There are many reasons why your TV is not showing pictures (or maybe not even turning on).
It is a common problem for most brands including LG, Samsung, Panasonic, Pioneer, Hitachi, Philips, Vizio etc...
The first thing you need to do is identify what you can see (or hear) that is not working.
- Does your TV turns on? Does it show pictures but no sound?
- Your TV turns on, you can hear sounds coming out of it, but you still see no picture?
- ... Or your TV doesn't even turn on (so no picture or sound)?
Let's start with the basics.
Safety tips
Plasma Tvs have a very high voltage.
Before manipulating, make sure you have turned off your TV and unplugged it from the power supply. Wait 5 minutes so that the capacitors are discharged.
Your TV doesn't turn on
Does your TV have a 'stand-by mode'? Check it first.
If your TV doesn't turn on, it may not be receiving power (Electricity from the grid). Try this:
- Turn off the TV and unplug it from the wall.
- Wait 5 minutes so that the capacitors are discharged.
- Turn the TV on.
- If it doesn’t work check if the cables are properly connected before turning it on again.
- If you see a dark screen try changing the input source in your remote control.
If you still have not succeeded, you can inspect the power supply or just change it to see if that fixes the problem.
Inspecting the power supply board
If you can open the TV, check for problems in the power supply board.Â
- Check for swollen capacitors or exploded capacitors.Â
- Check for electrical continuity problems if you have a multimeter.
AveJoe has a good guide on the where and how to inspect this board (And later replace the defective parts):
Tip: Turn on the caption button if you need it. Choose “automatic translation” in the settings button, if you are not familiar to the english language. You may need to click on the language of the video first before your favorite language becomes available for translation.
If the problem continues, it may be the 'Z Board'.Â
- Turn off the TV (And do all the safety steps).
- Unplug the connector going into the 'Z-sustain'.
- Turn it on again and check for sound. If there’s sound, then the problem may be the 'Z-sustain board'.
Your TV has no picture but has sound
The first thing I would look for is...
Does it have a black screen (the light is on) or no picture at all?
I have a black screen
If you just have a black screen then this could mean that there is a cable that is not working properly. Or it may be loose.
So unplug all cables (COAX, HDMI, etc...) for at least 5 minutes including the TV. After that, make sure they are all are tight and properly connected before turning on your TV again.
I have no picture but I hear the sounds
If what I said above doesn't work then you may have a hardware failure. And the Y board is a possible candidate for being the cause of failure (About 80% of the cases if you have sound, as they consume the most electricity).
If your plasma TV has no picture but you can still hear sounds, start by checking the 'Y board'.
How do I know it is the 'Y board'?
Check the general explanation (and inspection guide) in the video:
Tip: Turn on the caption button if you need it. Choose “automatic translation” in the settings button, if you are not familiar to the english language.
My screen is cracked
If your screen is cracked you should replace it when possible.
It can leak dangerous gases, and it will likely get worse with each heating / cooling cycle.
Solution guide
Most of the time we are not really sure where the problem is.
Multiple circuits may contribute to the problem. Or you may not have some inspections tools like the multimeter.
So my suggestion is: If you have a suspicion, replace it with a part that you know it is good. If it works, then that was the problem.
Video: Plasma TV Repair - No Image, No Picture ...
Youtube has a related video on this topic: “Plasma TV Repair - No Image, No Picture ...”
