Re: Maxent MX50X3 [P500550HM8] 50" Plasma - Vertical bands of noise

Thank you both again for the speedy replies. I've only had time to follow up further today.

@tom66: You're spot-on. Yes, the module is manufactured by EtronTech. Where a moderate pressure on the heatsink corrects the issue, only the slightest touch to the RAM chip has an effect. From what I've seen you post elsewhere on this board, it sounds as though reballing a BGA is a delicate task – How do I go about getting this repaired?

Re: Maxent MX50X3 [P500550HM8] 50" Plasma - Vertical bands of noise

@freakaftr8: Alright, I've started seeing noise again, and [B]yes, I can confirm that pressing with moderate force on the square green heatsink causes the noise onscreen to disappear[/B]. Sidenote: I removed the frame that the mainboard is attached to so I could get a picture of the board underneath it., and now that I'm seeing noise again, it's no longer vertical but instead horizontal blue lines.

@capkid: Photos of the whole unit and the mainboard specifically are attached. I have close-ups...

Re: Maxent MX50X3 [P500550HM8] 50" Plasma - Vertical bands of noise

Wow, thank you all for the incredibly quick replies!

@tom66: Would a pic of the mainboard suffice? Or should I pull the whole big cover off and get pics of everything?

@freakaftr8: I've taken the set off the wall and put it on its stand to be able to access the back while its on. After being on for 30+ minutes.... no noise. So, I tried using a hair-dryer directed at the IC's heatsink, and still nothing. I'll leave the set on and continue checking it tonight and report back....

[I]Wow, wonderful community here! I'm hopeful one of the extremely gracious souls who frequent it can help me keep our family's 7year old Maxent plasma running. I've searched through past threads here for a couple hours, but haven't found precisely the issue I'm seeing and so am prevailing on the charity and knowledge of those who have helped so many others.[/I]

So, the rundown:

I purchased this set in Jan '06 and have recently had an issue with the display. The first sign of trouble was several months ago: The image on screen would flicker a few times from cold power-on...

Re: New Members - please post your introductions here

Saying Hello, per newcomer FAQ. Seems like an incredible crew of supremely helpful souls. Very hopeful that I'll gain insight on how to avoid sending a 50" plasma to its grave!