Garage TV - Can It Be Done?

[MSG C5]

Well, my son and his gang of overzealous 10-year old friends just cracked the LCD screen on our 1-year old 40" Sony Bravia flatscreen TV when one of the X-Box controllers went flying.

I checked into repairing the TV, however the cost for a new screen, labor, etc. is not worth it considering how the costs of HD LCD TVs have gone down.

However, I'm considering checking Craigslist, Ebay, etc. for another similar TV with a good screen and try to "Frankenstein" one together.

Has anyone successfully done this? If so, what websites, retailers, etc. should I work with? I have been wanting a TV in the garage, however always found a better use for the $$$, so if I can perform this surgery at a low cost, I might try to salvage the TV. With the exception of the screen, everything else is fine.

Can it be done?

 

[TN_GARAGE]

W With the exception of the screen, everything else is fine.

Huh?

What else is there to a television set than the screen? Not following you.

 

[MSG C5]

Huh?

What else is there to a television set than the screen? Not following you.

The LCD screen is cracked. The internal guts of the TV, electronics, etc. is fine. I'm wondering if I can replace a like for like screen and get it working again.

 

[GarageEnvy]

Sounds like your son and his overzealous friends need to start making some money.

 

[mrbelvedere]

having had a couple of samsung LCD tv's apart for replacement of bad start capacitors, I can attest that most of the parts in these unit are simply plugged in and srewed down, there are not a lot of solder connections as in the old days.

I'd wager that careful disassembly of a like unit (with documenting reference pictures) wouldn't be too tough, and would garner the experience necessary to provide success with your own unit. you may find it may be easier to put all your boards into the donor rather than vice-versa, as the screen is likely the last component to come out of the case.

 

[Jononon]

It can certainly be done on laptops, in fact it's easy, but how are you going to find a working panel with a broken controller? How will you tell?

 

[MSG C5]

Thanks for all the replies. I just hate the idea of throwing away the TV if there is a chance to fix it. I like the idea of moving my components into the good screen donor TV, however I've never done anything like this so it should be fun. Only problem is finding a good screen donor. Not sure what would cause a similar model with a good screen to go bad. Perhaps an electrical surge survivor.

 

[rickairmedic]

Here ya go MSG .

http://cgi.ebay.com/LCD-SCREEN-PANE...070?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item56423ea0a6


Rick

 

[Vicegrip]

Sounds like your son and his overzealous friends need to start making some money.

that made me laugh. You are now the father of an indentured servant until the replacement TV is paid off.

I would guess that the screen is tightly designed with the other electronics. You might be able to find just the same set with a different issue. You also need to find someone that has kept the same model and issue of busted TV around.

 

[cowboyjosh]

its a PITA, lots of little screws to get to the screen itself, just for grins I tore one apart a year ago after I had a tv meet a similar fate. I was pissed and threw something across the room it hit and broke the TV screen; I was so f'in mad I got in my truck, drove straight to Best Buy and bought the biggest, baddest, most son of a bitchin TV they had. Of course I was just as pissed a month later when the credit card bill came.

With prices being as cheap (cheap being a relative term) as they are, you'll spend more time chasing down parts and taking the time to dissemble and reassemble something without guarantee it will even work, or work to your satisfaction; then it would cost for a new set, maybe sans video game system hooked up this time.

 

[must8657]

i would look for a broken one on craigslist with a broken power supply or Y-sus board (most common failures). you can find them for around $100. Then take the rest of the parts from the donor tv and put them on ebay.

 

[Case IH]

I would make the 10 year olds buy you a new 50in TV

 

[MSG C5]

that made me laugh. You are now the father of an indentured servant until the replacement TV is paid off.

I would guess that the screen is tightly designed with the other electronics. You might be able to find just the same set with a different issue. You also need to find someone that has kept the same model and issue of busted TV around.

Yeah, I was upset, however if you could have seen the looks on their faces after it happened. What's sort of encouraging is that they (4 of them) really held onto the code of friendship and didn't want to rat out anyone. My son even took responsibility as they were "his friends" so I guess I'm doing something right. They are all good kids and even (expensive) accidents happen. The TV is located in a loft/den area of our home and it was pretty much a gameroom TV anyway. It still worked for about 60 days and then the color streaks took over the entire screen.

 

[MSG C5]

Here ya go MSG .

http://cgi.ebay.com/LCD-SCREEN-PANE...070?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item56423ea0a6


Rick

Thanks! I will check into it for compatibility. I was just hoping someone else tried this and I wasn't the lab rat. I will check this seller's profile out and make sure he's legit and try to negotiate the price down. I could probably get a cheapie 40" after Super Bowl for around $500.

 

[rickairmedic]

MSG closest I have been to replacing the screen in an LCD TV was when I built an LCD projection setup out of a small Play station 1 portable lcd screen. I miss it sometimes having an 8' screen on the wall .


Rick

 

[Vethead]

Have you checked into your homeowners insurance? I wouldn't be surprised if it is covered.

 

[cowboyjosh]

Have you checked into your homeowners insurance? I wouldn't be surprised if it is covered.

If his deductible is $1000 or more, its not worth it, even calling the insurance company to ask will sometimes "ding" you.

Expensive accidents happen, we've all had them Im sure we could start a new discussion about our f ups; the kids are 10, **** happens.

