Unfortunately my TV is out of warranty yet its only a year and a half old. Considering what I spent on this television it is totally unacceptable that the TV only lasted one and a half years. I've emailed Paul Zeven and am awaiting his response. :( It seems like all of us who bought this TV suddenly are seeing it die after a little over a year of use. The failure rate of this particular model seems well above industry standards. :mad:

Just curious....any idea what the hours of operation/use were in that year-and-a-half ?? :confused:

Just curious....any idea what the hours of operation/use were in that year-and-a-half ?? :confused:

I've got no clue but it was my primary TV. As a rough estimate if I kept it on for four hours a day, everyday, for a year and a half, it had 2,190 hours on it.

It's been two days and still no email from Paul Zeven.

How bizarre, the new 1.6 firmware is not listed for my 42PF7220A/37.. wonder if that is an oversight or if there is a minor difference in parts/circuits/chips? From the info on the back label the manufacturing date is "July 2006", and is chassis "BP2.3U AA".
...

I presume your link for the 1.6 firmware came form the post :
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
05-31-07, 12:38 PM #1735
sgr215
Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 100
Just got an email from someone stating there is new firmware out. Wish I could give credit to whoever it was that emailed me but I don't know your user-name; thank you though!

Here's a direct link to the firmware:

http://www.p4c.philips.com/na4/4/42pf7320a_37b/42pf7320a_37b_fus_eng.zip

Version info:

BX23U-1.6.0.0_03541
Following problems are solved:
• Non-active digital antenna channels lost when cable is disconnected.

The new firmware should work on the following models:

32PF7320A/37
32PF9630A/37
37PF7320A/37
42PF7220A/37
42PF7320A/37
42PF9630A/37
42PF9730A/37
42PF9830A/37
50PF7220A/37
50PF7320A/37
50PF9630A/37
50PF9830A/37
...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was looking at the link in the post
http://www.p4c.philips.com/na4/4/42pf7320a_37b/42pf7320a_37b_fus_eng.zip
versus the links you get on the support pages
http://www.p4c.philips.com/na4/4/42pf7320a_37b/42pf7320a_37b_fus_aen.zip
http://www.p4c.philips.com/na4/4/42pf7320a_37/42pf7320a_37_fus_aen.zip

Note that the 1.6 version ends in eng versus aen for the 1.5 versions. That could easily stand for Engineering. That version 1.6 might be a Beta version that is not intended for general release. Obviously, that is just speculation, but I would not install it in my TV without confirmation from Philips that I should do it.

It is probably a coincidence, but, if I read correctly, sgr215 installed that update a couple weeks before his TV died.

I presume your link for the 1.6 firmware came form the post :
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
05-31-07, 12:38 PM #1735
sgr215
Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 100
Just got an email from someone stating there is new firmware out. Wish I could give credit to whoever it was that emailed me but I don't know your user-name; thank you though!

Here's a direct link to the firmware:

http://www.p4c.philips.com/na4/4/42pf7320a_37b/42pf7320a_37b_fus_eng.zip

Version info:

BX23U-1.6.0.0_03541
Following problems are solved:
• Non-active digital antenna channels lost when cable is disconnected.

The new firmware should work on the following models:

32PF7320A/37
32PF9630A/37
37PF7320A/37
42PF7220A/37
42PF7320A/37
42PF9630A/37
42PF9730A/37
42PF9830A/37
50PF7220A/37
50PF7320A/37
50PF9630A/37
50PF9830A/37
...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was looking at the link in the post
http://www.p4c.philips.com/na4/4/42pf7320a_37b/42pf7320a_37b_fus_eng.zip
versus the links you get on the support pages
http://www.p4c.philips.com/na4/4/42pf7320a_37b/42pf7320a_37b_fus_aen.zip
http://www.p4c.philips.com/na4/4/42pf7320a_37/42pf7320a_37_fus_aen.zip

Note that the 1.6 version ends in eng versus aen for the 1.5 versions. That could easily stand for Engineering. That version 1.6 might be a Beta version that is not intended for general release. Obviously, that is just speculation, but I would not install it in my TV without confirmation from Philips that I should do it.

It is probably a coincidence, but, if I read correctly, sgr215 installed that update a couple weeks before his TV died.

Philip's updates are actually really delayed from the time they become public to the time they get posted on the site. The 1.6 version is NOT a beta and will be listed on the site shortly. There are different model TV's that already have 1.6 listed on the site. A CRC check between the two are a perfect match. You can also check out:

http://www.p4c.philips.com/na4/4/42pf7320a_37/

The three digit prefix at the end of files actually tells you what language the file is for. For Example, ENG means English, FRA means it's french and so on.

I wish this was firmware related. :\

My TV suddenly stopped working today. I was watching discovery HD when suddenly the screen went black and started flashing random splotches of color. You can't see any of the normal video and all you see is really weird colors in various spots while the rest of the screen is black. When I look at the back of the TV I hear a buzz noise and see a blinking green led through the fan holes of the TV. The green led in front stays green and never shows any error sequence. I noticed that the TV was making numerous popping and cracking noises over the last week so I guess it was slowly dieing.

Unfortunately my TV is out of warranty yet its only a year and a half old. Considering what I spent on this television it is totally unacceptable that the TV only lasted one and a half years. I've emailed Paul Zeven and am awaiting his response. :(

It seems like all of us who bought this TV suddenly are seeing it die after a little over a year of use. The failure rate of this particular model seems well above industry standards. :mad:
sgr215,
Sorry to hear, that sucks big time. What model do you have? I read in an earlier post (before your set died) that you wouldn't buy another Philips, I guess this is the last nail in that coffin :(

Sorry I haven't followed this thread in a long time, but you guys are sure that the 1.6 firmware is okay to download? Fortunately, I've never had a single problem of any kind with my TV -- I almost feel guilty after reading the stories of those who have :( -- so I'd hate to start.

I have a strange situation with my antenna where I have to take it down sometimes (long story), and every time I lose my OTA channels and have to reprogram them, which is a pain. So this firmware sounds perfect... If you're sure I can trust it.

sgr215,
Sorry to hear, that sucks big time. What model do you have? I read in an earlier post (before your set died) that you wouldn't buy another Philips, I guess this is the last nail in that coffin :(

I've got the 42PF7320A/37. I Absolutely won't be buying any Philips product and will continue to advise others not to unless Philips shows me they actually care about consumers.

ChocoLab, the 1.6 firmware is the public version which will be available on the site directly any day from now. You'll be perfectly fine installing it and hopefully your TV works flawlessly! If you already haven't done it I would suggest in buying an extended warranty though! :(

I wish there was a way to edit in a poll in this thread. I would be interested to know the number of total failures in this thread alone.The only negative is a lot of the original posters have left the thread since their TV's died or they returned them for other brand TV's.

I was always under the impression that they were advocates for better business period. Large, small, what ever. Philips Consumer Electronics does have a page and they are a member of the BBB.

Here's the link from the mail BBB page for Philips:

http://www.knoxville.bbb.org/commonreport.html?bid=4975


I stand corrected:-)

I've got the 42PF7320A/37. I Absolutely won't be buying any Philips product and will continue to advise others not to unless Philips shows me they actually care about consumers.

ChocoLab, the 1.6 firmware is the public version which will be available on the site directly any day from now. You'll be perfectly fine installing it and hopefully your TV works flawlessly! If you already haven't done it I would suggest in buying an extended warranty though! :(

I wish there was a way to edit in a poll in this thread. I would be interested to know the number of total failures in this thread alone.The only negative is a lot of the original posters have left the thread since their TV's died or they returned them for other brand TV's.
sgr215,

From what I've read on this forum, the 7320's seem to have a lot of problems. I have a 50PF9630 refurb, bought it in Feb of this year & have no problems in over 1000 hrs of viewing. The 9630/31 series seems to be a lot less problematic. I did buy the Mack 3 yr warranty since mine is a refurb. i agree with you that you shouldn't have problems with an expensive set in the first couple of years. Are you going to have it repaired?

sgr215,

From what I've read on this forum, the 7320's seem to have a lot of problems. I have a 50PF9630 refurb, bought it in Feb of this year & have no problems in over 1000 hrs of viewing. The 9630/31 series seems to be a lot less problematic. I did buy the Mack 3 yr warranty since mine is a refurb. i agree with you that you shouldn't have problems with an expensive set in the first couple of years. Are you going to have it repaired?

I'm still waiting for a response from Paul Zeven. It's been three business days so far. It's out of warranty and considering whats happening I'm sure its something really expensive to repair. Hopefully Philips will stand behind their products and repair it or replace it but so far its not looking too good.

It's amazing how many units have failed. Checking Cnet, AVSForum, Amazon, etc brings up hundreds, if not thousands, of people claiming their TV's failed. There's even people claiming they are on their third unit and its failing. I'm guessing theres a major design flaw such as one of the boards getting to hot, slightly bending, and causing connections in unwanted spots or disconnecting completely. It would be interesting to have an expert look over the TV and see if theres any obvious design flaws that should have been noticed.

I'm still waiting for a response from Paul Zeven. It's been three business days so far. It's out of warranty and considering whats happening I'm sure its something really expensive to repair. Hopefully Philips will stand behind their products and repair it or replace it but so far its not looking too good.

Who is Zeven and what's his contact information ??

It's amazing how many units have failed. Checking Cnet, AVSForum, Amazon, etc brings up hundreds, if not thousands, of people claiming their TV's failed. There's even people claiming they are on their third unit and its failing. I'm guessing theres a major design flaw such as one of the boards getting to hot, slightly bending, and causing connections in unwanted spots or disconnecting completely. It would be interesting to have an expert look over the TV and see if theres any obvious design flaws that should have been noticed.

The 7000 series looked GREAT aesthetically but internally they do seem to have problems. For that reason, I would take a cash-in-kind credit for your TV if offered and use it to upgrade to a 9631 or a 9731.

BTW, when did you buy your Philips and what was the last hours-of-operation total you saw on it (how many hours viewing) ???

Who is Zeven and what's his contact information ??



The 7000 series looked GREAT aesthetically but internally they do seem to have problems. For that reason, I would take a cash-in-kind credit for your TV if offered and use it to upgrade to a 9631 or a 9731.

BTW, when did you buy your Philips and what was the last hours-of-operation total you saw on it (how many hours viewing) ???

Paul Zeven
CEO
Philips Electronics North America
email paul.zeven@philips.com

I bought my TV in December of 2005. I honestly have no clue how many hours were on it but my best guess would be about 2,190 hours. (That would be if I kept it on four hours a day, everyday, for one and a half years)

Thanks for the help on the firmware, sgr.

For the record, I also got my 42PF7320A/37 in December of 2005 (or maybe it was November), at Sams Club. I've never had any problems, but then I'm actually not that big a TV watcher and probably have far less than the average number of hours logged in that time span.

So maybe my problems are coming. :(

Paul Zeven just contacted me back and said one of his staff from the "Presidential Escalations" group should be contacting me within one or two days to discuss how we'll proceed. I'll let you all know what happens.

For the record, I also got my 42PF7320A/37 in December of 2005 (or maybe it was November), at Sams Club. I've never had any problems, but then I'm actually not that big a TV watcher and probably have far less than the average number of hours logged in that time span.

So maybe my problems are coming. :(
I'm with you on that. I got mine from Sam's as well, June 06. I don't have alot of hours on mine either nor have I had any problems with it. I did get the extended warranty through Sam's. Lousy sound, but great picture. I kind of wish I had gotten the the 50" though :) .

How bizarre, the new 1.6 firmware is not listed for my 42PF7220A/37.. wonder if that is an oversight or if there is a minor difference in parts/circuits/chips? From the info on the back label the manufacturing date is "July 2006", and is chassis "BP2.3U AA".

Luckily (and I knock on wood and pray to %DEITY% that it stays this way) I have not had any problems on any of the firmware. Currently running 1.5, have an upscaling DVD hooked up over HDMI, AND have a working perfectly Cable Card from Comcast.

I have only had a BS three times, all within a period of two weeks this last January. All three times was within a few minutes of turning the unit on and went from working to black screen, no sound, and a red flashing light. Unplugged for a few minutes, replugged, and was good to go after that each time. Man, I was starting to freak when that happened, but nothing since then. IIRC, those three times were during one of the coldest parts of this winter for us in Massachusetts, and the TV is against an outside wall and very near windows. Could have just been too cold for it (we also keep our heat low, even lower when we are not home).

We bought it last August direct from Philips new (not a refurb), so we're quickly coming up on the 1 year warranty mark. I'm going to be watching like a hawk for any signs of problems so I can call "Customer Service" and try to get some action. Of course I found this thread a few months after purchasing the TV. Even though it has been smooth sailing, I wish that I had known sooner so I could have bought another brand.

Has anyone filed a Better Business Bureau report against Philips with their experiences along with references to this thread and the Amazon reviews? Seems like a pretty solid case.

Well not wishing bad luck on you, but that is how mine started, then 5 or six months later, I started getting the half black screen.

I sent my email to Paul Zeven and did not hear anything, but I had a glitch in my email system and thought maybe it did not go through. I resent the email a couple days ago and got this reply last night.

Dear SSbandits, :D

I acknowledge receipt of your e-mail dated 19 June.

I regret that you have not had good experiences with the (42 inch) Philips TV.
I am copying our Consumer Service Manager and he or one of his staff from the Presidential Escalations group will be in touch with you in the coming one or two days to inform you how we will proceed.
We will probably contact our Central American office (based in Panama) to help with the repair.

Sincerely,

Paul Zeven
CEO
Philips North America
1251 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
Tel: (212)536-0526

I will let everyone know what they decide for my situation.

Mr. Gelb in Panama just contacted me with his information and the information of the person that will be taking care of my needs.

Philips is definitely renewing my faith in their company again.

Mr. Luis in Panama just called me and said a technician will be calling me in 10 - 15 mins. for directions to my house to come check out my problem.

The technician just called and he will be here in 1 hour.

The technician just called and he will be here in 1 hour.

Glad to hear you're getting your situation resolved! Hopefully it all works out for you.

I got a call early this morning but unfortunately missed it so they left a message. I called back but its a voice mail so I'm just waiting for the call back.

Glad to hear you're getting your situation resolved! Hopefully it all works out for you.

I got a call early this morning but unfortunately missed it so they left a message. I called back but its a voice mail so I'm just waiting for the call back.

:cool: :D

Well the Technicians came in at 11am as they promised and knew exactly what was wrong my TV. They took it down, opened it up removed a couple circuit boards, soldered a couple loose connections and in about 1 hour, my TV was back on my wall and has been working for almost an hour now with no signs of the half black or flickering screen. This all took place just 3 days after I sent an email I can confirm they received. The first one I am not sure went out, but I know they received the one sent on the 19th.

They even tapped on the TV before they repaired it to confirm their theory and the problem came in and out while doing so. After repairing it, the problem did not return when tapping, so I am just now playing the waiting game to ensure it is 100% back to a Philips Quality product. Philips has renewed my confidence in them once again and I have owned and will continue to own Philips products.

:D :cool:

:cool: :D Well the Technicians came in at 11am as they promised and knew exactly what was wrong my TV. They took it down, opened it up removed a couple circuit boards, soldered a couple loose connections and in about 1 hour, my TV was back on my wall and has been working for almost an hour now with no signs of the half black or flickering screen. This all took place just 3 days after I sent an email I can confirm they received. The first one I am not sure went out, but I know they received the one sent on the 19th.They even tapped on the TV before they repaired it to confirm their theory and the problem came in and out while doing so. After repairing it, the problem did not return when tapping, so I am just now playing the waiting game to ensure it is 100% back to a Philips Quality product. Philips has renewed my confidence in them once again and I have owned and will continue to own Philips products. :D :cool:


Are you saying it was just loose connections ??? :confused:

Thats awesome, glad to hear your issue is resolved!

