Electronics, High Definition TV Repair - DLP Plasma LCD LED - Vintage Stereo and Speaker Repair

While the failure of a set may seem straight forward, many TV sets shut down in an attempt to protect other circuits, and what is observed is a symptom of the shutdown, rather than the actual problem. Most sets come in under the "dead" status because of this, for any and every reason. This is why a complete diagnosis is essential and without one no estimate can be given. Because diagnosing is not always straight forward, an estimate fee is charged up front which is to be applied towards any repairs made. Parts pricing ranges widely and depends on brand. We explore all possibilities to keep repairs economical. This is the key to our business.

CRT - $50 est fee

These work by shooting magnetically manipulated electron beams onto a phosphor surface. CRT sets are generally very hearty, although as production has officially stopped, getting parts has recently become somewhat of an issue. The two most common failures seen include a blown horizontal output transisor/flyback transformer, and the effects of insufficient solder joints/dry capacitors. If your set is having intermittent problems, solder connections or faulty capacitors are the most probable cause. If your set is dead, anything is suspect.

Plasma - $50 est fee

Plasma is the digital counterpart to CRT. These also involve electrons and phosphor light emission, but they do so at much higher tolerances. Generally Plasmas require a lot of power, and put out a lot of heat. This is the main cause of failure. Due to the technology incorporated, these sets sometimes output blink codes to portray the error that the on-board diagnostic suspects. These blink codes are not always correct. If your picture is very dark, the X-sus/Z-sus modules are the most likely cause. If there is a long delay during startup, or startup is intermittent, suspect faulty capacitors/connections on the power supply module. If the picture is intermittent/distorted, any board may be suspect. A dead set points to no specific board; all are suspect.

LCD/LED - $50 est fee

LCD technology (liquid crystal display) uses color-filtered pixels, however unlike CRT and Plasma sets these pixels are non-emissive. Because of this, they require a backlight to shine white light at the LCD Panel. This backlight is generally halogen or LED. LED sets incorporate the same LCD panel as the traditional halogen LCD set, but because they can turn off the backlight LEDs individually, they allow for local dimming and thus, better black and white levels, which translates into an inherently higher contrast ratio. As LCD/LED sets usually require a turn-on signal from every board, a dead set can be caused by any module. If you have a distorted/intermittent picture, the main-brain board is the most common culprit, second to poor solder and oxidized ribbon cables. If you are experiencing a delay in startup, suspect faulty capacitors and/or poor solder.

DLP - $50 est fee

DLP technology is nothing new, and many agree it provides the most natural color reproduction. This is due to the source of extremely white light that gets filtered via either a colorwheel, or 3 micro-LCD screens. This white light is produced via a UHP (ultra-high pressure mercury) lamp. These lamps burn very hot for the length of time the unit is running, and adequate cooling is essential to ensure the longevity of the set. This intense heat inherently causes failure to DLP sets, causing them to be high-maintenance. If your DLP is not turning on, the most likely cause is the lamp. Intermittent picture may also be a softening lamp, but there are other possible causes. If your DLP is making a bad humming noise, or there is no color then the colorwheel is suspect. The colorwheel must spin before the lamp fires, so no picture may also be a result of a faulty colorwheel. If there are dots or color blobs on the screen, then the optical block is the likely cause.

Vintage Audio - $75 est fee

Antique equipment is particularly tricky to diagnose, because in addition to the failure, there are very likely also other passive devices within the unit that have suffered from value drifting due to age. All parts within the unit are subject to failure and must be tested individually in the restoration process. This is why the estimate fee is higher on these items, as finding the problem often times can take longer than the actual repair of the unit.

Due to the design of older receivers, it is essential to work slowly and without interruption. One wrong move in one of these units could easily mean disaster. It is necessary to check all capacitors, check for leaky diodes/transistors, and biasing. All further adjustments must be set to manufacturer specification and thoroughly tested, or pre-mature failure is likely. In addition, all parts replaced must be OEM, or acceptable quality substitutes.

When it comes to FM/AM tuner problems, there is no guarantee that the tuner circuit may be made functional again. These circuits are very touchy, and there are plenty of times when parts are simply not available. But we will certainly try everything in our power to readjust/rebuild them to acceptable working condition.