TV Repair

Last week we got a bad surprise when we went to turn on our main living room TV and it didn't come up.  It was a bit confusing at first because it gave the Samsung audio jingle like usual but the screen didn't show anything.  We could still hear the sound coming from the TV so we knew it was on and still basically working.  Our first instinct was that Ryan had something to do with it.  Many times when our electronics aren't working right we can track it back to Ryan messing around with them and putting them into some weird mode.  However, after playing around a bit it became clear that it wasn't just stuck in some menu or setting, the screen was legitimately not working.

We were pretty disappointed since this TV is less than 3 years old.  So I took to the internet to see if there was anything that could be done.  Luckily, I found a few sites and videos describing our same situation.  The audio and back light were still working but there was no picture on the screen.  The diagnosis for this was either a circuit card called a T-con board was bad or the main screen went out.  If the main screen breaks that is basically it for your TV, but the T-con board can be replaced and is much much less than buying a new TV.

So I took the TV down and opened it up to see what model of T-con board to buy.  That was the advice on one site; make sure you get the exact same model board to ensure it will be compatible.  I ordered the card and hoped that it would arrive quickly and fix the screen.  Three days later it came in the mail and I quickly swapped them out.  Taking all the screws off to remove the back of the TV took the most time.  The board only had 4 screws and 3 cables to disconnect and reconnect.  If you ever have to do this I recommend taking notes and staying organized with all the screws that come out.  There were a few different sizes and I wanted to make sure it all went back together after the repair.

10 minutes later the TV was back on the wall and to our relief the picture came back!  I'm not sure what the odds are of the T-con board going out vs. the screen but I'm sure glad it was just the circuit card in our case.

It was a sad few days with the TV missing.

The patient on the operating table

All opened up.  You can see the T-con board in the middle with the cover removed.

T-con board close-up.  You can see the 3 cables that had to be disconnected and reconnected to the new board.

My method for staying organized with all the screws.

Success!  It's working again!

Our model TV is a Samsung UN60EH6000 60" LED TV.  The T con board I ordered was a BN95-00628C but if you do have to make this repair I would check the part number of your board first before ordering.  Also, even though we had success with this repair it is necessary to note that opening up your TV is risky.  Once you start taking things apart and replacing parts you run the risk of not being able to fix your TV or possibly damaging it worse.  This blog is not a guide and I am not responsible for anyone damaging their TV by trying to repair it themselves.  :)