restarted the TV. As suggested, I loaded up a test pattern and there were no defects. I uploaded a picture to show this.

So from this point onward I won't touch the ribbon cables anymore - I know the set is capable of producing a perfect picture with their current alignment - but I'm still unsure of the fault here.

After connecting the ribbon cables for the last time, I got a whole lot a distortion - horizontal lines, vertical lines, everything:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KA3...ew?usp=sharing

And then right after taking that video I restarted the TV and got a perfect picture. I think the TV is mocking me at this point.

[budwich]

Re: Sony KDL-52W5100 verticle lines

picture looks good... I don't see any issues across the screen. The noise is likely not good and perhaps points to an issue with the power supply and / or inverter for the backlight tubes. I think that the bad display will come back.... :-( but my fingers are crossed for the better.

PS... from the video, the issue that may be the "indicator" of a connection problem (or voltage issue) is the middle set of vertical lines that appear across "two sides" basically on each "half panel"... that is a problem across the two tcon to panel cables and likely points higher up in the "food chain".... maybe assuming the cables are set good.

[Ifixstuff9]

Re: Sony KDL-52W5100 verticle lines

Thanks for the input. Surprisingly the TV has been working just fine ever since Friday. I haven't put it back together though because I'm afraid that, like you said, the issues will come back. I've been through this before where this TV will work for up to a week then go out again. You mentioned a possible issue with voltages inside the TV, is there a way I could test for this next time the picture goes out?

[nomoresonys]

Re: Sony KDL-52W5100 verticle lines

Some voltage testing there: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocqnqmBxiqY

[budwich]

Re: Sony KDL-52W5100 verticle lines

My limited experience with a 46 sony tube lit set was a problem with the way the panel is framed. It resulted in "pressure issues" at key points around the panel especial at the corners. In my case, if I left the set "unbuttoned", it ran fine but as soon as I put the framing / bezel together, it would go back to bad. In the end, I some what gave up and since I had isolated the problem to one side, I removed the tabs along that side. The TV has been running in this mode on the wall for about 1.5 years.
In your case, I am still suspecting an issue with the tconn connections due to the issue being on both "halves".... but side tab issues can manifest issues towards the bottom tab drivers / boards. As posted above, there are some checks that you can do now when it is operating (carefully) to form a baseline and then again, if it goes south.