I'm still waiting on the phone call. It's starting to look like he might have taken off the rest of the day and I'll have to deal with this Monday unless he works weekends. :(

Are you saying it was just loose connections ??? :confused:

Yes it was just loose connections. :eek:

There was a post earlier about a guy who said he opened his, cleaned the connections and added two fans. I asked him a few questions but never got a reply. :confused:

I tell you this, I am glad Philips came out and repaired it and now if anyone wishes to know how, I can tell them. I stood right there and watched them work on it the whole time. It was very simple; I do things like that all the time but I never have on a Plasma before and was unsure just what would it would be like when I opened the case. :rolleyes: I should have taken pictures.

Thats awesome, glad to hear your issue is resolved!

I'm still waiting on the phone call. It's starting to look like he might have taken off the rest of the day and I'll have to deal with this Monday unless he works weekends. :(


It is TGIF, if he contacted you once I am sure he will return the call. Philips is back on my A-list.

It has now been over 3 hours and no problems!!!!!!!!! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Philips truly impressed me too. It got late so I left a message on his voice mail telling him to drop me an email so I know when he'll be calling next. About five minutes later he emailed me back to tell me it will be treated as if its still under warranty and gave me the name of a local repair shop. They are closed now so I'll be calling tomorrow and hopefully they will pick it up very soon. :D

EDIT: Just contacted the service center and they said they never received a fax and Philips never sends them on the weekends. The presidential liaison and I last spoke around 6PM last night so I'm guessing it won't be faxed till Monday morning. The service center said they would contact me ASAP when it arrived though. Hopefully I'll be as lucky as you SSBnadits and it'll be a simple fix when they come out!

Hi, everyone
I have a situation with this model, 42pf7320A/37, that I purchased last year 5/06 and last Friday the TV was on and working fine when suddenly, the screen turned dark with not complete black, in fact there were some marks like the volume bar, but too dim, the audio was fine, then after some time it just turn off, with the red LED blinking like seven times and repeat all over.
I call Philips that day, they said that my TV was out of warranty one moth after the expiration day, anyway I mention if this is defective product or some thing like that, they didn't answer.
Anyway, some one in this forum have an idea what this red light mean? Thanks

Also, in the back of the unit it have another green light by the power supply that also blinks , but 3 times only.

Hi, everyone
I have a situation with this model, 42pf7320A/37, that I purchased last year 5/06 and last Friday the TV was on and working fine when suddenly, the screen turned dark with not complete black, in fact there were some marks like the volume bar, but too dim, the audio was fine, then after some time it just turn off, with the red LED blinking like seven times and repeat all over.
I call Philips that day, they said that my TV was out of warranty one moth after the expiration day, anyway I mention if this is defective product or some thing like that, they didn't answer.
Anyway, some one in this forum have an idea what this red light mean? Thanks

Also, in the back of the unit it have another green light by the power supply that also blinks , but 3 times only.

I've got no clue what the blinking leds mean. You can download the service manual which might tell you what they mean here:

http://www.pcrescueoc.com/philips.htm

I just got in contact with the service center. They should be here from 9-5 on Wednesday. :D

Philips truly impressed me too. It got late so I left a message on his voice mail telling him to drop me an email so I know when he'll be calling next. About five minutes later he emailed me back to tell me it will be treated as if its still under warranty and gave me the name of a local repair shop. They are closed now so I'll be calling tomorrow and hopefully they will pick it up very soon. :D

EDIT: Just contacted the service center and they said they never received a fax and Philips never sends them on the weekends. The presidential liaison and I last spoke around 6PM last night so I'm guessing it won't be faxed till Monday morning. The service center said they would contact me ASAP when it arrived though. Hopefully I'll be as lucky as you SSBnadits and it'll be a simple fix when they come out!

Philips still seems to be the company I always they were. BTW, it is SSBandits, :) sorry I typed it in wrong and did not notice and do not know how to change it. :(

Hi, everyone
I have a situation with this model, 42pf7320A/37, that I purchased last year 5/06 and last Friday the TV was on and working fine when suddenly, the screen turned dark with not complete black, in fact there were some marks like the volume bar, but too dim, the audio was fine, then after some time it just turn off, with the red LED blinking like seven times and repeat all over.
I call Philips that day, they said that my TV was out of warranty one moth after the expiration day, anyway I mention if this is defective product or some thing like that, they didn't answer.
Anyway, some one in this forum have an idea what this red light mean? Thanks

Also, in the back of the unit it have another green light by the power supply that also blinks , but 3 times only.

That happened to me once and it was my power cable. I did not push it all the way in. Make sure it is in good and tight. Also, upgrade your firmware. I believe Philips is also selling and extended warranty for this model for about $390.00. read back a few pages, someone else mentioned it.

I've got no clue what the blinking leds mean. You can download the service manual which might tell you what they mean here:

http://www.pcrescueoc.com/philips.htm

I just got in contact with the service center. They should be here from 9-5 on Wednesday. :D


I hope you get at least half the service I got. My serviceman even called twice throughout the day to check on the system to make sure the problem did not return.

I hope you get at least half the service I got. My serviceman even called twice throughout the day to check on the system to make sure the problem did not return.
Now thats SERVICE! Not often these days someone has a work ethic like that unfortunately.

I recently upgraded my firmware from 1.2 to 1.6 and I find that the TV is now losing certain digital channels that it found during the autoprogram. This is very irritating. Note that the channel is a broadcast channel, not cable. What would be nice is if I could force the TV to include a particular channel (say 7.1) manually instead of going through the entire autoprogramming again (which deletes all channels marked as favorites). Is there a way to do this?

Hi, guys
SSBanidts; I check the cable and nothing same thing. try different cables

Well, yesterday a Lady (don't recall her name) from Phillips, call me, she did call last Friday after I call them,and left me a message, (I spoke with another person, a guy and was an a...ll), anyway this time they gave me a number and this lady was waiting for my receipt , so I have to send a copy of my original receipt, from BJs.
We send her that copy yesterday (remember my warranty was due on 5/26/07) and today same lady call, telling me that what they can do (base on the warranty )for me is to cover the price of what ever part is damage and I will assume the tech labor, because usually the parts are more expensive, "really are" . that if I'm ok, a tech will contact me for an appointment. I agreed.
Now am waiting for that call.
note: I did call some tech that works for philips locally before the lady contact me and the charges are one of them 149 to take it to their shop to diagnostic plus the part if necessary
another one 139 for the same, note that they want it to be at the shop, and finally I contact sears tech, this time they charge 120 for their tech to show up, plus whatever part, but they will do the job at home, "wile I'm watching", I,need to know what cause the problem and what part is damage for real. no a learning people . the overall warranty after this repair is 90 days. I did forgot ask the lady from philips what will be the warranty on the new parts.
Thanks all

I recently upgraded my firmware from 1.2 to 1.6 and I find that the TV is now losing certain digital channels that it found during the autoprogram. This is very irritating. Note that the channel is a broadcast channel, not cable. What would be nice is if I could force the TV to include a particular channel (say 7.1) manually instead of going through the entire autoprogramming again (which deletes all channels marked as favorites). Is there a way to do this?

Yes, u can use the (-) on the right of the (0) key plus the sub chanel, eg: 7, -, 1
it works for me.

Yes, u can use the (-) on the right of the (0) key plus the sub chanel, eg: 7, -, 1
it works for me.
wfiveash, are you're sure you're not losing the channel due to poor reception? I have spotty reception on a few of my digital OTA channels and if it looses the signal for a certain amount of time it dumps it from the saved channels. In this case, I don't think the 7-1 command will work. To get that type of channel loss back, you need to go to Menu, Installation, Weak Channel Installation. Go to the frequency that the digital station is being broadcast, hit start and store once its locked in. Remember though, digital stations are not broadcast on the same frequency as the analog equivalent. So if your looking for 7.1, you may have to go to frequency 28 to find it. Go to antennaweb.org type in your zip code and it will give you a list of channels and their respective frequencies you should be picking up.

wfiveash, are you're sure you're not losing the channel due to poor reception? I have spotty reception on a few of my digital OTA channels and if it looses the signal for a certain amount of time it dumps it from the saved channels. In this case, I don't think the 7-1 command will work. To get that type of channel loss back, you need to go to Menu, Installation, Weak Channel Installation. Go to the frequency that the digital station is being broadcast, hit start and store once its locked in. Remember though, digital stations are not broadcast on the same frequency as the analog equivalent. So if your looking for 7.1, you may have to go to frequency 28 to find it. Go to antennaweb.org type in your zip code and it will give you a list of channels and their respective frequencies you should be picking up.

I suspect that you are correct in regards to the Weak Channel Installation which I did not know how to use until now. I will give that a try. I still find it annoying that the TV will delete a channel on it's own that I have marked as a favorite.

I suspect that you are correct in regards to the Weak Channel Installation which I did not know how to use until now. I will give that a try. I still find it annoying that the TV will delete a channel on it's own that I have marked as a favorite.

I agree that is lame. I also find it annoying that you can't just specify a channel to be added to the favorites, regardless of whether it can be received or not.

I agree that is lame. I also find it annoying that you can't just specify a channel to be added to the favorites, regardless of whether it can be received or not.
Sometimes you have to wonder if they thought through all these issues when they wrote the programming. In the real world, stuff like this makes sense. :)

The service center just picked up my TV. The moment I turned it on and showed them what was happening the guy says "Never seen it that bad. This thing is going to need several boards." I then asked if he gets a lot of Philips to which he replied "Everyday I see them. Your TV appears to be the worst among them but we get this all the time." I then proceeded to ask about Panasonic and Pioneer and can't say I was surprised by his response. "I see them much less, usually a couple a week." According to the repair guy he see's Philips Plasma's everyday and all of them have a similar issue, sparkling colors all over the screen and no video.

Anyways, my TV is now going to the shop. Hopefully I'll get it back within by August. :\

Still cool of Philips to cover all costs!

wfiveash, are you're sure you're not losing the channel due to poor reception? I have spotty reception on a few of my digital OTA channels and if it looses the signal for a certain amount of time it dumps it from the saved channels. In this case, I don't think the 7-1 command will work. To get that type of channel loss back, you need to go to Menu, Installation, Weak Channel Installation. Go to the frequency that the digital station is being broadcast, hit start and store once its locked in. Remember though, digital stations are not broadcast on the same frequency as the analog equivalent. So if your looking for 7.1, you may have to go to frequency 28 to find it. Go to antennaweb.org type in your zip code and it will give you a list of channels and their respective frequencies you should be picking up.

Where do you see the weak channel installation option? What TV do you have or what version of firmware are you using?

I suspect that you are correct in regards to the Weak Channel Installation which I did not know how to use until now. I will give that a try. I still find it annoying that the TV will delete a channel on it's own that I have marked as a favorite.

So you saw that option? When I go I do not see the weak cahnnel installation option. What TV or firmware do you have also? Even though I have lost some channels in the line-up, when I go to select channels, it is still there but it just does not have the check mark.

Where do you see the weak channel installation option? What TV do you have or what version of firmware are you using?

I have the TV discussed in this thread: Philips 42" Plasma (42PF7320A)

I'm running firmware 1.6. Note that when I was running 1.2 I did not have this problem.

I can't remember which menu has the Weak Channel install but look in the manual or just seach the menu items and you'll see it.

The service center just picked up my TV. The moment I turned it on and showed them what was happening the guy says "Never seen it that bad. This thing is going to need several boards." I then asked if he gets a lot of Philips to which he replied "Everyday I see them. Your TV appears to be the worst among them but we get this all the time." I then proceeded to ask about Panasonic and Pioneer and can't say I was surprised by his response. "I see them much less, usually a couple a week." According to the repair guy he see's Philips Plasma's everyday and all of them have a similar issue, sparkling colors all over the screen and no video.

Anyways, my TV is now going to the shop. Hopefully I'll get it back within by August. :\

Still cool of Philips to cover all costs!


Just FYI, from what I saw on the inside of my Philips Plasma when they opened it was mostly Samsung produce product to include the Plasma Display. This did not surprise me since Zenith was the last American Made Television before it too, just like Philips is now made in Mexico.

Just FYI, from what I saw on the inside of my Philips Plasma when they opened it was mostly Samsung produce product to include the Plasma Display. This did not surprise me since Zenith was the last American Made Television before it too, just like Philips is now made in Mexico.

I noticed the same thing. I wonder how reliable Samsung plasmas are.

So you saw that option? When I go I do not see the weak cahnnel installation option. What TV or firmware do you have also? Even though I have lost some channels in the line-up, when I go to select channels, it is still there but it just does not have the check mark.

I am still running BX23U-1.0.8.0-00 on my 42PF7320A

My top Level menu offers 5 choices:
1 TV
______Channels
____________Preferred channels
2 Setup
3 Installation
______Weak Channel installation
4 Demo
5 EXIT

On my TV:
The Preferred channels item you have been using is under the Channels item under the TV main level item.
The Weak Channel Installation menu is under the "Installation" main level item.
FYI: There are no numbers by the Main Level items on the actual menu.

The Preferred channels item you have been using is under the Channels item under the TV main level item.
The Weak Channel Installation menu is under the "Installation" main level item.
FYI: There are no numbers by the Main Level items on the actual menu.
Preferred channels and favorites (the check mark) are two different lists. I think you have to have a specific station on the Preferred list before you can permanently have it on your favorites - I think. Plus there was a software issue with dropping stations from the favorites. Firmware 1.6 was supposed to have fixed this. I am using 1.6, but because of my spotty reception, I'm not sure it did.

I am still running BX23U-1.0.8.0-00 on my 42PF7320A

My top Level menu offers 5 choices:
1 TV
______Channels
____________Preferred channels
2 Setup
3 Installation
______Weak Channel installation
4 Demo
5 EXIT

On my TV:
The Preferred channels item you have been using is under the Channels item under the TV main level item.
The Weak Channel Installation menu is under the "Installation" main level item.
FYI: There are no numbers by the Main Level items on the actual menu.

I believe my set came with ver 1.3 and I do not remember having ever seen that option for a Weak Channel. I do know that whenever I have ran the Auto-Program after 1.4 was installed, weak channels did not show up when turning the channels. They were however still in the Preffered List as an option to add a check mark and put them back in the sequence when changing the channel. Sometimes it would come back in with or without sound and other times it would just remain black.

Preferred channels and favorites (the check mark) are two different lists. I think you have to have a specific station on the Preferred list before you can permanently have it on your favorites - I think. Plus there was a software issue with dropping stations from the favorites. Firmware 1.6 was supposed to have fixed this. I am using 1.6, but because of my spotty reception, I'm not sure it did.

You are correct, but once I put the check mark back on a weak channel thourgh the preferred list it stayed on until I re-ran auto-program again. I am also able to put it back on the Favorites list.

Favorite List?

Anybody know how to just go through your favorite channels easily with this set?

Hit the "View" button to see the favorites list and scroll using the multi directional "circle" button. Push the middle to select the channel.

yes, we delivery our 42PF7320A/37, to a local philips shop, once there the person in charge told us that, it will take a week or two, and that we are lucky that the TV company will cover the cost of the parts, we will pay around 200 - 300 in labor. also they mentioned that this TV are to sensibles to changes in the voltage, that they have repaired some, not only philips but other brands,when he mentioned the power problem, I said we have a power surge "Powermax" , well according with them this is not good, that should put a UPS to protect the TV from changes in the AC power, I don't know, Did someone have manage to installed a UPS only for the TV?, by the way it is a plasma set, so the power consumptions is around 400 watts
note;
he also mentioned that this technology ( the way the plasma woks) is more likely to have trouble, and if we will buy another TV like this one, then should buy the extended warranty, to avoid this trouble, what!, The finale price of the set will be the 1799, plus tax + 269 warranty =2068 plus tax [this not right] and on top of that the time when the TV is not in your wall.
I do have a lot of electronics equipments at home and never have to buy a extended warranty because they suppose to be for at least 5 years (with normal use) without a problems.
let see when they finish what is the news. and how long will last.

I had the 42PF7320 from 10/05 until last week. Turned it on, the top third of the screen was black with black strips running horizontally on the bottom two-thirds of the screen. Thanks goodness for the extended warranty. I'm getting a new set, a Hitachi P42T501.

I must say that although I kept reading about all the problems here, I really loved this set and until this it worked great. I was always worried that something would happen but that's what the warranty is for. I'll be lurking in the Hitachi thread now.

