# Warning: Panny Plasmas have loose screws



## Rich

The new 60" TC-P60ST30 I bought last December began buzzing a couple weeks ago. I called Panny support and got my problem resolved today. The buzzing seemed to be coming from the (as you face the screen) left upper side and was really loud when I leaned over the set.

When I called Panny Concierge service, the CSR immediately made an appointment with a local electronics repair shop and told me they would have the proper part. Asked her how they would know, and she just said, "They will".

OK, that intrigued me, I've always found it very difficult to troubleshoot over a phone and figured I'd be in for a nightmare. Find the bad part, order it, wait a couple weeks or months for the part, get it installed and hope the guy guessed right. That did not happen.

The Tech (note the capitalization, this guy knew his stuff) walked in the door with a helper and asked me where the set was. Didn't ask me what was wrong with it. Now I'm really puzzled.

So, they turn the set around and take the back cover off (don't do this without gloves on, the edges are razor sharp and the Tech had been severely cut on a couple occasions which resulted in emergency room visits) and explain to me that one of the boards was installed without lock-washers on the screws. Screws get loose, board vibrates. Makes sense. They put lock-washers on the screws and put the set back together and...silence.

Turns out, this is very common on the TC-P60ST-30s. So common that the Tech's shop gets several calls a week for the same buzzing issue.

If you have one of the sets or the 65" model, you might want to get this fixed before your manufacturer's warranty runs out. If you have one and haven't heard the buzzing yet, it's just a matter of time. Whole repair took a half hour. That's counting BS time.

Rich


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## kikkenit2

Someone just posted a problem about the next year model ST50!
These are the top rated sets overall. Especially in 65". And I want one.
Not if they all break though.


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## MysteryMan

Sounds like Panasonic needs to tighten up their quality control dept.


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## Carl Spock

I have sympathy with Panasonic on this one. First the sets are subject to a lot of vibration in shipping before they get to your living room. Second, a plasma runs very hot and as we all know, hot things expand, only to contract when they cool down. Yes, the design should have compensated for this but it didn't. The fix is cheap and quick. You really don't want me to start on my _entropy is real_ rant again, do you?

I have a problem with my four year old Panasonic 50" plasma that has cropped up in the past month. Occasionally the picture gets all red. It's on all inputs and all channels. Only by hitting the back of of the set hard in the lower left corner will the image go back to normal. I'm pretty sure soon that fix-it won't work and I'll have to take the back off of the TV. Hopefully I'll find a loose connection or a loose screw. If I'm lucky it's that simple. A bad solder connection could take much longer to troubleshoot.


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## MysteryMan

Given the price tag that accompanies the purchase of a LCD or Plasma the highest quality assurance should be expected.


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## Carl Spock

Reliability and price are not always synonymous. Ask a Ferrari owner.

There is a way in which reliability and price are tied together. You want a more reliable plasma? Take the price back up to $4,000. Spend the money on better components. When the price of plasmas dropped to where it is now, something had to go away. It had to be the quality of construction and materials that goes in the box. You don't get those kind of savings just by ramping up production. You get them by pinching pennies.


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## Rich

kikkenit2 said:


> Someone just posted a problem about the next year model ST50!
> These are the top rated sets overall. Especially in 65". And I want one.
> Not if they all break though.


Since I bought my first Panny plasma in '07, I've had noise problems with two of them. The first one I bought at Costco and returned it, this one I had fixed. So, in total, I've had nine Panny plasmas and had problems with two of them. Not a good batting average and not a good track record, but the Tech who was here yesterday did say that the Panny plasmas are the best TVs he's seen and have the least problems. Best I've seen or I wouldn't have bought so many.

Rich


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## Rich

MysteryMan said:


> Sounds like Panasonic needs to tighten up their quality control dept.


Yup, sounds like something Samsung would do. Just lock washers, not something that isn't available in just about every supply house in the world.

Rich


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## Rich

Carl Spock said:


> I have sympathy with Panasonic on this one. First the sets are subject to a lot of vibration in shipping before they get to your living room. Second, a plasma runs very hot and as we all know, hot things expand, only to contract when they cool down. Yes, the design should have compensated for this but it didn't. The fix is cheap and quick. You really don't want me to start on my _entropy is real_ rant again, do you?
> 
> I have a problem with my four year old Panasonic 50" plasma that has cropped up in the past month. Occasionally the picture gets all red. It's on all inputs and all channels. Only by hitting the back of of the set hard in the lower left corner will the image go back to normal. I'm pretty sure soon that fix-it won't work and I'll have to take the back off of the TV. Hopefully I'll find a loose connection or a loose screw. If I'm lucky it's that simple. A bad solder connection could take much longer to troubleshoot.


