Who do I call for non-electrical issues with my television?

August 1, 2009 10:19 PM

Who do I call to fix decidedly non-electrical problems with my projection TV? Do I really need a television repair man? If so, can you recommend one in Los Angeles?

Sorry for the ridiculous question, but it's ridiculous enough that I've been avoiding dealing with it because I don't know the answer.

So I have a big projection TV. It has two problems:

1. A very tiny bug has crawled into the television, and there is a spot of (actual size, perfectly outlined) bug-shaped-darkness in the middle of my screen. I think I'd need to disassemble the TV to get to it.

2. There is a streak across the top of the screen that does not wash off. I don't know how it got there, and I can't get rid of it. It annoys me out of all proportion to its size.

Both of these, obviously, have nothing to do with the working of the television itself. One just needs someone to take it apart and grab the bug. The other, at worst, requires a new screen. At best some kind of cleaning I don't know about.

Who do I call for this? It seems like bug and screen washing is not generally what a television repair man does, but it doesn't seem like something anyone else deals with either. If I do need a television repair man, does anyone know someone good in Los Angeles?

posted by kingjoeshmoe to Home & Garden (4 answers total)

Best answer: Having the television worked on, particularly if it needs a new screen, maybe cost prohibitive. You don't say what size television it is, but medium sized flat screen televisions can often be found the $200 to $300 range, which is what your bill may amount to.

If you want to find a television repair man, you have two avenues: 1.) Contact the manufacture, they can refer you to a certified repair shop, or 2.) look in the yellow pages for a tv repair place that advertises your TV's brand.

I suppose you could also try and get in touch with someone who is skilled with electronics enough to be comfortable taking the television apart, maybe your local computer shop can send out someone to look at it? Is the neighbor's kid good with taking things apart? You get the drift.
posted by wfrgms at 10:36 PM on August 1, 2009

You want a television repair guy, because he's going to know how to safely disassemble and reassemble the television. You obviously aren't comfortable doing that, so why would you assume another non-repairman would be?

I mean, I'd totally do it if it were my own TV. But, your TV? No chance, dude.
posted by Netzapper at 10:39 PM on August 1, 2009

I suppose you could also try and get in touch with someone who is skilled with electronics enough to be comfortable taking the television apart, maybe your local computer shop can send out someone to look at it? Is the neighbor's kid good with taking things apart? You get the drift.

The opposite of this is what I was implying.

You can get the neighbor kid to help you out. But then you have no recourse if he breaks it (or can't reassemble it).

You would be the biggest dick on the planet if you got the neighbor kid to take it apart and then, when he fucked up, demanded that he make it right. [Not saying you would do that, just saying that it'd make one a giant dick if one did.]

So, only go that route if you're ready to write it off. Otherwise, pay somebody who has the expertise to stand behind their work.
posted by Netzapper at 10:43 PM on August 1, 2009

You need a TV repair guy. There's stuff in there that can kill you or the neighbor kid, and no one wants that.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 11:26 PM on August 1, 2009