Thanks for everyone's help.

I just ordered the Philips 42" Plasma(42PF7320A).. Does anyone have any information on this regarding whether its good or not. Did not see any reviews, but I got a good price on it and it had a nice looking display at the store.

Thanks,
Jeff
NOOOOOOOOO!!!

Im sorry, but 1 year and 5 month ago I buy this tv in sears. and in the past 3 week the tv start turn on and off wiyh no reason. I just send the the to the shop an they told me that the cost is about $ 700.00 I didnt take the extent warranty.

Good look

Help!!!!!!!!!!

I got this tv philips (42PF7320A) 1 year, 5 mo. and suddlely the set start on and off (like a christmas tree). I send to the shop and they ask $ 700.00 for the repair. I buy this trash in sears and cost me $ 2,059.00 w/tax.

Any advice, Thanks

Help!!!!!!!!!! I got this tv philips (42PF7320A) 1 year, 5 mo. and suddlely the set start on and off (like a christmas tree). I send to the shop and they ask $ 700.00 for the repair. I buy this trash in sears and cost me $ 2,059.00 w/tax. Any advice, Thanks

BSOD, black screen of death ??

Update your firmware.

Originally Posted by cortes20
Help!!!!!!!!!! I got this tv philips (42PF7320A) 1 year, 5 mo. and suddlely the set start on and off (like a christmas tree). I send to the shop and they ask $ 700.00 for the repair. I buy this trash in sears and cost me $ 2,059.00 w/tax. Any advice, Thanks

Update your firmware.

and your spell checker :D

BSOD, black screen of death ??

Update your firmware.


How? and why this shop are tell me is a panel ?

Thanks!

How? and why this shop are tell me is a panel ?

Thanks!

Goto http://www.usasupport.philips.com/productDocuments.html?ProductCode=42PF7320A/37&subCat=PLASMA_LARGE_32_42_SU_US_CONSUMER

First download the user manual and scroll down to the part where it explains how to upgrade your firmware. You'll need a USB stick to do so. Then download the latest firmware located at that same link and install it.

Apparently my TV will be in the shop for at least 14-20 days if not more. :\

Hit the "View" button to see the favorites list and scroll using the multi directional "circle" button. Push the middle to select the channel.

Yeah I know that but I was hoping it featured a way to select the ability to just scroll those channels without having to go through all those steps. I am used to DTV, where I can switch between FAVs; hoped this was similar. :eek:

Help!!!!!!!!!! I got this tv philips (42PF7320A) 1 year, 5 mo. and suddlely the set start on and off (like a christmas tree). I send to the shop and they ask $ 700.00 for the repair. I buy this trash in sears and cost me $ 2,059.00 w/tax. Any advice, Thanks

Didn't you get a warranty ????

Has the firmware upgrade fixed it ? :confused:

No I didn't.

I still need to pick up the TV from the shop. Hopefully this friday. Thanks for ask!

I have a Phillips 42pf7321d 37 (42" Plasma) and ever since I updated my firmware I loose my local digital channels if my antenna is not in the correct location where that channel comes in when I scan my channels? I have to continually go to the weak installation option to replace my lost channels...and it's a pain! Does anyone know where I could get the older firmware?

Thanks !

I have a Phillips 42pf7321d 37 (42" Plasma) and ever since I updated my firmware I loose my local digital channels if my antenna is not in the correct location where that channel comes in when I scan my channels? I have to continually go to the weak installation option to replace my lost channels...and it's a pain! Does anyone know where I could get the older firmware?

Thanks !

If you read any of sgr215's post he has a link on the bottom of it. Here you go; http://www.freewebtown.com/sgr215/

If you read any of sgr215's post he has a link on the bottom of it. [/url]
Hey thanks for the link...unfortunately the website doesn't support my model TV.

Thanks!

Hey thanks for the link...unfortunately the website doesn't support my model TV.

Thanks!

I'll be happy to support other models if people email me their older firmware to plasmafirmware@gmail.com. Please also state what model of TV its for if you do so!

oh crap. i just bought a 42PF7320 from the philips website as refurbished.

hope they fixed whatever the problem was. it was a good deal. maybe too good to be true?

i'm recieving it on friday the 13th too!

oh crap. i just bought a 42PF7320 from the philips website as refurbished.

hope they fixed whatever the problem was. it was a good deal. maybe too good to be true?

i'm recieving it on friday the 13th too!

I wish you good luck!

My TV broke during a hot day and to make things worse my A/C broke earlier that day which made my house very warm. (Too bad these TV's couldn't be fixed as fast as the A/C. I had a tech out within 12 hours!) It could have just been a coincidence but I wonder if heat is causing boards to warp on these TV's and damaging traces in the process. Once I get my TV back I'm probably going to mount some fans on the exterior of the set, on the vent holes. I figure better safe than sorry, again.

Out of curiosity, does anyone know if other plasma TV brands have active cooling?

Out of curiosity, does anyone know if other plasma TV brands have active cooling?
I know some brands/models do - its a design feature Id prefer, things can de designed to not use fans but they must be designed well & obviously there are limits. I use to work in a Mechanical Engineering lab & did lots of thermal testing with equipment set-up with thermal probes & different fans/loads, all very interesting but something Philips may not have done to much of here. I bought my set over the web then picked it up I "assumed" it would have some sort of fan & was disappointed to see it didnt when I set it up here. Adding fans certainly couldnt hurt anything!

I decided to call the service center and was told by the secretary they were having issues with my TV and would have to give me a call back. Later on I got a message while I was out telling me they did find out what was wrong and they just ordered the parts. It sure sounded like they forgot to order the parts and my phone call reminded them of it. Hopefully I'm wrong about that though!

According to the secretary it needs a couple boards replaced, an "AZ" and a "Y164". I see no reference to those boards in the service manual so who knows what those boards do.

I bought my refurbished TV in Aug 2006 - 42PF7220A/37B. Things had been going well till recently. For about a month now, the sound on the TV disappears randomly once every 2-3 weeks. I switch it off and sound comes back after 6-10 hours.

I called up the cable company thinking this was a cable issue. I then tested with DVD player and could hear no sound. Any ideas? My current firmware is BX23U-1.3.0.0_01 and I was avoiding an upgrade if there are no issues. Looks like I will have to go to 1. 6 or 1.5.

Could this be a hardware problem with loose boards/connections? It has been quite warm the past couple of weeks.

I bought my refurbished TV in Aug 2006 - 42PF7220A/37B. Things had been going well till recently. For about a month now, the sound on the TV disappears randomly once every 2-3 weeks. I switch it off and sound comes back after 6-10 hours.

I called up the cable company thinking this was a cable issue. I then tested with DVD player and could hear no sound. Any ideas? My current firmware is BX23U-1.3.0.0_01 and I was avoiding an upgrade if there are no issues. Looks like I will have to go to 1. 6 or 1.5.

Could this be a hardware problem with loose boards/connections? It has been quite warm the past couple of weeks.

There have been audio problems that the firmware upgrade has fixed.

I wish you good luck!

My TV broke during a hot day and to make things worse my A/C broke earlier that day which made my house very warm. (Too bad these TV's couldn't be fixed as fast as the A/C. I had a tech out within 12 hours!) It could have just been a coincidence but I wonder if heat is causing boards to warp on these TV's and damaging traces in the process. Once I get my TV back I'm probably going to mount some fans on the exterior of the set, on the vent holes. I figure better safe than sorry, again.

Out of curiosity, does anyone know if other plasma TV brands have active cooling?


thanks for the good wishes. i got my tv today and there is a two pixel horizontal line
green/blue line next to a solid black one running all the way up and down near the center of the tv. appears on all sources including the menu.

bringing it in tomorrow for service. :(

anyone know how to check the firmware version?

thanks for the good wishes. i got my tv today and there is a two pixel horizontal line
green/blue line next to a solid black one running all the way up and down near the center of the tv. appears on all sources including the menu.

bringing it in tomorrow for service. :(

anyone know how to check the firmware version?

That really sucks. It's amazing how unreliable this set is. At least you've got the warranty though! If I was you I would highly suggest getting an extended one if possible.

I'm trying to remember what area you goto to check the firmware version. It's hard to remember without having the TV in front of me. I'm pretty sure you goto Installation-> Software Upgrade and it'll tell you it.

I just try to upgrade with the firmware my TV but it doesn't read nothing.
I dowload from philips. Any sugestion?

I just try to upgrade with the firmware my TV but it doesn't read nothing. I dowload from philips. Any sugestion?

Use a clean, USB stick that is about 128 mbytes.....do an AUTOMATIC upgrade, with the TV turned off (at least that's what I do on my 9631). If it doesn't 'take' try it again.

If it still doesn't work, try a MANUAL download with the TV turned on.

Try it with a CLEAN USB and have another USB nearby. Try each method with each USB -- sometimes it's a bit tricky.

just an update on my new refurbished philips set.

i have a green/blue/red line down the middle of my tv and a tech is coming out to my house to check it out. he may or may not need to take it in for service.

on a happier note if find that this tv is able to decode some premium channels that i don't normally get on my other cable dvr with a cable card.
:)

Use a clean, USB stick that is about 128 mbytes.....do an AUTOMATIC upgrade, with the TV turned off (at least that's what I do on my 9631). If it doesn't 'take' try it again.

If it still doesn't work, try a MANUAL download with the TV turned on.

Try it with a CLEAN USB and have another USB nearby. Try each method with each USB -- sometimes it's a bit tricky.


Hi Phanatic.

I try your recommendation, but still the same. I use a 256 MB and 128MB both brand new. turned on and off, used automatic and manual, nothing.

Do I take the TV and burned ? :mad:

Thanks

Hi Phanatic. I try your recommendation, but still the same. I use a 256 MB and 128MB both brand new. turned on and off, used automatic and manual, nothing. Do I take the TV and burned ? :mad: Thanks

What's the latest software you are running according to the On-Screen Menu ?

Which version are you trying to load on ?

If you're jumping 2 or 3 or 4 versions 'ahead', maybe try another intermediate version.

BTW, are you sure you're doing it correctly -- the 'autorun' program and the unzipping are tricky, some people didn't do it correctly so it wasn't the TV's or the USB's fault. If you're not 100% sure you loaded and unzipped and downloaded and uploaded correctly, get someone to help you who can (I needed help, too).

So,

After 14 months of problem free use (no blank screens, no lines) I turned on my plasma last night to hear clicking noises that cycled repeatedly - until the green light went out and a red light started blinking. It blink five times repeatedly, pauses, then blinks five times. It continues this cycle. No picture, of course. I unplugged the unit, and plugged it back in - this does not help.

I assume the plasma is giving me some service code, but I do not know what five blinks means, and can't locate a service manual online (the product manual is silent on blink codes).

Anyone else have this problem? We had lightening storms over the weekend, I suspect that may be the cause.

Out of warranty, so I'm looking for a cheap fix. I know, dream on.

So,

After 14 months of problem free use (no blank screens, no lines) I turned on my plasma last night to hear clicking noises that cycled repeatedly - until the green light went out and a red light started blinking. It blink five times repeatedly, pauses, then blinks five times. It continues this cycle. No picture, of course. I unplugged the unit, and plugged it back in - this does not help.

I assume the plasma is giving me some service code, but I do not know what five blinks means, and can't locate a service manual online (the product manual is silent on blink codes).

Anyone else have this problem? We had lightening storms over the weekend, I suspect that may be the cause.

Out of warranty, so I'm looking for a cheap fix. I know, dream on.

That sucks. The service manual does get into specifics about the codes but I must warn you, it's a little confusing at first. Here's the link to it:

http://www.pcrescueoc.com/philips.htm

My TV was out of warranty and I was able to get Philips to fix it via emailing the CEO. If you need any advice and/or help doing the same feel free to PM me. The reports here seem to suggest the vast majority get a one time free repair on both parts and labor. A very unlucky few have either only been offered parts only or had no help at all.

My TV is fixed now but the service center can't deliver it until Monday. It sucks it's basically going to be sitting in a storage room for almost a week but oh well. I was surprised, I was expecting the parts to be back ordered and not see it until September, LOL. I'll definitely be testing out color temps, all inputs, various settings, and anything else I can think of before accepting it though. I've heard all kinds of repair center horror stories. So hopefully my issue is resolved! :)

What's the latest software you are running according to the On-Screen Menu ?

Which version are you trying to load on ?

If you're jumping 2 or 3 or 4 versions 'ahead', maybe try another intermediate version.

BTW, are you sure you're doing it correctly -- the 'autorun' program and the unzipping are tricky, some people didn't do it correctly so it wasn't the TV's or the USB's fault. If you're not 100% sure you loaded and unzipped and downloaded and uploaded correctly, get someone to help you who can (I needed help, too).


HI.

version on my tv is BX23V-1.08.0-00

do i need to unzipped?

thanks

HI.

version on my tv is BX23V-1.08.0-00

do i need to unzipped?

thanks

Follow this and it should work unless you have a defective USB slot on your tv.

1. UNZIP the file and locate the file "autorun.upg"
2. Copy "autorun.upg" onto your USB drive. DO NOT place it in any folder. It should look like this when you're done:

http://www.freewebtown.com/sgr215/firmware.JPG

3. With your tv off insert the usb drive into your TV and turn on your TV. It'll autodetect the software and upgrade.

Just got my TV back and after the techs hooked it up we turn it on and guess what? Green sparkles everywhere, the screen is really dark, screens off center and theres random white bars everywhere. The odd thing is when I hit menu the TV was fine. Amazed by this I contacted the manager to find out why no one checked it before leaving the shop. She insists they do but boards can go bad shortly after testing. :rolleyes: So it looks like it's back to the old, non-hd, 27inch Sony Wega tv for at least another month.

HI

I be try to upgrade the "crap" with the USB. I try this about 3 days. Doesn't work I was inclined to burn this "crap" but something came on my head, " I FAN". So I used a 8" regular fan, maybe cost $12.00. and "guala" I fixed the $ 700.00 with $12.00. :) Today will be the 3rd day on rol used the TV OK....


:) ;)

Paul Zeven just contacted me back and said one of his staff from the "Presidential Escalations" group should be contacting me within one or two days to discuss how we'll proceed. I'll let you all know what happens.


I would appreciate any help with similar issue you had with your set. I have e-mailed the CEO over 9 days now and no response, so far.

I would appreciate any help with similar issue you had with your set. I have e-mailed the CEO over 9 days now and no response, so far.
He "vacations" a lot! :rolleyes: Good luck to all, I finally cut my losses after the third repair. I gave it to a friend that helped me move. At least he was a friend! :o

I would appreciate any help with similar issue you had with your set. I have e-mailed the CEO over 9 days now and no response, so far.

I dropped you an email. :)

The service center just contacted me today and told me the TV was done, again. I asked what the problem was this time and was told two boards had to be replaced. I highly doubt two boards had to be replaced again considering they only had the TV for two days this time. I'm guessing the tech screwed up and it was a simple service menu fix. Anyhow, I should get the TV delivered Monday. I'm going to check every little thing on the TV before I accept it considering the repair shop seems to have issues.

I 've been having some problems with this set and the Toshiba HD-A2 HD-DVD Player:

-I hooked it up via HDMI a few weeks ago and it worked fine for a while. Today I was playing Miami Vice and I kept getting a green screen every few seconds, even on the menu.

-Component looks good (better than HDMI even, especially for blacks, which look like ugly gray squares on HDMI). The only problem with component is that I can see transparent bands running across the screen (they look like: \.\.\.\.\.\.\.\.\.\.\.\.\.\ ). I didn't see these on the old dvd player, so I'm assuming it's a compatibility problem.

Any suggestions?

Finally got my TV back. I do know one thing, I'll never be dealing with this repair shop again. First I noticed they carried it flat on the truck. When I finally got it there was dirt and scuff marks everywhere. After I cleaned it off while they waited I inspected it and didn't notice any damage. Unfortunately, I later noticed two small scratches on the screen but both are so small you can't see them while watching TV and you can only see it with the TV off if lighting is perfect so it's not a big deal.

