Philips 42PF9976 Am I the only one with problrems?
mad as heck
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I purchased a brand new Philips 42PF9976 plasma TV in May of 05. I have had nothing but problems with the TV since I received it. A week after we received the TV, I was watching a baseball and basketball game on the split screen function. The baseball game ended and I put the basketball game on full screen and there was a gray line approximately 1/8 of and inch running vertically and directly in the center of the TV where the yellow line is when using split screen. After calling Philips and going over all of these diagnostic tests, including unplugging the TV over night and trying it the next day. They finally came to the conclusion that I need a new "PDP". At this point I had the choice of returning the TV by freight to Ohio where I purchased it for a new one or getting their new PDP, that would come with a technician to install it. I had no idea what a PDP was but I figured it was easier for me to let them do this. After a week of not hearing anything I called Philips and they told me the part was on the way and it would be any day now. After two weeks I called and they told me the same thing. Then I started calling every day until I was able to get through to management and they finally told me that the part was on back order but they guaranteed me that it would be at my house within six days.
The PDP arrived by a shipping company, it came in a large black padded box and weighed 158 pounds. That night I got a call by the tech and I asked him what a PDP was and he told me it was the plasma display panel, he also said he would be at my house the next day to instal it. The tech was at my house for 8 hours. When he had the TV put back together and went to plug it in it didn't work. He started to disassemble it again and started trouble shooting it. He had some parts on his truck and after swapping parts and getting everything to work on the old PDP and transferring it to the new PDP it was discovered that the new PDP was defective and it burned up the power panel that he had and the one with my TV and some of the other parts. He put everything back on the original TV and packed the new PDP panel to be picked up and shipped back to Philips. He said he would call them and I should call also. We hung the TV on the wall but now I have no picture nor could I use it.
Here we go again with Philips and my original 30 day manufacture warrantee from where I had bought the TV is expired by this time. It took Philips almost a month to send the PDP and the other parts needed. The same tech came the next day and in three hours the TV was up and going with no problems and no vertical line in the center. After a couple of days and watching the split screen we notice that the gray line is back. I immediately called Phillips and they said the matter would go through their consumer relations department and they would call me back. A week later they called me back and said that I need to fax them over a copy of the original invoice/receipt and they were going to send me a new TV of the same model. I expressed concern that in my opinion this was a defect in the manufacture of the TV and the yellow line separating the split screen was causing the burn in and this is going to happen again. They assure me that it is not a manufacture defect and if it does happen again we would deal with it at that time. This was July 13 and guess what? Yep, you got it right no TV yet. As soon as I post this I am going to start calling them again.
Anyone else have this vertical gray line in the center of the TV? Rob
Perrey Z.
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...158-LBS.? when the TV actually weights no more than 80-LBS... and i'm sorry but it's hard to believe a technician was in your home servicing your unit for 8-hours straight.
The maximum time a Philips technician is allow for on-site repairs is no more than 4-hours per day. And to exchange PDPs the company will send 2-technicians.
One week is enough time for a company to get back to you with a solution, you aren't their only end-user they have, think about that.
They aren't going to come in and rush over one individual. Muchless if you bought it online, Philips have to autheticate the reseller status {Authorized dealer} before authorizing and/or releasing parts and service.
From whom you bought this unit and what carrier was use to delivered? Please forward the serial number aswell, i'll take a look at this.
BTW: the gray line is not burn-in but ghosting from the split screen, but if you keep doing split screens, your TV will eventually get burn.
Mad as heck
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Perrey, Yes the PDP and the insulated wooden box with stainless steel hardware (5 feet L X 4 feet H X 18 inches D) that was on a pallet was 158 pounds.
The tech, he was here for 8 hours, he basically built the TV 4 times. He put everything on the new PDP then he transfered everything back to the old PDP, he then had what I think he called a new power pack and put that on the old TV and it worked. So he rebuilt the TV with the new PDP and it burned up the power pack, so he had to put the old TV back together and pack the PDP back in the box for shipping back to Philips.
The TV was purchased on line through one of the links on Philips web site for authorized dealers.
My biggest problem with Philips is that they make a TV with dual tuners and split screen, that realistically you cant use these functions without damaging the TV. These were the features that were a must in me investing in the TV in the first place.
Finally after getting through to Philips today, they said that they were sending me a refund check for the purchase price of the TV.
Problem settled, I will now go with a LCD TV. Rob
which one?
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still, that means that Philips do care about their costumers... this is good to know. I guess the important part is: buy from an authorized dealer.
Perrey Z.
