TV Problems!!
#1
02-27-03, 07:25 AM
TV Problems!!
We seem to be having a run of bad luck with our TVs lately...
First, we have a small (20"??) Panasonic TV that is in our office. We receive cable stations through a splitter connected to our main television. 2 days ago, my daughter walked up to it and touched the screen - it shocked her, the TV turned off, and we have not been able to turn it back on since. It isn't a blown fuse. Did the TV short out? Can it be fixed? Is this an expensive problem?
The second problem isn't quite so bad - we have a 31" TV that is about 7 years old. The sound went out on it quite a while ago, but since it was connected through our receiver, we didn't care. About a month ago, the picture started doing funny things. It basically shrinks up from the top and bottom so that you can still watch in the center of the screen - it will slowly "scrunch" the screen, and then pop back to a normal, full-screen view again. We already purchased a TV to replace it, but can't decide if we should just get rid of the old TV, or if it is worth it to have it repaired. I am not sure that we will care about the sound being fixed, but you definitely cannot watch TV with the picture all messed up.
Thanks for any help anyone can offer!! Jennifer
First, we have a small (20"??) Panasonic TV that is in our office. We receive cable stations through a splitter connected to our main television. 2 days ago, my daughter walked up to it and touched the screen - it shocked her, the TV turned off, and we have not been able to turn it back on since. It isn't a blown fuse. Did the TV short out? Can it be fixed? Is this an expensive problem?
The second problem isn't quite so bad - we have a 31" TV that is about 7 years old. The sound went out on it quite a while ago, but since it was connected through our receiver, we didn't care. About a month ago, the picture started doing funny things. It basically shrinks up from the top and bottom so that you can still watch in the center of the screen - it will slowly "scrunch" the screen, and then pop back to a normal, full-screen view again. We already purchased a TV to replace it, but can't decide if we should just get rid of the old TV, or if it is worth it to have it repaired. I am not sure that we will care about the sound being fixed, but you definitely cannot watch TV with the picture all messed up.
Thanks for any help anyone can offer!! Jennifer
#2
02-27-03, 01:38 PM
On your first problem, I believe what happened was the TV was killed by the electrostatic charges that naturally build up on the picture tube. Your daughter may wore certain type of cloth , walked over the carpet and also accumulated opposite type of electric charges on her body. So once she touched the screen, the charges quickly discharged through her body (she got shocks). It looks like the ESD, which typically a few thousand volts (but small current, so it is not lethal), took the TV with it.
Repair cost by electrostatic damage is hard to predict since the scope of damage can be a single transistor or diode which cost only a few bucks to multiple components in different section of the TV. It might not worth fixing it.
For your 31" TV, the picture pinch is a commom problem for older TV, the TV service tech with proper equipment can diagnose and fix it in no time, but it depends how much you will have to pay for it. You should ask for the estimates from a few TV repair places.
Repair cost by electrostatic damage is hard to predict since the scope of damage can be a single transistor or diode which cost only a few bucks to multiple components in different section of the TV. It might not worth fixing it.
For your 31" TV, the picture pinch is a commom problem for older TV, the TV service tech with proper equipment can diagnose and fix it in no time, but it depends how much you will have to pay for it. You should ask for the estimates from a few TV repair places.
