What use is a broken HDTV?
October 20, 2014 2:31 PM Subscribe
I have a non-functioning HDTV with no visible damage. Is there any way to wring any remaining value out of it?
I recently moved cross-country, and shipped my 46" HDTV to my new address via FedEx. It initially powered on and seemed to be working fine, but after 30 minutes or so the display flickered out and now it's non-functioning. So, even though it appeared undamaged, something clearly happened during shipping. (None of the HDMI ports were working before the display flickered out, so I'm assuming it's something to do with the main board, and the display itself is fine.)
FedEx settled my insurance claim, but now I'm saddled with a non-functioning HDTV. I have no desire to start stripping it down and selling its individual components, but is there any way to wring any further value out of it without much hassle? Or should I just have it recycled and be done with it?
I've thought about getting it repaired, but I don't currently a car, so just getting it to (or from) a local repair shop for a quote would probably entail more expense/headache than I care for, even before the cost of the repair. Also, I have no real desire to own a second TV, and I'm looking forward to telling all my friends, neighbors, and co-workers that I don't even own a second TV.
For reference, it's a Sony KDL46EX640. Thanks for any advice.
I recently moved cross-country, and shipped my 46" HDTV to my new address via FedEx. It initially powered on and seemed to be working fine, but after 30 minutes or so the display flickered out and now it's non-functioning. So, even though it appeared undamaged, something clearly happened during shipping. (None of the HDMI ports were working before the display flickered out, so I'm assuming it's something to do with the main board, and the display itself is fine.)
FedEx settled my insurance claim, but now I'm saddled with a non-functioning HDTV. I have no desire to start stripping it down and selling its individual components, but is there any way to wring any further value out of it without much hassle? Or should I just have it recycled and be done with it?
I've thought about getting it repaired, but I don't currently a car, so just getting it to (or from) a local repair shop for a quote would probably entail more expense/headache than I care for, even before the cost of the repair. Also, I have no real desire to own a second TV, and I'm looking forward to telling all my friends, neighbors, and co-workers that I don't even own a second TV.
For reference, it's a Sony KDL46EX640. Thanks for any advice.
Response by poster: That's a great idea, DirtyOldTown. I just assumed that the internals of this thing were really fragile, so I didn't consider the possibility of it being a basic fix.
posted by incomple at 2:47 PM on October 20, 2014
posted by incomple at 2:47 PM on October 20, 2014
None of the HDMI ports were working before the display flickered out, so I'm assuming it's something to do with the main board, and the display itself is fine.
I think dirtyoldtown has a great suggestion here. After several moves i've had problems like this with all kinds of different hardware, and it all stemmed from some flex cable or other internal connection being jostled loose.
I'll also note on the paying-to-get-it-repaired front, my local reputable electronics shop that's brand certified, where all the major brands send people for warranty work, only charges like $35 for diagnostics. They're also pretty nice, and if it was just a loose cable or something they'd likely plug it back in and just charge you like $45 or even just the fee and go "have a nice day!".
That's a pretty nice tv, that would go for probably $350-400 used. If i opened it up and couldn't find anything obviously disconnected(and i'd disconnect and reseat a lot of cables, especially the ones that go to the input board with the HDMI jacks on it), i'd carefully reassemble it and start working on a plan to get it to the shop.
That shop i mentioned also regularly buys tvs like this to repair and resell. Failing all else if you didn't want to deal with it, it wouldn't surprise me if the repair shop was willing to give you a hundred bucks or so for it.
As a random other detail, no tv like this really has a "main board" anymore. Plasmas are/were even worse, but there's usually an input board or two... or three depending on how the ports are laid out, a display controller board, a backlight driver board, the board that contains the CPU and such if it's a smart TV, and maybe even another board or two just labelled the "a" "b" or "1" "2" boards or whatever. And then there's the power supply. Everything is interlinked with a rats nest of cables. An older flat screen tv i had was basically stacked with boards on both sides of the case front and back.
As i said though, the "hdmi wasn't working" thing makes me very hopeful this isn't some component failure, and just a loose cable. A lot of TVs wont turn on if one of the boards isn't connected. Also worth noting that since it's a smart tv, i'm pretty sure the main interface and "smart" part of it would tie into the input board. So if the input board is loose, either black screen or it just doesn't turn on. See where i'm going with this?(your tv may not be built this way, this is just spitballing, it's how i'm fairly certain my similar samsung goes together though)
posted by emptythought at 3:53 PM on October 20, 2014
I think dirtyoldtown has a great suggestion here. After several moves i've had problems like this with all kinds of different hardware, and it all stemmed from some flex cable or other internal connection being jostled loose.
I'll also note on the paying-to-get-it-repaired front, my local reputable electronics shop that's brand certified, where all the major brands send people for warranty work, only charges like $35 for diagnostics. They're also pretty nice, and if it was just a loose cable or something they'd likely plug it back in and just charge you like $45 or even just the fee and go "have a nice day!".
That's a pretty nice tv, that would go for probably $350-400 used. If i opened it up and couldn't find anything obviously disconnected(and i'd disconnect and reseat a lot of cables, especially the ones that go to the input board with the HDMI jacks on it), i'd carefully reassemble it and start working on a plan to get it to the shop.
That shop i mentioned also regularly buys tvs like this to repair and resell. Failing all else if you didn't want to deal with it, it wouldn't surprise me if the repair shop was willing to give you a hundred bucks or so for it.
As a random other detail, no tv like this really has a "main board" anymore. Plasmas are/were even worse, but there's usually an input board or two... or three depending on how the ports are laid out, a display controller board, a backlight driver board, the board that contains the CPU and such if it's a smart TV, and maybe even another board or two just labelled the "a" "b" or "1" "2" boards or whatever. And then there's the power supply. Everything is interlinked with a rats nest of cables. An older flat screen tv i had was basically stacked with boards on both sides of the case front and back.
As i said though, the "hdmi wasn't working" thing makes me very hopeful this isn't some component failure, and just a loose cable. A lot of TVs wont turn on if one of the boards isn't connected. Also worth noting that since it's a smart tv, i'm pretty sure the main interface and "smart" part of it would tie into the input board. So if the input board is loose, either black screen or it just doesn't turn on. See where i'm going with this?(your tv may not be built this way, this is just spitballing, it's how i'm fairly certain my similar samsung goes together though)
posted by emptythought at 3:53 PM on October 20, 2014
Response by poster: Thanks, emptythought. I'll definitely open 'er up and see if I can save myself the expense of replacing it (or the bother of reselling it). I'll take some photos and report back!
posted by incomple at 10:55 PM on October 20, 2014
posted by incomple at 10:55 PM on October 20, 2014
How did this work out?
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:20 PM on November 3, 2014
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:20 PM on November 3, 2014
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Even if you don't want to keep the tv, this would be valuable because it would turn it from something you'd have to get rid of into something you could sell.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:41 PM on October 20, 2014