Don't forget my warning about taking off the back panel, that thing is razor sharp. Wear heavy gloves when handling it.

Rich


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## Rich

MysteryMan said:


> Given the price tag that accompanies the purchase of a LCD or Plasma the highest quality assurance should be expected.


In an ideal world, that expectation would be taken for granted. But, lock washers? That's a bit much and it seems as if they left them off the whole run of that model. Add that to the razor sharp edges on the back panel and...I don't know what to think.

Rich


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## Carl Spock

Rich said:


> Don't forget my warning about taking off the back panel, that thing is razor sharp. Wear heavy gloves when handling it.
> 
> Rich


Thanks for the warning. I will be careful.

Hopefully I won't have to do this for a while. I like slugging my plasma to get it working again. It reminds me of when I had a RF modulator on a 1980s era Sony projection TV. It sat on the floor next to the commode which contained the three guns. The modulator had a bad solder joint and would go kaflooey every few days. For years I kicked it to restore the picture. Do you know the joy of kicking a piece of electronics to make it work? It was very satisfying.

:kickbutt:


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## MysteryMan

Rich said:


> In an ideal world, that expectation would be taken for granted. But, lock washers? That's a bit much and it seems as if they left them off the whole run of that model. Add that to the razor sharp edges on the back panel and...I don't know what to think.
> 
> Rich


Must be new management. There's always a breed that comes along and penny pinches at the cost of quality in order to save a buck.


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## Carl Spock

No doubt about that, *MysteryMan*.

My point upthread is that pennies needed to be pinched to get the prices for plasma TVs down to the current level but in this case, Panasonic pinched the wrong ones. Let's assume they left them off more than just this one model and that a million plasmas were sold worldwide with this problem. Let's also assume there could be a total of 20 lock washers inside the plasma if they put them everywhere they might be needed. We need to come up with a price for the lock washers but buying them in huge quanties could take their price down to practically nothing - maybe a tenth of a cent. If you work out the math, this change saved Panasonic $20,000. I can guarantee you Panasonic lost money on that deal. With normal warranty repair reimbursement rates to the local tech, they'd have to fix only about 300 TVs to be in the hole over leaving off the lock washers. Certainly this was a very bad decision. An understandable one from my point of view but still a bad one.


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## Rich

Carl Spock said:


> Thanks for the warning. I will be careful.
> 
> Hopefully I won't have to do this for a while. I like slugging my plasma to get it working again. It reminds me of when I had a RF modulator on a 1980s era Sony projection TV. It sat on the floor next to the commode which contained the three guns. The modulator had a bad solder joint and would go kaflooey every few days. For years I kicked it to restore the picture. Do you know the joy of kicking a piece of electronics to make it work? It was very satisfying.
> 
> :kickbutt:


Yes, indeed. Having gotten our first TV in 1948, I've spent a lot of time kicking them. I got a pretty good look at the back of the new plasma while they were working on it and it looks like you could just swap boards without too much trouble. That doesn't mean your older plasmas, or mine, would be that easy to fix.

That back panel is really too sharp. I have a hard time believing that they could/would make such a dangerous part. Found out Panasonic has a production facility in Secaucus, NJ.

Rich


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## Rich

Carl Spock said:


> No doubt about that, *MysteryMan*.
> 
> My point upthread is that pennies needed to be pinched to get the prices for plasma TVs down to the current level but in this case, Panasonic pinched the wrong ones. Let's assume they left them off more than just this one model and that a million plasmas were sold worldwide with this problem. Let's also assume there could be a total of 20 lock washers inside the plasma if they put them everywhere they might be needed. We need to come up with a price for the lock washers but buying them in huge quanties could take their price down to practically nothing - maybe a tenth of a cent. If you work out the math, this change saved Panasonic $20,000. I can guarantee you Panasonic lost money on that deal. With normal warranty repair reimbursement rates to the local tech, they'd have to fix only about 300 TVs to be in the hole over leaving off the lock washers. Certainly this was a very bad decision. An understandable one from my point of view but still a bad one.


