Panasonic TC-P65VT30 won’t turn on considering new OLED and repair (1 Viewer)

[Nelson Au]

Hey guys,

I’m dissapointed with my Panasonic VT30 plasma seeming to die after only 7 years of light use. From what i’m reading on-line it’s likely the power supply. I’m not sure, but I did hear a loud pop and I wasn’t sure what it was as I was in another room and the TV wasn’t even on. That would seem to coincide as that evening I tried to turn the TV on and it wasn’t turning on. The red stand-by light wasn’t even on. So it seems to be dead. Sounds like it could be the power supply or main PCB.

I’m considering going with two routes. First, see if Best Buy has a tech to replace the bad components in the Panasonic as I bought it there. Option two is a new Sony OLED as I’ve been looking at those. It’s great we now have Robert Zohn on the forum. When I got the Panasonic I was reading the posts by Robert on the AVS forum if I recall correctly. So maybe he could offer advise. I initially was looking at LG OLED’s but as soon as I learned Sony was in the game, I felt better buying Sony.

The current newest Sony Master series A9F looks really good, except I hate the tilt leg in the back. I could mount it on a stand. But the A9F sounds like it won’t be out for some time. And I hate to rush into a new purchase. I’d also like to see if Sony would do a version with a regular stand. The A9F does sound like a really nice set in terms of image quality.

In the mean time, I could repair the Panasonic as I’d like to see it in use again for such a young set, once I upgrade to the OLED, the Panasonic would go to another room.

So I’d be curious about what you guys think of repairing the Panasonic, hopefully it’s possible. I imagine it wouldn’t be too costly. Not ruling out doing it myself, but then I don’t know what the problem is.

And then what OLED should I look at. If I’m going OLED, I’d want to look at the newest models like the A9F. I’d prefer Sony, but maybe LG is OK. Also if I’m going with a new set, why not upgrade from the 65” I have to something bigger. If I’m looking, I might as well consider size too. I didn’t see if the new Sony’s have a 77” version. Of course that’s going to be pricey. I have a Pioneer 1130 Elite 50” amd it’s media box died after 7 years use, I found another on eBay to keep,that panel going. If the average life of a new TV is 7 years as this Panasonic and Pioneer has been, maybe it’s not worth the extra cost of going bigger?

Thanks!

 

[Robert Crawford]

I don't know, but I think the cost of repairing the Panny might be more than you think it is. I guess you can have a tech take a look at it. As far as your replacement display, I'm not a fan of Sony any longer. I think they've taken a major step back PQ-wise with their stuff. I simply love my LG OLED. However, if you're set on getting a larger display than perhaps Sony is the way to go.

 

[John Dirk]

That "loud pop" is characteristic of a capacitor blowing. Were there any weather-related events around the time you heard it?

If you're comfortable doing so, I would at least pull the cover and have a look inside but do be careful not to touch anything on the power supply board as these components may contain high voltages.

Board level repair is rarely cost effective for modern TV's but if you see any visibly damaged components you may be able to grab the part number of the associated board and find a replacement online.

 

[Nelson Au]

Hi Robert, Hi John,

Thanks for chiming in. I can understand the thinking it’s not cost effective to try to repair a modern TV. Its just such a waste to toss that big piece of glass that’s still producing a very nice image if a circuit board is bad. To me it’s about keeping something that’s still good running. My old Sony CRT TVs in the past would last 10 to 15 years before going bad. Those were the days.

It seems modern electronics just do not have the grit anymore. 7 years seems like such a short service life. I do understand there’s also the constant evolving technology that’s going on make some incompatible eventually. That another aspect that I do accept. But the hardware it selfs seems like it should be more robust.

John, at the time I heard that pop it was nice and sunny and a warm day. Not a storm in sight. I thought something hit my roof as I live near a park. Maybe a ball. If a capacitor in the set did blow, I did not see or smell smoke. Not that that is any evidence. A blown capacitor seems to make sense as one possible explanation. I guess I’ll have to do more investigation.

Regarding Sony vs LG OLED. I’ll have to go see them and compare more. But the last time I looked at them at Best Buy, the Sony I thought had an edge. The LG was not a slacker for sure. Both are impressive. And LG doesn’t have the kick-stand.

 

[John Dirk]

I can understand the thinking it’s not cost effective to try to repair a modern TV. Its just such a waste to toss that big piece of glass that’s still producing a very nice image if a circuit board is bad. To me it’s about keeping something that’s still good running.

Hello Nelson Au!

Oh I couldn't agree more! If it were my set I would hold onto it and keep poking away until I either got it repaired or succumbed to the cumulative frustration with my fists clenched and head lowered in defeat. In my world, a battle well fought is a battle won, regardless of the tangible outcome but I do realize not everyone has my DIY aspirations and some of my "battles" do end up being ill-advised in retrospect.

Good luck!

 

[Nelson Au]

Thanks John,

I’ll for sure be investigating repairing the Panasonic until I hit a wall!

In the mean time, i’m opening my options to include looking at LG as well as the Sony OLEDs. I think I’ll just go for a new set and hope to fix and use the Panasonic in another room.

I guess I have some work to do researching new sets now.

 

[Nelson Au]

I paid a visit to Best Buy today and had a look at the Sony and LG OLED’s, the most current models. Two from Sony and two from LG. I looked at the Sony A8F and A1E as well as the LG B8 and C8. I must admit my attention was drawn to the Sony. they just looked better to me. The demo video was from Gravity, the scene when Sandra Bullock is first blown free and is spinning loose in orbit. I don’t remember the earth looking that good, with that much color. And I have the blu ray. The sales guy said this was from the Blu-ray. The cynical side of me wonders if the TV is set to a demo mode to really enhance the image. On the LG, the clouds were not as sharply defined as on the Sony. There’s something wrong there. I’d expect both to be closer. Or the Sony’s processing of the image is really unrealistic. The sales guy also reset the picture settings on the LG to approximate what a calibrated set would look like. It was not as bright and colors not so saturated. It did look duller then the Sony. So I should have asked him to do the same to the Sony.

My plan is to wait for the new Sony A9F next month and see how that looks before making a choice. I’d like to try another look at the LG to be sure I make a fair comparison.

Best Buy does not provide service on TV’s. The sales guy advised me to contact Panasonic and find a local indie service shop. So maybe I can get some help on repairing my set.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I would contact Robert Zohn and see what he has to say about the Sony models versus the LG models as he sells both lines.

https://www.hometheaterforum.com/co...e-2018-5-oled-a9f-and-lcd-led-z9f-tvs.358509/

 

[Nelson Au]

Thanks Robert, I was hoping he might chime in. I’ll use that thread link to solicit his help.