Panasonic Plasma, A word of warning and any suggestions for ~$1500 replacement?

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › Panasonic Plasma, A word of warning and any suggestions for ~$1500 replacement?

Kiwiviking

2 posts

Wannabe Geek

#252897 16-Jul-2019 07:45

Hi, My Panasonic plasma recently suffered from the common '7 flashes of death' This is caused when IGBT chips on one of the boards (SC, SS, or SU) go short circuit. These chips are made from Unobtainium; don't believe what you read on Ebay or Aliexpress, they are pretty much all fake and if you fit them yourself, it will likely damage more components on the board. Apparently according to one website, https://alpengeist-tvrepair.blogspot.com/2017/04/panasonic-tnpa5330-sn-board-7-blink.html these boards die from spikes caused by poor grounding. The chips are purpose made for plasmas and since plasmas are no longer made, they are no longer produced, even the 'replacements' are obsolete.

Prevention is the best cure: get a service guy to clean up these points on the board and on the chassis before it fails. The sign that i think I missed was 'pink snow' in bands on the TV during light scenes (i noticed this for about a week), if you see this, turn it off and get it repaired immediately!

The past is the past: I cannot change what has happened and from looking on the big electronics websites like RS, Digikey, Mouser and E14 cannot find IGBTs with comparable specs, and I'm worried if the specs are too far out, that i'll get a distorted/ discoloured picture.

The future: Im on a tight budget; young family and thus don't really want to spend more than $1500, ideally would like to stick with 46" and larger. I've read a little about IPS and light bleed, what recommendations do folks have for TVs that fit the above limitations?

Thanks

1 | 2

30853 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#2277552 16-Jul-2019 07:51

My only tip is to avoid a cheaper edge lit TV. If you come from a plasma you can immediately spot how bad most edge lit TV's are.

Problem is $1500 is not really the sort of budget to be too fussy about TV quality. I haven't really paid too much attention to 2019 pricing in recent weeks but in all seriousness you'll probably struggle to get anything good under $2k

GoodSync

GoodSync. Easily back up and sync your files with GoodSync. Simple and secure file backup and synchronisation software will ensure that your files are never lost (affiliate link).

xpd

Geek @ Coastguard NZ
13657 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2277553 16-Jul-2019 07:58

I actually cant wait for our old Panny to die (must be at least 10 years old now) - means I get to get a new TV at last :)

But will be in similar boat, not wanting to speed a small fortune..... truth be told, a Veon would probably do me.

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

LinkTree - kiwiblast.co.nz - Lego and more

Support Kiwi music! The People Black Smoke Trigger Like A Storm Devilskin

NZ GEEKS Discord______________________________

Dingbatt

6732 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#2277576 16-Jul-2019 09:08

You can get a 55” 4K Panasonic LCD Smart TV for under $1500 (HN has one for $1380 at the moment). Not sure if it is edge lit though. Just be careful when viewing it in store, as it will be in ‘shop mode’ which pumps all the settings way up.
You may get a brighter tv, but you will struggle to get one that comes close to your plasma (in picture quality). However fixing the plasma may get you years of viewing, or another component will crap out next week.
Unless you are a viewer who just has to have the best, might I suggest you ‘settle’ for an LCD in your budget and look to a future purchase of an OLED or MicroLED when their prices are more reasonable?

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

mentor

132 posts

Master Geek

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#2277642 16-Jul-2019 10:03

This happened to our TV. There was a guy on ebay offering a service where I would send him the 3 boards and he would then send me back the boards after these were fixed.

From memory I paid around $150 all up including shipping to post it to US.

This was done around April 2016 and the TV is still running rock solid. I'll see if I can dig out the ebay sellers details.

EDIT:

Removing and fixing the boards back on the tv was quite easy.

Batman

Mad Scientist
29667 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2277658 16-Jul-2019 10:21

I have been through the rounds and I will tell you what I found.

Had top of the range Samsung Plasma 50". Then I caught the 4K it and bought a bottom of the range 50" Samsung LCD which I believe is edge lit.

It had the most vibrant colours. I cannot see any signs of light bleed. The remote was extremely responsive. It boots up in less than 5s whether from standby or from full off. Downside was the apps - it may be called a smart TV but the only thing smart about it I found was that I can play any video on any device straight to the TV.