That Tech and I had a conversation about that. He didn't understand it either. Lock-nuts?

Rich


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## satcrazy

Rich said:


> That Tech and I had a conversation about that. He didn't understand it either. Lock-nuts?
> 
> Rich


Rich, did you buy an extended warranty for your st30?

Panasonic sent me a notice about extended warranty,[ my st30] but this is NOT panasonic, it's third party, and it's not cheap. I called them awhile back to inquire, and they weren't sure who would repair it in my area.

Have you received anything like this yet?

The co. is on Panasonic's web site, by the way


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## Rich

satcrazy said:


> Rich, did you buy an extended warranty for your st30?
> 
> Panasonic sent me a notice about extended warranty,[ my st30] but this is NOT panasonic, it's third party, and it's not cheap. I called them awhile back to inquire, and they weren't sure who would repair it in my area.
> 
> Have you received anything like this yet?
> 
> The co. is on Panasonic's web site, by the way


No, I didn't buy an extended warranty, I always use my Amex card which doubles the manufacturer's warranty, so I'm good for another year +.

I get notices all the time for extended warranties and I ignore them. If this TV goes after the two year period, I'll be happy to buy a newer model. But it won't. The damn things apparently last forever. I've got five 720p Panny plasmas that I'd like to upgrade, but they just keep on playing.

Rich


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## Rich

satcrazy said:


> Rich, did you buy an extended warranty for your st30?
> 
> Panasonic sent me a notice about extended warranty,[ my st30] but this is NOT panasonic, it's third party, and it's not cheap. I called them awhile back to inquire, and they weren't sure who would repair it in my area.
> 
> Have you received anything like this yet?
> 
> The co. is on Panasonic's web site, by the way


Were I you, I'd be calling Panasonic's Concierge service and getting lock-nuts put on that board before it starts buzzing. Thing almost drove me nuts.

Short drive.

Rich


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## Steve

Rich said:


> Best I've seen or I wouldn't have bought so many.


Second only to my old Fujitsu, IMO, which sadly is no longer is in the plasma business. I never owned a Kuro, though I understand Panasonic bought that technology from Pioneer.

I've got three Panny plasmas and no issues, so far. They're 6, 5 and almost 3 years old. One sister's got three of them, and my other sister and mom each have one. No issues either. Knock on wood for all of them!


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## Carl Spock

Rich said:


> Were I you, I'd be calling Panasonic's Concierge service and getting lock-nuts put on that board before it starts buzzing. Thing almost drove me nuts.


It's certainly worth a phone call but unless there has been a recall, I've rarely seen a manufacture offer to fix something that isn't broken. It does happen, just not often. Realize that even though your TV developed the problem, Rich, along with the others fixed by the tech, the majority of sets haven't developed the buzz. These manufacturers didn't get wealthy by doing preventive maintenance.

On the plus side, since the repair is so quick, easy and not parts intensive, it would not be expensive to do out of warranty. You'd basically just have to pay an hour of bench time along with a couple of bucks for parts. That's a really reasonable repair for a plasma, which is generally many hundreds of dollars for a board replacement along with a couple of hundred dollars of labor. Expect to spend $5-700 in general to fix a plasma TV, and that's assuming the display itself is good. If that goes south, the TV is certainly junk.

For example, if my TV goes permanently red and I can't fix it, it is most likely toast. I certainly would explore a bit further the possibility of fixing it but my nearest service center is 150 miles away. Do I want to spend $80 in gas for two trips to the service center, plus whatever their estimate refusal charge is, probably around $100, just to find out it can't be fixed for a reasonable amount?

In that case, I'd probably just buy a new TV. I agree with *Steve*: it would probably be a new Panasonic. They have some new engineers from Pioneer that have brought some technology with them that seems to be quite good. I saw Panasonic's new 65" in a buddy's home and it looked tremendous.


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## bjlc

yeah.. the "local" Panny/ Pioneer guy is desperately unrelieable. ( a few years I took a pioneer receiver to the place to see if he could make the radio receiver part work. He pulled it apart and said to me.. I don't understand, where are the speakers..? ) that's when I knew the local factory panny/Pioneer guy was totally and completely out of the rhelm of radios that occurred after 1961.. I think he was looking for tubes..


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## bjlc

speaking of which.. how can I get a plasma into my house to see if its useable or not.. for what I want , I can cut my price in half.. or close to it if it works..


