TV & Home Theater

[cjoens]

I bought the Samsung LNT4671FX/XAA about 13 months ago. I did not purchase the extended warranty because I figured that if I spent the extra money to buy a "quality" item then I shouldn't have to worry about getting an extended warranty. Harrower, 13 months after I bought the TV it won't turn on anymore. I just clicks on and off and doesn't produce a picture. I have spoke with Samsung customer service several times and they are no help at all. From reading forums I believe the problem is the power board, but the Samsung technical support isn't qualified to tell me the part number so that I can order it. If anyone here has faced the same problem, or can give me the part number for the power board it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[BB_Gun]

Hi, CJ. I understand not wanting to buy an extended warranty, but it's a crapshoot no matter what brand you buy. As the saying goes, even Rolls Royce has a service department and a good reputation is no assurance of perfection.

Also, I would strongly advise against trying to service the TV on your own. Hopefully the repair bill won't be too painful, but a qualified technician should be the one to work on your set.

-BB_Gun

[scbogue]

We are having the exact same problem with our Samsung LCD TV....it is only 1 month off from being under warranty...did you ever get this fixed and find out the true problem?  Thank you!

[AndyBiz]

Ditto for me.  I have the same problem, but mine is slightly older at 18 months.  I called Samsung and they gave me the run around and said that there was nothing that they could do.  I spoke to several people, but they basically said that I was out of warranty and that there was nothing more they could do. 

I have a friend who had the same problem at 11 months for the same model and they did fix it, of course.  I believe it was a power supply module.  Apparently there is a defect of some sort and Samsung is not stepping up to the plate.  I have heard of this problem numerous times.  A TV should last longer than 18 months.  I have a service person coming to the house on Friday ($95-min charge) and they will be able to provide me with an estimate.  If they have the parts they'll fix it there otherwise they'll have to order them and it'll be a few more days.  I've been told that it'll be in the neighborhood of $300-$500 to fix.  Then the question is whether to fix or buy a new one based on the cost.  I can tell you that if I buy a new one, it won't be a Samsung!  And the (2) other ones I'm adding to my home will not be Samsung either.  Samsung=Great Picture, but Terrible Longevity!

[cjoens]

Yes I did get this problem fixed. It is two capacitors on the power board that are under sized. All I had to do was remove the power board, find the two capacitors that were bulged and had black stuff oozing out and replace them with capacitors that are identical except for the voltage rating. They cost me less than $3 dollars and it took less than 45 minutes to do. I don't recommend having a technician service the unit, your just getting ripped off. It was my fist time soldering and I just looked up tips on how to do it online and it was easy.

[Rick505]

To: cjoens 

You are correct that it is a capacitor problem but the voltage rating isn't the main problem. It has been reported on the AVS Forum and other places that Samsung installed capacitors that were made in the late 90's on the many power boards that have failed. These all fail in the same way as you observed, the bulge and leak their vital fluids. Apprently some that failed either had manufacture dates or date codes that linked them. I read that numerous people have had this problem even with the high end LCD sets. Those that were under warranty or had extended warranty got them fixed but even then it was a pain.

[AndyBiz]

I just replaced two capacitors on my set and it worked like a champ.  I probably saved $500-$600.  You can do it.

[lola1626]

No more Samsung for us.  Worked good the first two years and this year it's been one thing after another.  It took 4 months to fix one problem and just today, we lost the picture, then the sound, then everything and the lights start blinking.  This is ridiculous because the tv isn't even 3 years old yet.

[AndyBiz]

I feel your pain and feel the same about Samsung and their products.  If they were a reputable company they would stand behind their product and at least address the problem.  A product like this should last longer than 2 years.  I look back and laugh at myself for anguishing in my decision on whether to purchase an LCD or a plasma.  I chose the LCD because the plasma bulb isn't supposed to last as long as the LCD.  Was I ever wrong.  The question isn't about the type of TV but rather the make.  This was an expensive lesson.

[bowhunter]

We are also having the same issue and cannot find an authorized dealer to fix the problem. If we fix it ourself, is there a part number on the capacitors that we could take to a repair center so that we get the right capacitor? Any help would be much appreciated.