Then I wanted a bigger size. Bought a bottom of the range 65" Android TCL TV. Colours not as vibrant as the bottom of the range Samsung. My eyes would hurt watching it for a few minutes (may have something to do with PWM but I didn't actually check for it on the TV). It took more than a minute to start up. The Android apps were buggy. But i could install whatever Android app i could find on the Internet and that was the fun bit lol.

So at rock bottom prices, I'd say Samsung is amazing.

If you care about PQ, you want an OLED or a QLED. But that would be another topic. (I have moved on to an LG C9 OLED and there is just no comparison.)

My recommendation, if you want something that works and is fine, get the biggest bottom of the range Samsung that you can get your hands on that fits in your space. I can't comment on bottom of the range of other branded TVs, they may be ok, as other TVs have different OSes that may suit your needs better. If you are itchy type that always thinks about wanting something better don't buy an LED, get OLED if your room is mostly dark, or QLED if mostly bright. But either one works. My OLED is in a very bright lounge and it works for me.

Whatever you do, don't buy anything not from the main brands. Don't buy an expensive LED tv that does not have O or Q in front of it. You also don't want to be changing TVs all the time as nobody buys used TVs and your cost will just compound.

Martynnz

74 posts

Master Geek

#2277692 16-Jul-2019 11:54

My 5 yo Panasonic did this late last year. I took it into Hillcrest Servcing in Rotorua who replaced the board for me for a total of $340. It has been fine ever since. I would enquire with your local Panasonic servicing centre before consigning it to the bin. At the worst it costs you the inspection fee but it could save a whole new TV.

ShinyChrome

1560 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#2277700 16-Jul-2019 12:18

Unfortunately this is not a good time of year to be buying TVs, so if you can fix your plasma, that would be the cheapest and easiest route. Especially since from what I have heard, not much short of an OLED TV will compare.

At this price range, I wouldn't worry about edge-lit, FALD, OLED, QLED etc unless you are buying second-hand; all of the above only really applies near $2.5k and upwards. Anything new is most likely gonna be edge-lit. Pick a good brand (LG/Samsung/Sony), pick the size you want, and go test drive your eyeballs. Even try and find last years higher models being run out, but I can't imagine too many decent ones are left.

However I would also consider just ponying up the extra money to get to above $2k if you can do it without putting yourself in strife, because you will find most at this point lacking compared to your plasma. Not much short of OLED will compare, but even a decent FALD display (Sony X900f/950g, LG UM9000/9500, Samsung Q70/80R) will be more bearable.

I have heard HN is supposed to be having a decent sale this weekend, so may pay to keep an eye on PriceSpy etc.

Batman

Mad Scientist
29667 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2277719 16-Jul-2019 12:44

Is fald as good as qled? I would have said at that price go qled...

Kiwiviking

2 posts

Wannabe Geek

#2277722 16-Jul-2019 12:51

Thank you for the advice, It's good to get the insights of those who have been there before, who have seen how their screens perform in the shop and again at home. I could give the repair road a try, nothing to loose.

Thanks Martynnz, I'll look into Hillcrest!

I've been looking at the 50/55 LG UM76's and like the image and OS, I also quite liked the look of the Panasonic 50G700X, but couldn't find anything about how its lit, and I'm nervous about their support for HDCP2.2 (their own website state compliance to 1.4).

The Sony 50" x80G image looks quite nice in the store and subjectively perhaps better than the above Panasonic. I couldn't get the lady in the store to show me how to access freeview on demand on the sony and it's a feature my wife would quite like to have. The 50" x80G is edgelit and the 55" appears to be direct lit (according to Sonys website).

The Samsungs picture seemed quite bland when compared to the sony and Panasonic, but I read that folks love the 50" unit that currently goes for around $1000 at the moment. I'll take another look at them when I get a chance.

I don't get itchy about upgrading as such, I mean to say I don't feel the need to upgrade when the next marketing gimmick is released on the next years model, I'd prefer to get it done and be happy with what ever I get for the next 5+ years - I've got better things to sink money into like my young boys.

jonathan18

7407 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#2277943 16-Jul-2019 21:14

I can only but back up sbiddle’s advice earlier - I really am so disappointed every time I watch our newish entry-level LG LCD TV as the crude backlighting is really disconcerting with dark images (particularly if part of the screen is black) - I would always elect to watch our other tv (a plasma with just HD and no HDR) over this new one. No one else in my family complains too much, so I guess it’s not such an issue for some (though my wife admitted she preferred the image from our plasma).

