Fix HDMI Port?

[RockChalk]

My buddies hdmi port on his vizio doesnt work after a power surge wnet through it, everything else on the tv works fine except the first hdmi input so now he is down to only 1! waondering if people had any advice on how much trouble it is to fix the port and if it is worth it...thanks

[pacificvibes]

Originally Posted by RockChalk

My buddies hdmi port on his vizio doesnt work after a power surge wnet through it, everything else on the tv works fine except the first hdmi input so now he is down to only 1! waondering if people had any advice on how much trouble it is to fix the port and if it is worth it...thanks

honestly, if he has a warranty, I would just send it back and have them fix it.

[RockChalk]

Sorry no warranty It was a refurb he got cheap and it is 3 years old now, it is his bedroom tv

[pacificvibes]

Originally Posted by RockChalk

Sorry no warranty It was a refurb he got cheap and it is 3 years old now, it is his bedroom tv

does it only have on HDMI input???

[RockChalk]

Originally Posted by pacificvibes

does it only have on HDMI input???

No it has 2 but now after the one being out of commision he is down to 1

[pacificvibes]

Originally Posted by RockChalk

No it has 2 but now after the one being out of commision he is down to 1

soooooo why doesnt he just use the other one? does he need both?

[RockChalk]

Originally Posted by pacificvibes

soooooo why doesnt he just use the other one? does he need both?

Yea for his xbox elite and direct tv, he doesnt like component cables for the xbox, but he doesnt have a choice now, thanks for the help though

[pacificvibes]

Originally Posted by RockChalk

Yea for his xbox elite and direct tv, he doesnt like component cables for the xbox, but he doesnt have a choice now, thanks for the help though

well that makes sense. Umm yea, I thought I've heard of someone fixing one but I cant be positive but I hope he gets some help.

[Batman1980]

I'm 99% sure once a power surge goes through the HDMI port it's done for good. Unfortunate but true and why my expensive electronics are all plugged into surge protectors.

[RockChalk]

Originally Posted by Wolverine1980

I'm 99% sure once a power surge goes through the HDMI port it's done for good. Unfortunate but true and why my expensive electronics are all plugged into surge protectors.

Yea he learned his lesson thats for sure, lol just wanted to double check thanks for all the help I love this forum

[cawgijoe]

I would contact Vizio and find out who locally in your area repairs their TV's.
Call them and have them look at it and get an estimate. At least that way you will know if they can repair it and what it will cost and whether it's worth it or not.

[Maswov]

Probably can be fixed but probably not worth it. When a surge goes through a circuit board many components usually fail, between repair parts and labor costs to replace it's BER (beyond economical repair).

[syncguy]

Check with the power company. They may repair it if you could prove that the fault is due to a power surge.

[Sylin]

Originally Posted by RockChalk

My buddies hdmi port on his vizio doesnt work after a power surge wnet through it, everything else on the tv works fine except the first hdmi input so now he is down to only 1! waondering if people had any advice on how much trouble it is to fix the port and if it is worth it...thanks

I used to work for an electronic component distributor, as a liaison between sales and engineering, so take this FWIW.

The connector itself is probably fine. However, if you look at the PCB (printed circuit board) it's soldered on to, there is usually a controller chip (IC) that it runs through. This is likely what blew, or a series of resistors in close proximity, as neither of them have a high tolerance for power fluctuation. Neither are easy or cheap to fix (especially resistors... next to impossible to do by hand because they are so small), and it's usually best to just replace the whole board.

Unfortunately, getting a replacement board is... well, let's just say he might be better off replacing the TV. Or you could do as others have suggested and call Vizio.

From personal experience, I know most people will readily run their power cables through a surge protector, but will completely ignore network, cable or phone wires. If you plug any of those directly from the wall into your device, you've done the equivalent of locking your doors but leaving your windows wide open. Stuff's gonna come in. And phone lines are particularly nasty because they carry constant power and it's fluctuating like crazy. Tell your friend when it comes to power protection, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

[HD Man]

I had a problem with my Pioneer Elite 92TXH receiver HDMI's stopped working and only component in/out would work. Luckily, it was still covered by Pioneer's 2-year warranty, as like Sylin said, they had to replace the HDMI board. The tech said you should be thankful it was covered under warranty.

He also said as a pre-caution, you should power down your equipment before disconnecting/connecting components via HDMI.

[RockChalk]

Thanks for all the help he said he is just gonna upgrade soon, so he may ask about input at which point I shall be back

[Rojas]

Originally Posted by RockChalk

Thanks for all the help he said he is just gonna upgrade soon, so he may ask about input at which point I shall be back

If he has a working HDMI port on his TV that works, then purchase a cheap
HDMI switch box from Monoprice.com

This one has two ports
http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2

and this one has four ports
http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2