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Panasonic Plasma Scare

post #1 of 22
1/19/08 at 8:41am
Thread Starter 
I have had the TH-58PX60U 58" 720p plasma since June.

It gets light use, probably less than 10 hours per week on average.

Last night, about 30 minutes after turning it on, watching cable via the built-in tuner, a large black square appeared in the lower-left of the screen. I would say it was roughly 1/4 of the screen area. When I changed channels, the black section would momentarily appear with static and then go to black. I tried the HDMI port and it exhibited the same problem.

I turned it off and on several times and the black square remained. I switched it off, returned about 30 minutes later and the problem was gone. I left the set on for a couple of hours and it did not return. I turned the set on again today and no problem.

So...does anybody out there know anything about this? Could it have been a firmware problem that cleared itself or is it indicative of a hardware problem that will return?

Should I call for service? Run the set as much as I can before the warranty runs out and see if it happens again? Buy an extended warranty? We are having a severe cold snap here (-10 to -15) so could it have been a temporary power quality issue?

I have both the 42" and 58" version of the 2006 plasma and this is the first glitch I've seen in either of them.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance.
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post #2 of 22
1/19/08 at 10:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by iahawkeye View Post

I have had the TH-58PX60U 58" 720p plasma since June. It gets light use, probably less than 10 hours per week on average.

Last night, about 30 minutes after turning it on, watching cable via the built-in tuner, a large black square appeared in the lower-left of the screen. I would say it was roughly 1/4 of the screen area. When I changed channels, the black section would momentarily appear with static and then go to black. I tried the HDMI port and it exhibited the same problem.

I turned it off and on several times and the black square remained. I switched it off, returned about 30 minutes later and the problem was gone. I left the set on for a couple of hours and it did not return. I turned the set on again today and no problem.

So...does anybody out there know anything about this? Could it have been a firmware problem that cleared itself or is it indicative of a hardware problem that will return?

Should I call for service? Run the set as much as I can before the warranty runs out and see if it happens again? Buy an extended warranty? We are having a severe cold snap here (-10 to -15) so could it have been a temporary power quality issue?

I have both the 42" and 58" version of the 2006 plasma and this is the first glitch I've seen in either of them.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

There are two video boards that work together to drive the plasma panel - an upper board and a lower board. If the big black square extended up exactly halfway up the screen then it sounds like maybe the lower video board (or it's associated circuitry) is starting to fail. Screen anomolies that affect the lower half or upper half of the screen are a somewhat common defect on plasma TVs but replacing the board is usually quick and easy (but expensive if out of warranty).

I would contact Panasonic right away and tell them exactly what happened so at least they have a record of it starting now. You should try to keep a digitial camera handy and if (or when) it happens again take good pictures of the whole screen showing the location of the black box and also the static in the box when changing channels and any other anomoly that you see. This will greatly help a technician determine what the problem is and how best to correct it.
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post #3 of 22
1/19/08 at 6:02pm
Buy a warrantgy on the thing especially if your having problems...Thats a expensive set,also if something else happens outside the manufacture waranty you going to have some real big expenses...
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post #4 of 22
1/20/08 at 7:13pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by RandyWalters View Post

I would contact Panasonic right away and tell them exactly what happened so at least they have a record of it starting now. You should try to keep a digitial camera handy and if (or when) it happens again take good pictures of the whole screen showing the location of the black box and also the static in the box when changing channels and any other anomoly that you see. This will greatly help a technician determine what the problem is and how best to correct it.

Thanks for the ideas. Unfortunately the black box came back this evening so it seems obvious that the circuit board that controls that lower-left quadrant of the 58" screen is intermittently failing.

So begins an adventure with Panasonic service. Fingers crossed.

I've personally recommended Panasonic plasmas to at least four others who bought them...I hope I don't come to regret it!
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post #5 of 22
1/20/08 at 11:00pm
Maybe it evolved and now has PIP capabilities.
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post #6 of 22
1/21/08 at 7:37am
I have a 13 tube TV that does that same exact thing. A black box that takes up about 1/4 of the screen. However it only does it on certain channels. It has done 3 different appartments and at my new house as well.

Best of luck getting it fixed.
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post #7 of 22
1/21/08 at 7:46am
What do you guys think of buying an extended warranty online
http://dtvexpress.com/

Too risky? Worth more to buy it from my local store?
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post #8 of 22
1/21/08 at 8:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by 761-honda View Post

What do you guys think of buying an extended warranty online http://dtvexpress.com/ Too risky? Worth more to buy it from my local store?

Opinion on this forum is sharply divided on the value of getting an extended warranty. Some say it's not necessary and a total waste of money and have never had an out-of-warranty failure, while others like myself don't mind paying for the peace of mind, and many of us have benefitted greatly when we had a failure after the first year or two. Just search the Plasma and LCD and RPTV Forums for the dozens of threads about EWs if you want more info.