Interestingly, we had an HD Panasonic LCD prior to this new LG 4K set, and I don’t recall this same problem, and both were the brands’ entry-level sets, so both will be side-lit for sure. So be sure to see if you can watch the picture in a close-to realistic setting, ie lighting at a similar brightness as you’d expect to have at home.

Agree with ShinyChrome in regards to this being a pretty sh!t time to be buying - prices aren’t particularly good. It seems about May is the best time when the older models are on run-out. Would one option to go cheap and/or second hand and/or smaller initially and save for an OLED? After my experience I’ve decided OLED is the only option so have started squirrelling away money now, to possibly get a new set in May-sh next year.

Anyway, here are two threads I started on selecting my TV and then the subsequent issues with it:

https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=34&topicid=249153

https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=34&topicid=250670

Batman

Mad Scientist
29667 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2277951 16-Jul-2019 22:12

Kiwiviking:

Thank you for the advice, It's good to get the insights of those who have been there before, who have seen how their screens perform in the shop and again at home. I could give the repair road a try, nothing to loose.

Thanks Martynnz, I'll look into Hillcrest!

I've been looking at the 50/55 LG UM76's and like the image and OS, I also quite liked the look of the Panasonic 50G700X, but couldn't find anything about how its lit, and I'm nervous about their support for HDCP2.2 (their own website state compliance to 1.4).

The Sony 50" x80G image looks quite nice in the store and subjectively perhaps better than the above Panasonic. I couldn't get the lady in the store to show me how to access freeview on demand on the sony and it's a feature my wife would quite like to have. The 50" x80G is edgelit and the 55" appears to be direct lit (according to Sonys website).

The Samsungs picture seemed quite bland when compared to the sony and Panasonic, but I read that folks love the 50" unit that currently goes for around $1000 at the moment. I'll take another look at them when I get a chance.

I don't get itchy about upgrading as such, I mean to say I don't feel the need to upgrade when the next marketing gimmick is released on the next years model, I'd prefer to get it done and be happy with what ever I get for the next 5+ years - I've got better things to sink money into like my young boys.

in that case get the cheapest branded TV that you like, in the biggest size that you dare buy.

ShinyChrome

1560 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#2277956 16-Jul-2019 22:27

Batman: Is fald as good as qled? I would have said at that price go qled...

Yes.... And no.....

Qled is Samsung's marketing term for their type of nano particle coated LCD panel, while fald is the specific arrangement of the LED backlight. So the higher range Qleds like the q70r,q80r,q90r are actually both, whereas the cheaper ones are edge lit.

For a bit more background, see here https://www.tftcentral.co.uk/blog/3-display-technologies-you-should-know-about-nano-ips-quantum-dot-and-fald/

I completely missed that the bigger Sony x80g series are direct lit, however they don't seem to have any local dimming. Also I believe they are ips displays, whereas I think the Samsung's are va.

Kiwifruta

1423 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#2277970 16-Jul-2019 23:07

Posting this in case someone else’s plasma develops the same fault.

Our Panasonic plasma developed a 10cm wide partially coloured vertical strip down the centre of the screen, eventually the strip turned black. So about 3 months ago my 6 year old and I removed the back cover and with the brush attachment vacuumed the dust. Works a treat again.

[Edited to improve readability]

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#2278035 17-Jul-2019 07:20

Just to add to what others have said it's not a particularly good time to be buying a new TV right now if you're after a good deal. You typically find April is runout for the previous year and then May/June sees the introduction of current year models which tend to sell at RRP for at least the first few months before the discounting cycle starts typically with Labour Weekend sales and then regularly until Boxing Day and New Year sales.

GV27

5859 posts

Uber Geek

#2278037 17-Jul-2019 07:31

Worth noting TCL is about to push an 8K 75" set to market; it's probably going to be priced way above where you're looking, but it should bring some downwards price pressure on the rest of the market.

1 | 2