After not having this set for so long and watching an old 27 inch the WOW factor is definitely back! :D

Finally got my TV back. I do know one thing, I'll never be dealing with this repair shop again. First I noticed they carried it flat on the truck. When I finally got it there was dirt and scuff marks everywhere. After I cleaned it off while they waited I inspected it and didn't notice any damage.
Are there any so-called "professionals" in ANY profession these days? I'm beginning to think NOT!

Are there any so-called "professionals" in ANY profession these days? I'm beginning to think NOT!

I feel your pain. There are but they are rare and when you find them they get your business for life. (Or until they get bought out by a major corporation, LOL)

I feel your pain. There are but they are rare and when you find them they get your business for life. (Or until they get bought out by a major corporation, LOL)
True & they deserve your business at that point:-)

Been reading this thread for about a week. I have the 42PF7320A...bought it in December of '05 and have been getting the flickering half screen for about three weeks. Usually it only lasts a few minutes, on and off, but it seems to be appearing more frequently. It all started while watching Apacolypto. I've got my DVD player hooked up through S-Video, my Cable run through a Cable Card, and have updated my firmware through version 1.6.

Tonight I reread the thread dating back to page 40. I want to thank everyone for posting their info. Looks like I'll be the next to do the customer service/CEO/repair shop route.

Been reading this thread for about a week. I have the 42PF7320A...bought it in December of '05 and have been getting the flickering half screen for about three weeks. Usually it only lasts a few minutes, on and off, but it seems to be appearing more frequently. It all started while watching Apacolypto. I've got my DVD player hooked up through S-Video, my Cable run through a Cable Card, and have updated my firmware through version 1.6.

Tonight I reread the thread dating back to page 40. I want to thank everyone for posting their info. Looks like I'll be the next to do the customer service/CEO/repair shop route.
Sounds similar to my situation. Bought mine on 11/30/05. I have been following this forum since a couple months before that. The last update I installed was 1.0.8.

The only issue I had observed was a rare problem when turning on. It would list some strange channel like 1021 not found. I would step to a real channel and the picture would be fine, but no audio. If I turned the set off and on, with that valid channel selected, the set would come up fine and all would be well. This probably averaged once a month, which I could live with.
A few days ago, I experienced something like you described. The bottom half of the screen would go black for a few seconds, return to normal for a few seconds and continue to cycle like that. I do not recall any clicking sounds or flashing LEDs. I turned the set off after about a minute or 2, waited about 20 seconds, and turned it back on. Everything looked fine. I belive it has happened twice.

Was the flickering you described at a similar pace?
I would appreciate hearing how things go for you.

Yeah, that sounds like the problem. Two nights ago I unplugged the TV from the wall for about 15 minutes, put it on ECO mode, and moved the TV set further away from the wall. Last night I watched an entire movie without the half black screen flicker (Stranger Than Fiction), and it hasn't reoccured for 48 hours. However, from what I've read, other people have tried these tricks to limited, temporary success.

Yeah, that sounds like the problem. Two nights ago I unplugged the TV from the wall for about 15 minutes, put it on ECO mode, and moved the TV set further away from the wall. Last night I watched an entire movie without the half black screen flicker (Stranger Than Fiction), and it hasn't reoccured for 48 hours. However, from what I've read, other people have tried these tricks to limited, temporary success.
Thanks. If I have a major development I will post. I would appreciate it if you did the same.

Yeah, that sounds like the problem. Two nights ago I unplugged the TV from the wall for about 15 minutes, put it on ECO mode, and moved the TV set further away from the wall.
Do you guys have the sets hanging on a wall? There are those that have suggested that these problems stem from warped circuit boards, and that they might get that way due to over heating. Maybe from being mounted on a wall? Or perhaps the load on the frame (coupled with the poor air circulation) is warping the boards? Mine sits on its stand cati-corner in the corner of the room. There's plenty of airspace behind mine and, knock on wood, I have never had any issues for the year and a half I've had it.

Do you guys have the sets hanging on a wall? There are those that have suggested that these problems stem from warped circuit boards, and that they might get that way due to over heating. Maybe from being mounted on a wall? Or perhaps the load on the frame (coupled with the poor air circulation) is warping the boards? Mine sits on its stand cati-corner in the corner of the room. There's plenty of airspace behind mine and, knock on wood, I have never had any issues for the year and a half I've had it.
Mine is on its stand and over a foot from the wall.
This problem is very strange. It happened again last night. The set had been on for about 3 hours. Then I saw the bottom half of the screen go black about 4 times(a few seconds each) in less than a minute, and then the problem went away again. That is not the kind of pattern I would expect from a thermal issue.

Any discrete on/off's for philips plasmas yet?
Actually, I have the off, just need the on.
Thanks

Do you guys have the sets hanging on a wall? There are those that have suggested that these problems stem from warped circuit boards, and that they might get that way due to over heating. Maybe from being mounted on a wall? Or perhaps the load on the frame (coupled with the poor air circulation) is warping the boards? Mine sits on its stand cati-corner in the corner of the room. There's plenty of airspace behind mine and, knock on wood, I have never had any issues for the year and a half I've had it.

My TV is on the stand with plenty of airflow but I wouldn't be surprised if my issue was heat related. My AC broke shortly before my TV broke so it was really hot in my house. When the TV broke I noticed the top of it near the vents was really hot, almost hot enough to burn your hand. These TV's seem prone to all sorts of issues and my issue seems to be different then all the others people have noted here so while I think heat can cause these sets to fail I also think theres all sorts of other issues that can arise with these sets. Honestly, I think these TV's have several major design flaws.

For anyone interested here's what my problem was:

The problem: I was watching TV when the normal picture suddenly went out and the middle of the screen starting flashing all sorts of colors. It would flash colors, go blank, and repeat. It looked a lot like fireworks going off. The led on the TV remained green and I never got any error codes. (AKA Blinking red leds)

Parts replaced: Electrical Align Unit (X-Board & YSUS Board)

I also have mine kitty corner with plenty of airflow above and behind. Some have suggested that mounting the TV causes increased air flow & less problems. Mine flickered once or twice today, but it still seems better than before. So far.

Any discrete on/off's for philips plasmas yet?
Actually, I have the off, just need the on.
Thanks

Yes there are. My Harmony 890 has them. I'll see if I can get them.

I had an issue with the remote on power on. If the harmony turned on the TV, then switched to an input too soon the display would go black. Turns out the tv needs almost 9 seconds before a different input is selected.

My TV was out of warranty and I was able to get Philips to fix it via emailing the CEO. If you need any advice and/or help doing the same feel free to PM me. The reports here seem to suggest the vast majority get a one time free repair on both parts and labor. A very unlucky few have either only been offered parts only or had no help at all

I'm having a sudden problem with a much louser static hum from the back of my Philips plasma...do you have the e-mail for the Philips USA CEO or a liasion? I would think maybe they've had others with similar problems and I wouldn't need to have it diagnosed by a novice who doesn't know what the symptons might represent (i.e., loose wiring, bad circuitry board, etc).

Thanks....;)

I'm having a sudden problem with a much louser static hum from the back of my Philips plasma...do you have the e-mail for the Philips USA CEO or a liasion? I would think maybe they've had others with similar problems and I wouldn't need to have it diagnosed by a novice who doesn't know what the symptons might represent (i.e., loose wiring, bad circuitry board, etc).

Thanks....;)

His email is paul.zeven@philips.com. Good luck!

I got my email from Paul Zeven and an offer to repair my out of warranty set. BUT, after having a dead set for a week, (see my earlier post) the weather here cooled, and the unit worked again, and I've kep the air conditioning cranked in the room, and no return of the problem. I really wonder whether the unit has a thermal protection circuit.

Because of the post-repair problems people have mentioned, I've actually declined a repair at this time. Right now it's not broke, so I'm not fixing mine.

Now, a bit of an unrelated question - I enjoy the photo slideshow feature from the usb flash drive. I put family photos up for gatherings, etc. But you actually have to write some html code (template is in the manual) to get it to work, and I was wondering if anyone has written a small program to automatically drag and drop photos and create the needed html code. Seems like it would not be difficult for someone smarter than me.

Anyone know of such a program?

Mine is on its stand and over a foot from the wall.
This problem is very strange. It happened again last night. The set had been on for about 3 hours. Then I saw the bottom half of the screen go black about 4 times(a few seconds each) in less than a minute, and then the problem went away again. That is not the kind of pattern I would expect from a thermal issue.

Sorry I have been gone so long; My set after they did some soldering on two boards has worked excellent now. I do believe it had something do with the heat (Live in Panama, no A/C) but not warp boards from hanging. Possibly warp boards from moving and shipping; but it should be able to take some movement from the box. It took the tech guy less than hour to complete the repairs and re-hang my TV back on the wall. If you can get the guy to come in take the set down repair the boards, I think that will be better than taking to and from your house and the repair shop. Also, if they put new boards in, the solder may still come loose later, but the extra solder they put on the old board probably is better than factory.

Hi

I fixed the plasma TV 42PF7320A with a 12" fan. with a 97 degree inside on my room, It still working.

Refurbished unit that was delivered in April '07 has now died :-(

Jerry, Care to give us more information beyond "died"?

Did you get any flicker, fireworks, red LED's? Also how it is mounted and if your envrionment is hot or cool generally?

My warranty just expired for my non-refurb set (manufacturerd June'06). After following this thread, I've been scared into buying the extended warranty. I'd rather not have to fight Philips when my set dies in 6 or 8 months...

Sometimes I feel either my picture is very ugly or so good you can see the TV make-up they have on.

I need to know what settings are best for this TV for basic telelvision; should I use Pixel Plus, DNR, or those other settings in the picture setup menus? Sometimes I get a picture so clear it looks unreal. Then at times using the same settings, same channel, the picture looks as if my plasma is bleeding with water marks.

Does anyone else see this or is it just me? :confused: :(

Sometimes I feel either my picture is very ugly or so good you can see the TV make-up they have on.

I need to know what settings are best for this TV for basic telelvision; should I use Pixel Plus, DNR, or those other settings in the picture setup menus? Sometimes I get a picture so clear it looks unreal. Then at times using the same settings, same channel, the picture looks as if my plasma is bleeding with water marks.

Does anyone else see this or is it just me? :confused: :(

What are you using for a signal? My picture goes from bad to really bad on cable but thats because our provider is in the dark ages & still sends out a crappy analog signal - reminds me of the cable companies we had 20 years ago! When I watch a DVD (480p) the picture is really good, I have no clue what HD looks like since I dont have a source:-(

What are you using for a signal? My picture goes from bad to really bad on cable but thats because our provider is in the dark ages & still sends out a crappy analog signal - reminds me of the cable companies we had 20 years ago! When I watch a DVD (480p) the picture is really good, I have no clue what HD looks like since I dont have a source:-(

Okay, then I am not losing my mind and it is the crappy signal I am getting. I am sure my company does not have the best technology out there to date but I do get some really great pictures from them at times. I also found that turning Pixel Plus off most of the times the pictures looks better.

Okay, then I am not losing my mind and it is the crappy signal I am getting. I am sure my company does not have the best technology out there to date but I do get some really great pictures from them at times. I also found that turning Pixel Plus off most of the times the pictures looks better.

I have FiOS TV and supposedly it's the best SD and HD picture you can get. I'm impressed by SD for the most part. However, I've noticed issues with HD content. Sometimes the picture is outstanding and other times it's just so-so. Most notably the TV has issues with the color red or orange. You can see artifacts in it a lot of the time.

Another thing I've noticed is that if the HD content involves a scene with a lot of trees or bushes pixel plus and dynamic contrast can make the picture look bad. For example, you can notice pixel plus constantly trying to adjust the image of trees/bushes and you end up seeing subtle flashes around the trees/bushes. As for dynamic contrast, I get a dancing black dot effect when bushes/trees aren't well lit up or when the picture has transitions from light to dark areas. I actually have since turned off pixel plus and dynamic contrast. Pixel plus actually looks amazing when you pause a show and turn it on/off but once that picture starts moving it can actually end up degrading the picture IMO.

I have a Philips Plasma....42PF7321D/37

15 days after warranty the image started to flicker and 1/2 of the screen (top half) actually disappers but comes back on and off.

We contacted Philips and they are covering it under warranty. Local TV repair took it out and added a factory modification kit. After a few days, the problem is back again. The tv seems to run cooler now but the problem is still here.

Has anyone successfully fixed this 1/2 screen problem. Please advise. The TV repair guy seems stumped. HELP!!!

Thanks
Karen:)

OH and I forgot to mention that our TV is located on a stand not wall mount.

I have a Philips Plasma....42PF7321D/37

15 days after warranty the image started to flicker and 1/2 of the screen (top half) actually disappers but comes back on and off.

We contacted Philips and they are covering it under warranty. Local TV repair took it out and added a factory modification kit. After a few days, the problem is back again. The tv seems to run cooler now but the problem is still here.

Has anyone successfully fixed this 1/2 screen problem. Please advise. The TV repair guy seems stumped. HELP!!!

Thanks
Karen:)
I have recently started seeing a similar problem with my 42PF7320A/37. Mine has never been worked on, but I thought I would share my observations.
In my case, it is the bottom half that goes black. It will go black for a few seconds, and the image will return for a few seconds. The cycles continue for a while. It has only happened a few times, and the problem has normally gone away in less than a minute. The last time it happened, the problem continued for over a minute, and I tapped on the front of the unit near the status LEDs. The first tap produced a flicker. After a second tap, the problem went away.
This makes me think that the problem is closely related to the problem reported by SSBnadits. His unit appears to have been worked on by a person with some knowledge, skill, and experience with this model TV. He reported that they re-soldered some connections on some of the boards. That would lead me to suspect that the Philips manufacturer received either PWBs or components with contamination or bad plating, which resulted in poor solder joints which are failing after time.
Maybe the Service Center can get some details from Philips or the the people who seem to have fixed the set for SSBnadits.

I have a Philips Plasma....42PF7321D/37

15 days after warranty the image started to flicker and 1/2 of the screen (top half) actually disappers but comes back on and off.

We contacted Philips and they are covering it under warranty. Local TV repair took it out and added a factory modification kit. After a few days, the problem is back again. The tv seems to run cooler now but the problem is still here.

Has anyone successfully fixed this 1/2 screen problem. Please advise. The TV repair guy seems stumped. HELP!!!

Thanks
Karen:)
Sounds like maybe the "kit" had faulty part or they were installed improperly. Do you know exactly what the "factor modification kit" consists of? Part #'s would also be GREAT:-)
Thanks

I have a Philips Plasma....42PF7321D/37

15 days after warranty the image started to flicker and 1/2 of the screen (top half) actually disappers but comes back on and off.

We contacted Philips and they are covering it under warranty. Local TV repair took it out and added a factory modification kit. After a few days, the problem is back again. The tv seems to run cooler now but the problem is still here.

Has anyone successfully fixed this 1/2 screen problem. Please advise. The TV repair guy seems stumped. HELP!!!

Thanks
Karen:)

No clue what could be the cause of it but a lot of repair places offer a 90 day warranty if the issue was exactly what they were sent to repair. You might want to check into it so you don't have to contact Philips again. The place that repaired my TV offered one.

I have FiOS TV and supposedly it's the best SD and HD picture you can get. I'm impressed by SD for the most part. However, I've noticed issues with HD content. Sometimes the picture is outstanding and other times it's just so-so. Most notably the TV has issues with the color red or orange. You can see artifacts in it a lot of the time.

Another thing I've noticed is that if the HD content involves a scene with a lot of trees or bushes pixel plus and dynamic contrast can make the picture look bad. For example, you can notice pixel plus constantly trying to adjust the image of trees/bushes and you end up seeing subtle flashes around the trees/bushes. As for dynamic contrast, I get a dancing black dot effect when bushes/trees aren't well lit up or when the picture has transitions from light to dark areas. I actually have since turned off pixel plus and dynamic contrast. Pixel plus actually looks amazing when you pause a show and turn it on/off but once that picture starts moving it can actually end up degrading the picture IMO.