But it looks like DTVExpress is part of the Plasma TV Buying Guide group of scammer online vendors, and have been dropped by the Better Business Bureau either for lack of payment of dues or failing to abide by their standards or failing to resolve complaints. They also have no history on resellerratings dot com so they might be a new fake company, or an old scammer who changed their name. I'd avoid this company completely.

You can buy a Mack or CPS or Repairmaster warranty from AVS members MountAVision or ClevelandPlasma. I've bought warranties from both these guys and they have great prices and service, and you can trust them.
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post #9 of 22
1/21/08 at 8:46am
Thansks Randy, The store I bought it from has a 5 year warranty I think for 300, I'll check the places you suggest.
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post #10 of 22
1/21/08 at 8:59am
Quote:
Originally Posted by 761-honda View Post

Thansks Randy, The store I bought it from has a 5 year warranty I think for 300, I'll check the places you suggest.

Mack has a 4-year for less than half that amount if you're interested.
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post #11 of 22
7/24/08 at 4:50pm
I've been looking at Mack warranties, as suggested from people on this site, but they are much more expensive than people are discussing here. For example:

http://tapeworkstexas.com/mack_warranty_tv_only_.html

That says TVs under $2500 - $171 for a 3 year warranty that does NOT include bulb replacement.

Can someone help me? I need the cheapest (while honest and reliable) warranty I can find for a $2400 TV.

Thanks!
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post #12 of 22
7/24/08 at 5:08pm
Hate to ask the obvious, but did you accidently turn on any of the closed captioning systems in the menus? (or perhaps a wife or kid did?) If it's set to "TEXT1/2" it'll add a box over the screen for the CC data, but nobody broadcasts the text data, just CC1/2...
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post #13 of 22
7/24/08 at 5:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by goobenet View Post

Hate to ask the obvious, but did you accidently turn on any of the closed captioning systems in the menus? (or perhaps a wife or kid did?) If it's set to "TEXT1/2" it'll add a box over the screen for the CC data, but nobody broadcasts the text data, just CC1/2...


Was going to say the same thing, happens all the time! Stupid CC buttons.
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post #14 of 22
7/24/08 at 5:32pm
Sorry - was the question for me?
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post #15 of 22
7/24/08 at 6:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daryn32 View Post

I've been looking at Mack warranties, as suggested from people on this site, but they are much more expensive than people are discussing here. For example:



That says TVs under $2500 - $171 for a 3 year warranty that does NOT include bulb replacement.

Can someone help me? I need the cheapest (while honest and reliable) warranty I can find for a $2400 TV.

Thanks!

Bulb replacement warranty is not that bad at all with Mack
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post #16 of 22
7/24/08 at 6:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daryn32 View Post

I've been looking at Mack warranties, as suggested from people on this site, but they are much more expensive than people are discussing here. . . . . .That says TVs under $2500 - $171 for a 3 year warranty that does NOT include bulb replacement.

Can someone help me? I need the cheapest (while honest and reliable) warranty I can find for a $2400 TV. Thanks!

Those prices on that site are higher than they were a few months ago. And the bulb-replacement thing is only for the Rear Projection sets, it doesn't apply to the Plasmas and LCD TVs.

Contact Chris at Cleveland Plasma or the other Chris at MountAVision - they have Mack and CPS warranties at low prices. Flip a coin - both these guys are great.
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post #17 of 22
7/24/08 at 6:08pm
Prices are higher because Mack raised them.
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post #18 of 22
7/24/08 at 6:18pm
Is it just me or is this thread a major case of hijacking? I thought for a second that I had somehow clicked the wrong button

IMO the OP should check his CC like goobenet suggests.
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post #19 of 22
7/24/08 at 6:20pm
Sorry I sometimes should start at the top of the thread
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post #20 of 22
7/24/08 at 6:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by hi im drummer03 View Post

Buy a warrantgy on the thing especially if your having problems...Thats a expensive set,also if something else happens outside the manufacture waranty you going to have some real big expenses...

ur just trying to push warranties so u make more money off of ur commission sales...

im a salesman too

and this leans me towards the samsung plasma even more
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post #21 of 22
9/22/08 at 11:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by RandyWalters View Post


But it looks like DTVExpress is part of the Plasma TV Buying Guide group of scammer online vendors, and have been dropped by the Better Business Bureau either for lack of payment of dues or failing to abide by their standards or failing to resolve complaints.

Sorry to resurrect an old thread but anyone searching this forum for our name may come across this and these accusations are completely false.

I'm not sure where you get your information but we've been a BBB Accredited Business since April of 2001 with a satisfactory rating. No "scammer" would be able to show that. I can't post a URL here so you can either get to it by clicking the BBB logo on our site or searching the BBB website for DTV Express.

If anyone would like to ask questions regarding DTV Express I will be happy to answer them in forum or via PM as long as the answer doesn't violate AVS's rules on posting price information.

Regards,
Jeff B.
DTV Express
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post #22 of 22
1/20/13 at 8:36am
I too have a 2006 42" Panasonic Viera plasma and this morning a large black square appeared in the center of my screen. I am not sure what it could but I suspect "old age." Does any one know? Thank You
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