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I'm glad your problem was resolved., The gray and yellow borders or split lines for the picture-in-picture modes is something Philips need to address immediately. Did they inform you can also keep the defective set?
Perrey Z.
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That's one of the many good beneficts of owning a Philips product. If the technicians cannot fix it, Philips will refund your purchasing price plus sales tax. Most of the time you can also keep the defective set.
mad as heck
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Unfortunately, after I get the buy back check, they will send out a shipping company to remove and pack the TV and Ship it back to them.
How about some advise on a good LCD?
What do you think of the 42PF9996/37? That has the dual tuners, split screen and I am hooked on the ambilight now. Rob
Perrey Z.
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That's one of the best if not the best 42" LCD out there., Costco was selling them for $2,999.99. which was a VERY good deal., this unit has a MSRP of $8,999.00 and sells for around $4,500. This model has been discontinued, the replacement, model# 42PF9830A will be released in September.
I own a Philips LCD and is a terrific product, one of my best purchases this year. You don't have to worry about burn-in with this model. Did you know you can also freeze the picture? I don't know what will be the benefic of that but i guess you can use it to take still and print photos of the images. Also this model has Pixel Plus 2 meaning you'll see a more realistic image with most programs.
Yeah i know the feeling, when i got my 42PF9966/37 i fell in love with just the design., but once i set the Ambilight and Pixel Plus i was hooked., after seeing all the things this unit can do, i don't know if i could live without it.
I had a terrible experience with Phillips. After my plasma (42FD9954) failed to go from Standby to On - and getting the run around for service - I finally found a local Charlotte NC service company. After taking the TV from my home they called to tell me the power supply had failed and it would cost me $1,200 for the power supply and $500 to replace. I know that I am out of warranty (2 years old) but this crazy. I called Phillips Consumer Relations - they told me - "Sorry" Can't help you. Any recommendations?
Hm....you must be alone, as I have had no problems
mycaptain
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I am having problems with a 42PF9976 that I purchased in August. It has been in the shop since the 5th day it arrived at the house. After 2 hours of running, the picture began to "pixelate" and colors would jump all over the picture. The problem sounds different from yours.
The in-home warranty provided for a pick up and service call which took place without a hitch. After 10 days out for service, I called to find the status. They had ordered some part and all was looking good.
The service delivery truck came today. The installer unloaded and said to leave the set in the box. Phillips would arrange for a pick up. The plasma display had "shorted out" during a test he performed in the morning. The set does not work and can not be repaired. He said that Philips would contact me to arrange for a replacement and pickup of the old unit. "See Ya!"
The service is not Philips, so I am not casting aspersion on them. I have not been called regarding a replacement or anything else for that matter. That is a problem. The fact that this is an issue related to the PDP means "You are not alone!"
Anyway, I guess I would have stayed away from Philips if I had suspected persistent issues. I searched prior to buying, and this was the only thread I found.
I purchased a 42PF9966/37 from a gentleman on eBay a few weeks ago, and the unit showed up with spiderweb cracks all over the screen and the picture is out (UPS ground throwing the unit around). The unit powers up though, responds to the remote, and the ambilight works fine. UPS refunded every penny and I got to keep the TV. So I ordered a factory refurbed 42PF9976/37 from Tiger direct, and don't know what to do with the broken one. Do I keep it for parts? Do I sell it for parts on eBay? Any suggestions?
timdawg
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I too have the power / standby issue with my 42fd9954 Philips. I have waited 4 weeks for a part (which best buy says I should have next week due to the part being on backorder). It seems that we are not the only ones to have this problem - anybody else have issues with Philips plasmas failing to turn on?
I have an AKAI PDP4295G (SAMSUNG SPN4235) which has had several vertical lines appear on the screen. At first they would go off when I shut off the TV but now they are permanent. They are grouped in three sets; ten vertical lines on the left of the screen illuminated green and one in the center illuminated white and two groups of seven on the right - one segment green & the other blue. Can you give me some indication what it may be so that I can replace the failing circuit board. The picture behind these lines is fine but the lines make me want to throw the TV out. I have the service manual but it does very little but advise to replace the circuit boards. The service manual indicates that it could be the Digital Tuner Board or the X driver board but I don't want to waste my money on a guess and then realise that I may still need to get something else.
Can someone help me with this ?
michael grossman
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i have the same problem with philips 42fd9954..won't turn on from standby...I'm thinking its the power supply..anyone have any idea where to find one? Not too worried as the tv was given to me for free from a maintenance man at a business who wupposedly had 6 more...any place to sell used nonworking plasmas? there aren't any cracks on the screen etc?