Panasonic TH-40HS450DX smart tv HDMI ports damaged

[Sean de Silva]

Bought a Panasonic 40 Inch Smart TV TH-40HS450DX in March 2021 with the default 1 year company warranty. Cable tv connected to hdmi port 1. chromecast connected to hdmi port 2. The tv worked fine until 4 days ago when on switching on I see "retrieving data" on the screen. The cable tv techie verified that the set top box is working ok. So we swapped the cable tv and chromecast connections between hdmi 1 & 2 with the same result. So it seems that both hdmi ports are damaged. The internet connected via lan works fine. Hence I've now registered a complaint with Panasonic customer care!
My question: Are hdmi ports so delicate and can lightning and heavy rain/moisture cause damage even when the tv is switched off at the mains socket?

 

[Vinod.R]

As a matter of standard, HDMI is a very delicate and we as forum members see HDMI port failure across products, not just TVs.
I am very sorry to hear about a port failure in 3 months of purchase.
Make sure that you keep all mails correspondence etc with you for claiming service and warranty also look for replacement if possible.
I personally hate HDMI as one never knows when it will fail. Good ole composite type ports were far better.

 

[Sean de Silva]

As a matter of standard, HDMI is a very delicate and we as forum members see HDMI port failure across products, not just TVs.
I am very sorry to hear about a port failure in 3 months of purchase.
Make sure that you keep all mails correspondence etc with you for claiming service and warranty also look for replacement if possible.
I personally hate HDMI as one never knows when it will fail. Good ole composite type ports were far better.

I wrongly assumed that this might've been a rare occurrence. Consoling to know that hdmi often goes kaput. Let's see whether the company technician advises replacing just the hdmi board or the tv.

 

[Sean de Silva]

Update: Panasonic technician came over and diagnosed that the tv requires a software update which he'll be bringing on a pendrive tomorrow.

 

[Maint1234]

Hdmi ports are no more delicate than other ports. In my legacy sony lcd i lost 1 hdmi port during a lightening storm, in which my pc also got some damage.
Best practice is to avoid connecting your hdmi cables with the tv powered on as we are observing earthing issues and current leakages in some Chinese brands especially. You will observe sparking while inserting a hdmi cable , which is not a good thing .

 

[Sean de Silva]

Hdmi ports are no more delicate than other ports. In my legacy sony lcd i lost 1 hdmi port during a lightening storm, in which my pc also got some damage.
Best practice is to avoid connecting your hdmi cables with the tv powered on as we are observing earthing issues and current leakages in some Chinese brands especially. You will observe sparking while inserting a hdmi cable , which is not a good thing .

Since time immemorial i have never connected any hifi cable with gear on let alone a hdmi cable. But good to know and thanks for sharing your experience.

 

[Sean de Silva]

Update: Panasonic technician delayed coming over as the software was "not available". He finally showed up today with his pendrive and fiddled around trying to update the software via usb.

and..we were back to square one! The screen still shows "retrieving data". So obviously the software wasn't the issue here. He then connected his hdmi cable to both ports with the same result as earlier. The tv return window on amazon closed on 13th March 2021 so that isn't an option. Hence he is now going to get a replacement hdmi board. I just hope this saga comes to its logical conclusion soon.

 

[Vinod.R]

Hi Sean,
Just make sure that the technician/Panasonic/Service Centre don't try to wiggle out of a replacement board or a replacement tv. If it is going to be a TV make sure that it is new.
Infact they should give you a straight new replacement, but this being India anything can happen as we have no consumer rights. In the USA you would have got a new set and an apology for sure.

 

[Sean de Silva]

Hi Sean,
Just make sure that the technician/Panasonic/Service Centre don't try to wiggle out of a replacement board or a replacement tv. If it is going to be a TV make sure that it is new.
Infact they should give you a straight new replacement, but this being India anything can happen as we have no consumer rights. In the USA you would have got a new set and an apology for sure.

A replacement tv is unlikely due to amazon india limited duration return policy of 12 days. Hoping that the board replacement does the trick.

 

[Shanmugam]

Does LED TV require stabiliser?
As this might be due to power fluctuations in the input source

 

[manindra.mukherjee]

While I have seen a lot of people using ups or and voltage stabilizer , my take would be that if you have a reliable and clean power feed with proper earthing , you can do away with ups or regulator. I use my pc , tv and amp directly into plugged in the wall socket. Haven't faced issue in last 5 years.

However if earthing is not proper and there are frequent power cuts , better to first get the earthing done properly and then use a ups

 

[srinisundar]

Frequent failure of HDMI ports happen when the TV/projector/media player "powered on" and then we attempt to replace/switch the ports or tried to insert another HDMI cable from another source...

 

[Sean de Silva]

Spoke to the area service manager earlier today. He says the replacement board will take a week to arrive from gurgaon.

 

[Maint1234]

While I have seen a lot of people using ups or and voltage stabilizer , my take would be that if you have a reliable and clean power feed with proper earthing , you can do away with ups or regulator. I use my pc , tv and amp directly into plugged in the wall socket. Haven't faced issue in last 5 years.

However if earthing is not proper and there are frequent power cuts , better to first get the earthing done properly and then use a ups

Many TVs like lg oleds dont come with a 3 pin , so what will earthing do ?

 

[Sean de Silva]

Exasperated playing the waiting game for so many days, the technician replaced the tv motherboard today. Tv working fine.

 

[blackhorn]

what is with TV's and lockdown eh ? glad to know problem has been fixed

 

[Sean de Silva]

Panasonic one year warranty ended on 1st March 2022. Both hdmi ports have conked off tonight. I wish this had happened before the 1st so that I could claim a replacement.