Expert: Cleggsan - 8/18/2008

Question
I have Toshiba Big Screen television; I believe it is a 52" Cinema Series, purchased in 1998.  When watching the TV it shuts off. The picture is fine.  The red power light then began to flash.  I could not turn the set on or off with the remote or by using the power button on the set itself.  I unplugged it and plugged it back in, TV comes back on but plays for an hour or so then shuts off again.  We don’t have the manual anymore so I can’t troubleshoot what is going on.  We love the set and would like to have it fixed.  What do you think is the issue and how much would it cost to fix?

Answer
There are many possibilities but the most likely problem is the main power supply.

The condition you are facing is excess current drain within the power supply which trips the protection system.  This protection is designed to shut off the set when the current exceeds a predetermined amount. It is a sort of "intelligent fuse" and shuts the set off to avoid possible damage to the set.

It is usually, say 80% of the time, an expensive repair.  And, with all big screen sets the minimum repair bill is always $200 and up.

You can get the manual from toshiba.com and review the troubleshooting section but I doubt it will add any new light to the story.

You may want to call an authorized Toshiba service center and see if they concur with my diagnosis.

The question of whether it is worthy of repair or not is a difficult one.  Toshiba are very fine products but this one is over the age of what most tv experts would recommend an expensive repair.  If the repair were only $200 I would recommend the repair but most likely the actual repair cost will be much higher, depending on the specific parts and labor that must be applied to the set.

Hope this helps. Let me know if there is more to know.

C