[ddj]

My 42inch LCD tv (Tevion) has been switching off randomly but now when I switch it on, it almost immediately switches off. When it does come on the picture/sound is perfect. It's 4 1/2 years old which isn't that old. I think tvs should last longer esp when they're expensive which my one was when we bought it. I'd like to get it repaired but don't want to be ripped off. Anyone have any idea as to what could be wrong with it or anyone with a similar experience?

[Nigel Goodwin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ddj

My 42inch LCD tv (Tevion) has been switching off randomly but now when I switch it on, it almost immediately switches off. When it does come on the picture/sound is perfect. It's 4 1/2 years old which isn't that old. I think tvs should last longer esp when they're expensive which my one was when we bought it. I'd like to get it repaired but don't want to be ripped off. Anyone have any idea as to what could be wrong with it or anyone with a similar experience?

It's a cheap nasty brand, so 4 1/2 years is pretty good going.

It could well be faulty capacitors in the PSU, these kind of sets generally use low-quality ones, which don't last very long.

As it's a 'no name' supermarket set, there's commonly no spares or service information available for them.

[ProDave]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin

As it's a 'no name' supermarket set, there's commonly no spares or service information available for them.

But even without spares available, any tv repair engineer worth his salt should be able to check / replace faulty capacitors and fix it.

Although there's no official source of spares for these cheap sets, there are several companies that dismantle scrap sets and sell second hand boards, so there are often replacement boards available.

But while this set may have been "expensive" when you bough it, it's still a "cheap" brand, and would have been a lot less expensive than a decent brand.

[Nigel Goodwin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProDave

But even without spares available, any tv repair engineer worth his salt should be able to check / replace faulty capacitors and fix it.

As long as it's only capacitors it's not a problem, but quite often capacitor failure causes further damage (depending which specific capacitors fail the most).

Quote:

Although there's no official source of spares for these cheap sets, there are several companies that dismantle scrap sets and sell second hand boards, so there are often replacement boards available.

The trouble is those boards are just taken out of duff sets, and may well be faulty as well - I'm EXTREMELY distrustful about claims they are tested

The other problem of course, is that the boards you want are the ones that usually fail - so chances of finding a good board are pretty slim.

[ddj]

Thank you all.

The TV itself is very good, brilliant picture and sound, just the way I like it and the base is sturdy unlike the wobbly branded models on sale at the moment. Just a shame it hasn't lasted. I originally bought it from Aldi because it has a 3 year warranty(shame it didn't break down within 3 years!). Usually TVs only come with a 1 year warranty. I'm not convinced branded TVs are any better. Luck of the draw these days I think with anything electrical.

[ProDave]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ddj

Thank you all.

The TV itself is very good, brilliant picture and sound, just the way I like it and the base is sturdy unlike the wobbly branded models on sale at the moment. Just a shame it hasn't lasted. I originally bought it from Aldi because it has a 3 year warranty(shame it didn't break down within 3 years!). Usually TVs only come with a 1 year warranty. I'm not convinced branded TVs are any better. Luck of the draw these days I think with anything electrical.

Only a handful of "branded" tv's are any good now. Pretty much all of them are "cheap"

A lot of sets (quite possibly yours) use Vestel boards. While many don't think very highly of Vestel, they do have the advantage of service information and spares are widely available.

Don't write yours off just yet, find a tv repair shop near you and get them to give it an estimate.

Otherwise sell it as faulty on ebay to offset the cost of another one. But if you like the set, it's got to be worth getting it fixed.

[ddj]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProDave

Only a handful of "branded" tv's are any good now. Pretty much all of them are "cheap"

A lot of sets (quite possibly yours) use Vestel boards. While many don't think very highly of Vestel, they do have the advantage of service information and spares are widely available.

Don't write yours off just yet, find a tv repair shop near you and get them to give it an estimate.

Otherwise sell it as faulty on ebay to offset the cost of another one. But if you like the set, it's got to be worth getting it fixed.

Thanks for that. It is at the tv repair shop now, hopefully it won't cost a fortune to repair.