Yeah, I do not use Pixel Plus or Dynamic Contrast anymore. I have my TV setup starting from Rich, then adjusting all the settings to what I like best.

I have a Philips Plasma....42PF7321D/37

15 days after warranty the image started to flicker and 1/2 of the screen (top half) actually disappers but comes back on and off.

We contacted Philips and they are covering it under warranty. Local TV repair took it out and added a factory modification kit. After a few days, the problem is back again. The tv seems to run cooler now but the problem is still here.

Has anyone successfully fixed this 1/2 screen problem. Please advise. The TV repair guy seems stumped. HELP!!!

Thanks
Karen:)

Yes and the problem was not the heat, or the heat may have contributed but not the overall problem. The problem was loose connections. My repairmen from Phillips, fixed it on the spot in my house in less than an hour. They soldered two or three different boards and I have not had any problems in months now.

I have recently started seeing a similar problem with my 42PF7320A/37. Mine has never been worked on, but I thought I would share my observations.
In my case, it is the bottom half that goes black. It will go black for a few seconds, and the image will return for a few seconds. The cycles continue for a while. It has only happened a few times, and the problem has normally gone away in less than a minute. The last time it happened, the problem continued for over a minute, and I tapped on the front of the unit near the status LEDs. The first tap produced a flicker. After a second tap, the problem went away.
This makes me think that the problem is closely related to the problem reported by SSBnadits. His unit appears to have been worked on by a person with some knowledge, skill, and experience with this model TV. He reported that they re-soldered some connections on some of the boards. That would lead me to suspect that the Philips manufacturer received either PWBs or components with contamination or bad plating, which resulted in poor solder joints which are failing after time.
Maybe the Service Center can get some details from Philips or the the people who seem to have fixed the set for SSBnadits.

First I must say, my name is spelled incorrectly and I do not know how to change it to SSBandits. :(

Anyone know how I can change it without having to create a new account? :confused:

That is the first thing the repairmen did to my set, tapped on both sides of the TV up and down near the speakers. It flickered on and off. They took it down and soldered loose connections as you said above.

hello,

This is slightly off-topic. but i think this is the best place to ask since there is alot of philips owners.


i have the new denon AVR-3808. i also have a philips plasma - 42PF9966. i would like to know what is the best or exact IR CODE for the denon RC-1068 remote control.

Thanks alot

hello,

This is slightly off-topic. but i think this is the best place to ask since there is alot of philips owners.


i have the new denon AVR-3808. i also have a philips plasma - 42PF9966. i would like to know what is the best or exact IR CODE for the denon RC-1068 remote control.

Thanks alot

Yep this is the wrong place to post this for sure!

I constantly have issues with sound on this TV. For example, voices will be very quiet so I end up turning the sound way up. The downside is loud scenes will end up being insanely loud then. Anyone know of a way to level out the sound perhaps in settings? I've tried messing with the auto-setting sliders but can't seem to improve it any.

I've got a sound system I use that fixes the issue but I'm an insomniac and can't blast it at 2am, lol.

I've experience the same problem with sound. Voices are hard to hear but back ground music is extremly load. Any ideas?

I think the sound system is a big weakness of this set. I was planning on using the internal speakers for a while, but they are really terrible. I ended up buying a sound system and Harmony remote less than a month after the TV.

I also wish the useless speakers didn't add so much to the overall size of the TV.

As a side note, my refurb 220 from Phillips Outlet just passed the one year mark without any problems. I still really like the picture. It was great watching the Cowboys win big last night in HD :-).

Curious...how many hours of operation do you guys have on your 7000 series Philips and how many years have you had them?

I have been having the same half black screen. I tried getting philips to cover the problem with no luck.
My first thoughts were that it was somehow overheating. I though this because it started when the temp. was very hot, mid july and the ac was off. Now it is still doing it even when the temp has cooled..
I read so much about this my head is spinning. One thing I am wondering is if this started when I did a firmware upgrade back in july. I was having a seprate problem. The tv was mixing the av signals together when the tv was powered up. The only way to clear that was to change the channel to a HD channel.
I just read the posts about the techs tapping on the speaker area.
I tried doing it while the picture was normal. I saw the bottom half of the screen flicker for an instant black and then it went back to normal.
I also switched the picture setting to echo. I never found out what that is supposed to do to fix it, but I figured its worth a try.
Next idea is to roll back my firmware.
Something else that was strage was when my half black screen appears, if I hit the menu button on the tv it slowly dissolves...and then goes black again. It will go back for a few more times. then stay black for a min. and then sometimes,(not always) go back to a normal picture...
very strange.

Curious...how many hours of operation do you guys have on your 7000 series Philips and how many years have you had them?

How do I check? I've heard you can through the service menu but never heard exactly where. I don't want to start messing around in it and accidentally mess something up.

good question. I am curious about that too

I have been having the same half black screen. I tried getting philips to cover the problem with no luck.
My first thoughts were that it was somehow overheating. I though this because it started when the temp. was very hot, mid july and the ac was off. Now it is still doing it even when the temp has cooled..
I read so much about this my head is spinning. One thing I am wondering is if this started when I did a firmware upgrade back in july. I was having a seprate problem. The tv was mixing the av signals together when the tv was powered up. The only way to clear that was to change the channel to a HD channel.
I just read the posts about the techs tapping on the speaker area.
I tried doing it while the picture was normal. I saw the bottom half of the screen flicker for an instant black and then it went back to normal.
I also switched the picture setting to echo. I never found out what that is supposed to do to fix it, but I figured its worth a try.
Next idea is to roll back my firmware.
Something else that was strage was when my half black screen appears, if I hit the menu button on the tv it slowly dissolves...and then goes black again. It will go back for a few more times. then stay black for a min. and then sometimes,(not always) go back to a normal picture...
very strange.
My set occasionally has a problem with the bottom half of the screen. It usually goes black for a few seconds, recovers for a few seconds, and repeats the cycle. Sometimes it stops doing it within a minute or so.
The problem first occurred on a very hot day this summer, with no A/C. It usually does not happen until the set has been on at least an hour. Sometimes the set will be on for several hours without doing it. I would guess that the set is typically on for 1-3 hours a day, and I think I observe the problem about once or twice a week.
When the cycle did not stop on its own, I have gotten it to clear by tapping near the LEDs(I think I tried this about 5 times, and it always worked). I have also gotten it to clear by powering down for a few seconds, and powering back up(I think I tried this twice, and it always worked).
It is difficult to figure out what would act like this. A poor solder joint could fail with temperature, and temporarily go away after tapping, but I would not expect it to clear itself quickly on its own or go away because of a very brief power down. Maybe the tapping causes a relay to bounce, which has the same effect as the power down. At this point, I really do not have a solid theory.
FYI, I am still running firmware version 1.0.8

Its very very strange. I just wish they would admit that there is a problem and tell the public how they can resolve it. They are being very secretive about this whole thing

How do I check? I've heard you can through the service menu but never heard exactly where. I don't want to start messing around in it and accidentally mess something up.

There is a code that you enter to access the Service Menu (SM). But it's different for each Philips plasma (I think)....on the 9630/31/71 models, it's "0....6...2....5...9...6 + INFO".

You can try that but if it doesn't work the answer is probably with someone on this board who owns the same model as you guys have.

ok. it worked! There are all kinds of options.. it shows my hours as 5862 and there are also some pdp hours around 3000? What is all this stuff? IS the another thread that lists what this stuff does?

Just another follow up. I tried knocking on all differnt areas of the tv. This also produces the black flash of the bottom half of the screen. It is a very fast flash with each knock. It doesnt matter where I hit, it can be bottom, top or corners.. either way the bottom half of the screen flashes black!

ok. it worked! There are all kinds of options.. it shows my hours as 5862 and there are also some pdp hours around 3000? What is all this stuff? IS the another thread that lists what this stuff does?

DO NOT TOUCH OR ENTER ANY OF THE LISTED VARIABLES IN THE SERVICE MENU...SCROLL AROUND BUT THAT'S IT. IN OTHER WORDS, LOOK BUT DON'T TOUCH !! :D

The 5862 hours is the PDP hours plus 1/2 hour for every time the TV is turned ON (and maybe OFF, I'm not sure). The lower number is just pure hours the set has been turned on -- that's the number to focus on. What is it, exactly ? Low 3's or high 3's ?

That's a pretty big gap between the two, though if you watch for small streteches at a time and turn off your set I guess it's feasible. My 9631 has about 2700 and 2100 respectively. Maybe your 2nd number -- 3000 -- is closer to 4,000, high 3's. That would make more sense, unless you have a habit of turning your set on and off every 30-45 minutes or so. ;)

I think it was around 3200. I will check later. I am kind of scared to mess with that menu! What are all those settings!?
Virgin mode? all kinds of stuff.

7163 operation hours and 4000 hours exactly for PDP. Apparently I use my set a lot. My TV had two boards replaced recently after it stopped working. When I turned it on it would flash random colors with no picture. It's going on 1 year and 11 months old as of October now. Hopefully I get another year or so out of it before I finally replace it, and you can be sure it won't be with another Philips. I look at this set as a really nice sports car thats amazing but very unreliable. :)

DO NOT TOUCH OR ENTER ANY OF THE LISTED VARIABLES IN THE SERVICE MENU...SCROLL AROUND BUT THAT'S IT. IN OTHER WORDS, LOOK BUT DON'T TOUCH !! :D

The 5862 hours is the PDP hours plus 1/2 hour for every time the TV is turned ON (and maybe OFF, I'm not sure). The lower number is just pure hours the set has been turned on -- that's the number to focus on. What is it, exactly ? Low 3's or high 3's ?

That's a pretty big gap between the two, though if you watch for small streteches at a time and turn off your set I guess it's feasible. My 9631 has about 2700 and 2100 respectively. Maybe your 2nd number -- 3000 -- is closer to 4,000, high 3's. That would make more sense, unless you have a habit of turning your set on and off every 30-45 minutes or so. ;)


Forgot to mention this was a store display model. Maybe that explains it. I bought it Oct. 1 2005. I am not sure how long it was on display in the store. It was a return. . I guess I made a big mistake. I saved about $400

7163 operation hours and 4000 hours exactly for PDP. Apparently I use my set a lot. My TV had two boards replaced recently after it stopped working. When I turned it on it would flash random colors with no picture. It's going on 1 year and 11 months old as of October now. Hopefully I get another year or so out of it before I finally replace it, and you can be sure it won't be with another Philips. I look at this set as a really nice sports car thats amazing but very unreliable. :)

So in 2 years you have almost 7200 hours ???

I wouldn't be so down on the Philips. If you look at these threads you see every kind of plasma -- Pioneer, Panasonic, Samsung, LG, etc -- coming up with major electronic problems, stuck pixels, blown fuses, etc.

The newer 9631/71 models are MUCH better than the 7000 series, with more features. PQ is excellent and value for the $$$ is great. Check out our comments on the threads and don't let the early 2000's technology of the 7000 series get you down on Philips. It was an "OK" plasma for the time, but the 9000 series are MUCH better.

So in 2 years you have almost 7200 hours ???

I wouldn't be so down on the Philips. If you look at these threads you see every kind of plasma -- Pioneer, Panasonic, Samsung, LG, etc -- coming up with major electronic problems, stuck pixels, blown fuses, etc.

The newer 9631/71 models are MUCH better than the 7000 series, with more features. PQ is excellent and value for the $$$ is great. Check out our comments on the threads and don't let the early 2000's technology of the 7000 series get you down on Philips. It was an "OK" plasma for the time, but the 9000 series are MUCH better.

The newer models could be better but I just couldn't see taking a risk buying another Philips product, especially as expensive as this. It's obvious theres design flaws with this set which are being ignored which causes me to wonder if newer models have the same flaw. If you look back in this thread I don't recall one person who has been here since the start of this thread who hasn't had a major failure with his set. Out of curiosity, is there anyone with this set that has had it for two years and hasn't had the set completely fail on them?

This has even been backed up by TV repair shops. When I asked the repair shop here what the most common brand of sets were that needed repair they laughed and said "Philips, we see those all the time." My curiosity got to me so I called two others and asked the same question and was surprised, both answered Philips. I even offer anyone considering buying a Philips plasma a challenge, call up three local repair shop and ask them the same question and then tell me if you're still going with Philips.

I am really scared to buy another Philips also. I have been looking around and see others that I might look into. At Sams and walmart they have some great deals.. How are the Vizios? I would get a 50" or larger this time, out of all the brands does someone have list in order of quality?

I am really scared to buy another Philips also. I have been looking around and see others that I might look into. At Sams and walmart they have some great deals.. How are the Vizios? I would get a 50" or larger this time, out of all the brands does someone have list in order of quality?
I have a pair of Vizio VX32Ls that seem to work well, but they are only a few months old. They are bedroom TVs, so I do not consider picture and sound quality to be critical. At $600, I considered them to be good values.

My 42PF7320A occasionally flashes black on the bottom half. I bought it new at Sam's Club about 2 years ago. The problem is rare enough, that I could live with it, if it stayed the way it is. However, I suspect that someday I will have a $2000 door stop.

Based on how hot the 42PF7320 runs, I do not think I would ever buy a Plasma TV again. The thermal stresses on the modules cannot be good for them.

Also, what is the electricity usage compared to an lcd?

I have a pair of Vizio VX32Ls that seem to work well, but they are only a few months old. They are bedroom TVs, so I do not consider picture and sound quality to be critical. At $600, I considered them to be good values.

My 42PF7320A occasionally flashes black on the bottom half. I bought it new at Sam's Club about 2 years ago. The problem is rare enough, that I could live with it, if it stayed the way it is. However, I suspect that someday I will have a $2000 door stop.

Based on how hot the 42PF7320 runs, I do not think I would ever buy a Plasma TV again. The thermal stresses on the modules cannot be good for them.

Are any of the newer plasmas better with heat! mine runs like an oven, it actually heats up the whole room.
Also, what is the electricity usage compared to and LCD?

If you look back in this thread I don't recall one person who has been here since the start of this thread who hasn't had a major failure with his set. Out of curiosity, is there anyone with this set that has had it for two years and hasn't had the set completely fail on them?

I have had my set for a year and a half and not had a single problem (knock on wood)! I wouldn't let this forum serve as the gauge on how well the TV functions. Why do these forums exist? People are having problems and looking to connect with others that are too in the hopes that they can find some solutions. How many other sets are out there that function fine? You'll never know. The addage is true you only hear from the ones who have a problem; only rarely do you hear from someone who's had a good experience. Can Philips do a better job designing and building TV's? I'm sure they can and I wish they would, but there's also the cost factor. Competition is everything in these markets. There's a fine line between affordability and quality. Price was one of the reasons I bought this set, but for $2K I still should expect a quality product. So far I'm satisfied(wish I'd bought a 50"), but anything could happen tomorrow.

Are any of the newer plasmas better with heat! mine runs like an oven, it actually heats up the whole room.
Also, what is the electricity usage compared to and LCD?

I believe all plasmas even new models generate lots more heat then an LCD - its the nature of the technology. As far as power draw YES plasmas draw LOTS more power then an LCD, I dont have #'s in front of me but I have compared them & its staggering. I just bought my son a 19" LCD for his room & it runs stone cold. The LCD technology is a lot better now then it was 1.5 years ago when I bought the plasma & if I had to go out & buy a new TV today Id go with LCD for the lower heat dissipation, lower power draw, & lighter weight.
Arnold In The Smokies

My 9630 decided last week to stop providing a picture. Just in time for the new TV season! Sound and ambilight work, but no video of any kind. Two mysterious green led's are visible now glowing inside the set when turned on, one steady and the other one blinking. These are inside the grid on the back just above the connection panel. I am certainly wary now of Philips too. Repairmen are coming next week to take a look and give a estimate on repairs. If too much, we are probably going to chuck it and get something else. Set is about 20 months old...

The newer models could be better but I just couldn't see taking a risk buying another Philips product, especially as expensive as this. It's obvious theres design flaws with this set which are being ignored which causes me to wonder if newer models have the same flaw. If you look back in this thread I don't recall one person who has been here since the start of this thread who hasn't had a major failure with his set. Out of curiosity, is there anyone with this set that has had it for two years and hasn't had the set completely fail on them?