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## MysteryMan

bjlc said:


> speaking of which.. how can I get a plasma into my house to see if its useable or not.. for what I want , I can cut my price in half.. or close to it if it works..


Open the door to your house. Bring plasma into your house. Close dooor behind you. Set plasma on stand and make cable connections. Plug plasma power cord into electrical outlet. Turn plasma on. Perform usablity test......Any questions? :sure:


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## Rich

bjlc said:


> speaking of which.. how can I get a plasma into my house to see if its useable or not.. for what I want , I can cut my price in half.. or close to it if it works..


You'd have to explain what you want to do better than you have.

Rich


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## Rich

Carl Spock said:


> It's certainly worth a phone call but unless there has been a recall, I've rarely seen a manufacture offer to fix something that isn't broken. It does happen, just not often. Realize that even though your TV developed the problem, Rich, along with the others fixed by the tech, the majority of sets haven't developed the buzz. These manufacturers didn't get wealthy by doing preventive maintenance.


I have a feeling that if you call up and say you're hearing buzzing noises from the TV you'll get it fixed. It's gonna buzz sometime. Those lock-nuts are really necessary. It's an easy fix, my son and I could do it in less than a half hour now that I've seen it done once. All it takes is a screwdriver and a pack of lock-nuts. And Kevlar gloves.



> For example, if my TV goes permanently red and I can't fix it, it is most likely toast. I certainly would explore a bit further the possibility of fixing it but my nearest service center is 150 miles away. Do I want to spend $80 in gas for two trips to the service center, plus whatever their estimate refusal charge is, probably around $100, just to find out it can't be fixed for a reasonable amount?


This set is only eight months old. I couldn't justify dumping it (I did come close, tho) and buying a new one. If I were you, I'd be delighted at the prospect of shopping for a new TV. I am sorry I didn't get the 65" model, which has the same problem with the lock-nuts.



> In that case, I'd probably just buy a new TV. I agree with *Steve*: it would probably be a new Panasonic. They have some new engineers from Pioneer that have brought some technology with them that seems to be quite good. I saw Panasonic's new 65" in a buddy's home and it looked tremendous.


I've looked and looked at TVs and, aside from a couple of Sony 240Hz LCDs, I saw none that I'd consider buying. I just keep going back to the Panny plasmas. When we were staying at the beach the place we stayed at had just installed new Panny LCD sets in all the condos. The reviews on them are right...they are terrible, if that one in the condo is truly reflective of their line of LCDs.

Rich


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## Steve

Rich said:


> I've looked and looked at TVs and, aside from a couple of Sony 240Hz LCDs, I saw none that I'd consider buying. I just keep going back to the Panny plasmas.


I still haven't seen another display that beats my calibrated 65S1, and that was their "bargain" set at the time. I checked recently, and after almost 2.5 years, I've still got almost Kuro-like black levels (.08 candelas vs. .03), and with the right source material, shows look almost 3D.

Since we have grandkids, I found one of the best PQ "showcase" recordings is the first 10 or 15 minutes of any episode of _Sesame Street_. It's like they're in the room with you, and the memory colors are spot-on.


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## satcrazy

This was a most entertaining thread.

I wonder tho, If the buzz was caused by vibration, the vibration would come from the internal speakers, yes?

How do you { Rich} play your audio? through the tv speakers or an audio system?

I use a avr 98% of the time. Believe me, if I could get Panasonic to do preventative medicine, I would. But Spock is right, they won't.

I just looked at a sea of tv's at wallyworld the other day, and an older panny plasma [ I think it was a 720p] was right next to a new LED [ I forget the brand, could have been an LG] The older panny still looked better, IMO. I'm hooked.

The only regret I have at this point is I should have gone to a 55". I originally had a 46 in my head when I first started looking, my family thought I bought too big at 50, Lesson here: Don't listen to your family, listen to that little voice in your head!


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## Rich

satcrazy said:


> This was a most entertaining thread.
> 
> I wonder tho, If the buzz was caused by vibration, the vibration would come from the internal speakers, yes?
> 
> How do you { Rich} play your audio? through the tv speakers or an audio system?
> 
> I use a avr 98% of the time. Believe me, if I could get Panasonic to do preventative medicine, I would. But Spock is right, they won't.
> 
> I just looked at a sea of tv's at wallyworld the other day, and an older panny plasma [ I think it was a 720p] was right next to a new LED [ I forget the brand, could have been an LG] The older panny still looked better, IMO. I'm hooked.
> 
> The only regret I have at this point is I should have gone to a 55". I originally had a 46 in my head when I first started looking, my family thought I bought too big at 50, Lesson here: Don't listen to your family, listen to that little voice in your head!


