QuestionQUESTION: My in-law's have a SANYO DP-42848 that they replaced recently. Their dog knocked its rubber toy into it a while back and it developed a dark shadow on the left side of the screen. They said we can have it if we want to try and get it fixed. The TV is only 2 years old. There is no damage to the screen surface. When you first turn the set on, the picture is perfect. After just a couple of seconds, the shadow/darkness sets in on the left side. You can still see the image through this darkness, it is not blacked out. Once in a while a barcode type of pattern appears along the top of the picture as well. It doesn't do this all the time however. Thank you for your assistance!
ANSWER: It is a 42" not a 46" by the way.
It is also an LCD panel type tv. Unfortunately, all LCD tvs and of all brands there are very few user serviceable things you can do. You can change the back light on your own. There are other things you can do if you are electronically gifted!
Here are the possible causes for the symptoms you explained. There are others, but these are my best estimate:
ONE: Lamp has been repositioned. Pull it out and replace it watching to make sure it goes back in perfectly. Refer to the onwers manual and follow the procedure very precisely.
TWO: The ballast and inverter board is defective from the dog toy. The ballast circuit drives the lamp. A new board can be replaced easily and costs about $100 plus or minus.
http://www.discount-merchant.com/1107761-DP42848-p/1107761.htm
THREE: The display panel itself has damage to the pixel area. A new panel will cost more than a new set. Some LCD panels can be repaired but it is very expensive usually and may not be perfect after the job is done.
Was the extended warranty program purchased when bot new? If so, you may want to contact the warranty company and see if they can help.
Here is a way to determine if the panel itself is bad. Gently press you hand on the screen area where the darkness is showing. Press firmly and move hand around so as not to damage the screen protector but firm enough to put pressure on the pixel elements of the display. If you get some change in the brightness or picture quality it means the display is damaged and is responding to your pressure. If no change then the problem is electronic.
Maybe this will help. Let me know if you need more.
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QUESTION: Is there an easy way to tell if the ballast and inverter board is defective? Can I check it with a multimeter, if so, how would I go about doing that? Thanks, your answer is very detailed and should be a lot of help!
AnswerYou can check with a VOM but you must have the service manual for the test points and what the voltages should be. The service manual will cost around $25 to $50 probably.
The best way might be to check with the supplier of the board for return capability. Put the replacement board in and if it does not solve the problem return it to the supplier.
Another possibility is to find the same model on ebay or craigslist and salvage the board out of the other set.
This help?