I don't disagree with the 7000 series: they cost $3,000 - $6,000 before 2006 and reliability was spotty. My point is this: the newer models cost under $1,500 and the PQ and reliability is LIGHT-YEARS better. Don't take my word for it, go read the 9630/9631/9731 threads. Sure, problems crop up -- you see all the problem threads from owners of Samsung, Pioneer, Panasonic, Sony, etc ?

All I'm saying is: don't dismiss the newer models out of hand. And whatever you buy, get a 3-year warranty for no more than 20% of the purchase price of the plasma.

This has even been backed up by TV repair shops. When I asked the repair shop here what the most common brand of sets were that needed repair they laughed and said "Philips, we see those all the time." My curiosity got to me so I called two others and asked the same question and was surprised, both answered Philips. I even offer anyone considering buying a Philips plasma a challenge, call up three local repair shop and ask them the same question and then tell me if you're still going with Philips.

This is known as selective bias.

The reason that the repair shops are saying Philips is (1) Philips was one of the few manufacturers selling plasmas since inception so it has a larger and older base of sets that can break and (2) the people more likely to call repair shops as opposed to the manufacturers or high-end specialty retailers are folks who buy Philips or other medium-priced TV's (Pioneer, for instance, not likely to be fixed by your local repair shop) and (3) folks who buy Philips were generally less-knowledgeable about their sets than Fujitsu/Runco/Pioneer/Pansonic etc during the 2000-2005 period and might have self-inflicted their problems.

I'm not saying there aren't alot of problems with the earlier Philips models -- there are. And Philips might have more problems than the others over time and over all.

But all I'm saying is scan down the Plasma section of AVS and see all the problem threads. You don't see Philips-after-Philips threads. There are tons of problems with other models and the newer Philips models threads confirm that most people are EXTREMELY happy with their 9000 series.

would you say philips is a better quality now then vizio? or is it reverse?

would you say philips is a better quality now then vizio? or is it reverse?

Definitely better quality and overall PQ and features. Plus, a source works at Costco and tells me the 50" and larger Vizio's have tons of recall problems. Surprisingly -- pleasantly ! -- she said very few with the 63" Philips that I recommended to a friend who is very happy with it 2 months in.

Definitely better quality and overall PQ and features. Plus, a source works at Costco and tells me the 50" and larger Vizio's have tons of recall problems. Surprisingly -- pleasantly ! -- she said very few with the 63" Philips that I recommended to a friend who is very happy with it 2 months in.

Where was Vizio 3 years ago? How long has Philips been making TV's? I trust someone that's been in the business longer to make a better product. Vizio's main purpose is to sell TVs cheaply to Walmart. That's not where I spend my money on "investment" items.

Where was Vizio 3 years ago? How long has Philips been making TV's? I trust someone that's been in the business longer to make a better product. Vizio's main purpose is to sell TVs cheaply to Walmart. That's not where I spend my money on "investment" items.

Actually, up to about 6-9 months ago, the Vizio's weren't bad if you got a good one. But with the prices of a 42" plasma about 1/3rd what they were 2 years ago, no need to go cheap, IMO.

Best 3 are Philips, Panasonic, and Pioneer, IMO.

Strangely my tv hasnt been half blacking out in the last few days. Ever since I banged on it to see it it would flicker, it has stopped having the problem. Im keeping my fingers crossed

My brother just sent me this pic from his phone... thats an amazing price!

Holy crap.... walmart has the philips 50" plasma for $1400 thats a sick price. It looks really nice with the all soft black frame.
The only concern is that it is 720p

This is known as selective bias.

The reason that the repair shops are saying Philips is (1) Philips was one of the few manufacturers selling plasmas since inception so it has a larger and older base of sets that can break and (2) the people more likely to call repair shops as opposed to the manufacturers or high-end specialty retailers are folks who buy Philips or other medium-priced TV's (Pioneer, for instance, not likely to be fixed by your local repair shop) and (3) folks who buy Philips were generally less-knowledgeable about their sets than Fujitsu/Runco/Pioneer/Pansonic etc during the 2000-2005 period and might have self-inflicted their problems.

I'm not saying there aren't alot of problems with the earlier Philips models -- there are. And Philips might have more problems than the others over time and over all.

But all I'm saying is scan down the Plasma section of AVS and see all the problem threads. You don't see Philips-after-Philips threads. There are tons of problems with other models and the newer Philips models threads confirm that most people are EXTREMELY happy with their 9000 series.


Phanatic,
you forgot to make 1 point, when someone calls the repair shop & they say Philips, ask which series, 7000, 9000 etc. As you've said, the 7000 series is less reliable. I've had my 50PF9630 refurb since february & have 2035 hrs & 1703 pdp hours & it's been great. And I've seen comments in various threads that ambilight is a gimmick. Yes it IS a gimmick, and so is power steering & AC in cars, you don't need them to propell the car but I wouldn't own a car without them, the same with ambilight, you don't need it but it adds to the experience;)

That sucks. The service manual does get into specifics about the codes but I must warn you, it's a little confusing at first. Here's the link to it:

http://www.pcrescueoc.com/philips.htm

My TV was out of warranty and I was able to get Philips to fix it via emailing the CEO. If you need any advice and/or help doing the same feel free to PM me. The reports here seem to suggest the vast majority get a one time free repair on both parts and labor. A very unlucky few have either only been offered parts only or had no help at all.

My TV is fixed now but the service center can't deliver it until Monday. It sucks it's basically going to be sitting in a storage room for almost a week but oh well. I was surprised, I was expecting the parts to be back ordered and not see it until September, LOL. I'll definitely be testing out color temps, all inputs, various settings, and anything else I can think of before accepting it though. I've heard all kinds of repair center horror stories. So hopefully my issue is resolved! :)
I'm having the same infamous 'Philips Black Screen'. It started with one half or the other which would usually go away when I tapped the top or side. Then it went full screen and has been that way since. Philips Customer Service recommended 4 service centers for me in Southern California for out of warranty repair (less than a year old, but bought as a refurb direct from Philips). 2 of the 4 won't come to my part of Southern Cal and of the other 2 one was shut down a couple years back for fraudulent repairs and the other is a sleazy little shop with a vinyl sign between a Menudo take out joint and an all night Mexican market. I cant believe that this is the extent of Philips authorizes service in Orange County, Calif with over 3 million residents.

BTW… What is the eMail address for the CEO? I’d like to try that route.

It may be true about the improved 9000 series, but what about all of us stuck with a faulty 7000? My 24PF7220A/37 is in the terminal stage of the Black Screen of Death and (of course) out of warranty. Would you spend $400-$600 to repair or go get a newer, bigger, better one? And if you did choose the newer route wouldn't the Philips brand be less than desirable given your previous troubled experience and given that the last one gave out just outside of warranty?

I don't disagree with the 7000 series: they cost $3,000 - $6,000 before 2006 and reliability was spotty. My point is this: the newer models cost under $1,500 and the PQ and reliability is LIGHT-YEARS better. Don't take my word for it, go read the 9630/9631/9731 threads. Sure, problems crop up -- you see all the problem threads from owners of Samsung, Pioneer, Panasonic, Sony, etc ?

All I'm saying is: don't dismiss the newer models out of hand. And whatever you buy, get a 3-year warranty for no more than 20% of the purchase price of the plasma.



This is known as selective bias.

The reason that the repair shops are saying Philips is (1) Philips was one of the few manufacturers selling plasmas since inception so it has a larger and older base of sets that can break and (2) the people more likely to call repair shops as opposed to the manufacturers or high-end specialty retailers are folks who buy Philips or other medium-priced TV's (Pioneer, for instance, not likely to be fixed by your local repair shop) and (3) folks who buy Philips were generally less-knowledgeable about their sets than Fujitsu/Runco/Pioneer/Pansonic etc during the 2000-2005 period and might have self-inflicted their problems.

I'm not saying there aren't alot of problems with the earlier Philips models -- there are. And Philips might have more problems than the others over time and over all.

But all I'm saying is scan down the Plasma section of AVS and see all the problem threads. You don't see Philips-after-Philips threads. There are tons of problems with other models and the newer Philips models threads confirm that most people are EXTREMELY happy with their 9000 series.

:mad:It may be true about the improved 9000 series, but what about all of us stuck with a faulty 7000? My 24PF7220A/37 is in the terminal stage of the Black Screen of Death and (of course) out of warranty. Would you spend $400-$600 to repair or go get a newer, bigger, better one? And if you did choose the newer route wouldn't the Philips brand be less than desirable given your previous troubled experience and given that the last one gave out just outside of warranty?

And I've seen comments in various threads that ambilight is a gimmick. Yes it IS a gimmick, and so is power steering & AC in cars, you don't need them to propell the car but I wouldn't own a car without them, the same with ambilight, you don't need it but it adds to the experience;)

Yeah, it's such a 'gimmick' that the more enthusiastic and high-end people here are spending hundreds of dollars and hours of time installing their own make-shift ambilight or back-lighting systems !

When my 42" Philips goes into my bedroom and I upgrade/upsize the main HDTV, the Ambilight will be that much more useful, since I almost always fall asleep to the TV being on. And watching TV in dark with a soft glow behind it is definitely easier on the eyes in a completely dark room when you're preparing for a night of sleep.

And of course, in the main viewing room, Ambilight still kicks butt ! ;)

It may be true about the improved 9000 series, but what about all of us stuck with a faulty 7000? My 24PF7220A/37 is in the terminal stage of the Black Screen of Death and (of course) out of warranty. Would you spend $400-$600 to repair or go get a newer, bigger, better one? And if you did choose the newer route wouldn't the Philips brand be less than desirable given your previous troubled experience and given that the last one gave out just outside of warranty?

(1) Isn't there a firmware fix for the BDOS ? There was for the 9630/31 series....BSOD is where the TV power green LED stays on but the TV screen goes 'off' (no sound, either).

(2) If you have a 24" model (24PF7220) no way I spend $400 on it. For $1,000 you can buy a 42" 9631 with lots of features. Hey wait a sec, how can you have a 24" plasma? You must mean 42", right? Yeah, even for a 42", I wouldn't spend more than $250. For probably 1/3rd what you paid for that TV, you can get a TV with better PQ, more features, AND get a 3-year warranty to boot.

Beach, I feel your pain about the TV giving out right after the warranty died (how long was it -- sounds like you got an extended one, right)? All I can say is that flat-panels are very fickle and EVERY DAMN MANUFACTURER has a much higher problem and failure rate on flat-panels than on CRT's.

All you can do is get an extended warranty (3 years min.) and get a set that has a good reputation. Panasonic was my runner-up -- can't go wrong with them. Pioneer, you know about though their hook-up with Sharp may indicate their committment going forward (as well as their existence) is in doubt. Philips 9631/9731 you can read the threads and decide for yourself.

Look, ANY model can end up being a PITA if you happen to get stuck with a lemon. All you can do is protect yourself with a retailer/seller with a good return policy if it goes kablooey in the 1st 30-days; a warranty for 3+ years if it has problems down the line; and research the particular model to make sure it isn't afflicted with problems.

If you are going with plasma, esp. 50", the 3 to go with that I know you can trust are Philips, Panasonic and Pioneer -- The Three P's. :D

(1) Isn't there a firmware fix for the BDOS ? There was for the 9630/31 series....BSOD is where the TV power green LED stays on but the TV screen goes 'off' (no sound, either).

(2) If you have a 24" model (24PF7220) no way I spend $400 on it. For $1,000 you can buy a 42" 9631 with lots of features. Hey wait a sec, how can you have a 24" plasma? You must mean 42", right? Yeah, even for a 42", I wouldn't spend more than $250. For probably 1/3rd what you paid for that TV, you can get a TV with better PQ, more features, AND get a 3-year warranty to boot.

Sorry about the typo. It is a 42PF7220A. It had the most current update available. I made sure when Black Screen of Death began last July. Sound is fine. I now call it my wall radio.

I haven't taken it in for service, but one Philips certified tech. told me he was very familiar with the problem and it could cost up to $600 depending on the extent of the problem (power supply and signal board/s or just one or the other).

I'm working on Philips to acknowledge this problem and issue a recall.

If it's BSOD, then a firmware upgrade should fix it -- you sure you got the upgrade that came with the fix specifically attached? If not, upgrade with that even if it's earlier than the one you got.

BSOD is fixable -- don't know anybody who got it who didn't get it fixed by firmware upgrade.

Here's a thought: you might be able to cannibalize your 7220 for $$$ (parts) and use the proceeds for a newer model ? :confused:

If it's BSOD, then a firmware upgrade should fix it -- you sure you got the upgrade that came with the fix specifically attached? If not, upgrade with that even if it's earlier than the one you got.

BSOD is fixable -- don't know anybody who got it who didn't get it fixed by firmware upgrade.

Here's a thought: you might be able to cannibalize your 7220 for $$$ (parts) and use the proceeds for a newer model ? :confused:

Can give us a link to that firmware upgrade your referring to?

Can give us a link to that firmware upgrade your referring to?
The link is:

http://www.freewebtown.com/sgr215/

You can thank fellow AVS member sgr215 for his diligence in putting this together & keeping it alive:-)

The link is:

http://www.freewebtown.com/sgr215/

You can thank fellow AVS member sgr215 for his diligence in putting this together & keeping it alive:-)

Keep in mind, there is no picture.

I downloded the file at 'http://www.freewebtown.com/sgr215/' and un-zipped it. I copied the 'autorun.upg' to a USB memory stick and put it in the set's USB port. Then hit the power button. Green power light, no picture. It cycled off after about 10 secs. Then nothing.

Was that the proper procedure? :confused:

Keep in mind, there is no picture.

I downloded the file at 'http://www.freewebtown.com/sgr215/' and un-zipped it. I copied the 'autorun.upg' to a USB memory stick and put it in the set's USB port. Then hit the power button. Green power light, no picture. It cycled off after about 10 secs. Then nothing.

Was that the proper procedure? :confused:

Follow the procedure outlined in the Philips manual....I use the AUTOUPGRADE method which begins with the TV off. Either AUTO or MANUAL will work -- check the (latest) SOFTWARE version on your TV from the OSM and verify that it was updated correctly.

Follow the procedure outlined in the Philips manual....I use the AUTOUPGRADE method which begins with the TV off. Either AUTO or MANUAL will work -- check the (latest) SOFTWARE version on your TV from the OSM and verify that it was updated correctly.

Sounds like its right. But if you have NO picture to begin with, I dont know who you will know if the firware actually being installed!?

Sounds like its right. But if you have NO picture to begin with, I dont know who you will know if the firware actually being installed!?

The OSM won't come up ?

The OSM won't come up ?
No Picture, No OSM (On Screen Menu), just sound.

No Picture, No OSM (On Screen Menu), just sound.

Maybe someone can post exactly what key strokes (and timing) are required to do the update so MMM can do it "blindfolded". Unfortunately I do not have the time to go through the process tonight at home.

I think when you turn the set back on after inserting the usb it will automaticly run. After a few min, maybe just hit the ok button on the remote and remove. But I think if it was working, it would give his image back once the usb is done...

I think when you turn the set back on after inserting the usb it will automaticly run. After a few min, maybe just hit the ok button on the remote and remove. But I think if it was working, it would give his image back once the usb is done...

Heres a PDF file from the Philips website that explains firmware upgrade the method(s) involved in detail.

I just noticed I attached the one for the 7220 but Im 99.9% sure its exactly the same procedure for the 7320:-)

I am using an over the air antenna on my 7220 but sometimes lose some of my digital channels. I have to autoprogram all channels to get them back. Afterwards the lost channel reception is fine, which leads me to question whether the loss was due to a weak signal. I do not experience channel loss on the tuner on my Philips 3575 DVR.

Is this the problem of "channel loss" others are experiencing? Has anyone actually experienced upgrade version 1.6 solving this problem? Has anyone actually installed version 1.6 on a 7220 or 7320? With what experience?

I am using an over the air antenna on my 7220 but sometimes lose some of my digital channels. I have to autoprogram all channels to get them back.