The buzz was from the whole board vibrating as the colors changed. White caused the most vibration. Nothing came thru my AV system.

Yeah, bigger is always better. I'm still regretting not buying that 65" model. I just measured wrong. Have plenty of space for an even bigger model. A mistake I won't make again.

Rich


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## satcrazy

OK, so your saying color changes caused the vibration that loosened the screws with no lock washers.

Great.


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## Rich

satcrazy said:


> OK, so your saying color changes caused the vibration that loosened the screws with no lock washers.
> 
> Great.


Yeah, I didn't get it at first but the guy explained it pretty well and put up a series of color bars and the vibrations increased as the colors got closer to white. I watched it happen.

Rich


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## satcrazy

Rich said:


> Were I you, I'd be calling Panasonic's Concierge service and getting lock-nuts put on that board before it starts buzzing. Thing almost drove me nuts.
> 
> Short drive.
> 
> Rich


Hope you'r around today! [ this is a big "oh,oh"]

I was cleaning around my 50"ST30 today and [ gulp] It's there.

It only had a faint [ hum] when I first got it, you could only hear it from the back of the tv. It's noticeable now, upper and mid left side. I'm guessing the buzz is telegraphing down the left.

How far away were you when you heard it? It seems about 2 to 3 feet from the front for me,[ more when you are off to the left side] and yes, when the picture is dark, it's not as noisy, but when more light is shown the buzz increases.

I need a little hand holding as I've never had to contact them for anything, and my warranty will be up in about three weeks.:eek2:

What info do they need? I'm quite sure I registered it online when I bought it.
I don't have to fax anything, do I? Is the concierge number 1-877 958-4372?Did you call early or late in the day? I'm guessing not over the weekend? Anything else you can think of? I never did any internet update to my TV, did they ask you that? [ I read somewhere that is something they ask, but this is not an update issue] I've also read some horror stories about CS, I'm getting worried just thinking about this.

Help!
Chris

So much for my vibration theory!


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## Rich

satcrazy said:


> Hope you'r around today! [ this is a big "oh,oh"]
> 
> I was cleaning around my 50"ST30 today and [ gulp] It's there.
> 
> It only had a faint [ hum] when I first got it, you could only hear it from the back of the tv. It's noticeable now, upper and mid left side. I'm guessing the buzz is telegraphing down the left.


That's it. The board in question is on the left side as you face the screen.



> How far away were you when you heard it? It seems about 2 to 3 feet from the front for me,[ more when you are off to the left side] and yes, when the picture is dark, it's not as noisy, but when more light is shown the buzz increases.


As you get a "whiter" picture the board will get louder. It will decrease as the picture gets darker.



> I need a little hand holding as I've never had to contact them for anything, and my warranty will be up in about three weeks.:eek2:
> 
> What info do they need? I'm quite sure I registered it online when I bought it.
> I don't have to fax anything, do I? Is the concierge number 1-877 958-4372?Did you call early or late in the day? I'm guessing not over the weekend? Anything else you can think of? I never did any internet update to my TV, did they ask you that? [ I read somewhere that is something they ask, but this is not an update issue] I've also read some horror stories about CS, I'm getting worried just thinking about this.
> 
> Help!
> Chris
> 
> So much for my vibration theory!


You need the receipt, you only have a year's warranty, the Concierge Service is aware of this problem, so you don't have to worry about getting it serviced quickly. Don't remember when I called, I went to Panny's website and got the info I needed and made the call, the number's on the website. There hasn't been an update released yet, but the Tech that came out had an SD card with an update on it and installed it as courtesy. The whole job took much less than a half hour.

If you don't get it fixed it will just get louder, best to do it ASAP.

Rich


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## Rich

satcrazy said:


> OK, so your saying color changes caused the vibration that loosened the screws with no lock washers.
> 
> Great.


Just reread this post and I can see where it does sound a bit wacky. But now you know...

Rich


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## hdtvfan0001

Rich:

Fixed your original post heading:

*Warning: Panny Plasma owners have loose screws *

OK...it's a pun/joke.


