Samsung Plasma TV no longer switching on - buy new TV or (attempt) a cheap fix?

preecey

Hi all,

I have a rather dated Samsung PS43E450 43" plasma TV that was purchased in June 2012. It has served me very well over the years.

However today I've noticed that I can no longer switch it on.

The red standby LED lights up, but it blinks twice every three seconds. The TV doesn't respond to me pressing the nipple On/Off button under the panel, nor does it respond to any remote control commands.

I have unplugged it from the wall and left it for a few minutes and plugged it back in to find that the red LED standby light continues to blink twice in quick succession, and keeps repeating this sequence every 2 to 3 seconds.

I've called Samsung who say it's a power supply fault, and that I'd need to get it repaired. They gave me a phone number to call - 02082086990, which goes unanswered. I've tried calling it a few times.

Now I have to be quite honest, I am quite tech savvy and am not afraid to take things apart. However I haven't got my hands dirty in a while, since I no longer maintain desktop PCs thanks to the advent of high performance smartphones and tablets.

I have been browsing eBay and have found a power supply for around £16.

Seeing that the TV isn't currently working, and that I have never taken a TV apart before, is it worth taking the risk?

I mean, the telly is a good few years old now and while it does (or did) offer great picture quality, I appreciate that its resolution is rather low now and if it isn't worth doing the fix, or paying someone to do it, then I guess I will just have to fork out for a half decent 4K TV.

Many thanks in advance,

Nathan

[Deleted User]

It's very much up to you and how much you value your TV viewing experience and how much you want to keep costs down.

If you're happy with the TV, then I'd gamble £16.

If you like new technology and an improvement in your kit, get a new TV.

TV and home cinema is something I'm into, so I get ridiculously excited about spending large sums on a new OLED screen or Denon amp. But it's horses for courses.

Mister_G

A lot of the Samsungs are renown for power supply failures.

They are usually very obvious once you open them up. On the PSU board you may well see bulging capacitors.

Probably worth doing this before purchasing the replacement PSU board.

Replacing the capacitors is no big deal if you are proficient with a soldering iron.

Be careful, as there are some nasty voltages in there!

There are several YouTube videos that can help.

brewerdave

Also worth looking for a firmware update for your set. My Samsung LCD packed up a couple of years ago with a similar fault; phoned Samsung to blag a free repair because there were lots of stories of power supply failures at the time. HOWEVER, I was persuaded to try a firmware update - its worked perfectly ever since:T

dekaspace

On terms of resolution its not just that which counts, its contrast levels, response time and similar which fools people into thinking its purely resolution based.

DCFC79

OP the phone number you gave appears on this page


https://www.atlanticelectrics.co.uk/contact-us


Take a gamble OP and see if the PSU will fix the issue.

preecey

Thanks so much to everyone who has replied so far. I really appreciate the help and feedback.

I'm actually shocked in a way; I've had far more help on the HotUKDeals and MoneySavingExpert forums than I have over on AVForums and Digital Spy. I presumed that there were going to be more replies on the latter forums since they're dedicated to this type of sector. I haven't had any replies on either forum, but on MSE and HUKD I've had plenty of replies.

I've taken the decision to take the back off the TV and have a glance at the PSU. If the PSU looks like a total goner, I'll take the risk and buy the one I've seen on eBay for £16. Also, I will assess how easy it looks to replace. I'm not confident with soldering irons, so if it only involves screws, as well as precautions regarding static and residual voltages, then I'd give it a shot. If it looks too dangerous and/or if I don't think I'll be confident in doing it, I'll just recycle the whole TV at my local recycling point and buy a new 4K 49" or equivalent.

Thanks again to everyone.

DCFC79

preecey wrote: »

Thanks so much to everyone who has replied so far. I really appreciate the help and feedback.

I'm actually shocked in a way; I've had far more help on the HotUKDeals and MoneySavingExpert forums than I have over on AVForums and Digital Spy. I presumed that there were going to be more replies on the latter forums since they're dedicated to this type of sector. I haven't had any replies on either forum, but on MSE and HUKD I've had plenty of replies.

I've taken the decision to take the back off the TV and have a glance at the PSU. If the PSU looks like a total goner, I'll take the risk and buy the one I've seen on eBay for £16. Also, I will assess how easy it looks to replace. I'm not confident with soldering irons, so if it only involves screws, as well as precautions regarding static and residual voltages, then I'd give it a shot. If it looks too dangerous and/or if I don't think I'll be confident in doing it, I'll just recycle the whole TV at my local recycling point and buy a new 4K 49" or equivalent.

Thanks again to everyone.

Know anyone who is handy with a soldering iron ?

Robisere

If you could get it working cheaply enough, would it be worth selling and putting the (probably small amount of) money towards a new TV?


If you can't get it working, you are "only down" £16 and your time. Money-Saving Forum of course: it's decision time.

preecey

dekaspace wrote: »

On terms of resolution its not just that which counts, its contrast levels, response time and similar which fools people into thinking its purely resolution based.

I know that. That's why when I originally purchased the TV, I chose it over a generic brand name with a 1080p panel. I believe the generic brand was something made by Vestel. I knew that the 720p Samsung plasma would give better image quality overall at the sacrifice of resolution.

Colchester-Sam

Hi Nathan,
My LG plasma tv had the same issue, but it was the standby switch.
It!!!8217;s quick and easy and my tv has worked for another 8 years since, without a problem.
I couldn!!!8217;t tell you how much i paid though.
Considering plasma tv!!!8217;s aren!!!8217;t being made, i!!!8217;d rather fix my plasma tv and get years more use out of it, because the others are too plastic and look horrible compared to the plasma tv.