Is this the problem of "channel loss" others are experiencing? Has anyone actually experiences upgrade version 1.6 solving this problem? Has anyone actually installed version 1.6 on a 7220 or 7320? With what experience?

This is one of the most aggravating things I experience with this TV. Loss of programming (and favorite status) if you see a drop out of the OTA signal while watching that particular channel. I am not sure if 1.6 upgrade takes care of this (Please someone say yes), but instead of doing the entire auto program rigamarole, just do a weak channel install on that one channel you lost. All you need to know is what frequency that channel is - remember the digital version is not the same as the analog. Then reset as a favorite and readjust the delta volume setting. This is my life all the time. I think a better antenna would help too.

I tried the upgrade (very difficult without a picture) and it did not help.

I contacted Philips CEO & COO. I received a prompt reply from the COO who cc'd a gal in Customer Service, Canada. They did not admit that BSOD was a known problem, but are going to cover the out of warranty repair on an exception basis.

i have found this tv for $599 is it worth the buy?

i have found this tv for $599 is it worth the buy?

Is that the one @Fry's? I saw that as well. Sounds like a really great price if you can get the extended warranty for a low cost as well & live in an area that has a good qualified service facility..

If I were you, I would buy the PANASONIC TH-42PX75U for $999.00. It is not refurbished, has a full warranty, and ships for free.

I have a refurbished Philips 7220 Plasma that I bought from the Philips Outlet in February for $800 with free shipping. I love it except for the channel dropping problem mentioned above. Great PQ, inputs, and features...even the analog PQ is good. However, it is clear from the forums that this model has problems. Some of these problems have been fixed by software updates; but I surmise from the forum postings that the unit probably overheats (it does run hot) and, over time, warps electronics...causing other problems. Consequently, within my 30 day warranty I bought a Repairmaster extended warranty for $125 (from warrantydomain.com). While I love my TV now, I am just waiting for something to happen.

I wish now that I had bought the Panasonic (then selling for $1350) if only for peace of mind.

Three things LCD technology has going for it are: less weight, less heat, and no chance of screen burn-in. If it now offers comparable picture quality and lower prices, then LCD is going to kill plasma.

I am using an over the air antenna on my 7220 but sometimes lose some of my digital channels. I have to autoprogram all channels to get them back. Afterwards the lost channel reception is fine, which leads me to question whether the loss was due to a weak signal. I do not experience channel loss on the tuner on my Philips 3575 DVR.

Is this the problem of "channel loss" others are experiencing? Has anyone actually experienced upgrade version 1.6 solving this problem? Has anyone actually installed version 1.6 on a 7220 or 7320? With what experience?

I've been experiencing the same problem of frequent saved/favorite channel loss and I'm using firmware version 1.6. So far the only firmware that does not have this problem is 1.1.

...and version 1.1 risks the black screen problem. So damned if you do and damned if you don't. Right?

Recently I bought a Pioneer 400V DVD player that supports upscaling to 1080p and I connected it via a HDMI cable to a Philips 42" 42PF320A plasma HD Display which supports up to 1080i resolution. The problem I'm seeing is that if I select any output resolution on the Pioneer higher than 480p the image starts to scroll up on the display and wrap around slowly. So far I've been unable to determine why this is happening but I'm starting to suspect that there is a mismatch in the refresh rate. Anyway, if anyone knows what is going on here I'd love to know too.

Hi, I am looking for some help. My girlfriend somehow changed the resolution to 480p. I cannot find where in the settings that I move it back to 1080i. Can someone help walk me through this?

I know this is simple but I just can't seem to locate this is in the settings.

Thats set from your cable box.

I have a 7220A and it worked fine for 4 months and (stupid me) I took off the cable input and reattached it with a longer one. BAM!! since then every time I turn off the set it loses every digital and HD channel. I have tried every ding dang software upgrand and have found out the differences in each version (some suck and some are beautiful) but alas I still lose all the digital and HD channels when I shut it off. I is a major pain to reinstall the upgrades and go through the auto program every time I want to watch anything. Service center won't give me the time of day cause it's out of warranty. I feel that I made a major mistake purchasing this set from the outlet store. Is there any quick fix that will allow me to retain the channels? installing all the old software don't cut it for some reason, and I have never experienced the bsod yet.

Did you unplug the cable while the set was on? Does it loose the channels immediately after you turn the set off? Have you tried marking some of the channels as favorites?

Yeah I think the set was on but not active(small amount of current going to it). Even when I mark them as favorites when they are gone I go back to favorites and all it does is say - searching channel then channel not available till I reinstall the software. Funny thing is most of the time I have to reinstall an older version 1st then go back to the latest version. Drives me crazy. I was looking it the service manual and see that it has 2 memories. Has to have something to do with the memory. But not sure how to clear it without screwing something else up.

bought plasma TV 42PF7220A/37B on July 09, 2007.
From day one this tv has an issue,half of screen(bottom part go dark) go off every 10-20 minutes.
Contact Philips,they gave me repair company(Torrance), which keep telling me,
im too far from them.
After waisting 10 days,with that company,i contacted Philips again,they gave me new
repair company(Calabasas( close to my home, they took tv in 2 days,
and keep it for a month.After that they return tv with exactly same problem,
nothing changed.Contact Philips,they didnt see if last company did repaire or not.
They took tv for a second time. Contacted Philips again-no help either.
I bought that TV 4 months ago, and 3 months+ its in repair. NEVER BUY TV from Philips,
their service is weak,service centers and etc.
Just read post one more time,and think, if you want to go thru same problems.

bought plasma TV 42PF7220A/37B on July 09, 2007.
From day one this tv has an issue,half of screen(bottom part go dark) go off every 10-20 minutes.
Contact Philips,they gave me repair company(Torrance), which keep telling me,
im too far from them.
After waisting 10 days,with that company,i contacted Philips again,they gave me new
repair company(Calabasas( close to my home, they took tv in 2 days,
and keep it for a month.After that they return tv with exactly same problem,
nothing changed.Contact Philips,they didnt see if last company did repaire or not.
They took tv for a second time. Contacted Philips again-no help either.
I bought that TV 4 months ago, and 3 months+ its in repair. NEVER BUY TV from Philips,
their service is weak,service centers and etc.
Just read post one more time,and think, if you want to go thru same problems.

I suggest contacting paul.zeven@philips.com and explaining your situation. This is the CEO of Philips. He will refer the case to his staff who generally seems to try their best to fix the situation. I remember hearing a similar story to yours and the person ended up getting a replacement tv, free of charge. (They repaired my TV, which was out of warranty, for free too even) Good luck!

I suggest contacting paul.zeven@philips.com and explaining your situation. This is the CEO of Philips. He will refer the case to his staff who generally seems to try their best to fix the situation. I remember hearing a similar story to yours and the person ended up getting a replacement tv, free of charge. (They repaired my TV, which was out of warranty, for free too even) Good luck!

I will try, thank you so much

Does anybody know if Philips might plan to stop the muting process when a HDMI source is connected and you are trying to pass the audio out to a receiver through the digital coax out? :(

Iv never had that problem. I have used the digital audio from day 1 which was 2 years ago without a problem. Did you assign the port?

I have seen in this thread that a few have used the Omnimount U3 (tilt or flat) to mount the TV to the wall. Does anyone have any comments on this unit (good, bad)? Any other reccomendations for (cost effective) mounting brackets? Thanks

...since I bought my Phillips at CC on black friday (2005). I haven't posted in a while so I thought I'd pop in. It looks like this set has been very troublesome for many. Luckily mine is still hanging in there (thank goodness since it's out of warranty), I do get the black screen occasionally but not enough to prompt me to upgrade the firmware. Still enjoying the HD picture (stunning) but I find dark scenes to be a little weak. I'm feeding it DISH HD through an 811 receiver and a toshiba A2 HD-DVD - both through HDMI. Has anyone found a way to improve the detail in dark scenes or is it just a inherent problem with the set?

Thanks to all and happy holidays.

Tiga

...since I bought my Phillips at CC on black friday (2005). I haven't posted in a while so I thought I'd pop in. It looks like this set has been very troublesome for many. Luckily mine is still hanging in there (thank goodness since it's out of warranty), I do get the black screen occasionally but not enough to prompt me to upgrade the firmware. Still enjoying the HD picture (stunning) but I find dark scenes to be a little weak. I'm feeding it DISH HD through an 811 receiver and a toshiba A2 HD-DVD - both through HDMI. Has anyone found a way to improve the detail in dark scenes or is it just a inherent problem with the set?

Thanks to all and happy holidays.

Tiga
Have you tried to calibrate your set either using the DVE or Avia dvd's? I found that the A2 (which I also have) also plays dvd's / Hd dvd's a little dark. But I guess thats just the way the A2 is. But either way I'm not gonna complain. :)

Sam's Club Repaired PF5321D $654.01 appears to work fine.

Worth it? Carries full SC return policy and full new warranty. At least I've got 30 days to decide if it is o'k.

Should I buy. Wife is there now and pulling the trigger any min.

Thanks,

Matt

reply to my post from July 2006 I have not had BS in about 3 weeks. I do have the problem with the preferred channels coming back after I deselect them. I could live with that compared to the BS.
I'm knockin on wood that the BS doesn't come back. I uploaded the latest firmware last week.
I'm closing the book on this TV

Well, about a month ago the TV did me a huge favor and died. It was on a Saturday a couple of hours before the GA-FL football game. The screen was flickering a mass of red pixels - mostly on the right side. I took out an extended 2 year warranty from BJ's Wholesale club for an additional $180 so I called them. Monday morning they had a local repair guy out to my house and he saw the flickering. As he was there, the screen died and the red light blinked in sets of 7. He said that all the boards were toast and that the panel also died. If the panel had died before he came out, he would've tried to repair it but he declared it a total loss.
The warranty company offered me a comparable Panasonic 42" plasma but I declined and told them I'd rather have the reimbursement that they talked about. The check for my original purchase price plus tax came yesterday and the TV is in my garage.
What a relief that the TV died under warranty and that I got the original cost back. Philips and Plasma's will no longer be on my radar screen when I get ready to shop for another TV. I'm using my old Sony Wega 36" until it dies again for the 3rd time. Sony is off my list also.
Good luck to all.

I have seen in this thread that a few have used the Omnimount U3 (tilt or flat) to mount the TV to the wall. Does anyone have any comments on this unit (good, bad)? Any other reccomendations for (cost effective) mounting brackets? Thanks

I bought the Omnimount based on others recommendations & am very happy with it. The plus is it beefy construction, the minus in my mind is that its made in China which if I knew up front would have had me looking for another alternative. I have the tilt version.

My wife found one of these TV's on a BIG markdown at TGT and we have owned it for about one month. We put it in our bedroom and after about one week, we noticed it "whines" when a bright picture is displayed?

Basically, it "sounds" like the picture, for example, a low noise during a dark scene and a high noise during a bright scene.

This would not be a big deal if the TV was high on a wall, but it is about 8 feet from the bed and it is fairly obvious (and annoying) especially during a quiet movie.

I tried disconnecting the speakers, but the noise is coming from the TOP-MIDDLE of the unit near the vents. Stick your ear up to it and it is REALLY loud.

My thoughts are:
1) return it to TGT
2) Try and have it repaired and then return it if unsuccessful
3) Live with it?

Thanks

j-

My wife found one of these TV's on a BIG markdown at TGT and we have owned it for about one month. We put it in our bedroom and after about one week, we noticed it "whines" when a bright picture is displayed?

Basically, it "sounds" like the picture, for example, a low noise during a dark scene and a high noise during a bright scene.

This would not be a big deal if the TV was high on a wall, but it is about 8 feet from the bed and it is fairly obvious (and annoying) especially during a quiet movie.

I tried disconnecting the speakers, but the noise is coming from the TOP-MIDDLE of the unit near the vents. Stick your ear up to it and it is REALLY loud.

My thoughts are:
1) return it to TGT
2) Try and have it repaired and then return it if unsuccessful
3) Live with it?

Thanks

j-
If the unit is still under warranty I would call Philips to verify it's under warranty. Then once Philips gives the go ahead, have a repair person come out. Since the tv still works they probably might let you keep it at home till the part comes in and then come back when a replacement part comes in and replace it in your home. No guarantee but thats what they let me do when mine was acting up. It wasn't the same issue as yours but it can't hurt to try. If you really don't want to deal with the hassle of fixing it then it might be in your best interest to try and return it. And it's not that I don't like this tv because I do. But the odds of it getting worse is a possibility.

Also I just remembered. Make sure you check ALL your connections. Even try different ones just in case. And check to see if you have your firmware updated! It can't hurt and if either takes care of the problem it will save you hours of grief! Hope that helps!

I've had this TV for quite a while now, and just in the last 2 weeks it has developed a problem.

It keeps randomly bringing up the menu.

And when I hit the menu button on the side of the TV, all it does is change the channel?

I'm trying to dig up my warranty information, I'm pretty positive I bought an extended warranty.

Just got off the phone with Circuit City and confirmed that I bought a 3 year extended warranty, and it is good until February 2009. Excellent. Now to wait until they are open to call and schedule a repair.

I realize this TV is a bit old now, along with this thread, but anyone else annoyed by the fact this TV only has one component connection that supports analog audio? The other component connection only supports digital coax. If you have a lot of newer game systems this is a major pain. I guess I should just invest in a component switch.

I realize this TV is a bit old now, along with this thread, but anyone else annoyed by the fact this TV only has one component connection that supports analog audio? The other component connection only supports digital coax. If you have a lot of newer game systems this is a major pain. I guess I should just invest in a component switch.

Any reason you don't just run the audio through your receiver?

Any reason you don't just run the audio through your receiver?

Yep, this TV is in a bedroom so we just use the TV speakers.

Yep, this TV is in a bedroom so we just use the TV speakers.
Ah! I knew you'd have a reason:-) Sounds like some kind of switching would be needed. This set isn't the only one that is deficient in inputs/outputs. On first glance it seems loaded but isn't, I bought my son a Sanyo 19" LCD for his room & I payed close attention to the specs. which were great for the price but when I went to set it up I was disappointed by the choices of ins/outs.

Just an update on my situation, for future reference in case anyone else has the same problem, I just installed the latest firmware. I still had the original firmware installed, but I guess it corrupted or something after 2 years...

Well, the TV finally died.
Been running great for the last 2 years.
Was running FW v1.4

Was working fine this morning and when I went to turn it on this evening, the picture was bad and then the TV shutdown.
The front panel LED flashes RED 7 times.

Tried unplugging and plugging it back in and the TV attempts to turn on then shuts down. Leaving it unplugged for an hour also didn't help.
Tried to trick it in to a FW update by inserting a USB drive with FW and turning it on but it shuts down before it even attempts to look at the USB drive.

Anyone know what the 7 LEDS flashing/blinking RED means in lame-mens terms ?
(The service manual describes it in technical terms and refers to boards/etc for a troubleshooting flow.)

Just wondering if there is some quick checks(voltage on a board inside, soldering points, etc.) to resolve this issue.

(btw: I see from doing a search that I'm not the first to encounter this issue.
I wonder if this issue is caused from the TV turning on/off periodically to do it's channel search routine. I hear it clicking on sometimes when I step through the room on my way to the kitchen in the middle of the night. The same clicking sound when you turn the TV on/off.)

Sorry to hear about your TV. Mine still going strong for almost 2 years now. As you have seen your situation is common, maybe you also note that the reason is bad/warped/cracked circut boards. Perhaps a result of heat and poor cooling, no one has quite figured it out. I'm sure only the techs at Philips know for sure. Mine spent most of its time on its stand with ample open space behind it for cooling. Just a month or so though, I hung it on a wall. Hopefully that won't contribute to an early demise. I don't think the problem is caused by the check/update it does every so often when its not in use. Did you buy an extended warranty? Let us know what the diagnosis is and if you have it fixed. Good Luck.