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## satcrazy

Rich said:


> Just reread this post and I can see where it does sound a bit wacky. But now you know...
> 
> Rich


Thanks for the reply, I called panasonic earlier today and got "tech support" . The actual "concierge number" doesn't exist according to the tech [ they have to put you through] and had to go through some hoops, [ shutting off speakers from menu, disconecting the HDMI cable from receiver, etc.] but I got a case number, and they tried to put me through to concierge but it was busy. The tech said I needed my reciept and to call the service tech, but I told him I thought the concierge had to do that?
So he told me to call back later to reach concierge service. So, did you set up the service call, or did the concierge service do it for you?

That update you got would be nice, do you remember what it was for?

I can't thank you enough for this thread, as my warranty is getting close to expiring.

I talked to the service rep before I called Panny and he was familiar with the problem [ He was very pleasant] I also asked how much a standard service call would cost once the warranty is up, and he gave me an approximate $300.00 parts and labor.
So now I'm looking at a 3 year[ extended] from Panny for 360$. The service rep did indicate to me, however, that Panasonic, in his experience, does not have alot of issues. So it's still a crap shoot buying the warranty, although one service call would pay for the warranty. The warranty has to be purchased before my manufacturer warranty is up however, so I have a couple of weeks to decide. UGH.


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## satcrazy

Rich said:


> Since I bought my first Panny plasma in '07, I've had noise problems with two of them. The first one I bought at Costco and returned it, this one I had fixed. So, in total, I've had nine Panny plasmas and had problems with two of them. Not a good batting average and not a good track record, but the Tech who was here yesterday did say that the Panny plasmas are the best TVs he's seen and have the least problems. Best I've seen or I wouldn't have bought so many.
> 
> Rich


The costco TV you returned, did you exchange it for another? I saw a panny at Sam's that could be a real good deal, can I assume these club tv's are OK?
It's a 2012 model, just not their higher end. [ about 500$ cheaper than my st30, no 3D, or internet connection, but I never use those features now on the st30, so who cares?] I've been looking for a replacement for my bedroom crt for months now, this might be it, even though it's a 50"- I guess panasonic didn't make anything smaller this year- and the inputs are limited.[only 2 hdmi's,etc. I would have to look around for a used avr with a optical in as well.


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## Rich

satcrazy said:


> Thanks for the reply, I called panasonic earlier today and got "tech support" . The actual "concierge number" doesn't exist according to the tech [ they have to put you through] and had to go through some hoops, [ shutting off speakers from menu, disconecting the HDMI cable from receiver, etc.] but I got a case number, and they tried to put me through to concierge but it was busy. The tech said I needed my reciept and to call the service tech, but I told him I thought the concierge had to do that?
> So he told me to call back later to reach concierge service. So, did you set up the service call, or did the concierge service do it for you?


I went thru that, now that you reminded me, and I got transferred to the Concierge Service and everything went smoothly. The CS CSR set up the Tech's visit and assured me that it was a known problem and that the Tech would have the parts needed to repair the TV (parts turned out to be several lock washers).



> That update you got would be nice, do you remember what it was for?


Had something to do with the colors. Took me a few days to get back to a good picture, since then the PQ's been good.



> I can't thank you enough for this thread, as my warranty is getting close to expiring.


Did you use a credit card to buy the TV. If you did you might want to give them a call (the credit card people) and see if using your card extends the warranty.



> I talked to the service rep before I called Panny and he was familiar with the problem [ He was very pleasant] I also asked how much a standard service call would cost once the warranty is up, and he gave me an approximate $300.00 parts and labor.


To put on several lock washers? Something that was their mistake in the first place?



> So now I'm looking at a 3 year[ extended] from Panny for 360$. The service rep did indicate to me, however, that Panasonic, in his experience, does not have alot of issues. So it's still a crap shoot buying the warranty, although one service call would pay for the warranty. The warranty has to be purchased before my manufacturer warranty is up however, so I have a couple of weeks to decide. UGH.


Crap shoot at best. I've bought 9 Panny plasmas since 2007 and only the one I bought from Costco had a problem (aside from the one we're talking about) and I quickly brought it back. They only allow for 90 day returns now. Went to another store and got the same model for hundreds less and that one is still rolling along. The rest of them are fine. Don't know if I'd get the warranty, that's a personal choice. I've still got my Amex extended warranty on the TV I had the problem with and that's good for another year come December.

