Using a monitor as TV

[Seb1780]

Further to previous trails and tribulations with my telly not retaining its settings (http://www.edugeek.net/forums/general-chat/152072-samsung-tv-wont-retain-settings.html) it has now developed an annoying habit of switching on and off all by itself. I've had a quote for fixing that starts at £50 for diagnosis plus parts and labour to fix.

 

So.....

 

Time for a new gogglebox methinks. Which got me thinking about using a monitor hooked up to the BT box we now have. To my simplistic mind this seems like a suitable plan because a monitor of similar size (28") is dozens of pounds cheaper than a TV. Plus, it should be intelligent enough to turn itself to standby when the STB is turned off, which in turn makes the remote situation easier for all household members to understand. And, if I have the patience and skills to fix the TV, I could end up with a new monitor for my PC (Google suggests the "simple" replacement of a few capacitors will solve the problem).

 

Is there a downside to my cunning plan?

[crc-ict]

Can't see a problem as long as your BT box has an HDMI output and the monitor you choose has HDMI inputs and speakers. Although unless you can control HDMI volume via the BT box, you won't have remote control of the audio volume - unless you use an AV amp or something else for sound. That assumes that all TV viewing comes from the BT box and that you don't use the internal tuner in the TV at all.

[CAM]

Samsung TVs still do this??? I had one about 10 years ago and it did the exact same thing, even after repairing the capacitors it carried on with the same on off, random channel/volume change routine. I won't touch the brand again as a result.

 

The only fix I know of is to go in and cut the wires to the circuit board which in turn disables the touch controls on the TV. But opening a TV is a very dangerous thing to do given how much power is stored inside even with the power off.

[difinity]

TVs are fine to work on, I've been doing it for months. There is only one capacitor that holds a charge after turning the TV off and that is easily discharged, the rest dissipate after a few minutes.

 

Could be a cap issue or it could be something else. Bulging/leaking caps are obvious, half the time you need a an ESR meter to detect ones out of spec.

 

I'm off out on a job now but i'll hook up my Dell monitor with HDMI to my Virgin box when i get back. Apart from the sound issue as mentioned above i can't see a problem.

[LosOjos]

opening a TV is a very dangerous thing to do given how much power is stored inside even with the power off.

 

TVs are fine to work on, I've been doing it for months.

 

WARNING

 

New, LCD/LED TVs are fairly safe to work on and the caps discharge quite quickly as stated, but unless you're a qualified TV engineer never open up an old tube TV/monitor (CRT) - the power those things store is more than enough to kill you instantly!

[Seb1780]

Can't see a problem as long as your BT box has an HDMI output and the monitor you choose has HDMI inputs and speakers. Although unless you can control HDMI volume via the BT box, you won't have remote control of the audio volume - unless you use an AV amp or something else for sound. That assumes that all TV viewing comes from the BT box and that you don't use the internal tuner in the TV at all.

 

Yes, the BT box does have HDMI and its own volume control; for a couple of months now I've been using the TV as a dumb monitor - turn it on and set the volume then use the BT box for all other functions.

 

Samsung TVs still do this??? I had one about 10 years ago and it did the exact same thing, even after repairing the capacitors it carried on with the same on off, random channel/volume change routine. I won't touch the brand again as a result.

 

The only fix I know of is to go in and cut the wires to the circuit board which in turn disables the touch controls on the TV. But opening a TV is a very dangerous thing to do given how much power is stored inside even with the power off.

 

The TV is over 5 years old, and a google of its model number does suggest these problems were not unknown. I've got some experience with electrics and have suitable tools and testers to make things safe - it's the fiddly electronics that my hamfisted hands will struggle with.

 

TVs are fine to work on, I've been doing it for months. There is only one capacitor that holds a charge after turning the TV off and that is easily discharged, the rest dissipate after a few minutes.

 

Could be a cap issue or it could be something else. Bulging/leaking caps are obvious, half the time you need a an ESR meter to detect ones out of spec.

 

I'm off out on a job now but i'll hook up my Dell monitor with HDMI to my Virgin box when i get back. Apart from the sound issue as mentioned above i can't see a problem.

 

Thanks

[difinity]

WARNING

 

New, LCD/LED TVs are fairly safe to work on and the caps discharge quite quickly as stated, but unless you're a qualified TV engineer never open up an old tube TV/monitor (CRT) - the power those things store is more than enough to kill you instantly!

 

Yes, perhaps i should have been a little clearer, although my post was not a recommendation for everyone to start poking in the back of their TV. The voltages from the CCFL HV inverters is in the 1-3kv range and plasma TVs also have high voltages in them. Whilst powered on some heatsinks also have high voltages passing through them.

 

It seems my 23" Dell monitor does not have speakers although the picture is fine there is no sound. I am waiting for a suppression cap for a 27" that does have speakers so will be able to test fully when it arrives.

[NB9457]

I'd go for a 4K TV, they've come down a lot. And to be honest, whenever I've looked, larger monitors now seem to exceed the cost of a 32" TV.

 

If you want cheap, a quick internet search should return you a 40" full HD LG TV for around £240. 720P TVs I've seen for around £160 at supermarkets.

[Seb1780]

A quick update.

 

Finally took the back off the TV last night to find no evidence of blown capacitors and nothing else obvious. Disconnected the ribbon cable connecting the buttons to the main board and fired it up. This has solved the turning on / off issue, so I guess it must have been a faulty switch under one of the buttons.

[machin05]

What will you be using for audio? Built-in speakers on monitors won't be up to the task unless you sit about 12" away from your screen!

[Seb1780]

I already have separate sound direct from the BT box; the TV is, in effect, acting solely as a monitor and has been ever since it developed the original fault of not retaining any of its settings or tuning.

[machin05]

Plugging into an amp or sutin?

[Seb1780]

Into a cheap and simple active speaker set. I'm not looking to register on seismographs :-)