Sorry to hear about your TV. Mine still going strong for almost 2 years now. As you have seen your situation is common, maybe you also note that the reason is bad/warped/cracked circut boards. Perhaps a result of heat and poor cooling, no one has quite figured it out. I'm sure only the techs at Philips know for sure. Mine spent most of its time on its stand with ample open space behind it for cooling. Just a month or so though, I hung it on a wall. Hopefully that won't contribute to an early demise. I don't think the problem is caused by the check/update it does every so often when its not in use. Did you buy an extended warranty? Let us know what the diagnosis is and if you have it fixed. Good Luck.
No extended warranty.
My TV was mounted on a wall about 4-5 inchs from the wall.(Omni mount)
The temps in the house around 60-65.

Another thing to note is over the last several months, I started to get the "half blank screen"(Lower half) issue. The issue were the bottom portion of the screen would black out and come in/out for about a minute then stop.

We just bought this tv for 600.00. After reading all this information I'm wondering if we got a bad deal. The picture looks great so far, we've had it for 2 days. We didn't get any manual but the tv guy we got it from told me how to hook it up. My question is we are just using the s video connector, should we be using any other special connectors? So far we just have reg dig dvr cable box. Is there a big difference with hd dvr? This forum has made me think I really need the manual to figure all the things out. I've been reading here all day and it sounds so confusing.. Any help would be appreciated on what I need for the best possible viewing.

You can download the manual by going here (see below) and by plugging in your model number.

http://www.support.philips.com/support/html/index_us_en.html

We just bought this tv for 600.00. After reading all this information I'm wondering if we got a bad deal. The picture looks great so far, we've had it for 2 days. We didn't get any manual but the tv guy we got it from told me how to hook it up. My question is we are just using the s video connector, should we be using any other special connectors? So far we just have reg dig dvr cable box. Is there a big difference with hd dvr? This forum has made me think I really need the manual to figure all the things out. I've been reading here all day and it sounds so confusing.. Any help would be appreciated on what I need for the best possible viewing.
If you don't have HD cable, get an antenna to pick up over the air HD channels in your area.
If you go into the menu, you can allow the TV to auto scan and find all available OTA HD channels that have a good signal strength.

You can go here, enter your zip code to find the HD broadcasts in your area.
http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/Address.aspx


You might also want to take a look at the service menu to see how many hours have been put on the TV.

If you go into the menu, you can allow the TV to auto scan and find all available OTA HD channels that have a good signal strength.


Be aware though, once you auto scan for OTA channels, if you're reception drops while you are watching the channel, you'll loose it from your programmed and favorites list. You can go back and re-load just that one station by doing a weak channel install. You will need to know the frequency of that HD station though (not the same as the analog channel). You can get that on antennaweb.org too.

Gee cable man is here to hook up new box for hdtv..He's been here since noon. When he leaves I have a story to tell....

Does anyone know how to make the cable box remote work for the volume? The cable man was here since noon and when he left the sound still couldn't be controlled with the cable remote. I went in settings and set varible then set the tv code. I now have the control bar but it doesn't control the tv sound.
He hooked it up and he didn't have any sound so he messed with it for hours then decided it was the box. So he went to get a new box I unplugged his mess and hooked it up with the box, dvd player. I just used the hdmi plug and the cables for dvd and gosh it all worked for me. Except the cable remote working the sound...
22.95 they charged me for him coming out to upgrade to hdtv. I'll bet I'll asked them for a refund since I fixed it. He wasn't even going to use my hdmi plug or hook up dvd. Anyway can anyone help me with the cable remote issue?
Thanks for all the other information you gave me.

Does anyone know how to make the cable box remote work for the volume? The cable man was here since noon and when he left the sound still couldn't be controlled with the cable remote. I went in settings and set varible then set the tv code. I now have the control bar but it doesn't control the tv sound.

Sorry, I have no experience with cable boxes (I do OTA), but couldn't you have used a cable card? Plugs right in to the back of the TV and allows you to skip the cable box. The other thing I can say is perhaps a different code on you're remote might get you the control you're looking for. When I set up my home theater reciever, there were several Philips remote codes for my universal remote and I found trying different ones gave me different results on my new remote. I had to pick the one that was closest to what I needed (although still didn't do everything the original remote did). Good luck.

I'm curious to find out how many folks have encountered the half-black screen problem. It just started on my TV in the last couple of weeks (I've had it for 2 years).

What was the problem? And how much did it cost you to get it fixed if it wasn't under warranty (or would have cost you if you saw a price)?

Thanks

I turn on the "crab" (Philips 42" Plasma (42PF7320A) today to find that a 1/4" of the screen got about 10 red lines on top.

Any sugestion?

I'm curious to find out how many folks have encountered the half-black screen problem. It just started on my TV in the last couple of weeks (I've had it for 2 years).

What was the problem? And how much did it cost you to get it fixed if it wasn't under warranty (or would have cost you if you saw a price)?

Thanks

They ALL will do it, and nobody has figured out why 100%
Just guesses

I'm curious to find out how many folks have encountered the half-black screen problem. It just started on my TV in the last couple of weeks (I've had it for 2 years).

What was the problem? And how much did it cost you to get it fixed if it wasn't under warranty (or would have cost you if you saw a price)?

Thanks

They ALL will do it, and nobody has figured out why 100%
Just guesses

I was not aware that the problem was that common. I had mine about a year and a half before I first saw it do it. It was a very hot day, and I do not have air conditioning. I assumed it was temperature related. A couple of times when it did it, I tried tapping on the face of the unit and got reactions, so I thought it might be mechanical, perhaps related to thermal stress.

It has been about 9 months since I first saw it. I notice it a few times a month. Sometimes it quits doing it on its own quite quickly. When it keeps on doing it, I have turned off the TV for a good 15 seconds and turned it back on. The problem seems to always go away. That doesn't seem to be consistent with a typical temperature problem, and I would not expect a power cycle to have any effect on a mechanical issue.

If it does not get any worse, I can live with it. I certainly do not want to spend any money trying to fix it, and I am not even sure I would want some TV repair service to work on it if Philips was paying all, or some of the bill.

In the present condition, I see no way to get it serviced. It would take quite a while to tell if a service attempt had made any improvement. They could change a module (any module), and say that the problem went away, but unless it was watched constantly for a very long period, it would be almost impossible to tell. Seeing the problem proves that it is still there, but not seeing the problem does not prove that it is gone. I would envision a bunch of long trips to a repair shop, lots of arguments, a big repair bill, and probable cosmetic damage from all the handling.

I do not recall posts by owners who definitely saw this problem, and had it permanently repaired. If there have been a few, and the repairs were the same, maybe there would be hope for resolution.

I'm curious to find out how many folks have encountered the half-black screen problem. It just started on my TV in the last couple of weeks (I've had it for 2 years).

What was the problem? And how much did it cost you to get it fixed if it wasn't under warranty (or would have cost you if you saw a price)?

Thanks

I have had the lower black screen. My 2 year old unit has been doing it on occasion for 6 months.The other day it started to flutter and a 4" static bar has appeared on top of screen.

Out of curiosity I tapped TV between green light and Phillips name. The lower black band reappeared and disappeared as i tapped. Now lower band doesn't appear as often but upper 4 " band is always there.
Bought from CC before return policy changed last year. So I guess I can return for a replacement........right?

I have had the lower black screen. My 2 year old unit has been doing it on occasion for 6 months.The other day it started to flutter and a 4" static bar has appeared on top of screen.

Out of curiosity I tapped TV between green light and Phillips name. The lower black band reappeared and disappeared as i tapped. Now lower band doesn't appear as often but upper 4 " band is always there.
Bought from CC before return policy changed last year. So I guess I can return for a replacement........right?


I've had my 7320A/37A (Mexican-made Philips sold only in North America) for over a year and a half (bedroom wall-mounted on a Peerless tilt/telescope wall-mount) and it's still going strong. I don't have the "mileage" on mine as some of the folks that have frequented this thread (fewer than 1000 hours), but the PQ is still kicking butt and not even bothering to take names.

I bought the 42PF7320 in May of 06. Here we are in May of 08 and it needs serviced already!!! I am getting the fretted 1/2 black screen issue now for 3 weeks and is getting progressively worse. If I was the only one, maybe not so big of an issue, but others are reporting same problem.

This TV is great for the price. I paid $1620 for it and, at the time, it was the only 720p HDTV with 2 HDMI inputs in that price range. Feedback regarding the step-up with "Mood Lighting" was that, except in complete dark theater dedicated rooms, Ambilight was useless.

The onboard speakers SUCK, but who uses TV speakers for home theater???
I have it hooked up to an Onkyo 7.1 surround system and it ROCKS!

Picture is nice. Some 'ghosting' with high speed movement, but hardly noticable. Picture tuning features are great, and the continued support with Firmware from Philips is great as well.

I am leary of the issues people are having with the screen though. Good thing I bought the CC protection plan for it!!! I advise you to do the same!

Good thing I bought the CC protection plan for it!!! I advise you to do the same!
Let us know if you get it fixed and what was wrong with it!

I bought mine 2 or 3 years ago at Sams Club for $1300 which at the time was a slick deal. I also bought the extended warranty, so I am covered until 2010 or something. Luckily I have had none of the problems you guys have had.......;)

Just turned on my 42pf7220 and discovered a bunch of horizontal red lines on the bottom half of the screen. Anyone know what is up with that?

I have read some of these postings and I can't tell if anyone has had the same issue I am having but I am sure there has been a few. I have the 42" Phillips Plasma purchased in 2006 from Sams. It worked fine until a few months ago. Now it will work fine and then after 1-2 hours it will shut completely off and the light on the front turns red but you can still hear the sound coming from the external speakers I have. In order to get it to come back on I have to power off the surge protector completely for 10-20 minutes and then turn everything back on. It usually will last another 20-30 minutes before doing the same thing again. I assume it is some sort of power issue but I'm not sure. Does anyone know the cause and sollution to this problem?

Question: I have a Phillips 42PF7220 plasma display. I am curious about the following: If I buy a Blu-Ray player, will the image quality on this 1080i display be better than what I see on HD cable or just about the same?

I presently have a DVD player with up-conversion and I wonder if a BD player would give me a better image than my present DVD player? I know that I will not have the same quality as a 1080p display, but I wonder if it's worth the expense?

To answer that question with reason I'd have to say the first thing to know is what the cable co's "HD" is really being transmitted at....

I understand that I will not get better than 1080i (if broadcast is in that format). However, I wonder if I will really see a big difference between an up-converted DVD and a Blu-Ray player when viewed in 1080i?

While I can't speak from experience, I would think that the Blue Ray player would refine the regular DVD played on it, so I would say you would be able to see the difference even if the TV is only 1080i. Its got to have extra processing in the original signal which is got to be better than just an upconverted signal. I did't see any discernable difference when I upconverted my old Sony DVD to 1080i (through my theater system) than when it was connected straight to the TV through component, 720i.

Dear GaEgghead, Consider yourself lucky, I originally had a SONY WEGA "36" flat screen tv, and I sold it to my brother inlaw practicaly giving it away to buy a... what I thought was the best tv on earth the philips plasma "42" indiglo, and just as the waranty expired so did the tv !!! haha I laugh now but my brother inlaw is beside himself because he still has the "36" wega that is stil working fantastic after 6 years.

Is there any class action law suite against Phillips that we can join? I have some sets that are like 30 years old and work fine, but my 1 1/2 year old 42PF7321D/37 Phillips plasma 42 inch died this morning. Phillips is no help at all, and 1 year warranty is expired! Like to get a "60 Minutes" investigation going on this tv scam of theirs !

Is there any class action law suite against Phillips that we can join? I have some sets that are like 30 years old and work fine, but my 1 1/2 year old 42PF7321D/37 Phillips plasma 42 inch died this morning. Phillips is no help at all, and 1 year warranty is expired! Like to get a "60 Minutes" investigation going on this tv scam of theirs !

Some people, with sets that were between 1 and 2 years old, have reported getting help by writing a Very Polite email to Paul Zeven, who, I believe, used to be the CEO of Philips North America. The current managent list is at http://www.usa.philips.com/about/company/local/management/index.page You could give it a try.

Some people, with sets that were between 1 and 2 years old, have reported getting help by writing a Very Polite email to Paul Zeven, who, I believe, used to be the CEO of Philips North America. The current managent list is at http://www.usa.philips.com/about/company/local/management/index.page You could give it a try.
Some have speculated now that Phillips has exitted the plasma market, they'll be cutting their losses and won't be returning the nice emails to the GM/CEO to get satisfaction on failed units. Let us know what you do and what results you get.

Like many I too am having the problem 1/2 my screen going black on my Plasma 42PF7320A/37 after the set has warmed up. Progressively the problem keeps getting worse. Has any one figured which board is the source for this problem? It may be easier to just replace that board than to contact Philips to ask for an out of warranty repair.

I'm waiting for mine to die just so I have a good reason to get something bigger and better. In 2 months it will be 3 years old. :)

I'm waiting for mine to die just so I have a good reason to get something bigger and better. In 2 months it will be 3 years old. :)
Now this is pathetic - not that you want something bigger and better (that's just our nature) but that we can't depend on a TV we paid big bucks for to last more than 3 years. I still have an old 27" RCA consol stereo TV that works well and is almost 20 years old. The only reason I bought the plasma 2-1/2 years ago was because the wife thought the RCA was gaudy. :) (only paid $600 for the RCA too)

there is a thread specifically about the half black screen issue...

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1008936

I am getting red digital "static" all over my screen (even over the menus). When the screen is black (e.g. between commercials), all is well, but the second anything comes on the screen, I get tons of vertical and horizontal static wherever there is something on the screen. For instance, if there is just the channel logo, it will have static that makes a "plus" sign with the height and width of the logo, mostly red. Now when there is a normal picture, that means there is static almost everywhere, but it seems to concentrate in horizontal lines. I'm guessing it is the Y-buffer main. So what should I do? It seems unwise to repair it when I've read folks are getting the problem again after a little while. I'm definitely getting a new TV, but should I try to repair this one myself for another room or just sell it for parts? And if I sell it, what are folks doing there? Is there a common company for selling broken plasmas to, or should I ebay it or maybe even craigslist it? I'm somewhat comfortable with electronics, but I've read that they don't recommend an average consumer try to mess with plasma parts due to the high voltage (not sure why that matters if it's unplugged, but whatever). So, to number my questions:
1. Does it sound like my y-buffer main? It covers the whole screen.
2. Try to fix myself or just sell as-is?
3. Where/how to sell broken plasmas?

Thanks so much everyone, I'm sure most of this has been covered elsewhere, but I always have a dickens of a time finding basic answers like this.

I'm somewhat comfortable with electronics, but I've read that they don't recommend an average consumer try to mess with plasma parts due to the high voltage (not sure why that matters if it's unplugged, but whatever).

IT MATTERS - if the plasma has any high voltage transformers like a CRT TV/Monitor does those need to be discharged properly or you WILL get a serious shock or electrocution (I.E. death!). Im sure someone here knows more then I & the manual may have some discharge procedures but just because something is unplugged doesnt mean its 100% safe:-)

I searched but could not find a similar question. My 2 yr old refurbished TV has started shutting down after it is on for an hour or so. Initially, it was shutting down when the temp in the room was >76F. Now, it shuts down no matter what. It is still under extended 5 yr warranty from visa. Does anyone have experience dealing with them? At this point, I just want to junk this piece of crap and buy a more reliable brand. Will Visa refund the original purchase price? It is better for them since any repair means I will likely see another problem in 6 months.

The problem I'm having is that the HD inputs do not work, the composite inputs works but the HDMI and component inputs do not. This started yesterday. Has anyone seen this problem before?

Thanks!

should I try to repair this one myself for another room or just sell it for parts? And if I sell it, what are folks doing there? Is there a common company for selling broken plasmas to, or should I ebay it or maybe even craigslist it?

Trey - What did you end up doing? Did you take the set apart & if so what did you find?
Curious....

I just ordered the Philips 42" Plasma(42PF7320A).. Does anyone have any information on this regarding whether its good or not. Did not see any reviews, but I got a good price on it and it had a nice looking display at the store.

Thanks,
Jeff

Hi, I have no personal experience with Phillips but, Consumer Reports says that they have more repairs than almost any other brand