Rich


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## Rich

satcrazy said:


> The costco TV you returned, did you exchange it for another? I saw a panny at Sam's that could be a real good deal, can I assume these club tv's are OK?


I think Sam's still has the "anytime" warranty on TVs, not sure, I don't like Sam's and they give everyone a hard time when returning big items. What you've got to watch at Sam's and Costco is the model numbers. If they're slightly different from the normal model numbers, you can bet some features are missing. I don't buy TVs from them anymore.



> It's a 2012 model, just not their higher end. [ about 500$ cheaper than my st30, no 3D, or internet connection, but I never use those features now on the st30, so who cares?] I've been looking for a replacement for my bedroom crt for months now, this might be it, even though it's a 50"- I guess panasonic didn't make anything smaller this year- and the inputs are limited.[only 2 hdmi's,etc. I would have to look around for a used avr with a optical in as well.


I've got a 50" in my bedroom and another bedroom and they're a perfect fit. If I remember correctly, that 50" you're looking at has something off on its resolution compared to the ST30s, so you won't get the same PQ.

Rich


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## Rich

hdtvfan0001 said:


> Rich:
> 
> Fixed your original post heading:
> 
> *Warning: Panny Plasma owners have loose screws *
> 
> OK...it's a pun/joke.


Loose screws and thermal heating devices.... :lol:

Rich


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## satcrazy

Rich said:


> I think Sam's still has the "anytime" warranty on TVs, not sure, I don't like Sam's and they give everyone a hard time when returning big items. What you've got to watch at Sam's and Costco is the model numbers. If they're slightly different from the normal model numbers, you can bet some features are missing. I don't buy TVs from them anymore.
> 
> I've got a 50" in my bedroom and another bedroom and they're a perfect fit. If I remember correctly, that 50" you're looking at has something off on its resolution compared to the ST30s, so you won't get the same PQ.
> 
> Rich


?
It's a TC50PU54 which someone [ on AVS] translated into a TCP50U50.

Problem is, ST's are now history, and if you can find one the price is more than what I paid for mine new last year.

Well, that's a bummer.


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## Rich

satcrazy said:


> ?
> It's a TC50PU54 which someone [ on AVS] translated into a TCP50U50.
> 
> Problem is, ST's are now history, and if you can find one the price is more than what I paid for mine new last year.
> 
> Well, that's a bummer.


Just looked at the specs for the TC50PU54 and they look OK. But the TCP50U50 looks like it has the same specs and it is much cheaper. See this *Link*.

Both look like they would be good. Remember the line that says "Costco extends the manufacturer's warranty to two years" only works if you buy it with an Amex card which will do the same thing no matter where you buy it. The only difference that I know of is Costco handles the Concierge Service for you. If you buy it somewhere else, you have to call the CS yourself the first year and Amex the second year. And Costco does have that 90 day return.

Rich


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## satcrazy

[


> QUOTE=Rich;3097422]That's it. The board in question is on the left side as you face the screen.


That's the "A" board, and when the tech showed up Friday, he said 3 of the screws were loose. I helped turn the tv around, but he declined help with the back panel. He knew they can be sharp-edged. I watched anyway, to see what it looked like inside. Oh, and by the way, he also replaced the screws on the board on the right side as well, per panasonic's instructions. Thought you should know.



> As you get a "whiter" picture the board will get louder. It will decrease as the picture gets darker


.

Back to the normal hum when you stick your head behind tv.

You need the receipt, you only have a year's warranty, the Concierge Service is aware of this problem, so you don't have to worry about getting it serviced quickly. Don't remember when I called, I went to Panny's website and got the info I needed and made the call, the number's on the website.


> There hasn't been an update released yet, but the Tech that came out had an SD card with an update on it and installed it as courtesy


. The whole job took much less than a half hour.

If you don't get it fixed it will just get louder, best to do it ASAP.

Rich[/QUOTE]

I got the firmware update [ apparently there's only one] and I totally forgot to write down my settings, so I've been playing with it for the last few days [ update takes it back to factory settings, which according to the service tech most people use ?????? hard to believe......]

One thing he did mention, in his experience, plasma's seem to last longer than LCD's and are easier to repair. Just thought I'd pass that on.

