Flat-panel TV repair, board by board
Most flat-panel TV faults are not mysteries. A dead set, a picture that flashes and disappears, sound with a black screen, half a screen of noise: each points to a short list of boards inside the cabinet.
Start here
Board Level explains what the power supply, main board, T-con board, LED backlight and, on older sets, plasma sustain and buffer boards actually do, what typically fails, and which simple checks separate one from another. This map is where to begin.
Open the mapFour common faults, and the guide that tells you which board to suspect first.
From the symptom on screen to the board most likely at fault, with safe tests first.
DiagnosisDead set, clicking, blinking standby light, lines, no HDMI: which board each symptom usually points to.
DiagnosisSound but no picture? Two minutes with a torch tells a dead backlight from a board fault.
DiagnosisStored charge, live tests, glass panels and static: how to work inside a TV without hurting yourself or the boards.
DiagnosisMeter and probes, discharge checks, fuses and diodes, standby and main rails, and what not to measure.
Power supply, main board, T-con, LED backlight and plasma drive boards explained.
Board by boardStandby, PFC, main rails and LED driver: the symptoms of a failing supply and the checks you can do safely.
Board by boardHardware fault or software fault? HDMI problems, boot loops, firmware recovery and exact version matching.
Board by boardWhat the timing controller does, which symptoms really point to it, and why it is matched to the panel.
Board by boardDirect-lit and edge-lit backlights, why one failed LED blacks out the screen, and what to check first.
Board by boardY-sustain, X-sustain, buffers and logic board: how they fit together and what each failure looks like.
The full list of board guides, from the standby supply to the plasma buffers.
All board guidesReading part numbers, matching a replacement, and knowing when a repair is not worth it.
Parts and decisionsSticker number versus PCB number, brand conventions, and why a prefix is a hint rather than a guarantee.
Parts and decisionsService number, PCB number, suffixes, panel models and firmware: matching a replacement without guesswork.
Parts and decisionsWhich faults are worth fixing, why a cracked panel usually ends it, and how to dispose of a TV responsibly.
Parts and decisionsIdentify the model, run test images, check every input, and know what you can and cannot fix later.
Moving house
Most cracked panels are not caused by a failed board but by a bad move. How to box a TV with or without its original carton, carry and transport it upright, let it warm up before switching on, mount it in a rental without losing the deposit, and choose the right screen size for the new living room.
Read the moving guide