Quick story from my youth ya'll might get a kick out of.

When I was 14 I swiped/hit a brand new car (a Lincoln Town Car) with a Simplicity riding lawnmower the bagger unit hit the car and scraped down the entire passenger side, and then like a fool, I lied about it. After 3 times of being asked by my dad if I hit the car I admitted I did it (even though he and the car owners knew it was me), he asked in a elevated tone why I lied? I'll never forget my response "Peter denied Jesus 3 times too". I mowed allot of lawn and washed allot of cars that year to pay for that car to get repaired.

 

[TN_GARAGE]

If his deductible is $1000 or more, its not worth it, even calling the insurance company to ask will sometimes "ding" you.

Expensive accidents happen, we've all had them Im sure we could start a new discussion about our f ups; the kids are 10, **** happens.

Quick story from my youth ya'll might get a kick out of.

When I was 14 I swiped/hit a brand new car (a Lincoln Town Car) with a Simplicity riding lawnmower the bagger unit hit the car and scraped down the entire passenger side, and then like a fool, I lied about it. After 3 times of being asked by my dad if I hit the car I admitted I did it (even though he and the car owners knew it was me), he asked in a elevated tone why I lied? I'll never forget my response "Peter denied Jesus 3 times too". I mowed allot of lawn and washed allot of cars that year to pay for that car to get repaired.

Not to mention the homeowners policy will most likely only cover the item's actual cash value and not replacement value.

 

[kb2tha]

Have you checked into your homeowners insurance? I wouldn't be surprised if it is covered.

Deductible and depreciation would probably kill that idea although worth a look.

Oops, didn't notice post 17. Jumped ahead too quick. Even if they cover it, as the poster said it then becomes a claim and may then hurt you later in the event of a real need.

 

[MSG C5]

Deductible and depreciation would probably kill that idea although worth a look.

Oops, didn't notice post 17. Jumped ahead too quick. Even if they cover it, as the poster said it then becomes a claim and may then hurt you later in the event of a real need.

Yeah, I carry high deductables on all my policies, auto and home so not worth the effort or expense of getting them involved. A lesson that my father taught me after owning his own business and battling insurance companies.

The bad news is that I bought this TV about 6 months before the drastic price drops in HD/LCD TVs. I might try to sell the TV on Craig's list and let someone else reverse engineer it or find some other type of electronics recycler. Probably easier to just install a cheapy store brand TV in the garage anyway.

 

[Todd.Brock]

This sounds like you are more interested in this as a project. Call a local TV shops to see if they have extras. Put a posting on CL looking for broke TV parts. You might be surprised to find your screen headed to the trash can... In all honesty, you will probably end up buying a new one, but it would be fun to see if you could salvage it and then put it in another bedroom, etc...

 

[MSG C5]

This sounds like you are more interested in this as a project. Call a local TV shops to see if they have extras. Put a posting on CL looking for broke TV parts. You might be surprised to find your screen headed to the trash can... In all honesty, you will probably end up buying a new one, but it would be fun to see if you could salvage it and then put it in another bedroom, etc...

Yep. We must think alike.

Sometimes I want to do something just to do it. I'm a little wary about buying a screen online, having it shipped, spending a weekend working on it and only to find out it doesn't work after the $$$ and time invested.

 

[rhastings80]

Check out http://www.shopjimmy.com they are one of the largets dealer of used and replacement parts.

 

[dipper]

Fixing your tv is possible, the hard part is getting the access to the parts and getting them cheap enough to make it worth it.

There's a couple of us here at work that "salvage" computers and lcd monitors from the dock and usually fix them by replacing the bad cheapie capacitors. I am working on a 15" Acer monitor that needs a new CCFL lamp installed. The lamps are gonna cost about $12 for the pair. It took about 30 minutes to dismantle it to the point of getting to the lamps though. Granted it's just a 15" LCD monitor, but i'll have about $12 into it when it's done.

I cracked the LCD on my sirius satellite radio about 6 months ago, radio still worked fine just could not read anything on the display. I ended up getting a brand new replacement LCD from a guy on ebay for $30 installed it and now it's working great.

Check ebay frequently, setup a saved search to help with that. Craigslist too.

 

[Tom2]

The bad news is that I bought this TV about 6 months before the drastic price drops in HD/LCD TVs. I might try to sell the TV on Craig's list and let someone else reverse engineer it or find some other type of electronics recycler. Probably easier to just install a cheapy store brand TV in the garage anyway.

Yea, I kinda did the same thing. I paid $700 for a 32" about 4 years ago. That was an "awesome" price at the time. Within 6 months it was at least $1-200 less. Now you can find them for around $300.

 

[bazzateer]

Yea, I kinda did the same thing. I paid $700 for a 32" about 4 years ago. That was an "awesome" price at the time. Within 6 months it was at least $1-200 less. Now you can find them for around $300.

That's one of the laws of technology.

 

[cowboyjosh]

I remember buying a 15 inch Sharp LCD for over $600.00 on sale back in 2003-2004 for the kitchen 2 houses ago. At that time i couldnt even imagine having a 40 inch LCD, now i cant believe i used to be impressed with rear projection tv's as little as 7 or 8 years ago.

 

[darkk]

quick answer to your question....Yes