Thanks again


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## Rich

satcrazy said:


> [
> 
> That's the "A" board, and when the tech showed up Friday, he said 3 of the screws were loose. I helped turn the tv around, but he declined help with the back panel. He knew they can be sharp-edged. I watched anyway, to see what it looked like inside. Oh, and by the way, he also replaced the screws on the board on the right side as well, per panasonic's instructions. Thought you should know.
> 
> .
> 
> Back to the normal hum when you stick your head behind tv.


You need the receipt, you only have a year's warranty, the Concierge Service is aware of this problem, so you don't have to worry about getting it serviced quickly. Don't remember when I called, I went to Panny's website and got the info I needed and made the call, the number's on the website. . The whole job took much less than a half hour.



> If you don't get it fixed it will just get louder, best to do it ASAP.
> 
> Rich





> I got the firmware update [ apparently there's only one] and I totally forgot to write down my settings, so I've been playing with it for the last few days [ update takes it back to factory settings, which according to the service tech most people use ?????? hard to believe......]
> 
> One thing he did mention, in his experience, plasma's seem to last longer than LCD's and are easier to repair. Just thought I'd pass that on.
> 
> Thanks again


Glad it worked. Yeah, that update screwed up my picture for a while too. Being almost terminally lazy, it took me a week or so of watching a crappy picture to finally work up the energy to spend the ten minutes it took to get my good picture back. Next hum I hear, I'll be in the back of that sucker and I'll put the lock washers on myself. Wearing heavy gloves, of course.

This sounds like a simple job anyone with a little knowledge of tools could do, but if you don't take a lot of care with that back cover, you'll be in the emergency room getting stitches. That back cover has edges that are, literally, razor sharp. The Tech who fixed my set was in the ER twice (I think that's what he said) for severe cuts from the back cover.

In short, it's an easy fix, but great care must be taken with that hideously sharp back cover.

Rich


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## satcrazy

Rich,

Do you use your own settings, or did you find them on the internet?

I mean, 10 minutes? [ you must have written them down :lol:]

I forgot to mention, the tech brought screws that panasonic sent him, they were longer than original with the lock washers. In case you need to do your own surgery on it. [ hope not]

cheers


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## Rich

satcrazy said:


> Rich,
> 
> Do you use your own settings, or did you find them on the internet?


I do it myself. I'll PM you the settings as soon as I get straightened out.



> I mean, 10 minutes? [ you must have written them down :lol:]


I didn't know the Tech was gonna screw up the set with that update or I would have taken a picture of the settings.



> I forgot to mention, the tech brought screws that panasonic sent him, they were longer than original with the lock washers. In case you need to do your own surgery on it. [ hope not]


Now that you mention it, I do remember him taking out screws and lock washers. Should be able to get the proper screws if needed. Still have well over a year in warranty (Amex add on warranty included in that).

Rich


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## Hoosier205

"Rich" said:


> I do it myself. I'll PM you the settings as soon as I get straightened out.
> 
> I didn't know the Tech was gonna screw up the set with that update or I would have taken a picture of the settings.
> 
> Now that you mention it, I do remember him taking out screws and lock washers. Should be able to get the proper screws if needed. Still have well over a year in warranty (Amex add on warranty included in that).
> 
> Rich


What model and size do you have?


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## Rich

Hoosier205 said:


> What model and size do you have?


My OP shows the model and size, would have been foolish not to put them in the OP. Save you time, it's a 60" TC-P60ST30.

Rich


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## Hoosier205

"Rich" said:


> My OP shows the model and size, would have been foolish not to put them in the OP. Save you time, it's a 60" TC-P60ST30.
> 
> Rich


On my phone...too lazy to skip back. Thanks.


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## satcrazy

Rich said:


> I do it myself. I'll PM you the settings as soon as I get straightened out.
> 
> I didn't know the Tech was gonna screw up the set with that update or I would have taken a picture of the settings.
> 
> Now that you mention it, I do remember him taking out screws and lock washers. Should be able to get the proper screws if needed.
> 
> 
> 
> Still have well over a year in warranty (Amex add on warranty included in that).
> 
> 
> 
> Rich
Click to expand...

checked my CC, made the call, they said it was covered, but procedure is different. Have to get a quote for the repair, if they approve it [ can't be more than the value of the tv] I pay the repair tech, then get re-imbursed from them. [ they said they would re-imburse the service call for the quote too]
More hassle, but better than nothing, or, paying 365$ for a "panasonic" extended warranty[ 2year I believe]


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